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Filed under: Frankfurt Auto Show, Coupes, Sports/GTs, Supercars, Bugatti

There was an official release of the all-aluminum Bugatti Pur Sang somewhere in Frankfurt this week, but it wasn’t at the official Frankfurt Auto Show. In fact, once it was shown — presumably, once — it wasn’t seen again. Not much of a loss, really, because you won’t be likely to see one either: Bugatti’s only making five of them. That’s even more exclusive than the edtion-of-twenty Lamborghini Reventon.

The Pur Sang is a standard-issue Bugatti stripped of all of its paint. That means raw aluminum and carbon fiber face the 200+ MPH elements in their naked states. We don’t know how it looks in person, but in pics we’d have to say it’s the prettiest Bugatti we’ve seen. Without the two-tone paint job, the car doesn’t remind us of a giant Stacy Adams shoe. It’s also a couple hundred pounds lighter, not that you were looking to shave weight or tenths off the car.

And heaven only knows how Bugatti will decide who gets the five examples. But of course, if you really wanted one you can always stop by Earl Scheib and have your Bugatti stripped. Since it only costs $99 to put paint on a car, it’s probably not much more to take it off. Just an idea. In the mean time, be sure to check out the hi-res gallery of pics.

[Source: World Car Fans]

Filed under: Concept Cars, Frankfurt Auto Show, Peugeot

In Geneva early this year, Peugeot picked from over 4,000 entries to name the Flux as the winner of its 4th annual design competition. Now, the lucky designer who penned the Flux, Mihai Panaitescu, will see his creation built to scale and unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in a scant two weeks.

As a refresher, the designers were tasked with creating a concept based around the P.L.E.A.S.E. acronym, which stood for pleasure, lightweight, efficiency, accessibility, simplicity and ecology. Peugeot figured that Mr. Panaitescu hit all the nails directly on the head, and in addition to seeing his concept brought to life, he’ll have the opportunity to drive it in the virtual realm when it’s incorporated into the Xbox 360 game, Project Gothem Racing 4.

You can read the full press release after the jump and check out a series of renderings in the high-res gallery below.

[Source: Peugeot]

Continue reading In Flux: Peugeot Flux concept coming to Frankfurt

Filed under: Frankfurt Auto Show, Coupes, Sports/GTs, Etc., BMW

The Wiesmann GT is about to get a mad, bad engine to match its mad, bad looks. Available since inception with BMW’s 362 HP V8 that gets it to the six-oh in 4.6, the niche maker from Muenster is said to be considering a variant that hides the M-edition five-liter V10. If Wiesmann didn’t alter the car in any way, it would be an instant boost of 148 HP for a car that weighs quite a bit less than 3,000 pounds. That would raise its performance — and its handling — from ‘more than adequate’ to ‘absolute nutter.’ There’s a chance the car could do its first meet-and-greet at the Frankfurt Auto Show next month.

[Source: Motor Authority]

Filed under: Concept Cars, Convertibles, Coupes, Sports/GTs, Geneva Motor Show

The image from the Geneva Motor Show.

After our Geneva-induced jetlag subsided, we were able to take stock of what vehicles struck us as the showstoppers. Some were obvious, while others were more unlikely; the Artega GT remains one of them.

However, when we discovered that the Henrik Fisker-designed podium princess was strictly a shell, lacking a functional drivetrain and interior bits, the wind quickly left our sails. Even worse, according to an article in AutomobilWoche when the GT goes on sale, the Germans will be the only ones able to pick up one of the 500 models produced.

There is a light at the end of the tunnel though. The article states that Artega’s coupe will come equipped with a 3.6-liter VW VR6, complete with a DSG gearbox, and will tip the scales at a paltry 2,400 pounds. Even better: with the backing of Karl-Heinz Kalbfell, formerly of BMW, Maserati and Rolls-Royce, Artega plans on offering a roadster model that will be sold in Asia, the Middle-East and even here in the States.

There’s no word on when we’ll see the next model from the niche manufacturer, but if we had to put money on it, we’d plunk down a twenty-spot for Geneva ‘08.

[Source: AutomobilWoche via Motor Authority]

Filed under: Tuners, Audi

There are those who can never be satisfied with near perfection. Kicherer just couldn’t leave well enough alone, and just had to go and improve Audi’s new supercar, the R8.

The German tuner smartly left the mechanicals alone, and focused on altering the R8’s aesthetics and handling. A new front spoiler reduces front lift, while a new rear spoiler adds downforce. Original 19″ rims were replaced with larger but lighter 20s. But the most obvious, and perhaps most effective, change is the new set of springs that takes the car down 15mm in front and a whopping 30mm in front the rear.

No word on how these changes affect the R8’s already phenomenal handling, nor is there any word on how phenomenally these changes will affect your wallet. But we’re pretty sure if you’re seriously interested in buying one, you know who to call to find out.

For more photos, check out our gallery.

[Source: Motor Authority]