This is the stuff dreams are made of. After months of speculation and prototype testing, Nissan has finally pulled the wraps off of the new GT-R Spec V, which is set to go on sale in Japan in the very near future. This street-legal race-ready GT-R features boosted engine dynamics, lightweight materials, and a stealth/bold appearance, sure to knock the socks off of many 911 owners.

Outside, a carbon fiber rear spoiler, brake ducts, and grille have been added, as well as carbon ceramic brakes set behind twenty-inch Nismo wheels. The carbon fiber carries over to the interior, as well, on the instrument panel, center storage compartment, and most of the interior trim, including the standard Recaro buckets. The GT-R's rear seats have been removed in order to conserve weight, as well.

As for power, no substantial upgrades have been done to the GT-R's twin-turbo V-6, but a new high gear boost controller delivers more torque in mid- and high-range revs. A reworked suspension is put in place to improve handling dynamics, and a titanium-coated exhaust rounds out the whole package.

There's still no word if the top-shelf GT-R will make its way across the pond to America, but consider us on the edge of our seats. Click through the post to read Nissan's full press release.

http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsArticle/AllCars/236832/

This is fantastic news. Atkinson will be driving a car just like Sebastion Loeb's in Rally Ireland.

CAR SUMMARY
New for 2009, the Lancer Ralliart fills the wide gap between the Lancer GTS and Lancer Evolution. Mitsubishi wants this car to be their version of the Subaru Impreza WRX, and with all-wheel-drive capability and a turbocharged 2.0-liter engine, the Ralliart indeed fits the bill. The Ralliart's aggressive styling, sporty handling, and twin-clutch transmission make it a worthy competitor not only for the WRX, but for the Mazdaspeed3 and Volkswagen GTI, as well.

PROS
- Turbo-four engine makes for a quick and powerful Lancer.
- Aggressive styling sets the Ralliart apart from the competition.
- All-wheel drive makes this sportster four-season friendly.

CONS
- Interior refinement is a bit lackluster.
- Price point may be higher than some would like to spend.
- Fuel economy is poor compared to competitor offerings.

Read more about the Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart on the vehicle's Buyer's Guide page, where you'll find our driving evaluations, previous road tests, galleries, and more. You can find Buyer's Guides to other vehicles in the NextAutos Car Search database.

For a while now, Honda has been deliberating as to how it plans to restructure itself and its luxury marque, Acura, over the next few years. We already spread the word that a future NSX replacement was canned in the works, but now it seems that more casualties have come up across the two brands.

Honda will not be planning a successor to the S2000 roadster, nor will there be a drop-top version of the upcoming CR-Z coupe. Additionally, all plans for Acura's rumored V-8 engine have been shelved, as well as any future entries into the rear-wheel-drive segment. Honda was planning to potentially build these new RWD cars to compete with vehicles like BMW's 3- and 5-Series. The first of these examples was expected to roll out in 2015 as a 7-Series competitor. AutoCar also reports that the Honda Accord could move to one global model, as opposed to the two different versions which are sold around the world.

As we drive into the future, Honda will concentrate its efforts on building more hybrids and a new small city car. The automaker projects to build more than 500,000 hybrids by 2012, including the all-new Insight which will debut in Detroit next week.

+ AutoCar: Honda axes sports and luxury models (via AutoblogGreen)

Volvo recently launched a new option for the XC70 -- the T6 turbocharged 3.0L engine, with 281 hp. We just drove the car with the T6 and updated the Buyer's Guide for this interesting Volvo.

Car Summary

The XC70 has the hauling ability that families have come to cherish in their Volvo wagons, with a measure of sure-footedness on- and (occasionally) off-road. For most practical purposes, the XC70 functions the same as the slightly more civilized V70 wagon but it has that buff SUV-like body, extra ground clearance and driving position that customers like in both urban and exurban settings. Volvo’s AWD system performs admirably in most situations with its Haldex differential, but the XC70 still hasn’t got the same sort of athletic ride as some of the German competition.

Pros
- Load space is quite configurable and spacious
- Attractive, comfortable interior and distinctive "not-an-SUV, not-a-wagon" exterior
- Compliant ride mixed with acceptable handling gives a balanced performance for a taller AWD vehicle

Cons
- Doesn’t have the sporting feel (nor the sometimes crashy ride) of other premium wagons
- Expect to average no more than 20 mpg, except in pure highway driving

Read more about the Volvo XC70 on the XC70 Buyer's Guide page, where you'll find our driving evaluations, previous road tests, galleries, and more. You can find Buyer's Guides to other vehicles in the NextAutos Car Search database.

For Lewis Hamilton, it seems that everything has been going his way recently. Not only did he snatch up the Formula 1 Driver's World Champion title, he was the youngest ever to do so, and the first Englishman to do so in twelve years. To top it all off, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has dubbed Hamilton, along with nearly 1,000 other recipients, as Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (or MBE for short).

"It is a massive honor and incredible privilege for me to receive an MBE from Her Majesty The Queen. It is the most amazing culmination to what has been quite a year for me," Lewis commented after the announcement.

"I am also very humbled to be included on the Honors list alongside all the members of the general public who have been recognized for their tireless work in such varied and worthwhile arenas."

So what does this mean for the British champion? Well, he can officially add the letters MBE to his name with legitimate bragging rights. Don't be mistaken however, this is no 'Knighthood,' but at least it will look rather dashing on the resume and serve as an interesting conversation piece at parties.

+ Vodafone McLaren Mercedes: Lewis Awarded MBE

When Ford told us that they'd be unveiling the "next chapter in the Mustang story" at the upcoming Detroit Auto Show, some of us were hoping for a sort of Mustang SVO replacement, but we're definitely pleased to see that Ford has finished up its development of the 2010 Shelby GT500 coupe and convertible. The new Mustang's exterior design looks especially bold in Shelby guise, and some of us think that the rear duck-tail spoiler meshes quite well with the new Mustang's rump.

When engineering the new GT500, Ford decided to take most of the inner workings from the current GT500KR, meaning that the newest Shelby cranks out 540 horsepower and 510 pound-feet of torque from its 5.4-liter supercharged V-8 and runs through a Tremec six-speed manual transmission. We're told that the clutch has been heavily reworked, too, which is indeed a good thing since the clutch in the current car gave us quite a bit to gripe about. Overall handling is supposed to be a vast step above the outgoing model, as well.

Inside, the new 'Stang's interior was fitted with a custom shift knob and special Shelby seats. In fact, the seats are custom fitted to each car so that the stripes within the leather match the stripes on the car's exterior. Alcantara trim can be found on the seat side bolsters, shift lever, emergency brake boot, and steering wheel. The 2010 GT500 is expected to hit showrooms this Spring.

We'll be sure to pass on live shots of the Shelby when it officially debuts at the Detroit show later this month. In the meantime, click through our gallery of shots and click through the post to read Ford's official press release.

Don't ever do this.

That being said, check out this guy who did it.

http://www.crash.net/motorsport/wrc/news/172924-0/content.html

Solberg signed a contract with Subaru in 2006 that runs through 2009. This article says that Subaru has given him permission to drive another brand of car. In other words, they'd rather not pay him to stay home.

Nissan announced today the pricing for its revamped Z, which starts at under $30,000. The 2009 370Z Coupe, featuring a shorter wheelbase, more horsepower, and a lighter, more aerodynamic body, has an MSRP starting at a reasonable $29,930, which includes the six-speed manual transmission. The new seven-speed automatic transmission will bring the price to $31,230. The 370Z Touring model, with an MSRP of $34,460 for the manual transmission, and $35,760 for the automatic, includes heated power seats, audio upgrades, and a Bluetooth phone system. 

The Sport Package is available for an additional $3000, and features larger brakes, 19-inch RAYS wheels dressed with Bridgestone Potenza tires, and the new SynchroRev Match for the six-speed. The Navigation Package adds $1850 and an iPod interface.

Along with the pricing, Nissan announced a revised marketing tagline, “SHIFT_the way you move.”

Scroll down to read the full press release.