Jeremy Clarkson picks Corvette ZR1 as best car of the year

Motoring personality and notorious Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson has been seen on camera many times commenting on the poor construction and design of American-built cars, but in a surprising development the outspoken Brit has chosen Chevrolet's Corvette ZR1 as his favorite car of the year. Followers of the Top Gear show will remember Clarkson bestowing a similar award on the lightweight Caterham R500 earlier this year for its ability to go faster around the Top Gear track than a Bugatti Veyron while costing 1/30th of its price. Corvette ZR-1

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Breckland updates Beira V8-powered Kappa roadster

General Motors' Kappa platform has been widely praised for its performance characteristics (if also found somewhat lacking in ergonomics), so its choice as the basis of a custom V8-swap is in many ways unsurprising. It is, however, sure to be inspiring with a 400hp Corvette engine under the hood of the 3,100lb (1,400kg) roadster. Breckland's Beira V8, as the car is called, was revealed earlier this year, but now serial sales of the heavily modified sports car are beginning to get underway. A few changes to the car's design have been made in the interim, reports Sweden's Auto Motor & Sport, including an updated front fascia, with widened and more aggressive air scoops to feed cooling and power to the 6.0L LS2 engine under its hood. With its excellent power-to-weight ratio, the car's builders promise a 0-62mph (100km/h) sprint time of under 5 seconds and a top speed of 155mph (250km/h) - electronically limited, of course. Kappa-based Breckland Beira V8 roadster

 

Facelifted Porsche Cayman and Boxster debut in L.A.

So far 2008 has been about the renewal and reinvigoration of Porsche's 911 lineup, with the highest-performance variants still to receive their dual-clutch PDK gearboxes and direct-injection upgrades. Next year will be an even bigger year for Porsche, however, as there are more updated 911 models due as well as the facelifted Cayman and Boxster The first official images and details for the 2010 Porsche Cayman and Boxster have now been revealed, just hours before the cars make their world debut at this week's Los Angeles Auto Show. Set to go on sale next year as 2010 models, the new Cayman and Boxster can be distinguished from the current models by their slightly revised headlights, tweaks to the air intakes, and the addition of LED tail lights. 2010 Porsche Cayman and Boxster

 

Lamborghini unveils Gallardo LP560-4 Spyder

Lamborghini has used this week's Los Angeles Auto Show to debut a brand new convertible version of its Gallardo LP560-4 supercar. Picking up the 'Spyder' name, the new open-top model faithfully copies the profile of the coupe despite feature an automatic folding soft-top. The roof mechanism uses a hydraulic pump and six-cylinders as well as an electric motor to lift or lower the roof, which takes about 20 seconds. With the roof closed, Lamborghini claims the new Gallardo LP560-4 Spyder will be able to safely reach a top speed of 324km/h. Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4

 

Lamborghini Murcielago styling kit from Japan’s LB Performance

Japanese tuning firm LB Performance is offering a stunning array of visual modifications for the Lamborghini Murcielago, designed to make the standard model take on the appearance of one of its more aggressive siblings, such as the LP640 or the new Reventon. While the paint schemes of these show cars may be a little extreme, the aero kits themselves actually appear to be quite handsome when bolted to the car. This allows customers to keep the clean look of the standard model, while still adding a touch of LP640 and Reventon aggression. LB Performance Lamborghini Murcielago styling kits

 

Power Enterprises developing Nissan GT-R twin-charger system

If the Nissan GT-R's 478 horsepower twin-turbo engine isn't powerful enough for you, the tuners at Power Enterprises has some hardware to put Godzilla over the top. PE has two kits available and a third coming to the Tokyo Auto Salon in January. The 35GTR 560 (as in 560 hp) kit features a PE P-Map ECU, PWR Air Impulse II air filters and an upgraded intake kit. The 35GTR 600 kit has the above upgrades, plus upgraded wastegate actuators and a Supersonic Titanium 89 mm exhaust. For those among the GT-R crowd that could simply never have enough power, Power Enterprises is also working on a twin-charger setup that adds twin superchargers to the mix. the Four Charger System adds a pair of Rotrex C30-94 superchargers to bump the power quotient to 650 ponies. More importantly, the superchargers should provide nearly limitless mid-range torque, making turbo lag a non-issue. We're guessing track day would be a hell of a lot of fun with that setup, and we'd imagine that a twin-turbo, twin-supercharged GT-R would sound something like Doc's time-traveling locomotive from Back to the Future. We'll be on the lookout for more twin-charger details closer to the Tokyo Auto Salon on January 9. [Source: GT-R Blog]

 

First Drive: Hurst HEMI Challenger

Hurst HEMI Challenger Cars-n-Coffee is a weekly gathering of automobilia in Irvine, California at Ford's former Premier Auto Group parking lot. Every Saturday morning from 6AM, Ferraris, Jaguars, Lamborghinis, Porsches, '50s hot rods, Mercedes, Camaros, you name it, rumble their way into the lot. On one recent overcast morning, Autoblog headed down to the dawn soiree, having been offered a drive in the Hurst HEMI Challenger. Although 6AM is closer to our bedtime than it is to reveille, we stayed up and paid a visit to the Challenger, hoping to find out if it had any hope of being a champion. Follow the jump for the story. Gallery: First Drive: 2009 Hurst Hemi Challenger

 

Ford GT tuning by GeigerCars.de

 

The Ford GT is a living legend. For those who have driven this car before it is hard to imagine what it means to gain 29 % more performance power. Its supercharged engine with an impressive 701 bhp/ 523kW producing a peak torque of 7407 in-lbs reaches a top speed of 211 mph. The engine's shear force gives you goose bumps and its deep base just about takes your breath away. With the tuning modifications carried out by GeigerCars.de the Ford GT really outdoes itself.   Munich's tuning specialists at GeigerCars.de converted the Ford GT 5.4 liter V8 engine entirely. A 3.3 liter serial compressor replaces the 2.3 liter compressor and the boost pressure was raised from 0.8 to 1.25 bar. The engine electronics were reprogrammed to calibrate the GeigerCars.de power components. Enlarged throttle valves and a sport air filter provide its eight cylinders with more circulation. The engine and transmission's cooling system are optimized to meet the needs of the Ford GT's expanded performance. With the first step on the gas this sports car instantly demonstrates what it is capable of: a true race car. From 0 to 62mph in 3.5 seconds With the tuning kit from GeigerCars.de the sprint from 0 to 62 mph takes just 3.5 seconds. The Ford GT can cover a quarter mile in 10.9 seconds. Its driving force is noticeable in first gear and does not let up - this car does not stop giving until reaching maximum speed at 211mph. Only the tire's loading limit bridle the engine's overwhelming power. Its top speed is limited electronically. The driving experience is acoustically enhanced with the installation of a high performance exhaust system from GeigerCars.de which accentuates the engine's solid sound. The Ford GT's powerful tailpipes have a diameter of 110 millimeters. Having removed the rear bumper the tailpipes impress in full view. Engine andsu spension design: a perfect complement Such immense force of acceleration is to be controlled with confidence. Optimum control in all situations is guaranteed by a GeigerCars.de specially designed adjustable suspension system. For optimal weight distribution of axle load between front and rear axles, the hydraulic shock absorbers can either be set in the impact or tow mode. Its suspension package lowers the Ford GT by up to 60 millimeters and brings its power onto the road. In turn, its unique thin silhouette and sporty proportions are brought out by the low rider. Controlling shear force with confidence Its high performance break system with monoblock brake calipers produced by GeigerCars.de is made for deceleration performance. Even at over 186mph the Ford GT breaks quickly and confidently. For quick acceleration and optimum control when taking curves GeigerCars.de combines impressive 245/35R 20 size tires and 9Jx20 light alloy wheels on the front axle and 325/30R 21 size tires and 11x21 wheels on the rear axle. Such distribution gives the car a safe grip even at fast cornering. The Ford GT's impressive outer appearance is completed with the addition of a Geigercars.de wheel set in black with stainless steel inlays. via[tuningnews]