9ff Cayenne Vantage GTR

9ff a well known German tuner specialist for Porsches has came out their latest project which is the Cayenne Vantage GTR. It's based on the Cayenne SUV and has nothing to do with the 911-rivalling Aston Martin, but the 9ff sport-ute packs a mighty punch. With a whopping 725hp on tap, the Vantage GTR leaves other modified Cayennes in its dust – make that a big cloud of dust – and straight into Gemballa territory, which is an insane place to spend any amount of time.

For the exterior, 9ff has decked out this Cayenne in Tumbler-worthy bodywork and sinister matte black finish, and is apparently even offering a revised front end to replace the stock model's angular headlights with round 911 units.

Fisker Karma S 'Sunset' Concept

Recently, Fisker has announced plans to debut their new Karma S 'Sunset' Convertible concept at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit next month. The company has been tight-lipped about the concept but judging by the name it will most likely be based off the production version of the Karma sedan that will also debut at the show.

Besides the green Karma, Fisker is perhaps best known for their coachbuilt SLs and BMWs, but Henrik Fisker is also one of the most influential designers in the last decade, with most of the current Aston Martin lineup and the late, great BMW Z8 attributed to his pen. We can't wait to see what this wunderkind is up to now.

A flashy new door insert that looks as if it could also double as some sort of engine bay vent extends a swooping flare down the side of the car as well. The split-spoke alloy wheels are also of a different type than those of the Karma, though they do share a sort of familial look.

Nissan not lying about GT-R horsepower

Last year, Motor Trend has estimated the Nissan GT-R35 is going to produce about 507hp and it is not match the factory specification. Now, Motor Trend plans to have another round power testing on the Nissan GT-R35. The key to this latest round of testing is the use of Hyper Power Dynamometer's DYNOmite, which allows testing not just of engine output, but of powertrain drag. After a dyno pull, instead of ceasing to record data, the machine records the slow-down period, and measures the drag due to the car's powertrain, including engine, transmission and wheels.

According to MT, the average of those three separate dyno runs reveals that Nissan's supercar is delivering 485-horsepower @ 6050 rpm and 470 lb-ft @ 3800 rpm. That's nearly spot on for horsepower, but a good deal more torque at the crank than its official 430 lb-ft. -- we're not complaining. These tests also prove that there are indeed significant losses due to the GT-R's twin-clutch, all-wheel drive configuration, though that's also what helps launch the supercar from a dead-stop so quickly.

Malaysia started to fine for not using rear seatbelt

Begin next year 1st of January 2009, all passengers in a car whether sitting in the front or back have to buckle up or face a RM300 fine. This only applies if the passenger is over 17 years old, but if you are younger, the driver of the car is the one who will be punished as according to Road Transport Director-General Datuk Solah Mat Hassan, it is the responsibility of the driver to ensure the safety of the minors that they are driving.

This new seatbelt ruling includes the rear seatbelts, but excludes the following:

* Cars registered before 1st of January 1995
* Cars registered after the 1st of January 1995 but not equipped with rear seatbelt anchorage points
* Commercial vehicles such as taxis and rental cars
* Vehicles with more than 9 seats including the driver’s
* Transport vehicles with capacity above 3.5 tonnes

The RM300 fine will be in effect only within a “grace period” of between the 1st of January 2009 to the end of June 2009. From the 1st of July 2009 onwards, this fine will be upped to RM2,000 and you could even go to jail for up to 1 year.

Nissan announced 2009 Nissan 370Z price list

Finally, Nissan has announced that the all-new 2009 370Z Coupe goes on sale in the U.S. today with an MSRP starting at $29,930 for the entry-level model equipped with a 6-speed manual transmission and $31,230 with the new 7-speed automatic transmission. The new Z is also offered in a Touring model, which is priced at $34,460 with the 6-speed manual and $35,760 with the 7-speed automatic transmission.

Nissan also offers 370Z buyers the option of two new packages. The Sport Package which is priced at $3,000, includes an array of upgrades such as the 19-inch RAYS forged wheels and Bridgestone Potenza tires, aerodynamic front and rear spoiler, larger Nissan Sport Brakes, SynchroRev Match (6-speed manual transmission only) and Viscous Limited Slip Differential.

The Navigation Package will set buyers back at $1,850 and adds a Hard Drive-based Nissan Navigation System, 9.3GB Music Box Hard Drive and Interface System for iPod.

The rev-matching manual gearbox is a unique feature (which can thankfully be disabled for those that prefer to drive themselves) for the Sport package-equipped models, and in all cars the automatic finally gets an upgrade to a much more modern 7-speed unit. At the heart of the new Z lies a familiar VQ-variant engine displacing 3.7L and rated at 332hp (250kW), though most of the power gain over the outgoing model's 3.5L unit is to be found at the very top of the rev range.

Mugen styling kit for facelifted Honda Zest and Zest Spark

After Honda had released the facelifted Honda Zest and the new Zest Spark the earlier day, Mugen released a new styling package for both versions of the kei-car. The body kit package include a front spoiler, a modified front grille, side skirts, a rear spoiler and a roof wing. Furthermore, the aero package can be combined with 14-inch alloy wheels while the more sportier Zest Spark pictured above can be fitted with 15-inch alloys. Mugen also offers a sport exhaust system and suspension as well as a few other accessories for both variants of the Zest.