Subaru Performance Tuning (SPT) Toyota Racing Development (TRD)
Without any delay, this is one of the coolest concept cars I have seen in my entire life. It looks incredible, its technology is incredible, its performance makes me feel tingly and the best part is I can tell that cute brunette at yoga class, “When it comes down to it I put the earth first, so I bought a hybrid.” At the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, Porsche brought out what is probably the most exciting concept in years: the Porsche 918 Spyder Concept.
By designing this car, Porsche has essentially answered a request of mine, to show the world that the word “hybrid” is not synonymous with word “coma.” I'm so grateful to see something like this, I feel I owe them a thank you card.
Seeing the unveiling of the new 2010 Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid, at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, has me looking at hybrid technology in a new and much more positive way. I believe hybrids are good for the planet, and spending less money on gas - usually used for mundane errands - is a good thing. But the current hybrids available are boring. Well I'm happy to report that this is not your art teacher's Prius. And of course it's not, it's a GT3 race car built by Porsche, which will be competing in the upcoming 24 Hours of Nurburgring.
Like the developing F1 systems, it has regenerative braking, and the extra electric power (up to 120kW) can be used in 6-8 second bursts. What's new about this system is that instead of carrying heavy batteries, it has a generator that rides shotgun to the driver. The energy is sent from the flywheel to the motor and saved as potential energy. Two electic motors then deliver power to the front axles.
For years customization and tuning was something that the major automakers relegated to the aftermarket, in their opinion a growing but insignificant niche that until recently didn't warrant their participation. But in the last couple of years everyone has jumped into this space with both feet. Volvo released R-Design, Lexus dropped F-Sports and so for and so on... Mercedes has always had a foot in the game with their AMG division, which takes their standard models and transforms them into Autobahn monsters. Now, Mercedes is introducing MercedesSports to bridge the gap between their standard models and those from their testosterone-laden brethren.
To start with, front aprons, spoiler edges and side skirts will be offered along with optional rear and roof spoilers, a diffuser-look rear apron insert and fog lamp louvers. Traditional tuning upgrades like perforated brakes and stiffer, lower suspension systems will be available as well. Inside, a sports steering wheel and an aluminum pedal cluster will join stainless steel door entry panels back-lit with the white MercedesSport logo and black velour floor mats.
Finally, Audi's prince of AWD luxury has arrived. When the A5 coupe debuted people fell head over heels for its long nose, muscular metal and supple interior. Of course any good coupe worth it's weight in salt needs a performance variant, so naturally there was an S-model, propelled by a 354hp V8. But what people really wanted was to see the A5 get the RS treatment. With a stance and design that looks formidable yet sleek, it was only fair to give it a proper engine and some real performance. The S5 was quick, but could easily fall victim to numerous sport sedans, coupes and imports.
Nothing ruins taking your fellow law buddies for a ride like having a 19 year old kid in a WRX hand you your briefcase. Well at long last, we have the official specs of the upcoming, beautiful, powerful 2010 Audi RS5. It won't make it's public debut until the Geneva Motor Show next week, but because the brochure was leaked onto the internet last weekend, we can provide all the only data you need to know.
Back in the early 80s, my father brought me back a remote-controlled Audi Quattro car from his trip to Italy. At the time, I thought it was the coolest thing ever but really didn't understand the significance of that particular vehicle. All I knew was that it was a race car and it looked awesome. Since the debut of the Ur-Quattro ("Ur" meaning original) at the 1980 Geneva Motor Show, Quattro (Italian for "four") technology has served as a game-changing platform for performance motoring. The introduction of the Audi Quattro transformed the company from a luxury maker of automobiles to a motorsports and rally car monster, who dominated the sport for many years after its debut.
The original Ur-Quatro sported a 2.1-liter inline 5-cylinder 10 valve SOHC engine complete with turbocharger and intercooler, a first for a full-time all-wheel drive car. With 197 bhp and 210 ft-lb of torque on tap, the Ur-Quattro sprinted from 0-62 mph in 7.1 seconds with a top speed of 137 mpg. All told, 11,452 example of the production “Ur-quattro” models were built between 1980 and 1991. The company also launched two additional versions of the Quattro - A1 and A2 - for competition in FIA's Group B motorsports, pushing the turbocharged inline 5-cylinder engine up to about 350 bhp.
It's almost springtime. For some people that means flowers, rain, new life and all that sappy stuff. I would probably drive past the new foliage and bird-watchers though, because your local BMW dealership will probably have a new M3 on the lot, featuring the 2011 BMW M3 "Competition Package." Available in Spring of 2010, this add on will be available for all models (Coupe, Sedan, Convertible) and will cost $2,500.
It includes lightweight alloy wheels, lowered suspension (10mm), trick looking carbon fiber front and rear spoilers, and a new EDC setting simply called, "sport mode." Along with that wildly creative EDC setting comes several new stability control programs, all aimed at improving the handling and driving experience. The aero bits look great. The raw carbon fiber accents the body color (unless it's black) and will help the car stand out among the seemingly thousands of new M3s seen daily. The rear spoiler is a nice touch, elongating the shape of the trunk and balancing the profile.
It was only a matter of time before Audi got into the compact hatchback market, a segment that they have been trying to aggressively go after by downsizing their sheet-metal and powerplants. The A3 has been a big success but after watching MINI Cooper sales take off, they knew they had to go even smaller, much smaller. Back in 2007, the Metroproject Quattro concept was debuted and now we finally have the official word on the 2011 Audi A1 after months of teasers and various concept iterations.
The new Audi A1 follows fairly closely to the visual representations and design studies we've seen. It measures 155.5 inches long, 68.5 inches wide and 56 inches tall, making it more than a foot shorter and 10 inches narrower than the A3. This squat hatchback will be available with a choice of 10 alluring exterior colors and 4 different colors for the roof arches. Some of the options available include LED lamps front and rear as well as Xenon headlights.

Jay Leno has been making a lot of waves in the television world lately. Watching him toy with and tease Conan O'Brien has left a sour taste in my mouth, yet the constant stream of videos of Jay behind the wheel of the newest sports cars is something I can't turn away from. This video is no different. On an early December morning, Jay met up with Motor Trend, who handed him the keys to the new and oh-so-sweet Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. Jay mosies the car up into the Los Angeles mountains, and takes us on a tour of what he refers to as Los Angeles' hidden race-track.