2012 Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Black & Yellow

Bugatti has launched a special edition Veyron Grand Sport at the Qatar motor show in January 2012.

This special edition is a convertible and is no doubt the fastest convertible produced in the world with a top speed of 253 mph (407km/h) with speeds up to 217 mph (350km/h) achieved without the roof.

The Veyron Grand Sport features a catchy yellow and black theme for its exterior. This edition of the Grand Sport is the last of the Veyron’s to be built.

Exterior & Interior

The man behind Bugatti, Ettore Bugatti has always experimented with different color schemes and materials for his extreme cars. He has always preferred painting his cars in two color combinations. The Veyron Grand Sport is no exception and is colored in yellow and black. This interesting combination of yellow and black color is said to be one his all time favorite.

The two colors are split horizontally, with bright yellow covering the top part of the car with black carbon underneath it. The yellow and black theme is not only limited to exteriors, but also runs into the interiors with seats finished in yellow leather and black stitching.

The central console is colored in carbon black. The dashboard, gearshift and steering wheels are covered with black leather and yellow stitching.

Performance

Veyron Grand Sport's internal largely remains the same. The car is powered by the quad-turbocharged 8-litre W-16 engine which churns out whopping 1001-horsepower. The car can do 0 to 60 in 2.7 seconds.

2012 Chevrolet Centennial Edition Corvette Z06

In celebration of its 100th anniversary, Chevrolet launched the 2012 Corvette Centennial Edition Z06, which comes in a special Centennial Edition package.

The major changes in the 2012 Centennial Edition are almost purely cosmetic while most of the driving dynamics remain the same.

Exterior & Interior

The major changes in the 2012 Centennial Edition Z06 are more cosmetic which makes this Z06 strikingly different. The new Z06 gets the Centennial Edition package that includes exclusive Carbon Flash Metallic exteriors, car graphics in satin black color and characteristic Centennial wheels in Satin Black with Red outline and Red colored brake calipers.

Special badges including images of Louis Chevrolet have been placed at the B-pillar, Steering Wheel and Wheel Centre caps.

The wheels of the Centennial Z06 have been specially built with light weight Aluminum. The front wheels get 19-inch alloys while the rear wheels get 20-inch. The Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tires have been used in the 2012 Z06, and these have been a significant performance enhancer for the car.

The black color scheme runs in the interiors as well. The instrument panel, doors, seats and gear-shift knob are wrapped with black leather with red stitching.

2013 Porsche Boxster

Porsche has introduced its all new 2013 Boxster, which has undergone significant changes and is looking pretty fresh.

The open-top entry level Boxster has been given a whole new platform and body work, which has helped the car shed some weight resulting in better fuel efficiency and power to weight ratio.

The car is scheduled to be unveiled at the Geneva motor show in March, but Porsche has given out some preliminary details before unveiling the car.

Design Upgrade

Changes in design are more evolutionary than revolutionary. Still Porsche has managed to dish out a handsome design. The new square shaped headlamps, the wider stance and shorter overhangs, add to the character of the car. The new design seamlessly masks the increased length and width of the platform.

The new Boxster would be equipped with larger 20-inch alloys. The interior of the 2013 Boxster is inspired from the 2012 911. A fully electric top would close the cabin space and the company suggests that the cabin space for driver and passenger has increased in the new design.

Performance

Boxsters are known for their performance and the new model certainly won't disappoint. The standard Boxster will be powered by a 2.7 liter flat-six engine with direct fuel injection that churns out 265 horsepower, 10 hp higher than previous model.

The more powerful Boxster S would be powered by a 3.4 liter six cylinder engine generating 315 hp, which is a marginal increase over the previous model (by 5hp). The engine is available with a 7 speed dual-clutch automatic transmission or a 6 speed manual transmission.

Fisker Karma deliveries still parked at zero

When U.S. automakers reported sales for November, one name was missing from the roster: Fisker, the California start-up selling the $96,000 Karma plug-in hybrid sedan. That's because despite what's been said elsewhere, Fisker hadn't officially completed a sale to a customer yet.

The launch of the Fisker Karma has been delayed repeatedly, blowing several deadlines set by the automaker which is backed by a $529 million federal loan. Earlier this year, Fisker announced a couple dozen buyers were getting their Karmas, but it later turned out those cars still technically belonged to Fisker, since the Karma hadn't been certified by the Environmental Protection Agency or California emissions officials.

Both those certifications came in October, and Fisker has said it was delivering keys to customers soon. Then just before Thanksgiving, Fisker's battery supplier laid off 125 workers in Michigan, citing a deep cut in orders from Fisker for the next few quarters.

A Fisker spokesman told Motoramic last week that while the company had shipped Karmas to dealers, it had not yet completed a sale to a customer, but expected to do so this month. We asked for clarification on what exactly kept sales from going through, but haven't heard back. Two months ago, Fisker was vowing to deliver Karmas by the end of the year to the 3,000 people who had put down deposits. Many of those would-be customers might have to make other plans for the holidays.

Tommy Hilfiger Owns The Most Expensive Car In Greenwich

My colleague Ashlea Ebeling just wrote about the most expensive vehicles subject to personal property tax in Greenwich, Conn. Topping the list is a 2003 Ferrari Enzo owned by none other than Tommy Hilfiger.

Hilfiger's coupe was assessed at $633,360--roughly 70% of its estimated fair market value--and costs $6,300 annually in taxes. (William S. Pepe owns one, too.)

The native New Yorker known for his American-classic aesthetic also owns a 2010 Bentley Continental sedan assessed at $126,280, which requires roughly $1,260 in taxes each year.

That Hilfiger tops this list is interesting in light of the fact that arch rival Ralph Lauren is an avid car enthusiast as well. Lauren recently threw a show at the Louvre showing off the splendors of his collection (think Bentley Blower, Mercedes-Benz SSK). His 1938 Bugatti Atlantic won the prestigious Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in 2003. Photos of the tuxedoed designer flanked by some of the world's most iconic cars comprise a significant part of his image.

Lauren, who is worth $6.1 billion, lives primarily in New York City, so he didn't appear on this list. If he did, he'd do well--vintage cars in Connecticut get a pass on the motor vehicle personal property tax. Anything 20 years or older automatically gets an "antique" distinction with the Department of Motor Vehicles and an assessment reduction to $500. (Recent legislative efforts to raise the amount to $2,500 have failed.)

That means even a vintage Ferrari worth $1 million appears on paperwork like it's worth $500 bucks--and requires taxes of just $5 a year. Call it a sweet deal for a sweet ride.