She's Here!

2011 Lotus Exige Cup 260 (Need For Speed World)

Didn't I tell you it was coming? The new Lotus Exige Cup 260 is the latest release in the world of Need For Speed. It has a 1.8-liter VVTL-i Inline-4 engine out of a Toyota Corolla which doesn't seem all that brilliant. But, Lotus had a chance to fit the small racer with a supercharger bumping the power up from 104 or whatever to 252 horsepower. It will do 0 to 60 in 4 seconds flat and hit a top speed of 152 MPH. Why release a race-ready Elise into NFS World? To teach those goody-goody cheaters in regular Elises a lesson. This thing with it's stock performance has the Elise running for cover. And, more importantly, if you put Level 3 Pro parts into this awesome ride, you'll be rivaling Eddie's Nissan Skyline, the Audi R8, even a tuned Audi A1 Clubsport Quattro. The car is available for everyone now for 4000 speedboost while the 20 winners who Spotted the Devs last Friday will get their reward this Friday. I've already bought the car and I'm making the video as we type. It'll be on tomorrow, if not Friday!

Get a Head Start

Camaro ZL1 vs. Aventador LP700-4 (Need For Speed: The Run)

It looks like the car list for Need For Speed: The Run is actually quite good for Black Box Studios game. None of the old originals like the Camaro Concept or the Mustang GT are there. Most of these cars are completely new cars or cars that we just haven't seen before, like the BMW M3 E30 Sport Evolution, Ford Mustang Boss 302, BMW M3 E92 GTS, and dozens more. Well, three additional cars have just been introduced into the game, and they're all from 2012. First up, there's the newest Bull in the Italian Penn: The Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4. This is actually its official gaming debut. With it's new 6.5-liter hand-built V12 engine churning out 691 horsepower, it will 0 to 60 in 2.9 seconds and hit a top speed of 217 MPH. It's actually faster around the Top Gear test track than the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport. Next up, another gaming debut from chevrolet: the Camaro ZL1. With it's 6.2-liter LSA Supercharged V8 producing 550 horsepower, it will do 0 to 60 in 3.9 seconds and hit a possible top speed of 200 MPH. And last, but not least, an NFS exclusive: the 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera S. This is the new 991 set for it's official debut this fall at the Frankfurt Motor Show. It seems that EA's already got their first look at it without the coverings. The car will supposedly have up to 400 horsepower on a new 3.5-liter Flat-6 engine. Among the three exclusive cars, there are 5 extra challenges in the career mode. Three of them were made especially for NFS Most Wanted fans. You'll be behind the wheel of the BMW M3 GTS Most Wanted Edition and Razor Callahan's Mustang Boss 302 as you speed down the highway evading the police as much as you can. I'm really excited for this game. It might be a hit! Check out the exciting trailer below.

Update: Just in case you were wondering the difference between the regular box and the limited edition box, here's the regular:

Regular Box

and here's the limited edition box:

Limited Edition Box

As you can see not only is there a somewhat different angle to the helicopter shooting down on Jack, but this time, he's driving a $387,000 Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 instead of an 800 horsepower GT500 Super Snake.

Spot the Dev

2011 Lotus Exige (Courtesy of Nfscars.net) [Need For Speed World]

Unfortunately, I wasn't available to go online and chase Marc de Vellis around in my Porsche 959, but my fellow NFS World friends have managed to find a few devs racing around Palmont City.  Marc, of all people, was driving the car you see above you: the Lotus Exige. If you found a dev and grabbed a screenshot of him, you're eligible for a drawing in which 30 of them will be given out next Friday. What does this mean? It means that the Exige is the newest addition to World, a new video by me is coming soon, and all of you Elise owners are gonna feel scared once you see this thing pass by. The Exige is one of the fastest cars that Lotus makes now. The one that you see here is the Exige Cup 260, which is a race spec version of the car for the streets. With a 1.8-liter Supercharged Inline-4 engine, it will do 0 to 60 in 4.0 seconds on its way to a top speed of 152 MPH. Plus, if you tune that car in World, you'll be putting Elise's, Silvia's, Cayman's, and maybe A1's to shame. Let's find out next week.

Kitty Meets Stiggy

2012 Jaguar XKR-S

Jaguar has just confirmed that this Sunday's Top Gear will feature the new Jaguar XKR-S. The car is still the most powerful Jag to date with a 5.0-liter 550 horsepower Supercharged V8 engine. The XJ220 only had 542. It will do 0 to 60 in 4.2 seconds and hit a limited top speed of 186 MPH, but, with the limiter off, it will go much faster. So, we already know that The STIG will get his hands, or paws, or whatever he has, on the new Jag, but who'll review it? Obviously not James May since this car, quite frankly, is too fast for a man from 1949. Jezza could do it, but he just did a review on the brilliant McLaren MP4-12C. So, since Hammond hasn't done a review of a car on the track yet, it's most likely that he'll do it, but I may be wrong. What do you think? Check the poll on my Facebook page and vote.

Cobra Stays Supercharged

2013 Ford Shelby GT500 (Courtesy of Brenda Priddy & Company)

It looks like the Cobra will remain supercharged after all. In recent rumors and reports, the big, bad GT500 will hold on to its Supercharger. But, with that intercooler also under the bonnet, expect this car to produce as much horsepower than the already menacing Camaro ZL1, which could receive 570 horsepower from its 6.2-liter LSA Supercharged V8. The current snake produces 550 horsepower, and in recent reports, the car will come with somewhat of a 20 horsepower power bump in 2014. In that same year though, a new Mustang will come forth as a 2015 model. Specifics are unclear as for now, but when I get something, I'll make sure you'll hear it from me first.

Camaro Automation

2012 Chevy Camaro ZL1 (Courtesy of Camaro5.com)

A friend once said to me "Automatic transmissions are for tools", and, I hate to say it, but I agree with her. I am one for the Dual-Clutch transmission because it's faster, more powerful, and more fuel efficient than the manual stick, but let's be honest. Automatic transmissions are for the chickens who don't know how to drive a stick shift. So, if you are a real tool, you should be pleased to here that Chevy's most powerful Camaro to date, the ZL1 will be offering an automatic transmission, and here's a picture of the first one. Be warned though! The ZL1 with a manual stick will do 197 to 200 MPH, while the automatic will be stuck at a miserable 190 MPH. Not to mention the manual is less expensive than the automatic. But, whichever one you choose, you still get the King of Camaros. This kingship includes a 6.2-liter LSA Supercharged V8 engine producing 550 horsepower, about as much as the CTS-V. It will do 0 to 60 in 3.7 seconds (~ 3.9 seconds with the automatic) with the heart and soul of a true American Muscle. The ZL1 is slated for production start on New Year's Day next year.

Never Mess With the Cat

2012 Jaguar XKR-S

When it comes to Supercharged power, there's no make that delivers it better than Jaguar. Of course Carroll Shelby will argue that, "No! Our cars are the best dang supercharged cars in the world, and you can just shut the heck up about what you said!" The truth is there cars handle like wooden planks. Jaguar have gone out of their way of fine tuning their cars so they're as powerful as they are balanced. The Jaguar XKR-S is no exception. With the title of the most powerful V8 Jag ever produced, this cat will do 0 to 60 in 4.2 seconds on a 550 horsepower 5.0-liter Welsh Supercharged V8 engine. Normally, Jags are limited to 155 MPH. This one, however, will hit 186 MPH. Mix that with sport suspension, a sport brakes, and a monstrous V8 noise from the exhaust, and you've got yourself a Jaaag! Check out the video below to see what I'm on about. I must warn you! To watch video correctly, turn your volume all the way up, grab a coffee, and put on your loafers. Why? Only people who do and wear those things have owned Jaaags!!

A Jaaag Waiting to Pounce

2012 Jaguar XFR

The XF is back and better than ever. Today in New York, Jaguar officially unveiled the all new facelifted kitty infront of a pack of worthy XF fans. As you can see, this Jaaag is ready to pounce on the BMW 5-series. Taking some styling from the big cat, the XJ, the XF looks more aggressive, as if it was about to eat all of BMW for breakfast. Speaking of BMW, the all new M5 has probably met its match, again. Jaguar also unveiled the all-new XFR (above). Engine power remains the same; 510 horsepower 5.0-liter Supercharged V8 with a 0 to 60 in about 4.4 seconds and limited top speed of 155 MPH. Of course, the new M5 has 552 horsepower, but since Jaguars are famous for being made of aluminum, this Jag is much lighter than the M5. But honestly, I really don't car. This is one of the sexiest Jags to ever come out since the new XJ, even the E-Type. I just wish they upped the anti in power. But hey, power comes natural when you're in a Jaaag.

King Cobra

2010 Shelby GT500 Super Snake

Shelby and the Ford Mustang are like two peas in a pod, always hanging around each other. Ever since the 60's, Shelby has always been tuning the pony car with superchargers and other stuff to make it the most powerful muscle car on earth. In 2010, they came back to produce the Super Snake, their most powerful Mustang yet with a 5.4-liter Supercharged V8 engine producing 750 horsepower. Carroll Shelby himself said that car will do over 200 MPH with a 0 to 60 time of 3.7 seconds. Well, word has gone out that for 2012, Shelby will be recreating the Super Snake. This time, it will have, get this, 800 horsepower. It will also come with other upgrades like BAER Six-Piston brakes, Borla Exhaust System, Sport-tuned suspension, and Alcoa 20-inch rims. But, out of all honesty, if the Mustang wasn't so heavy, the Super Snake would easily do 220 MPH. But, Shelby loves to go all out while maintaining their "safety" motto with their cars. Anyway, the 800 horsepower King Cobra will be on display this month at the New York International Auto Show, so you better believe that I'll have pictures of it.

Beauty Combined with Innovation

2011 Audi A7 3.0 TFSI

I have one question for Porsche. Why couldn't your Panamera look a lot more like this? They might be crazy group of Germans, but Audi sure knows how to make some very nice looking cars, well, except for the Q7 of course. This is the all new Audi A7, Audi's answer to the Mercedes-Benz CLS and Porsche Panamera. Audi says it's ready to go on sale in the U.S. for a base price of $59,250. That's pretty expensive for a V6 car. Then again, the Porsche Panamera starts at $74,400. Also, this is no regular V6. This is Audi's 3.0-liter FSI Supercharged (TFSI®) 310 horsepower V6 engine. They that thanks to its Quattro™All Wheel Drive system, it will do 0 to 60 in just 5.4 seconds on its way to a limited top speed of 130 MPH. Not to mention it's a lot less complicated then the Panamera, with the car doing almost everything for you, except driving. You also have the option of installing a Bang & Olufsen® Sound System with speakers that rise out of the compartments. And since it comes with 15 different speakers around the cockpit of the car, you get full HD sound whenever your driving; it's like being in a moving concert hall. Luxury, Style, Performance: all great attributes of this car. So, if you've got money and want an alternative to the ugly Porsche Panamera, here you go: the Audi A7.  

Corvette + Turbocharger = Uh Oh!

2011 Chevy Corvette Grand Sport Convertible

If you're a Corvette owner, you know as well as I do that the only way to get more power out of that car is with a Supercharger. For those who haven't noticed, only a small portion of Vettes work well with a Turbocharger, like the ones built by Lingenfelter and Dallas Performance. Unfortunately, a small tuning company known as Hinson Motorsports learned this lesson the hard way. While recently testing their Twin-Turbocharged Vette, they managed to get it to Pagani Huayra-Speed, but after that, things went terribly wrong. The car managed to roll off the road twice into the grassy area where it skid to a stop. Luckily, the driver of the Vette was fine after the accident. The Vette wasn't however. So, take heed, young tuners of the next generation: unless you can tamper with the Vette's suspension and stability, never give it a turbocharger. The car does just fine with a supercharger. Take a look at the horrific accident below.

King Cobra

2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 (Courtesy of WorldCarFans)

It seems like Ford was rather displeased by the unveiling of the Chevy Camaro ZL1. So, after that car made its world debut, they decided to even the odds. And by evening the odds, I mean making their pony car the fastest and most powerful on the planet, in their terms at least. So, welcome everyone, to the all new King Cobra, the Shelby GT500 for 2013. No real changes in body work. Ford just wanted this Cobra to be more powerful. So what did they do? They took out the old 5.4-liter 550 horsepower supercharged V8 engine and put in an all new 5.8-liter 620 horsepower supercharged V8 engine. The new supercharger provides all the beans in this car. Our current GT500 uses one from Eaton Performance. This new one will use a TVS blower for more power and torque. No calculations yet on how fast the new Cobra can go, but Ford promises that this car will do 0 to 60 in less than 4 seconds and a over 190 MPH. I hope they can achieve this. The Camaro ZL1 will do 0 to 60 in about 3.8 seconds and up to 200 MPH. Ford has a lot of work to do if they want to catch up.

[Source: WorldCarFans]

More Luxury for your Rover

2011 Land Rover Range Rover Sport Luxury Edition

Just when you thought the Range Rover Sport couldn't get any more luxurious, Land Rover decided to give it a bit more umph. Rolling out today is the Range Rover Sport Luxury Edition. WARNING: Don't confuse it with the Rover Sport HSE LUX. These are two completely different cars. Land Rover wanted this new RR Sport to be in-between the HSE and the Autobiography, like Aston Martin is with their Virage. Anyway, some new stuff in this Rover include a new Grille, new accents, new side-vents, more prestigious leather seats, and a walnut finish on the doors. It will be coming here, but Europeans have the option of choosing a less powerful, but more fuel efficient 245 horsepower 3.0-liter Turbodiesel V6 engine. Everyone else gets the standard 375 horsepower V8 or 510 horsepower Supercharged V8 engines. Prices in Europe start at about €110,000, which is about $150,000 here. Clearly it can't be that much because the Autobiography Sport starts at $86,395. So hopefully, the prices are fixed when this Rover enters the showrooms.

Twin Mill Lives!!

2009 Hot Wheels Twin Mill

When you were a little boy, or if you still are a little boy, and you've played with Hot Wheels cars, the name "Twin Mill" may have come across your mind. It was one of the idols of the Hot Wheels diecast line. Since the 1960's, this car led Hot Wheels to economic success. It still is the most popular car Hot Wheels has designed. They even made two more versions of this car. It was that cool. Well, the car you see in front of you is Twin Mill. The only difference between this car and the actual toy model is that it has lept from its 1/64 scale figure to the real world. A special team of designers and engineers helped build Life-sized Twin Mill. The engines are two real 502 Block Chevy V8s with dual B & M superchargers. Altogether, this car produces 1,400 horsepower, 200 more than the fastest car in the world, the Veyron Supersport. This picture was taken at SEMA in Las Vegas, but Hot Wheels recently uploaded a video of the car in real life with the engines roaring to life and the car actually moving. Check it out below and see if the brings back any childhood memories.

Deora II Lives!!

2010 Hot Wheels Deora II

It seems Hot Wheels has decided to bring their toy cars to life. Take this car for example: Deora II, which was first introduced in 1999. It was meant to be a Supercharged Surfboard truck with a space-age hatch to drive in. The first Deora was actually designed and built by Dodge in the 1960s. But, when that truck went belly up, Hot Wheels decided not to let the truck die, so they created this. The engine is a real 5.4-liter Northstar V8. The rims are Chip Foose's and are 24-inches tall. You can place your surfboards securely on the bed of the truck. And yes, the door is that front bit you see in front of you. This photo was taken last year at SEMA, but Hot Wheels has recently uploaded a video of the car in their garage with the awesome Spectraflame blue paint and new rims. Check it out below to see how far they've come.