Cosworth has become synonymous with performance technology over the years. Having tuned and worked with Formula One teams and vehicle manufacturers, their extensive knowledge of engineering is one-of-a-kind. So needless to say when we caught a glimpse of a Cosworth-tuned Subaru Impreza WRX STI we drooled.

With a CS400 attached to the WRX STI name, Cosworth’s rendition features a 400-PS enhanced powerplant, or 395-hp for us Americans. With close to a 100-hp increase then the factory STI, Cosworth has really flexed its tuning muscles in the offering. Horsepower isn’t all it added though, the car features Cosworth-branded AP racing brakes with four piston calipers and 14-inch front rotors, and custom seats. Subaru has also stepped in to say that this CS400 will feature suspension, exhaust and aesthetic upgrades – clearly ensuring no one will mistaken it as a mundane model.

But we’re not highly optimistic that it’ll end up on Stateside, much like other Impreza iterations that North American tends to miss out on. The CS400 will only be made in its hatchback offering with only 75 units. It’ll hit dealerships in June over in the UK, so we’ll keep our eyes out for full car photos. We can always keep our fingers crossed however for our own version, especially considering Cosworth has a significant fan base here in America.

[Source: Car and Driver]

Gallery:

Lotus displayed its Evora Type 124 endurance racer at the Frankfurt Auto Show.

The Type 124 (the 124 was the next number in line in Lotus’ naming sequence, but coincidentally, the 24 also represents 24 hour endurance racing) will make its racing debut at the 2010 Nürburgring 24 Hours in May.

Lotus engineers tuned the Toyota-produced V6 engine to produce up to 394hp. The car has been lightened to less than 2,646 lbs, though both power and weight may be subject to race regulations.

Other racing components on the car include a full roll cage, 18-inch wheels with Pirelli racing slicks, a new suspension setup as well as AP Racing brakes with six-piston calipers.

Gallery: Lotus Evora Type 124 Endurance Racer

Lotus is on a motorsports roll as of late, releasing racing versions of the Elise, Exige 260 and now this, the company’s flagship Evora model. Called the Type 124, this race-prepped Evora gets a 400hp version of the Toyota Camry’s V6 motor, mated to a six-speed sequential transmission.

The Lotus mantra is to build fast cars through the use of light-weight components and so the company’s road cars are already featherweights by comparison to most of the competition. Impressively, through the use of carbon fiber body parts and a fully striped out interior, Lotus engineers managed to drop an additional 440 lbs from the curb weight of the Evora, reducing it to just 2,600 lbs.

Other racing components on the car include a full roll cage, 18-inch wheels with Pirelli racing slicks, a new suspension setup as well as AP Racing brakes with six-piston calipers. The car meets FIA standards and will debut at next year’s Nürburgring 24 Hour race. Lotus says it will run a factory backed team in 2010 and 2011 and we would imagine the Evora Tye 124 will also be made available to private teams to compete in motorsports throughout the world.

“Every Lotus car is designed to be at home on the race track as well as the road, and the Evora is no different,” said Roger Becker, Vehicle Engineering Director for Group Lotus Plc. “Designed primarily as an everyday road car, the Evora’s lightweight and stiff structure, its aerodynamics and performance means that it is perfectly suited to taming race tracks around the world, and we are looking forward to seeing the new Lotus Evora Type 124 Endurance Racecar line up on the grid for the 2010 season.”

GALLERY: Lotus Evora Tye 124 Endurance Race Car

Official release after the jump:

Lotus Evora Type 124 Endurance Racecar

The Lotus Evora Type 124 Endurance Racecar has been developed from the award-winning Evora road car and is built to FIA regulations and safety standards.

The Type 124 (pronounced One Twenty Four) Endurance Racecar is the next step in the evolution of the Evora. The car will make its 24 hour racing debut at the ADAC Nürburgring 24 Hours which provides a great test for the Evora’s performance, efficiency and durability under tough and demanding endurance race conditions.

Lotus Evora Type 124 Endurance Racecar

The Lotus Evora Type 124 Endurance Racecar has been developed from the award-winning Evora road car and is built to FIA regulations and safety standards.

The Type 124 (pronounced One Twenty Four) Endurance Racecar is the next step in the evolution of the Evora. The car will make its 24 hour racing debut at the ADAC Nürburgring 24 Hours which provides a great test for the Evora’s performance, efficiency and durability under tough and demanding endurance race conditions.

At the heart of the Lotus Evora are fundamental racecar elements: mid-engine layout, high-tech and super-stiff extruded and bonded aluminium chassis and very strong lightweight forged aluminium wishbones. All these elements mean that it is a natural evolution from the road going Lotus Evora to a competitive endurance racecar.

From the outset the design team had intentions to take the Evora racing and the chassis was designed with this in mind. Endurance races are the perfect events to showcase the efficiency, handling and durability characteristics that have been fundamental to the concept of the Evora.

The Lotus Evora Type 124 Endurance Racecar has a race-tuned version of the mid-mounted Toyota V6 engine, with power increased to over 400 ps (depending on race regulations). Vehicle mass is expected to be reduced by up to 200 kg, bringing the weight of the racecar to less than 1200 kg (depending on race regulations).

Further changes for the Lotus Evora Type 124 Endurance Racecar include a six speed sequential paddle shift racing gearbox, full FIA specification roll cage, FIA-compliant 120 litre ATL fuel system, FIA fire extinguisher system, competition carbon fibre rear wing, diffuser and front splitter.

The racecar is fitted with AP Racing 6 piston callipers front and rear, with a race-tuned Bosch ABS system, 4-way adjustable dampers and adjustable anti-roll bars. The racecar runs on 18″ rims shod with Pirelli racing slicks and the wheels widths have been increased over the roadcar to 9 ½ J on the front and 11 J on the rear.

The aerodynamically efficient Lotus Evora Type 124 Endurance Racecar body design, made from lightweight composite and carbon fibre panels, remains predominantly unchanged from the road car, with the only modifications being to the lower sections of the front and rear clamshells and the side sills.

Luke Bennett, Director of Lotus Cars Limited, said, “Motorsport has been in our blood ever since our founder, Colin Chapman, built the first Lotus back in 1948. We are proud of our motorsport history, which includes victories in Formula One, Le Mans, saloon car, rally car and sportscar racing around the world; more recently, we won the British GT3 Championship in 2006 with the Lotus Exige. The Lotus Evora Type 124 Endurance Racecar is from the same unique stable and we expect it to be a competitive racecar when we enter various endurance races next year.”

Roger Becker, Vehicle Engineering Director for Group Lotus Plc said, “Every Lotus car is designed to be at home on the race track as well as the road, and the Evora is no different. Designed primarily as an everyday road car, the Evora’s lightweight and stiff structure, its aerodynamics and performance means that it is perfectly suited to taming race tracks around the world, and we are looking forward to seeing the new Lotus Evora Type 124 Endurance Racecar line up on the grid for the 2010 season.”
The racecar is expected to compete in a number of endurance races in 2010/ 2011 forming part of a factory-supported race program. The races that are targeted are: The 2010 ADAC Nürburgring 24 Hours (Nürburgring Nordschleife, Germany) in May 2010, Merdeka Millennium 12 Hours (Sepang, Malaysia) in August 2010, BritCar 24 Hours (Silverstone, UK) in October 2010 and the Dubai 24 Hours (Dubai Autodrome, UAE) January 2011.

With the Targa Newfoundland just two weeks away, Stillen has unleashed its race-ready Nissan GT-R upon the internet.

Prior to the race Stillen took its 620hp monster to the El Toro Marine base for a little performance test organized by Road & Track and the results are more than impressive. The tests revealed a 0-60 mph time of just 2.9 seconds, with a 1/4 mile time of 11 seconds flat at 127.9 mph! Don’t believe us? Watch the video below.

Along with a host of performance adders, like a Turbosmart boost controller and a Stillen exhaust setup, the Stillen GT-R also received a set of AP Racing brakes, Eibach springs and several other Stillen suspension bits. Stillen even set about manufacturing a polyurethane body kit and then contracted Password JDM for a long list of carbon fiber panels. Those panels, along with a stripped-out interior, mean the Stilen GT-R weighs significantly less than stock.

We’ll be sure to keep an eye on Steve Millen’s progress at the Targa Newfoundland, which runs from September 12th to 19th.

GALLERY: Stillen  Nissan GT-R

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[Source: Stillen]

Full stats on the Stilen Nissan GT-R after the jump:

STILLEN GT-R Targa Race Car

Performance Numbers (As Set Up For 2009 Targa Rally)

* Horsepower: ~620 @ 15psi (91 Octane Pump Gas)
* 0-60mph: 2.9 seconds **
* 1/4 Mile: 11.0 seconds at 127.9mph **
* 0-130mph: 11.4 seconds **
* Lateral Grip: 1.1G+ **

** (as tested by Road & Track)

Engine

* STILLEN Downpipes
* STILLEN Secondary Cat-Delete Y-Pipe
* STILLEN Race Exhaust w/Center Rear Exit
* STILLEN Intake System w/K&N Filters
* Turbosmart e-Boost Street 2-Stage Electronic Boost Controller
* Turbosmart Dual Port Blow Off Valves
* COBB Tuning AccessPORT
* Dodson Motorsports Transmission Cooler
* Red Line High Performance Synthetic Motor Oil – 0W40
* Red Line High Performance Synthetic Gear Oil – 75W140
* Red Line WaterWetter

Suspension

* High Performance Coil-Overs – Adjustable Bump & Rebound, Ride Height – Eibach Race Springs
* STILLEN Adjustable Sway Bars
* STILLEN Adjustable Endlinks

Brakes / Tires

* STILLEN / AP Racing Carbon Ceramic Brake Rotor Upgrade
* STILLEN / AP Racing Brake Pads
* STILLEN Brake Cooling Package
* STILLEN Stainless Steel Brake Lines
* AP Racing PRF High Performance Brake Fluid
* Bridgestone RE070R 255/40ZRF20 Front Tires
* Bridgestone RE070R 285/35ZRF20 Rear Tires

Interior

* STILLEN Designed & Built Custom Chromoly Roll Cage
* STILLEN Designed & Built Custom Seat Frames
* Status Racing Seats
* Status Racing Harnesses
* Monit Rally Computers
* ChaseCam On-Board Video Camera System
* Nordskog GPS Speedometer (KPH)

Exterior

STILLEN Urethane Front Lip Spoiler
STILLEN Urethane Side Skirts
STILLEN Urethane Front Canards
Password:JDM Dry Carbon Fiber Custom Race Hood
Password:JDM Dry Carbon Fiber Trunk Lid
Password:JDM Dry Carbon Fiber Wing
Password:JDM Dry Carbon Fiber Engine Cover
Password:JDM Dry Carbon Fiber Radiator Shroud
Password:JDM Dry Carbon Fiber NACA Ducts
Password:JDM AeroCatch Flush Mounting Plates
APR Carbon Fiber Side Mirrors
BASF Carizzma Orange Sherbet Pearl Paint

While the new Lotus Evora has already launched in Europe, the official release of the car in the U.S. has yet to take place. Normally we wouldn’t have the full U.S. specifications until that time, but a three page tech sheet from Lotus has leaked out with all the juicy details.

And while so often the U.S. market gets the shaft when it comes to high performance cars, it appears as though Lotus won’t be watering down its new flagship when it makes its debut stateside.

The Evora will be powered by a Toyota V6 engine and output is rated at 276hp at 6400 rpm, while torque is 258 ft-lbs at 4700 rpm. The car will weight just over 3,000 lbs (3,047 to be exact) and thanks to a six-speed manual gearbox will be able to hit 60 mph in just 4.9 seconds. 100 mph will come in 12.3 seconds. There is no mention of an automatic transmission, but one is expected to be offered. A sports transmission with shorter gears is an option.

Lotus also gives braking distance figures for the Evora with its four-piston AP Racing calipers at each corner with front 13.8-inch rotors and rear 13.1-inch rotors. It will stop from 60 mph in 110 feet and from 100 mph in 290 feet.

The car will come straight from the factory with a staggered wheel fitment, with 18-inch rollers up front and 19-inch wheels in the rear. A set of forged rims, which weigh 7.1 lbs less (in total), will be available as an option.

As expected ,with the fuel-efficient Toyota engine, as well as the light-weight Lotus chassis, fuel-economy is impressive with 22.8 mpg in the city and 43.5 mpg on the highway for an average of 32.5 mpg.

See the full spec sheets after the jump:

[Source: LotusEnthusiast.net]

Lotus has confirmed that it will introduce a Purist Edition of the Elise for sale in the U.S. this year. The philosophy behind this new model is to bring the Elise back to what it was when it first crossed the pond and landed on U.S. shores.

That means it will be a more basic package and will come at a lower starting price. That starting MSRP for the new model will be $43,995 – roughly $3,500 less than a standard Elise.

What you get for that amount is quite a lot… or quite a little depending on how you look at it. Lotus prides itself on light-weight, back-to-basics vehicles and the Purist Edition, as the name suggests, is just that.

The car comes with the 190hp Toyota-source 1.8-liter four-cylinder and six-speed manual transmission. Also included are 16-inch front and 17-inch rear wheels with 175/55/16 and 225/45/17 tires. You also get Bilstein shocks and AP Racing brakes. Inside is typically Spartan, although there are leather Probax seats, a leather-wrapped MOMO wheel and air conditioning is standard. In fact, the only option is the Starshield paint protection for $995.

The Lotus Elise Purist Edition is offered in three colors: Ardent Red, Saffron Yellow and (our favorite) Monaco White.

[Source: LotusEnthusiast.net]