British Columbia Mounties have impounded 13-high end sports cars following an alleged street race in Metro Vancouver on Wednesday afternoon. Around 3:30 pm yesterday afternoon, police received reports of high-end cars racing southbound along Highway 99 in the area of George Massey tunnel.

Witnesses reported that the cars were travelling in excess of 200 km/h (120 mph), and on several occasions, the sports cars would travel side by side to block traffic, allowing their friends in front to race. Thirteen drivers were pulled over and their cars are worth a total of more than $2 million.

The vehicles involved in the race include a, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Nissan GT-R and Aston Martin. RCMP Insp. Bryon Massie said, ”The majority of them had personalized plates as well and were souped-up, so they’re fairly distinguished and the witnesses had no problem in providing us with the descriptors that were tracked back to the vehicles.”

Many of the sports cars had green “N” stickers in their rear windshields, as part of B.C’s graduated licensing system. Massie said, “The drivers of the vehicles are all in around the age of 20 years old. They’re all new drivers. The majority of them do not have their full driver’s licence status — they’re still in the ‘N’ new category.”

[Source: CBC]

If Porsche and Ferrari are ever caught sitting in a tree, you can bet they would probably be arm wrestling each other rather than kissing.

Their rivalry has been non-stop for over 50-years now and its showing no signs of slowing down.

This week, Porsche’s CEO Mathhias Müller said he was “irritated” that his company does not have a direct rival for the 8-cylinder Ferrari’s. Sure the flat-six turbocharged motors can put up numbers to match anything from Maranello, but the luxury sportscar buyers seem to prefer larger displacement, naturally aspirated engines, and Porsche does not offer that at the moment.

But just because they don’t have one now, does not mean they won’t ever have them. It is no secret that Porsche is looking to develop a supercar that will be placed above the current 911-range. That means they want to butt heads with the 458 Italia.

Rumor has it that Porsche is developing a modular engine that can be configured to run either as a flat-four, flat-six or even a flat-eight cylinder unit.

This engine will make its way into their new supercar, which some are dubbing as the spiritual successor to the legendary 959 (above.) Unfortunately, no timeline has been announced.

[Source: Autocar]

The Williams Formula 1 team has a long and somewhat checkered history at the pinnacle of motor sports, and like some of its competitors, have delved into the business of sports cars. Williams was full at hand with the development of the Renault Clio Williams from the early to mid ’90s, and had even developed a concept van called the Renault Espace F1, which was a minivan with a Renault engine taken from an F1 race car.

While on the motor sport side, Williams is still doing business with Renault (with whom they have just signed on with again for the 2012 season), however it is also working with Jaguar on a very special road car.

The car in question is the C-X75 supercar that Jaguar has decided to put into production. This hybrid supercar will use kinetic energy recovery system (KERS) similar to the ones used in Formula 1 racers, and Williams is responsible for perfecting this technology for use in this super Jaguar.

Williams chairman Adam Parr wants to take thing even further, saying; “We would like to become the competition and sporting side of Jaguar.” In other words, Williams could become the AMG of Jaguar road cars.

Williams has been on hand with the C-X75 from the very beginning. Parr said; “When the C-X75 was first envisaged it was powered by two turbines manufactured by Bladed Jets, which is part owned by Jaguar owner Tata Motors. But we have concentrated on adopting a path that will make the C-X75 the cleanest and more environmentally friendly supercar of all time. “So at the moment we are concentrating on a downsized internal combustion engine combined with some pretty amazing kinetic energy recovery systems.”

This partnership could lead to this technology trickling down to more Jaguar road cars, and could also spawn the return of Jaguar in competitive racing.

Time will tell what more this partnership will bring. For now, expect to see the production C-X75 to hit the showrooms in about two-years time.

GALLERY: Jaguar C-X75

[Source: Autocar]

With Ferrari having done away with manual transmissions already, Lamborghini is the next supercar manufacturer to follow the two-pedal trend, with the Bolognese outfit announcing that the next Gallardo will not be available with a manual gearbox, similar to its Aventador sibling.

Car enthusiasts will undoubtedly cry foul at this announcement, but Lamborghini R&D boss Maurizio Reggiani claims that as little as 1 percent of Lamborghini cars leave the factory with a stick-shift. The Gallardo is available with the proprietary e-gear sequential gearbox, while the Aventador’s new 7-speed ISR system has been universally praised by critics.

While manual transmissions are arguably more fun, Lamborghini argues that the dual purpose nature of their cars (comfortable around town, blindingly fast on the open road) can only be actualized with an automated paddle-shift transmission, stating that the manual gearbox offers an interruption in the vehicle’s various functions. We’d argue that perfection has a price, and it’s one we’re willing to pay, but customers have evidently voted with their wallets, and Lamborghini has listened loud and clear.

[Source: Motor Trend]

You probably have not heard of a car company called Joss, and you probably won’t see one running around in your neighborhood either, but this new Australian supercar builder will be unveiling their first production model later this year.

So far known as the JP1 (official model name will be announced at the cars launch), this 2200-lbs supercar will feature a 6.8-liter V8, producing about 500-hp. Power will be fed to the rear wheels by a Albins Zero-Shift automated manual gearbox, which should see it accelerate from 0-60 mph in a claimed sub-3.0 second range, and onto a guesstimate top-speed of 224 mph. Sounds impressive and we hope it can actually back those claims with real world numbers.

A rendering of this $500,000 car was shown recently at the 2011 Australian Motor Show, with the current prototype taking center stage on their booth. Only 25 examples will be built each year, let’s hope they each find nice garages to call home.

[Source: Motor Authority]

Photos have been released of the Porsche 911 in testing, and the photos seem to have been shot in Africa, a popular destination for many European automakers.

The lead photo in the set was released with a caption stating – “Testing is an essential part in the development of any new Porsche. It is only by taking the cars to the extremes that we can ensure that our performance and quality standards are met. This gallery offers you insight in the testing of prototypes.”

The new Porsche will be a little longer than the last one, by 2.2 inches but 4 inches in the wheelbase. The growth of the car has been linked to accommodate a possible hybrid system. The base 911 while come with a 3.4-liter flat-six and 350-hp. The Carrera S will pack a 3.8-liter cranking out 400-hp, and the Porsche will also receive a seven-speed manual transmission.

Performance numbers will be somewhat similar to the current model, with a 0-60 time of 4.5 seconds for the base Carrera topping out at 186 mph. Impressively the 991 will be 12-15 percent more fuel efficient and weigh 55 pounds less. Porsche has stated the the 991 Carrera completed the Nürburgring in 8:04, and the Carrera S in 7:50.

The Porsche 911 will makes it’s official debut at the Frankfurt Auto Show this September.

Gallery: Porsche 911 African Testing

Bruce Wayne’s ride of choice in The Dark Night was a Lamborghini Murcielago LP640, but the Murci met an early demise halfway through the movie.

Fortunately, Wayne is fabulously rich, and if it wasn’t for the wrecked Lambo, he’d probably want the newest model anyways (who can bear being seen in last year’s model anyways?). Luckily, there’s a shiny new Aventador waiting for him. One lucky gent managed to spy the Aventador (with Gotham plates) outside what is supposedly Master Wayne’s new digs – quite a step up from his old penthouse, but equally as lavish.

GALLERY: Lamborghini Aventador Batman: The Dark Knight Rises

[Source: Luxury4Play]

Watch some incredible Aventador video after the jump:

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McLaren is setting its sight on Ferrari and Lamborghini, and is set to spend $1 billion to develop 13 new models and variants, according to a Bloomberg report.

The announcement comes as McLaren is preparing to launch 35 dealerships this year, and has already spent $320 million to develop their MP4-12C sports car. So far, 2,000 orders have been taken for the MP4-12C, and McLaren expects revenues of $1.6 billion within 5 years, but Chairman Ron Dennis is hoping to sell as much as 47 percent of the company to reduce the company’s debt.

[Source: Bloomberg]

German driver Andre Lotterer will be racing one of two Lexus LFAs that will compete in this weekend’s race, marking the fourth consecutive year that the Japanese supercar is competing in the Nurburgring 24 Hours endurance race.

Lotterer just won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the number 2 Audi R18 TDI and has also successfully driven for Toyota and Lexus in the Japanese Formula Nippon and Super GT Champtionship. He will be racing in the number 119 car with Juichi Wakisaka and Takayuki Kinoshita.

The body and chassis of the LFA race cars are almost completely stock putting them at a significant weight disadvantage to many of the other race cars competing. However, Lexus is hoping to take a class victory as well as a top-10 overall position in the race. The LFA finished top in its class last year, but the two previous years it didn’t finish the race.

The Nurburgring 24 Hours endurance race starts on June 25th.

[Source: Motor Authority]

According to a report from Autoblog North American-spec production of the Lotus Elise and Exige will end in August, leaving the brand with only the Evora to sell as its sole product.

Since its debut in 2004 the Elise, and its hardtop Exige sibling have won accolades from enthusiasts and journalists alike, but have always been a niche product. The end of the Toyota 2ZZ engine, which powered the Elise on our shores, likely contributed to this decision.

The Elise will continue to be sold in Europe with a new 1.6L four-cylinder engine until a replacement arrives in 2015.

[Source: Autoblog]

Back in the 1980s a new Italian supercar was born. It was called the Cizeta V16T, and it came on the scene with a gorgeous design and technical specs that would cause any car guys heart to beat a little faster.

It had a 6.0-liter, quad-cam, 64-valve, 16-cylinder motor which produced 540 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque. That is not bad for 1988, especially when you compare it to other supercars of the day like the Ferrari F40, which produced 478-hp.

The Cizeta was ahead of the game, and its Marcello Gandini designed body was striking to look at also. However, some things didn’t go as planned. First, Gandini sold a similar design to Lamborghini, which became the Diablo, and then by the time the Cizeta was ready to go into production in 1991, the economy went bust, and that had a severe effect on sales. Most wealthy clients either simply walked away, or went and bought the Diablo, which looked very similar but was half the price of the Cizeta. Plus Lamborghini was a well-known name while Cizeta wasn’t.

Cizeta struggled but managed to make 11 coupes in the 1990s. In 2003, a convertible version called the TTJ Spyder was unveiled, which was a special order by a Japanese client. Only one such example exists and that very car is now listed for sale.

The dealer advertising this yellow on red example says the car only has delivery miles, but no price is given.

We contacted Cizeta’s president Claudio Zampolli, to find out more about this vehicle. He verified this was the only roadster ever made, and that he would love to get a hold of this example himself.

He also told us that Cizeta, the company, is still very much alive and that he will be announcing some news about the company in the near future. Being big-fans of this car, we can’t wait to hear what he is working on next.

Follow the link to see the posting for the Cizeta Spyder for sale.

[Link: F.A. Automobile]

It’s hard to believe that the Nissan GT-R is nearing the end of its life cycle, but its introduction in 2007 means that the car will be in production for nearly 6 years, and it will be time for an updated model.

Before the next GT-R debuts, the current R35 model will go out with a bang, as Nissan is reportedly planning a power bump to 560 horsepower, a 30 horsepower increase over the current Japanese-market Spec V model. Also planned is a Spec R model, with a weight savings of as much as 88 pounds, but development of this car was reportedly disrupted by Japan’s natural disasters in March.

Engineers were said to be preparing prototypes for shipment to the Nurburgring race track in Germany, but the earthquake and tsunami forced them to push back plans for a May test date. Rumors state that testing should resume sometime around September, but we won’t hold our breath.

[Source: 7Tune]

A McLaren MP4-12C was involved in a severe crash at the Nurburgring race track in Germany, prompting speculation that the car was attempting to record a lap time on the famed circuit before the first cars were delivered to customers.

Reports  from Evo magazine state that the MP4-12C was travelling extremely fast around the track before the incident, and squealing tires and the sound of an impact could be heard at one point. A covered truck then apparently collected the damaged McLaren. Meanwhile, Evo spoke to a McLaren representative claimed that there was no attempted made at setting a lap time, stating ‘The run came as part of the development program. The car was out there completing laps as part of ongoing tests and wasn’t trying to set a benchmark time. At this point we’re not trying to set lap times but we’re confident that the car will be very fast around the Nürburgring when the time comes.”

The representative later claimed that the car would be analyzed at the McLaren Technical Centre in England, and that it was not a production-spec vehicle.

[Source: Evo]

For anyone who grew up with posters of the Countach or Diablo on their wall, the idea of an “everyday” Lamborghini is utterly laughable. By definition, a Lamborghini has always been a loud, crude, in-your-face supercar that makes absolutely no concessions in the way of comfort or convenience.

But Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann claims that things are about to change, with a new addition to the model lineup designed to be a daily driver. Speaking to the Reuters Global Luxury and Fashion Summit, Winkelmann said ”We are going to have a third model. It has to be an everyday car. We want to have a car which is able to be used on a daily basis.”

Details are practically non-existant, since Winkelmann seemed to state that the car has been recently approved, and would take another four years to hit showrooms. Lamborghini has previous previewed a 4-door sedan model, dubbed the Estoque (seen above), while Ferrari’s new four-seat, four-wheel drive FF pseudo-hatchback will be on sale in 2012.

[Source: Reuters]

Most car enthusiasts would probably agree, that the McLaren F1 was and still is one of the most desirable supercars of all time. It stormed onto the scene with a three-seater passenger layout, a 627-hp V12, a 0-60 mph time of 3.2 seconds and a top speed of 241 mph. It had not only beaten its competition, it had annihilated them. The records it set were so impressive, it took over a decade to beat them, by cars sporting much more power. However, since the top speed crown has been taken from McLaren, many have been waiting to see what this Woking, U.K. based car company will do next.

According to the latest rumor mill, McLaren is already working on just such a car. No, it won’t be a more powerful version of the MP4-12c, but an all new car that is expected to debut in 2014. Internally, the project is known as ‘Mega Mac’ and it is rumored to be limited to 500 units, with a price-tag of less than $1-million, which would make it a bargain compared to Bugatti or Koenigsegg’s latest offerings.

This new car will feature active-aerodynamics to keep it hugging the ground at speed, because it will be really fast. Insiders suggest a 0-60 mph time of 2.6 seconds. Keep the accelerator buried a bit longer and you’ll see 100 mph flash by in 5.5 seconds, and 200 mph in just 20-seconds flat. That means it would hit the double-ton faster than a Veyron Super Sport. Not to worry, Brembo ceramic brakes will be on duty to calm all the fury.

Powering this new McLaren is rumored to be a Ricardo developed 5.0-liter V8, capable of producing around 800-hp. The transmission will be a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox built by Graziano.

No actual styling sketches have been revealed, but expect a blending of the old F1 with the new MP4-12c, only angrier. We can hardly wait to see the final result.

[Source: Autocar]

A rumor from AutoBild magazine suggests that the 2012 Dodge Viper may get a Ferrari-derived V8 engine rather than the traditional V10.

With the tie-up between Chrysler and Fiat, parent company of Maserati and Alfa Romeo, the Chrysler has access to the 4.7L V8 used in Maserati products and the Alfa Romeo 8C supercar, which is also shared with the Ferrari California. The Viper’s V10 has its roots in a truck engine, and despite its massive power, its roots are still evident to anyone who drives a Viper.

Chrysler needs to make a decision soon, and we suspect they’ll stick to the script with a V10, rather than opt for a pricier, not to mention un-American drivetrain. The Viper traditionally competes with other exotics like the Maserati GranTurismo and Ferrari California, and its cut-rate price tag compared to the Italians might make a V8 powered Viper a little too competitive.

[Source: AutoBild]

South Africa is known for many things, its beautiful wild-life, its amazing scenery and most recently, holding the FIFA Soccer World Cup.

Now you can add supercar manufacturer to their resume. Behold the Perana Z-One, a Zagato styled, Corvette powered beauty that has just gone into production.

The concept was first unveiled a few years ago at the Geneva Motor Show, but many thought the project would not have the traction to move forward. But they have.

This stunning coupe, which will be produced in a limited number of 999-units, has just hit the production line, and the company plans to have the Z-One flaunt its stuff at many public events, including the Goodwood Festival of Speed in U.K.

This $114,000 coupe does come with an impressive list of equipment, which include air-con, touch-screen infotainment system, sat-nav and Recaro seats.

As mentioned before, it uses a GM sourced LS3 engine that displaces 6.2-liters and produces 442-hp. Mated to a six-speed ZF-transmission, Perana predicts a 0-60 mph run to take less than 4-seconds. Thankfully it also has Brembo brakes, so it will stop as well as it goes.

It should handle well too, since Lee Noble was involved in the chassis set-up, and he does know a thing or two about good handling cars.

No word yet if North American buyers will be able to park a Perana Z-One in their garage, but we really hope so.

[Source: Pistonheads]

Ferrari‘s complimentary service plan, already available in some world markets, will also be offered in the United States, on vehicles like the FF, 458 Italia and California.

“We are currently working out the terms and details to adapt this plan to the U.S. market, which is the largest one for Ferrari,” said Enzo Francesconi, the man responsible for after-sales matters for Ferrari North America. Ferrari’s plan covers one scheduled visit per year, some parts, fluids and labor, but does not cover high-wear items like brake pads. On the other hand, the program is transferable, so used buyers will be able to use what’s left of the program.

Ferrari’s older models are notorious for outrageous service costs, with many requiring hours of labor to remove the engine even for simple tasks. Newer models have been designed for easier servicing, but an oil change can still cost around $500. Another interesting factor is that Ferraris in the snow belt states tend to rarely ever require a 3000 mile comprehensive service, but often get an annual tune-up at their owners request. With the free maintenance program valued at around $15,000, it’s a nice touch for prospective owners, albeit an inconsequential amount if you’re in the Ferrari demographic.

[Source: Car and Driver]

Fashion designer Bijan Pakzad was famous for his Rodeo Drive boutique, which was dubbed “the most expensive store in the world”. While Bijan recently passed away from a stroke, his legacy will live on not only in the fashion world, but among automotive enthusiasts.

Bijan was lucky enough to own a Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport, and his own personal example was outfitted in his signature yellow and black paint job, to match his own hardtop outfitted in a similar scheme (shown above). The video below, featuring Bugatti’s director of design, explains how the car came to fruition – if you’re into gaudy supercars, today is your lucky day.

[Source: Carscoop]

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Lamborghini head Stephan Winkelmann said that China will overtake the United States as its largest market in the very near future. Winklemann said that the exact sales numbers would depend largely on the new Aventador, and how many units it could deliver to China.

Q1 2011 sales outstripped those of 2010, even though Lamborghini was only selling the Gallardo, while it sold the Murcielago alongside it in 2010. Lamborghini plans on expanding its sales network from 14 dealerships to 20 by year’s end. China’s Lamborghini customer tends to be younger and female, two demographics which tend to display greater brand loyalty, qualities that Winkelmann obviously wants in a customer.

Rolls-Royce announced earlier in the month that it expects China to become the third largest market for its cars, while Ferrari is also anticipating the country to become an extremely important market in the near future.

[Source: Reuters]

The Chevrolet Corvette gets a lot of grief for having a less-than-opulent interior, but the upgraded 2012 models will not only get some new materials on the inside, but the Z06 and ZR1 performance models will get new tires and a couple handling packages designed to boost performance.

Interior upgrades include new seats and a re-designed steering wheel. A new Bose stereo, padded interior surfaces and an infotainment system package with GPS navigation and a heads-up display are also offered, although pictures have not been made available.

On the performance front, the Z06 is now available with a carbon fiber hood, the MSRC magnetic shock absorber system, new Michelin Pilot Sport tires and Performance Traction Management. The ZR1 gets the same tires, a new spoiler and alloy wheels, as well as revised gearing that gives it a 2 mpg bump in highway mileage.

The revised 2012 ‘Vette is expected to go on sale in July, but if you can’t wait that long, check out the video below to see the car in action.

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Despite a 13 year hiatus from producing road-cars, McLaren is now planning on launching a new road-going vehicle every year, starting with the introduction of the new MP4-12C supercar.

While timelines are still hazy, we do know that forthcoming products include an MP4 GT3, intended for international motorsports competitions, and an open roof MP4-12C. Beyond that, a new smaller sports car aimed at the Porsche 911 and a flagship supercar positioned above the MP4-12C should give the brand a suitable product line to do battle with sports car makers from Italy and beyond.

McLaren also is experimenting with new technologies to maximize horsepower and fuel economy, including new battery technology that can extract one horsepower from a lithium ion cell the size of a AA battery. While McLaren claims that getting this into a road-going car isn’t going to happen immediately, the company is advertising aggressively for hybrid system engineers on their website. Truth be told, there’s far worse than a KERS system in a sports car, even if “purists” bristle at the though.

[Source: The Detroit Bureau]

Ferrari is aiming for global sales of 8,000 units within 8 years, unprecedented volumes for a sports car maker that has traditionally prided itself on exclusivity and the individual nature of their products.

Sales of 6,800 to 7,000 Ferrari cars are expected this year, with the Japanese market being the deciding factor. Ferrari sells about 400 cars per year in the country. According to Ferrari boss Luca di Montezemolo, the jump to 8,000 units will have to come from emerging markets. ”A lot depends on India, Latin America and China. There is growth potential there,” he told German magazine Auto Motor und Sport.

China, which will sell 500 cars this year (up from 300) is expected to be the 3rd biggest market for Ferrari, behind the United States and Germany.

[Source: Automotive News]

If you’re buying a Jaguar XKR, you are probably the kind of customer who expects to be swaddled in leather, but an Italian special edition tore the leather out and replaced with with plaid Alcantara.

The example pictured above is finished in a pattern known as “Prince of Wales check” and is a bit more subdued than the hipster style Buffalo plaid we were expecting. The car in question is actually a super-rare XKR 75, which already came with an exclusive leather interior. Guess this new material makes the car even more rare – but maybe not any more tasteful.

[Source: Autoblog]