1961 Aston Martin DB4 GT Coupe in Paris

Bonhams’ Paris Sale is shaping up quite nicely with this classic Aston Martin. 

A 1961 Aston Martin DB4 GT Coupe is going up for auction at the Bonhams' Paris Sale next month. This classic Aston previously won the Tour Auto Regularity Class in 2005 and should turn plenty of heads in France.The Aston Martin DB4 Coupe was launched at the London Motor Show in 1958 and a year later, the British company came back with their GT version. The DB4 GT included a new-at-the-time steel platform chassis with disc brakes. 

It featured a racing-developed twin-cam 6-cylinder powerplant. Its aluminum body was designed by Carrozzeria Touring from Milan. The beautiful GT was meant to show the Italians just how far British engineering had come and that they could match them at their own 'Gran Turismo game.'Back then, the DB4 GT put out a serious 302hp. This was a big increase over its standard variant's 240hp and with the added power, could hit a top speed of 153mph. It was timed from 0-60mph in 6.1 seconds and set a world record at that time for a 0-100mph sprint back to stop in just under 20 seconds.

1960 Corvette JRG Special Racer up for Auction

Coming up next month at the Bonham's auction in Paris is this fully restored Corvette JRG Special race car. 

Coming up next month at the Bonham's auction in Paris is this extremely unique 1960 Chevrolet Corvette 'JRG Special' Competition Coupe. It was built by Tom Falconer, who was also the author of "Original Corvette, 1953-1962" and was the judging chairman of the UK Chapter of the National Corvette Restorers Society.According to Bonham's, the car was raced in the early 1960s at various East Coast circuits. It started off as just another 1960 Vette with the optional '419' hardtop and no convertible hood.
In addition, the bumpers and hubcaps were removed. It pretty much was a typical 'B-Production' Sports Car Club of America weekend warrior and was likely driven to the circuits. Nor was it heavily modified.
In 1963, however, the Corvette Sting Ray was launched. It had an all-independent suspension, superior brakes, and better handling. In turn, it literally pushed aside the old live-axle Vettes in SCCA races and this JRG Special was retired from track service. Interestingly, it found a new career in drag racing. The JRG is also a sister car to the four white Corvettes that went to Le Mans in 1960 which performed quite well.

Moving ahead to 1989, the JRG was bought by another collector who found it laying in a back yard somewhere in Long Island, New York.The rear wheel arches had been cut in order to accommodate giant drag-racing tires. Although it sat for a few more years, a restoration was eventually planned and completed in just 12 months.Today, the JRG Special Corvette is as correct as it can be while still being safe to race. The wheels are original steels that are properly painted Roman Red. Power comes from a 4.7-liter cast-iron small-block V8 that was prepared by a Chevrolet race engine specialist.
All told, it can deliver 370hp at 7,000rpm using a single Holley four-barrel carburetor. The completed car was displayed for the first time at Goodwood in 2007 when it collected its FIA papers.In 2011, it was updated to UK road specs by adding legal lighting and a second race seat that made it eligible for international road endurance events. Bonham's is estimating it will sell for somewhere between €55,000 to €65,000.

Carlsson 2012 Smart Fortwo

Carlsson creates a terrific new Smart Fortwo.

Carlsson has made a habit out of tuning Smart cars. Their latest aftermarket program for the 2012 Smart Fortwo is an example of how practice makes perfect, as it's hard to see how much better a Smart Fortwo could look.

Starting with the exterior, Carlsson gave it an aerodynamic boost with plenty of lightweight pieces and a slick gray on white finish. It sits on a set of 17-inch lightweight alloy wheels. The tuners don't end their program there, however, as they have also created a solid performance kit to boost the minicar's power up a bit.

The CK10 performance kit involves an ECU revamp and a sports air filter. Power output is now measured at 112hp and 117 lb-ft of torque. Impressive numbers for a small city car.No pricing information has been released as of yet for the Carlsson Smart Fortwo city car.

BMW Unveils Refreshed 2013 X6

BMW's ultimate niche SUV receives its first refresh since it was first launched. 

As expected, BMW has just revealed official photos and details of their refreshed X6 SUV/Coupe/ what have you. Although we've never been the biggest fans of the X6's styling, we'll admit the refresh is a nice improvement.Set to arrive in dealerships later this year, the 2013 X6 continues on with the same 400hp 4.4-liter TwinPower turbocharged V8. The base 300hp 3.0-liter inline-six also remains and both are mated to an eight-speed automatic (which is also a carry-over from last year).

For those who opt for the M Performance Package, they'll be treated to some extra horsepower in each engine. The V8 receives an additional 40hp and 30lb-ft of torque and the inline-six is treated to 15 more ponies and 30lb-ft. The package also adds 20-inch alloy wheels, black chrome exhaust tips, unique M foot rests and door sills, stainless steel pedals, and optional Carbon Black metallic paint.But what perhaps gives the freshened X6 its most recognizable update is the new front- and rear-ends. The changes begin with the fog lights which have been moved slightly higher and are now further apart and also have matte-finish surrounds.BMW's trademark kidney grille also receives a refresh with new angles, bars, and styling. LED adaptive headlights are now offered as an upgrade from the standard Xenon lights. LEDs are now also at the rear-end.There are also several new exterior paint color options along with some new leather interior choices. Seating for four remains standard and the optional three-seat rear bench is also available. Official pricing hasn't been released, but we don't expect any major changes from the outgoing model.

Land Rover Defender Blaser Edition Unveiled in Germany

Nature lovers and hunters will take pleasure in this special edition Defender, which has been kitted out in lots of useful gear. 

Hunters have been storing their weapons and prized kills in Land Rover Defenders for years, so their shouldn't be too many raised eyebrows at the fact Land Rover Germany has collaborated with Blaser hunting rifles to offer the 'Blaser Edition' Defender.Limited to just 60 units, the special edition is based on the Defender 110S E double cab, and painted in Keswick Green featuring an expedition roof rack, trailer hitch, grille guard, electric winch, snorkel air intake and a rear spot light.
Inside, black leather seats with green stitching have the Argali logo embroidered in the headrests, and Blaser logos appear on the front doors and spare tire cover.A custom fitted gun case is the main attraction, built into the cargo area with the capacity for five rifles. Two drawers at the bottom can be used for housing ammunition and other equipment.Under the hood, Land Rover's latest 2.2-liter turbo diesel with particulate filter produces 122hp and 266lb-ft of torque. The Defender Blaser Edition will debut on 31 January in Dortmund, Germany, at the 'Jagd & Hund' (Hunter & Dog), Europe's largest hunting and fishing fare, and has been priced at 49,500 Euros.

T. Chin Renders the Cadillac ATS into a Hatchback and Wagon

Hatch and Wagon variants of the Cadillac ATS courtesy of the cats at Theophiluschin.
The Cadillac ATS stole the show at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show and rumors have been abound as to where Cadillac will go from there with their ground-breaking sedan. The car that was developed on the Nurburgring could make its way to the market in possible hatchback and station wagon forms, and the guys at Theophiluschin have jumped the gun as to what they could look like.Both renderings keep the ATS' distinctive front and the rears are pretty much self-explanatory.
The hatchback features a slick back-end while the wagon's is much more pronounced.Check out the renderings of the Cadillac ATS' cousins and let us know what you think about their vision of these variants.

Fan Video of the 2012 Nissan GT-R

ClashProduction has just released a new fan video of the 2012 Nissan GT-R.

A fan video good enough to be a commercial? That is exactly what the guys at ClashProduction have accomplished in their latest tribute video to the 2012 Nissan GT-R.

Godzilla was shot in Dubai in all its glory both on the road and in various other scenic locales.The 2012 Nissan GT-R (R35) looks stunning with all the beautiful backdrops of Dubai. The emirate is known to attract supercars and their loyal fans and this is just another example of how to show off your car for the world to see.

[Video] Suzuki ‘Sled’ Ad for the Super Bowl

Suzuki has released their Super Bowl ad early and here it is: “The Sled.”

Guys love the Super Bowl for the football. Chicks dig the commercials. Some guys dig commercials too, and that's cool and all but seriously, is Eli going to be Elite or is Tom Brady going to pull a Tom Brady and make it 4 rings?There is such a thing as a 2-minute warning, so during that time we will be checking out the 2012 Suzuki Kizashi sport sedan, featuring all-wheel-drive for those snowing excursions during the winter.

The new commercial, titled "The Sled," builds on Suzuki's "Wicked Weather" commercial which aired during last year's Super Bowl. I think this is a good time to play "Over/Under" as to whether or not the majority of Eskimos actually watch football or not. Last we heard, people from the Great White North loved soccer and curling.

[Video] Rhys Millen Plays Speed Golf with Hyundai Veloster

The man from the Antipodes uses his monstrous Veloster rally car to help him sink a hole in one.

Hyundai's latest humorous creation brings together Kiwi Rally sensation Rhys Millen, a Hyundai Veloster Rally car, a few golf balls, and a couple of cows.

Shot on what appears to be a nicely kept links course, it's hard to see the point of the video. Perhaps it's meant to make light of the fact the Veloster had been criticized for being as powerful as a golf cart when it was first released.There's nothing tame about this particular Veloster however, with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine delivering 500hp and 600lb-ft of torque to all four wheels via a six-speed sequential gearbox.Enjoy the video and make sure to watch it through to the end as the blooper reel is a blast.

[Video] Audi R8 LMS at Daytona 24 Hours

The Audi R8 GT will be having its Daytona 24 Hours debut this weekend. Audi has just released this brief preview video for their upcoming race weekend at the Daytona 24 Hours. Taking place starting today, January 26th until the 29th, the automaker will be racing their Audi R8 Grand-Am, which will be making its official debut. The R8 Grand-Am was seen testing for race day a few weeks ago as well as last month and reports have indicated the racer is virtually identical to the road car, with a few exceptions.

Powered by a 570hp V10, Audi claims the engine is exactly the same as the one found in the road going R8 GT. No rebuilt was required. However, they had to change the exhaust and a few other minor modifications such as a slight ECU adjustment. It's painted in red, white, and blue with a big Texas star smack dab on the front hood.

BMW M Performance Diesels Arrive: M550d, X5 M50d, X6 M50d

BMW has released official details about their much anticipated M Performance diesel range.

Confirmation of BMW M diesel models has finally arrived, and just like a bus you wait a year for one and then four come at once. Each sport AWD and the tri-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline six rated at 375hp and 546lb-ft of torque, but before anyone living stateside gets too excited; be warned: none are slated for the US.The BMW M Performance diesel range includes the M550d xDrive Sedan, M550d xDrive Toruing, X5 M50d and X6 M50d, with the small 'd' indicating 'diesel.'

An eight-speed automatic gearbox features in all models, while xDrive AWD comes as standard. The result is that the M550d sedan can hit 62mph in 4.7 seconds. The M550d Touring manages 0-62mph in 4.9 seconds, while the X5 M50d and X6 M50d hits 62mph in 5.4 and 5.3 seconds respectively. All have an electronically-limited top speed of 155mph.Other hallmark features you'd expect of an M Performance range include Auto Start/Stop, ECO PRO mode, M-tuned springs and dampers, bodyshell mounting, engine & transmission mounting, and Servotronic mapping for the hydraulic steering.In addition to the M aero body kits, other styling touches include metallic grey side mirrors, trapezoidal tailpipes, 19- and 20-inch M light alloys in V-design for the M550d and double-spoke design for the X5 and X6 M50d.M model lettering features on the door sills, boot lid, and for the X5/X6 M50d on the instrument cluster and engine cover.On the inside, exclusive M sports seats with contrast stitching and embossed M logo are finished in Black Alcantara/Nappa leather on the X5/X6 and in Grey Shadow Alcantara/Cloth on the M550d.

Other highlights include a gearshift lever boasting the M logo, M leather steering wheel with shift paddles, Anthracite BMW Individual roof liner, interior trim strips in Brushed Aluminum Shadow for the X5/X6 and Aluminum Hexagon on the M550d, and interior sound design that further emphasizes the engine soundtrack.There's a host of options ranging from electrically-operated glass/panoramic sunroof to rear-seat entertainment systems, and a wide array of driver assistance systems and mobility services courtesy of the BMW ConnectedDrive such as BMW Night Vision with pedestrian recognition (M550d) and rear-view camera with Top View (X5/X6).All four models will make their world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show in March, shortly followed by a market launch where in Germany they will be sold for around €80,000 to €85,000.