Lexus LF-A V10 Rumored to Debut at '09 Tokyo Show, Production Limited to 500 Units

If we are to believe the latest gossip coming in from the 'Land of the Rising Sun', Lexus is scheduling to reveal the production version of the long-anticipated LF-A supercar at the forthcoming 2009 Tokyo Motor Show that runs from October 23 to November 8. Citing inside sources close to the V10-powered supercar's development team, Japan's Best Car magazine said that the LF-A's production will be limited to a mere 500 units, with 120 of those being allocated to the domestic market with an estimated starting price of around 30 million Yen a piece or about $310,000 US - €220,000 at the current exchange rates.

The price alone places Lexus' V10-powered supercar into an entirely different league than the GT-R as it costs twice as much as the recently launched GT-R V-Spec model (15,750,000 Yen in Japan).

The report goes on to say that aside from the standard model that will most likely bear the GT500 moniker, there's also talk about an even more exclusive version dubbed SS550 where SS stands for Super Sport - that is unless someone decides to make a fuss about the name...

More specifically, the GT500 will be powered by a high-revving 5.0-liter V10 producing an estimated 500HP, while the SS550 is said to get a tweaked version of the V10 with a displacement of 5.5-liters and an output of around 550HP. Both variants feature a front-mid engined layout with a transaxle housing the semi-automatic gearbox and rear-mounted radiators.

When Lexus first unveiled the LF-A Coupe concept at the 2005 Detroit motor show (followed by a Roadster study at 2008 Detroit show - see photo album below ), the Japanese automaker claimed that its Ferrari-challenging supercar would reach a top speed of around 200mph or 322km/h. But now the word is that thanks to the extensive work on the LF-A's aerodynamics, the supercar will top out closer to 220mph or 354km/h.

We remind you that Lexus entered two LF-A prototype models at the 24h of Nurburgring endurance race, with one of those cars ending up in flames - see the video here.

Via: Best Car

G-POWER's BMW M3 Coupe Tornado with 500HP Supercharged V8

Even the most recent BMW M3 with its 420HP V8 engine can't escape from the tuning claws of G-Power. However, if you've been following the latest news from the German tuning firm, you will probably be surprised with the somewhat modest upgrades that G-Power has incorporated into the M3 Coupe Tornado. The most significant change concerns the addition of tailor-made 'light' supercharger from ASA with a moderate 0,3 bar boost. Along with a new intercooler and a performance exhaust system, the 4.0-liter V8's output increases from 420HP and 400Nm to 500HP and 480Nm (354-lbs/ft).

G-Power says that the supercharged M3 Coupe with the 6-speed manual gearbox can accelerate from standstill to 200km/h (124mph) in just 13.5 seconds compared to the standard M3's time of 15.8 seconds. Customers can opt for the removal of the electronic speed limiter, in which case the M3 Coupe Tornado can reach a top speed in excess of 320km/h or +199mph..

The M3 Coupe Tornado also comes with a height-adjustable coil-over suspension with nine selectable settings each for bound and rebound while the car rides on Michelin Pilot Sport tires -255/30 ZR20 in front, 295/25 ZR20 in the rear- mounted on lightweight 20-inch Silverstone alloy wheels. The kit is complemented by a new four-pipe muffler made from stainless steel or optionally, from titanium which is 14,5kg or 32-lbs lighter than the factory part.

Unlike other G-Power models like the M6 Hurricane CS and the X5 Typhoon, the M3 Coupe Tornado does not feature any exterior upgrades other than the rims. The German firm does however update the interior with carbon-fiber trim, a new speedometer with the G-Power logo, an aluminum pedal set and optionally, a special leather treatment.

Ferrari Dino Rosa: Concept Study for a New Entry Level Mid-Engine Ferrari

Many independent designers have tried to capture the Ferrari spirit in their conceptual proposals, but to be completely honest, very few have really succeeded. Unfortunately for designer Paolo Rosa, we'd classify this study for a smaller mid-engined Ferrari sportscar -supposedly inspired by the 1967 Dino 246 GT- in the first category. In our opinion, the worst design aspect of the Ferrari Dino Rosa is the rather generic front-end. Hit the jump to check out more photos of Rosa's 1:10 scale model that is currently on display at the "Dreaming the Automobile" Exhibition hosted by the Museo dell'Automobile Bonfanti-Vimar in Italy.

Source: Museo dell'Automobile , Via: Carbodydesign

Spotted: Porsche 928 GTS Pickup Truck

The long-gone and much missed Porsche 928 GTS with its big macho V8 engine is one of our most favorite gran-turismo coupes of the past two decades or so. That said, we find the conversion of any 928 into a mullet-loving pickup truck, pointless and in some cases such as Harry Thoma's six-wheeler 928 GTS truck that we showed you in a previous post, even repulsive. This particular small-bed pickup-truck version of the 928 GTS was snapped on the road (we're guessing somewhere in Denmark) by a reader of the Autogespot forums.

Via: Autogespot

2010 Honda Pilot Brings Higher Prices but no Changes

Honda has announced pricing for the 2010MY Pilot SUV that sees no styling or equipment changes from the new 2009 model that went on sale in the U.S. last May. What the '2010MY' moniker does bring for Honda's eight-passenger crossover is a petite price increase that ranges between $250 and $350, depending on the trim level. Available in both 2WD and 4WD forms, the Pilot is powered by a 3.5-liter i-VTEC V6 engine that cranks out 250Hp and 253 lbs-ft of peak torque. Prices for the 2010 model start from $27,895 for the entry-level 2WD LX and top out at $38,645 for the 4WD Touring.

2010 Honda Pilot Prices

• Pilot 2WD LX - $27,895
  
• Pilot 4WD LX - $29,495
  
• Pilot 2WD EX - $30,745
  
• Pilot 4WD EX - $32,345
  
• Pilot 2WD EX-L - $33,845
  
• Pilot 4WD EX-L - $35,445
  
• Pilot 2WD Touring - $37,045
  
• Pilot 4WD Touring - $38,645

MTM's Birkin Edition Tuning Package for Bentley Models

Bavaria's Motoren Technik Mayer, or simply MTM, has launched a new tuning package for the Bentley Continental GT, GTC, Flying Spur, GT Speed, GTC Speed, and Continental Supersports models. Dubbed Birkin Edition, the package includes a two-stage engine kit that helps boost the twin-turbocharged W12's output to 635HP or 650HP, the latter producing a peak toque figure of 795Nm or 586-lbs/ft. MTM claims that with the 650HP kit, the Continental GT shaved three seconds off the standard car's lap time on the short Hockenheim circuit, and three seconds in the 0 to 200 km/h sprint time, which was achieved in 15.9 seconds.

In addition to the engine upgrades, MTM's Birkin Edition package includes a new four-pipe exhaust system and a suspension kit that lowers the ride height (depending on the model) up to 25mm up front and 35mm at the rear, plus a new 6-caliper brake system for the front wheels. A chrome grille and a set of 21-inch 'Bimoto' lightweight alloy wheels complete the package that starts from €20,000 or about $28,200 with today's exchange rates.

China Actress: Betty Huang Yi

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VIDEO: 2010 BMW 5-Series Prototype Gets Pulled Over by German Police!

Believe it or not, a 2010 BMW 5-Series sedan test mule was pulled over by German police on the Autobahn and the incident was briefly filmed by a camera woman from 'TVnews Hessen' that happened to be at the right place, at the right time - or at least that's the word on the street. According to the German media, the officers found the riveted-body of the BMW 5-Series prototype suspicious so they decided to take a closer look at the car - yeah right, as if it's the first time that cops see a camouflaged car on the Autobahn... But anyway. Skip the jump to watch the video that includes exterior and interior footage of the bimmer (allegedly a 535d) as it was inspected by the police. - Hat tip to Marcus!