First Look! Subaru WRC Concept heading to Frankfurt

Next month in Frankfurt, we'll all get our first looks at Subaru's new WRC car in the form of the Subaru WRC Concept. The automaker will have driver Petter Solberg on hand for the introduction of the racer, which for all intents and purposes shows us what the next-gen Impreza WRC car will look like. It should also offer a very strong hint at the styling of the forthcoming Impreza STI. The STI grille, big wing and bulging bodywork do the new Impreza some good, as this looks worlds better and far more aggressive than the soft-looking standard car. Subaru has released no details other than the two images you see here. Rest assured, our Frankfurt team will bring you the full scoop from the floor in Germany next month.

6 Sexy Sports Cars Big Oil Doesn’t Want You to Buy

These are our favorite “green” sports cars. Some get awesome gas mileage while smoking the competition, and others use advanced bio-fuels to eek out ever higher performance over their gas-guzzling brethren. Big Oil doesn’t like any of them, because they all mean one thing: if you buy them, Big Oil makes less money.
#1 Greenest Sports Car: Tesla Roadster


Tesla front

Built from the same chassis as the Lotus Exige 265E is a next green sports car, the Tesla Roadster. Tesla has taken the most radical approach to being green; they removed the internal combustion engine and substituted a small 70-pound electric motor. Powered by a 3-phase, 4-pole electric motor producing 248 horsepower, which is good for 0-60 mph in 4 seconds. Despite the 70-pound motor, the battery adds enough weight to bring the total weight up to 2690, which is 600 pounds more than the Exige and Elise. The one thing you don’t hear from the bio-fueled cars is gas mileage. The Tesla can proudly say it gets 135 miles per gallon equivalent.

Download Tesla Roadster desktops in the FastWallpapers.com Tesla gallery
#2 Greenest Sports Car: Toyota FT HS



Toyota ft hs naias

The Toyota FT-HS finishes out the line up of environmentally friendly sports cars. The FT HS is the only prototype in the line up because it will be the first hybrid sports car. The FT HS promises to be a real performer with help from an electric motor and a 3.5-liter V6 engine. The combination electric motor and V6 are said to produce around 400 bhp and accelerate to 60 mph in under 4 seconds all while producing ultra low emissions.

See more pics of this sweet concept car by Toyota here.
#3 Greenest Sports Car: Lotus Exige 265E



Lotus exige 265e 2006

Another offering from the British is the Lotus Exige 265E. The thing that sets this Exige apart from any other Lotus is its ability to run E85 ethanol and 95-octane unleaded fuel. Thanks to the 109-octane rating of ethanol, the boosted 1.8-liter Toyota 4-cylinder inline engine makes 46 more horsepower than its non-ethanol counter part, the Exige S. Its low weight of only 2061 pounds does not hurt either. The 0-60 mph acceleration drops from 4.1 to 3.8 seconds. Lotus has accomplished building the fastest car ever to leave their stables and the first Lotus to promote the use of renewable energy sources at the same time.

Click here to see more desktop background pictures of the Lotus Exige 265E.
#4 Greenest Sports Car: Trident Iceni



Trident Iceni

A small British company called Trident has produced a two-seater sports car called the Iceni. The Trident Iceni is the only Diesel fueled car that made it into the line up. Powered by none other than a GM sourced 6.6-liter V8 turbo diesel engine. The V8 produces 520 lb/ft torque at only 1800 rpm. That is enough power to propel the Iceni to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds and a top speed over 200 mph. Most impressively, the Iceni can do all this with 60 mpg and 1,000 miles on one tank and it runs on pure vegetable oil. The Iceni is also the only car in the line up that will unfortunately never make it stateside.

Go to the Trident Iceni desktop gallery here.
#5 Greenest Sports Car: Porsche Cayman



Porsche Cayman Blue Front

Porsche has proved that sport cars can be just as fuel efficient as the common car, if not more so with the Cayman. The Cayman is Porsche’s greenest car ever with a 2.7-liter, 241 horsepower, and boxer-engine. The Cayman starts at $49,400, which is cheap for a Porsche. For under $50,000, you cannot have both the speed and style if you want a Porsche. Performance is good with Porsche’s 0-62-mph claim of 6.1 seconds. The Cayman�s fuel economy is a respectable 23 city/32 highway compared to the more powerful Cayman S’s 20/27 mpg. It’s no Toyota Prius, but it gets the job done, and in style.

See more desktop pictures of the Porsche Cayman here.
#6 Greenest Sports Car: Koenigsegg CCXR



Koenigsegg CCXR

Like Lotus, Koenigsegg has found the use of bio-fuels like E85 ethanol can add substantial performance to their already powerful engine. The CCXR bio-ethanol version of their CCX sports car is the fastest, most powerful sports car that can call itself environmentally minded. With 1,018 bhp, the CCXR will hit 60mph in 3.0 seconds. Its top speed is over 250 mph. This is a car that uses Green technology to increase performance.

See more sweet desktop pictures of the Koenigsegg CCXR here.
Summary

The Tesla Roadster highlights technology that all sports car manufactures should take a look at. The Toyota FT-HS sounds great but it could be so much better and greener if they made it fully electric and dumped the V6. The battery technology is good enough that the internal combustion engine is a waste. The only reason to put in an engine into any battery-powered car is for charging the limited range batteries. Making them capable of greater distances due to the fact that charging still takes at least 3 hours compared to 5 minutes to fuel up. Currently the Tesla has a 250-mile cruising range on a single charge. The Tesla’s charging time is better then most, from dead to fully charged in 3.5 hours.

Spy Photos: Nissan GT-R Spotted At Goodwood Festival Of Speed

The Nissan GT-R made a quick drive-by at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. The GT-R making the rounds was still wearing the fascia-obscuring black bra, but still looking pretty hot. It'll make an official debut at the Tokyo Motor Show later in the year, but Goodwood ain't a bad way for a test vehicle to spend a long weekend, is it? – Ray Wert

Nissan GT-R Goes To Goodwood

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[via NAGTROC]

Related:
Spy Photos: Nissan GT-R Video; Spy Photos: Nissan GT-R, Almost; Spy Video: 2008 Nissan GT-R on the 'Ring; Tease of the Day: Nissan's New GT-R Logo; Car Will Be Built at Tochigi Plant; Spy Photos: New Shots of Nissan Skyline GT-R [internal]

Spy Photos: 2008 Honda Accord

Say hello to the first naked shots of the 2008 Honda Accord. Although HoMoCo is still doing long-lead press reviews of the 15-year leader in US sales, Brenda Priddy's spies captured the 2008 Accord just as it stepped out of its fascia-obscuring sports bra and into a photo shoot for a Canadian brochure. Here's what we know. Obviously, expect the new model to sport some serious frontal design changes. That new look's being eclipsed in the marketing materials only by the Honda's comments about the Accord's higher horsepower, better fuel economy and lower emissions for the V6-powered model. Although there's no word from Honda, we're anticipating a 3.5-liter V6 with about 270-horsepower, as well as the base 180-horsepower 2.4-liter four-cylinder version. Say hello to the first naked shots of the 2008 Honda Accord. Although HoMoCo is still doing long-lead press reviews of the 15-year leader in US sales, Brenda Priddy's spies captured the 2008 Accord just as it stepped out of its fascia-obscuring sports bra and into a photo shoot for a Canadian brochure. Here's what we know. Obviously, expect the new model to sport some serious frontal design changes. That new look's being eclipsed in the marketing materials only by the Honda's comments about the Accord's higher horsepower, better fuel economy and lower emissions for the V6-powered model. Although there's no word from Honda, we're anticipating a 3.5-liter V6 with about 270-horsepower, as well as the base 180-horsepower 2.4-liter four-cylinder version. – Ray Wert

2008 Honda Accord - Spy Photos

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Delorean finally gets the engine it should have had all along - 3 rotor Wankel

In the late sixties and early seventies, many car companies were enamored with the power density of Wankel rotary engines, including NSU, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz and General Motors. GM ultimately built at least two mid-engine "Corvette" concepts with Wankels, one with two rotors and the other with four. The four-rotor was eventually replaced by a small block to become the Aerovette. When John Z. Delorean left to create his own car, he envisioned it propelled by a rotary engine as well.

As was the case with every other carmaker save Mazda, the Wankel was ultimately abandoned in favor of a piston engine. But one Delorean owner didn't forget the original vision. Through the 1980s and 1990s the only rotary-powered car sold in the US market was the Mazda RX-7 although Mazda did offer the engine in other Japanese-market models. One of those was a coupe called the Eunos Cosmo. The Cosmo eventually got a 2.0L three-rotor version of the engine that put out 300hp. One of these was sacrificed to provide a new heart for the Delorean you see here.

There's more commentary after the jump, and a video, too.

[Source: EliseUSA.com via CarScoop]

The Wankel is bolted to the back of a six-speed gearbox from a 1995 Porsche 911 C2, while the original instrument cluster was swapped out in favor of the electronic cluster from the Cosmo. The end result is a very respectable 0-60mph time of 4.5 seconds, which is less than half the time a stock model would take. If all the Deloreans were as quick as this one and looked as good thanks to the paint job, the boss might not have had to resort to a bungled drug deal to try and save the company.

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Volvo adds T6 Turbo AWD to S80 line

click above image to view high-res pics of the 2008 Volvo S80 T6 Turbo AWD

Volvo has given the S80 line a little more power and traction with the introduction of the T6 Turbo AWD edition. The T6 utilizes a twin-scroll turbo unit to provide the extra power, and the velvety-smooth 3.2L inline six has been down-sized to 3.0L due to a narrower cylinder bore and shorter stroke. Don't let the reduction in displacement fool you, though. The turbocharged S80 will unleash 285 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque at a very low 1500rpm, which Volvo says will result in smooth, linear power delivery. That's 50 horsepower more than the normally asipirated 3.2L inline-six and only 26 ponies short of the top-end V8 model.

All that power going to the front wheels means that the T6 needs all-wheel drive, which was previously only available with the high-end V8. Thus, you have the T6 Turbo AWD. Pricing and availability of the T6 Turbo AWD have not yet been announced, but we're betting that it will be a few thousand dollars south of the V8 model's $47,350 price tag, and availability should be soon.

Volvo's press release is available after the jump.

[Source: Volvo]

Gallery: 2008 Volvo S80 T6 Turbo AWD

PRESS RELEASE:

New driveline in the Volvo S80: T6 turbo with AWD

The acclaimed all-new Volvo S80 will soon be available with a new six-cylinder, 285 bhp T6 performance engine with All Wheel Drive

"The T6 engine adds an extra dimension to the S80 engine range," says Hans Wikman, Vice President Vehicle Line Large Cars at Volvo Cars. "The engine has been programmed to provide the highest possible performance with the lowest possible fuel consumption and exhaust emissions."

The T6 petrol engine is based on the compact 3.2-liter in-line aluminum engine that has been part of the S80 engine range since its 2006 introduction. The turbo version has a displacement of 3.0 liters, producing 285 bhp and no less than 295 lb/ft of torque. Maximum torque is on tap from just 1,500 rpm and remains available all the way up the rev range, resulting in remarkably quick acceleration and smooth drivability.

The somewhat smaller cylinder displacement of the turbo version, owing to the slightly narrower cylinder bore and shorter stroke, is compensated by the turbocharger which in this engine takes in exhaust gases in two stages, with the inflow divided into two lots of three cylinders each, a system known as twin-scroll technology. Twin-scroll technology permits use of a more compact and uncomplicated turbocharger and provides extremely swift response, fully on a par with that from twin turbochargers.

All Wheel Drive with Instant Traction

The T6 model in the Volvo S80 is equipped with Volvo's All Wheel Drive. Using an electronically controlled hydraulic clutch, the AWD system distributes drive between the front and rear wheels to ensure the best possible road grip in all situations. The system features Instant Traction, which shifts drive at lightning speed from the front to the rear wheels when starting on a slippery or loose surface.
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BMW is showing off the CS Concept car -- which may hearken a new high-end sports flagship -- at the Shanghai auto show this week. It sports the latest refinements of head designer Chris Bangle's "flame surfacing" aesthetic, with more complex planar transitions and swage lines. We'll get more on the potential new "8-Series" from Shanghai as it comes.

Some New York autoshow photo reports