Lotus Exige Cup 260

The lightweight English sports car builder Lotus has just unleashed a whole new type of animal onto the performance car market, taking Colin Chapman’s original philosophy to a whole new level in order to create a 257 HP supercharged hard top Lotus Elise that can go from 0 to 60 MPH in only 4 seconds. By using items like a lightweight ’motorsport’ battery, ultra-light five spoke forged alloy wheels, revised rear engine subframe with lightweight coating, lightweight fly wheel, lightweight composite bulkhead panel replaces rear window as well as alloy supercharger U-bend pipes; and by deleting unnecessary items like carpets, front mud flaps, battery cover, interior mirror, sunvisors, rear tailgate gas strut the Lotus design team has been able to shed almost 250 pounds from the compact sports car.

Although the 1.8 Liter Toyota four cylinder still makes the same 257 HP and 174 lb-ft of torque thanks to a supercharger, the Lotus Exige Cup 260 is highlighted by an extensive use of carbon fiber, motorsport lightweight wheels, Ohlins 2-way adjustable dampers
and rear chassis stiffness increased by 30%. The Cup car for the streets also comes with race equipment like a redesigned front end and GT3 inspired wing out back with a set of HANS device ready racing buckets inside. However this is a true track day special and the when you come to think of it $80,000 is a lot to pay for a lot of discomfort however air conditioning and an interior noise reduction pack are available at the owners request, For some owners that is only a small sacrifice to endure and a smaller price to pay for such a visceral driving experience.

Lotus Exige S Type 72

The Lotus Exige S Type 72 is a limited edition model that looks utterly awesome.

At 935kg, the car weighs two kilos more than the Exige S. It comes standard with the Sport Pack, which includes black ProBax micro fibre sport seats with gold stitching, a steel roll hoop, adjustable roll bar, traction control, and twin oil coolers. The car also comes with lightweight black wheels, ringed in gold, and in five spokes. While some will like the throwback look of the performance wheels, others will surely argue that they look a little cheap.

Optional equipment includes air conditioning, and limited slip differential. A Performance Pack is also offered, which boosts power to about 235 hp, and groups together an alternate roof scoop, AP Racing brakes, launch control and variable traction control.

The British company has built the limited edition version of the Exige to honor their black-and-gold livery Type 72 Formula One car. It won 20 different Grand Prix events from 1970 to 1975, the Constructors' Championship in 1970, 1972, and 1973, and Drivers' World Championships in 1970 and 1972.

"[The Type 72] was a revolutionary design that pioneered the use of side mounted radiators to achieve its distinctive 'wedge' profile, which delivered a significant aerodynamic advantage," said Classic Team Lotus Director Clive Chapman. "The Lotus Type 72 design was so advanced that it was competitive for an extraordinary six years."

Lotus did not disclose the exact number of cars that will be produced, but they did say that 20 units will be sold in the UK, and 20 more will go on sale throughout Europe. Several more will be built for Japan, and other markets.

In the UK, the Lotus Exige S Type 72 will cost £35,995 with an additional on-the-road cost of £950. European pricing with delivery and paperwork is set at €40,332, not including various country-specific taxes.

Lamborghini Murcielago R-GT

The Lamborghini Murciélago is a high-performance two-door, two-seat sports car produced by Italian automaker Lamborghini. Often referred to as a supercar, it is powered by a recent evolution of the Lamborghini V12 engine, and is the flagship of the automaker's lineup. The Murciélago was introduced as a coupé in 2001 for the 2002 model year, succeeding the famed Diablo supercar in Lamborghini's lineup. The car was the automaker's first new design in eleven years, as well as the first under the ownership of German automaker VW. The Murciélago was styled by Peruvian-born Belgian Luc Donckerwolke, Lamborghini's head of design from 1998 to 2005.[2] A roadster version of the car was introduced in 2004, followed by the updated LP 640 coupé and roadster and LP 650-4 Roadster. The most recent evolution of the model is the LP 670-4 SuperVeloce, a highly tuned version that is expected to be the last iteration of the Murciélago nameplate, before the model is replaced in the early 2012.

Ferrari 430 Scuderia

The Ferrari F430 was a sports car produced by the Italian automaker Ferrari from 2004 to 2009, as a successor to the 360. It debuted at the 2004 Paris Motor Show. Its replacement, the Ferrari 458 Italia, was unveiled on 28 July 2009 and is expected to go on sale in Spring 2010.

The MSRP for a Ferrari F430 is $168,005 to $227,000 in the United States, £118,500 in the United Kingdom, approximately €175,000 in the European Union and $389,000 for the base model to $450,000 for the Spider F1 in Australia.

The body has been redesigned to be more curvaceous and aerodynamic. Although the drag coefficient remains the same, downforce has been greatly enhanced. A great deal of Ferrari heritage is found in the car: at the rear, the Enzo's tail lights and interior vents have been added. The car's name has been etched into the Testarossa-styled driver's side mirror. The large oval openings in the front bumper are reminiscent of Ferrari racing models from the 60s, specifically the 156 "sharknose" Formula One car and 250 TR61 Le Mans cars of Phil Hill.

BMW Vision Efficient Dynamics

After several months of speculation and official teases for the past week, we now finally have all the details on the Vision EfficientDynamics Concept that BMW will show in Frankfurt in a couple of weeks. The speculation about the concept's powertrain has gone in several directions, almost all of which were correct. The new concept is a plug-in hybrid with a three cylinder turbo-diesel engine. Conceived with the idea of melding the performance of an M3 with exceptionally low fuel consumption, BMW claims a 0-62 mph time of 4.8 seconds while scoring 62.6 mpg (U.S.) on the EU combined test cycle.

There has been considerable speculation that future BMWs would go to smaller engines including a three cylinder. The concept uses a 1.5-liter turbodiesel that is essentially half of the fabulous 3.0-liter found in the 335d. The triple is rated at a hefty 163 hp with peak torque of 214 lb-ft. The engine is paired with a 6-speed DCT derived from the unit used in the M3 and Z4.

Adding fuel to the recent reports that BMW would not continue developing the two-mode hybrid system that will debut soon in the X6, the concept uses a new strong hybrid system. The new system is a further development of the mild hybrid that is debuting in the ActiveHybrid 7. As in the 7, a more powerful 33 hp electric motor is sandwiched between the engine and transmission. A second 80 hp motor provides drive to the front axle. The total net output of the drive system is 356 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque.

Mazda Furai

The Mazda Furai is a concept car revealed on 27 December, 2007 and manufactured by Mazda. A teaser image of the vehicle was released on 11 December, 2007. The Furai officially debuts at the 2008 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

Wing and Exhaust in detail from the Mazda Furai on display at the 2008 Canadian International Auto Show.The Furai (風籟, Fūrai?), meaning "sound of the wind", is the fifth and last of the Mazda Nagare line of concept cars that have been made by Mazda since 2006. The chassis is based on the Courage Compétition C65 Le Mans Prototype that Mazda last used to compete in the American Le Mans Series, two seasons previously[3] and is designed to use E100 ethanol fuel, it is powered by a new generation 3-rotor wankel engine that puts out 450 brake horsepower (340 kW). The engine is developed and built by renowned rotary tuner, Racing Beat, who also built the car's rotary-shaped muffler canister.

The car bears the #55 number that of its 1991 24 Hours of Le Mans winning ancestor, the 787B. Unlike many concept cars, the Furai is fully functional and is currently being tested at various tracks. It has run at Laguna Seca and Buttonwillow.

Head designer, Laurens van den Acker, has stated in an interview with Top Gear magazine that there are possibilities of the Furai being used for racing in Le Mans, and he also has strong hopes that the car could be brought to the market.

Honda Acura Advanced

Acura is calling this rakish coupe the Advanced Sports Car Concept, but it's essentially the replacement for the much-missed NSX. It's not a direct replacement, however: The engine sits up front, and it's unlikely the production version will feature the all-aluminum construction of the original.

The original NSX, launched back in 1990, may have forced Ferrari to build better handling, more reliable cars, but Honda reportedly lost money on it. This car is designed to be less expensive to manufacture, although it'll be powered by an all-new V-10 engine, which pays homage to Honda's Formula One effort, although F1 regulations have forced the teams to replace V-10s with V-8s. The rear-drive biased all-wheel-drive platform architecture negates the need to develop an all-new front-engine, rear-drive platform, for example.

Honda Motor Company president Takeo Fukui presented the car at the Detroit show. The production version is expected for the 2009 model year.

Toyota FT-HS Hybrid

The Toyota FT-HS is a hybrid sports car concept introduced at the 2007 North American International Auto Show. Calty Design Research designed the concept and suggests that it could fill the place of the Toyota Supra. FT-HS stands for Future Toyota Hybrid Sport.

The goal of the rear wheel drive hybrid powertrain is to produce 400 hp (300 kW) and achieve 0-60 mph in around 4 seconds. This is accomplished by combining a 3.5 L V6 and an electric motor in a manner similar to the Lexus GS450h. Unlike the GS (and virtually all other current hybrids), a production version of the FT-HS would make use of a capacitor system designed specifically for quick charging and increased performance. Since the debut of this concept, Toyota has exhibited such technology in the Supra HV-R race car.

The 2+2 vehicle features a unique retractable roof similar to a targa top. The rear seats would be folded down when the roof is retracted however.

In spite of the FT-HS being only a concept vehicle, Toyota's desired starting price for such a vehicle is stated to be in the mid $30,000 range.

An August 2008 article from Automotive News indicated that a production version was no longer being considered. However, a January 2009 article from Edmunds Inside Line states that "the V6 Supra replacement is still in the pipeline and is set for an early 2011 debut".

Porsche 911 GT2

The Porsche 911 GT2 is a sports car built by the German manufacturer Porsche since 1994. It is based on the 911 Turbo, and retains the turbo, but features numerous upgrades, including a more powerful engine, larger brakes, and stiffer suspension calibration. The GT2 is significantly lighter than the Turbo due to the use of rear-wheel drive instead of all-wheel drive, and the lightening or removal of interior components.

Aston Matin Vantage

Aston Martin has used the Vantage name on a number of vehicles, normally indicating a high-performance version of another model. In one case, 1972–1973, the Vantage was a distinct model, being a straight-6 powered version of the (normally V8) DBS and successor to the DB-series.

Visual cues include a unique 2-headlight front clip with DB6-like grille. It was also the last Aston Martin to come equipped with wire wheels. Just 71 examples were built.

The Vantage was the last straight-6 Aston Martin until the 1993 DB7.

BMW Z4 E89

The BMW Z4 is a rear-wheel drive sports car by the German Car maker BMW. It follows a line of past BMW roadsters such as the BMW Z1, BMW 507, BMW Z8, and the BMW Z3. The Z4 replaces the Z3. First generation production started in 2002 at BMW's Spartanburg, South Carolina plant, with production of both roadster and coupe forms. When debuted, it won Automobile Magazine "Design of the Year Award". Starting with the 2009 model year, the second-generation Z4 is built at BMW's Regensburg, Germany plant as a retractable hardtop roadster. In 2009, the BMW Z4 won the Red Dot Design Award.

The vehicle was originally announced in 2008-12-13. The vehicle was unveiled in 2009 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.This time a coupé-convertible with folding hardtop, the Z4 (E89) will be built in Regensburg alongside the (E93) 3-Series Cabrio.

Hamann SLR Volcano

German car tuner HAMANN, one of the most exciting luxury car tuning houses on the scene today, has taken on the enviable task of trying to make the very best Mercedes-Benz on the road even better. The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, known as much for its stratospheric base price as its breathtaking styling and killer race-derived performance, has been given a total conversion in the form of the HAMANN Volcano, and we have never seen anything like this SLR.

HAMANN Volcano - SLR McLaren Roots, All-New Car Dynamics

The HAMANN Volcano shows an unmistakable resemblance to the standard SLR McLaren, but many of the body pieces are all new. The hood, front and rear air dams and rather ridiculous rear spoiler are made entirely from carbon fiber, and are special to the HAMANN Volcano.

Two custom HAMANN Volcano color schemes are available to further distinguish the Benz-derived supercar from a standard SLR McLaren. Available in either aluminum/chrome or white/matte finishes, the two-tone paint jobs will appeal to rich supercar collectors who like their toys to stand out on the road as much as possible. Multi-spoke 21 inch wheels, created by HAMANN for the Volcano, complete the fierce race car look.

SLR McLaren 722-Besting HAMANN Volcano Performance

Supercars costing many hundreds of thousands of dollars like the SLR McLaren 722 are engineered to be as fast and drivable as possible. The fact that an aftermarket tuner was able to take the chassis and best the performance of the most hallowed of Mercedes-Benz sports cars, the SLR McLaren 722, and tack on even more performance potential is quite an accomplishment.

The HAMANN Volcano is rated at a top speed of 338 km/h, or 216 mph, a full 11 km/h faster than the 722 Edition hard top SLR. Rated at a cool 700 horsepower, the HAMANN Volcano gets the spec boost from a retuned powertrain including "newly programmed control unit, especially developed high performance exhaust manifolds and an amended belt pulley combination for the serial compressors."

The aerodynamic makeover is as much responsible as power boosts for giving the HAMANN Volcano such a stratospheric top speed. The Volcano is available as a total conversion directly from HAMANN. Production is limited to... well, how much money do you have?

HAMANN VOLCANO

Official HAMANN-Motorsport Press Release

The serial Mercedes-Benz SLR is already one of the most impressive cars on our roads – but compared to the HAMANN VOLCANO it still looks rather harmless. Once again, HAMANN-Motorsport proves its cutting edge when it comes to refining superb sports cars. From a lift-reducing body design to a powerful performance enhancement to a lavishly styled interior, HAMANN focuses on all components of this luxury car and makes the automobile dreams of its exclusive clientele come true.

The total makeover of the Laupheim-based refiner is made of extremely light full carbon and consists of front- and rear wing extensions and also new side skirt attachments and sheathings. The front view of the Volcano is optically perfected with a newly designed bonnet which enhances the overall impression by its integrated hood scoop. But also for the rear, the refining technicians implemented new ideas giving the SLR appearance its finishing touch. Under the boot lid cover, HAMANN placed a strong diffuser which improves the car´s output in combination with the large rear wing. At the front axle, a newly developed front spoiler renders the necessary contact pressure. If desired, an especially developed overall paint for the VOLCANO in either aluminium/chrome or white/matt completes the striking appearance of this bolide.

The 21-inch rims named EDITION RACE with tyres measuring 255/30ZR21 at the front and 345/25ZR21 at the back render an optimal road grip. The design of the extraordinary light forged wheel thereby combines vitality and elegance and also perfectly fills out the wheel houses.

The HAMANN makeover is not only sportive, but also has a lot to offer under the bonnet. The HAMANN motor technicians get the most out of the Mercedes Benz V8-aggregate (5.4 litres, 626 hp, 780 Nm): 700 hp / 515 kW and a maximum torque of 830 Nm at 3,300 crankshaft revolutions per minute. The therefore necessary modifications include a newly programmed control unit, especially developed high performance exhaust manifolds and an amended belt pulley combination for the serial compressors. In order to facilitate the increased motor performance, HAMANN adds a second water pump and adjusts the gearbox electronics. Invigorated in this way and with the adequate sound from the six end pipes of the sport exhaust system, the VULCANO accelerates from naught to a hundred in only 3.6 seconds. With a maximum speed of 348 km/h, the HAMANN VOLCANO is 14 km/h faster than the serial model.

The HAMANN product even beats the factory-provided performance-enhanced special series SLR 722 by impressive 11 km/h.

A skillfully refined interior is waiting for the VOLCANO-pilot and also the exterior does not rank behind. The overall makeover contains pedals and foot rests in aluminium as well as noble door sill protectors and headrests with embossed embroidered HAMANN-Logos. They can also be found on the exclusive floor mats. The overall makeover can be enhanced with a HAMANN interior set containing custom-made carbon parts for the dashboard and centre console. If desired, also the roof interior, all pillars, the cockpit including the steering wheel and the sun visors can hereby be adjusted in terms of colour. Therefore, HAMANN solely uses the high-quality material Alcantara.

HAMANN Ferrari F430 Black Miracle

The Ferrari F430 already is a brilliant, eye-catching vehicle. The "look" as well as engineering technology presents many similarities to motor sports racing. In the latter instance, most vehicles here feature a catchy paint finish in "warrior look". HAMANN MOTORSPORT now offers the mid-engine Ferrari a special outstanding design that equally provides a racing car look standing out from the crowd. It's called "Black Miracle" and will be responsible for great deal of turned heads.

An individual entrance thanks to Black Miracle design

HAMANN's "Black Miracle" designed black car body via a foil suggests the appearance of a primary base coat versus a ready-finished lacquered vehicle. It leaves an impression as if the entire car body is covered in velvet. Here as well, comes an idea directly from motor sports racing scene where motor covers are often finished in black matt to aide drivers with glare reduction. The "Black Miracle" design by HAMANN acts similar to a black hole absorbing all light. For the "light at the end of the tunnel" HAMANN provides additional parts following customer preferences in brilliant red, orange or yellow finish. The contrast between black matt and each "luminizing" addition is unquestionably mesmerizing especially for countless admirers at Ferrari meetings. Such an individualized F430 entrance has never been seen before!

The highlight of the "Black Miracle" designs: when the black matt colour doesn't seem pleasing anymore, the foil can be easily removed.

The noted HAMANN aerodynamic kit for the Ferrari F430 in dazzling colours grasps many elements directly out of motor sports. Front impressions of the F430 "Black Miracle" through HAMANN's front spoiler provide a distinct racing sports face and minimize front axle buoyancy. The wide rocker panel wings give a lowering impression. Further reminiscence of sports racing awakens at the rear end through the HAMANN diffuser and a powerful rear wing which provides more downthrust on the rear axle. HAMANN air dams for the downforce generating Venturi Tunnel boosts the effect.

Additionally included in the "Black Miracle" design are finished aerodynamic parts in red, orange or yellow as well as coloured side mirrors and brake callipers, tinted rear lights, a coloured engine cover framing, dark tinted windows (including front window), bi-coloured leather furnishings (any choice of colour combinations), HAMANN logos within the head rests as well as the wheels finished in the colour of the aerodynamic components and with completely covered black matt rim flange.

The finest detail through wing doors

The absolute show stopper effect with the eye-catching "Black Miracle" colour in combination to the car body is achieved with the addition of HAMANN constructed wing doors. This process is completed without compromise as HAMANN offers a completely full car body integration through guaranteed technology minus that look of actually being built-in. In other words, this vehicle looks as if it just rolled directly off the assembly line.

Performance jump

Through new motronic programming including a new rear silencer plus a sporty high-performance header and sport steel catalyst, the F430 in HAMANN "Black Miracle" style has a performance increase of 36kW /50 HP which is naturally a plus for vehicle performance.

Even more driving pleasure is promised with a specially designed set of suspension springs. Through the HAMANN springs, not only does the F430 lurk lower to the ground, it also moves noticeably with more agility.

The F430 "Black Miracle" comes equipped from HAMANN with a 3-pieced, forged light weight wheel "Edition Race" in 20-inch. Available for the front axle in size 8,5 x 20 (tires 235/30-20) and for the rear axle in size 12,75 x 20 (tires 325/25-20).

One example of the ultra lightweight wheels with dimensions of 12,75 x 20 have an astounding weight of only 15,45 kg! As previously indicated, within the "Black Miracle" package HAMANN finishes a wheel spider in the colour of the aerodynamic components and rim flange matching to the car body in black matt.