Saturday, December 31, 2011

Toyota GT-86 shows its capabilties and heritage in new promo

Compilation video of the Toyota GT-86 sports car.
The footage is significant as it not only features clips of the GT-86 undergoing development testing but also shows the vehicle with its earliest descendant. From the Nürburgring and winter testing to historical footage and racing with Team Gazoo, the video is quite encompassing for only being 2:44.
But perhaps the most significant is the footage of the GT-86 with its earliest ancester, the Sports 800. Featuring the first ever Targa top and an 800cc 2-cylinder boxer engine with 45 hp (34 kW), the Sports 800 was Toyota's first example of a production sports car which hit the market in 1965.
Undoubtedly, TMC has come a long way since, but the video is a clear example of how important a role the GT-86 plays in boosting the brands image which has taken a beating in the past few years.

TopCar's Latest Styling Kit for the Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG

In a departure from their usual BMW and Porsche focus, TopCar has now turned their attention to the new Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG. 
TopCar has been known for their styling packages for brands such as BMW and Porsche. And now the Russian tuning firm has released these new pictures of their first effort in styling a Mercedes-Benz.The redesigned 2012 ML63 AMG was chosen for obvious reasons, considering the new design is striking. The new wide body kit includes a restyled front bumper fascia with LEDS, flared fenders, side skirts, door skin panels, flared quarter panel wheel arches, and a rear bumper fascia.
Interestingly, the quad exhaust pipes are factory original, but TopCar did remove the roof rails in order to create a cleaner look. Nothing has been changed under the hood, wherein lies a 5.5-liter turbocharged V8 with 518hp.The final result, in our opinion, looks good, especially with those sculpted door panels. No official pricing or timing of availability was announced.

Video: Best Supercar Sounds of 2011

Nothing makes a grown man more giddy with childish excitement than the sounds of a V8 blowing through the wind.
You can never really appreciate a supercar until you hear the roar of its engine as it accelerates to 60mph, 100mph, and beyond; or when it snaps and snarls on a downward gear change upon approaching a corner.

From guttural soundtracks of Lamborghnis and Ferraris to the distinctive notes of Porsche, McLaren and Mercedes-Benz, we can never get enough of these sexy sounds.Perennial Youtube video maker SpotterGijs has collected footage from the Nurburgring, Gumball 3000 and other locations around the globe he took over the past year and put together this succinct video and we applaud him for his efforts. Keep up the good work in 2012.

Blue Chrome Wrapped Porsche Cayenne Gives Us Festive Cheer

This sparkly-blue Porsche Cayenne is like a life-size novelty Christmas decoration. 
A color that's more appropriate for the baubles and tinsel currently adorning Christmas trees around the world, blue chrome has been used by Czech company Tintekaka WrapStyle for this Porsche Cayenne.Love it or hate it, the finish is strikingly unique and requires up to five days' work to complete. A chrome vinyl Camaro SS is one of the company's previous projects, and customers can choose between eight chrome colors including gold, orange and violet for a cool $10,000.
Painted wheels and ice blue LED lights complete the Cayenne's new look; something that is becoming quite sought-after both in Europe and the US. It's only a matter of time before we see a chrome violet Veyron take to the streets.

BMW 5-Series F10 by Prior Design

An unassuming aero kit for the new 5-Series sedan has been unveiled by the German tuning outfit. 
Prior Design has unveiled its new body kit for the F10 BMW 5-Series, creating more exclusivity as opposed to enhancing the aggressive facade.Significant changes are to be found at the rear, where a quad exhaust system has been added, set in a similar fashion to the M3 toward the rear bumper's center. A front spoiler, rear apron diffuser, matching side skirts, new lightweight alloys and carbon-fiber roof edge spoiler complete this particular package, with a more dramatic project for the F10 almost certainly in the pipeline.

nfiniti G37 Black Bison Edition by Wald International

Japanese tuning maestros return with another impressive package, this time for the Infiniti sedan.Wald International goes against the tuning grain in Japan with their conservative 'ricing' projects. As most tuner cars here are well overdone, the vehicles turned over by Ward are subtle and distinctive and their latest creation, the Black Bison Infiniti G37, is no different.Black Bison packages have been seen on the Mercedes-Benz CLS and S63 AMG, Bentley Continental GT, Maserati Quattroporte and Jaguar XJ X350, and they never fail to impress.
With the Infiniti G37, Wald has done another great job, adding a complete aerodynamic kit including carbon-fiber side skirts, a black paint job (naturally), blackened out grilles and logos, an ultra-subtle dual-edged rear spoiler, and a quad exhaust system.A new sport suspension kit lowers the car and a choice of wheels is available, from five- to multi-spoke alloys in a choice of shades and sizes maxing out at 20-inches.Interior modifications, pricing and availability aren't yet known but it's likely to remain exclusive to the Japanese market.

Dakar 2012: Can Robby Gordon Win In South America?

The dangerous and grueling marathon rally starts on New Year’s Day with no clear favorite to win. 
Just a few years ago it looked as if the greatest motoring adventure on earth, the Dakar Rally, was doomed.In 2008 it was cancelled the day before the start due to safety concerns, after armed groups at the Western Sahara threatened to attack competitors on their way to the Somali capital.It wasn't the first time that Rally organizers faced such threats though that time, with Al Qaeda involvement mooted, the organizers decided to call it a day.
The marathon rally, which dates back to 1979, seemed to be at the end of the road. However, a year later it was resurrected, though no more in North West Africa, but on South American soil.
Three years on and it looks as if transferring the rally far away from its natural environment was a risk worth taking. And as some African nations have lost an important revenue source, the South Americans have benefited from a great spectacle they hadn't seen since the 1930s when the great road races took place on their continent. And of course, they've benefited from all of the revenue it's brought.
On January 1st 2012, the 34th edition of the Dakar (including the cancelled one) and the fourth South American edition, will kick-start from Argentina's Mar del Plata on the Atlantic Ocean, in the direction of Chile and then Peru, where it will conclude 14 days later on the shore of the Pacific Ocean.In those 15 days, the 159 car crews are expected to travel 5,206 miles of which 2,586 miles are divided into 14 competitive stages. As with every Dakar, it's going to be a grueling experience for everybody who will have the courage and the resources to show up to the starting line. The difficulties and dangers of the Dakar are evident from the huge number of fatalities that have afflicted it in the 33 editions as more than 50 people, participants, mechanics or bystanders, have been killed.Last year four people died, among them a female spectator, two mechanics in two separate electrical incidents, and a driver. Many other motorsport events would have been cancelled under such circumstances.The Dakar, however, is different. The range of cars that will take to the starting line on New Year's Day will be relatively limited.

After the withdrawal of last year winners, Volkswagen Motorsport, only BMW Group with its MINI project will bring a manufacturer's effort to the event. That leaves the door open for crews driving Toyotas and Hummers, that don't enjoy manufacturer support, to challenge MINI for the overall victory.

The main contenders will come from three teams: Robby Gordon Speed which will run a Hummer 3, Team Overdrive Racing that will run a Toyota Hi-Lux V8, and Team X-Raid that will run the All 4Racing MINI. Last year's winner, Qatari driver Nasser Al-Attiyah, secured his spot with the Robby Gordon team only at the end of October.
"The idea of not doing the Dakar was terrible," he said. "After Volkswagen's withdrawal I was bothered because I really wanted to defend my title. I looked for new solutions and I knew I needed a different challenge. I didn't want to drive a car similar to the one I won with. The best solution for me would be to drive the two-wheel drive Team Gordon Hummer. I also looked at this year's route and I said to myself that this car can do well."
The Hummer poses a new driving challenge for him as well as his teammate, NASCAR driver Robby Gordon, who became enamored with events like the Baja and Dakar.
He will also try hard to improve on his best result so far, 3rd place back in 2009, in his seventh consecutive Dakar. "Last year, the Dakar was an agonizing defeat for me," said Gordon. "Dropping out on stage four was not only a bitter pill to swallow but more importantly an embarrassment. We are very focused for this new edition. In order to win, you need to be on the limit. The goal will be to win. We are going to do our best."South African driver Giniel de Villiers, winner of the first South American event back in 2009, will drive a Toyota Hi-Lux pickup powered by a 4.6-liter V8 with 350 horsepower that will be prepared by Imperial Toyota of South Africa."Last year was a struggle," said de Villiers. "After Volkswagen's pull-out I had little time to organize a program for 2012. Fortunately, I had begun talks with Toyota in South Africa and we've been successful in putting a project together. It's very exciting because the car has great potential. We tested the car in Namibia. We're not yet at the level of the Volkswagen, but we're not far."
Stephane Peterhansel, the Frenchman who won the event a record seven times, five of them riding motorcycles, and two times in cars, will lead the MINI team's effort with the MINI 4All Diesel. The car was designed by BMW Motoren GmbH in Steyr, Austria.
It is powered by a twin-turbo 3.0-liter diesel that generates over 315 horsepower at 4,000 rpm and a top speed of 112 mph. Last year the car failed to reach the finish line when BMW also supported an X3 that finished fourth overall in Peterhansel's hands. This year the MINI is the sole BMW representative, so winning the event is essential."Ever since the Dakar has been held in South America, we have been a lot less lucky, but it has nothing to do with the terrain," said Peterhansel. "It does make me want to get my revenge and it pushes me to be even more attentive to all aspects. This year we made the car a lot better.



We won in Abu Dhabi but we experienced some problems on the Silk Way Rally with a fuel system problem. But everything that didn't work right has been repaired and we found the solutions."
Because of Volkswagen's withdrawal this year, it is not easy to predict who is going to prevail on the varied train across the South American continent. In Africa, the great difficulty was with the Sahara and its unending high sand dunes.In South America, there are also desert sections; however, there are also muddy roads, rocky hills, and high mountains to climb; a mix that makes Dakar, once again, the greatest adventure on earth.

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Video: The Porsche Festival Arrives in St. Petersburg, Russia

Porsche's popularity and sales continue to increase every year throughout Russia. Without a doubt, Porsche is on a roll in the global market. Despite the recession that began back in 2008, the German automaker has reported solid sales and ever growing popularity throughout the world (for those who can afford them).And now the company has recently posted this video showcasing the first Porsche Festival to take place in St. Petersburg, Russia. Claiming they have over 400 clients, it's obvious that Porsche has quite a few fans of all ages in the historic Russian city.
In celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Russian Porsche Festival, the automaker unveiled the Panamera Turbo S and had test drives for the new Cayman R.

They also had track drives for some of the brand's classic motorsport models. Since the spring of 2001, thousands of Porsches have been sold in Russia and there's no doubt that sales will continue to meet or exceed expectations in the country.

2012 Toyota Land Cruiser 200 Refreshed for Japanese Market

Toyota has officially revealed its latest Japan-only Land Cruiser 200, which more than likely previews the next global model. 
Take a look at the refreshed version of the Land Cruiser 200, recently unveiled to the Japanese market, as the majority of changes are more than likely to feature on the global variant.A boxier front bumper with new fog lamps has been added, the headlamps have been redesigned boasting integrated LED strips, while a revamped front grille gets chrome slats. New side view mirrors with turning signals, freshened tail lamp graphics and new 18- and 20-inch alloys complete the look.
Inside, the instrument panel's graphics have changed, there's an improved TFT screen flanked by the two main gauges, while the cabin benefits from new colors and trim materials.Technology upgrades include an updated Multi-Terrain Select system used to alter traction control and ABS settings for different driving conditions. 'Craw Control also features, ideal for low-speed off-roading on tricky terrain.Only a single engine option is on the table: a 4.6-liter V8 delivering 313hp and 339lb-ft of torque, mated to an automatic transmission and a 4WD system.Two special packages, namely the 'Luxury SUV' and 'Urban Sports,' add a number of exterior and interior bespoke styling elements, and are available in addition to the regular models; prices for which range from around $56,500 for the 5-passenger GX to $80,900 for the line-topping, 8-passenger ZX.Toyota made no comment about when the facelifted Land Cruiser will hit worldwide markets, but they'll most likely find their way to dealerships sometime next year.