The ever increasing potential of electric motors has been discovered by supercar manufacturers. Perpetual record breakers SSC have now released the details of the 1000 bhp Ultimate Aero EV. Due to massive amounts of torque available it will propel the American machine from 0 to 60 mph in a staggering 2.5 seconds. Deliveries of the car will begin in the fourth quarter of the year. A new player on the market is the British JJAD. Headed by one of the former McLaren F1 designers Jim Dowle, the small company is also working on an electric sports car. Code-named the P1-E, the interestingly styled coupe will also reach sixty in under three seconds. The first prototype will be completed this year. At Geneva Mitsubishi will unveil the i MiEV Sport Air Concept, which is also aimed at the sporty driver.
In preparation for the new year racing season, three manufacturers have launched new machinery. Porsche revealed the latest evolution of the 997 GT3 RSR. Aimed at the GT2 class of ACO and FIA GT sanctioned series, it uses a larger engine, which produces more power and torque lower in the rev-band. It is easily distinguishable from its predecessors through the restyled front facia. Replacing the race-winning F1.08, the F1.09 is BMW Sauber's challenger for the 2009 Formula 1 season. For comparison purposes the German-Swiss team supplied pictures of the old and new side by side. This really showcases the major revisions to the aero-rules. Rounding off the update is the Ginetta-Zytek GZ09S. A development of the previous Zytek 07S, this is the first racer launched after the two companies merged.

One of the all time great racing series was the original Canadian-American Challenge Cup (Can-Am) held from 1966 to 1974. With very few limitations Can-Am saw some of the most unusual and powerful cars go head to head. The field was a mix of wealthy amateurs and many of the finest drivers of the day including F1 World Champions John Surtees, Denny Hulme, Jackie Stewart and Mario Andretti.
During the final years of the Can-Am Cup it suffered from the oil crisis and the dominant Porsches fielded by Team Penske. Most works team had withdrawn but the Anglo-American Shadow continued to fight against the odds and a much bigger budget. Their perseverance paid off in 1974 when the all new Shadow DN4 won four of the five races. The exceptionally low racer was designed by Tony Southgate and included many parts from the company's Formula 1 cars. The most important ingredient was a big block Chevrolet V8 engine that produced a staggering 800 bhp. After many strange designs, like this Shadow Mk1, Shadow had finally fielded a conventional car and it brought the desired results. Today we explore all aspects of the last Can-Am champion with a detailed report and a 18-shot gallery.
The ultra-low theme of the Shadow was pioneered in 1972 by this Lola T310. The rationale was that the low and wide body would generate a lot of downforce without the penalty of drag. The design was quite a departure from the short and narrow T260 used the year before and the car was completed for driver David Hobbs to make a real impact. It was Lola's final Can-Am car. We caught up with the ex-Hobbs car at the 2007 and 2008 Monterey Historic Races. In 2008 American racing icon Bobby Rahal piloted the white Lola to victory in the Can-Am race. Our article also includes pictures of a second car described by its owner as "number two of one produced."

If anything the heavily revised Formula 1 aero regulations have forced the designers to start with pretty much a clean sheet. Instead of copying the most successful cars, they now had to come up with new ideas, which resulted in some distinct cars for 2009. The most unusual so far was launched today at Portugal's new Algarve track; the Renault R29. Both the nose and the rear body treatment are unlike all others launched so far. Also unveiled in Portugal today was the Williams FW31 Toyota. Its most unusual feature is the relatively wide nose cone. On Friday McLaren took the wraps off the MP4-24 Mercedes, which will be used by Lewis Hamilton to defend his title. With over two months to go a lot can still change but hopefully all teams will stick to their own distinct designs.
During the past week Scottsdale, Arizona hosted the annual Barrett-Jackson auction bonanza, aired live on SpeedTV. Among the hundreds of lots was the very first Hennessey HPE700 Camaro. By fitting a Corvette ZR1 derived V8 in a Camaro body shell John Hennessey created a proper American muscle car. From today it will be available from select Chevrolet dealers and directly from Hennessey. Among its rivals is the SMS 570 Challenger. Built by Steve Saleen's new company, this Challenger comes equipped with a supercharged version of the HEMI engine.
Amidst all the new releases of the last two weeks we had no room to feature some classic machinery. Today we more than make up for it with three interesting cars. First up is the Tojeiro Bristol Special. Built in a small garage this one-off special was a great success on the race track and would form the basis for the AC Ace and ultimately the Shelby Cobra. The last Aston Martin GT-racer of the classic era is this DP214. Two were built for the 1963 season and the featured example is the only survivor. For over forty years it remained the last Aston Martin GT racer built by manufacturer itself. Rounding off today's news feature is this wonderful Bugatti Type 50 with a Cabriolet body by little known British coachbuilder Brainsby-Woollard. Part of the fabulous collection of the late Dr Peter Williamson, it was shown at Pebble in 2008.

With today's update we want to round up our coverage of this year's North American International Auto Show with the addition of six more new releases.
One of the most exciting production cars on display in Detroit is the Jaguar XFR. The high performance saloon is powered by a new direct-injection version of the supercharged V8 engine, which produces in excess of 500 bhp. Direct injection was also a popular technology on the Ford Motor Company stands. It is also used in the Lincoln MKS EcoBoost. Its twin-turbocharged V6 is very efficient giving it competitive performance and consumption figures. The latter is also true for the new Honda Insight.
Subaru revealed the Legacy Concept, which is most likely a precursor to the production model. The real showpiece of the concept car is the 'high definition' interior. One of the few manufacturers that indulged in some extravagance was KIA. The South Korean manufacturer took the wraps off the Soul'ster Concept. Whether the funky machine will make into production is still uncertain.
Earlier today Toyota launched the TF109 Formula 1 car. Taking the difficult economic conditions into consideration, the launch was not accompanied by the traditional big party. Like the Ferrari F60 shown earlier this week, the Toyota is built to the drastically revised aero regulations. The Japanese/German designers have managed to make the ultra wide wing of the TF109 a lot more pleasing to the eye.
You can expect to see more new Formula 1 cars here in the next few days.

In the last few years new Formula 1 racers were subtle developments from its predecessors but that is far from the case this year. Extensive aero-regulation changes have forced teams to start with a clean sheet. The first new generation F1 car was launched yesterday at Mugello; the Ferrari F60. Gone are all the small wings and the much hated grooved tires, giving the car a much cleaner appearance. The only aesthetically challenging aspect of the car are the new wings that are designed to make overtaking a little easier. Small High Voltage warning stickers on the car reveal that the car comes complete with a KERS energy recovery system. The F60 name is in celebration of Ferrari's sixtieth year as a Formula 1 competitor.
At the recent Autosport International Show, the name Reynard resurfaced. The Adrian Reynard run company will return to the market with the Inverter sports racer. Its name is derived from the fact that it produces enough downforce to run upside down at 100 mph.
Over in Detroit, green was the big theme. While most manufacturers showcased hybrid and/or electric drivetrains that will be introduced to the market sometime in the future, Ford focused its attention to the ultra-efficient line of petrol engines dubbed 'EcoBoost.' One of those direct injection, turbo engines is also mounted in the Lincoln C Concept. The Renault Avantime-esque styling also makes it very pleasing to the eye. The mother of all green cars is the Toyota Prius. In Motown the heavily revised third generation was introduced.
Producers of highly exciting green cars, Fisker and Tesla both announced expansions of their ranges. The former introduced the Karma S Concept at the NAIAS. The drop-top machine shares the innovative petrol-electric drivetrain with its fixed-head sister. Tesla only showed renders of their new Roadster Sport. With 3.7 seconds, it is .2 seconds faster to sixty than the standard Roadster.

Today the Cobo Hall in Detroit is filled with the motoring press for the first of three media days of the North American International Auto Show. The annual show is not surprisingly different from other years but there were still some very interesting new releases. Alternative fuels and efficient drivetrains clearly take center stage in Motown.
Audi and Volkswagen launched the most audacious concept cars, which combined exciting designs with diesel power. The former showcased the Sportback, which looks set to become the German manufacturer's rival for the Mercedes CLS. VW revealed the mid-engined Bluesport Concept. The two sports car is less likely to enter production.
Green is certainly the trend among the American manufacturers. Cadillac underlined that electric cars certainly do not have be boring with this funky Converj. The 2+2 Coupe uses an electric motor for propulsion, just like the Dodge Circuit EV Concept. This is a further development of the Dodge EV launched late last year in Los Angeles. Following a more traditional hybrid setup is the Chrysler 200C EV. The four-door sedan combines a petrol engine with a range extending lithium-ion fed electric motor.
Toyota was among the green pioneers and they continued to extend their fuel efficient range at Detroit. The Japanese company showed this FT-EV Concept, which is propelled by an electric motor. Even more interesting is the Lexus HS 250h; the first dedicated hybrid model from the luxury manufacturer. The large four-door sedan will hit the showrooms in the US this Summer.
Rounding off the update we take a first look at the new generation Mercedes-Benz E Class. More news from Detroit will follow in the coming days.

Today Nissan released the first pictures and details of the much anticipated SpecV version of the GT-R. The limited edition model will be available only from seven selected dealers in Japan. These are staffed by especially trained mechanics who have an intimate knowledge of the SpecV and are experienced circuit drivers.
Compared to the highly acclaimed 'base' GT-R the new SpecV features many subtle changes. On the outside the SpecV sports a new grille, brake-ducts and rear wing, all sculpted in carbon fibre. The lack of rear seats is the biggest change on the inside. In addition the front seats are now carbon fibre to further reduce weight. Of course it is the revised mechanical specification that interest us the most. Nissan has not revealed the exact figures yet but courtesy of a revised boost control unit and a new titanium exhaust power and torque should be up. To cope with the additional horses, the car comes standard with carbon ceramic brake discs.
All these extras do not come cheap as the GT-R SpecV will retail for a whopping 15,750,000 yen, which is over twice as much as the base GT-R. It is uncertain whether the SpecV will ever make it abroad.

A week ahead of the official launch at the North American Interntional Auto Show in Detroit Bentley has released the full details of the Continental GTC Speed. As the name suggests this is marriage of the convertible Continental body with the 600 bhp version of the twin-turbo W12. The fastest ever drop-top built by Bentley, it can reach a top speed of 312 km/h with the roof down!
Rumor has it that Honda will ax the S2000 in the very near future. Nevertheless they will display this Sports Modula S2000 Concept at the upcoming Tokyo Auto Salon. Built by subsidiary Honda Access Corporation the striking show car features a revised nose and interior. If it will become available, it will most likely be limited to the domestic market only.
One by one old names are revived. This morning we received that BRM is among them, for the second time. The legendary name has been applied to the Bee Four ERV hillclimb car. Developed by Bee Automotive, the single seater racer is powered by a 750 bhp electric motor and will be raced in the British Speed Hill Climb championship. BRM originally started off with unconventional designs, so this is a fitting way of celebrating the company's 60th anniversary.
A classic Bugatti has been making headlines around the world this week. More specifically this barnfind Type 57 S. Fitted with an Atalante body, it will be offered by Bonhams in their Retromobile auction next month. It is expected to fetch well over 3 million Euro. Reason enough to take a look at a sister model that we shot last year. This Gangloff Atalante Coupe is even rarer and has the highly desirable supercharged Type 57 SC chassis. Bonhams' Retromobile auction will feature another exceptional Bugatti; the Type 18 Labourdette Torpedo. Better known as Black Bess, this is one of the oldest original surviving Bugattis and still sports its original chassis, body and engine. Furthermore, it is one of just six or seven cars Bugatti ever built with chain drive. It will be a worthy addition to any Bugatti collection and the estimate of 1.3 to 1.5 million Euro could very well be exceeded.

In racing there are few things more exciting than watching a smaller, seemingly underpowered cars take on more potent opposition. These David vs. Goliath match-ups are a rare sight these days but were very common back in the 1950s and 1960s when the grids were much more varied. Today we take a closer look at two very famous 'giant slayers.'
Colin Chapman's design philosophy of 'add more lightness' greatly contributed in the exceptional performance of his Lotus cars on the track. One of the last of his great road racers was the Elan 26R. Based on the road going Elan, it uses the typical Lotus backbone chassis combined with the twin-cam Cosworth/BRM tuned 1.6 litre four cylinder. Between 1964 and 1966 these nimble machines dominated their class and regularly beat much larger engined opposition. It is estimated that nearly a hundred were built all of which were raced by privateers. In our feature gallery we have shots of six examples in action during the 2007 Goodwood Revival and 2008 Monterey Historic Races.
In 1950s Italy many privateer racers sent their machines to Abarth to have the engine tuned or to Zagato for a lightweight and slippery body. It was only logical that the two companies would eventually team up. Taking the very modest Fiat 600 as a base, they created Fiat Abarth 750 Zagato. Abarth enlarged the engine to 747 cc and Zagato provided the bodywork. The result was 43 bhp in a 535 kg and absolute domination in the 750 class of international racing. Among the dozens of victories were class wins in the Mille Miglia and in the Sebring 12 Hours. Needless to say the tiny Abarths were often found ahead of machinery with twice or three times the engine size. Our detailed article is illustrated with pictures of two fine examples.

Courtesy of the Ford Motor Company we can kick the new year off with a big bang. Ahead of the official launch at the upcoming North American International Auto Show the 'Blue Oval' released the first details of the all new Shelby Mustang GT500. Based on the recently face-lifted Mustang, the new GT500 packs a formidable punch; the supercharged V8 engine now produces a staggering 540 bhp. The quad-cam eight cylinder was previously used in the limited 'King of the Road' edition of the previous generation Mustang. Just like the 'standard' version, the GT500 sports numerous refinements and improvements compared to the outgoing model. The interior the new 'super pony car' is a combination of subtle hints to the classic Shelby Mustangs and of modern technology like the Sync communication system developed with Microsoft.
To be sold as a 2010 model, the new GT500 will be available in a Coupe and Convertible versions. One question remains; will the potential new King of the Road model beat the 600 bhp barrier?
Rounding off we would like to wish you, our many readers, a happy and prosperous new year. As you have become used to we will once again attend and cover all the major events as well as highlight all the new cars and many of the great classics.