2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder Gt Convertible 2-door 3.0l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Rich kid uses puppy to polish Maserati as Internet howls

Update: The original Instagram video appears to have been removed, but the video can still be viewed at this link. One of the Rich Kids of Instagram may never attempt to perform manual labor again after the 2-3 seconds she spent using a puppy to "polish" a rare Maserati. She cast it as a joke, but the Internet wasn't laughing. Instagram user m666ya, who is said to be a young, beautiful, wealthy collector of supercars in London - or, she at least has enough access to photograph them and occasionally show herself behind the wheel of one - posted this clip of an extremely cute puppy detailing a limited-edition Maserati MC12, which sells for $1.5 million or $2 million (depending on who's doing the telling). It got picked up on the Rich Kids account two days ago: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. The Maltese puppy is compliant and seems, well, maybe not in distress but probably not having the time of its life, either. And m66ya or whoever is doing the buffing keeps it exceedingly brief. Some of the reaction has been predictable. The New York Post tabloid called her "barking mad." And social-media reactions to the post were similar: "Not funny." "Animal abuse." "Disgusting." "This is just wrong." "Shame on you." "This is actually sickening." "Money can't buy you class and in your case, values." "Dogs are so loyal and only want to love and please their owner. You do not deserve any devotion of love from this innocent puppy." "Psychologists will tell you, simple abuse of animals often leads to abuse of humans in later life. Seek some help now." A few commenters defend the clip and suggest people lighten up. Some doubled down on the joke: "It's better to use a cat so you can hear your engine purr." A blogger joked you'd never actually use a dog to polish a $2 million car because dirt in its hair could scratch the paint. And one young philosopher of Instagram, whose spelling is too poor to quote him directly, makes the fair point that perhaps some people are less angry about the dog than they are jealous that these ne'er-do-wells are rich. A spokeswoman for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said: "We can understand why people are concerned about this video.

Maserati video sheds a little light on mid-engined MC20 coupe

Maserati is preparing to unveil the MC20, its first new model since the Levante made its debut in 2016. It released a short video to whet our appetite before the mid-engined coupe makes its global debut on September 9. Posted on its official Twitter account, the five-second video does an excellent job of keeping the MC20's design under wraps, but it helps us decode what's lurking under the camouflage. It suggests Maserati stylists don't have a straight-edge in their arsenal of tools, because nearly every surface looks deliciously curved. We also get a quick glimpse at the vents chiseled into the hood, and at the air intakes positioned over the rear wheel wells. Out back, the coupe will feature louvers over the rear window, according to a different video posted on the company's Facebook page. We'd say it's safe to bet the cabin will receive the digital rear-view mirror that's slowly making its way across the Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) portfolio. Louvers have never stopped carmakers from hanging a conventional rear-view mirror above the front passengers, but the MC20's represent a golden opportunity for Maserati to flex its technology muscles. Whether they'll be standard or optional is up in the air. Although Maserati is trickle-feeding us clues, earlier spy shots taken near its headquarters in Modena give us a much better look at the MC20. Its proportions reveal its mid-engined layout, and even the camouflage can't hide the low-mounted oval grille with the firm's trident emblem. It's a styling cue that subtly links the MC20 to the firm's past models, like the race-winning Tipo 61 (also known as the Birdcage) built from 1959 to 1961. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Power for the MC20 will come from a 3.0-liter V6 engine developed in-house and twin-turbocharged to 630 horsepower and 538 pound-feet of torque. Called Nettuno internally, the 90-degree six-cylinder will have an 8,000-rpm redline, and it will spawn a track-only engine that will power Maserati's future race cars. Unconfirmed rumors claim the MC20 range will later grow to include a hybrid variant with at least 700 horsepower on tap, and a convertible. Maserati is investing significant resources into the development of electric powertrains, the next-generation GranTurismo will run exclusively on batteries, so we wouldn't be the least bit surprised if Maserati delivers an MC20 without exhaust pipes sooner or later.

Audi gets Q2 and Q4 badges in trademark swap with FCA

Audi has swapped trademarks with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles to snare the rights to the Q2 and Q4 badges for upcoming crossover SUVs. Audi CEO Rupert Stadler confirmed at the Detroit Motor Show that the automaker had finally persuaded FCA to release the two names that would let Audi lock up the Q1 to Q9 badges for its growing SUV family. Audi already plans to drop the Q2 name onto its MQB-based city crossover five-door this year, while the Q4 badge will slot onto the rump of a coupe-like version of the next Q3. It will also reserve the Q1 badge for a 2018 baby crossover, based around the architecture of the next A1 hatch. The A1 will share a lot of its engineering with Volkswagen's Polo-based soft-roader, dubbed T-Cross in concept form. The German company has also pounced on the naming rights for SQ versions of all of its Q-cars, along with F-Tron to cover the day when it pushes hydrogen fuel cell cars into production. Stadler insisted that no money had changed hands in order to pry the two badges off FCA, admitting that they had "each found something we needed." "We promised each other we wouldn't disclose what it cost, but it was not something they were willing to sell," Stadler said. "We tried to get it years ago and they said 'No, never,' but there is never 'never' in business. ... This year I went back to them with a proposal and we talked and there were some negotiations and then we agreed to it." Those negotiations are believed to have centered on a trademark swap with a Volkswagen Group name that FCA desperately (evidently) wants to use on a Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Dodge or Maserati. Asked if Audi had given FCA a trademark in return for Q2 and Q4, Stadler replied, "Something very much like that, yes." Audi has used Italian names on past concept cars that FCA could be interested in, such as the 2001 Avantissimo concept and the 2003 Nuvolari coupe. The latter was named after legendary pre-war racer Tazio, who won grands prix for both Alfa Romeo and Audi's forerunner, Auto Union. Both are unlikely trade chips, with laws in Europe preventing the trademarking of the names of actual people. There is always "quattro" (Italian for "four"), but after investing nearly four decades locking it in as an Audi all-wheel-drive name, it's just not anything like trade bait.