Sports : Car News And Reviews

Hybrid sports cars are really starting to shape up to be the future of racing. With cars like the McLaren P1 and Porsche 918 Spyder at the top of the production spectrum, Toyota is aiming for the top of the heap at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with their TS040 race car.

While the Jaguar F-Type is arguably quite fast in either its convertible or coupe V8 variants, good cars can always go faster when optimized for racing. Word on the street is that Jaguar may now be working on a special version of the F-Type Coupe R designed with ultimate track performance in mind.

During a recent media event in China, Maserati invited guests and journalists to put its shiny new Ghibli S Q4 to the test on the snow and ice. It’s only appropriate since the whole thing was done during the 2014 Harbin Ice and Snow Festival.

We’ve seen ample images and promotional videos of the BMW i8, and even managed to walk around one up close and personal on more than one occasion. But this B-roll driving footage of the car gives us a chance to see the car as it takes to the road, devoid of the glossy music and voiceovers of other footage we’ve seen.

XCAR takes us behind the scenes of David Brown Automotive and gives us a look at their first vehicle, a retro-style, Aston Martin influenced luxury sportscar. The Speedback is an elegant Gran Tourer built on the Jaguar XK platform, powered by an ample V8, and loaded with elegant interior touches, including handmade wood veneers, rich full-grain leather and real metal accents.

Lamborghini’s director of research and development, Maurizio Reggiani, delves deep inside the new Huracán LP 610-4 and walks through the supercar’s technology inside and out. Beginning with the human interface elements: the steering wheel, the center console, and the in-dash display; then to the car’s mechanical systems including the V10 5.2 naturally aspirated engine, the new dual-clutch gearbox, the four-wheel drive system, electromechanical power steering system, and the double wishbone suspension; and finally to the car’s new hybrid carbon fiber and aluminum chassis.

To commemorate its record-breaking run, Hennessey has announced a special edition of its breathtaking Venom GT. The car is configured with the same 7.0L, twin-turbo V8 found in the record-breaking car, which managed to propel the vehicle to 186mph in just 13.63 seconds, and a top speed of 270.49mph.

While Porsche actually has a long history in rally racing, the cars seen in competition have been heavily modified to handle the tough challenges of rocky roads, mud and loose dirt. In the case of this 1983 Porsche 911 SC, it’s barely been touched from stock.

The Porsche 918 Spyder is an absolutely incredible supercar on the track and Jay Leno had the chance to take the $845,000+ car for a drive and see how it does on city streets. Leno discusses the vehicle with Daniel Eastman of Porsche North America and how the hybrid system is positioned to help Porsche take its supercars into the future by delivering incredible fuel economy and performance surpassing its non-hybrid vehicles.

It’s illegal to import the Nissan Skyline into the U.S. because it doesn’t meet our safety and emissions standards. But that hasn’t stopped some people from figuring out ways to get the cars stateside. Many who drive Skylines push them to their limits, modding their engines and exhaust systems heavily to turn them into the rocketships on wheels that they’re capable of becoming.

Would you trade the tremendous sound of the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Black Series – along with its world-class acceleration and driving performance –  for the all-electric SLS ED version? Top Gear pitted the two cars against each other head-to-head on their test track.

A few months back, McLaren hosted a party in Hong Kong to celebrate its 50th anniversary. During this event, dozens of McLaren MP4-12Cs were brought together for a rally around the city. Chester Ng of Suzuki Productions managed to capture the festivities on video, as the highways were jampacked with six-figure sports cars, and owners showed of their precious 12Cs.

The limited-edition Moncenisio Porsche Cayman S is a beautiful coach-built vehicle from Studiotorino, an Italian company specializing in custom-built sports car bodies. Built on the Cayman S Type 981, the car maintains the technical characteristics of the car while completely reworking both the interior and exterior.

Many aftermarket tuners will replace body parts with carbon fiber to reduce vehicle weight. Carbon fiber roofs and hoods are popular because the car’s center of gravity is lowered dramatically with the weight reduction. But Overtake International, a Japanese after-market tuning and customization shop, has taken carbon fiber to an extreme with its latest Nissan R35 GT-R project.

There’s a slim chance that most of us will ever get to own or drive an actual Lamborghini Huracán LP610-4. Lambo recognizes this, and has launched an online sim game to help whet our appetites for their shiny new supercar.