Rumours n' Renderings: Nissan FR Coupe

Japanese rumour-mag Best Car has weighed in (yet again) with more speculation of Nissan's impending FR coupe, putting the next-gen Silvia even closer in size and spec to its main rival, the Toyota/Subaru FR sports. As we reported before, the low-cost coupe's powerplant is likely to be a turbocharged inline-four equipped with Nissan's Variable Compression Ratio technology. Best Car says the most likely candidate is the HR16 used in the Tiida, except in the FR Coupe's case it'll be...

16/10/2008

R35 GT-R To Go On Sale In Australia Next April, Pre-Orders To Begin October 9

That's right, while JDM-land and the US of A have been enjoying the latest instalment in the GT-R story for a while now, their Antipodean friends can now look forward to getting their bronzed Aussie selves into an officially-imported R35 Nissan GT-R. Nissan has announced that the R35 will hit Australian showrooms in April of next year, and that pre-orders for the country's allocation of 200 cars will be taken from October 9 onwards. Aus-delivered cars will largely mimic the spec levels of...

04/10/2008

R35 GT-R Wins at Targa West

After a lacklustre road rally debut at this year's Targa Tasmania, the R35 GT-R has finally scored its first ever outright win in a tarmac rally - and on standard-issue street tyres, no less. 24-year-old Steven Jones was the man behind the tiller of the Fabcar R35 throughout the Quit Targa West, which took place last weekend in Western Australia and encompassed a wide range of challenging tarmac stages. Making victory all the sweeter for Jones was the fact that he also managed to knock...

13/09/2008

Rumours n' Renderings: 2011 Silvia & 2010 March Turbo

Nissans highly anticipated low-cost FR sports car (let's call it a Silvia, for old time's sake) has been the topic of much speculation since it was announced that it would be hitting Nissan showrooms sometime early next decade. There's been countless renderings, a leaked Nissan image that's supposedly of the real deal and rumours that it could feature a hybrid/electric or even a fully electric drivetrain. Today's update isn't really all that groundbreaking as it's just another artist's...

27/08/2008

Ralliart Release Upgraded Parts For CY4A Lancer Ralliart

Mitsubishi's in-house tuner Ralliart has released a number of performance and cosmetic upgrades for the just-released Japanese market Galant Fortis Ralliart, or as it's known around the rest of the world, the Lancer Ralliart.The mods on offer are fairly mild, however there's still something for the performance enthusiast as well as those who just want a little J-bling on their Lancer.For starters, there's that very attractive Ralliart chin spoiler (above). Made out of carbon-fibre, the chin...

29/07/2008

Rumours n' Renderings: 2010 NSX

NSX fever is fast approaching, and Japanese mag Holiday Auto have begun sneezing into the incubator to help it spread. According to HA, the 2010 Acura NSX will definitely feature a dry-sumped, 90-degree V10 with a 5.5-litre displacement and a power rating of 441kW.Torque will be a very handy 588Nm, which should be more than enough to get the NSX's anticipated 1500kg moving. Interestingly, HA also say the NSX will feature a sports-tuned and RWD-biased version of the Legend's SH-AWD system,...

16/07/2008

R35 Proves Its Mettle At Superlap Time Attack

Time Attack is now a truly global phenomenon, and the latest country to fall under its spell is Australia. The country's inaugural time attack meeting was held at Oran Park in New South Wales on July 5, and being the first proper chance for me to experience such an event first hand I flew up to Sydney to check it out.The entrant list was massive and the field was incredibly diverse. There were the mandatory Evos, STIs and Skylines, but there were also a few unexpected entries too, like an A31...

09/07/2008

Rumours n' Renderings: 2010 Honda S2000

Will the next generation of Honda roadster debut in 2010? Will it also feature a (gasp) 260kW 3.5-litre V6 as well as a more traditional 286hp 2.4-litre inline-four under it's lengthy bonnet? Will Japanese car magazines never stop producing speculative renderings? According to the mag that published the above picture, the answer to all of the above is "yes".Now all you Honda-philes out there just calm down a sec, for at this stage this is just another unsubstantiated rumour. Of course, the AP2...

06/07/2008

Rumour: NSX Prototype Runs 'Ring In 7:37 + Video

It seems that Honda's heading down the right track with their new NSX. Trackside obervers have reported that the camouflaged NSX test mule spotted earlier this week has posted a fastest lap of 7 minutes 37 seconds. Not only that, but the inevitable video of the prototype doing its thing has finally surfaced. Check it out after the jump. While it may not equal the 7:29 lap recently posted by the R35 GT-R, 7:37 is still mighty impressive for a pre-production prototype. Remember that this...

22/06/2008

Reviewed: Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart

Inside Line have published an excellent review of Mitsubishi's WRX-fighter, the Lancer Ralliart. It's quite a glowing assessment of the baby Evo, but they also uncover some interesting facts about the Ralliart that set it aside from it's more hardcore big sister, like the absence of aluminium suspension links and rear chassis bracing. It's no deal breaker though, especially considering the Ralliart's 2-litre 4B11 engine is but a turbocharger and an ECU swap away from Evo-spec. It's a decent...

17/06/2008

Racecars 101: How To Build A Nurburgring 24hr Contender

Ever wondered what's involved in putting together an endurance racer? Curious to know what it takes to bring an ordinary 350Z to a standard that's capable of handling the mighty Nurburgring Nordschliefe for 24 hours straight? Read on... German magazine Auto Zeitung, in conjunction with RJN motorsport, campaigned a Nissan 350Z in the recent ADAC Zurich Nurburgring 24hr race. Thankfully, Auto Zeitung took several photos throughout the build-up, showing us just how much effort, preparation and...

02/06/2008

Running 'Rings: More Info Surfaces On R35's 7:29 Nurburgring Lap

We've already told you much about Nissan's remarkable 7:29 lap around the Nurburgring Nordschliefe, but now Jethro Bovingdon from Drivers Republic has revealed some new facts on the R35's epic trip around the world's most challenging circuit. For starters, the tyres used were the optional Dunlop SP Sport 600s and not the Bridgestone RE70Rs we'd originally thought. Tochio Suzuki, the man who set the lap, confirmed that the car used was indeed a base model R35 which was completely stock -...

21/05/2008

RX-9 Rendering Shows Mazda How It's Done

I've got to be honest with you: I find Mazda's new 'Flow' design philosophy a tad confronting. There's too many edges, too many curves, and with a lot of their more recent concept cars, an overemphasis on the bizarre. Of course, there have been the occasional exceptions in the form of the Taiki and the Furai, but for me, the above rendering is the first interpretation of Mazda's new design direction that actually looks believable as a sports car.Fomoconews forum member "Rhoadwh" is the man...

21/05/2008

R35 Runs 11.1 Quarter Mile with Haltech ECU, Stock Everything Else

If you were in any doubt about the performance potential of Nissan's new GT-R, then take note: ECU company Haltech have proved that the standard package is good for a low 11-second timeslip with nothing more than some fuel and ignition timing tweaks. Haltech took their R35 down to Wester Sydney International Dragway over the weekend to bust out some runs and see how their ECU improved the GT-R's performance. On the first run they managed to produce a very impressive 11.124 ET with a 200.94kph...

19/05/2008

Renderings: Subaru's FR Sports Car

We've been hearing a lot lately about Toyota's new FR Sports, but unfortunately little attention has been given to Subaru's side of the story. Holiday Auto have now weighed in with their own renderings of what the new Subaru RWD sports coupe could look like and to be honest, it doesn't look all that bad. HA's design takes many of Subaru's contemporary design cues and blends them with a short, attractive 2-door coupe body. Aside from the Stars of Pleiades themselves, the grille and headlamp...

14/05/2008

Rumours: STI Spec C, Evo X MR On Their Way

Auto Express has it on good authority that the flagship MR and Spec C versions of the Evolution X and WRX STI are just around the corner. The Evo X MR has been the subject of rumour before, with changes tipped to be similar to past MRs - namely more venting, revised aero and suspension as well as some structural changes, like an aluminium roof and extra seam welding. Power is also said to have been bumped up 15kW while and uprated version of the twin clutch SST will most likely be the gearbox...

01/05/2008

Rumours: Next-Gen NSX Ready, Acura To Utilise RWD In More Cars

According to Autocar, the next generation Honda/Acura NSX has had its final design signed off and should make its debut at the 2009 Tokyo Auto Show, with production beginning in late 2010. Rumours like this aren't exactly new though: back in December Honda America President Tetsuo Iwamura said the new NSX would be on sale in 2010. When it does eventually turn up in showrooms, expect it to be badged as an Acura and also don't expect it to bear any inward or outward resemblance to its...

18/04/2008

Rumour: R35 Spec-V Laps The 'Ring In 7:25?

According to a few stopwatch-equipped "observers", an R35 GT-R Spec-V prototype has been timed around Germany's famous Nurburgring Nordschliefe in a stunning 7 minutes and 25 seconds. Not only is that 13 seconds faster than a regular R35, but it's three seconds faster than Porsche's Carrera GT hypercar. The addition of 50-odd more kilowatts and the subtraction of around 150 kilograms is said to be responsible for the laptime improvement, while the clearly-visible and clearly-different front...

09/04/2008

Renderings: 2010 Honda NSX

Best Car magazine just don't know when to quit, do they? Honda's newest iteration of the NSX is widely tipped to make its debut in 2010, however it seems that absolutely no-one knows what the thing will actually look like. Japan's Best Car magazine have produced their own take on Honda/Acura's upcoming hero car, and it's already had a mixed reception amongst online enthusiasts. Personally I think it looks sporty enough, but it lacks the hardness, the uncompromisingly purposeful shape of the...

03/04/2008

Rumours n' Renderings:Toyota FR Sports & FT-HS

Ahhh, another week, another bunch of speculative renderings from a Japanese car magazine. This time, it's time for the Toyota FR Sports and the FT-HS to take the spotlight.

FR Sports

According to New Model Magazine X, the FR Sports will be offered in a 220hp high-performance version - as well as a shitkicking base model - and will be powered by a version of Subaru's EJ20 2-litre flat-four. Known by the internal code of "UPS", the rear-drive sports coupe will feature an Aisin 6-speed manual transmission and a Toyota-designed differential.

The whole Subaru/Toyota co-operation thing is by now a well known part of the new FR Sports project, but previous rumours from Japanese mag Best Car put a 300hp AWD turbocharged monster at the top end of the lineup, not a 220hp RWD. Who do we believe? Well at this stage, nobody. Whilst a RWD revival at Toyota might make a lot of us feel nice n' fuzzy on the inside, keep in mind that this is all speculation: Toyota themselves have not made any official announcement on the progress of this project. Still, it's undeniable that work is continuing on the FR Sports: check out the hacked-up Legacy mule below.

FT-HS

The FT-HS is, like the FR Sports and Lexus LF-A, one of Toyota Motor Co's more eagerly anticipated products. Widely billed as the modern-day successor to the Supra, the FT-HS blends high-performance with eco-friendliness through the use of a powerful hybrid powertrain derived from the Lexus GS450h. Magazine X say that when the productionised version hits the showrooms, it'll be called the 4500GTh - presumably a tip of the hat to Toyota's vintage 2000GT - and will be able to accelerate from a standstill to 100kph in 4.5 seconds.

Target weight is estimated to be between 1370kg and 1550kg, while Toyota is looking at using more efficient Li-on batteries in the car. French Studio T3 will be responsible for the design, although Magazine X has no idea on what will mark it as different from the FT-HS concept.


For full page scans, just click the above images. Hope you can read Japanese.

[Source: New Model Magazine X, via VW Vortex]
[Images courtesy of New Model Magazine X]

24/03/2008

Rumours n' Renderings:Toyota FR Sports & FT-HS

Ahhh, another week, another bunch of speculative renderings from a Japanese car magazine. This time, it's time for the Toyota FR Sports and the FT-HS to take the spotlight.

FR Sports

According to New Model Magazine X, the FR Sports will be offered in a 220hp high-performance version - as well as a shitkicking base model - and will be powered by a version of Subaru's EJ20 2-litre flat-four. Known by the internal code of "UPS", the rear-drive sports coupe will feature an Aisin 6-speed manual transmission and a Toyota-designed differential.

The whole Subaru/Toyota co-operation thing is by now a well known part of the new FR Sports project, but previous rumours from Japanese mag Best Car put a 300hp AWD turbocharged monster at the top end of the lineup, not a 220hp RWD. Who do we believe? Well at this stage, nobody. Whilst a RWD revival at Toyota might make a lot of us feel nice n' fuzzy on the inside, keep in mind that this is all speculation: Toyota themselves have not made any official announcement on the progress of this project. Still, it's undeniable that work is continuing on the FR Sports: check out the hacked-up Legacy mule below.

FT-HS

The FT-HS is, like the FR Sports and Lexus LF-A, one of Toyota Motor Co's more eagerly anticipated products. Widely billed as the modern-day successor to the Supra, the FT-HS blends high-performance with eco-friendliness through the use of a powerful hybrid powertrain derived from the Lexus GS450h. Magazine X say that when the productionised version hits the showrooms, it'll be called the 4500GTh - presumably a tip of the hat to Toyota's vintage 2000GT - and will be able to accelerate from a standstill to 100kph in 4.5 seconds.

Target weight is estimated to be between 1370kg and 1550kg, while Toyota is looking at using more efficient Li-on batteries in the car. French Studio T3 will be responsible for the design, although Magazine X has no idea on what will mark it as different from the FT-HS concept.


For full page scans, just click the above images. Hope you can read Japanese.

[Source: New Model Magazine X, via VW Vortex]
[Images courtesy of New Model Magazine X]

23/03/2008

Rumour: V8 RWD Honda In The Works?

Aside from the S2000 and NSX, Honda's lineup has traditionally consisted of FWD-only cars. Honda V8s are even rarer still, with no production Honda ever being powered by more than six cylinders. However, according to Inside Line's Japanese correspondent Peter Lyon, that may all change when the new Acura RL goes on sale in 2010, bringing with it a new RWD architecture and a grunty 8-pot.

The new RL (also known as the Honda Legend) will feature a 4.8-litre longitudinally-mounted V8, with power output expected to be in the vicinity of 313kW. The RL will carry on using Honda's SH-AWD system, except this time power will be directed to the rear wheels in most situations instead of the front-biased configuration currently in use. Fuel-saving cylinder deactivation technology will be used to help keep the V8 green.

This won't be the first time a bent-eight is shoehorned into Honda's flagship sedan, though. Mugen did it first with their Legend Max, which was exhibited at the 2005 Tokyo Auto Salon. With 378kW and 519 asphalt-ripping Newton-metres of torque from its Le Mans derived MF408S V8, the Mugen Legend Max (below) gets the JPCN stamp of approval. As for the 2010 Acura RL V8, we'll be reserving our judgement until it's released - if and when that happens.


[Source: Inside Line]
[Image courtesy of Holiday Auto]

19/03/2008

Rumour: 370Z Just Around The Corner

According to a news article in the latest edition of Autocar magazine, Nissan's venerable Z33 chassis may receive the V36 Skyline 370GT's high-tech 3.7-litre V6 - the VQ37VHR - in an updated model to be revealed at the Paris Motor Show in October.

The VQ37VHR puts out around 250kW and 371Nm in Skyline 370GT/G37 Coupe form, a handy increase over the 228kW and 363Nm of the current 350Z's VQ35HR. Aside from more power and torque, the VQ37VHR also features Nissan's new VVEL (Variable Valve Event & Lift) camshaft technology, which allows both valve timing and lift to be infinitely variable and creates an engine which is cleaner-burning, more powerful and highly-responsive to throttle inputs.

Keep in mind that the rumours of a 370Z are (for now) just that: Rumours. That said, since the demise of the R-series Skylines and the introduction of the FM platform, the Skyline Coupe and the 350Z have shared engines. With the chassis and engine bays of the two being fundamentally the same, there's very little that would stand in the way of Nissan putting the V36's more powerful mill between the Z's suspension towers, but until that happens the 350Z still has a technological (and power) disadvantage against it's four-seater cousin.

We'll let you know of further developments as they come to hand.

[Source: Autocar, via Winding Road]
[Composite image by JPCN]

29/01/2008

Rumour: GT-R Spec V

It's widely understood that Nissan will slowly roll out improved, and more specialised, models of the R35 GT-R over the next few years, with one of the most eagerly-anticipated of these being a lightweight, no-frills motorsport variant much like the V-Spec models of the R32-R34 generations.

Best Car Magazine have produced their own rendering of just such a car, (above), and to give you an idea of what a "Spec V" might feature, past V Spec GT-R's typically had revised suspensions, lower weights and reprogrammed ATTESA-ETS all-wheel-drive systems.

Best Car's article also depicts some kind of funky bracing arrangement in the rear of the cabin (below), which could either be a novel approach to rollover protection, or just a bad case of styling gone awry. The bonnet is finished in raw carbon-fibre, which will no doubt please the Initial D crowd, while the front bumper sports some extra venting. Best Car speculates that weight will also be pared down by some 100kg, bringing the total kerb weight to 1640kg - pretty porky, but still an improvement on the GT-R Premium Edition's almost 2-tonne mass. Power is also said to be up by around 30kW, bringing the VR38DETT's output to a grand total of 382kW.


We're filing this one under "R" for rumour, but given that Best Car have been right about the WRX STI and the RX-8 series two in the past, there's still an outside chance that what you see before you is the R35 GT-R Spec V.

[Source: Best Car]
[Images courtesy of Best Car]

23/01/2008

RX-8 Convertible?!

Yep, it's an Rx-8 convertible. No, it'll never go into production.

It's a one-off parade car, built to do promotional duties for Mazda around the motor co's Hiroshima home ground. The photo above was taken at a ceremony held for Mazda's first product shipment for 2008, and although the convertible RX-8 will never grace the floors of a Mazda showroom, it's proof positive that if you really wanted a drop-top RX-8, it can be done. Whether it should be done is another matter.

[Source: RotaryNews.com]
[Image courtesy of Mazda]

11/01/2008

<< Anfang < Vorherige 1 2 Nächste > Ende >>