Insurance Companies Want to "Plug in" to Your Driving Habits

Car insurance companies are always trying to find some way to better monitor your driving style and habits to help adjust their premiums accordingly. In fact, yours truly fell for the Progressive scam of plugging a small transmitter into the data port on my Mazdaspeed MX-5 with the promise that I could “save up to 30 percent.” Well, this little gadget sensed every time I tapped the brakes a little too hard or pushed my little turbocharged roadster into a corner just a little harder than usual, then it would beep and upload this information to the company.

Well, after noticing what this gizmo was up to, I quickly unplugged it and overnighted it to Progressive with a thanks-but-no-thanks letter. Well, now more insurance companies are getting into the tracking game with even more technology. In fact, State Farm has taken it a little further by installing an app on your Android 4.0 (or higher) smartphone. According to State Farm this app will collect “basic information about your driving,” but the insurance giant doesn’t offer a bit of info about what it will use this data for.

So, why would you allow your insurance company to track how, when and where you drive? Because they grease your palm, of course; State Farm is offering up a $50 gift card to the first 5,000 volunteers to give up their driving privacy and test the system. In fact, you don’t even have to be a State Farm customer to do this test and get the $50.

We say stay away from this deal and the insurance tracking devices altogether, regardless of how much they choose to offer you in return. Chances are that this information could potentially jack up your car insurance just because you park in a less-than-ideal area semi-frequently or brake a little harder than others. Plus, having your insurance company knowing what you’re up to at any given time is pretty dang scary.

What’s next, health insurance companies strapping devices on us to monitor our food intake and exercise?

2013 Audi R8 V10 China Edition

.

We totally get why automakers from all over the world are suddenly falling over themselves trying to get some love in China. After all, it’s already the world’s largest auto market and the wide diversity of buyers in the country has given automakers of all levels opportunity to establish themselves and gain some footing in the market.

For its offering, Audi decided to build an R8 V10 China Edition specifically for this purpose. The car is limited to only 80 units and comes in a choice of two colors: Malibu Blue Body/Suzuka Grey Sideblades or the inverse Suzuka Grey Body/Malibu Blue Sideblades. Look at the photos and it’s easy to be enamored with the color choices Audi decided to use on the R8 China Edition.

In addition to the color choices, the R8 China Edition also makes prevalent use of ultra-light and high-strength carbon fiber. Both the R8’s body — the carbon matte fixed spoiler — and the interior are decked in carbon fiber, making for a true special edition model that lives up to the “special” designation. Rounding out the modifications for the 80-unit R8 China Edition is a set of 19-inch, high-gloss black wheels in a 5 twin-spoke “Y” design, further stamping the uniqueness and exclusivity of this special-edition supercar.

The interior of the R8 also strengthens its billing as a special edition. It includes the characters “R8 专享” to go with the model number embedded on the aluminum gear lever knob. Notice also that any number with a “4” on it has been removed to "respect the cultural habit of Chinese customers,” as it is considered unlucky – like the number 13 in the U.S., but intensified.

Adding to the supercar’s luxury swag are materials that include shark skin and colored stitching, the handbrake and steering wheel are wrapped in Alcantara, and the instrument shield is finished in carbon matte. Finally, R8 emblems also adorn the interior of the supercar, particularly on the dash and the aluminum door sill trims.

The entire cost of the R8 China Edition hits at 2,628,000 yuan, which is around $420,000 based on current exchange rates.

2013 Audi R8 V10 Limited Edition

If you thought the Audi R8 China Edition was rare, then you’ll be shocked to know that there’s a limited-edition model that’s even rarer than that. This is the Audi R8 V10 Limited Edition and, as its name suggests, Audi is only building a select number of these babies — 30 in all — for the Chinese market. To distinguish itself from the rest of the R8s out there, including the aforementioned China Edition, Audi decided to dress up the R8 Limited Edition in a unique Nordic Gold paint finish that, on looks alone, can make a serious case as a permanent color option for the R8.

Aesthetic modifications are also abound for this limited-run model, highlighted by front and rear air intakes and outlets, lightweight tailpipes, and a radiator grille that has been finished in matte black. The dress up continues with the front and rear slats. Additionally, the rear bumper, and the radiator grille surround and bars all sport a matte-titanium-grey finish. The front spoiler, side blades, fixed rear wing and the enlarged diffuser have been upgraded to carbon matte.

Inside, the R8 Limited Edition features sports bucket seats and headlining, both of which have been dressed with black Alcantara with contrasting stitching and piping, and the knee pad now comes in shark skin black with its own contrast stitching. Carbon matte, or at least inlays of it, was also used inside, particularly the A-pillar and the door pulls. To assert the limited-edition nature of this R8, the aluminum gear knob comes with a limited edition number, ranging from 1 to 33 with the numbers 4, 14, and 24 excluded from the list. Why, you ask? The number "4" equates to bad mojo for the Chinese.

Audi China has priced the R8 Limited Edition at 2,628,000 yuan, which is around $420,000 based on current exchange rates, an amount that affluent and passionate Chinese auto enthusiasts won’t have trouble shelling out.

2013 Ferrari F12berlinetta Giallo Acquila

Last week we brought you the first details on the 770 Daytona Milano — the first special edition designed by Ferrari using its new individually developed program. Regardless of the fact that the 770 Daytona Milano’s first image was likely a Photoshopped image of the F12berlinetta at its Geneva debut, it was still pretty sweet. Today is time for the first rendering of a new specially designed F12berlinetta, the Giallo Acquila. This model is designed by PininFarina in cooperation with Fioravanti.

As you can notice from this first rendering, this special F12berlinetta Giallo Acquila will feature an updated, more aggressive rear with some extra lines and a big spoiler. The wheel arches have also been made slightly wider and they hide a pretty large set of wheels. We cannot tell for sure if the 729-horsepower, V-12 engine will get any increases, but we can at least hope.

All these changes have transformed the F12berlinetta into an even more desirable supercar, but also into one even more expensive. The question is who has the right amount of money to acquire this special supercar? Question No. 2 is will this program actually be realized or just fizzle away before the F12berlinetta is actually released.

2013 Galpin Auto Sports GTR-1

A few days after Saleen announced its plans to build a modern-day 351 Mustang, another aftermarket company took to the LA Auto Show to reveal its own supercar project.

Should we be surprised that the announcement came from the folks over at Galpin Auto Sports?

Actually, that’s a rhetorical question because nothing GAS does surprises us anymore. It’s in the process of building a Ford GT-inspired supercar, one that it’s planning to name the GTR-1. GAS is claiming the GTR-1 will feature an astounding 1,000 horsepower. We typically take these claims with a grain of salt, but given GAS’ reputation as a trusted tuner, we think you can take that number to the bank.

To go along with all of this power, GAS is adding in a choice of handmade aluminum or carbon-fiber coachwork, a bespoke interior tailored to the customer’s desires, an improved drivetrain and suspension modifications.

This is all pretty much par for the course for GAS. The only thing that upsets us is the fact that we have to wait until we get closer to the early-2013 release of the GTR-1 before we get the full details. We’re sure it’ll be well worth the wait though.

Stay tuned for more info! 

2014 Ferrari GTE Virtual Concept By Angelo Granata

Thanks to a leaked teaser of the Ferrari F70 a.k.a the next Enzo, the rumor train is now at its peak.

Using the various pictures that Ferrari has taken and keeping Pininfarina’s current design language in mind, a man named Angelo Granata has created a beautiful rendering of what he thinks is the next Ferrari F70.

It does stay true to the Ferrari design language, although if you glance at the dual-projector LED headlamps for a moment, it has an uncanny resemblance to the Aventador. Now that is something that Ferrari would definitely avoid, given the heavy rivalry. Also it’s lacking the iconic F1-inspired nose from the original Enzo, which was a distinguishing factor in terms of design. This nose does, however, serve a purpose, as its duckbill shape adds much-needed downforce to the front axle as the vehicle’s speed increases.

The rear end is a perfect mixture of the F12Berlinetta, Enzo and the 458 Italia, though the quartet tail lamps may not make it in the final design. The virtual concept’s body measures in at 4,650 mm (183.1 inches) long X 2,030 mm (79.9 inches) wide X 1,080 mm (42.5 inches) high, but no estimated weight was given.

The concept houses a mechanically actuated spoiler which is not only cool as heck, but also keeps the car planted on the track. With the kind of power the Enzo successor is supposed to pump out, that actuated wing may not be a bad idea.

The Ferrari GTE virtual concept is fitted with a 7.3-liter V-12 engine that pumps out 800 horsepower and a KERS hybrid system that adds an extra 120 ponies to the stable. This gives it a net horsepower of 920, which is exactly what all of the rumors are pointing to with the new F70. Unfortunately, the engine setup isn’t confirmed, except for the KERS system, so this is still just speculation.

With Ferrari being as silent as a monk on the Ferrari F70, we can do nothing but drool at these concept pictures and hope that some elements make it to the final official design.

Images used with permission from Angelo Granata 

2013 Ferrari FF Czech Edition

Ferrari’s Tailor Made Personalization Program has produced yet another one-off FF supercar, further proving that the Italian automaker is serious about giving customers exactly what they want.

The latest model was actually built for Czech dealership SF Motors and has been appropriately called the "Czech Edition". There are no performance modifications on this one, but what it does carry is a host of aesthetic upgrades that definitely differentiates itself from the rest of the FFs roaming around the world these days.

The FF Czech Edition comes with a matte-orange finish that Ferrari Tailor Made Personalization Program calls "Rosso Dino.” Whatever name it came up with for this, it looks absolutely sick. On top of the matte orange finish is a matte black roof, a carbon packet, Daytona seats for the interior, a high-tech JBL sound system with a pair of Ferrari-branded headphones, a passenger display, and a "Specially made for Czech" plaque complete with the Prancing Horse logo on one end and the Czech flag on the other.

If you really think about it, there are not a whole lot of upgrades on this one, not even something that packages itself as a "Czech Edition" like a flag badge or something. But either way, this one-off FF looks pretty sweet.

At a whopping 7,390,000 CZK (€295,000/$385,700) price tag, it had better be “sweet.”

Big thanks to Ondřej Vávra and Aleš Chytráček of CzechFerrari.Cz for the photos!