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What is green, has eight wheels, two wings, doesn’t fly, and apparently is difficult to make up a joke about? That’s right, the Eliica, an electric car prototype developed by Japan’s Keio University.

The Eliica’s most notable quality is its eight wheels, each with its own electric motor and energy-regenerative disc brake system, which produce a total of 640 horsepower and a top speed of 230 miles per hour. The front four wheels steer the car, which also has two rear gullwing doors. Instead of a flux capacitor, the Eliica is powered by 80 lithium-ion batteries which can be easily charged from a residential power grid in about ten hours.

Although the future is unclear for this futuristic car, we hope to see more of this green machine as it attempts to challenge gasoline-powered speed records.

View more pictures of the Eliica in the gallery above.

+ Eliica

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Bentley announced today that it will debut its Continental GTC Speed at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

This more powerful version of Bentley's top-selling convertible features a 600-horsepower, twin-turbocharged W-12, the manufacturer's most powerful engine to date. The GTC Speed also provides 553 pound-feet of torque, a top speed of 200 miles per hour (195 with the top down), and will do 0-60 in 4.5 seconds.

Though still touted as a luxury vehicle, this performance-inspired Bentley sports a lower suspension, optional giant carbon-ceramic brakes, a discrete rear spoiler, and a highlighted lower air intake. According to Brian Gush of Bentley, the newest Speed model, inspired by its Speed Model of the 1920s, "is a driver's car which will redefine people's expectations of what a luxury convertible can achieve."

Check out the GTC Speed in our gallery above or scroll down below to read the official press release.

With the current economic state of the world, it's not news that many automakers are showing profit losses this year. The Detroit Three made headlines for their near-fatal financial issues, and best-selling automakers like Toyota are showing profit numbers in the red this year.

Lamborghini, however, posted record sales and profits for the fourth straight year, even though their largest-volume dealership closed down just recently. Looking ahead, the automaker has no plans to cut any funding for research and development and plans to expand their presence in the global marketplace.

Click through the post to read Lamborghini's official press release for all of the details.

Mercedes-Benz will be showing its special edition SLR Stirling Moss next month at the Detroit Auto Show -- sort of a last hurrah for the Mercedes/McLaren partnership. Powered by a supercharged V-8 engine, the SLR will be good for 650 horsepower and able to sprint from 0 to 62 miles per hour in just 3.5 seconds on its way to a top speed of 217 mph.

The design of the SLR Stirling Moss was inspired by the original 1950 300 SLR, and the current car has an extremely striking resemblance to the classic car. The open-top speedster design is indeed unique, yet functional -- the integrated air scoops also serve as roll bars.

Only 75 examples of the SLR Stirling Moss will be built, retailing at €750,000 each. (That's just over $1 million in USD.) We'll give you the full details from the Cobo Hall floor next month.

+ World Car Fans: Mercedes SLR McLaren Stirling Moss

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This is indeed an interesting take on the Chevrolet C6 Corvette. Innotech, a group from the Czech Republic, has modified the all-American 'Vette by infusing some Euro-inspired design. Namely, the side air vents mimic that of the Porsche Cayman, the lower grille is reminiscent of things we've seen on Aston Martin cars, and the rear flying buttress design is just like the one on the Ferrari 599 GTB -- sort of.

Power is sourced from the Corvette's 6.0-liter LS2 or 6.2-liter LS3, with output figures ranging from 500 to 560 horsepower (if naturally aspirated), or 600 to 1000 horsepower if the engine is supercharged or twin-turbocharged. These engines are mated to the Corvette's six-speed manual or automatic transmissions, and custom exhaust systems modify not only the appearance, but make quite a fierce exhaust note.

While the styling may be questionable, there's no doubt that Innotech's Corvette would be a hoot to drive. For the full details, click through the post to read Innotech's press release.

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Nikolai Fomenko, a noted Russian celebrity and racecar driver, has just launched his own sports car company called EMM.

The company's first project will be the rather stunning Marussia sports car, which features an environmentally friendly hybrid drivetrain. On top of that, Fomenko hopes that the company will produce a completely electric car, possibly something similar to the Tesla, later on. For now though, hybrid technology is a lot more viable.

Russian media is reporting that the car will have a 3.5-liter Nissan engine, possibly from the existing 350Z, churning out around 240 horsepower on the entry model, and 298 hp on the premium version. Though this power output may not seem very supercaresque, the car will also use its electric motor at the back to boost its power. Adding in a feather-light curb weight of about 2000 pounds means that the car should be able to hit 60 miles per hour in around 5 seconds.

Apart from its drivetrain, other details on the Marussia are scarce. There are details on the interior however, as the car will have a 4G Yota network, which uses WiMax technology and will be able to wirelessly transfer 10mbps of data to ensure high-speed internet access. The Marussia will also feature three LCD screens in the car, a Bluetooth telephone system, and three cameras. One of these cameras will monitor the car in a “black box” manner for insurance companies.

+ Motor Authority: Marussia sports car born out of Russia

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Zenvo Automotive, a Danish firm, has created their introduction into the supercar segment -- the ST1. Powered by a twin-charged (turbocharged and supercharged) V-8 engine, the ST11 produces 1104 horsepower and a whopping 1056 pound-feet of torque. 0-62 miles per hour happens in just three seconds, as well. Take that, Bugatti Veyron!

The Zenvo ST1 comes in a rear-drive layout and the only transmission offered is a six-speed manual. All 1104 horsepower is put to the ground via a set of nineteen-inch wheels with 255/35 Michelin tires in the front, while a set of twenties on 335/30R rubber round out the rear. Surprisingly, though, this car isn't very large -- 183.6 inches long, 80.4 inches wide, and 46.8 inches tall. On top of that, the ST1's carbon fiber body panels keep the weight to just over 3020 pounds. Inside, refinement is key, with keyless entry, satellite navigation, and a power-adjustable steering wheel and seats are standard.

No pricing information has been released as of this moment, though we're not sure if the car will even make it onto American soil. In any case, Zenvo plans to only produce fifteen of the ST1 supercars with the first ones to be built starting next year.

+ Motor Authority: Danish firm Zenvo Automotive unveils 1100hp ST1 supercar

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Now here's some sad news -- Honda CEO Takeo Fukui has reportedly announced that all development of the next NSX supercar has been cancelled. According to Autocar, Fukui also said that Honda will be shifting its main focus to hybrid powertrains, because hybrids offer "the most realistic path for CO2 reduction at this moment."

Interestingly, Fukui had told Autocar that "the new supercar is necessary for Honda" just one year ago, so it comes as a shock that the whole development process has suddenly been nixed. However, this is not to say that the NSX will not make a triumphant return much later down the road. (Here's hoping!)

+ Autocar: Honda NSX cancelled

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If owners of the original 4.3-liter Aston Martin V8 Vantage are worried that it will be out-done by the new 4.7-liter model, fear not. The people at Aston have recently released a special retro-fitted power upgrade, available worldwide, that customers can fit onto their 4.3-liter with a special 'Sports Pack' option that was previously only limited to the updated model.

The Sports pack includes a set of uprated springs, coupled with Bilstein dampers and five-spoke forged aluminum wheels which help lower the undamped mass as well as rotational inertia.

The power upgrade on the other hand is achieved through a revised induction system that was designed by Aston Martin engineering team. Previously incorporated on the DBS supercar, the new intake system utilizes a pair of switching airbox-valves that open at 5500 rpm to allow additional air into the engine, producing more power in a controlled manner. The onboard computer has also been revamped with new software to optimize ignition tuning, as well as a calibration program that allows the engine to recognize and make adjustments for higher octane fuels, improving performance.

The result is an additional 20 horsepower at the peak and 7.3 foot-pounds of torque. This adds to a total of 400 horsepower and 310 foot pounds of torque.

+ Motor Authority: Aston Martin offers performance upgrades for previous 4.3L V8 Vantage

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It looks like the Mercedes-Benz engineers are still moving forward with the SLC Gullwing project, as our spy shooters recently caught the car testing in some bone-chilling weather. (-15 degrees Fahrenheit! Brr!)

According to the folks at CarPix, we can expect a twin-turbocharged V-8 under the hood producing roughly 600 horsepower. This engine will be mated to a seven-speed transmission and the car's body will be made of carbon fiber and aluminum to reduce overall weight. Look for a more production-ready version of this car to hit around 2010.

Scroll through the gallery of images above, or click through the post to read our spy shooter's own thoughts about the SLC Gullwing.

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There's really no reason to complain about the current Audi R8, what with it's powerful V-8 engine, bold appearance, and all-wheel drive. However, Ingolstadt's best have upped the ante with the new R8 V-10 5.2 FSI, set to debut this January at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. It's no secret that the R8 shares a lot of its underpinnings with the Lamborghini Gallardo, and now the Lambo's ten-cylinder engine makes its way down the food chain and into Audi's supercar.

The 5.2-liter V-10 is said to produce 525 horsepower and 391 pound-feet of torque. This means that the newest R8 will be able to sprint from zero to 62 miles per hour in just 3.9 seconds and will carry on all the way to a top speed of 196 mph. Both the six-speed manual and R-tronic transmissions will be available. This R8 also gets a set of all-LED headlamps as well as a new rear diffuser where a set of twin exhausts replace the quad pipes on the eight-cylinder R8. Larger air intakes also beef up the area near the side blades in order to force more air into the larger engine.

Pricing is said to start around $180,000, and we'll be sure to give you our full impressions when the car is unveiled this January. Until then, have a look through our gallery or click through the post to read Audi's official press release.

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Even with no further information, the name Cadillac NART Zagato is liable to raise an eyebrow or three among those in the automotive know—to say nothing of their probable reactions to hearing that such a thing is currently on sale at eBay Motors.

Founding father of the North American Racing Team, Luigi Chinetti is said to be responsible for engineering this crossbred beast, which drew power from a mid-mounted, Eldorado-sourced 7.7-liter (472 cubic-inch) V-8, and was wrapped with a very continental body from the Italian Zagato. Caddy was also responsible for the basic chassis (also from an Eldo), as well as for the dashboard, steering column, brakes, and those unmistakable hubcaps.

Perhaps even more striking than the wild aluminum body work though, is the fantastical Batmobile-styled interior of the car, complete with a ludicrously curved rear bench seat. Do yourself a favor by taking a closer look at the eBay find in our gallery above.

+ eBay Motors

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Representing the pinnacle of the Lamborghini lineup since its debut at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show, the ultra exclusive Reventón supercar has reached the end of its very short production run, with car number 20 of 20 being delivered to its well-heeled owner from its birthplace in Sant’Agata Bolognese, Italy. The hand-built Reventón is perhaps the most over-the-top road-going vehicle that Lamborghini has ever offered—a sinister looking, one million euro, 650 horsepower V-12 beast of a machine.Lamborghini CEO and President Stephan Winklemann personally handed off the keys to Reventón number 20, calling the car, “The most extreme of all – a superlative on wheels.”

Despite is limited status and the clandestine nature of its owner group (Lamborghini claims that all Reventón buyers have asked to remain anonymous), we have already seen at least one example turn up on the exotic clearinghouse known as eBay Motors. Perhaps not all of the hand-selected owners respect the storied brand as much as they should?

Scroll down below to read the full Lamborghini press release or revisit the Reventón in the gallery above.

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Caption:

Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano

6.0-liter V-12
620 horsepower/448 pound-feet of torque = 1068

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When it comes to getting customers interested in a vehicle of a performance oriented nature, one of the sexiest numbers an automaker has at its disposal is the horsepower figure. The other end of the power equation, that deliciously shadowed figure measured in foot-pounds, is too often obscured. So when engines like the free-revving unit in BMW’s M5 (for instance) make eye-popping 500 horsepower numbers, we tend to forget that their smaller displacement, frenetic characters also mean that torque (383 pound-feet in the M’s case) is in shorter supply.

So which cars rank the highest when their total power measurements, horsepower and torque, are combined into one figure? A breakdown of 2009 models on sale in the U.S. (somewhat limited by our use of “standard” manufacturers, sorry tuners) reveals a few of the usual suspects, as well as a couple of faces you might not have expected. Click through the gallery above for the five baddest bruisers.

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It seems that a member of the U.S. Air Force stationed at an international airport in Kyrgyzstan, caught a glimpse of some rather unsavory exotic car shipping practices that he felt compelled to share with the readers of the My350Z forums.

It seems that someone was looking to save a little coin by shipping their Ferrari F430 out of country via a small Russian aircraft called an AN12. The airman photographer tells us that the AN12s are the aircraft of choice for budget shipping—used primarily for hauling food and “small items”—as the plane doesn’t really have a sophisticated system of holding its cargo down. Not the way we’d want to move our Ferrari, to say the least. The photographs already paint a rather ugly picture of a few men trying to get the F430 onboard, including a shot showing the car taking a pretty serious digger into the makeshift ramp. Happy trails.
 
+ My350Z

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For one reason or another, the Winding Road and NextAutos fleet has been graced with a whole lot of Mustangs over the past few months. Whether it be a simple GT, a stock Shelby, or a tuned up Roush, we’ve driven them all. However, nothing seems to compare to our latest Mustang iteration: the Saleen Dark Horse. This car boasts 620 horsepower, 600 pound-feet of torque, and a sub-four-second zero-to-sixty time, making it the baddest Mustang we’ve driven to date. Still, with a limited production run of only twenty-five cars, the Dark Horse will only be experienced by a select few, and we’re happy to have been part of that lucky group.

Click through the post to read our full impressions of the Saleen Dark Horse.

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Already one of the sexiest cars on the planet, Lamborghini has gone topless with its Gallardo LP 560-4 and created a new Spyder supercar to debut at the L.A. Auto Show.

While the specific details surrounding the Spyder won’t be known until the launch later today in L.A., it’s fully expected that the car will carryover most of the same mechanical bits from the fixed-roof LP 560-4—no bad thing in our humble opinion. That means that the 5.2-liter V-10 will still be churning out 560 horsepower, and will no doubt be turning heads with its sonorous goodness where ever it goes. 

The new Gallardo Spyder will offer a power-folding soft top that will likely go up or down in roughly 20 seconds. From the few top-up photos we’ve been given however, we’d recommend that the roof be raised only in the direst of emergencies, as it makes the otherwise stunning car look a little silly.

+ Autoblog: LA 2008: Lamborghini unveiling Gallardo LP 560-4 Spyder

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While we have already keyed readers in on the upcoming Spyker C8 Laviolette LM85—a road-going version of the Spyker GT2 Le Mans car complete with an Audi-sourced, 4.2-liter, 400 horsepower V-8—we were unable to show much of the massively orange car, until now.

In advance of the car’s pending debut at the L.A. Auto Show, Spyker has released a slew of new detail shots of the racer; all in its blindingly orange glory. Have a closer look at the Dutch super treat in our gallery above. Or, feel free to brush up on the details of the car (it comes with a watch!) in the full press release below.
  

It's hard to imagine why anyone would need a more powerful car than 9ff's GT9, what with its 974-horsepower, 711-pound-feet, twin-turbo, 4.0-liter flat-six. In building the GT9, the folks at 9ff had set out to create a car capable of beating the Bugatti Veyron's top speed of 254 miles per hour, but when the SCC Ultimate Aero TT beat that record (by 1 mph), 9ff went back to the drawing board.

9ff has now created an even more powerful version of the GT9, called the GT9R. While no official images have been released, this rendering shows a GT9 sporting an updated front bumper and splitter, new wheel well extractors, a revised rear wing, and a side-mounted exhaust system. Initial numbers say that the GT9R will be able to produce 1121 horsepower and 774 pound-feet of torque and should easily best the Aero TT's top speed record.

Only twenty examples of the GT9 are expected to be built, so it's likely to assume that even less GT9Rs will be made. Pricing for the GT9 is set at €498,000 ($785,677) and we'd expect the GT9R to command even more dough than that.

+ Motor Authority: Faster 9ff GT9 'R' in the works

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The world’s first all electric supercar, the Tesla Roadster, is set to get an update from German super tuners Brabus; a package that includes appearance tweaks to the interior and exterior, as well as a fascinating sound package for the near-silent EV.

New wheels and tires, a carbon-fiber front lip spoiler, and a “futuristic” lighting package are all very nice for the Tesla, but we’re most interested in the “space sound generator” that will come equipped on each Brabus Roadster. The tuning house is seeking to give the Tesla a more exciting, albeit completely faked, running sound with electronically produced effects. Owners will be able to set their Tesla to make noises approximating a V-8 engine, a racecar engine, or “two futuristic soundscapes.” Those last two effects are named “Beam” and “Warp,” and we’re absolutely chomping at the bit to hear them in action—we’re looking into the matter as of this writing, don’t worry.

This type of piped in sound is a feature that Hybrid and EV makers have been discussing for a hot minute now, and could lead to a class of vehicles that are aurally dissimilar from anything we’re used to today. It’s a topic that causes some deal of fretting from auto enthusiasts and one that we’ve dealt with in some measure before (click through the link below to get our own Chris Paukert’s take on the subject).

Have a look at the gallery of Brabus Tesla Roadster images above and stay tuned for more information, as we have it, about the tantalizing sound generator. You’ll find the full press release below.
 

+ Winding Road: Pace Notes