Mercedes-Benz is readying a final special edition of their SLR supercar. This new version, dubbed the Speedster, will be more lightweight than the regular version of the car. The car also doesn’t have a windshield, instead using just an F1 style wind deflector to move air over the driver’s head at speeds of over 200 MPH. Expect the official unveiling to occur at the Paris motor show.

Photos and specs of the updated Maserati Quattroporte have surfaced online. The sports sedan gets a minor facelift that includes a new front fascia with LED headlights (of course), but it’s what’s under the hood now that really counts. The Quattroporte will now be available in two guises: Quattroporte and Quattroporte S. The standard Quattroporte retains it’s 400 HP 4.2 liter V8, but the Quattroporte S gets a 430 HP 4.7 liter V8 from the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione and Maserati GranTurismo S. Both send power to the rear wheels through a six-speed automatic (no more sequential manual). Expect a full redesign of the Quattroporte in 2012.

Did you know that Honda has started production of what will become the worlds first commercially available hydrogen fuel cell car? The FCX Clarity which will be powered with hydrogen gas should be fun to drive, at least for some folks. They are also supposed to be smooth and powerful and have zero emissions, but unfortunately only two hundred of these cars will be available over the next three years. Till then, keep watching this. Oh, want to guess who the first owners will be?
(Photo Credit: Gene Chutka /iStockphoto)

A Colorado State University study has concluded that drivers with bumper stickers are much more likely to be aggressive drivers than those without. In other words, they will use their vehicles to express rage. Lookout for those bumper stickers! No word on the driving habits of those with Jesus fish versus drivers sporting Darwin fish.

Last month, at El Camino High School in Oceanside, CA, police, administrators, and teachers staged the “deaths” of 26 students to make the kids aware of the dangers of drunk driving. Now, many students and parents are angry over the stunt. Some are truly indifferent: “You feel betrayed…” said 15-year-old Carolyn Magos. “But… if it saves one life, it’s worth it.” Adolf Hitler called and he wants his soul back.

As previously reported, the 2009 Cadillac CTS-V is very fast. Now, however, we know that it isn’t just a track star, and that it keeps some of it’s American muscle DNA. The CTS-V will be officially rated at 556 HP and 551 lb-ft and be able to hit 60 MPH in 3.5 seconds. 3.5 seconds! This matches the mighty Ferrari F430 and crushes the BMW M5, Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG, and even the Lamborghini Gallardo. Unbelievable. All I can say to this is bravo, GM, and encore.

Porsche has unveiled the 2009 997 911. The car gets a minor facelift that includes LED daytime running lights and LED taillights, but the mechanical upgrades are much more significant. Now both the 3.6 liter and 3.8 liter flat 6’s feature direct injection, helping improve both power and fuel economy. The base Carrera now has 345 HP (up 20 HP from ‘08) and the Carrera S now has 385 HP (up 30 HP from ‘08). This power is now transfered to the rear wheels through an optional dual-clutch transmission. Dubbed PDK, this 7-speed transmission will surely be a vast upgrade over the Tiptronic S automatic it replaces.

Information is beginning to surface on a new coupe being codeveloped by Subaru and Toyota. The rear wheel drive sports car will be powered by a 2.0 liter four-cylinder engine producing somewhere between 180 and 220 HP. A turbocharged version producing 300 HP may also be available. Expect prices to start at around $20K when the car drops in 2011.

Audi has announced that it will be adding clean biofuel to the secret fuel formula that powers its Le Mans-winning R10 TDI race car. Already incredibly efficient running on diesel (at least in the world of race cars, where cars routinely get 4-5 mpg), the V12 powered track star will be powered in part by a fuel made from wood chips. It is good to see that alternative fuels actually have performance credentials, and this isn’t just a publicity stunt.

An ingenious auto dealer is offering a gun or a $250 gas card for free, with every car you buy. Not so surprisingly, the dealership has already sold more than thirty cars in the past three days. So far every buyer except for two, has chosen to take the gun. With today’s gas prices, I’d take the gas card!
(Photo Credit: Dennis Cox /iStockphoto)

For the 2009 model year, Aston Martin will grace their already excellent V8 Vantage with several upgrades. Most important is the engine upgrade: up .4 liters to 4.7 liters, the sweet-sounding V8 will now produce 420 HP- matching the Audi R8. Despite the bump in power, fuel economy will also rise by 13%. The exterior will remain the same except for new wheels, but the interior will be revised with a new center console.

According to Inside Line, the upcoming Lexus LF-A supercar will start at the hefty price of at least $200,000 and could go as high as $265,000! For comparison, a Ferrari F430 starts at about $175,000 and a Lamborghini Gallardo at $180,000… And those are some very good cars. I guess Lexus must feel that they can do even better.

Did you know that Mini sells a diesel-powered Mini D in Europe that averages over 65 MPG on the highway? With oodles of torque, superb drivability and fantastic handling, the MiniD qualifies as insanely great, yet we can’t buy it here in the States just yet…

California here we come! Ferrari has released official images of their new GT: the California. Featuring a 4.3 liter direct injection V8 cranking out over 450 HP, the curvy droptop should hit 60 MPH in under four seconds. Power is sent to the rear wheels through an all new seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, which will shift even faster and smoother than Ferrari’s current sequential manual transmissions. The official unveiling is expected to be in a few months at the Paris Motor Show.

The new Cadillac CTS-V has set a new record time on the famed German track, the Nordschliefe. It completed the 13 mile course in 7:59.32, which is supposedly the fastest ever time around the track for a production sedan. This time smashes the 8:13 lap of the CTS-V’s once-mighty competitior: the BMW M5. Also incredibly, the CTS-V is less than 5 seconds behind the Ferrari F430’s lap time. What’s up with America making real sports cars now? I can’t wait to see the ZR1’s time…

Ferrari has launched a website previewing their top-secret and soon to be released GT. While you won’t be able to see much, Ferrari has graciously provided four sound clips of the new car’s sweet exhaust note. What gets this Truemorist excited is clip number two, which sounds like gears being changed through an all-new dual-clutch gearbox. A countdown clock promises more info in 10 days. For the time being, turn up your speakers and get listening!

Spy shots emerged today of Porsche’s upcoming CUV being thrashed on the Nurburgring. It looks very similar to the Cayenne, but is visibly smaller and has a more sharply raked d-pillar. Based on the same platform as the upcoming Audi Q5, this car will compete against the BMW X3, Acura RDX, and 2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK.

Rumor has it that the next generation BMW M5, set to be released in 2011, will be very different than the current E60. The new car will be motivated again by a V10, but will now be bored out to 5.5 liters and feature direct injection in addition to two turbochargers. This engine is expected to produce at least 550 hp, and thanks to the DI, turbochargers, regenerative braking, and stop-start engine technology will be much more economical than the current model. Power will be transmitted to the wheels via a six-speed manual or new seven-speed M DCT dual-clutch transmission.

$360 Billion fake checks? Billion dollar fines for rolling through a stop sign? No, not that kind of inflation. We’re talking about tire inflation! According to the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, proper tire inflation could save you $2 or get you an extra 10 miles on a tank of gas today, but only 19 percent of us check for and maintain correct tire pressure on our vehicles. Another tip: get them filled with non-reactive nitrogen. Do it for the environment!

The Nissan GT-R has broken it’s own already unbelievable time around the Nordschleife by a whole nine (9) seconds. That’s faster than a Porsche GT2, Bugatti Veyron, and Pagani Zonda S! The GT-R lapped the ‘Ring in 7:29, only marginally slower than the Porsche Carrera GT. Incredibly, Nissan is known to be preparing an even faster V-Spec version of the GT-R.

Senate lawmakers in Florida have voted to ban the fake bull testicles that dangle from the trailer hitches of countless trucks and cars throughout the Sunshine State. Motorists could face fines of up to $60 if caught with the “Truck Nutz.” If the story sounds familiar, it is; Virginia considered a similar ban back in January.

Not really. But it is true that the third generation Toyota Prius will be available in January, and will come with a larger, more powerful, 1.8 liter four cylinder to help with performance (or lack thereof). Despite the bump in engine size, efficiency is slated to be even better, and the next-gen car’s weight will stay the same. More importantly, however, is that the Prius will be available in different body styles, such as possibly a sedan and a wagon.

Mercedes-Benz’s performance branch, AMG, is developing a new twin-turbo V8 to replace it’s current 6.2 liter V8. The new V8 will reportedly have 5.0 liters of displacement, and depending on the turbo setup, could produce anywhere from 570 HP to 700 HP. The torque figures are even more impressive, as torque output is reported to range from over 660 lb.-ft. to a tire-ripping 885 lb.-ft. It is speculated that this engine could fully replace AMG’s current twin-turbo 6.0 liter V12. While this engine does produce more power than the current engines, the main reason for it’s development is to help AMG comply to tightening emissions standards.

Rumor has it that BMW will have diesel-powered cars for sale as soon as October of this year. Already available in Europe, these engines are now able to pass strict U.S. emissions standards. BMW claims that their super-torquey engines will provide for some of the most fuel-effiecient, cleanest, and best performing cars out there.

Kenya Sipe left the family minivan idling with her daughter playing around outside the vehicle. While the family loaded scrap wood into the van (coincidentally during daughter Kalli’s fifth birthday party), Widget (the family dog) jumped in, put the van in reverse, and stepped on the gas. Kalli was left with fashionable tire prints, scrapes, and a punctured lung. Uh huh. Whatever you say Mrs. Sipe. Oh yeah, the Sipes are no longer mad at Widget for running over their daughter.