One wonders at the counterintuitive ability of automotive manufacturers to intentionally make something significantly better than something else. Follow me: the Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG is, underneath it all, very similar to a Mercedes-Benz E200 Kompressor taxi you see on Munich streets. Strip away the exhaustive rebodying, and the story behind the Vauxhall Astra VXR 888 and the Saturn Astra strides along the same path.
Surely you're aware that the Astra available in North America at Saturn dealerships began life as an Opel/Vauxhall in Europe. In fact, Holden had it before us, too. In some countries, the Astra's badged as a Chevrolet. But we were last in line.
When the Astra finally arrived on our shores, currency issues meant it wasn't priced quite low enough to be a high volume car on this continent. Despite knowing the Astra was a better car than a Chevrolet Cobalt, swinging a slightly larger monthly payment for buyers with this sort of income isn't easy. So, for the most part, people have avoided the Astra, perhaps one of the best small cars General Motors has ever offered to its domestic customers.
Besides the price, other issues cropped up. Why did something as sporty-looking as the 3-door Astra, with its wonderfully arching roofline and beautiful 5-spoke wheels, come equipped with just a 1.8L, 138 horsepower engine? Okay, that's fine as a starting point.... maybe. But if this is going to be a premium player, where's the beef?
With this in mind, take a look Across The Pond. GM's UK branch, Vauxhall, hasn't been shy about the power quotient of the current Astra since the day it debuted. Engines generating significantly less than 138 horsepower are available, but so are a 1.6L turbo with 177, a 1.9L diesel with 150, and a 2.0L turbo with 237 in the VXR.
Now, for something more.

is the team behind VX Racing's Astra in the British Touring Car Championship. Success is the order of the day. With previous special edition Vauxhalls under their belt, the latest Astra VXR 888 was inevitably going to be truly special. At least under the hood.
295 horsepower and 317 lb-ft of torque must now be transmitted through the front tires. Yikes. The Remus sports exhaust is £850 but accounts for 20 of the additional ponies. £550 of software updates helps discover the remainder of the extra horsepower. Better brakes thin out your wallet to the tune of £1,600. evo magazine (pic provision) says, " No, the 888 doesn’t have the deeply impressive deployment skills of Renault’s class-leading R26 Mégane, but it remains on the right side of the line that divides fun from terror and control from chaos." Lack of chaos is good.
Any Astra VXR, however bruised and battered, can be retrofitted with the parts that make up the recent Triple Eight package. Complaints regarding steering feel remain and obviously the price is depressingly large. One way or another, we all know that Saturn would never consider offering this car to North Americans. Sad reality? It's unlikely that, were it to be offered, there'd be very many takers because of a prohibitive pricing scheme.

Label: Car walpapers

Some new images have just surfaced of some new Transformers action figures of the Audi R8 and surprisingly a Nissan GT-R. This brings out all the OUUUUS and AWEESSS of the kid in me. I used to own a Porsche JAZZ Autobot figure back in the day, which in the last Transformers movie they decided to make him a tuned Pontiac Solstice…YUCK… Ether way I am happy to see that some respectable automotive variety will be in this new movie. The Audi R8 toy in question appears to be a Decepticon and the GT-R is badged as an Autobot. It will be neat to see the two most hyped cars of the year battle it out in intergalactic warfare!!!

Judging by the Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen Trailer that teased us during this years Superbowl, we can see that they have finally come to their senses and expanded their car repertoire outside of the usual boring American car realm. A quick glimpse in the trailer shows us that an Audi R8 will make an appearance.

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Label: Car walpapers

The thing is when tuning an Italian supercar, you don’t want to take things too far - and tuner IMSA seems to be pretty careful when its comes to that. There’s no doubt that the 552-hp Lamborghini LP560-4 is already a powerful bull with a 0 to 60 mph time 3.9 seconds.

Leaving the engine untouched, IMSA is cutting the weight off the LP560-4 with a high-quality carbon fiber GTV kit. The kit includes a new aerodynamically optimised front apron, larger fenders for all four wheel arches, side skirts and a rear bumper with an integrated diffuser. More details about the kit will be released at a later date.

The IMSA GTV kit gives those wanting a little more aggressive appearance for their LP560-4 something to consider. What’s your take?

IMSA GTV Kit - Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4:

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Lamborghini is apparently working hard on the Murcielago LP 650-4 Roadster. Set to be produced in a limited run of 50 units, the roadster comes in a gray/black and orange color scheme called Grigio Telesto. Power is expected to come from...

Lamborghini is apparently working hard on the Murcielago LP 650-4 Roadster. Set to be produced in a limited run of 50 units, the roadster comes in a gray/black and orange color scheme called Grigio Telesto. Power is expected to come from the...

Label: Car walpapers

Label: Car walpapers

Unfortunately, the photos were shot from a very long distance, so very few details of the car are clearly visible. What we could manage to see is the blacked out rooftop, the side air-vents, the dark alloy wheels and the large openings on the front bumper.

But if you just can't wait until the beginning of next week to see the official image gallery, here's what we learned from our source. The new MiTo GTA will feature a working bodykit that improves the car's CX drag coefficient. In details, the front end is characterized by the wide air intakes, the new styling of the classic Alfa grille, the badge that has been positioned on the bonnet and the new bumper. As for what we saw as a hood scoop, turns out it's a windscreen wiper deflector...

From the side, the GTA will be distinguished by the dark-finished 19-inch forged aluminum rims, the 8C Competizione-inspired air-vents and the aerodynamic miniskirts. As for the car's rear end, the restyled bumper has an air extractor to increase aerodynamic downforce while at the center it incorporates a large diameter twin exhaust pipe. Furthermore, the tailgate has been completely redesigned, using carbon fiber technology and incorporating an integral spoiler with a wing which is wider in the upper and side sections.

Inside, we were told that the GTA will get a blacked out trim while a red stitching runs all the way round the car. Unique features will include new air vents, specially designed for the MiTo GTA Concept and embellished with aluminum inserts, an ergonomically designed sports steering wheel and instruments with new graphics (the speedometer has an end of scale of 300 Km/h).

And what about under the hood? The MiTo GTA Concept sport's a new 1.75-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder gasoline engine producing an output of 240-horsepower. Developed by the engineers of FPT - Fiat Powertrain Technologies, the four-pot unit uses various technical solutions, including direct gasoline injection, dual VVT, the turbocharger and, according to Alfa, a "revolutionary management system".

Even though no acceleration figures have been released, Alfa claims that the MiTo GTA's 1.75L Turbo will offer performances comparable with those of an engine of 3.0-liters, while consumption is maintained at levels typical of a 4-cylinder engine of average capacity.

Though we do know that the MiTo GTA Concept will retain the front-wheel drive layout of the standard versions, we weren't able to find out with what type of transmission it will be equipped.

To enhance the MiTo's handling qualities, Alfa Romeo's engineers performed various upgrades on the chassis. Among other things, they completely revised the operating parameters of the suspension, lowering it by about 20 mm and upgraded the steering system for a more direct and precise feeling. Alfa Romeo also developed a new "active suspension system" with Magneti Marelli and a high-performance braking system with Brembo.

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Label: Car walpapers

Just a few days ago there was a "fake teaser" put together by someone and sent to the inbox of automotive news desks across the internet that showed what appeared to be an Audi TT-RS. This fake photo did not fool us. Today we have got the official teaser shots and some new details hot new Audi TT-RS luxury sport coupe.

Debuting at the Geneva Motor Show next month, the new Audi TT-RS will have direct gasoline injection and turbocharging to deliver more than 300 bhp for this new vehicle from Audi. According to Audi , "its turbocharged 2.5-liter engine produces well above 300 bhp. It also delivers explosive acceleration, driving delight, and unrivalled sound."

This turbochargede 2.5 liter will be good for a note to sixty in under 5 second while offering a top speed that is electronically limited to around 155 mph. As expected the TT-RS comes standard with Quattro all wheel driver for driving through those curves or inclement weather and braking power that one would expect from a TT-RS model. Underneath the skin of the new Audi TT-RS is the Audi Space Frame principle which means that it is lightweight and mainly aliminum.

Sadly, Audi has yet to confirm this hot new sports car for the United States stating that it is "not approved for US Launch." Until the TT-RS is officially revealed online or leaked, you will have to just settle for these teaser shots!

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Sport car articles : Alfa Romeo Mito GTA: First images

The new Alfa Romeo Mito GTA will be on show at next week’s Geneva motor show, and thanks to AutoCar, we have the first official images. Not much is known about this ‘production-ready’ concept, but we do know that it will come with a 1.8-litre turbocharged Fiat engine, which will produce 240hp.

That kind of power should be more than enough to worry the likes of the Mini Cooper. The car sits low, 20mm lower than the standard Alfa Romeo Mito, the new front suspension geometry and the active suspension system helps to improve the handling of this new sports hatchback.

The people over at Alfa have been working hard on reducing the weight of the Mito GTA, as well as lowering its centre of gravity. Many of the components such as the door mirrors, roof and rear spoiler, have been made from carbon fiber.

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After the unveiling of the last Audi TT, TT-S, 2.0L TDI diesel-powered TT, and finally, the entry-level 1.8L TFSI model, there’s one more TT variant in the works and it could potentially be the fastest production TT ever. The new car is the performance RS variant of the TT and these leaked official shots reveal a few vital clues about it.

The car will be called the TT-RS and it will come with a fixed rear wing as opposed to the adjustable spoiler found on more mundane TT models. The images also comfirma new bumper design, revealing a look similar to that seen on last year’s striking V12 TDI R8 concept car.

The smart money is betting on an inline five-cylinder petrol engine displacing just 2.5L. According to a previously leaked memo, the compact engine will output a healthy 340hp (253kW) and 332lb-ft (450Nm) thanks to the addition of a twin-turbocharging system. This should see it accelerate from 0-100km/h in less than five seconds and easily reach an electronically controlled top speed of 250km/h.

Both a Coupe and Roadster will be launched and both cars will feature the same power output, quattro AWD and a six-speed transmission - though it's not yet clear if it will be a dual-clutch unit or a traditional manual. Other features listed in the memo include 18in aluminum wheels with a dual five-spoke design, twin-exit oval exhaust pipes, matte aluminum headlight housings, and a unique interior with Alcantara and leather trim.

We won’t have to wait too long now to see the new Audi TT-RS as it is scheduled to make its debut next month at the Geneva Motor Show. If, like us, you can’t wait then click here for our previous spy shot stories.

Label: Car walpapers

Label: Car walpapers