Coming to America: Street legal KTM X-Bow

Coming to America: Street legal KTM X-Bow

Although KTM has been making motorcycles since 1934, it's new to the car business. Evidently, no one told them that if you're going to go back on something you said in the auto business, it's supposed to be really disappointing. Instead, KTM has announced its intention to bring the X-Bow track car to the United States and make it street-legal to boot, despite previously saying that the X-Bow would only be sold in Europe and Asia and that it would be confined to the track.

The announcement was made by KTM sales and marketing chief Hubert Trunkenpolz at the recent annual gathering of KTM bike dealers from across North America in Salt Lake City, Utah. Apparently the company has received some 600+ requests from American KTM dealers for the X-Bow to make the transatlantic trip. Trunkenpolz (now we just like saying Trunkenpolz) noted that they will need cooperation from Volkswagen/Audi, who supplies the running gear, and from local authorities, but that the company "will do whatever is possible to bring the car to the U.S. – that, I promise."

Nicely Modded Mitsubishi Lancer EVO X

It’s amazing what the right set of rims combined with a lower suspension can do to the appearance of a car. And although the owner of the Mitsubishi Lancer EVO X, Ryan Gates, is actually setting the car up for track use and in particular, for the NASA TT-A class and the Street AWD class at select Redline Time Attacks, those absolutely stunning black-colored 18-inch rims could make any EVO X look totally sick.

Coming Soon: The Mind Blasting Corvette ZR-1

The Corvette ZR-1 raises, at best, a polite eyebrow of interest on this side of the Atlantic. The Americans, on the other hand, have gone potty for it.

And you know what? This time, they're right.

In a nutshell, here's the deal. The ZR-1 has a supercharged 6.2-litre V8 doing 638bhp, and it weighs just 1518kg. It does 0-60 in 3.4, 0-125 in 10.3 seconds.

It tops out at 205. It has carbon brakes as standard. And it's not just a point and squirt machine. It has the current Nurburgring production-car lap record. Yup, faster than a GT-R or any Porsche. See why the Americans are excited?

We on the other hand have allowed ourselves to be hoodwinked by the fact that this is a supercar disguised as a regular £46-grand Corvette - a car with a steel frame and fibreglass panels.

This one costs £100,000 (about $120,000 in the U.S.) but for that you get an entirely different and very trick car: aluminium and magnesium frame, carbonfibre panels, magnetorheological adaptive suspension, the blower, titanium conrods, head-up display et cetera et cetera.

The performance is just sensational. The one gizmo it does without is a semi-auto box, and you have to cope with a mildly clunky manual shift. But you don't have to use it often because this engine is a hallucinogenic wall of torque.

The handling and grip do nothing to let the side down. In as much as a car so fiery can be amenable to a mutt like me, this one is. And anyway, you've got the well-tuned safety net of StabiliTrak (aren't the Americans great at hype? That's their name for what the boring Germans call ESP.)

I am very excited for the ZR-1, I can't wait to test one.

Nissan Рaises GT-R MSRP Бy Нearly $7,000

Nissan announced today a price increase for the 2009 GT-R, raising the MSRP nearly $7,000 from $69,850 to $76,840. The price for the Premium model has been increased even more, going from $71,900 to $79,090 in one fell swoop. Fortunately, the adjusted prices do not affect customers who placed their orders with dealers before September 5. Nissan cited increased material costs as the reason for the adjustment.

Since the GT-R is already one of the best performance bargains on the market today and customers are paying a premium to own one, we doubt that the price increase will have any effect on sales. Still, $7,000 is a serious chunk of change that could go towards aftermarket toys from Cobb Tuning or HKS.

Mitsubishi Lancer VR4 Station Wagon

A member of the Dutch ‘Galantfans’ forum came up with this rendering depicting a sporty station wagon version of the new Mitsubishi Lancer (Galant Fortis in Japan). Although it’s apparent that the ‘chop’ was made by mating the body of a… VW Passat Variant (check out the mirrors) to the front-end of the Lancer along with adding a set of tasty alloys that are housed in blown up wheel arches, the overall result looks very promising.

VW Scirocco SERIES

For some reason, the Volkswagen Scirocco hasn't really blipped on my radar.

It's just one of those cars that's sort of passed me by - despite all the hype and nostalgic musings it's generated.

Maybe that's because the Iroc concept looked so brilliant, only for VW to lose their guts and dilute it into a softer, less edgy-looking production version.

Such gutlessness caused me to lose interest. What happened to that pointy, aggressive front-end? I wanted it back.

But, sat there in the BBC's secret underground layer (just off the A40 at White City), it looked bloody brilliant.

Pictures don't do this thing justice. In white, it looks properly cool, and the wheels are unlike anything on other 'normal' cars - they're more like the turbine-style jobs you get on an SLR.
And underneath all that, it's a Golf GTI. There are worse things to have as an alter-ego...

So it's quick. And stylish. Quick, stylish and utterly appealing. I want one.

Driving around west London, it got tonnes of attention. Maybe that's 'cos it's new, but the constant flicker of 'thumbs up' from pedestrians, cabbies and truckers would suggest people really like the look of it.

The only let down is the interior - it's boring. OK so I like the ribbed leather seats, and they're the only nod to the Scirocco of old.

But the rest of it is dull, and a bit safe in a very VW sort of way. The Iroc had all sorts of sculpted surfaces, bright splashes of colour and even a racing harness. Where's all that gone?

Probably in the same dustbin as the original front-end. So if you're planning on buying a Scirocco (which you should), my advice is to go find that bin, fish out the parts and graft them back on.

2010 Lotus Europa i6 concept

The Europa i6 concept study is a mid-engined, rear wheel drive sports car inspired in terms of design by the classic Europa and Elite as well as by the latest Lotus models. The independent designer supports that ideally, the Europa i6 would weigh in at about 2,030 lbs (920 kg) with power coming from a 2.0-liter supercharged inline six-cylinder engine.

In theory, he says that the sports car would sprint from zero to 100 km/h (62mph) in 7 sec (kind of slow...) and on to a top speed of 165 mph or 265 km/h. Leaving aside the theoretical technical specs, Idries’ take on a compact mid-engined Lotus sports coupe hits the spot. Too bad it exists only in the digital world, but I would really be surprised to see it on the streets someday.

Nissan GT-R R35 Convertible Concept

Under the hood, the 2.0 TDI engine received a power boost of 20 hp, developing now 190 hp, while the 3.0 TDI engine develops now 310 hp. The 2.0 TFSI engine was also boosted from 211 hp to 240 hp. More details when the official information will be released.
The Audi Q5 is not yet available in the U.S., and we can already show you the second tuner package for the car. After Digi-Tec, the Audi Q5 received another tuning program from another major German tuner, ABT. The new body kit consists in a new front grille in the ABT style, a completely re-designed front bumper with integrated fog lights, new stylish side sills, a new rear bumper with integrated exhaust system and rear air diffuser and a rear roof spoiler.

Nissan GT-R R35 Convertible Concept

Check out these interesting and unofficial Nissan GT-R R35 Convertible Renderings which recently showed up on AutoJunk.nl and DeviantArt.com. With all the hype surrounding the recently released Nissan GT-R and the sold out level of demand it has endured, it’s hard to fathom that Nissan would contemplate a convertible version.

I know most purist or GT-R cult leaders would drop their jaws if a convertible version would ever make its way out of momma Godzilla’s womb. Either way what do you think of the renderings? I think they are pretty slick, however I wouldn’t be caught dead owning or driving one (unless it was the GF’s).

The Scorpion is a Hydrogen/Gasoline Mix Supercar

Meet the Texan answer to the $150 oil barrel

Genius and madness often seem to share the same shoes, but rarely with such gleeful abandon as they do here, in the RNNM Scorpion.The brainchild of Ronn Maxwell, Chief Executive Officer of Ronn Motor Company, no less - a Texas outfit that simultaneously deserves a slap and a biscuit for its blind optimism. The Scorpion is a hydrogen/gasoline mix supercar that generates its hydrogen on demand by fracturing molecules from a small onboard water tank.

'A Texas outfit that simultaneously deserves a slap and a biscuit for its blind optimism'

If that wasn't complicated enough, it then mixes it with petrol at a ratio of about one to three, achieving the not terribly impressive fuel figure of around 40mpg.
There are no official performance figures given yet, but order books are open, apparently, and the first customer cars are - time to get out another biscuit here - going to be ready by the autumn.

2009 Hyundai Genesis Sedan

If it doesn't impress you that Hyundai is about to bring its first rear-drive sedan to the U.S., starting under $30,000 and rising to $36,000 to $40,000-plus with the optional all-aluminum V-8, think of General Motors and Ford. Think of what GM is going through to bring sub-Cadillac rear-drive sedans back to the market. Of how Ford Motor Company doesn't have the cash to develop one.

2011 AMG Gullwing

Mercedes-Benz and its performance divisions AMG and HWA are working on a host of new sports cars with a number of prototypes already spotted testing at both the Nurburgring and America’s Death Valley. Yesterday, spy images of a new Black Series version of the facelifted SL surfaced and last month images of another prototype dubbed the SLC turned up. We now have new renderings of a third Mercedes sports car said to be in development, a gull-winged coupe based on a shortened SL platform described as a spiritual successor to the original 300 SL.

Rumored to hit the streets in 2010 or 2011, the new car will feature an upgraded version of AMG’s hand-built 6.2L V8 with power levels in excess of 600hp. The car is being developed internally by Mercedes and AMG engineers and production numbers are expected to range between 3,000 and 5,000 units per year.

Although the gull-wing doors draw obvious styling cues from the original model from the 1950s, the new car won’t be shamelessly retro. As these renderings suggest, the car will feature a sleek, aerodynamic body, circular headlights and SLR-style side vents.

Eat my sand: Dakar Rally

It's a good day for big cool stuff. Earlier, we saw that giant Volvo riot van/powerwasher thing, and now this: the probably-somewhat-faster but equally excellent-looking Mitsubishi Racing Lancer.

These are the first pictures we've seen of Mitsu's new cross-country rallier, which is shortly to make its race debut ahead of next year's Dakar rally.

Yep, that's the Dakar rally in South America. Confusing it may be, but Mitsubishi is out to win it, and reckons the Racing Lancer is the car to do it.

It's powered by a three-litre V6 turbodiesel - aye, diesel - with, we assume, enough torque to spin South America upside-down.

It looks pretty awesome, no? When the robots take over the cities and we're all forced to live a nomadic, hand-to-mouth existence, roaming the deserts and plains, we want one of these for company.

Sorry, did we say "when"? If. Obviously we meant "if".

H&R Dodge Challenger: Suspension for a thoroughbred

The new Dodge Challenger has the looks and power to capture the enthusiasm of any seasoned sports-car driver. To drive this impression home, H&R now introduces the matching suspension components. The result does not only look good; you will also feel the difference in handling of the V8. The 35 mm spring kit makes a noticeable improvement to the Challenger's behaviour in curves - virtually without any loss in ride quality. The 50 mm version may be more interesting for those who prefer a more extravagant look.

H&R's adjustable suspension can be set to increase steering accuracy while minimising pitching and rolling, giving the car a noticeable improvement in road performance; the adjustment options allow you to set the wheel loads according to the circumstances.

Naturally, all of the suspension components developed for the Dodge Challenger can be combined with optional H&R sport stabilizers/ anti roll bars. Ultra-sturdy aluminium alloy H&R TRAK+ spacers in 50 and 60 mm widening per axle also add character on either standard or custom tyres, in putting an end to the unsightly visual appearance left by the gap between the edge of the tyre and wheel arch.

The whole H&R programme is available for more than 1,200 vehicle types and is available at good specialist dealers; apart from the high quality we have come to know from the brand that H&R products always come with general permission for road use (ABE) or a TÜV part certificate for German residents. In Germany the Dodge Challenger suspension components are only available at a special distribution partner.