Cancer Survivor Joe Bacal and navigator Paul Williamsen may just have set a record this weekend, taking first place in their class at the grueling Baja 500 race. It was the first win for Bascal, the JTGrey Racing Team, the Cancer Treatment Centers of America LX570 and for Lexus in professional off-road racing.

More amazing still Bascal piloted the Lexus solo during the entire 16 hours it took to complete the 41st annual Tecate SCORE Baja 500 in the Stock Full class.

“This is truly a dream come true,” said Bacal. “The LX 570 was bulletproof and we went the entire distance without a tire change. I was tired at the end but not exhausted, which is something that two years ago was hard to imagine after my cancer ordeal.”

Bascal and his Cancer Treatment Centers of America TJGrey Racing Lexus LX570 will race again in August at the Vegas to Reno 1000 in the Best of the Desert series.

GALLERY: JTGrey Racing Lexus LX570

Official release after the jump:

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Yesterday Toyota announced that due to financial reasons it will not be able to host the 2010 Japanese Grand Prix, a move which could jeopardize a visit by Formula 1 to Japan next year.

The race was scheduled to be run at Fuji Speedway, which is owned by Toyota but given the current economic climate the $20 to $30 million cost of running the event became prohibitive.

Fuji Speedway president Hiroaki Kato described the decision not to host the 2010 F1 race as both “heartbreaking,” and “extremely difficult.”

Toyota hosted the Japanese Grand Prix in 2007 and 2008, while for decades before Honda played host at its Suzuka Circuit. Suzuka has been chosen for the venue to run the 2009 race, but Honda has not immediately come forward to host the 2010 event.

Despite the cost-cutting measures Toyota has made no move to sell-off or eliminate it’s hugely expensive and widely unsuccessful Formula 1 team.

[Source: AFP]

[Photo credit: F1-site.com]

Last week we brought you news of a one-off lime green Jaguar XKR that the British automaker was set to debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. As promised, the car did make an appearance and run the historic Goodwood Hillclimb and now we have all the details (as well as a full gallery of juicy photos) to share.

Under the lime-green hood, output from the XKR’s supercharged 5.0-liter V8 engine was further enhanced from 510hp to 530hp. Torque climbed even more rapidly from 461 ft-lbs to an impressive 516 ft-lbs, enabling a 0-60 mph run of just 4.6 seconds!

Additionally, the Goodwood Special XKR sports a set of dark-colored 21-inch wheels with a lowered ride height and dark “satin graphite” paint for the mirrors, window surrounds, grilles and headlight casings.

“The XKR ‘Goodwood Special’ has been developed as a one-off to explore the harder side of the XKR’s character and allow our engineering team to explore some performance boundaries,” said Mike O’Driscoll, Managing Director, Jaguar Cars. “The Festival of Speed gives us the opportunity to have fun in a high performance car without all the practical and legal requirements of driving on the road getting in the way!”

Along with the Goodwood Special XKR, Jaguar also ran several other vehicles at the hillclimb, including the a 1957 Le Mans winning long-nose D-type, a Le Mans-winning Jaguar C-Type, the one-of-one Jaguar XJ13 race car and the 225mph Bonneville XFR.

GALLERY: 2010 Jaguar Goodwood Special XKR

[Source: Carscoop]

Last week Andrew Farah, Chevrolet’s top Engineer responsible for the upcoming Volt plug-in hybrid, said that the car would be a sporty rival to Japanese alternatives. Now he is taking that claim a step further, telling Automotive News that it will have, “the feel of a sports car.”

In fact, Farah doesn’t say that the Volt will be that way, but rather that it already is. One reason for this is that the lithium-ion battery pack lowers the car’s center of gravity, improving overall handling dynamics.

That added weight also has its disadvantages, but Farah says they are making the best of the situation. “There are a thousand reasons why heavy is bad, but a few why it is good,” he says. “And so we are getting those advantages of the good heavy, and the disadvantages we are managing.”

Farah does admit that while the Volt may feel like a sports car, it is certainly lacking the sound of a sports car – something which is almost unavoidable with a tiny gasoline engine and a silent electric motor. He says the Volt team of engineers continues to work on that aspect of the hybrid, but did not comment on if the Volt could use a noise-maker to generate a more sports car-like exhaust note.

[Source: Automotive News via Autoblog]

We have just received word from Honda that its Toyota Venza competitor will go on sale this Fall. As for the name, it has been confirmed as the Honda Accord Crosstour.

Early unconfirmed reports stated the on-sale date as October 26th. The crossover vehicle will be a 2010 model. Honda is set to release further details and official photos later this Summer.

The Accord Crosstour is expected to be offered exclusively with the Accord’s 3.5-liter V6 engine and a choice of either front-wheel or all-wheel drive. Pricing is expected to be slightly more than the Accord sedan, starting at around the $30,000 mark ($35,000 CDN).

The only details that have leaked out about the crossover so far are that it is reportedly 2.5-inches taller than the Accord Sedan, while measuring 7-inches longer than its rival, the Toyota Venza.

See our gallery of spy photos below.

GALLERY: 2010 Honda Accord Crosstour

The matte-paint trend has just reached a new high… or should we say low. Behold the matte-baby blue Ferrari 599, which is reportedly owned by Lapo Elkann, the grandson of Fiat founder Gianni Agnelli and heir to the company.

No doubt this car will make a few Prancing Horse traditionalists a little woosey. If you consider yourself among that crowd, don’t take a look inside. Why not? Well, there you will find a pair of sporty Ferrari seats covered in a pair of bluejeans.

To make maters worse, the car is apparently not the creation of some aftermarket hack, but a factory job. It looks like Ferrari’s custom options ordering sheet is a little longer than normal when your family owns the company.

GALLERY: Matte Baby Blue Ferrari 599

[Source: Autogspot via Autoblog]

According to a recent study by Edmunds for ABC News, the Dodge Caliber is the least popular car in America – and it’s not the only Chrysler product to rate highly on the list of the 10 worst selling cars in America. In fact, four of the top spots are Chrysler products, with the Dodge Avenger rating second, the Charger fifth and the Jeep Patriot sixth.

The list rates the worst selling cars in America according to the supply of vehicles left on dealer lots. What that number represents is actual demand for a vehicle as compared to expected demand. Currently Dodge has a stockpile of Calibers that will last 223 days.

Dealers also have 211 days worth of Avengers as well as 163 days worth of both Dodge Chargers and Jeep Patriots.

Other unpopular vehicles include the Pontiac G6 in third place and the Kia Optima in fourth. ABC even quoted AutoGuide on the Optima saying it, “rides far too loosely on its suspension,” and that the interior uses a “less-than-pleasing material.”

Kia and GM products appear later on in the list as well, with the Kia Spectra taking the seventh spot while the Chevy Cobalt and Colorado finish eighth and ninth respectively. The Ford Mustang (2009) finished 10th.

[Source: ABC News]

Thanks to the folks over at WorldCarFans we have these photos to show you of a prototype version of the Ferrari F430′s replacement. Previous shots of the car featured a modified F430 body, but these are the first snaps of what is believed to be called the F450.

There isn’t much to see as Ferrari has done a great job masking the car’s true identity, but what is noticeable is the use of LED lights. The most surprising feature, however, can be found out back where a hole in the bumper reveals three (yes, three) exhaust pipes.

While the official unveiled of the F450 could happen as early as this September’s Frankfurt Auto Show, judging by the work Ferrari has left to do on the car it might not debut until the LA Auto Show in December, or three months later at the Geneva Auto Show in March, which is typically the show that would get such a prestigious launch.

GALLERY: Ferrari F450 Prototype

[Source: WorldCarFans]

Some of the first details to catch the eye are the LED daytime running lights which appear to be flowing upwards into the fenders as headlight extensions. They will prove to be a provocative talking point if they make it into production.

The F450 will have a V8 engine worth over 500hp (368kW) and is likely to be shown for the first time at the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show.

While Hyundai has already announced plans to enter the hybrid market in 2011 with a hybrid version of the new Sonata, due out in 2011, the company has now made clear plans for a state-of-the-art plug-in hybrid electric for 2012. This new model will be based on the Blue-Will Concept, which debuted at this year’s Seoul Auto Show and will be aimed squarely at the Toyota Prius PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle), as well as the upcoming Chevrolet Volt.

Yang Woong-chul, the head of R&D at Hyundai told Automotive News that the Hyundai PHEV will be powered by a 1.6-liter direct injection powerplant and a 100kw electric motor, with a range of 38 miles on just electric power. When in gasoline mode the acr will achieve an average of 55 mpg.

Woong-chul did not say if the Hyundai PEV would use the same lithium-polymer technology expected in  he 2011 Sonata, which Hyundai claims is superior to the lithium-ion batteries that will be used in the Toyota and Chevy PHEVs.

[Source: Automotive News via Autoblog]

Volvo has just announced that it will offer an R-Design version of the new XC60 crossover. Officially set to debut at the Frankfurt Auto Show this September, the package includes a long list of exterior and interior features, as well as a sportier ride.

Outside the R-Design model gets a new “silk metal” finish for the grille, fog lamp surrounds, mirrors and a silk metal R-Design badge. The side skirts will have an aluminum look, while the rear skid place will be chrome plated with chrome twin tailpipes. The lower body panels will be paint-matched, giving the crossover a ground-hugging look, even though the ride height remains the same as on the standard vehicle. A set of 18-inch wheels will come standard, although buyers can choose to upgrade to a 20-inch set.

Inside the XC60 R-Design gets new sport seats with unique upholstery with a choice of two color combos and R-Design emblems. Also included is an R-Design sports steering wheel, aluminum sport pedals and blue gauges.

The drive of the XC60 R-Design will also be more engaging due to stiffer springs, more responsive shocks and tighter steering.

The XC60 R-Design will be offered in seven colors including one exclusive color (shown above) Passion red.

GALLERY: Volvo XC60 R-Design

Official release after the jump:

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