Polish Supercar De Veno Arrinera is Ready for Production: Official Info and Specs

The British entrepreneur Lee Noble, founder of Noble Automotive and the designer of some low-volume sports cars like the Ultima and the first Ascari has helped the Polish supercar De Veno Arrinera in order to get ready for production. The first prototype is ready and has been tested, which means that it should hit the market within more or less twelve months from now.

The car’s look is mostly about sharp and dynamic lines, a bit similar to the Lamborghini Reventón and Aventador. Its aerodynamics is considerably improved by the fact that the front of the car is significantly lower, two air intakes allow cooling air to be directed onto the hot brakes, the back of the, car the large diffuser and the centrally mounted exhausts are designed to resemble the exhaust nozzles of a jet airplane, and the the central positioning of the engine has made cab-forward design.

The chasis of the car will be made out of variable-section high-strength steel, which is extremely light and offers extreme deformation resistance. The body and interiour will be out of carbon/Kevlar composite materials and it will feature an all-around multilink suspension which is optimized for high speed cornering. There will also be upwards-opening doors, high quality leather and composite materials in the interiour, audio system, electric windows, electric mirrors and air conditioning.

The supercar will be powered by a mid-mounted 6.2 liter V8 which provides 650 horsepower and a maximum torque of 820Nm, the weight of the car being only 1,300kg. Due to this, the Arrinera will be able to accelerate from standstill to 100km/h in 3.2 seconds. The 200km/h barrier will be passed in 8.9 seconds and the top speed is 340km/h. As for the braking system there will be six-piston calipers and 380mm brake discs and four-piston calipers and 350mm brake discs for the rear wheels which are located within 19-inch light-alloy wheels with 255/35 R19 tires at the front and 335/30 R19 at the rear.

The build location of the car will be in Poland, and the pricing is expected to start at 100,000 (€ 115,000 or $ 158,500).

Toyota Ku:Rin Breaks Compressed Air Speed Record With 80.3 mph (129 km/h) [Video]

After they have set record for electric vehicle at Nurburgring, the guys from Toyota seems to be determined to become the absolute master of green car records considering that the Japanesse car maker is back with another go-fast eco development.

According to Integrity Exports, this three-wheeled vehicle (pictured above) developed by Toyota Industries Corp., a subsidiary of Toyota Motors, called the Ku:Rin, is now the world’s fastest compressed air vehicle. As for the weird name, is likely derived from the Japanese kanji for “air” (ku) and “wheel” (rin).

Anyway, the Ku:Rin prototype hit the track at Japan Automobile Research Institute’s test facility, managing to hit a top speed of 80.3 mph (129 km/h), and Toyota says it will submit the results to Guinness World Records.

The Unique car takes its power from a reversed A/C compressor that relies on the expansion of compressed air to generate power. However, despite the reasonable top speed, the system, with its compressed air tanks, offers a driving range of only 2 miles (3.2 km), which is laughable.

Still, the Japanesse car maker insists that this is not just showboating, as the achievement demonstrates its expertise in building AC compressors for your car.

2011 Porsche 911 GT2 “Colección Goméz”: Art Car: Photos and Specs

The auto industry isn’t appearently all about engine and new tuning packages. An important part of it are nowadays the art cars, which are more and more apreciated.
The Porsche Museum in Stuttgart, Germany was holding a special exhibition on a new collection of decorative hoods for the Porsche 911 GT2. The exhibit is called Colección Goméz after Argentinian curator Jorge Goméz.
In order to be able to combine the cars its creating and the art, Porsche decided to enlist the services of 19 Latin American artists to create 24 dynamic hoods for the 911 GT2, each coming with their own unique designs. Every representation is unique and offeres a new perspective on the artistic style of each artist involved in this project.
The works of art are so varied that include from pieces with nudes to pieces with Astroboy.
The Colección Goméz will run until January 8, 2012 and it is available for public consumption from Tuesdays through Sundays between 9 am to 6 pm. We deffinitely recommend it for visiting, if you happen to be in Stuttgart from here until the new year you must go and spend some quality time there.

2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS500 By Kicherer: “Edition Black”

Once again, the German tuner Kicherer has decided to mess with one of the Mercedes-Benz models, this time the CLS500, dubbed “Edition Black”. The performance package Kicherer had prepared for the original Mercedes-Benz is based on the last generation Mercedes CLS500, and it includes lots of upgrades and details like matte foil, exclusive wheel/tire combinations, consistent performance increase and the intense use of high-quality carbon-fiber elements.

The car improved by Kicherer is, as its name says, covered with a matte-black foil that gives a certain touch of style and discretion to the vehicle that is continued by a brand new set of 20? RS-1 forged wheels developed in house and combined with a sportive chassis adjustment, and completed by the black theme in the interiour, with a specifically developed, black-finish interior set.

Even with all these features, it can easily be said that the interiour and the exteriour weren’t considerably modified, but the same thing cannot be said about the engine. The CLS500’s 4.7L V8 engine is to deliver 440 HP and 464 lb-ft of torque, up from the standard 402 HP and 443 lb-ft of torque. Perfect deceleration is provided by a high-performance brake system with steel flex brake lines. The tuner will also be offering a Power Converter system that eliminates the automatic gear inertia.

Debut in Fall of 2013 of the Chevy Corvette C7

Even though Ford has been having a really hard time with the new Mustang, the GM‘s head of global design isn’t any relaxed either due to the new Corvette that is expected to debut in the fall of 2013 as a 2014 model year.

“You want it to be a new design, but it needs to be recognizable as a Corvette,” says Welburn during an interview at the Frankfurt Auto Show.

This new design of the car is hoped to increase the sellings, since they have dropped to 12,624 Corvettes last year, which is the lowest level Corvette has achieved since the early 60's. In the past ten years, the best year regarding sellings was 2006, when 36,518 sportscars were purchased, which is about three times the current result.
It has been revealed by the General Motors product design head Ed Welburn that the design of the car will have some vintage styling cues and will sport a split rear window, and regarding the engine, the car is expected to have better fuel economy and it will be equipped with a dual clutch gearbox to keep up with its competitors.
There has been going a rumour that the Chevy will have a V-8 engine, but that hasn’t been confirmed yet.
Pricing isn’t available yet, but due to all the updates that have been made to this car, the price is expected to raise.

Five-Car Collision on the Pacific Highway Ended With A Death

Yesterday, on the Pacific Highway at Maclean, a tragically 5-car collision ended with a death.

This accident which has happened at 9:55am yesterday (Saturday), one kilometer south of the Harwood Bridge, closed the highway in both directions for five hours.

According to police’s report, the 18-year-old man, who drive north in a Toyota Kluger, appears to have crossed on to the incorrect side of the road and sideswiped a southbound Suzuki Swift, driven by a 52-year-old woman. Also involved in this collision was a 1928 Chevrolet hot rod. It seems that after the Toyota sideswiped the Suzuki, it crashed into this Chevrolet and towing a trailer.

The 48-year-old driver who drove the Chevy (travelling south) was airlifted at the nearest hospital in Lismore, for medical assistance, but died shortly afterwards from injuries sustained in the crash.

According to the official reports, the other drivers were uninjured and subjected to mandatory blood and urine tests.

As for the 18-year-old driving the Kluger (responsible for accident) was taken to Maclean Police Station where he was spoken to and released pending further inquiries.

Our sympathies go out to 48-year-old driver’s family and friends.

Ford Mustang 2005-2009 By Prior Design

Even though the Ford Mustang 2005-2009 was first revealed in 2005 and just a year ago been given a new facelift, the German tuning company Prior Design has decided to refresh once again the car, giving it a new design. So, a new tuning program has been built and the car got upgraded.

Modifications have been made especially in the look and aerodynamics departments, the car receiving an extensive aerodynamic package, that comes complete with plenty of new body kit parts. There’s an entirely new front bumper with bigger air intakes, a pair of new side skirts that have been completely modified, and a newly styled rear bumper. Put together, all these elements give the Mustang a sportier and more aggressive look.

The Prior Design tuning package for mustang is appearently suitable for all the variants of the muscle car, but the one that the tuning company recommends as being the best and most apropriate is the GT500 model.
As far as the engine is concerned, the Mustang is powered by a 5.4-liter supercharged V8 that produces 500 horsepower and 480 lb/ft of torque and mated to a six-speed manual transmission. Taking all these features into consideration, nobody can say that they don’t agree with Prior Design, this is deffinitely the best car for the package, even though we’re sure all Mustangs would make a great team with the upgrades this program can give them.

2011 Singapore Grand Prix Qualifying Session: Vettel Takes The Pole, Again

Sebastian Vettel looks determined to win his second Formula 1 Championship, with the German racing driver taking out pole position for today’s Singapore Grand Prix at the conclusion of yesterday’s qualifying session, in extreme heat and humidity at the Marina Bay Street Circuit.

However, it might not be such a big surprise, but keep in mind that Red Bull Racing star Sebastian Vettel stated that he held back and did not perform at 100%: “On the last run, I tried a bit too much going into the really tricky chicane around Turn 10,” said Vettel, adding that, “I decided to abort the lap, as it can be so easy to damage the car.”

In addition to this “surprise”, the second place goes to another Red Bull driver. Still we saw something unexpected during yesterday’s qualifying session… Despite Fernando Alonso’s promised pace at the free practice, the two Red Bulls were challenged not by Ferrari, but by the McLarens of Jenson Button. Button beat his teammate, Lewis Hamilton, for third place.

As you can see below, the Scuderia had to be content with the third row of the grid with Alonso in front of Felipe Massa, while the two Mercedes’ and the two Force Indias completed the top 10 of the first night race in this year’s Formula 1 calendar.

At this time, Sebastian Vettel has a lead over his rivals that stands at 112 points, and with only 150 points remaining up for grabs in 2011, the Championship is looking very likely to be decided by the end of today’s race.

2013 Corvette is Geting Seven-Speed Manual: Info and Specs

Porsche’s new 911 is the first production car to use a seven-speed manual transmission, and according to a tweet by Edmunds’ Inside Line, the upcoming C7 generation of the Chevrolet Corvette will follow suit, and get one of their own.
“A trusted source tells us the C7 Corvette will be offered with a 7-speed manual gearbox. Yes, seven.”
The Corvette’s current manual transmission already offers a super-tall overdrive as its top gear; Inside Line says it’s still unknown whether the additional gear will mean Chevy can close up the ratios between the first six cogs, or whether the C7 will just offer an even taller top gear to give the Corvette nigh-unbelievable highway gas mileage.

As for the engine details, Inside Line’s source says that the C7 will likely have a pushrod V8, hopefully ending with the small-displacement turbo V6. It is also very likely to receive a serious dose of upgrades such as direct injection and variable lift. The LS3 already makes 430 horses and 424 lb-ft—is it too much hoping for 500 horsepower on the entry-level Corvette.
The new C7 Corvette is believed to be unveiled in 2013, and until then we can only wait and see if any of these rumours and assumptions are real.

Lamborghini Envisage Special Edition and One-Off Models: Official Info

There has been confirmed by Lamborghini only a few days ago that limited production run of twenty cars for the Sesto Elemento displayed at last year’s Paris Motor Show will start, this of course, not being the last exclusive limited edition Lamborghini will build.
The plan to develop more special edition supercars has been confirmed in an interview with AutoCar, by Stephan Wnikelmann, CEO of the sports car manufacturer from Sant’Agata Bolognese. His exact words were:

“If the car meets the image of Lamborghini and there is demand, we will build them. The key is that every car we build meets the emotional standards of our company, and that it is profitable. We build the cars of dreams for car lovers, and that must stay core to the brand.”

Many examples can be given of the Lamborghini’s limited run cars and special editions, such as the Lamborghini Reventón, which has been limited to twenty unites for the coupé and fifteen for the roadster, or the Sesto Elemento. This lightweight car started as a concept, but it found enough interest in order to make a limited run.
Of course, we don’t think anything as extreme and as spectacular as the Sesto Elemento will be built in one-offs and limited editions, in the near future by Lamborghini. This car was the lightest the manufacturer ever produced. Winkelmann also said that Lamborghini pushed the limits as far as they could in building the Sesto Elemento: it would be too expensive to build something lighter than this car.

Honda CR-V Concept revealed in California: Video

After releasing the first official picture of the CR-V this summer and more images leaked, the Japanese automaker Honda has decided to finally present the new CR-V SUV, as a concept car, during the Orange County International Auto Show in California.

There are many differences between the images that leaked and the video released by Honda like the modified grille for a more aggressive appearance, and the vertical taillights and the five-spoke alloy wheels. Details regarding the performance of the cars engine haven’t been released yet, but we know about it that it is more efficient (whatever that means) and lighter, and that the interiour design is more focused on comfort and spaciousness.

“The 2012 CR-V Concept strongly hints at the more dynamic and refined look of the upcoming model”, said John Mendel, executive vice president of sales for American Honda. “As the best-selling SUV in each of the past four years, the 2012 CR-V promises to build on its highly successful formula with even more style, innovative features and higher fuel economy”. sais John Mendel, executive vice president of sales for American Honda.
The production version of the CR-V Concept is to be officially presented at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November, and the sales should start immediately after the event, according to The Japanese automaker.

These are the first official images and some spy pictures that prove that though the car was revealed in its final form, Honda does not stop the tests. Enjoy it!

Here are the videos Honda released at the Orange County International Auto Show in California.

Britain’s Excite Rally Raid Team Will Enter Dakar Rally with Range Rover Evoque powered by BMW: Specs and Photos

The British car maker Land Rover is best-known for its off-road paths, races and ideas but currently they offer a great deal more than that with the Range Rover lineup.

After quite some time, will enter the famous Dakar Rally with Range Rover Evoques powered by BMW’s engines.

It might seem weird, but this is not the first time the German manufacturer meets the British four-wheel-drive specialist, considering that the Bavarian car maker acquired the Rover Group, including Land Rover in 1994 and owned it for six years. However, in 2000 the Rover Group was broken-up by BMW because of huge losses and Land Rover was sold to Ford Motor Company.

The Range Rover Evoque will go to Dakar Rally with a new BMW 3.0 liter turbocharged straight-six diesel engine, that delivers 275 HP and 479 lb-ft of torque. Despite the fact that this isn’t BMW’s most powerful offering, it is the best compromise available and it is also incredibly fuel efficient, which is an important factor in this sort of races. The fuel tank will have a capacity of 260 liters.

The power will be transferred to the wheels through a ZF six-speed transmission, while the Reiger coil-over suspension and 16 inch wheels with BF Goodrich desert racing tires will make this care more controllable.

The British Excite Rally Raid Team will be responsible for racing the three cars that Range Rover will be sending to Dakar. The three BMW powered Evoque’s will be driven by Martin Rowe, Andrew Coley and John Hardy.

Official Specification
RaBe Race Cars D4 WN5
Built for T3 world championship

Engine: BMW diesel N57 3.0 ltr 275 Hp 650Nm with FIA restrictor.
Transmission: ZF 6 speed / two speed transfer case.
Dampers: 8 x Reiger coil overs
Wheels: Compomotive Atacama RallyRaid wheel 16”
Tyres: BF Goodrich desert race G series
Fuel Tank: 260 ltr
Length: 3.8 M
Width: 2.0 M
Height: 1.9 M
Wheel Base: 2.8M
Weight: 1900 KG

Subaru Forester, Impreza and Saab 9-2x Recalled For Corrosion and Rust Problem

The American division of the Japanesse manufacturer Subaru is recalling certain model year Forester, Impreza and Saab branded but Subaru built 9-2X models for suspension related issues. 

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration the hanging brackets for the front lower control arms are highly susceptible to corrosion and rust. Because of this, over time, these brackets can and will simply break, subsequently breaking the control arm and causing the vehicle to be unable to handle properly and this could lead to a crash, in the worst case scenario.

The recall affectes the models built between September 5, 2000 and November 26, 2007.  Model year 2002 through 2007 Imprezas, 2003 through 2008 Foresters and 2005 through 2006 Saab 9-2Xs are being recalled. Potentially, 295,123 vehicles could be at risk but Subaru is looking at models originally sold in or registered currently in the states upper East Coast.

This recall will not affect the vehices that have lived states with hot weather and low humidity. This problem affects is due to the low tolerance to snow, salt and humidity, so Subaru will be recalling cars that have lived in certain states.

As normal, certified dealerships will fix the issue by either rust proofing or replacing the control arm hangers, free of charge to the drivers.

2011 Singapore Grand Prix: Sebastian Vettel Is The Winner

Formula 1 must be the perfect combination of the race action with the allure. While the Marina Bay Street Circuit in Singapore has ‘the alure with its glitz and glamor, it doesn’t quite measure up on the racing action side of the equation.

Now, it’s official: Mark Webber, Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton have lost any chance of winning the race for the world championship. With the reigning Formula 1 world champion, Sebastian Vettel on the highest step of the podium after the end of the Singapore Grand Prix, only Jenson Button can, mathematically at least, challenge him.

Day before yesterday, after the qualifying session, Vettel said that “On the last run, I tried a bit too much going into the really tricky chicane around Turn 10,” adding that, “I decided to abort the lap, as it can be so easy to damage the car.” He started from pole and, for most of the rece, Red Bull Racing star Sebastian Vettel cruised into another easy victory, his ninth this season, as he led from the start. In addition to that, he started to build an early lead by being over a second faster on each lap than his rivals in the early part of the race.

However, on lap 27, his advantage was seriously reduced because the safety car came out due to a collision between Michal Schumacher and Sergio Perez. After this collision the German’s Mercedes-Benz racecar went airborne and ended up hitting the barriers. Don’t worry, unfortunate event did not end with any serious consequences.

Sebastian Vettel, however, was able to fend off the ensuing challenge from Button’s McLaren and he crossed the finish line first ahead of the Brit, Webber, Alonso and Hamilton. After Singapore GP, Vettel is even further in the lead with 309, his nearest challengers Button, Alonso and Webber way behind with 185, 184 and 182 points, respectively, and Hamilton relegated to fifth with 168.

Let’s hope that at the Japanese Grand Prix we’ll a higher level of competition on October 9. Stay tuned for details.

BMW X6 xDrive40d with Performance Parts Shows Its Muscles on the Road [Video]

As some of you might remember, in Spring 2011 the German car maker BMW decided to launch for the European market its X5 xDrive40d and X6 xDrive40d.

The newcomer in the X6 family gets its power from the same 3.0-liter engine found in the 740d. This new 3.0-litre diesel engines comes with an all-aluminum crankcase which raise engine output by 7 kW to 180 kW/245 hp in the BMW X6 xDrive30d and, respectively, 15 kW to 225 kW/306 hp in the BMW X6 xDrive40d. All this power is transferred to the wheels through a more powerful and fuel efficient 8-speed ZF automatic transmission.

Thanks to this extra power and this automatic transmission, the BMW X6 xDrive40d sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.5 seconds, while average fuel consumption is just 7.5 liters/100 kilometers in the EU test cycle.

The U.S. emission standards compliance in all 50 states is one of the main reasons why the new models diesel models are not yet available in the U.S. market.

Finally, the Famousbmw team decided to take an X6 xDrive40d with Performance Parts and shoot some rolling footage. Below you can watch the video and share your thoughts in the comment section.

2012 F30 BMW 3-Series rendered: Inside Info

A rendering of the BMW 3-Series from Bimmerpost has recently come out. An undisguised F30 3 Series was previously spotted and the new 3er’s rendering was made with the help of those images, along with the information from BMW insider known as Scott26 who has seen the new 3-Series design.
Appearently, the new car has features like angel-eyes headlights which flow right into the kidney grilles.

Even though the stylish features have been seen before, the 3er may turn out to be the first production model to feature.
According to Bimmerpost, the F30 3-Series is likely to be unveiled later this year, and officially launched at Geneva auto salon next March and go on sale in the United States in the spring.

Boss 302R Mustang qualifies for Grand-Am race at Mid-Ohio – Official Info

Continental Tire Sports Car Championship race being held at Mid-Ohio had as a winners this year the Boss 302R Mustangs, which took the top two qualifying spots.

The race at Mid-Ohio is the last of the 2011 season, and currently in second place in the overall standings is the No. 61 Roush Performance Mustang Boss 302R of Jack Roush Jr. and Billy Johnson. The team needs to make up 16 points to surpass the No. 96 Turner Motorsport BMW M3 in first place, and if it manages to do that, it will be needing to lead BMW to finish no better than 12th to win the championship.

But until then, The No. 37 JBS Motorsports Boss 302R set the fastest lap in the qualifying session with a time of 1:31.223 having as driver James Gue, and following real close, in second place was the Boss 302R o f Multimatic Motorsports, with Joe Foster behind the wheel, recording a best time of 1:31.375.

Fingers shall be crossed for the participants of the race, and meanwhile, we wait for the race to come to an end.

Mansory Siracusa Unveiled at 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show: Live Video, Photos and Specs

If you’re a tuning company, the 64th edition of International Auto Show in Frankfurt seems a good place for a worldwide debut. Well, one of the companies who believe this is the luxury tuner Mansory who was present at the Frankfurt Motor Show presenting its latest creation, the Siracusa, based on the Ferrari 458 Italia.

This project wasn’t received very well in some people opinion being considered a blasphemy. Still, in many eyes looks better than the original supercar. However, we let you decide if it’s better or not.

Thanks to its ECU remap, sport air filter and sport exhaust, the Mansory Siracusa is now delivering a total output of 582 BHP and 560 Nm of torque (413 lb-ft). With this massive power, this car is able to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.2 seconds, whith a 330 km/h top speed.

Pretty impressive, isn’t it? That’s not all, of course. In order to make it more stable, the tuner fitted new sport shock absorbers and lowering springs by 20 mm. As for the wheels, the supercar is riding on 20 and 21 inch rims, wrapped in Michelin PS2 tires, with 245/35R20 for the front and 305/30R21 for the rear.

The interior of the Siracusa now has top materials including leather, carbon fiber, along with a new redesigned center console, a sport steering wheel with a full-sized airbag, decorative stitching and aluminum pedals.

So far, the tuning company Mansory didn’t announce a price for its Siracusa, but as soon as we find something new, we’ll let you know.

Mansory Porsche Panamera by RTW Motoring

RTW Motoring has decided to kindly upgrade two Porsches Panamera, giving them a much more agressive look. They were upgraded with Mansory carbon fiber aero kit, Mansory high performance exhaust system, and Mansory ECU tuning upgrade, which increased considerably the power of both cars. They had the output risen to 690 PS and 700 Nm of torque. Compared with the original 500 PS, this is a huge upgrade, which allows the Porsche Panamera Turbo to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.0 seconds while reaching a top speed of 328 km/h.

Check out te photos and video to see the results.

ALMS Monterey has won the 7th Consecutive Pole for BMW RLL: Inside Scoop

The sixth pole of the season for the No. 56 M3 GT has been won at this afternoon’s qualifying session for the American Le Mans Monterey to extend the BMW Team RLL qualifying streak to a total of seven consecutive poles in 2011 by MW Team RLL driver Joey Hand.

He had a lap of 1:22.226 minutes around the 2.238-mile, 11-turn Laguna Seca circuit that bested the 12-car GT field by a margin of .898 seconds. The GT driver point standings with a total of five podium finishes that include three consecutive victories to start off the season have been lead by hand and co-driver Dirk Muller.
In the meantime, their Teammate Bill Auberlen qualified the No. 55 M3 GT in the third position with a 1:23.132 minute lap, and Auberlen and co-driver Dirk Werner have finished on the podium in three of the last four races, including a second at Road America and stand third in GT driver points.

“Joey nailed the laps. It’s a big margin to be ahead. Like Dirk Werner did at Baltimore…Joey found a shortcut. I am really pleased the cars have been up front all weekend long, we just need to stay there tomorrow. We just hope for a problem free race” said the Team Principal, Bobby Rahal.
The GT Manufacturer, Team and Tire championship standings were led by BMW, BMW Team RLL and Dunlop, having only two more races to go.

Joey Hand’s words after the results: “On the pole again! It’s great! I have a cold and haven’t been feeling great this week but didn’t want that to be an excuse. So I gave it everything I had. It’s a testament to our team how the car came out of the trailer, we were on the money from the beginning. We kept fine tuning through the practice sessions and the guys really nailed it. The No. 56 BMW M3 GT has led every session and we have one more very important session to lead: the race. My wife and kids are here, we have a lot of Crown Plaza and Avnet friends here and we want to give them a great race at my home racetrack.”

The six-hour Modspace American Le Mans Monterey is scheduled to take the green flag at 1:30 p.m. PDT Saturday.

Report: Over Half of 2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 To Come With Automatic Transmissions

Lamborghini announced their intention to drop manual transmissions, being followed by other European car makers, but it seems that it’s not just the Germans and Italians who are getting rid of the manual, as the Americans are just as guilty. Given these decisions, we could say that supercars with manual gearboxes are rapidly becoming a page in the history books, Chevrolet Camaro being one of them.

Chevrolet released the official specifications of its 580 horsepower ZL1, the quickest Camaro ever. However, according to Wards Auto the General Motors shows a strong inclination toward the automatic version of the car.

“There are a lot of people out there who, as they age, do not want a third pedal,” John Fitzpatrick, marketing manager for the Chevy Camaro and Corvette, told the aforementioned source. “And then you have younger people who have never been exposed to a manual transmission,”

As a refresher, this car was rated for the first time at 550 hp and 550 lb-ft (677 Nm) of torque coming from a LSA 6.2-liter supercharged mill.

However, now, thanks to Camaro engineers on Thursday who offered media members a preview of the upcoming Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, we learned that upcoming Ford Mustang Shelby GT500-fighter will come fitted with a 6.2-liter, supercharged LSA V8 engine which will develop 580 hp at 6,000 rpm, and 556 lb-ft of torque at 4,200 rpm, besting Chevrolet’s original targets for the engine’s output and bettering its efficiency in Cadillac’s CTS-V by 24 hp and 5 lb-ft.

Finally, no details about pricing were released, although $50,000 is a good estimate, give the sticker of the Ford competitor. The ZL1 will show its face at the upcoming 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show in November, so stay tuned for details.

Laguna Seca Results: Aston Martin Racing Triumphed

Yesterday, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca was the host for Aston Martin Racing’s return in American Le Mans Series. Great event considering that after so long, AMR with drivers Adrian Fernandez, Stefan Mucke and Harold Primat taking the Gulf-liveried Lola-Aston Martin to a three-lap victory in the six-hour California enduro finished on the first place.

These three drivers raced all day against Lola-Mazdas fielded by Dyson Racing and Oryx Dyson Racing, as well as the Lola-Aston Martin fielded by Muscle Milk Aston Martin Racing.

“It has been a difficult year for all of us with the new car at Aston Martin. It was nice to come back with the older car and know it’s reliable,” said Fernandez.

“This is only Harold and myself, our 2nd race with the car, so the next at Petit will be important for us. The racing in the ALMS right now is fantastic racing. The Mazdas and the Muscle Milk car were really competitive and I think we were all really pushing close up until the last 30 minutes or so.”

After three and a half hours Muscle Milk Aston Martin Racing went behind the wall to replace a fuel pump, this way Dyson Racing’s P1 title being unofficially confirmed.
Primat said:

“This is an absolutely fantastic result for the whole team. It is a great feeling to be standing back on the top step of the podium and the whole team should be proud of today’s result. Everyone has worked extremely hard to keep improving the car step by step and today’s victory is testimony to all that effort.”

BMW X6M by Mansory: Photos and Video

The swiss tuning company, Mansory has put it’s finger on the BMW X6M, leaving an amprent hard not to recognise or apreciate.

The new aftermarket program follows the steps of the X5M by Mansory revealed and just like the X5 M twin, the Mansory BMW X6 M package includes an impressive power upgrade to around 670 HP / 493 kW and a 950 Nm of torque at 5900 rpm. The result of the merge between the two high-class companies can run from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.2 seconds and can reach a top speed of 300 km/h, which grants the names of it’s “parents”.

The look of the new car emerged is a bit different from the original model, having a redesigned front spoiler with larger air intakes and an extra light bonnet made entirely of carbon which, with ventilation channels, optimizing air flow to the engine. IT has 70 millimeters more width at the front and 80 millimeters at the rear, and a newly designed skirt at the back, using an integrated diffuser which has room for four stainless steel exhaust pipes from the MANSORY sports exhaust system.
For more stability and high speeds it also has a roof spoiler for additional contact pressure and a rear spoiler.

Mansory has again proven what a touch of style and a little boost of performance can do to an already high-class car; we shall let you see for yourself in the photos and videos we have in store for you.

2012 BMW 6-Series Convertible By Hamann: Official Info and Photos

After the death of the Hamman Motorsports founder, Richard Hamman, the company is bound to follow his wishes regarding the continuity of the work, thus they unveiled at the Frankfurt Motorshow the BMW 6-Series Convertible , fully upgraded by Hamman.

The new BMW has “suffered” considerably modifications, not only in interiour and exteriour, but also under the hood there has been a massive engine update:
The look of the car has been enhanced with new LED daytime running lights, new side skirts, sporty-dynamic front and rear spoilers, and a set of Hamann’s EDITION RACE ANODIZED and ANNIVERSARY EVO wheels available in different sizes and designs depending on the customer’s request.

The finest black anodize aluminum, personalized foot mats, and pretty much anything else the customer so chooses were the modifications of the interiour, compared with the original.
As for the engine part, Hamman brings sport exhaust system with four stainless steel tail pipes, as well as an ECU upgrade to increase the total output from 400 to 510 HP, over the original 6-Series’ 4.4-liter V8 engine and on top of all that they added a special suspension that drops the cabriolet’s center of gravity by up to 30 mm.

The merge between Hamman and BMW is once again proving that is the right choice.

Porsche Panamera Turbo by Anderson Germany: Photos and Info

The German tuning company, Anderson Germany has decided to offer some remarkable changes to the Porsche Panamera Turbo, especially in the cosmetic departament.

The car is now wrapped in a matte red vinyl cover, and has been added a bodykit comprising of an exposed carbon fiber bonnet and rear hatch, while the same materials make an appearance on the exterior mirrors.
The exteriour is completed with a new front bumper with a gaping grille, rocker panels, side air vents, a different rear bumper with Audi R8-like air outlets and a diffusor, plus tinted lights and a rear wing, and the icing on the cake is a set of black 22-inch alloy wheels with a red outer rim shod in tires size 265/30 up front and 295/25 at the rear.

The interiour has been upgraded with quilted black leather and red piping adorning the new sport bucket seats, Alcantara headliner and tons of decorative carbon fiber, door panels and parts of the dashboard and steering wheel, and a new infotainment system.

Concerning the engine, Anderson Germany improved the tune with an engine kit that includes an ECU upgrade and a custom exhaust system to boost the Turbo model’s V8 engine to 585-horses and a 40mm lower suspension.

The merge between Porsche and the German tuning company has given a result easy to spot, and that proves the quality and style their names are known for.

2012 Honda Civic Coupe by Fox Marketing to come with More than 500HP at SEMA: Photos and Details

It was a very busy week considering that the 64th International Auto Show in Frankfurt was the host for many debuts and even though we are still wrapping up the goods from this event, we are keeping an eye on upcoming automotive events. One of this upcoming eventis is the 2011 Specialty Equipment Marketing Association, also known for the public as SEMA. This event will take place in Las Vegas from opening its doors on November 1 for theree days.

Considering that this is the largest aftermarket gathering in the world, many tuning companies aims to it, Fox Marketing being one of this companies. Their project car currently being developed for this gathering is a highly modified 2012 Honda Civic Si Coupe.

Despite the fact that this car is already powerful enough for many of its owners, the team from Fox isn’t satisfied with it. In order to make this car a bit more interesting, the tuning company is preparing a really massive tune that will see the Japanese carmaker‘s latest Civic Coupe gaining a turbocharged engine producing north of 500-horsepower.

In addition to this outrageous tune, the new Honda Civic Coupe will also feature an upgraded chassis and extensive exterior modifications.

Are yo curious to see the resut? Well, you’re lucky because the tuner released some images and you can get a sneak preview of what Fox Marketing is working on in the gallery below.

Jaguar XF and XJ are geting All-Wheel Drive

After bragging about it’s new C-X16 Concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show, along with its facelifted version of the XF and XK, Jaguar has decided to come up with another reason to be gossiped: the two models XF and XJ, will get the all-wheel drive technology.

Due to the fact that the competition already has come with this system for their own cars, and there is a high demand for all-wheel drive cars on markets where Jaguar is being sold, and the automaker is currently losing customers to its German rivals, Jaguar is kinda forced to updgrade, even though the production costs shall rise considerably.
The company’s brand director says that the XJ is doing well on the premium segment, but, as usual, theres always room for better. The model needs some impulse in order to raise its sails and compete with the German rivals.

There is no information regarding when the upgraded models shall hit the showrooms, but is for sure that the gap between Jaguar and brands like Audi or BMW is about to become smaller.

2011 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG By Renntech: Info and Photos

The US-based tuning company Renntech does not need any introduction nor description. It doesn’t come as a surprise the fact that they once again decided to “adopt” another Mercedes-Benz car to make the best out of it. One of the most popular program they came up with, that reached as far as Russia is their widebody conversion kit for the C63 AMG, and it doesn’t even have any performance upgrades.

The program comes with plenty of bold styling, increased down force, refined aerodynamics, and improved handling, due to an extensive widebody conversion kit on the front and rear, as well as a new rear diffuser package with end tips.

The engine remains practically the same, with no intervention whatsoever, which means that the new face of the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG will still have 6.3-liter 90-degree DOHC V8 engine that produces 457 horsepower and 442 lb/ft of torque.

The price regarding the Renntech kit unfortunately does not include the C63 Amg itself, but it is somewhere around $3,750.

Porsche Panamera PD 970 By Prior Design: Official Info and Specs

The German tuning conpany, Prior Design has left its amprent, as many others before, on the well known Porsche Panamera. The program the company has brought up for the car isn’t one that relies on glamour or extreme look, but one mor rafined, stylish and discrete. Not many changes have been brought to the Porsche, nor in the cosmetic department, nor in the performance chapter, but the ones that took place, make all the difference in the world.

The car has been stylished with an add-on front spoiler lip, front light covers, a new rear diffuser, and carbon bars for the bumper’s air intakes. The black paint on the car completes it all, making it look very elegant and simple.

The engine of Prior Design’s updated car isn’t spectacular, it doesn’t have any impressive updates. Compared with it’s brothers, Panamera Stingray GTR by TopCar, or Panamera GrandGT Carbon Fiber by TechArt, it doesn’t run any faster, nor look any more enhanced, but the ones who look for a simple, beautiful and yet improved car should be more that satisfied with the new Porsche Panamera PD 970 By Prior Design.

Regarding prices for this model, no rumour has been going around, but what we know for sure is that in order to fin out, one should just call the representative, and find out upon request the digits.