2011 Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0

The future 911 GT3 RS 4.0 will need a few more elements to be further distinguished from the standard GT3 RS. For starters, the GT3 RS 4.0 will come in a white exterior paint job as standard and will feature an enhanced aerodynamic body with a new set of wheels painted in either GT Silver Metallic or Black. It will sit wide and low, and will use lateral front air deflection vanes called flics to increase downforce on the front axle. This is the first time flics will be used on a production vehicle. The aerodynamic quality will be further optimized with the use of a large rear wing with adapted side plates. Finalizing the look of the GT3 RS 4.0 is the typical central twin tailpipe.

Weight is always a big deal when it comes to a high performing sports cars, so Porsche has managed to knock some of it off with a carbon fiber bonnet and front wings. Porsche’s attack on the two-seater’s weight continued for the interior with bucket seats, plastic rear windows, and weight-optimized carpets.y8 The air conditioning system will also be removed to facilitate further weight reduction.

Special packages will also be available to further distinguish the 9611 GT3 RS 4.0.

2012 Audi S5 Coupe

Audi has officially unveiled their new 2012 line-up for the A5 and S5 models, drawing some raised eyebrows for the subtle changes and powertrain tweaks featured.

As the high-performance option of the bunch, the new 2012 S5 Coupe is expected to attract buyers with performance numbers in mind. On that note, Audi went with something that might not be what people expected of the car. While there are some aesthetic changes done, the most significant change for the S5 Coupe is the choice of powertrain, or in this case, the ’downgrade’ of powertrain under the car’s hood. No longer will the S5 come with eight cylinders. Instead, the German automaker opted to use a 3.0-liter V6 TFSI powerplant that produces less horsepower than its predecessor.

All isn’t lost,y8 though, as Audi certainly worked themselves around the new engine, giving it equal performance numbers to the 2011 model while also improving the car’s efficiency rating, something that’s becoming increasingly important among buyers these days.

See...we told you all wasn’t lost.

2012 SSC Ultimate Aero II

The battle for the title of “World’s Fastest Production car” has just heated up – again. And this time its round two of the classic David vs. Goliath encounter: diminutive Shelby Super Cars taking on the might of VW-owned Bugatti. American one man show SSC, forced the world to take them seriously after the original Ultimate Aero snatched the title away from the Veyron with a run of 256mph, recorded on a four-mile-long Texas single carriageway that featured a dogleg bend that needed to be navigated at “just” 210mph. The man at the wheel was 71 year old Chuck Bigelow who had no racing experience and refused to wear even a crash helmet.

Hitting back, the Veyron Super Sport took to VW’s ultra-modern, ultra-smooth and wide Ehra Lessien test track, with a pro driver at the wheel and crowd of engineers at their beck and call. The result was an impressive 267mph from the 1200HP special edition.

Considering all that Bugatti have at their disposal compared to Jerod Shelby and his band of 16 engineers – that work from a garage behind his house – you begin to realize the magnitude of their accomplishments. Now they have unveiled their new creation, a 1350HP RWD beast that’s yet to be officially named. For convenience, we’ll just call it the Aero II.y8

Lincoln holds MKT base price steady for 2012 model

Lincoln on Thursday said the base price of the 2012 MKT crossover will be unchanged from the 2011 model--$45,175, including the $875 shipping charge.
The base MKT is powered by a 3.7-liter V6 and is front-wheel drive.
The major change for the 2012 MKT is that all-wheel-drive versions will be powered by the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6. Lincoln will not offer the 3.7-liter V6 with AWD on the MKT.
The all-wheel-drive MKT carries a sticker price of $47,170 including shipping charges. The EcoBoost V6 is rated at 355 hp.
Lincoln says it also cut the number of order combinations of the MKT by two-thirds for 2012. The crossover can be configured with seating for seven or eight passengers.

Infiniti releases first look at JX crossover

Infiniti on Thursday released a first look at the JX seven-passenger crossover it plans to build at the Nissan assembly plant in Smyrna, Tenn.
A concept of the JX will be shown publicly during the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in August, and the production version is scheduled to debut at the Los Angeles auto show in November. The Infiniti JX is set to go on sale in spring 2012 as a 2013 model.
Infiniti has said the styling of the JX greenhouse will pick up cues from the Essence concept car that debuted in 2009 at the Geneva motor show.
A three-row crossover will give Infiniti a competitor to vehicles such as the Lexus GX and the Acura MDX.
The move will give the luxury division of Nissan three crossovers. The current two--the EX and the FX--are five-passenger, two-seating-row vehicles. Neither have been big sellers for the brand.
Infiniti plans to release more photos of the concept in the weeks leading up to the Pebble Beach event.

1925 Rolls-Royce with a tiger-hunting machine gun

“Would you be interested in buying a Rolls-Royce . . . and a machine gun?”
“Hell, yes! What red-blooded American wouldn't want a machine gun?”
And that's the middle of the story.
The beginning is actually stranger, involving California car enthusiast Jim Faulknor, a potential Porsche 911 purchase and a mobile blood bank.
En route to San Francisco to check out the Porsche, Faulknor was running early, so he stopped to donate when he saw a roving bloodmobile. It ended up being an instance of giving a little and receiving a whole lot more in return.
As Faulknor sat waiting for his turn at the needle, he spotted a fellow donor wearing a TRG (The Racer's Group) shirt. Being a fan, Faulknor struck up a conversation with someone who turned out to be vintage-stock-car racer Mike Cesario. During the course of the conversation, Faulknor commented on his Lotus 70 F5000 and Bugeye Sprite.
“Oh, you like the British stuff?” asked Cesario
Thus the conversation turned to Faulknor's father, Forrest, who, as the vice president of British Motors San Francisco, held the record in the 1970s for selling the most Rolls-Royce cars in one year.
Cesario said he had a friend looking to sell a classic Rolls and asked whether Faulknor would be interested. Business cards were exchanged, and the following week, Faulknor received a call from classic-car collector Rubin Jurman, asking if he wanted a Rolls-Royce--and a machine gun.
The answer? “Hell, yes!”
Overkill?
Faulknor headed over to Jurman's place in Los Gatos, Calif., to find not just one, but three jaw-dropping Rolls-Royces. There was Bing Crosby's famous Silver Shadow, a 1954 Silver Wraith and the reason he came--a fire-engine-red 1925 Rolls-Royce Torpedo Tourer with a matching machine-gun trailer attached.
This particular Torpedo has a nautical theme, including a pointed bow motif and working nautical ventilators on the cowl. More ominous is the powerful searchlight that swings side to side for spotting animals at night.
The rest of the “optional equipment” is geared toward killing animals. For example, a Howdah gun--a double-barrel shotgun pistol--four rifles mounted in the rear section and a Lantaka cannon attached sideways on the bumper for elephant hunting.
As it turned out, the Rolls was built by Barker Coach Works of London for India's Umed Singh II, Maharaja of Kotah. He used the car to hunt Bengal tigers and other wild game in India including, presumably, elephants.
Propulsion comes courtesy of an 8.0-liter, six-cylinder engine with a dual-spark ignition. The Torpedo also has tall wheels and a low gearing ratio, allowing it to creep through the mud and brush of the Indian outback.
The car came to Jurman about 24 years ago via American golf pro and noted Rolls-Royce collector Gene Littler. Littler was a PGA Tour player from 1954 to 1977 who won the U.S. Open in 1961. He found the priceless antique sitting innocuously at the Rolls-Royce dealership in Beverly Hills, Calif.
Shortly after Jurman took delivery of the car he was contacted by the Indian Consulate. Officials claimed the car was a piece of history and should be donated to the country's museum. Jurman politely declined and instead began taking the car to shows and other Rolls-Royce meets before deciding to sell.
The Deal
“We're old-school,” says Faulknor. “When we shook hands on the deal and I drove away, I felt fine. Our word is our bond.”
Halfway home, Faulknor's feet got a little cold and he gave Jurman a call.
“Can I come back and talk to you for a minute?” Faulknor asked.
“Sure.”
The two decided to write up a contract, just in case something crazy happened--for example, the Indian Consulate calling and offering Jurman $200,000 more than Faulknor was going to pay for the car, which it did.
Fortunately, Jurman kept his word, and Faulknor is now the proud owner of an 86-year-old tiger-hunting Rolls-Royce.
If you're headed to Pebble Beach this summer, you can see the Torpedo for yourself. You can also purchase it: Faulknor plans to display and sell the car this August at the Bonhams & Butterfields auction at the Quail Lodge in Carmel, Calif.