The dream cop car

Posted by Cameron Countach

In tough economic times, goverment agencies are normally the first to suffer, but the Italian police certainly don't have any reason to complain after taking delivery of a 2009 Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 Polizia.

This may look like a fantasy car, with its stunning blue paintwork and sleek exterior, but Lamborghini has donated this Gallardo to the Italian state police.

The Gallardo Polizia’s performance capabilities practically eradicate any chance of the crooks outrunning the cops thanks to a 0-60 of 3.5 seconds and a top speed of 204mph. The only way you’re going to escape this mean machine is in a Ferrari Enzo or a McLaren F1, and you don’t see many criminals in cars like those.

It's the third car to be donated by the famous Italian marque to the Italian police force, with the Bologna police owning a 2005 Gallardo, and the Rome police also having a Gallardo at their headquarters. In total, the two cars have clocked up a massive 149,000 miles in the past five years. All in the name of keeping the peace, obviously.

As far as police cars go, this is as good as it comes, and we can imagine there's a lot of competition between officers to get behind the wheel. At the very least, a lot more than in the British police force, where they have to settle for a strong and sturdy Range Rover for high-speed chases.

Some 30 lucky officers will be taught how to handle this bad boy and can look forward to using state-of-the-art equipment. The car is equipped with an automatic number plate tracking device, and a GPS data system to maintain surveillance of the car the police are pursuing and the speed it is travelling at. It’s also kitted out with more traditional equipment such as a gun holster, radio and video camera.

Even the traditional beacon on top of police cars has had to go through some changes to make it more aerodynamic, because of the high speeds the Lambo will be capable of reaching.

Stay tuned to the Orange Cars channel to see our pick of the coolest cop cars of all time later this week. In the mean time, see pics of the Lamborghini police car >>

Bloodhound Project on trail of World Land Speed Record

Posted by Bertie Abarth

Twelve years since Andy Green OBE and Thrust SSC scythed through the sound barrier on their way to the current World Land Speed Record of 763.053 mph, Green and former record-holder, Richard Noble OBE, are preparing to write the latest chapter in the history of World Land Speed Record attempts, with a 1,000mph bid.

As much an engineering adventure as the ultimate speed record challenge, the four-year Bloodhound Project, sponsored by premier fuel additive brand STP, is designed to re-ignite interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics amongst the youth, and raise the numbers entering technology careers.

Founder sponsor of the Bloodhound Project, STP is famed as the world’s premier engine fuel additive brand, and is no stranger to the land speed record arena, having sponsored US barnstormer, Athol Graham, back in 1959, and backed fellow countryman Art Arfons to successive World Land Speed Records in the early ‘60’s at the famous Bonneville Salt Flats, USA.

An exotic combination of jet, rocket and piston-engined power is employed in the 12.8m, 6,400kg Bloodhound supersonic car (SSC) in the quest for the ultimate goal.

With former Land Speed Record Holder and team boss from 12 years ago Richard Noble OBE again fronting the team, and Andy Green OBE once more in the driving seat, the team has all the credentials to tackle arguably the greatest motor-sporting challenge on earth.

The project, based in Filton, Bristol, will provide the most exciting, compelling and enthralling arena in which to showcase frontier technologies, and for STP, to educate consumers and future users on wider issues of engine efficiency.

Starting with an 800mph bid in 2009, the car will be continuously developed, with a 900mph run in 2010 and the ultimate goal of 1,000mph will be aimed for in 2011. The venue for the record runs is to be confirmed, but Black Rock Desert, Nevada, the scene of Green's record with Thrust SSC, is one of the considered venues.

Significantly, to fulfil the aim of generating interest and enthusiasm in technology, the unique project has complete public accessibility, unlike other major motorsport arenas. Bloodhound SSC will be developed in the full public gaze at the team HQ in Filton, where visitors will have access to see the car taking shape.  Comprehensive and constantly updated websites, from both the Bloodhound Project and STP, will also act as a rich resource for full information as the project unfolds.

See pics of the Bloodhound Project >>

Financial crisis dents car sales

Posted by Cameron Countach

Bad news, car fans. Apparently the credit crunch has taken its toll on our purchasing of cars, with sales in Europe going down by 8.2% in September, and UK sales dipping by dreadful 21.2% in the same month.

It's a continuation of the damage done to the industry because of the global financial crisis, with the UK alone experiencing some of the worst sales ever. August's car sales were the worst since 1966, so it was almost inevitable the rest of Europe would feel the crunch at some point.

According to a report on Evo, in August things were even worse for car manufacturers in Ireland and Spain, with sales dropping by a mahoosive 41 per cent. Ouch. And things weren't much better in Italy, with the country experiencing a 26% drop in sales.

Across Europe, the impact on individual car manufacturers has hit Land Rover the worst, with the Tata-owned British marque experiencing a drop in car sales of 54.9% when comparing August's figures with the same month last year. And in September, the company's sales went down by 49% compared with the previous year. Not good.

There was some good news for VW in September, though, with the German giant experiencing an increase of 1.4% in the company's sales across Europe.

However, things didn't get much better in the UK in September for car sales, despite an expected boost to sales thanks to the launch of new number plates. Car sales in the UK were down 21.2% to 330,295 from 419,290 in September 2007.

It really is bad news all round for car manufacturers in these financially tight times, and it would seem it's not a good time to be launching any of your latest production cars.

But here at Orange Cars, we don’t think it’s all doom and gloom, with the Paris Motor Show proving that despite the crunch affecting our wallets, it hasn't ruined our love for four wheels.

And we're confident that things will turn around in the sales market, thanks to a number of affordable new cars coming out in the next few months and 2009, including the new Ford Ka, which should start as low as £7k, a Mk6 Golf starting at £13k, and the new Renault Mégane. We'd even go so far as to say neither the consumer nor the manufacturer will be too badly hurt by the economic crisis in the long run.

One-77 dodges credit crunch

Posted by Cameron Countach

For any of you who make tons of money and were hoping to get your hands on the much-coveted £1.2m ride that is the Aston Martin One-77, we hate to spoil the party but that time has now come and gone.

According to Aston Martin, more than 100 offers have been made for one of these bad boys, and as it’s a limited run of just 77 models (hence the name), you can pretty much guarantee you're not going to be able to own a One-77 – even if you could afford one.

You might think in these difficult times, anyone who wants to own a £1m+ car is a madman, especially since Aston refused to unveil all of it at the Paris Motor Show. But the legendary McLaren F1 has proven that with time the purchase of a limited-edition car (only 100 F1s were made) is no different from owning a rare piece of art – just as long as you don't prang it.

The F1 is now selling at auction for prices well in excess of £1m, with the even rarer LM version boasting a £2m price tag. So you can only imagine what a limited run Aston Martin is going to be worth in 10 years’ time, especially one that has already overtaken the Bugatti Veyron as the world’s most expensive car. You can take that £1.2m price and double it at the very least.

Glad to see some people aren't struggling in the credit crunch…

Introducing: Lego's version of the VW Beetle

Posted by Cameron Countach

While on my daily journey into cyberspace, looking to bring you the best new developments from the world of cars, I stumbled across what could be the best ever motoring-related gizmo.

Toy manufacturer Lego has unveiled a kit for 16-year-olds and over (that means us), which after piecing together 1,626 different coloured bricks will result in you owning your own miniature 1960 ‘Charlotte’ Beetle. Now that's the kind of toy we want to get our hands on.

The decision to recreate the Lego VW came after the Danish company asked its customers in October 2006 which car they would most like to have in Lego form. The overwhelming response was in favour of the Beetle.

It really is a miniature masterpiece with a movable stick shift, a glove compartment that opens and seats that move forward so you can put your little Lego family inside.

And just in case your Lego Beetle ever gets a puncture, similar to the real deal, there's a spare tyre under the bonnet. The Charlotte also features a rear-view mirror and windscreen wipers, not that you'll need them unless you're planning to take it for spin in the bath.

With Christmas just around the corner, myself and Bertie Abarth have already put it on our lists for Santa Claus. Mind you, Bertie has been a bit naughty this year and might have to settle for a piece of coal. Either way, I'm sure he can stretch to the £79.99 price for this brilliant Lego kit if he has to…

Here are some pictures, just in case you want to take a peek >>

Source: Autoblog

Tata Nano back on track

Posted by Cameron Countach

We're relieved to report that the Tata Nano project is back on track after a new location was secured where the car can be manufactured.

Last week, we revealed that the project to build the “world’s cheapest car” had been put in jeopardy after angry protests from farmers meant India's biggest car manufacturer, Tata, had to bring construction of the Nano factory to a close. With no other location secured at the time, the project had an uncertain future.

But now things are looking better after it was announced that the project would be produced in the western Indian state of Gujarat, helping to boost jobs in the area.

We shouldn't hold our breaths that this move won't come without hassle, however: already a total of 23 families are saying that the land Tata plans to build on historically belongs to them – and not to the government, as has been claimed.

Who'd want to be Tata Group owner Ratan Tata (pictured) right now, with all of this hassle going on? Not us. Hopefully his £35bn fortune should keep him happy until all the issues surrounding the mass production of the Nano are finally resolved.

We're at least pleased that there is a location where it can go on, and hopefully ensure the world's cheapest car finally comes to fruition. It's a project that we firmly believe needs to go ahead, and we'll keep you informed of any further developments in this ongoing saga.

Tata Nano could be a no-no

Posted by Cameron Countach

We at Orange Cars are disappointed to hear that the need to change the production location of the world's cheapest car has put the project in jeaopardy.

Tata has had to alter its plans to keep its factory in the Indian state of West Bengal after farmers, angry at having lost land, brought construction of the factory to a halt.

Despite this, a protest was held in Singur last Saturday by auto supplier employees and other farmers who will now lose work because of the decision. It's clear that Tata can't win no matter what it does, and all this because of the Nano, a car that could actually do some real good.

Tata director Ratan Tata, whose company now owns Jaguar and Land Rover, was quoted in the Washington Post as saying: “Taking all things into account, mainly the well-being of our employees, the safety of our contractors and in fact our vendors also, we’ve taken the very regretful decision to move the Nano project out of West Bengal”.

We might have mocked the Nano for looking like one of those pedal cars you used to drive around with when you were a kid, but we certainly weren't knocking its affordability or its aim to give more people the opportunity to purchase a car for a ridiculously cheap £1,277.

It may have been initially targeted at the Indian population, but with the credit crunch taking its toll on the UK and the US in the midst of a financial crisis, this uber-cheap car could ease the financial burden faced by people looking for a new car - that is, if it is ever made, and if it gets exported to the rest of the world.

When it was first unveiled in January of this year, the Nano was given a launch date of October, but a launch now seems a long way off. A  few new location options are being put forward, including the Indian states of Gujarat and Karnataka, so hopefully all is not lost.

We would seriously love to see this dispute resolved, before what seemed like one of the stories of the year goes out of the window.

Farewell to a racing legend

Some of you might be wondering why we're paying tribute to Paul Newman on the Cars channel. Those in the know will be aware that the Oscar-winning movie legend was also a major mover and shaker in the motoring world: he got hooked on car racing after appearing in Winning, a 1969 Hollywood film about the IndyCar 500.

Besides a phenomenally successful film career that included such classics as Cool Hand Luke, The Color of Money and Road to Perdition, Newman's collaboration with motor racing entrepreneur Carl Haas resulted in the creation of Newman/Haas Racing. The outfit, now called Newman/Haas/Lanigan, went on to become one of the most successful ever IndyCar teams, winning 107 races since 1983 and featuring world famous drivers such as Nigel Mansell, Mario Andretti and Paul Tracy.

The great man was respected as a talented driver, co-driving a car to second place at the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1979, and winning four Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) national championships between 1979 and 1986. That's no mean feat. It was another example of Newman's amazing abilities beyond the camera, including launching a successful food chain, Newman's Own, that has donated over $250m (£136m) to charity since it launched in 1982.

He also transferred his love of motor racing to the screen by producing and appearing in the aforementioned Indy 500-based film Winning, and later on he provided the voice of Doc Hudson in the popular Pixar animation, Cars.

PL Newman, the name he used to race under, was a legend of both the screen and race track and hugely popular with everyone who met him in person. He will be sorely missed by both the movie and motoring worlds.

In tribute to the legend that was Paul Newman, we've put together a gallery of some of his finest moments in motor racing.

Paul Newman's racing career in pics >>