First unveiled at the Paris Auto Show in concept form, Infiniti has now confirmed the IPL G Convertible will head into production, doubling the number if Infiniti Performance Line products.

Much like the IPL G Coupe, the drop top makes 348-hp from its 3.7-liter V6 and includes a modest list of performance and style improvements. There include a modified suspension, 19-inch wheels with upgraded sport brakes, a high performance exhaust and a limited slip differential. Plus there’s a unique aero kit, special IPL badging, an IPL engine cover, plus a Malbec Black exterior and unique red interior.

“The Infiniti Performance Line, as demonstrated by our first offering, the IPL G Coupe, challenges the concept of an ultra-high cost sports series. IPL pushes the premium performance envelope for buyers seeking a higher level of exclusivity and driving exhilaration, but does so with an Infiniti twist,” said Infiniti Americas Vice President Ben Poore. “The IPL G Convertible will deliver the goods, just like the current IPL G Coupe does. Plus, the new IPL G Convertible offers the added pleasure of open-air motoring.”

The IPL G Convertibel will officially be unveiled in production trim at the LA Auto Show in November and will hit dealers in the Spring.

GALLERY: IPL G Convertible

Ahead of its official reveal at the Frankfurt Auto Show, photos of the new drop-top Ferrari have leaked onto the net. We can’t confirm if these are in fact the official pics of the production 458 Spider, but they certainly do look authentic, and are done in the same style as Ferrari’s usual press images.

What isn’t clear from the photos is where the roof section goes, with the Spider reportedly using a folding hard top similar to the Superamerica.

Look for official images soon, followed by a mid-September debut in Frankfurt.

GALLERY: Ferrari 458 Spider

[Source: CheersandGears]

Rare doesn’t even being to describe the Ferrari F50 GT1. With just three ever made (this being No. 1) the F50 GT1 program was canceled before the cars ever saw competition. Instead, Ferrari focused its efforts on Formula 1, where it met with considerably success almost ever since.

Powered by a naturally aspirated 4.7-liter V12 engine, it was tuned to 750-hp at an alarmingly high 10,500 rpm, delivering a 0-60 mph time of 2.9 seconds.

Similarities to the street car are obvious, however, a close inspection of the GT1′s body reveals exaggerated air intakes and an even lower stance. A carbon fiber monocoque construction has also been reinforced for track use.

GALLERY: Ferrari F50 GT1

Taking the idea of a track-focused street car to the next level, Lotus has unveiled the GTE Road Car Concept at Pebble Beach. Named after the GTE class cars that Lotus is currently racing in Europe, this concept is essentially a blend of that competition racer with a street-legal Evora. In many ways it’s not as far from reality as one might guess, with the race car based heavily on the Evora road car and even sharing the same aluminum tub.

Thanks to a near excessive use of carbon fiber the concept weighs between 200 and 300 lbs less than the production Evora S, while the engine gets a healthy bump in power. With a modified version of the Evora S’s supercharged 3.5-liter V6, power is raised from 345-hp to 420-hp. No acceleration figures have been provided by Lotus, but with the stock car running 4.3 seconds to 60 mph and this concept also sporting a sequential transmission, a high 3.0 second time is certain.

Along with a significantly more aggressive front-end design, much of the Evora GTE’s look comes from a wider body, which is between two and three inches wider per side. (We could, however, do without that rear wing).

Inside, the car is coated almost entirely in carbon fiber, with no carpeting to speak of, while carbon-backed seats are swathed in ultra-grippy Alcantara.

Lotus has yet to confirm if the Evora GTE Road Car Concept will go into production but PR boss Kevin Smith assures us it’s not as distant an idea as it seems, and that a race car inspired Lotus street car could hit the market as early as next year. Don’t get too excited, however, as Lotus could face big problems getting it certified for sale in the U.S.

GALLERY: Lotus Evora GTE Road Car Concept

Watch the video after the jump:

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It may be called Concorso Italiano, but it might as well be the Ferrari Festival with prancing horses from all decades the overwhelming exotic car of choice at the annual event. Held the past several years at the Laguna Seca Golf Course, we’ve snapped just a selection of the incredible machinery on display in the hopes of providing a glimpse into just how extravagant this event really is.

GALLERY: Ferraris of Concorso Italiano

The Chrysler 200-based Lancia Flavia, unveiled at March’s Geneva Auto Show, may never see the light of day beyond the auto show floor, according to the latest reports from a Dutch publication.

Parent company Fiat was apparently concerned that the Flavia would not be profitable enough to sell as a Lancia, and would not sell in large enough volumes. European consumers were never fans of the Chrysler Sebring, the 200′s predecessor, and a simple re-badge is unlikely to win them over.

Lancia will apparently wait until 2013 for an all-new 200 to debut, one designed with European consumers in mind. In the meantime, Lancia will sell a re-badged version of the Chrysler 300, a poor seller, but one flashy and competent enough to make a splash in the marketplace.

[Source: Left Lane News]

MINI’s new Goodwood model was unveiled at the world-famous Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in California this week. The MINI Goodwood is an exclusive special edition which has been produced in close collaboration with the Rolls-Royce Motor Cars design team.

This is a car that drips of automotive luxury and exclusivity in its highest form. The Goodwood has been priced at $52,000, making it the most expensive MINI ever. Only 1000 will be produced with only 140 will be coming to the US. The Goodwood features an interior and exterior design cragfted from the same fine materials and workmanship as the ultra-luxurious Rolls-Royce brand.

Two of the most beautiful features of the exterior design are the body finish in the exclusive Diamond Black metallic Rolls-Royce colour and 17-inch multi-spoke light alloy rims. The interior features seats covered in Lounge leather, Lambswool floor mats, a cashmere headliner and fascia and front door grab handles in burr walnut veneer and a sports steering wheel in Walknappa leather and Piano Black controls.

The MINI will be powered by the turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine featured in the 2011 MINI Cooper S. The powerplant will have Twin Scroll turbochargers producing 181-hp. The MINI can accelerate from 0-62 mph in 6.6 seconds.

Deliveries are scheduled to start in the second quarter of 2012.

GALLERY: MINI Goodwood

Despite being the only example in the world, the Maybach Exelero has been around the block a few times. First concieved as a concept car for Fulda Tires (who wanted to use the vehicle for tire testing), the Exelero then appeared in a Jay-Z video.

Since then, it has fallen into the hands of a private owner and stayed out of the hip-hop limelight, until earlier in the year when hip-hop mogul Birdman (aka Bryan Williams), responsible for launching the careers of music stars like Lil’ Wayne and Drake, claimed to have purchased the car.

According to a report by MotorAuthority, Birdman has yet to pay for the car, leaving its current owner high and dry. Birdman currently owns a rare Maybach Landaulet and a Bugatti Veyron, so the Exelero’s asking price of $8 million, while steep, isn’t too far removed from Birdman’s snack bracket.

Nevertheless, not paying up is still considered bad form, and we won’t really know until we see Birdman bragging about his newest acquisition online or in one of his videos.

[Source: Motor Authority]

In 2010, the world’s vehicle population hit one billion which works out to be roughly one car for every seven people. Reports conclude that China fueled half of the global growth, as it passed Japan for the world’s second largest vehicle population, with 28 million cars on the road.

India’s vehicle population has increased by nearly nine percent, pushing its total to 21 million cars on the road. The United States is still the country of cars, despite a lingering downturn in vehicle sales. The total vehicle population of 240 million cars, works out to be one car for every 1.2 persons.

[Source: Inside Line]

The Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance is in full swing, and Lotus has just unveiled the Exige Matte Black Final Edition, a special model reserved exclusively for the North American Market. The Exige Matte Black Final Edition will premier within the Lotus exhibit on Peter Hay Hill on August 18-21. Lotus will only produce twenty-five Exige Matte Black Final Edition cars, as a farewell model to the lightweight sports car that sold for the last ten years. The Exige will feature a more powerful 257-hp engine, a stealthy black paint job and black Alacantara sport seats.

Check out the photos and tell us what you think!

GALLERY: Exige Matte Black Final Edition