Nissan GT-R R34 + GT-R R35 = Confusion

I'm guessing it's safe to say that we have all seen some pretty interesting conversions and swaps. Nissan's in particular are pretty known for that, Silvia front end meet the rea of the likes of a 180SX or 200SX and suddenly you have a Sil180 or whatever, but it has to be said that they look good. Some of them anyway. But I don't think the same can be said of the Nissan family conversion in the pictures here.

A Nissan GT-R R34 with a GTR R35 front fascia, it all just looks out of proportion. We don't have more photos besides these two so judging from these, what do you think?

Subaru introduces new STI line-up: The Legacy B4 25GT tS

More goodies from Subaru Tecnica Internationale and this time Subaru's in-house tuner worked its magic on the JDM only Legacy B4 sedan and its Touring Wagon brethren. Called the Legacy 2.5GT tS - Subaru talk for Tuned by STI - this limited production model comes with various cosmetic and performance enhancements, but unfortunately, no tuning work has been done to the 2.5-liter flat-four turbo engine.

The performance goodies include Bilstein suspension, strut tow bars, sport exhaust system, and 18-inch multispoke alloy wheels wrapped in 225/45 R18 rubber.

As for the usual aesthetic upgrades, the new STI's feature limited upgrades like a front lip spoiler, a boot lid spoiler for the B4 sedan and a roof spoiler for the Touring Wagon. More work has been done to the interior though, both models get a revised instrument panel, sport seats dressed in alcantara and leather with contrasting red seams, decorative carbon trim in a titanium finish, STI leather steering wheel and gearbox lever with red seams and the ever important STI-branded floor mats.

It's a pity that Subaru models sporting the STI badge have nothing more than visual upgrades because the badge has been associated with performance for so long, but with improvements to the handling department as well, expect these cars to be very pleasant to drive. In Japan, the sedan models retails for around US44,190 and the Touring Wagon from US$45,920.

source from:http://www.zerotohundred.com/newforums/automotive-news/338363-subaru-introduces-new-sti-line-up-the-legacy-b4-25gt-ts.html#post4317100

Next generation Mitsubishi Evolution to feature a diesel hybrid powertrain

I know this is hard to believe but Mitsubishi is planning a radical overhaul of its Evolution model altogether. In fact, Mitsubishi is said to have given serious consideration to axing the Evo model altogether because of tightening emissions legislation. Sources in Japan say that there were earlier plans to switch the Evo to a petrol hybrid powertrain and base it on the PX-MiEV SUV concept's platform, but that project was given the boot.

Well that project died but instead of pulling the plug on the legendary Evo, Mitsubishi is going to be changing the next incarnation of the Evo into a diesel hybrid. This is designed to save the Evo from tightening economy and emissions regulations while preserving its trademark mid-range shove.

This is not just a rumour anymore, according to Autocar UK, the firm's R&D department has been given the approval to push the car in a different direction; a diesel hybrid.

Mitsubishi's engineers hope that the mix of clean-diesel torque and electric motor assistance will proper the next generation Evolution from a standstill to 100km/h in under five seconds, yet cut CO2 emissions to well under 200gm/km.

The Evo is known for its handling thanks to its sophisticated four-wheel drive system, and the next-gen Evo won't be any different. It will be entrusted with a revised version of four-wheel drive system, S-AWC, which integrates steering, braking and traction control.

This may all sound very good on paper and this website but switching to diesel power is undoubtedly a big gamble for Mitsubishi. If the Evo does run on diesel, it will effectively be ruled out of competition use and this could limit its racer appeal that it has so successfully relied on. It might not also be very appealing in its key markets such as the US and Japan because diesels have yet to gain widespread acceptance

The switch marks a big gamble for Mitsubishi. Diesel hybrid will, in effect, rule the Evo out of competition use and could limit its appeal in key markets such as the US and Japan, where diesels have yet to gain widespread acceptance. Whatever it is, accepting the Evo as a diesel will be difficult, but if it retains its incredible power, speed and handling, then I don't see why its legacy will not continue.


Source: Autocar

Lamborghini releases teaser image of upcoming Murcielago replacement model

First introduced in 2001, the Lamborghini Murcielago has spawned a number of models including the Reventon and the ultra fast Super Veloce, but after being around for nearly a decade it's time for it to move on to the pages of history. Replacing it is a yet unknown model that has been spied time and time again, but now the gates of Sant'Agata themselves have released this one solitary teaser image of the upcoming Lamborghini.

The teaser image doesn't reveal much except that the successor to the Murcielago will have a hood and will bear the Raging Bull emblem. The rest is up to speculators and this is what the intertwines are saying. Expect the new exotic Lambo to be built largely from carbon fiber as it will also replace the archaic steel chassis on the outgoing Murci and be shorter in length than its predecessor.

Sources are also predicting that Lamborghini's legendary scissor doors will be given some sort of a makeover; possibly moving out before swinging upwards, like the doors of a Koenigsegg. The abundance of carbon fiber and other lightweight materials has dramatically helped reduce the weight of the new Lambo, possibly down to the 1500kg mark. What that means in terms of outright performance is a sub-3-second 0-100km/h sprint and a top end breaching the 370km/h mark.

Not much else is known on the upcoming Bull but sources are also saying that it could be tentatively dubbed the Jota and that it is expected to be unveiled at the Paris Motor Show at the third quarter of this year. Dealers and VIP customers could get a sneak peek as soon as next month, so stay tuned.

17th BMW Art Car to race at the 24 Hours of Le Mans

BMW's Art Car has transcended through generations of race fans and has transformed itself into a cult where fans come up with their own versions of BMW Art Cars or even follow existing ones. The most famous of all BMW Art Car's were possibly the E30's of the 1980's. And now the tradition continues with this new Jeff Koons-designed Art Car that was unveiled this week in Paris. Koon's BMW M3 GT2 is the 17th Art Car unveiled since the programme's creation in 1977.

In creating such striking art work, Koons studied explosions, race cars, and speed in building his inspiration for the car. “These race cars are like life, they are powerful and there is a lot of energy,” Koons said in a press release. “You can participate with it, add to it and let yourself transcend with its energy.

"There is a lot of power under that hood and I want to let my ideas transcend with the car – it’s really to connect with that power”.

Whether you like it or not, the art work has an undeniable appearance that almost immediately makes you think "fast."

Koons' exterior design was printed on vinyl, which was then wrapped around the car. Two layers of clear-coat were applied to the wrap, which can also be seen on the car's spare parts, should they be needed at the Le Mans race.

The BMW M3 GT2 Art Car will participate in the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race held across June 12th and 13th, with Andy Priaulx (GB), Dirk Müller (DE) and Dirk Werner (DE) at the wheel.

9ff introduces new power package for the Porsche Turbo – Incredible acceleration figures

9ff, like all reputable tuners, have a tendency of making a car that is already quick into something that is just scary. Imagine this, 0-100km/h in 3.2-seconds, 0-200km/h in 9.4-seconds, 0-300km/h in 23-seconds flat, to some that may be scary but in all honesty, it just spells f-u-n.

Now Porsche fans don’t have to own a 9ff to be able to feel the g’s such numbers put up, the German tuner has unveiled the DR700 package for the Porsche 911 (997) Turbo facelift.

The package features an adjustable exhaust (controlled via a cabin-mounted switch), 9ff tailpipes, sport catalytics, a high performance performance air filters, new intercoolers, revised exhaust headers, a unique intake manifold, and a modified ECU. Other parts include a 9ff turbocharger, a new camshaft, revised and upgraded connecting rods, and an optimized transmission (manual or PDK).

All that results in a massive power upgrade somewhere in the region of 690hp and 870Nm of torque. Its no wonder then that the car accelerates so hard and that’s without a diet program. No pricing figures were available but our sources suggest that prices will be north of US$24,230.

If you’re a Malaysian Porsche owner, then this is good news for you and your GTR beating needs, word in the local tuning scene says that 9ff will soon be officially in Malaysia. We don’t know where or who or what or how or when its going to happen but apparently it is, so keep that Porsche ready for some juicy 9ff bits.

Vorsteiner Introduces New Aero-Kit For The Mercedes C63 AMG

Vorsteiner has introduced an Aero Package for the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG that’s reminiscent of the old CLK Black Series. The CLK’s details can be seen in the front spoiler’s accents that similar to those seen on the CLK. All components used are created from a special resin pre-impregnated, vacuum-formed carbon fibre that is not only light but is up to 30% stiffer as well.

The rear dual-fin diffuser enhanced by a central vent not only work to aesthetically enhance the car but at the same time it acts as a cooler for the exhaust system. And to complete the look, Vorsteiner tops off the kit with a special V-101 monobloc forged wheel with a 8 twin spoke mesh design. It’s offered in both 20×8.5 inch and 20×9.5inch, or 19×8.5 and 19×9.5 configurations. Recommended rubber is Michelin’s Pilot Sport PS2. More on this next week.

Mercedes-Benz Introduces New 5.5-liter Twin-Turbo Engine To Power AMG Models

First speculated upon sometime last year, Mercedes-Benz has finally confirmed and introduced its latest engine – a new lightweight 5.5-liter twin-turbo V8 engine. Its intended use for now is to power AMG models and the new engine is set to power the S63 AMG beginning mid-2010.

Codenamed M157, the new 5.5-liter replaces Mercedes’ current 6.3-liter naturally aspirated V8 that has been powering such models like the C 63 AMG, CLS 63 AMG, E 63 AMG, S 63 AMG and the CL 63 AMG.

For the new M157, power is rated at 536bhp at 5,500rpm and peak torque stands at a massive 800Nm (590lb-ft) that has been made available at a lowly 2000rpm and 4,500rpm. The same 204kg engine with the AMG Performance Package will produce 563bhp and 900Nm (664lb-ft) of torque. Both engines will be mated to Merc’s 7-speed MCT transmission which helps improve average fuel consumption.

According to Autocar, another engine will also make its debut soon, a smaller 4.6-liter version that also sports two turbo’s will be used for the new CLS and S-Class models later this year.

Below is the official press release from Mercedes, read on for more information.

Sold Out: All 165 Lexus LF-A’s Designated For The Japanese Market

The debate rages on among those who can’t afford it on whether or not the Lexus LF-A is a worthy buy where else those who are able to buy one are snapping up the LF-A like fresh buns out of the oven. So is it a worthy buy? Of course it is even if it’s just a Lexus, sure you pay A LOT of money for a Lexus but can you imagine the satisfaction of out-dragging a Ferrari or a Lamborghini, that’s when the mental picture changes from “I paid so much for a Lexus” to “I beat a true supercar with a Lexus”.

So far, all 165 examples of the LF-A that have been allocated to the Japanese market have been sold out, the American market will see it’s allotment of LF-A’s being leased to owners at first to counter speculation and the remaining 335 examples destined for other markets remain to be sold. If the remaining cars go as fast as the Japanese unit, we could be looking at one of the most successful limited edition hypercars of our generation. Is it a good buy? Hell yeah it is, to include in your list of Ferrari’s, Lamborghini’s, Porsche’s, Aston Martin’s and Bugatti’s.

Lexus LF570 BY Japense tuner ASI

A good number of tuners use Cayenne's, X5's and Range Rover's as canvasses to show their art in the form of bodywork, but hardly the Lexus LX570. Japanese tuning specialist ASI changed that with this new styling and performance package for the large Japanese SUV.

ASI's package is called the Invader and so far only the aesthetics upgrade has been revealed, there has been no news yet of what engine upgrades are going to be made available. But considering that the basic 5.7-liter is already pushing 380hp, a hefty power increase by intake/exhaust/ECU tuning is very likely.

ASI is planning to take the final power figure well into 600hp class and with that much power, the sprint to the 100km/h mark can be made in under 5seconds. Honestly though, even with that much power you wont be going any where quick with such a low front bumper. Expect a redesign before it finally hits the market.

707bhp BMW M3 by Emotion Wheels

Don't you just love tuners? They take a relatively fast car, replace some parts, do some tuning work and turn it into some fire breathing monster that can easily take on some of the more established barons of speed. This is one fine example by Emotion Wheels. The German tuner usually only works with wheels and this is its second time branching out into the world of total package tuning.

While previously the tuner worked on a Audi Q5, this time a BMW M3 E92 received the Emotion treatment. In stock trim the coupe is powered by a naturally aspirated 4-liter V8 engine producing 414bhp, but of course, that's never enough for a tuner. So out with that, and in with the 4.4-liter twin turbo V8 from the X5M and X6M. The standard engine is good for 547bhp leaving plenty of room for more play.

There's no specifics but after some engine tweaking and the installation of a modified sport exhaust system, Emotion was able to release 707bhp to officially turn this M3 into a force to be reckoned with. 707bhp is a lot of power, so to handle the extra power load, modifications were made to the chassis and suspension.

No performance figures were released but considering that the normal M3 does the century sprint in 4.8-seconds, expect this beast to do it somewhere in the shallow 3 seconds, that's if Emotion has worked on the wheel spin issue that this much power usually creates. Aesthetics upgrades include a carbon fiber bonnet, new side sills and 19-inch Wasabi matte black alloys. Prices will be available soon.

BMW's M Divison boss officially confirms M prepped 1-Series to be introduced soon

You have probably heard this story before about BMW working on a M-badged variant of the 1-Series. In fact it's been going on for years, we've seen spy shots and videos alleging to be that of the M-badged 1-Series, but nothing has been official, till now.

In an interview with German webzine "Auto-News", BMW M GmbH's Managing Director Dr. Kay Segler for the first time officially acknowledged the Bavarian automaker's plans to introduce an M-variant of the 1-Series Coupe.

No specifics were given but Dr.Segler did say that it will not carry the M1 base as this name is reserved for the original model. Segler added that the M-prepped 1-Series Coupe will go on sale in relatively small numbers in the second quarter of 2011.

There is no word on what kind of powerplant will motivate the M variant of the 1 coupe, but sources are saying that it will most likely be powered by an upgraded version of the 135i's 3-liter turbocharged straight six engine.

Ferrari 458 Italia tuned by Oakley Design

I guess you're probably thinking Oakley, the maker of some of the coolest sunglasses around, but you're wrong. We're talking Oakley Design, the British tuning firm that won international credit for its take on the Porsche GT2, GT3 and Panamera. The tuner is now back with another sleek package this time for the Ferrari 458 Italia and limited to only five individually-numbered units. The tuned Ferrari gets a aerodynamic upgrade, a few cosmetic changes, and more power.

By tweaking the ECU, Oakley Design was able to boost power by an extra ten percent, taking overall power from 562bhp to 618bhp, while torque is bumper up five percent from 540Nm to 567Nm. Also combining to the increase in power and improved throttle response is a larger carbon-fiber air intake box, larger ram air feed and larger diameter white silicon pipes with Oakley Design logos connecting the air boxes to the intake.

The aerodynamics upgrades not only improve the look of the car but are also functional in nature, the front spoiler for example, adds 45kg of downforce at 241km/g, 25kg's of downforce is generated at the rear at the same speed, thanks to the added rear spoiler with a Gurney flap. Other upgrades like a new central radiator vent, radiator exhausts next to the headlights, stylized side sills, and a new rear and underbody diffuser help improve airflow around the car.

The sleek Fezza rides on 9.0J x 20-inch up front and 11.0J x 20-inch OZ Racing wheels wrapped with Pirelli Trofeo tires at the rear.Combined with a 65kg weight reduction thanks to the carbon fiber mods, which includes a new roof panel, the car is capable of faster sprints and better top speed.

The Oakley Design Ferrari 458 Italia reaches 100 km/h in 3.0 seconds, a 0.4-second improvement and tops out higher than 330 km/h. Those wanting the Oakley Design tuning kit, but not able to get one of the five limited edition models, can purchase parts individually from the firm.