Barely a year since its debut, Mitsubishi has already released its first major addition to its performance flagship, the Lancer Evolution X. Mitsubishi have tacked on a pair of Recaro front pews, a nine-speaker Rockford Fosgate stereo and HDD sat-nav system to the GSR and called it the GSR-Premium, which now takes up a position at the top of the Evo tree. 18-inch BBS alloys and body-coloured vents feature on the outside, however power and transmission options remain the same. That means...
It's been a while since we've heard or seen anything about Nissan's upcoming 370Z, but lately there's been a small outbreak of spy images and info about the new Z-car, giving us a more detailed glimpse at the latest car to wear the coveted Z badge. Clear as day is the 240Z-esque rear quarter window treatment, fatter fenders and bulldog-like front bumper. The body itself also appears shorter, squatter and generally more solid than the 350Z, while the be-fanged front bumper also appears to...
By now most of you will have heard that Porsche has kicked up a stink regarding the GT-R's epic 7:29 Nurburgring lap time, saying that after completing its own tests using a US-spec R35, it couldn't get within 20 seconds of Nissan's claimed record. Porsche are saying Nissan "cheated" on their record attempt by using either R-comp tyres, a juiced-up engine or both, but now Nissan has issued their own official rebuttal to the German automaker's allegations - and it intends to introduce hard,...
Yeah, we've all seen the various Silvia/180SX-based drift "utilities", (you 'Muricans call them "pickup trucks"), but what about a cut-down load hauler based on the venerable R32 Skyline? The car in this video is the first such vehicle that I've ever seen and it sure does look well executed. A credit to its owner then, who appears to hail from one of Japan's NATS technical colleges. After some further digging, however, I also stumbled upon a similar yellow GT-R-kitted example as well as...
Remember that R35 GT-R that Nismo campaigned at the recent Tokachi 24-hour enduro? Well, here's some in-car video of it strutting its stuff during a pre-race practice session, and boy does it look quick. Video after the jump. [Source: Youtube] [Video: GTR-World.net]
The garcons over at Le Blog Auto happened upon this rather unassuming GH WRX STI at the recent Motorsport Japan event in Toyko, which after some further investigation turned out to be something called the "Subaru Impreza WRX STI Concept Takumi". Okay, so maybe someone in Subaru's motorsports division has a bit of an Initial D fetish (who doesn't these days?), but what's more significant about this car is that it may preview the much-rumoured-about Spec-C version of the WRX STI that's due to...
Not only did Mitsubishi debut their delicious Lancer Sportback Ralliart at the Paris Motor Show, but they also showed off their heavily-revamped Colt Ralliart to the crowds as well. The Colt is the first model outside of the Lancer family to receive the new 'Jet Fighter' face, and initial impressions are.. well... mixed. Yes, the gaping grille and restyled tailgate are easy on the eye, but are they necessarily an improvement on the old Colt Ralliart? For starters, that Evo-esque bonnet...
As part of a raft of changes being made to the Euro-market Civic, Honda has made a number of revisions to their FN2 Civic Type R hatchback. The only major change is the addition of a Special Edition model to the CTR lineup, which among some minor cosmetic changes also boasts a limited slip differential. While the JDM FD2 CTR has benefited from a helical LSD since its introduction in 2007, the European and Australian-market Type R's have made do with a open diff, limiting the amount of...
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...
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...
Okay folks, here's a curly one for you all. As its submission to this year's LA Auto Show design challenge, Mitsubishi has entered this, the MMR25 concept race car. Looking more arachnid than automobile, the MMR25 boasts a number of 'innovations' that Mitsubishi claim will be all the rage on the rally stages and racing circuits of the future. Take, for example, those wheels. While each of the four main 'wheels' is fixed to an axle and is roughly circular, they're actually made up of eight...
Yep, you heard me. I used "Civic Hybrid" and "Race Car" in the same sentence. British firm Oaktec has decided to see if the granny-spec Civic has any potential as a racecar and has contracted performance car specialists Lotus Engineering to help transform the humble Honda hybrid into a fire-breathing, electron-guzzling motorsports monster. Lotus has decided to keep the Civic's 1.3-litre petrol motor, CVT gearbox and hybrid drive system largely intact, however electricity generation and...
The Lancer Sportback Ralliart and it's regular, un-Ralliarted brother are still a week away from their official debut at the Paris Motor Show, however that hasn't stopped Mitsubishi from unleashing a slew of images of the attractive and sprightly 5-door ahead of the launch. And thank god they did. Honestly, prior to today I was adamant that if it came down to a battle between the Evolution X and the WRX STI to determine who would occupy a space in my fantasy garage, I would have declared the...
Last week we told you about Mitsubishi UK's Evo X-based touring car contender that was being prepped for the Britcar Championship. Well, it made its racing debut at the Silverstone 24-hour enduro over the weekend, and by all accounts it survived its baptism of fire with flying colours. Final standings put the Evolution X at 25th place outright and fifth in class, not bad considering that the team only managed five laps before the race commenced, with one of those laps seeing the engine bay...
Some sad news today. Hideki Tanabe, proprietor of the world-renowned tuning and parts company Powerhouse Amuse, passed away on September 20 after enduring a long illness, leaving behind his wife, the company he founded and thousands of bereaved fans, friends and acquaintances. Responsible for the incredible R34-based Carbon-R time-attack car and the S2000 GT1 that many of you will remember from Gran Turismo 4, Tanabe-san was also Powerhouse Amuse's resident tuner, parts designer and race...