First production Alfa Romeo 8C Spider races at Goodwood

This weekend's Goodwood Festival of Speed will see a debut for the first production Alfa Romeo 8C Spider. It won't just be standing on ceremony though; to celebrate their 99th birthday Alfa will be racing the convertible 8C in the famous hill climb event.

The beautiful 8C Spider is a limited edition sports car based on the Alfa 8C Competizione. It's 8 cylinder 4.7 litre engine producing 450 HP, matched to a 6 speed robotic gearbox is good for 0-100 km/h in 4.4 seconds before hitting a top speed of 290 km/h (180 mph).

The 8C Spider will be joined on the hill by iconic motor racing cars from Alfa Romeo's historic museum collection in Arese, Italy. These include the 1924 P2 Gran Premio which won the first World Championship in 1925 driven by Gastone Brilli-Peri; the 8C 2300 tipo Le Mans which was purchased by Sir Henry Birkin in 1931; the 6C 3000 CM driven to second place by Juan Manuel Fangio in the 1953 Mille Miglia and the 33 TT 12 which brought the 1975 World Manufacturer's title to Alfa Romeo.

As temperatures rise - so do convertible prices

Leading vehicle auction company reports that predictions of a hot summer could keep convertibles hot too!

The latest data from leading vehicle auction company, British Car Auctions (BCA) shows that whilst consumer confidence might be lacking in other sectors of the consumer marketplace, there is genuine demand for soft tops, with prices achieved at auction steadily edging up over the last couple of months.

“The UK weather is probably the biggest single factor in determining convertible values” confirmed Tim Naylor, PR Manager, BCA. “And as we head into June we are certainly seeing prices of these desirable vehicles move well above average for used car prices and bucking the overall economic trends.”

Looking at the monthly price progression of convertibles, compared to the total average price achieved at BCA, it is clear that the underlying economic conditions are not the main price moderator. Temperature is much more the driver with higher values for convertibles focused in the first half of the year.

Overlaying the average UK temperature against average monthly prices for convertibles creates a not dissimilar wave shape, with not surprisingly, rising convertible prices slightly preceding the temperature rise. However, Tim Naylor is wondering if the Met Office’s predictions for a good summer might sustain demand, with prices staying higher in June and July than has been the case in previous years.


“Now with the Met Office sticking its neck out and predicting above average temperatures for this summer, this could prompt more soft top buyers to the auctions. So there’s really no time to waste for anyone who wants to make the most of the sunshine.

Toyota Solara Convertible to be dropped.

Sales of the Toyota Solara Convertible have long been in decline which has finally led to the model being discontinued this year. Production of the Solara Convertible stopped in December of 2008 but the decision to permanently cease production was not made until the Spring sales figures of the remaining cars could be reviewed.

The dropping of the Camry based model means that the Toyota brand no longer has a convertible model in the range either in Europe or the US. Plans for a replacement may not come into fruition until at least 2011.

There seems to be an increasing trend for recession hit manufacturers to be phasing out their niche market cars. However, the launch of several new cars has kept the convertible car market buoyant. The US market seems to be the hardest hit with the Pontiac G6, Pontiac Solstice, Saturn Sky, Chrysler Crossfire and Chrysler PT Cruiser all being cut in order to save cash.

Launched in 2000 and aimed at the US market, the Toyota Solara Convertible proved popular as a practical convertible car but it's age has resulted in it loosing favour against competition from the likes of the Chrysler Sebring and Pontiac G6 and few will mourn it's passing.

Hulme CanAm officially unveiled

New Zealand isn't the first place most of us would look to find a new supercar, however new producer Hulme have launched their new car from these far-flung islands. The CanAm looks distinctly like the British Caparo T1 but Hulme claim that their concepts were in development well before the T1 surfaced.

The Hulme CanAm is a car which has that old supercar mantra at it's heart - a racing car for the roads. Many attempt this and few manage to pull it off without ridiculous impracticalities and reliability records. The latter should not be a problem as Hulme have chosen the Chevrolet 7.0-litre V8 straight out of the Corvette Z06. It's good for 600 horsepower and Nm of torque. Wrapping all that clout in a carbon fibre sandwich leaves a car with a power to weight ratio that would put the best Ferrari's and Bugatti's to shame. It should also be less temperamental than the Caparo. The price will be in the region of £220,000/€280,000, far more reasonable than the rumoured US$700,000 first reported. We look forward to hearing more about this fly-weight monster as performance figures are released.

The Hulme brand was named after the New Zealand racing driver and 1967 Formula One world champion Denis “Denny" Hulme. While the model name recognises his achievements in the Canadian American (CanAm) Challenge Cup series of races held between 1967 and 1972.

Ariel plans alternative fuel cars

Ariel have suggested that their future cars will move away from using internal combustion engines and towards alternative energy sources. Possible solutions will come from electric and hydrogen fuel cell technology.

Atom fans have no reason to feel sad though, if an electric version of Ariel's car produced in Silicon Valley, the Wrightspeed X1 is anything to go by. The X1 concept has been quoted to accelerate from 0-60mph in just over 3 seconds while offering equivalent fuel economy of 170 mpg. Wrightspeed say that they won't be putting the car into production but Ariel may have other ideas.

Ariel will continue their production of lightweight, high performance cars through the use of innovative new technologies. Future new cars will however depart from the exposed skeletal structure of the Atom, and will not be mid-engined. All cryptic stuff and seemingly a long way in the future we feel, but it's good to know that this British sportscar manufacture is continuing to innovate.

In the meantime they are progressing with plans to build the 3 litre V8 powered car that we revealed last year.

Karmann USA launch Karmann Classics

Karmann USA is launching a new aftermarket group to rebuild and restore convertible tops for vintage cars in the United States. Headquartered in Plymouth Township, Karmann Classics will offer a variety of services including: standard roof repair for vehicles in daily service; original or “authentic” restoration for show models, and a wide range of other customization options to suit specific customer needs.

“Karmann’s new aftermarket division initially will focus on restoring VW Karmann Ghias and VW Beetle convertibles,” said Erik Roeren, president and CEO of Karmann USA. “As the original manufacturer of the VW Karmann Ghia and VW Beetle convertible, Karmann is uniquely positioned to rebuild convertible roof systems for these vehicles.”

The VW Beetle convertible was launched in 1949, followed by the VW Karmann Ghia in 1957. Since their introduction, more than an estimated 200,000 VW Beetle convertibles and an estimated 50,000 Karmann Ghia convertibles were sold in the United States.

To ensure authenticity and the highest level of quality on the vintage models, Karmann Classics technicians are specially trained by vintage experts from Wilhelm Karmann GmbH’s Service Group in Germany.

“With more than 100 years of experience working with convertible top systems, Karmann is able to provide the highest level of craftsmanship needed to restore our clients’ vintage vehicles,” Roeren said. “There is a great passion for vintage cars and ‘open top driving.’ We believe there will be considerable demand for Karmann Classics’ services.”

Morgan Aero SuperSports

As part of the Morgan Motor Company's celebration of one hundred years of continuous manufacture of motorcars they have released the Morgan Aero SuperSports - a limited edition lightweight aluminium sports car with a luxurious specification.

The convertible makes use of two aluminium detachable roof panels. These can either turn the car effectively in to a coupe or when detached bring fresh air to the driving experience without undue wind disturbance to spoil the journey. The panels can be stored conveniently in the boot.

The car benefits from the lightweight aluminium Aero chassis which is adhesively bonded for rigidity. This chassis is combined with the aluminium 4.8 litre BMW V8 engine as seen in the Aero and a choice of 6 speed automatic or manual gearboxes.

Charles Morgan, Grandson of the founder said "The Morgan Aero SuperSports is a luxurious flamboyant sports car which also remains true to Morgan's philosophy of lightweight minimalist simplicity. It is a celebration of our love of cars and the romance of travel and is a fitting model to announce during Morgan's Centenary year."

The new Aero Super Sports is due to enter production in early 2010. A deposit of £25,000 (GBP) is required to ensure the supply of one of these exciting new models. It is anticipated to cost around £127,000 (GBP) including tax.