370Z Full Details Revealed!

The embargo is over, the veil has been lifted and we can finally give you the low-down on the all-new Z34 370Z. Nissan debuted the 370Z to much fanfare at the LA Auto Show today, and with it they've also released the first batch of stats n' specs of the new Z-car. Some details we already know, like how the VVEL-equipped 3.7-litre VQ37VHR V6 that powers it delivers some 246kW, and that the new 6-speed manual gearbox features a rev-synching function for downshifts (known as SynchroRev Match in...

20/11/2008

2009 Nissan 370Z: Now On Video

A little over a week ago we mentioned that the dudes and dudettes at Inside Line were hosting their own little shindig for the 370Z on November 15. That date has come and gone and although we weren't there to check it out (we hope at least some of you were), the crew from Streetfire.net not only managed to rock up and shoot some pics, but they also scored some video of the Z34 370Z's first major public outing. Unfortunately Streetfire.net elected to dub The Crystal Method's Born Too...

16/11/2008

370Z Spotted In Europe

We've all seen the press pics by now, but here's something a bit more special: the first sighting of an actual un-camouflaged 370Z in the metal. Reportedly seen somewhere in Europe at some kind of official Nissan event, these shots show the 370Z in a different light - and it's lookin' damn fine. The headlights look a lot sleeker than the 350Z's units, the front bumper's 'fangs' aren't as awkward as all those renderings would have you believe and those fender flares would have to be some of...

06/11/2008

2009 Mazda3 MPS Spotted Hurtling 'Round the 'Ring

Recently spotted undergoing testing at the Nurburgring test facility, this taped-up Mazda 3 attracted a great deal of attention for one reason and one reason only: that enormous bonnet scoop. Looking a little like the scoop used on the GH Impreza WRX, that bulging bonnet suggests that what you're looking at is a pre-production prototype for an impeding MPS/Mazdaspeed version of the recently-released Mazda3 - the last version of which boasted the distinction of being the fastest Mazda...

29/10/2008

370Z Revealed, Or Just Rendered?

Official pics of the 370Z are just a couple of days from being released by Nissan, but that doesn't mean people aren't going to jump the gun and publish pics of the real deal slightly ahead of schedule. The dudes and dudettes at Japanese car mag Carmode are one such mob, and have put an image of what appears to be a fully-undisguised, production-spec 370Z on the front cover of their December issue. Given the poor quality of the scan, it's hard to tell whether their image is an actual photo or...

26/10/2008

2009 Lancer Ralliart and Ralliart Sportback Now On Sale in Australia

Mitsubishi Australia has formally announced that the turbocharged, AWD "Baby Evo" is now available from dealerships nationwide. We already told you about the Ralliart's mechanical specs before, so we won't repeat ourselves here. What we will say, however, is that for just $42,490 for either sedan or Sportback the Lancer Ralliart makes a solid case for itself as a mid-range sportscar with loads of potential. Sure, it might be a couple of G's pricier than its nemesis the Subaru WRX, but it...

25/10/2008

370Z Roadster rendered

The folks at Inside Line have added to the 370Z rumourmill with their own rendering of what a drop-top version of Nissan's imminent 370Z might look like. Using the masked-up prototype that they recently featured as the basis, Inside Line digitally removed the roof, added an aerodynamic rear decklid and deleted the gaffer tape to produce a basic illustration of what a 370Z Roadster could potentially look like. No, it's not the real thing, but given the obvious similarities between the current...

24/10/2008

0-60 Mag Gunna Bring the Grunt to SEMA

Just a quick one for the weekend folks. The lads and ladettes at 0-60 Magazine are bringing an IS-F to this year's SEMA show, and it's going to be B.A.D.A.S.S. Quick specs: Tein Coilovers with EDFC, Advan rims, Seibon carbon-fibre bonnet, Greddy exhaust, half-cage, Sparco buckets, big-ass monoblock brake calipers with two-piece rotors and - wait for it - a Greddy supercharger system for the 2UR-GSE. Awesome. Check out the video after the jump to hear this bad boy roar. [Source:...

18/10/2008

2009 Mazda MX-5 Officially Unveiled

Mazda has finally lifted the lid on its 2009 update for the NC MX-5, which made its public debut at the Paris Motor Show yesterday. We'd already glimpsed the MX-5's refreshed bodywork last month, however what we didn't know then was what mechanical revisions were in store for the evergreen roadster. Now we do. As expected, equipment changes have been subtle, with no increases being made in either power or torque production. Instead, Mazda have opted to refine the existing NC's mechanical...

04/10/2008

2009 MX-5 Facelift Revealed

Here it is folks, next year's (slightly) edgier, (slightly) manlier Mazda MX-5 has been revealed. Last month we got a preview of what the facelift might look like, but now thanks to the folks over at Spanish site km77.com (who helpfully splashed their watermark all over this image - thanks guys) we can finally lay eyes on next year's updated model. Bodywork changes are entirely limited to the sheetmetal ahead of the A-pillar, with the front bumper now sporting a happier 'grin' and the...

04/09/2008

1086 Subaru Fans Form Record-Breaking Tribute to Colin McRae

In a touching display for the man who almost single-handedly created one of Subaru's largest foreign markets for the rally-bred Impreza WRX, almost 1100 Subaru Impreza owners converged on Prodrive's Banbury headquarters to form an enormous tribute for Colin McRae, who sadly perished in a helicopter accident late last year which also claimed the lives of his son and two family friends. After following McRae's original 1996 Impreza rally car driven by his father, ex-rally champ Jimmy McRae,...

03/09/2008

370Z Caught On Video

Well, kinda. It seems that Nissan are determined to keep the finer details of the next Z-car quite literally under wraps until the vehicle's November launch at the LA motor show, however an eagle-eyed 350Z driver managed to capture a short video of what appears to be a 370Z prototype motoring along some American highway. While you can't really see anything beyond the acres of black vinyl, it's hard not to feel excited about Nissan's next sports coupe. It's close people, real close. Video after...

12/07/2008

2009 Infiniti G37 Coupe To Get AWD, "Mini GT-R" Comparisons Begin

In news that is sure to delight cashed-up American J-car fans, the Infinti G37 Coupe will be available with an AWD drivetrain from later this year.Does that make it the poor man's GT-R? Well they're both AWD sports coupes, but they're worlds apart on a mechanical level so, no. That won't stop people from calling it that, but with the lack of a manual transmission option it probably won't see much service in the hands of hard core enthusiasts. What should be of interest however is the fact that...

19/06/2008

2009 Legacy B4 Photos Leaked, Looks Suspiciously Like The Old One

Japanese mag Car Top have published what they say are pictures of Subaru's facelifted 2009 Legacy, revealing a look that is both familiar, yet unfamiliar (do we detect a hint of Mazda6 in those headlights, or what?).Aside from the front headlights, the rest of the body looks virtually unchanged. Sure, there are extra creases here and there, and the sashless windows of the current model appear to have been replaced with fully-framed items, but the overall flavour is still the same....

10/06/2008

450hp Legacy STI On The Way?

Subaru is also planning a turbocharged 3.7-litre petrol engine, with close to 450bhp, for a Legacy STi.450hp? Legacy? What?Auto Express have proved to be quite the rumour monger these days, particularly when it comes to Subaru news. I found this juicy nugget of info tacked onto the end of an article about the Subaru Exiga people mover and AE is the only outlet that's published this rumour. Do they know something we don't? It would certainly be cool if they did, but for some reason I can't...

05/06/2008

280ZX Gets New Lease Of Life From Gas Turbine

Ahh, the 280ZX. Perhaps one of the most unloved of all the Z-cars, the poor ol' 280 never really overcame the negative stigma bestowed upon it by its woeful power-to-weight ratio and asthmatic 2.8-litre motor. Then again, if you're like the guy in this film adding more power is as simple as, say, dropping a jet engine into the engine bay. And you thought that turbine-powered Honda Z was cool...Not only does this 280ZX look badass with all that scoop and those pipes sprouting from the bonnet,...

04/06/2008

2008 Nismo Fairlady Z 380RS-Comptetition Released

Nismo has announced that the 2008 version of the race-ready Fairlady Z 380RS-Competition is now on sale. Don't get your chequebooks out just yet though, because this machine is definitely not for the average Sunday driver.


With 400 metric horsepower and 421Nm of twist, the naturally-aspirated 3.8-litre VQ35HR-based V6 is the centrepiece of the 380RS-C. A close-ratio 6-speed gearbox and mechanical LSD take power to the pavement and along with a Nismo Super Coppermix clutch ensure that driving to the shops will be a jerky, noisy and uncomfortable affair - if you could legally register the thing, that is. It's strictly a track-only machine, so you can forget about cruising down your local boulevard in one.

Nismo have made a few changes to the '08 model to keep it compliant with Super Taikyu regulations (the series the 380RS-C was designed to compete it). The rear wing now has a new aerodynamic profile, while the roll cage has also undergone some slight changes. A catalytic converter has also been fitted, but everything else is as per the '07 380RS-C.


The interior is stripped to the bare minimum, and with the addition of carbon-fibre doors and bonnet as well as polycarbonate side and rear glass, weight is pared down to a not-so-porky 1260kg. If the 6-pot Brembo anchors fail to keep you out of the weeds, a Recaro bucket, full harness, roll cage and fire extinguisher keep you safe.
Everything is race-spec. From the bright red tow hook the protrudes through the bonnet down to the heat-wrapped exhaust, this thing is hardcore. The ultimate weekend warrior for the DIY-shy enthusiast.



The catch? It costs a cool 28,350,000 JPY. Yup, it's a lot, and the price doesn't even cover wheels or tyres, which Nismo assume you'd provide yourself. That being said, once you slap some rollers on one it's race-ready straight outta the bag - and if you ask anyone who's ever built a race car, they'll tell you that's a definite plus.

Read more about the 2008 Fairlady Z 380RS-Competition here.


[Source: Nismo]
[Images courtesy of Nismo]

28/03/2008

370Z Update

Not too long ago we reported on rumours of an impending 370Z. Now, it appears that an updated Z with the V36's 3.7-litre V6 will be making its debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November, rather than the Paris show in October.

According to a report by Winding Road's Japan correspondent Peter Nunn, the Z33 platform will be revitalised by the addition of the VQ37VHR engine, a slight increase in width and the removal of some four inches from the overall length. Styling is still a big mystery at this stage, but Nunn believes it will be a case of evolution, rather than revolution.

Interestingly, the news that the new 370Z may be shorter than the 350Z would probably explain the presence of the chopped-up prototype seen late last year. Looks like we weren't that far off with our prediction of a 370Z, hey?

Winding Road's report is here.

[Source: Winding Road]
[Image courtesy of Nissan]

08/02/2008

3-2-1 Fight! Inside Line Pits Evo X Against WRX STI

The Lancer Evolution and Impreza WRX STI have long been perennial adversaries, duking it out on the rally stages of the WRC and in the showrooms, always racing each other to secure the enthusiast dollar. Each successive generation of both cars carries on this battle, and to get things started once more, Inside Line put the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X and GH Subaru Impreza WRX STI head-to-head on the public road.

While IL's review could have used a more scientific approach to determining a winner (unlike Car Top, who simply threw both cars on Tsukuba Circuit), their analysis of the Evo and STI probably has a greater relevance to ordinary drivers. After all, what's the point if your Evo X is prettier when the STI has a smoother gearbox, better seats and an extra ratio?

Anyway, it's a good read, so check it out here

[Source: Inside Line]
[Photo courtesy of Hiroshi Kodaira/Inside Line]

11/12/2007

2JZ-GTE + AE101 = Thai Burnout Machine

What do you do when a 4A-GE just isn't powerful enough for your AE101 Corolla? The sensible approach, of course, is to cram Toyota's mighty twin-turbo 2JZ-GTE between the shock towers, like this enterprising (and anonymous) Thai did.

Of course, such a swap would be anything but straightforward. The length of the 2JZ's iron block precludes it from being mounted transversely, and even if you could squeeze one in east-westwise there's no way in hell you'd be able to find a FWD gearbox that'll mate to it, let alone handle the power. So, a RWD conversion is a must, which is good because if you're anything like the Thai owner of the Corolla in the video, you're building this car to do one thing and one thing only: massive burnouts. And we all know that massive burnouts should only be done by rear-wheel-drive cars, right? Anything else is just... unnatural.

Anyway, check out the above video if you want to see some supreme 4-door econobox tyre smokin' action. The only thing crazier than the car itself would have to be the nutcases physically restraining the rear of the Corolla while the driver gets busy with the loud pedal. No wait, even crazier than that - the driver does the burnout while nutcases hold onto his car WHILST INSIDE A GARAGE. Mental.

Want to see more? Head over to the 4A-GE 20V Enthusiast blog to check out another video of this Thai monster shredding its bags without the assistance of the driver's loopy friends. Enjoy.

[Source: 4A-GE 20V Enthusiast blog]
[Video courtesy of LIVEVIDEO]

15/10/2007

3rd STI Teaser Image, Nurburgring Hoonage Video Surface

04/10/2007

3rd STI Teaser Image, Nurburgring Video Hoonage Surface

04/10/2007