Just last week we spied a DTM-inspired Audi TT RS Race Car, and now it’s hit the track and looking menacing as ever. Now that we see the TT RS Race Version in its natural environment, we think it’s safe to toss around the idea that Audi Motorsport might be bringing a TT back to DTM.

Raeder Motorsport did some thorough testing at the Endurance Championship at the Nürburgring in the SP 4T class on the TT RS. It will continue racing on October 30th at the same event.

The TT RS Race Version was driven by Marc Hennerici of Germany, five-time VLN winner, and Christopher Miles. It sports a modified 2.5L turbocharged five-cylinder engine, enhanced with components from the Audi R8 LMS.

We’re loving the direction that Audi is going with their newly revamped TT RS and we look forward to seeing more race entries from them in the near future.

GALLERY: Audi TT RS Race Version

So you don’t have the cash to shell out for a fancy motorhome – big deal! You can add one on to your existing vehicle with the swissRoomBox.

Brought to you by the creative and handy folks at Swiss Army Knife, the swissRoomBox is a motorhome on a budget, so to speak. Touting itself as the smallest removable motorhome set-up, the swissRoomBox fits into most cars and comes with everything you’ll need on your camping adventures.

Just like the company’s most famous offering, the swissRoomBox is a multi-functional tool that doubles as a home away from home. It comes complete with a mini kitchen on wheels that features a toaster, grill plate, cooking gear, Italian moka express coffee machine, water boiler and a burner gas with small and large cooking tables. You can pretty much just pull over to the side of the road and whip up a feast (say goodbye to gross service station sandwiches). It also comes with storage room for plates and cutlery for four people.

When it’s time to call it a day, the swissRoomBox can transform into a bed that measures185 × 120 cm, complete with a comfortable mattress – all in less than 5 minutes. Able to stand up to the wettest elements, this compact all-in-one camping kit comes with a mirror, an outdoor shower with hot water and a sink. The swissRoomBox uses a 12V car battery and has a 220 volt converter and USB connection, so you can connect the appliances to 200 V, 12 V and 5 V.

And as an extra bonus, they’ve also thrown in a Swiss Army knife. Sweet.

[Source: Born Rich]

Switzer Performance announced their Nissan GT-R R1K kit earlier last month, claiming 1,005-awhp through their custom package sporting a pair of Garrett watercooled turbochargers and C16 fuel. And it seems with AMS and SP Engineering all scooping around the 1,000-awhp range, we knew the competition would heat up once these cars hit the actual track proving what they’re really worth.

And the battle for the first 8-second Nissan GT-R is well underway. Switzer took their R1K GT-R out to the drag strip and clocked in a best e.t. of 9.38 and a best mph of 156.44mph, making it currently the fastest R35 GT-R, though not the quickest. AMS still holds the record with a 9.33, but clearly Switzer is close.

Switzer will clearly do more thorough testing in resolving some of their traction issues. Knowing that they have a good 3-mph more than AMS’s GT-R, it’s clear that once Switzer finds some traction their GT-R has a few more tenths to knock off that quarter mile time. How long until we see an 8-second pass?

Check out the two videos after the break.

[Source: GTR Blog]

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Carmakers put their vehicles through the most extreme environments available – Death Valley, the Arctic Circle, and the Nurburgring. But let’s face it – most cars will never be used in these types of driving conditions – wouldn’t it be more productive to see how they fare in the real world? And that’s just what Mercedes-Benz did… in a way. They’ve built a new simulator, and it’s so much more than a screen and a wheel.

The simulator, which is part of a 160 million euro testing and development facility, uses a six-legged platform that supports the test cell to simulate full three-dimensional movement. To mimic extreme transverse movements, the simulator moves from side to side using a 39-foot rail system. Plus, the driver is engaged by a giant 360-degree panoramic screen.

The computers used with the simulator sample driver and car reactions at 1,000 times per second, and this data will be used not only to help make safer cars, but also used to write better software and innovate new solutions.

Another mark in the pro column for the simulator is that it offers a risk-free environment, plus its able to run tests they couldn’t do on real roads. It also allows Mercedes to safely conduct tests with actual drivers who push a car past its limits, all while still gathering meaningful data.

On the heels of the soon-to-be-released Chevrolet Volt, GM has announced its in-home charger, which will sell for the reasonable price of $490. Once you factor in what it would cost for gas, you’re probably willing to dip into your wallet. But it’s the installation cost for the in-home charging unit that will shock you.

If you’re looking to get the 240 volt Voltec installed, it’s going to cost you about $1,500 to install – it depends on the region and amount of electrical work required to install the charger. We try to look on the positive side of things – since it’s a 240V charger as opposed to a standard 120V plug, the Voltec will fully recharge a Volt battery in about 4 hours (that’s half the time it would take with a standard electrical cord).

Still, that price tag is a hefty one, especially since you just shelled out a wad of cash for the Volt.  It may take awhile to recoup the charger costs, depending on your driving habits. But it looks like costs such as these are going to become the industry standard – Nissan Leaf owners will be spending anywhere from $2,000 to $4,200 for a Level 2 charger, depending on the costs of labor rates.

You won’t have to worry about the cost if you were one of the first 4,400 customers how bought a Chevrolet Volt – they get one for free, courtesy of a Department of Energy grant. Both the Volt and Leaf both use the J1772 charging system, so it stands to reason that if the Voltec can charge a Volt, it can also charge a Leaf.

[Source: Cnet]

Alright we’re well aware that Knight Rider came back in 2008, this time without David Hasselhoff and a whole new K.I.T.T. The original K.I.T.T. 2000, which was a 1982 Pontiac Firebird was way cooler than K.I.T.T. 3000, the 2008 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500KR staring at you now.

The Mustang will be auctioned off at a Hollywood memorabilia auction courtesy of Profiles In History. Valued between $25,000 and $35,000 the celebrity show car surely looks the part of a Shelby GT500KR Mustang… right? Wrong. Under the hood you won’t be getting a V8, never mind a supercharged version. K.I.T.T. 3000 sports a good ‘ol 4.0L V6 with a five speed automatic transmission. How boring.

But hey, you’ll get the awesome red sweeping light up front and the proceeds go to a children’s charity. Hopefully someone scoops it up and builds it into a monster Mustang with some real muscle under the hood, the way it should be. The auction takes place on November 6th, 2010 at The Globe Theater in Universal Studios.

[Source: InsideLine]

Check out more pics of K.I.T.T. 3000 after the jump:

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Ford has finally announced pricing for the new EcoBoost V6-powered 2011 F-150, with the truck stickered at $25,740 before options and taxes – some $1,750 more than the new base truck equipped with the 3.7-liter V6.

However, although pricing has been released for the EcoBoost F-150, official fuel economy figures have not –  though in a recent test conducted by AutoGuide, we were able to report highway mileage in the mid to high 20s, so expect something along those lines when Ford finally decides to do so.

Power for the new engine is rated at 365-hp and 420 ft-lbs with the capability of towing an impressive 11,300 lbs.

[Source: Detroit Free Press]

Read AutoGuide’s 2011 Ford F-150 Review by Clicking Here

It’s official, having a twin turbo Ferrari Enzo that can hit 238-mph is no longer a big deal. In fact, that’s just a snails pace compared to this 288 GTO that went 275.4-mph (averaged over two runs) out at the Bonneville Salt Flats this year. This makes it the World’s Fastest Ferrari and the World’s Fastest Sports Car. It was about 3-mph faster than the previous record holder. But there’s a catch – this 1988 288 GTO isn’t all genuine Ferrari.

Owner Steve Trafton teamed up with P4 by Norwood, a renowned Ferrari tuning shop, to swap out the stock GTO heart for a GM V8 540 ci big block motor. Take the giant V8, toss on a pair of Borg Warner 80mm turbochargers with 17 psi of boost and that nets you 275.4-mph passes. We’re guessing the power plant puts out close to 1,000-whp if not more.

So while the body and chassis is all Italian Ferrari, the power to set the record belongs to American GM. We’d probably pin an * next to World’s Fastest Ferrari, but still an awesome project nonetheless.

[Source: Seattle Post Intelligencer via  Autoblog]

Check out the video after the break.

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ABT Sportsline has teamed up with their North American Distributor, GGI European Tuning, to release 25 limited edition Audi R8 GT R‘s to the public. The official North American debut will take place at this year’s SEMA Show. The popular Volkswagen and Audi tuner, ABT Sportsline, has taken the 5.2L FSI R8 to a whole new level, pushing horsepower from the factory 525-hp to an astonishing 620-hp in their GT R variant.

It sports a top speed of 202 mph with a 0-62 mph acceleration in a mere 3.2 seconds. It’s not all about horsepower and engine performance however. ABT tosses in their Sports suspension package with fully adjustable dampers specifically developed for the R8 GT R. They have also modified the ceramic brake system with new brake pads to enhance braking performance. All four corners have been outfitted with new ABT CR wheels and at the rear is a lightweight exhaust featuring ABT’s Titanium special coating. All this combines to a curb weight that is 220 lbs less than the factory model.

AutoGuide will be on hand to deliver full coverage of the 2010 SEMA Show and all of ABT’s cars starting November 2nd. Until then, check out our complete SEMA Preview here.

GALLERY: ABT Audi R8 GT R Debut in Geneva

GALLERY: ABT Audi R8 GT R

A report in trade publication Automotive News suggests that Porsche is planning a hybrid variant of every model in its lineup. Porsche’s Cayenne Hybrid is the first Cayenne sold to the public, while the 911 GT3.R has successfully campaigned in high level sports car racing in Europe.

Next up is a Panamera Hybrid, as well as the 918 Spyder supercar, a low volume halo model for the brand. Heinz-Jakob Neusser, head of engine development for Porsche, didn’t specify a time frame for hybrid variants of the Boxster, Cayman or 911. Porsche is hoping that hybrids will help them meet C02 targets set by the European Union for 2015.

Porsche is also looking into weight reduction and smaller engines, including four-cylinder powerplants, as a means of creating more efficient vehicles.

[Source: Automotive News]