Italian

Ferrari stepped into the limelight once again this year at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show where they debuted their vettura laboratorio, the Ferrari 599 HY-KERS hybrid concept sports car. Known for their screaming V-12 exotic sports cars, Ferrari is for the first time experimenting with the inevitable future of electrification. The HY-KERS is based on the 599 GTB Fiorano, which is one of the best torque producing vehicles Ferrari has to offer, now amplified with the hybrid-electric motor rated at an astonishing 107 hp and 111 lb-ft of torque.

The new hybrid system incorporates pioneering engineering principles into every detail of the vehicle. The flat lithium-ion batteries are located on the floor pan of the car resulting in a lower center of gravity. The compact electric motor of the HY-KERS is coupled with a dual-clutch 7-speed transmission. Ferrari’s goal was to offset every kilogram increase in weight by a gain of at least one hp from the electric motor.

The Geneva Motor Show is always a smorgasbord of the world's best exotics and supercars and this year is no different. So, it make total sense that the 2011 Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 would make its official debut at this venue. The new Superleggera continues the precedent set by the first "superlight" variant of the Gallardo that came out in 2007 and sheds 154 pounds. Through the use of plenty of carbon fiber, polycarbonate and an aluminum body shell, this Lambo manages to weighs in at a svelte 2,954 pounds.

Not only was there a reduction in heft, but a bump in engine output as well. The original Superleggera had a 5.0-liter V10 with 530 hp on tap. The 2011 Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera benefits from 570 horsepower and 398 lb-ft of torque from its direct injected 5.2-liter engine. The sprint from 0 to 62 mph takes just 3.4 seconds with a top speed of 202 mph.

Drawing to a close the reign of the Pagani Zonda Cinque, it was only appropriate that a one-off special edition of this hypercar be unveiled at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show. The Tricolore pays homage to the Italian air force acrobatic team, who go by the name of the Frecce Tricolore. The Zonda Cinque was already rare and uber-exotic, but the Tricolore takes things to the next level with a carbon-titanium weave construction that is kept exposed and lacquered in clear blue.

Naturally, red, white and green go into the mix as colored stripes running from the tip of the nose in two strands towards back of the hood. The car also sports LED running lights. The cost for this very special offering from Pagani will be 1.3 million Euros. We are eagerly awaiting the C9, Pagani's next-generation supercar which will replace the decade old Zonda.

Who builds the fastest exotic car? Ferrari? Bugatti? Zonda? How about, North Carolina. It's the home of Underground Racing. A small company of only 9 employees, started by brothers KC and Kevin Howeth. They grew up in a family of stock car racers and dragsters, but thankfully they realized it's more fun to drive a turbo exotic than to turn left. They opened a shop a few years ago and were soon building the fastest Vipers in the country.

But the Howeth's hit their stride when someone brought them a Lamborghini Gallardo and asked them do what they could. Their bays have been filled with Italian bulls ever since, with turbochargers and intercooler piping lining the shelves, waiting for new homes. In particular, they built one very special, very very fast Gallardo. In fact, the Underground Racing Lamborghini Gallardo is the fastest Lambo in the world. Watch the video after the jump.

The horsepower wars are becoming a little like nuclear proliferation - once you have your stockpile, adding to it just takes a lot of time and money with no real end in sight. Lamborghini has come to the conclusion that between government regulations and the environmental impact of large capacity engines, they have more than enough horsepower in their current arsenal to stay competitive. 

Therefore, future performance gains will have to come from weight reduction. But as we all know, using lightweight materials is an expensive proposition. Lamborghini has been going with mostly high strength steel for its frames and body panels and its cars still run well over $200k. Moving forward aluminum and carbon fiber will be more and more commonplace. I wonder if this push may may drive prices up significantly over the short term as we see from vehicles such as the McLaren MP4-12C and Lexus LFA who use exotic composites.

Yes folks, it's finally here. The 2010 Maserati GranTurismo Convertible has reached our shores. Open top Italian motoring can be had in as little as the 24 seconds it takes for the top to drop. This luxury cabriolet sports a 4.7-liter V8 engine with 433 horsepower and 361 ft-lb of torque which allows it to sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 5.5 seconds and reach a top speed of 176 mph. A six-speed adaptive gearbox with paddle shifters delivers power to the wheels.

But, what you really want to know is how much... The answer is $135,800 excluding taxes and such. A choice of 14 exterior colors is available along with 6 different hues of cloth for the cabrio soft top. But the fun doesn't stop there for the GranCabrio. Other options include 6 different color brake calipers, 10 dye choices for the Poltrona Frau leather and interior paneling completed in either Rosewood, Wenge or Walnut.

The Ferrari 458 Italia debuted in final production form in late July to widespread oohs and aahs. Since then, we've seen some polished press footage of this supercar performing hot laps at several racetracks from various media outlets. But what we have been yearning for was some true-to-life, caught-in-the-wild video to give us an idea of what the Ferrari 458 looks like on city streets.

An astute driver in the Netherlands was passed on the highway by the 458 Italia and quickly went into chase/stalker mode with their handicam. They followed the car to Kroymans Ferrari/Aston Martin/Maserati in Hilversum and waited until it went on another run to capture some great footage. Ferrari's new wondercar was filmed in various environments and situations to give us a nice all-round preview in the real world. Check out the video after the jump.

Last week, pictures emerged of the new Lamborghini Madura concept, a proposal for the upcoming hybrid model the company plans to release in 2016. Slavche Tanevsky, the creator of this concept, worked closely with designers at Lamborghini and Audi on this endevour. Now, he is introducing an even more aggressive concept that looks to elevate the current Reventon's design to the next level. Known as the Lamborghini Ankonian concept, this mid-engine supercar has a far out look that would make the Batmobile jealous.

The Lamborghini Ankonian design study consists of a slimmer body style with a mid-engine mount and sharp angles. Special OLEDs are embedded between surfaces to serve as headlights. The name for the Ankonian comes from a bull famous for its black hair. Even though Slavche Tanevsky is an independent designer, this is no simple pipe dream.  As with the Madura concept, he received factory support from the pros over at Lamborghini and Audi who added their finesse on the project to create a finished design that is both polished and stunning.