Caterham Retires The Stig's Superlight R500 [with VIDEO]

The Caterham Superlight R500 took the world by surprise in 2008 with its 263 hp 2.0-liter naturally aspirated four-pot and sub-3.0 seconds 0-60mph sprint time. The same year it was launched, Top Gear’s racing driver, The Stig, drove it around the show’s test track completing a lap in just 1 minute and 17.9 seconds. That's the seventh fastest official lap time ever recorded on the show, putting to shame “heavyweights” like the Bugatti Veyron.

But everything comes to an end, and today, Caterham announced that the special model is making its final journey next week before being retired from active service.

Caterham Cars’ marketing manager, James Drake, commented: “The white and orange R500 has already claimed its place in motoring history. It’s worked hard since the new R500 was launched in 2008 and we feel it’s now time to let it have a rest. It will still be available as a static display car, but its hard driving days are over. We’re stopping short of wearing black armbands in the office, but it’s still going to be a sad day when its final public engagement is over”.

This will happen after it’s going to be displayed at the Marks & Spencers store in Kent, with the purpose of promoting a new range of remote control R500s. These motorized scale models will be available in the classic color scheme (white with orange stripes), and also in red with white stripes.

It seems that Caterham has no intention of selling the car, so Top Gear enthusiasts will have to be satisfied with the “regular” R500. Those who can’t afford the £40,200 price tag for the real deal, can check out M&S stores this Christmas, where they will be able to buy the RC for just £19.50.

source: http://carscoop.blogspot.com

Green Hornet’s 1966 Chrysler Imperial Black Beauty to be Raffled Off

While The Green Hornet doesn't say much to me, I'm sure plenty of our readers grew up watching the TV series or reading the comic books. You guys should pay attention for a minute, as CKE Restaurants is giving away an actual working example of the masked superhero's car, the Black Beauty, fully loaded with all the [faux] gadgetry needed to fight [imaginary] villains.

The marketing campaign is meant to create some hype around the upcoming remake, called The Green Hornet and starring Seth Rogen, which will hit theaters in the U.S. on January 14, 2011.

"The Green Hornet film is a great fit for Carl's Jr. and Hardee's customers," said Brad Haley, executive vice president of marketing for CKE Restaurants.

"Our target audience of 'young, hungry guys' are big fans of Seth Rogen, cool cars, comedy and action films, so what's not to like? People will also love the cool and exclusive stuff we'll be offering as part of the various The Green Hornet promotions, like the fully-loaded Black Beauty car from the film, complete with machine guns and rocket-launchers, that is the grand prize in our sweepstakes. Sorry, guys, the machine guns and rockets aren't functional, but they look awesome."

For those who don't know, the Black Beauty was actually a modified Chrysler Imperial, produced between 1964 and 1966. The prize car has been fully restored and features a brand-new supercharged engine and all the aforementioned prop weaponry, which makes it pretty cool if superheroes are your thing.

Besides the car, there are many other promotional items to be won, ranging from keychains to Sony PSP Go consoles. For more information check out your local Carl's Jr. or Hardee's restaurant or their websites.

source: http://carscoop.blogspot.com

_______________________________GALLERY_______________________________

To the Batmobile! Follow our trip up to Hoosier country as we attempt to get all Adam West on your Thanksgiving

[Updated] A few weeks ago, John - the head honcho here at Carscoop and the one who administratively appears once in a while in the comments - sent me an email about a company building officially licensed replicas of the 1966 Batmobile up in Indiana. Naturally, we decided that there'd be some sort of story in there, and naturally, I had to find someone who was doing even less than I was to come along (for this trip, that'll be my friend...let's call him Mike).

Now, after weeks of back and forth and figuring out the timing, we're on our way to go get some sit-down time with the people of Fiberglass Freaks. You see, they're the people behind these DC-licensed replicas, and word is they've just completed another example. That means it's time to hit the road with us as we head up to Indy and beyond to see what it's like to build these (potentially) big-block Batmobiles.

So, why not fly? Simple: this is a car website, and to me that means road trip. Besides, flying up to Indy wouldn't allow us to get KFC in Kentucky or snag some lunch at the casinos as we hit Indiana. Get at us on the Facebook and the Twitter, and check back here for whatever updates we can manage on our three-day voyage. Toodle-oo.

*You can also follow our trip here

source: http://carscoop.blogspot.com

_____________________________BAT-TRIP_____________________________

The Ride - Sunday, November 21, 2010

The Thermos -Sunday, November 21, 2010

The first of hopefully many exotically-hued muscle cars seen on the trip…we shall see -Sunday, November 21

Mike and his hashbrowns -Sunday November 21

Ain’t nothin better -Sunday November 21

Hitting I-26, heading west -Sunday November 21

Sorry for the shakiness, but figured it was a good sign. -Sunday November 21

Fog got crazy in NC. -Sunday November 21

Pre lunch snack from weigels. -Sunday November 21

Say what? -Sunday November 21

Had to do it. -Sunday November 21

Galaxie 390. -Sunday November 21

Galaxie 390. -Sunday November 21

Casino for dinner and hopefully some earnings. -Sunday November 21

The remnants of dinner after mike lost most of our dinner money. -Sunday November 21

That’s right. -Sunday November 21

It’s a GT. -Sunday November 21

At the bar in indy and lovin it. -Sunday November 21

Weronika was nice enough to let us crash at her place in Indy. -Monday November 22

Here it is. -Monday November 22

Canadian 1966 Batmobile Replica Commands Audi R8 Money

Last week, Carscoop asked you what your favorite TV or movie car was. Many of you expressed a fondness for the Lincoln Futura-based Batmobile used in the Adam West TV series of the late 1960s.

One of our readers tipped us off to this sweet, '66 Batmobile replica in Saint-Eustache, Quebec. You'll no longer be the "uncool dad" when you drop your kids off at school in this baby, old chum.

But before you rush out to buy some grey tights and adopt a young, orphaned acrobat consider this: it has the rather un-sweet price tag of CA$176,995 (US$172,779). You could easily get into an Audi R8 V10 for that money. Heck, we even found a 2003 Lamborghini Murcielago for roughly the same price.

And it pains me to remind you that under that svelte body are the aging Ford V8 and 3-speed-automatic transmission from a 1974 Lincoln Continental. Sure it's appropriate for the era, but then so were headbands and paisley and nobody wears them anymore.

What we really want is the Batmobile we saw on TV, not the one that was wheeled on and off the set between takes. You know, the Batmobile that could unlock doors and sounded like a jet fighter taking off.

Unfortunately, this little boy is still waiting.

By Tristan Hankins

Thanks for the tip Craig! , Link: Excellencechrysler

Carscoop Asks: What’s Your Favourite TV or Movie Car?

Whether you're a fan of Adam West or Roger Moore, you have to admit: cars and television go together well.

The Saint had the Volvo P1800. The Dukes wreaked havoc with the General Lee. The Caped Crusader and his sidekick did the "vra-vra-vroom" in the Batmobile. The Hoff had the Knight Industries Two Thousand (a personal favorite, if only for Will Daniels' quips).

Heck, some of these cars are more loved and remembered than the stars that drove them. Except maybe for David Hasslehoff. I hear he's big in Germany.

Then there are movie cars:

The Aston Martin DB5 from the early Bond movies; the screaming Pontiac TransAm from Smokey and the Bandit (another favorite); the DeLorean from Back to the Future and Steve McQueen's Mustang in Bullitt.

So tell us, dear readers; what's your favorite movie or TV car? If you can't think of just one (heck, we couldn't), just tell us all.

By Tristan Hankins