Nissan GT-R Makes North American Debut

The GT-R has landed. For the first time in the model's history, Nissan's sensational GT-R sportscar will be sold on US soil. And clearly for some - namely friend and industry colleague Ray Wert from Jalopnik - that news is just too hot to handle. Rear-ending aside, the GT-R is a 'multi-dimensional' performance vehicle - 'for anyone, at anytime, and anywhere' - debuted to North America at Los Angeles, post its Tokyo unveiling and ahead of the car's showroom debut in June next year.

Styled to perform, the functional design employs advanced aerodynamics which ooze what Nissan call the athleticism of a well-trained sportsman. Its aerodynamics produce a low drag coefficient of 0.27 but maintain high downforce across the car. The body is a hybrid of steel, carbon fibre and die-cast aluminium, with the new GT-R's platform utilising a world-first: independent rear transaxle all-wheel-drive coupled with a rear-mounted transmission and final drive for optimum weight distribution and handling abilities.

Having achieved a famed Nürburgring Nordschleife lap time of 7:38, one of the fastest laps by a production vehicle to date, the GT-R is a performance machine whose spec sheet statistics add up on the track. The new Nissan pumps out 480 horsepower and an estimated 430 lb-ft of torque from its all-new 3.8-litre twin turbo V6 engine and is mated to an all-new paddle-shift sequential 6-speed gearbox. And yet it still manages to meet ultra low emission vehicle standards.

In the cabin, optimal driving position is provided by the specially-sculpted performance bucket seats while a cockpit-style instrument panel and centre-mounted tachometer and muti-function display provide driving feedback. A 'set-up switch' allows for control over transmission shifts, shock absorbers and the car's Vehicle Dynamic Control system. With three settings - Normal, Comfort or R for ultimate handling - settings can be optimised according to driver requirements.

Pricing for the North American-marketed GT-R was also unveiled, with prices starting from $69,850 for the base model and $71,900 for the Premium model, which includes heated seats, side air bags and an 11-speaker Bose sound system.

New MINI Cooper S by AC Schnitzer

Premiering alongside a host of new and exciting models from AC Schnitzer at next month's specialist Essen Motor Show will be the German tuning firm's re-working of the new MINI Cooper S. Described as taking the cult car to new levels of finesse, the AC Schnitzer MINI gleams with a number of special sports developments from performance upgrades and an athletic body kit to sports suspension enhancements and exclusive interior detailing. This is a MINI truly worthy of its stripes.

Focusing on developing a suitable performance upgrade for the new car, AC Schnitzer have taken the new 175 hp unit from the new MINI Cooper S and upped power to 220 hp. 'Running rings around the present car's suspension' is that of the new AC Schnitzer suspension, both developed and tested on the Nurburgring by touring car legend Manfred Wollgarten.

From the track to the city, the new MINI by AC Schnitzer is a car insisted to ooze athleticism from the reflections in high-flying city buildings. This striking 'athletic face' is made so by a new front bumper design, incorporating body-coloured components and the strong, pointed corners of a new front spoiler. A choice of high-quality classic AC Schnitzer 17" or bi-colour 18" alloys is available, fitted with high-performance Michelin or Continental tyres.

At the rear, style takes just as much precedence with a new body-coloured rear skirt and diffuser - helping the AC Cooper S stay firmly on the tarmac. A twin sports silencer and chromed racing tailpipe is both stylish and produces a loud and clear soundtrack.

From a stylish, performance-led exterior, the interior offers a wealth of equally-stylish, matching accessories. Splashes of aluminium adorn the cabin, with an aluminium handbrake handle, gear shift knob, foot rest and pedal set, as well as AC Schnitzer-branded velour mats. And for the ultimate AC Schnitzer MINI enthusiasts, a host of stationary, posters and various other paraphernalia is available.

Stay tuned for more news on AC Schnitzer and their new MINI prior to and during December's Essen Motor Show - showcasing the very best tuned cars, classics, motorsport and car accessories for over 40 years.

Limited Edition Ford Focus ST500 Released

Ford Motor Company, in an apparent move to keep excitement for Focus loyalists in the U.K., has begun selling a new, limited edition tuned up Ford Focus ST. Only 500 editions of the new Ford Focus ST500 have been produced, and will only be available for sale in the United Kingdom.

Starting at £20,495 (US$42,700), the ST500 is powered by a five cylinder, 2.5 litre Duratec engine. The 20-valve engine churns out 221 horsepower at 6,100 rpm, and 236 ft-lb of torque at a scant 1,600 rpm. This is roughly the same power produced by the limited WRC edition of the Ford Focus ST, produced for the Swiss market earlier this year.

The ST500 comes with scarlet leather Recaro seats, matching upholstery, xenon headlights, auto-dimming rear view mirror, rain-sensing windshield wipers, solar-reflect windscreen, and ST500 badging almost everywhere. Outside, the metallic black car is graced with a silver hood (bonnet, for you Brits), and racing stripes inspred by the GT40's 1-2-3 finish at Le Mans in '66.

Over 13,500 Ford Focus ST models are on the street now, just two years since its introduction. Some of the hot hatch's success must come from the bragging rights associated with its 2006 WRC manufacturer's title, as well as its 2007 WRC table position, according to Ford (of course).

Press Release:

BRENTWOOD, Essex, 07 November, 2007 – Ford has announced the arrival of a new special edition of the high performance Focus ST. Called the Focus ST500, and priced from £20,495, it will be available to just 500 UK customers.

The Ford Focus ST500 is based on the top-of-the-range Focus ST3 with the addition of unique features. All models are finished in metallic black with classic silver bonnet, roof and side stripes which are designed to echo the livery of the winning GT40 in the 1-2-3 victory at Le Mans in 1966.

Power comes from the Focus ST's acclaimed 20-valve five-cylinder Duratec 2.5 engine, which develops 225PS at 6,100rpm and 320Nm of torque at just 1,600rpm. Since its introduction in 2005, the Focus ST has established itself as one of the finest "hot hatchbacks" ever made and received critical acclaim from the specialist media and enthusiast customers alike.

With sales of over 13,500, the Ford Focus ST is now firmly positioned as the most sought after performance hatchback in the UK, and reflects the motorsport success of the all-conquering Focus RS WRC, which saw Ford take the 2006 WRC manufacturer's title, and which currently heads the 2007 World Rally Championship.

Included in the Focus ST500's unique specification are scarlet leather Recaro sports seats and matching upholstery, special ST500 badging, automatic Xenon high-intensity headlamps, auto-dimming rear view mirror, rain-sensing wipers and solar-reflect windscreen.

Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR

The tenacious gents over at Autoblog.com have busted through with official info of the new Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR (American Club Racer) just ahead of its public debut in a few days at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Not since 1999 has the Viper been outfitted with a street-legal track car package. The 2008 Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR will arrive in showrooms in the second quarter of 2008 at a MSRP of less than $100,000. Complete pricing information will be released at a later date.

Like any track car, one of the the core objectives is to save weight. And Dodge have done so by concentrating on three areas. The first area focused on unsprung suspension components by using StopTech cross-drilled and slotted brake rotors combined with the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup Tires and Sidewinder lightweight forged aluminum wheels. The second area of weight savings was found in the use of carbon fiber aerodynamic components such as an adjustable front splitter and rear wing which was sculpted by using CFD (Computational Fluid dynamics). Both of these areas combined are good for a weight savings of 40 pounds. The third area of savings is found in the optional “Hard Core” package which trims an additional 40 pounds of fat by deleting the audio system, fog lamps, underhood insulator padding, trunk carpet, tire inflater as well as the door speakers replaced with carbon fiber panels. The total combined weight loss is a massive 80 pounds.

No changes are made to the already potent 600hp 8.4-liter aluminum V10, however, the suspension receives KW coilovers that are adjustable in ride height and dampening in addition to a new front stabilizer bar for increased front end stiffness and reduced body roll.

Toyota Supra Fast & Furious

The current owner (Craig Lieberman) purchased this 1994 Toyota Supra with 54,000 miles on the clock in June of 1998. Previously owned by a business-man, the car was totally unmodified when sold to the current owner. However, that was soon to change.

Immediately upon acquisition, the car underwent a host of modifications in the interest of using the car for advertising and promotion. Companies such as GReddy, Eibach, Stillen, Clarion and NOS were all participants in this project. The first round of modifications included new candy yellow paint, 18” wheels/tires, a mild sound system upgrade and some body kit components, plus engine detailing. The car then toured the show circuit, doing quite well. At least 6 major magazine features were done on the car. Over that winter, the car underwent its’ next round of modifications. The Supra was treated to custom spec T-66 turbo done by Vinny Ten, owner of the world’s fastest Supra. Nitrous Oxide Systems installed a custom NOS system, GReddy installed some of their trick components and Stillen installed their Formula 1 AP Racing brakes. Custom interior touches were added as well as a new audio/video system comprised of three TV monitors, a VCR, a DVD, PlayStation and custom neon glasswork, courtesy of AudiOptions. The engine was completely detailed, chromed and polished. All of the performance modifications received inspection and final tuning by a Toyota-engineer specializing in Supra Turbo engines and performance applications. The car then completed in the First Annual “Ultimate Street Car Challenge,” a grueling drag race, autocross and car show, all in one weekend. The car took 1st Place Overall. The car also began to tour the show circuit for the balance of 1999. Its crowning achievement was the receipt of the prestigious “Meguiar’s Hottest Car of the Year” award in 1999. The car also won Best of Show in numerous events around the country, scored several first place finishes and has even received features on KABC and KTLA local news broadcasts. But the best was yet to come.

In the Spring of 2000, the car was spotted by recruiters for Universal Pictures and was selected to be the primary car for the upcoming blockbuster, “The Fast and The Furious.” Universal rented the car and began to alter its appearance for an even more aggressive look. Lamborghini orange paint was applied (the only car in the movie to receive an actual high-quality paint job), as was a new Bomex body kit (the first of its kind, imported from Japan). New 19” wheels were added, as well as a new rear wing, a new TRD hood and some one-off Troy Lee graphics. The studio then set out to build 5 cosmetic replicas, shown in various stages of completion, all designed to replicate this original. All replicas were destroyed during the filming of the movie. This Supra is the primary car in the movie… the movie features the car extensively. This particular car was driven by one of the stars, Paul Walker and was used for all the glamour and close-up shots. Stunt replicas were used for all the abusive driving. Upon completion of the motion picture, the car was returned to the owner with no damage, having been carefully protected by the film’s Transportation Managers. Numerous 8” x 10” photos were provided to the owner showing the car in action during the movie, as was a host of other souvenirs. The owner also served as Technical Advisor on the picture and provided dialog assistance for the script.

The car then appeared at the Hollywood Premier in June of 2001 where a stage was built for the car at the Press Junkets which ran about the same time. The car has appeared in over 200 US newspapers and more than 500 foreign newspapers and dozens of domestic and international publications. International release was scheduled for September of 2001. In the interim, the car is touring the show circuit on behalf of Universal Pictures to promote the movie. As of this writing, more than 20 magazines on three continents have shot the car with 6 covers to its credit. The car has been carefully prepared, serviced and maintained throughout the last two years and while making its show appearances. It is sure to be a collector’s item, with its value placed at over $150,000. The car currently is actually driven and it has almost 60,000 miles on it and still retains the A/C, tilt, cruise and full amenities. It has always been garaged, is hand polished weekly and is totally reliable. It is never raced or abused. Careful attention was paid to every detail as to ensure the utmost reliability.

Engine/Performance

$7200 Turbonetics T-66 ball bearing turbo, Q-trim compressor, built by Performance Factory
$550 Turbonetics Delta II Wastegate
$1800 RPS Stainless steel/HTC coated custom header
$1275 100 HP Nitrous Oxide System, by NOS
$350 AEBS TurbDownpipe
$1590 Greddy front mount intercooler
$795 Greddy Power Extreme exhaust system
$450 Greddy Pro-Fec B Boost Controller
$320 Greddy Power Pulleys
$795 Greddy Oil Cooler Kit
$350 Greddy TurbTimer
$520 Greddy Boost, EGT, Oil Pressure and Water Temp gauges
$300 Greddy Airinx Intake
$400 Greddy steering wheel-mounted boost remote control device
$390 Greddy Cam Gears
$425 APEXi Blowoff valve
$1100 HKS Vein Pressure Converter
$550 HKS Graphic Control Computer
$440 HKS Injector Pulse Monitor
$1110 G-Force Engineering Racing ROM
$150 Hose Techniques Silicone hose kit
$650 Clutchmasters Stage III Racing Clutch
$500 Clutchmasters 11 lb. Billet Flywheel
$350 Powerhouse Racing ported/polished throttle body (traction control delete)
$2100 Powerhouse Racing cylinder head work (port/polish)
$750 Fluidyne aluminum radiator
$350 Flex-a-Lite dual electric fan kit
$3500 Chrome-plated valve cover, intake manifold, throttle body, turbocharger, turbo heat shield, auxiliary heat shield, fuse cover, relay cover, cruise control cover, ignition module cover and all brackets

Styling

$6200 Lamborghini DiablCandy Pearl Orange Paint, by Quigley’s in Lake Forest, Ca.
$1100 Bomex Front spoiler
$950 Bomex side/rear skirts
$1900 TRD Composite Hood
$250 1997 front turn signal updates
$1100 1997 headlight updates
$250 Underhood neon lighting system
$1100 HID Xenon gas headlight conversion
$550 APR Aluminum bi-plane rear wing
$1200 Custom Troy Lee Graphics by Modern Image 714 375 0591

Tires

$2200 Yokohama AVS S1 285/30 and 255/35 R19

Wheels

$4100 Dazz/Racing Hart M5 Tuners, 19 incher’s

Brakes

$3900 Stillen/AP Racing 14” front racing brakes, 6 piston caliper, w/slotted/drilled rotors

Transmission

$6200 Gertrag Six-Speed gearbox with Stillway sequential adapter

Suspension

$1400 Bilstein/Eibach coil-over suspension
$1100 Stillen sway bars
$450 CuscFront strut tower bar
$500 Energy Suspension urethane bushings all around

Interior

$850 Stitchcraft Viper blue suede upholstery
$1000 Brand NEW!! Sparc“Pista” Racing seats (15lbs.), custom matching fabric w/harness holes
$300 Carbon-fiber dashtrim by Trimmasters
$250 AutMeter 5” Monster Tach
$150 AutMeter “NOS ON” and “LOW OIL” warning lights
$150 G-Tech PrAccelerometer
$1500 MFS Custom built roll cage, chromed
$350 SparcSteering Wheel
$400 SparcHarnesses

In Car Electronics

$1900 Clarion VRX8271 in dash TV/CD Changer controller, remote controlled
$650 Clarion VMA6481 6” wide screen 2nd TV monitor in passenger airbag
$650 Clarion VMA9181 5.5” 3rd TV monitor in trunk area
$550 Clarion DSP9300 Digital Sound Processor, parametric EQ/Surround sound
$450 Clarion CDC 635 CD Changer
$400 Clarion SRS 1691 6 1” separates
$450 Image Dynamics 6” separates
$500 2 Image Dynamics 12” woofers
$1500 2 Phaze AudiTD1500 Tube Driver amplifiers
$1500 1 Phaze AudiTD475 Tube Driver amplifier
$150 Sony Playstation 1
$500 Sony Playstation 2/DVD
$700 Custom built electric-blue neon tubes for sound system back-lighting
$1100 Minolta 6450 VHS-C Camcorder
$8000 System design and fabrication by: AudiOptions, Torrance, Ca

Performance Statistics

544 Horsepower @ 6,800 rpms
Maximum engine speed: 7,770 rpms
0-60 in 4.3 seconds
0-100 in 9.2 seconds
1 mile in 12.2 seconds at 115 mph
Top speed: 185 mph
Skidpad: 0.98 g’s
Slalom time: 65 mph
Curb weight: 3,601 lbs

Special Awards

• Greddy Special Recognition Award, April 2000
• 1st Place, Best of Show Grand Prize Winner, Meguiar’s Hottest Car in California, Feb 1999
• 1st Place, Best of Show Overall, Import Showoff, April 1999
• 1st Place, Japanese Exotic, NOPI Nationals, Sept 1999
• 1st Place, Ultimate Street Car Competition (Car Show, AutX and Drag Race), April 2000
• 1st Place, Best Toyota, Import Rama, August 1999
• 1st Place, Best Toyota, BF Goodrich Import Nationals, April 2000
• 2nd Place, 2 Door Wild, Hot Import Nights, June 1999
• 2nd Place, Japanese Exotic, Import Showoff, May 1999
• 2nd Place Overall, EXC Class, Import Showoff EXC, April 2000
• 2nd Place Overall. EXC Class, Import Showoff EXC, Dec 2000
• 3rd Place Overall, EXC Class, Import Showoff EXC, May 1999

Media Exposure

• The Fast and the Furious (aka Redline), the movie. Star’s car, main car in movieChannel 2 News, KCBS, LA AutShow coverage, January 7, 2001
• Channel 7 News, KABC LA AutShow coverage, January 7, 2001
• SEMA News, October 1998
• Turbo, March 1999
• Turbo, August 1999
• Super Street, Jan 1999
• OpGezet, May 1999
• Street Legal Imports, Volume 1, Issue 02
• MAXSpeed, March 1999
• MAXSpeed, August 1999
• Super Street Poster, December 1999
• Performance AutSound, July 1999
• MAXPower, February 2000
• Cover car, www.vehiclelighting.com
• Feature car, www.autobuzzz.com
• Feature car, www.overboost.com
• Channel 5 News, KTLA, Feb 21, 1999
• Channel 7 News, ABC, Feb 21, 1999
• Super Street, June 2000
• MAXPower UK, August 2000
• Hose Techniques ad car, 2000 issues of Super Street, Turbo, MAXPower
• MAXPower US, June 2000
• KTLA Channel 5 Awards Ceremony, Feb 8, 2001
• Overboost.com feature, January, 2001
• SEMA Int’l AutSalon, Feb 10-11, 2001Universal Press Junket, June 2001
• Redline Magazine, UK, June 2001
• Import Racer, June, 2001
• SDStreetRacing.com Videfeature, April 2001
• MAXPower UK, July 2001
• Bomex ads, starting June 2001
• AutMax Magazine, Spain, June 2001
• MAX GT Magazine, France, June 2001
• R-Toyz.com feature, April 2001
• ESPN2 coverage from NIRA, April 2001
• OpGezet, Belgium, June 2001
• Option Magazine, France, July 2001
• Redline Magazine, UK, August 2001
• MAXPower UK, Cover, August, 2001
• LA Performance & Style, Japan, August, 2001
• Fast & Furious movie posters
• Fast & Furious lapel buttons
• Fast & Furious calendars
• Fast & Furious mini-posters
• LA Times feature, June 5th, 2001
• Hot Compact Cars & Imports Magazine, August 2001
• Cover and 4 page spread of Super Street Magazine, June 2001
• Attended the Hollywood Movie Premier of “The Fast and The Furious”, June 18, 2001 Featured on more than 100 local and national news broadcasts between June 22 and present
• Dateline NBC July 8, 2001