Skip to Content

Jeremy Korzeniewski

-

Triumph Shows Off Red and White 2010 Thruxton SE

2010 Triumph Thruxton SE - Click above for high-res image gallery

As far as we're concerned, there will always be a market for sporty vintage-styled machinery like the Triumph Thruxton. After all, not everyone needs 150 horsepower and 200 mile-per-hour top speeds to have a good time on two wheels, and few motorcycles possess the kind of style that Hinckley bakes into its line of modern classics.

This is especially true of the new 2010 Thruxton SE, which gets a Crystal White paint job on the tins with a single red stripe and a matching red powdercoated frame. Completing the package is a small flyscreen, black engine cases and a smattering of appropriate decals.

There aren't any changes to the sportiest Bonnie's 865cc parallel-twin powerplant, which puts out a claimed 68 horsepower and 51 lb-ft of torque. While we'd gladly take at least a little power boost, if we were in the market for such a bike the Thruxton SE would certainly be on our short list.



[Source: Triumph via Hell for Leather]

Eyes On The Road: Recon Instruments Show Off Heads-Up Goggles



Keeping your eyes on the road is of the utmost importance no matter what kind of vehicle you are piloting. To that end, automakers all over the world have experimented with heads-up displays that show such vital information as your speed and navigation directions right on the windshield in front of the driver.

Now, a company called Recon Instruments is extending similar technology to the two-wheeled world with a new technology that flashes the same kind of information right on a pair of goggles. The goggles were originally designed for ski, snowboard and snowmobile applications, but Recon envisions its technology being used in all kinds of sports, from mountain biking and motorcycle touring to kite surfing and scuba diving.

Recon expects to begin shipping its goggles in the Fall of 2010 for between $350 and $450 and is now accepting preorders.

[Source: Recon Instruments via Motorbiker.org]

Acer Introduces 3.31-pound Ferrari One Notebook

Lying somewhere in the thin-and-light category between the well-defined netbook and the traditional full-featured notebook is the new Acer Ferrari One. The latest installation of the successful partnership between the famous Italian supercar manufacturer and Acer America, there isn't really anything exceptional about the computer other than the bright red color and matching Prancing Horse badge on the lid.

Still, it's a well-equipped 3.31-pound laptop with (take a deep breathe) an AMD Athlon 64 X2 dual-core processor, ATI Radeon HD 3200 graphics, 4GB of DDR2 667MHz system memory, a 250 GB hard disk, an 11.6-inch HD widescreen display and Windows 7 Home Premium.

If the lure of the latest Ferrari-badged Acer is too much for you to handle, the Ferrari One notebook is available now with a starting price one cent shy of $600. Feel free to peruse the official press release after the break.

[Source: Acer via Engadget]

Read more →

Fleet-Footed Greenery: Audi to Cap e-tron Sales At 1,000 Units?

Audi e-tron concept - Click above for high-res image gallery

Audi may not be positioning itself as a "green brand," but it's still putting a rather big toe into the environmentally-friendly waters of electric sportscars with its R8-based e-tron, which is reportedly headed for production in 2012.

As a refresher – as if you needed one – the e-tron debuted as a concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September with some truly impressive statistics: four separate electric motors with 230 kW (313 horsepower) and 4,500 Nm (3,319.03 pound-feet) of torque (sort of), which is enough to push it to 62 mph in a mere 4.8 seconds.

So, um... want one? The line forms at the rear, and you'd better not dawdle as Audi says its only planning to build 1,000 of them. Naturally, pricing has yet to be set, but it's reportedly expected to be "above R8 levels." Regardless, with all those lithium ion batteries and their associated electronic gadgetry, we don't imagine that Audi plans to make much of a profit when it finally goes on sale in two years.



[Source: Autocar]

Garia Claims to be the World's Most Exclusive Golf Cart

Garia, the "World's Most Exclusive Golf Cart" - Click above for high-res image gallery

Normally, we might associate the so-called World's Most Exclusive Golf Cart with Tiger Woods, but he's surely got more important things on his mind at the moment. Plus, it's Cadillac that's supposed to be The Standard of the World, not Buick, the GM-owned automaker that Woods shills for. So then, just who is the Garia meant for?

Honestly, we have no idea. Perhaps well-to-do golfers looking to one-up their frenemies at the local country club. In any case, the Garia is supposedly "built to the highest standards of the automotive industry." Included in its kit, says the manufacturer, are double-wishbone front suspension, a drivetrain built by the company that produces Ducati gearboxes and aluminum stampings sourced from the same company that supplies Aston Martin, Jaguar and Volvo.

Inside the comfy confines of the golf cart is a built-in refrigerator to keep your beverages nice and chilled along with a couple of strategically-located cupholders. Valmet Automotive, which assembles the Porsche Boxster and Cayman along with the upcoming Fisker Karma, manufacturers the Garia. Starting in 2010, the manufacturer promises that the Garia will be street-legal in the States as a Low Speed Vehicle after being formally introduced at the Geneva Motor Show in March. Price? $17,499 or 13,999 Euros, plus tax and delivery.



[Source: Garia]

Read more →

Aston Martin Rapide Priced at £139,950 in the U.K.

Aston Martin Rapide – Click above for high-res image gallery

Aston Martin has finally hung a price tag on its first ever four door, the Rapide, in its home market of the U.K., and it doesn't come cheap. Starting at £139,950 (about $233,000, though that's not necessarily an indication of actual U.S. pricing), the Rapide costs nearly twice what Porsche asks for its base Panamera and over £40K more than even the impossibly quick Panamera Turbo. Though the cars weren't exactly designed as competitors, there's little doubt that the two four-passenger sloping-roof models will be compared by interested parties.

For that whopper of a price tag, buyers will be getting a largely handmade and finely-crafted automobile powered by a 470-horsepower V12 engine – for what it's worth, that's 30 horses less than the Panamera Turbo – and wrapped in typically attractive sheetmetal. We're not going to say it isn't worth its hefty sticker price, but you can bet we'd strap ourselves behind both four-door behemoths before signing any checks. Expect initial Rapide deliveries to begin in the spring of 2010.



[Source: Autocar]

2011 Bentley Mulsanne Priced From $285,000

2011 Bentley Muslanne - Click above for a high-res image gallery

With a starting price of $285,000, Bentley's newest flagship model won't come cheap. Nor should it, with its 505-horsepower, 725 lb-ft, gasoline-fed 6.75-liter V8 engine sitting behind the automaker's trademark mesh grille and four round lights.

Also included in that price will be a paddle-shifted eight-speed automatic transmission, 16.54-inch front and 15.5-inch rear carbon ceramic brakes and 20-inch wheels. Don't forget the 2,200-watt stereo system and the the new Driver Dynamics Control system, which comes with "Bentley," "Sport," "Comfort" and user-definable "Custom" modes.

Want one? Production is slated to begin at the Crewe factory in England in the second quarter of 2010 and the first deliveries will make it to America later than year in the fall. Get yours in one of 114 available paint colors, 21 carpet colors, nine wood veneers and 24 interior leather hides, but get your order in fast – Bentley reports that early customer interest has exceeded 2010 production targets. Click past the break for the official press release.



[Source: Bentley]

Read more →

Orange Crush: KTM to Bring Entire Line of Streetbikes to US

2010 KTM 690 Duke R - Click above for high-res image gallery

We'll be honest and say right off the bat that we have a soft spot for KTM. This particular blogger's first real two-wheeler was an old KTM 125 two-stroke that ate piston rings for breakfast, lunch and dinner... but boy was it fast! More recently, the traditionally off-road-focused Austrian marque has made a renewed focus on entering the U.S. market with an exciting line of streetbikes, and that's reportedly set to continue in full force for 2010.

According to the boys at Hell For Leather, KTM plans to bring its entire line of motorcycles Stateside, and that includes the 990 Adventure R, Super Duke R, SMT and SMR along with the RC8 R superbike (finally!) and the full line of single-cylinder 690s. Speaking of which, also new for 2010 is the 2010 690 Duke R that gets firmer suspenders, a bespoke paint scheme and carbon fiber fender and, most importantly, an enlarged engine with 70 horsepower and 51 lb-ft of torque. Hit the jump for a detailed PDF file that contains KTM's full line.



[Source: Hell For Leather]

Read more →

BMW Surprises With Six-Cylinder Concept 6 Motorcycle

BMW Concept 6 - Click above for high-res image gallery

BMW is known the world over for its excellent brand of inline-six cylinder powerplants. In most cases, those supremely smooth and powerful engines power the German company's cars and trucks. Apparently, that won't always be the case, though, as BMW has just revealed its new Concept 6 motorcycle at the EICMA Show in Milan.

As the name implies, the Concept 6 boasts an engine with six cylinders, and the best news is that the mill is destined for a new production model in the near future. Expect to see a replacement for the long-running LT series of touring bikes, bringing BMW more in line with the standard-setting Goldwing from Honda.

Looking at the actual concept itself, the chassis appears to be heavily based on the current production K-Series unit, and the powerplant is tilted at the same 55-degree angle as the current four-cylinder. Bodywork is suitable for concept duty, with a futuristic take on the old-school Cafe Racer look.

Power? BMW's being a bit coy at the moment, suggesting that it makes as much horsepower as the current 1.3-liter four (over 150, to be sure) and as much torque as any other motorcycle engine in production with a stout 96 lb-ft at 2,000 RPM. With a redline of nearly 9,000... you can imagine that there's plenty of power on tap. Check out our high-res photo gallery below and hit the jump for a video and the press release.


Gallery: BMW Concept 6


[Source: BMW]

Read more →

Perfection Perfected? MV Agusta Launches 2010 F4 Superbike

2010 MV Agusta F4 - Click above for high-res image gallery

Here it is. Motorcycle fans the world over have been waiting for the release of the 2010 F4 superbike ever since the new Brutale was unveiled last month, but MV Agusta somehow managed to keep a lid mostly on its range-topper until its official unveiling, which is taking place... oh, right about now. In any case, the Italian manufacturer starts its introduction of the new F4 by asking a question: Can perfection be improved upon?

It's always a dicey proposition to make sweeping changes to a highly-regarded superbike – just ask Ducati, which found that truth out the hard way with the 2003 999 – so it's not particularly surprising that the new bike is instantly recognizable as an F4, though the entire engine and chassis have been completely redesigned for more performance. Overall weight is down by 22 pounds, and the radial-valve, inline-four engine puts out 186 horsepower, a 12-horse gain over the 2009 model.

A Marelli 7BM ECU controls (among other things) the eight fuel injectors, variable-length intake manifolds and traction control, and it also offers multiple Sport and Rain engine control maps. Spent exhaust gases exit via the four expected underseat outlets, but those "organ pipes" are now squared-off instead of round. Suspension bits include a fully adjustable inverted 50mm Marzocchi up front and a remote reservoir rear shock from Sachs. Naturally, Brembo monobloc calipers clamp down on dual 320mm front discs, which are joined by a single Nissan four-piston caliper and 220mm disc out back.

All in all, this appears to be a pretty thorough redesign that will simultaneously offer diehard MV fans something to drool over while being competitive in the hotly-contested superbike marketplace. Want to know more? Click past the break for the full press release and technical specifications and see our high-res image gallery below.



[Source: MV Agusta]

Read more →

Eloise Returns to the Plaza Hotel
After a $450 million, three-year, lobby to roof renovation and restoration, the Plaza Hotel is ...
Readers' Choice Winners for Best in Food
Votes have been cast for Best Gourmet Grocer/Food Hall, Best Online Gourmet Goods, Best Cheese ...
Learn More»



Join Luxist on Facebook!

Featured Galleries

Langham Yangtze Shanghai
Robb Report Limited Edition Series
Ferrari P540 Superfast Aperta
Piaggio Aero P180 Avanti II
The Cullen
Ritz Carlton Dove Mountain Opening Soon
Gizmobies Protect Your PDA in Style
Dominick Dunne's New York City Apartment
Toutorsky Mansion