SuperTunes

The next time you find yourself driving a car in South Korea, you might want to think twice about breaking any speed limits unless you want these guys on your tail.

Needless to say, the South Korean patrol cars are not your everyday Kia Rios or Hyundai Getzs. By our tally, that’s a Ferrari 360, a Porsche 911, and a Lamborghini Gallardo all serving as patrol cars for South Korea’s police department.

If you’re picturing a car chase, you’re probably thinking that the scenario would be the other way around. Supercar gets jacked and standard patrol cars give chase. Well, in Korea, the shoe is in the proverbial other foot and trying to engage these cars in a good old police chase is as dumb an idea as drinking milk on Fat Tuesday.

South Korean police brings in Ferrari, Porsche and Lamborghini patrol cars originally appeared on topspeed.com on Saturday, 27 February 2010 15:25 EST.

read more

Audi revealed a new commercial for the A8 luxury sedan. Check it out!

Short reminder: for the US market Audi will only offer the 4,2 FSI engine with 372 hp (the European customers will also get a 4.2 TDI with350 hp and two 3,0 TDI versions with either 250 or 204 hp). The engine will be mated to an all new 8-speed tiptronic gearbox.

Video: Audi A8 commercial "The art of progress" originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 26 February 2010 17:00 EST.

read more

After posting less-than stellar numbers last year, the 2011 Ford Mustang has been rejuvenated thanks in large part to stronger-than-expected sales numbers to start 2010. Two months into the year, Ford has already reported 11,000 Mustangs being ordered, about three times as many Mustangs ordered in the same span last year.

A big reason for the Mustang’s resurgence can be attributed to the two powertrain outfitted in the 2011 model. Powered by either a 305-horsepower V6 or a 5.0-liter 412-horsepower V8, the 2011 Mustang has become somewhat of a pony car darling for customers all over the country.

In fact, almost half of the 11,000 orders have been for the V6 variant with the Mustang GT California Special also drawing considerable interest from the public. As a result of this surprising amount of attention given to the 2011 Mustang regardless of what variant it comes in, Ford’s initial sales projection for 2010 has already tripled – and we’re still not done with February.

A year after it experienced some pretty stiff competition from the Chevrolet Camaro, 2010 is fast becoming a banner year for the Ford Mustang and if it keeps up this pace, then we might not see as close a competition for pony car supremacy like we did last year.

Press Release after the jump

Sales of 2011 Ford Mustang off to roaring start originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 26 February 2010 16:00 EST.

read more

If you’re in the market for a car and you’re seeking an opinion of which model to buy, there’s no better person to ask than someone who’s been in one too many racing scraps and thus, probably knows what he’s talking about.

So if you’re talking of getting an Audi A1, today’s your lucky day because you’re going to get the opinion of one Markus Winkelhock, a veteran of the German Touring Car Championship, whom Audi invited to take the A1 out for a spin around the Neustadt race track.

Continued after the jump.

Video: GTCC driver Markus Winkelhock test drives the Audi A1 originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 26 February 2010 15:00 EST.

read more

You might be familiar with Senner Tuning and their positively-received customization programs for models like the Audi R8 or the Audi A5. This time, though, they’re turning their attention on a completely different project, namely the Volkswagen Golf R32.

Thanks in large part to a BMC Carbon Airbox, as well as a stainless steel sport exhaust system, and some ECU tuning, the tuned-up Golf V R32 raised its engine output 24 horsepower to a hugely-impressive 270 ponies.

Apart from the bump up in engine power, Senner Tuning also included in their tuning package for the Golf V R32, among other things, a new sport suspension, 3-piece alloy 20" wheels, performance brake pads and a set of carbon fiber parts - front grill inserts, a roof spoiler, a rear diffuser and side-mirror housings.

Whoever said that Senner Tuning only knows their way around Audis is sadly mistaken; they seem to be completely adept in souping up a Volkswagen, too.

Volkswagen Golf V R32 by Senner Tuning originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 26 February 2010 14:00 EST.

read more

We’ve been eulogizing a lot of cars lately and while it’s painful for us to look at these wrecked machines – let alone write about them – we just can’t help ourselves. A car crash, especially of the supercar variety, is about as big a news to us as space exploration is to NASA.

That being said, this latest car crash we’ve unearthed involves a mint green – and finely-tuned up - BMW E36 M3 that was the pride and joy of the owner (his name is Paul, so we’ve been told). In fact, Paul loved it so much that he spent nearly four years working on it and making it look like as attention-grabbing as any BMW E36 we’ve seen in recent times.

But as is the case with most car crashes, Paul’s BMW E36 ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time after a distracted driver lost control of his car and plowed into the back of the E36, leaving the car’s rear end in a total state of shambles.

We feel really bad for Paul. We really do. But if there’s any consolation, we really give you a ton of props for what you did with your car – that is until someone decided to give it a facelift it never needed.

Distracted driver crashes into souped-up BMW E36 M3 originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 26 February 2010 12:30 EST.

read more

Toyota almost wishes that these kinds of days would come more often. OK, it’s not our place to continuously make fun of Toyota in light of the crisis they’re in these days so we figure that we’d – for once – commend them for this rather cutesy and upbeat ad for the 2010 Toyota Camry Hybrid, which was built in Australia.

Taking its cue from (500) Days of Summer – yes, we loved that movie! – this Toyota ad sees a man who, despite the rather monotonous nature of his work, still finds it to appreciate the niceties that life – and a Toyota Camry Hybrid – affords.

Heck, we even have a full slate of gymnasts, acrobats, and cannonballs to accentuate the jollies of driving a Camry Hybrid.

Video: Toyota's 'Everyday Amazing' ad is a breath of fresh air for the brand originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 26 February 2010 10:00 EST.

read more

After the German tuners from TechArt revealed their plans for a fully customized Panamera, the luxury specialists at Lumma Design decided that they could do the new four door sports car one better with their own high performance design study based on Porsche’s latest grand tourer.

While the Porsche Panamera is already an attractive vehicle from the factory, the Lumma Design model is a much sleeker sports car thanks to the stretched front end, deep dish 22 inch rims and the oversized rear wing. The Lumma Panamera will also have enough grunt to back up the super car looks. The German design team are planning for the Panamera to have no fewer than 700 HP coming from a modified turbocharged Porsche V8 under the hood, hence the CLR 700 GT writing down the side like a classic Carrera.

TechArt maintained the majority of the factory’s bodylines, only accentuating the new muscular figure, however Lumma Design is going above an beyond with an aggressive wide body kit to transform the Panamera into a true GT race car. The redesigned aero package consists of bold fender flares, sleek side skirts, restyled bumpers with larger openings and a more pronounced down force inducing front lip. The hood is also another race car part, judging from the sketch it looks like it will be made out of carbon fiber and feature quite a few engine bay temperature reducing vents. While most owners should be content with their fast four door sport sedans but there will always be a few willing to take their rides to the next level, and this rendering from Lumma Design would make a perfect starting place.

Updated 26/02/2010: Lumma Design revealed new images and official details on the CLR 700 GT. The car will be presented at Geneva Motor Show.

Porsche Panamera CLR 700 GT by Lumma Design originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 26 February 2010 09:30 EST.

read more

It’s not uncommon to see a Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 along the streets of Europe or in the Middle East and seeing one in those parts of the world isn’t enough to make us raise our eyebrows.

But this particular video did just that because it was shot cruising the streets of Angola. Yes, that Angola; the very same Angola that has seen countless civil protests and unrest since gaining independence from Portugal back in 1975. To be fair though, Angola has turned itself around in recent years thanks in large part to an economic boom that has seen it rise above its war-stricken neighbors to become the second largest oil producer in African and the biggest supplier in China.

Continued after the jump.

Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 spotted in Angola originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 26 February 2010 08:30 EST.

read more

Straighten out your bank accounts, fellas. Lexus has officially announced the US pricing for the LF-A supercar. The magic number to bring home one of the most eagerly-anticipated supercars in recent memory is $375,000, and if you have that kind of money to spare for an LF-A, you also avail for yourself the privilege of choosing between 3 different configurations, 30 exterior colors, six brake caliper colors, and 12 interior colors.

The Lexus LFA is powered by a 4.8-liter V10 engine that generates 552 hp at 8,700 rpm and 354 lb.-ft. of peak torque at 6,800 rpm. The engine is mated to a unique six-speed Automated Sequential Gearbox (ASG) with paddle shifters that enables ultra-quick gear shifts (0.2 seconds) with four driving modes – AUTO, SPORT, NORMAL and WET for exceptional versatility.

The supercar accelerates from 0 to 60 in 3.6 seconds and achieves a top speed of 202 mph. Production is set to begin in December of this year so that should give all of you ample time to ring up your piggy banks and save as much money as you can because chances are, when you do buy an LF-A, you’re going to need as much of what’s left in your account for, you know, the rest of your life.

Press release after the jump.

Lexus LFA Supercar priced at $375,000 originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 26 February 2010 02:30 EST.

read more

Ken Block’s Rally American season got off on a wrong foot after he failed to even make it to the finish line in the season’s inaugural race but if his past performances at the 100 Acre Woods Rally are any indication, you could say that Block will bounce back rather nicely in the next race.

The American rally car is aiming to bag his fifth victory at the event this weekend and this video of him dusting off his new Ford Fiesta Moster World Rally with navigator Alex Gelsmino - he’s a chatty fellow, isn’t he? - at a ranch near 100 Acre Woods shows that he‘s about as ready as ready can be to get down and dirty over muddy gravel this weekend.

Ken Block takes practice run for 100 Acre Woods Rally originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 26 February 2010 02:27 EST.

read more

General Motors has apparently gotten used to the age old adage, “if there’s no drama, then it isn’t worth the price of admission”. We’re telling you this because, as it turns out, Hummer, which was on the brink of the guillotine after GM’s impending sale of the brand to Tengzhong fell through, may just have found new life.

According to the Wall Street Journal, two prior bidders for Hummer have stepped up to the plate in the hopes of saving the All-American SUV from the dust bin. The Wall Street Journal didn’t go on record as to say which two suitors have renewed their chase for Hummer, but it sure is worth pointing that this whole situation is eerily reminiscent of the whole General Motors-Saab-Spyker soap opera, which by the way, wasn’t made official until early this week.

Whether or not these two supposed ‘old’ suitors of Hummer have anything to offer to GM to make them consider selling it, it sure is going to be a very interesting few weeks for all the parties involved. But at the end of the day, Hummer has only two places to go. Either it follows Saab to salvation or it goes follows the bread crumbs left behind by the recently-deceased Saturn and Pontiac.

Keep it here and we’ll update you as soon as more information becomes available.

General Motors not yet ready to ax Hummer; takes a look at two previous bidders for the brand originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 25 February 2010 16:00 EST.

read more

You may remember the Honda CR-Z hybrid when it made an appearance last January at the Detroit Auto Show?

Well, even if the car is not on sale yet, Mugen is nevertheless preparing a new customization program that should - at least in theory - make the car look better than it already is despite the engine remaining relatively unchanged.

Among the new exterior modifications the CR-Z hybrid is expected to come in includes an exterior package highlighted by front and rear aprons, a large roof-mounted wing, side skirts, rear diffuser, a new grille with LED daytime running lights and a variety of 17-inch alloy wheel designs.

The CR-Z hybrid’s interior also gets a modification of its own courtesy of a new carbon fiber mirror, unique gear lever knobs and floor mats.

Honda CR-Z Hybrid Coupe by Mugen originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 25 February 2010 15:00 EST.

read more

To a lot of us, the name "Hispano Suiza" sounds more like the name of a high-flying Mexican wrestler. But if you know you’re auto history, then you probably recognize that name as a very famous luxury automotive and engineering firm back in the ’20s.

80 or so years later, that very same name will once again be brought to our attention as it makes an appearance at the Geneva Motor Show in about a weeks time. If you’re wondering what it is that we’re talking about, the new Hispano Suiza is a 750 horsepower supercar that is set to go on sale this summer at an impressive price of 700,000 euro ($950,000).

The Hispano Suiza is powered by a 5.2 liter V10 Supercharged engine that delivers the staggering 750 horsepower through a 4-wheel drive system. The supercar sprints from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.4 seconds while top speed will go up to 206 mph. Very, very impressive - to say the least.

Stay tuned for more details!

Hispano Suiza supercar coming to Geneva Show originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 25 February 2010 14:00 EST.

read more

General Motors’ sale of Hummer to Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machines Co. Ltd. is dead and as a result GM has decided to just wind down the brand.

After months of negotiations, the agreement between Tengzhong and GM stalled because of a multitude of reasons, including poor sales of Hummer and the fact that the sale would go against the country’s increased efforts in curbing gas-guzzling vehicles in favour of more eco-friendly cars. The deal with Tengzhong was supposed to save Hummer from folding, which was what GM initially planned to do if it couldn’t find a partner to buy the brand.

Continued after the jump.

Hummer sale goes dead; GM to wind down brand originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 25 February 2010 11:00 EST.

read more

Rumors of an F version for the Lexus GS sedan first appeared in 2007. After a while, it seemed that the rumors began to die down and it wasn’t until just last year that word began to spread that there may be in fact, an F version of the Lexus GS and that it would receive the same V10 engine as the Lexus LF-A sports car.

Now, it becomes official: Lexus has officially announced the GS-F sedan, which will be launched in 2013, will come with a detuned version of the LFA’s 4.8-litre V10. The next year Lexus will also unveil a new SC model.

For the GS-F, the engine’s capacity will be reduced by around 200cc to 4.6 liters and power to 450bhp, making it the most powerful road-going Japanese saloon ever built. Another novelty for the sedan will be Toyota’s first torque vectoring differential. Similar to the diff used on BMW’s M cars and the likes of the X6 SUV, the ‘torque split unit’ actively apportions drive between the rear wheels to aid handling. In addition to that, a similar system is also expected to be fitted to the new SC.

Lexus prepares GS-F sedan for 2013 originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 25 February 2010 10:00 EST.

read more

In a country like Singapore, the Chinese New Year is a pretty big deal so much so that everybody comes out of their houses in their best garb and eats at the fanciest of restaurants while driving the most exotic of cars. Care to venture a guess as to where were going with this?

One of the most important parts of the Chinese New Year in Singapore is the ‘Lou Hei’ Dinner and for this year, the ‘Lou Hei’ Dinner at the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Singapore was well-attended by the haves and the have-mores and as this video will tell you, these people have some pretty sick and nasty rides. A host of Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Maseratis all flocked that Mandarin Hotel and the number of supercars became so big that a lot of them were forced to find parking in the hotels underground car park.

Check out the video to see a parade of some of the fastest and most expensive cars in the world trying to find a parking space at the Mandarin Oriental in Singapore.

Video after the jump.

Supercars parade in Singapore to celebrate Chinese New Year originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 25 February 2010 09:30 EST.

read more

Tanner Foust is no stranger to posting drift videos at the Internet. Actually, he does them just about all the time. So it didn’t come as a surprise to any of us that Mr. Foust himself is starting a new drift series sometime in March.

Driving his trusty rear-drive V8-powered Scion tC, Foust’s first teaser video of his new Street Drift Series sees him making a smoking drift – and in slow mo, no less – across out computer screens with the words ‘Street Drift: Mulholland’ bonking up the entire screen shortly thereafter.

We’ve seen a lot of Tanner Foust’s drift videos over the years but we still can’t help but get all geeked up for his new drift series. Maybe – and we’re keeping our fingers crossed – we can see more of those slow-mo drifts in the future with lots and lots of smoke.

Video: Teaser of Tanner Foust's Mulholland Street Drift Series originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 25 February 2010 09:00 EST.

read more

This is what driving while intoxicated does to you and for the most part, you probably won’t be as fortunate as this blubbering moron.

After having one too many cold ones, the driver of this Chevrolet Corvette was traveling at speeds of over 150 mph when he suddenly swerved across the road, hitting an Infiniti G35 in the process before taking a dive into the Boisa Chica Wetlands.

Both the Corvette and the G35 ended up taking a dive in the swamp but fortunately, the drivers managed to escape the accident without any major injuries. Despite having all his limbs virtually intact, the driver of the Corvette, 52-year old Melvin Brown, won’t be as lucky escaping the strong arm of the law as he was charged with driving under the influence.

People always remind us that drinking under the influence is never a good idea, yet somehow people still seem to abide by their own rules. It’s too bad that accidents like this need to happen before some people begin smarting up.

Corvette ZR1 crashes into Infiniti G35 originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 25 February 2010 07:00 EST.

read more

Citroen’s limited run DS3 Racing, an offspring of Citroen’s racing Division that’s in charge of producing the brand’s WRC rally cars, will make its debut at the Geneva Motor Show in a week’s time but Citroen has decided to try to create more buzz for the car by releasing a video clip of the car.

Looking a lot like one of those Hot Wheels toy cars, the DS3 is about as limited as limited can get with only 1,000 units being produced by Citroen. The car comes with a modified version of the 1.6-liter turbocharged engine that produces an output of around 200 hp. Incidentally, the engine is co-developed by BMW-PSA Citroen Puegeot where it is also found under the hood of the MINI Cooper JCW.

Check out the video to see Citroen Racing’s new pride and joy before it breaks cover in Geneva next week.

Video: Citroen releases first video of limited edition DS3 Racing originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 25 February 2010 05:00 EST.

read more