Oh, the bittersweet joy of being a Nissan dealer these days. Many of the longsuffering auto sellers have by now taken delivery of their tiny allotment of GT-Rs, perhaps lived with them in their showrooms for a day, maybe two? And then are forced to hand over the keys for nothing more than hugely inflated sums of money. Not a fate we’d wish on anyone really.

Luckily, it looks as if a few enterprising Midwestern dealers have managed to squeeze a little time in behind the wheel, at least if these photos from Great Lakes Dragway in Union Grove, Wisconsin can be believed. It seems as if two spanking new GT-Rs showed up at the Wisconsin drag strip recently ready to throw some rubber around. One of the cars was allegedly piloted by a newly minted GT-R owner feverishly anxious to find out what his prize was capable of, while the other was a pre-delivery model being driven by a dealership employee who just couldn’t help himself.

While it must really be tough to say "no" in a situation like the one pictured here, we’d like to shout a bit of a warning to anyone ready to take GT-R delivery in the greater Chicago area in the near future. Keep a close eye on tire wear, mileage, and maybe just a little bit of throw-up near the driver’s seat. Caveat Emptor and everything.

+ GTRBlog

Maserati is planning to bring a hardcore, racing tuned version of its effortlessly beautiful GranTurismo coupe to the Paris Motor Show next week, called the MC Corse Concept.
 
Suitable for those Maser buyers who’re more interested in racing than posing in their Italian supercars, the Corse offers quite a few meaningful upgrades over the standard car. The most obvious difference from the outside is the new aero package that the car wears, including a prominent front splitter that is said to purposefully funnel air to the revised and enlarged rear spoiler, keeping the Corse firmly planted on the track. The racing concept has also been lightened – Maserati specifies that the MC Corse weights less than 1400 Kilograms or 3086 pounds – and draws more power from its 4.7-liter V-8, now rated at 450 horsepower and 376 pound-feet of torque.

Various additional scoops, creases, and a racy white livery complete the Corse package, and ensure that the Maserati stand will be buzzing at the Paris show. Check out the car in the gallery above.

After recently seeing spied images that hinted towards a possible RS version of Porsche’s popular Boxster , new evidence in the form of this photo set would seem to indicate that the Cayman may be getting the RS treatment as well.

The blazing orange Cayman S seen here has an expanded rear wing which is fixed in position, as well a set of splitters up front that would indicate an enhanced model. A Cayman RS would theoretically be stripped down for advanced performance on the track, perhaps even getting a mild bump in power in the process.

We’ll likely know for certain what exactly Porsche is up to after the Geneva Motor Show next March, and are free to let our imaginations wander in the meantime. Scroll down to read the shooter’s own words and check out the beefy Cayman in our gallery above.

http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080903/FREE/809039993/1531/...

As the only American born Formula 1 Champion in history, Phil Hill place in racing’s pantheon is assured. The motorsports world sadly marked Hill’s passing yesterday, so we thought it only appropriate to further burnish his sterling reputation with a list of some of the finest motorcars Hill ever laid a booted foot to during his F1 career. Here then is a list of five of our favorite Phil Hill race cars, in no particular order.

Purpose built to race in SCCA truck series events, Saleen was obliged to make 27 copies of this red-blooded Ranger to conform to homologation rules. Three of these Saleen Rangers went on to racing careers, with the remaining 24 trucks becoming among the rarest Saleen products of all time.

Now one of these rare beasts has come up for auction at eBay Motors, set to become the ultimate centerpiece in some lucky fast Ford collection. While still keeping its full-length bed, this 1988 Ranger has had a massive aero kit added on, as well as getting bodywork-matching white five-spoke alloy wheels, sport seats, and uprated suspension components. Strangely the 2.9-liter Ford V-6 was left untouched by the tuner’s hands, and is likely to offer less-than-inspired performance with its 140 horsepower.

Power deficit to the contrary, Saleen did have a good deal of success racing the Ranger, and this model’s tiny production run can only mean good things for its long-term value.

+ eBay Motors: 1988 Ford Mustang SALEEN TRUCK

Just after the new Corvette ZR1 lapped the Nürburgring in a record-setting 7:26.4, the Dodge Viper ACR has now been videotaped beating the Corvette's time by just over four seconds at 7:22.1.

Our friends at Motor Trend captured the whole thing on video, and while the time isn't one hundred percent official yet, it's hard not to believe when watching the ACR race 'round the 'Ring.

+ YouTube
+ Motor Trend

Audi, whose motorsports division has been a dominant presence in sports car racing for a decade, is set to put yet another feather in its racing cap. The German automaker has announced plans to offer a race-tuned GT3 version of its R8 sports car for customer purchase, and set to appear in action by next year.

Do you have over $100,000 to spend on a Corvette but don't want to give in to the hype of the fantastic new ZR1? Katech has the car for you. Based out of Clinton Township, Michigan, Katech has long been known for its high-performance engines and professional racing developments and Winding Road has had the opportunity to test one of its previous creations, the Street Attack Corvette Z06.

The new Corvette Z06 ClubSport incorporates an array of products in order to reduce the curb weight of the Z06 to a minimum of 2825 pounds (a reduction of over 260 pounds) while improving grip, cornering, braking, and downforce. All of this is done with the addition of a Brembo Gran Turismo brake kit, a double-adjustable Clubsport suspension, special wheels, Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tires, carbon-fiber air intake, performance exhaust, and twin-disc clutch.

Katech boasts this Z06 as a "Scuderia" or "Superleggera" variant even though engine output has not been tweaked. For a price of $109,000, we'd rather have the new ZR1, but this Z06 ClubSport is still a unique transformation for track-day Corvette enthusiasts.

Click through the post to read Katech's full press release.