If anyone ever told you video games were a waste of time, show them this article. Robert  Waddell from Rock Hill, SC took home a customized 2010 Nissan 370Z, built by Chris Forsberg Racing.

Forsberg, of course, is the 2009 Formula Drift Champion, who campaigned a Nissan 350Z, sponsored by NOS energy drink. Waddell won the car by competing in a video game tournament, besting four other competitors in a game of Need For Speed: Shift. Not a bad way to get a free set of wheels.

[Source: NOS Energy Drink]

Ferrari is notorious for their arduous buying process, where customers are given the privilege of waiting between one and two years before they can hope to purchase one of the Italian supercars. In recent years, this has caused frustration as new offerings from Porsche, Lamborghini and other automakers have served to entice potential Ferrari clients away from the brand.

Fortunately, Ferrari CEO Luca Di Montezemolo has recognized this detrimental effect, and told Autocar that he will be taking steps to change things. But feat not, Ferrari owners, as your residuals won’t be affected by the move. “We’re not talking about building more cars, we’re talking about building them quicker,” di Montezemolo said.

[Source: Autocar]

The Jeep Comanche has a small but dedicated following of fans, but the venerable brand hasn’t been too interested in returning to the segment – until now. With the Mahindra pickup on the way and demand for the Ford Ranger still at passable levels, Jeep CEO Mike Manley says compact trucks are an area that he is “very curious about.” “I know it’s had a rough time here in the U.S., ” he told Pickuptrucks.com, “but globally it still seems to be an important sector.”

The former Comanche was based on the Cherokee, but we don’t see that happening any time soon with the current Liberty. Instead, the Europe-only Jeep J8 is an enticing prospect, and we would love the above example as a very long term press car.

[Source: Pickuptrucks.com]

File this one under unintentional hilarity. Volvo announced today that they were recalling 2010-2011 C30, S40 and V50 models equipped with manual transmissions. As you might expect, the number is fairly low, but we squealed with delight when we found out that the number was in the triple digits – 536 cars to be exact.

According to Volvo, a gearshift lever stud could come loose, preventing owners from changing gears. Dealers will fix the problem free of charge, but based on the number of manual Volvos in existence, they will likely have better odds of being struck by lightning than fixing the aforementioned problem.

[Source: LeftLane News]

The BMW 5-Series xDrive models will hit dealerships this October, right before the snow hits the ground, but if you want to pick up one of BMW’s all-wheel-drive sedans, you better be prepared to make it rain.

The base 5-Series xDrive will start at a not insignificant $52,775 for the 535i and $62,875 for the 550i. Both cars represent a $2,300 increase over the standard, rear-drive cars, but with the xDrive models so popular in snowbelt areas, we predict that BMW will have no problem reaping the extra premium in Canada and the Northeastern United States. XDrive models also come with Hill Descent Control, a specialized system that helps vehicles navigate steep grades by controlling vehicle speed, a useful feature on snowy and icy hills.

[Source: Autoblog]

In a succession of perfectly timed announcements, both Cadillac and Lincoln have announced that they will offer free scheduled maintenance programs to owners of their vehicles, but the programs differ in nature.

The Lincoln program is only available on new vehicles purchased between now and September 7th, ostensibly in an effort to boost sales for Ford’s luxury brand. For the first three years or 45,000 miles, Lincolns will be eligible for no-charge servicing including oil changes, replacement of brake pads, belts, hoses, wiper blades and other wear items.

Cadillac’s program, dubbed Cadillac Premium Care Maintenance, covers similar repairs but is available on all 2011 Cadillacs and is not a limited time offer like Lincoln’s program. Cadillac will also offer their maintenance package for four years or 50,000 miles. Cadillac Premium Care Maintenance was announced at the launch of the CTS Coupe last week, however the story was embargoed until today. Whether the timing of the two announcements was a coincidence is unknown.

[Source: Left Lane News and General Motors]

Godzilla ran roughshod over the competition in Malaysia this past weekend, the Nissan GT-Rs of Calsonic Impul and Motul Autech taking the top two spots on the SuperGT GT500 podium at the 5.5 km Sepang International Circuit.

With track temperatures of 110 degrees, the No. 12 Calsonic Impul GT-R of Tsugio Matsuda and Ronnie Quintarelli started from pole, but the race was not without its fair share of drama. With Quintarelli behind the wheel, the 2nd place No. 100 Honda HSV-010 made contact with the leading Calsonic Impul GT-R, putting the Nissan into a spin. This allowed the No. 23 Motul Autech GT-R piloted by Satoshi Motoyama and Benoit Treluyer to slip past and into the lead. But both the No. 100 Honda and the No. 23 GT-R were handed drive-through penalties, putting the Calsonic Impul No. 12 GT-R back in the lead for good.

According to Tsugio Matsuda of the winning Calsonic Impul No. 12 GT-R, “Having started from pole position, anything less than the win today would have been pretty miserable in my opinion. We were able to maintain a strong pace right from the opening stages, and I was relieved to take the car from Ronnie in the top spot. As for the win, it’s not only because of the drivers, but also due to the support of all the fans and the unflinching efforts of the team in the off-season, and everyone related to the car’s engine development, not to mention the leadership of Mr. Hoshino. It is something appreciated from the heart. As this is my first victory since 2008, it builds my self-confidence.”

Starting the race from 3rd place, the Motul Autech No. 23 GT-R fell back to 6th place during the early stages of the race, but with Benoit Treluyer behind the wheel and on a fresh set of tires moved up to 3rd. After a drive-through penalty for making contact with the No. 100 HSV-010 dropped the Motul Autech Nissan back to 5th, Treluyer put in a spectacular drive that moved him up to 2nd place on the second to last lap of the race, making for a well-deserved 1-2 finish for the Nissan GT-R.

For video evidence of the Calsonic Impul GT-R taking pole position during qualifying, check out the video after the jump.

[Source: Nissan Motorsports]

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Buick is hoping to kickstart buzz around their upcoming Regal sports sedan by not manufacturing any buzz at all. Dubbed “The Moment of Truth”, Buick will take a page out of the Fiesta Movement’s book, but geared towards an older crowd.

Rather than the zany antics of the Fiesta Movement’s early 20′s demographic, the Regal site will feature user generated video reviews of the car, as well as professional reviews from journalists and comments from visitors. The main distinction will be that none of it is edited, and all content, whether it reflects positively on the car or not, will be posted.

The radical transparency being shown by Buick is part of an effort to boost sales by reaching out to a younger demographic – buyers around 35 or 40, rather than in their mid 60′s. Buick sales have fallen 89 percent since their peak in 1984, so really, there’s nowhere to go but up.

Get more information at Regal Forums, and check out our first drive of the 2011 Buick Regal here.

[Source: Autoweek]

Lotus has chosen today, the first official day of summer, to announce (cryptically) the launch of a ‘new era’ for storied British sports car maker. What exactly the ‘new era’ will entail, will become much more clear in exactly 100 days at the Paris Auto Show says Lotus.

Our minds are already racing with the possibilities. For starters it could be a new high-powered exotic, based on the Evora platform and paying homage to the Esprit. Then again, it could be a supercharged Evora, or even a V6-powered Exige (which Lotus is pretty much guaranteed to offer now that the 1.8-liter engine has been cut from the Lotus lineup in Europe).

Either way, we’re betting its something big. Lotus has been making big changes over the past few years as it plans to take on the world’s top-tier exotic and sports car makers.

See the official release, talk of Druids and the Summer Solstice after the jump:

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Honda is planning a rival to the Toyota FR-S (formerly FT-86) sports car, combing the concepts of the S2000 and the Beat minicar. According to a report by Motor Trend, the new two-seater roadster would use a modified version of the Fit platform using a a rear-mid engine layout. What isn’t clear is if Honda is planning to build this car with a conventional gasoline engine or a hybrid system like the CR-Z. We sincerely hope its the former, as that would not only allow for easier modification, but would also keep both the vehicle’s cost and its weight down.

MT‘s sources say the car is currently in development at Honda’s R&D center in Tochigi, just outside Tokyo. The project certainly sounds like an interesting one, combining the philosophies behind the old school 656cc inline-three cylinder engined Beat and the more modern 2.0-liter VTEC-powered S2000 in one small, economical and fun package.

If it is small enough and light enough we’d even love a car like this – even if it only came with the Fit’s 1.5-liter 4-cylinder.

[Source: Motor Trend]

[Photo Credit: AWRracing]