This is not a Vespa scooter but a car

So far, if we hear the name Vespa, then what comes to mind is a classic two-wheeled scooter with a cute rear, but there are still many who do not know that actually Piaggio, a renowned scooter manufacturer from Italy once produced a mini four-wheeled vehicles (which is common called a micro car or city car) by using the same brand as the scooter product, ie the Vespa in 1957 and marketed in the period between 1959 and 1961.

Piaggio micro car named Vespa 400. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/2KYt0ZP)

This tiny car figure is known as the Vespa 400, and is produced by a French automotive manufacturer called ACMA (Ateliers de Constructions de Motos et Accessoires) with a design patent from Piaggio Italia. This French manufacturer is also known to have produced a military version of the Vespa which was named the Vespa 150 TAP or The Bazooka Vespa in the early 1950s. These Vespa 400 has two variants, namely Lusso and Turismo.

Drawer that serves as a place to put the battery on the front. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/2KYt0ZP)

This tiny car is armed with an air-cooled two-cylinder 393 cc two-stroke engine. The engine's own character is square, which is a bore x stroke 63mm x 63mm and of course it has a balanced character between the top and bottom turns. Then the compression ratio is very low at only 6.4: 1 (which allows the use of fuel with low octane values ​​or below 90).

This mini car has a capacity of 4 passengers, but the rear is still too small for adults. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/2KYt0ZP)

While the engine placement on the back, while for the space in the front can be used to put things. The power produced by the engine reaches 18 horsepower. And the power is then sent to move the rear wheels through a 3-speed manual transmission system. and able to deliver this car running up to speeds of 80-90 kph. Yes, that is indeed enough power for a micro car, especially in the 50s.

This 393cc capacity engine is capable of producing up to 14 horsepower of power. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/2KYt0ZP)

Then the model itself still reflects the Vespa's distinctive design ie compact and simple. The uniqueness of this car is on the door hinges in the middle pillar, the direction of opening the door automatically. Unlike the usual cars that exist today. The roof also uses a canvas model that can be opened when you want to enjoy the panorama.

Rear side view of Vespa 400. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/2KYt0ZP)

The interior as is usually a micro car is only available two seats at the front, and a cushion for small children to sit on the back. So ideally this car can carry 2 adult passengers and 2 small children. Physically, this micro car is wider than the Mercedes Smart which can only be carried two people inside.

There are approximately 20 thousand cars produced in the first two years and finally in 1961 the car production was stopped, while Piaggio did not disclose the reason for the production halt. But at least the micro car Vespa 400 has proven that the Italian manufacturer Piaggio is also able to produce transportation other than scooters. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | OTOSIA]

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A 1950s style Italian-made GT-car got a positive notice at Geneva

The world's largest automotive exhibition event, such as the Geneva International Motor Show is not only to be a place to showcase the automotive products from well-known brands, but also used by many small automotive manufacturers or maybe even previously unknown.

Fornasari 311 GT has shown off at the 2019 Geneva International Motor Show. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/2Dfqat7)

Yes, among the automotive products on display at the 2019 GIMS, there are several vehicles that seem quietly to attract the attention of visitors. Let's us take look at one of them, ie a pretty interesting concept car named Fornasari 311 GT made and designed by Fornisari Cars.

Left side view of Fornasari 311 GT. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/2PegfZB)

Have you ever known those automotive company? We are sure that most of you might doesn't know and might newly found out this time. This company is an Italian automotive company which was officially founded in 1999 by Giuseppe Fornasari with a group of friends supporters.

And actually the company was not a new name in the automotive world, after the adventure in the world of motorsport since the early '90s, with the Corvette purchased in America and the desire to prepare for racing.

Interior view of Fornasari 311 GT. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/2ZbbDbb)

The world of racing and Gran Turismo is always the backdrop to the life of the promoter of this initiative, thanks to his father, Gigi, Alpha skilled pilot Maserati and fifties, who sent his son a passion for not only cars but also a wealth of technical knowledge and human resources. 

Back to the car. It might looks like a Ferrari, maybe the Jaguar, and has something of Aston Martin, or maybe it is a Mercedes. In any case, comes from fifties of last century. Yes, from its exterior actually looks like the 1950s GT but packed in a tweaked and power avatar.

Rear three quarter of Fornasari 311 GT. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/2DfXqR3)

The company said that the concept of the car was designed since 2013 and newly in 2018 it was made into a real car like its current form. The design is, it can be said genuine, and while under its hood is there's  lay a 6.2 liter (some says it taken of Corvette V8) engine with 500 horse power maximum. It is understood that it had to be modified to accommodate this engine block in the body.

Rear view of Fornasari 311 GT. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/2DfXqR3)

These old-school 1950s style GT-car is a 2-seater car which can be customized as coupe or convertible without changing the lightweight frame which speaks when travelling at higher speeds. By the customer demands, the car can be made of aluminum or composite material. The chassis is made ​​of steel alloyed with molybdenum (some believed there is chromium) and consists of 450 pipes or tubes.

The interior is dominated by aluminum, wood and leather, and clearly, everything is hand processed and merged together. There are options to choose the decoration and styling according to one’s taste in a variety of fabrics including rare wooden linings.
As quoted of eXtravaganzi, these old-school style GT-car can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph (100 kph) in only 3.5 seconds and its gas pedal can be pushed up to reach max speed is 200 mph. And from the same sources, the car's price is estimated around $300,000. In our opinion that is a reasonable price for such a pretty car like this.

As closing and bonus as well, if you wanna see one of cars that have shapes look alike to those GT-car mentioned above named the 'Ferarri F430 Competizione,' which rebuilt based of 1952 Ferrari 340 Mexico Berlineta by Gullwing America in 2011. And what do you think? *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | FORNISARI CAR | TOP GEAR | ENUZE | EXTRAVAGANZI]

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Here's the first Aston Martin's mid-engined car production series shown in Geneva

Aston Martin Vanquish has always been a great grand tourer, but it is not on the same level as other supercars, like Ferrari or McLaren.

But it seems that it will change soon, because the British automotive manufacturer has just inaugurated the Aston Martin Vanquish Vision Concept at the Geneva International  Motor Show 2019 and served as a preview for the upcoming mid-engine supercar of British manufacturers.

Vanquish Vision Concept previews what a series production supercar from Aston Martin at the Geneva International Motor Show 2109. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/2UPXQrc)

These new Vanquish supercar will be placed under the Valkyrie and 003 in a row of Aston Martin cars and will compete with the Ferrari F8 Tributo and McLaren 720S.

Aston Martin stores a lot of core details from the Vanquish Vision Concept, but has confirmed that it will feature the new V6 engine that will debut in the form of a hybrid turbo in 003 hypercar.

Right side view of Aston Martin Vanquish Vision concept at the Geneva International Motor Show 2109. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/2UPXQrc)

Aston Martin has also announced that Vanquish Vision Concept does not use monocoque carbon fiber chassis like Valkyrie and 003, and instead uses a special aluminum chassis. This platform will be cheaper and easier to produce than carbon fiber and allows Aston Martin to price at the same level as its competitors.

"First, how nice it is to revive the name Vanquish," said Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer about the vehicle. "Synonymous with our flagship model, it feels very appropriate to install it on a car that is so significant."

Rear view of Aston Martin Vanquish Vision concept at the Geneva International Motor Show 2109. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/2UPXQrc)

Furthermore he said, that the Vanquish Vision Concept marks another important moment in the history of Aston Martin, and another critical step in realizing the Second Century Plan. Our first mid-engine supercar production will be a transformational moment for the brand, because it is a car that will drive the Aston Martin to the market sector which is traditionally seen as the center of luxury sports cars.

Design of Aston Martin Vanquish Vision Concept has a clear resemblance to Valkyrie. This is very clear on the front of the vehicle, where there are oval shaped headlights similar to the Valkyrie, and the aerodynamic front bumper with the splitter. At the rear, this supercar gets a pair of tailpipes that come out between the lights. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | BROBILE | MOTOR1]

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Seeing the RG Nathalie, the new Rolland Gumpert's belle figure

If Apollo Automobili, the company built from the remnants of the Gumpert manufacturer continues to amaze people with the Intense Emozione. But Roland Gumpert himself is busy by working in the newest automotive company, and the following are the results.

A matte orange colored RG Nathalie model shown of at the Geneva International Motor Show 2019. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/2YZ3XJ7)

Yes, a new sportscar results from a partnership between Gumpert and the Chinese company Aiways named Gumpert Nathalie. This is a very impressive sports car, utilizing an advanced electric powertrain and having a form that might remind us a bit of the figure of the Audi Sport Quattro Concept.

This sports car is armed with 4 electric motors, each of which can produce power of 137 bhp and 170 lb-ft of torque. But they do not receive power from the battery. The Gumpert Nathalie actually uses a stack of hydrogen fuel cells.

Rear three quarter of Gumpert Nathalie is believed to be a near-production-spec model. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/2YZ3XJ7)

Aware of the lack of hydrogen fueling stations around the world, Gumpert and Aiways have implemented methanol modifiers. Then they collaborated with Serenergy, a Danish company to make a stack of methanol fuel cells, the results of which are claimed to provide more efficient electricity than standard hydrogen cells.

A racing model of Gumpert Nathalie also shown of at GIMS 2019 appeared in matte blue colored and the company's black-white racing livery. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/2YZ3XJ7) 

This system takes methanol and can divide it into carbon dioxide released into the air, while hydrogen is channeled to fuel cells. By using this setup, the car is reported to accelerate from 0 to 100 kph in 2.5 seconds and the top speed reaches 300 kph. Amazingly, this sports car is claimed to be able to travel a distance of 595 km when driven fast and more than 1,126 km when running normally.

Rear view of Gumpert Nathalie Racing model at Geneva International Motor Show 2109. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/2YZ3XJ7)

This sports car was first unveiled at the 2018 Beijing Auto Show held on January last year, where the car appeared in an attractive purple color. And now at the Geneva International Auto Show 2019, Gumpert brought a pair of Nathalie models and giving the European public their first taste of the innovative sports car.
The front fascia combines sharp lines, large air intakes, and DRL lights similar to the Aston Martin Vulcan. On the side there are matte black alloy wheels and body lines that resemble the Nissan GT-R. At the rear, these Nathalie sportscar is equipped with LED rear lights and additional lights underneath.

Aiways intends to start shipping the Gumpert Nathalie in 2019, but has yet to reveal the price (it’s likely to cost from approximately €400,000 or equivalent to $457,170). By considering all the technologies embedded in it, so this sportscar is certainly wouldn't sale on cheap price when it is produced later. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | ROLLAND GUMPERT | CARNEWSA | NOTHERCARGUY | CARSCOOPS]
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A new Italian smart hybrid supercar with high performace

High-performance cars today do not only rely on conventional large-capacity engines or turbo devices. With the development of technology, now to boost the performance of the car can also be done by pinning an electric motor. As a result, the marriage between the combustion engine and the electric motor in hybrid technology is capable of producing high-performance cars.

Puritalia Berlinetta, an Italian hybrid 951 hp supercar with a sexy body has been debuted and shown off the 2019 Geneva International Motor Show. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/2IgLEcf)

A manufacturer of sports car specialists from Naples, named Puritalia recently released a wild sports car at the 2019 Geneva International Motor Show. The car is called Puritalia Berlinetta which can produce the power nearly 1,000 horsepower!

Not just conventional hybrids, Puritalia Berlinetta also carries plug-in hybrid technology. That is, the battery to supply electricity can be charged with a home plug and can be driven in fully electric mode. The electric motor comes from the British company named Yasa.

Left side view of 2020 Puritalia Berlinetta at the 2019 Geneva International Motor Show. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/2IgLEcf)

This car combines a 5,000 cc V8 engine in front with an electric motor that drives the rear wheels. The V8 engine itself has 750 horsepower while the electric motor has 215 horsepower and a maximum torque of 370 Nm. When combined with an electric motor on the rear wheels, the total power reaches 951 horsepower with a maximum torque of 1,248 Nm. Those numbers are fairly wild and savage for a sports car.

Then to drive the car, the engine's power is mated to a seven-speed transmission that can be operated through the paddle shift behind the wheel. The combination of the engine, electric motor and its transmission makes the car accelerate from 0-100 kph in 2.7 seconds. The maximum speed is even up to 335 kph. The car's electric power is stored in lithium iron phosphate chemistry batteries. The battery is stored under the trunk and behind the seat. The battery charging is only three hours and in full electric driving mode, the car can be reaching a distance of 20 km.

Dashboard and interior view of 2020 Puritalia Berlinetta. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/2IgLEcf)

Hybrid systems are controlled by special software that utilizes artificial intelligence. To determine the optimal use of a hybrid system, the driving style of the driver is recorded. Real time data about traffic, weather, road conditions also included there. The most efficient use of energy is calculated from a large amount of data in the cloud on the server. The results are then transferred back to the car.

In driving with this car, the driver can choose Sport, Corsa, and e-Power modes. Amazingly, this car can provide a power boost by lifting its electric motor torque to a maximum (370 Nm) just by pressing the eMozione button, so that the driver can feel the sensation of driving the car in its peak performance for 45 seconds.

Rear three quarter view of 2020 Puritalia Berlinetta. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/2IgLEcf)

The base of this car is a carbon fiber tub that joins the aluminum sub-frame and aluminum suspension components. The exterior body panel is also made of carbon fiber and it has a perfect 50/50 weight distribution. And the cabin of the Berlinetta includes a number of elements of carbon fiber, brown leather and a large infotainment system between the driver and passengers. There is also a digital instrument cluster and according to Puritalia, this vehicle system is fully connected and can be operated remotely from a smartphone.

The Italian company also said that this car was made by hand according to consumer demand. This car will be made limited, which is only 150 units, and will be sold starting from €553,350 (or around US. $627,083). Looking at the price offered above, not just anyone can get it. Yes, Puritalia Berlinetta can only be owned by thick pocket people who really can appreciate a beautiful supercars. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | CARSCOOPS]

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