Tommy Kaira Nissan GT-R R35 Sport Package

Japanese tuning firm Tommy Kaira will be showcasing a new sport package comprising of numerous aerodynamic add-ons as well as suspension and interior upgrades for the Nissan GT-R R35 at the forthcoming Tokyo Auto Salon that runs from January 15 to 17.

As you can see in the teaser sketches and the photos shot during the development phase after the break, the aero package consists of a front bumper with a lip spoiler, side skirts, extended rear fenders, a rear wing and a chunky rear diffuser, all trimmed in carbon fiber.

Tommy Kaira's tuning kit for the Nissan sports car also includes upgraded suspension parts and interior enhancements in the form of Recaro bucket seats and hand-stitched leather trim.

2010 Nissan Qashqai

Nissan has given its European market compact crossover, the Qashqai, a mid-life makeover for 2010 to prolong its appeal to consumers. So what's new about the Qashqai? Well, first of all, most of the cosmetic changes concern the front end as hood, bumper, fenders, grille and headlights have all been revised giving the Qashai a much more aggressive look.

There are also two new exterior colors, revised tail lights with LED technology, and newly designed 17-inch alloy wheels.

These styling changes together with a series of other improvements are said to have reduced the Qashqai's drag coefficient from 0.34 to 0.33.



Inside, Nissan is promising new trims, better quality materials, reduced noise, vibration, and harshness levels, plus a revised instrument panel cluster with a new LCD screen.

Completing the upgrades is a retuned suspension that's said to further improve handling. The engine lineup remains unchanged.

Also new for the 2010 model year, is the introduction of an eco-friendly version called 'ECO Qashqai' that is powered by Nissan's (okay, Renault's) 1.5-liter turbo diesel engine.

Nissan said that this model benefits from a series of weight saving measures, aero tweaks, low rolling-resistance tires and longer gear ratios, to achieve 129 g/km CO2.

Sauber Confirmed As 13th Entry on The F1 Grid

The FIA confirmed on Thursday that the BMW Sauber team has obtained the last available space on the 2010 F1 championship’s entry list. The departure of Totoya therefore played in the Swiss team’s favour.

“The FIA has written to inform BMW Sauber AG that their application for an entry in the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship has been successful,” indicated a statement issued by the sport’s governing body. “Subject to their signing the Concorde Agreement, BMW Sauber will be awarded the 13th entry in the Championship, taking the place of the departing Toyota team.”

“The FIA has worked closely with the Commercial Rights Holder and the teams involved over recent weeks and is grateful for their support in achieving the best outcome for the sport,” the FIA said, adding that “an updated Formula One entry list will be published in due course.”

With BMW having announced its retirement from Formula One this summer, the German carmaker had not signed the amended Concorde Agreement which would have bound it to the sport until the end of the 2012 season. That left the outfit out of the picture when the FIA granted the 13 team positions available on next year’s roster.

However the FIA granted a ‘14th team status’ to BMW Sauber in case a confirmed team pulled out. Failing that, unanimous agreement was required from the other competitors to allow a 14th team on the entry list – a task easier said than done.

With the Qadbak takeover of the BMW Sauber team floundering, BMW confirmed earlier this month that original team founder Peter Sauber would in fact take over the outfit. However, with legal issues surrounding the Toyota exit, the FIA declined to grant the Sauber team entry for 2010 when they released the official entry list on Monday.

The FIA finally clarified the issue and confirmed today that Sauber has been granted a place in next year’s championship.

Peter Sauber is now looking for sponsors and investors in order to continue the adventure. It can be expected that drivers will be confirmed in the near future.

Mercedes Mclaren SLR: Production Ends After 2000 Units

It all began in 1999 as a concept (I remember cause I wrote about it in my SPM English paper), and in 2004, the Mercedes-Benz and Mclaren love story began. The two legendary companies set out to produce a memorable supercar and came up with the SLR (Sport, Light, Racing). The SLR spawned two coupe’s, two roadster’s and one Stirling Moss edition which was the final edition of the SLR range. In a span of five years 2,000 SLR’s were built but only 75 would ultimately be badged Stirling Moss, making it even more exclusive than the already very exclusive coupe and roadster SLR.

The SLR is powered by a 5.5-liter supercharged V8 powerplant that makes 626hp in the Coupe and Roadster models. The same engine makes 650hp in the 722 and Stirling Moss editions. The latter has a blistering speed that does the 0-100 run in 3.5 seconds and goes on to a top speed of 350km/h. With no roof, windscreen or side windows, a helmet for the driver and passenger of the Stirling Moss, is highly recommended.



The original 300 SLR racing cars was piloted by Moss himself and went on to a succession of victories in the 50s. The legendary Juan Manuel Fangio later became a five time Formula One World Champion in the cars too.

So it is in fact a sad day for the SLR legacy that goes back decades but with such a glittering history, we’re sure there will be future models of the SLR. Meanwhile, members of the SLR.CLUB (open to anyone who owns a SLR) will keep the history alive by getting together regularly and continue organising club events such as drives on famous racing circuits and participation in the Mille Miglia.

Porsche debuts lightweight 2011 Boxster Spyder

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 2, 2009 – Today, at a press conference at the Los Angeles Auto Show, Porsche – a company known for creating light and highly efficient and desirable sports cars – took the wraps off one of its most nimble and sportiest mid-engine cars ever: the 2011 Boxster Spyder.

This new mid-engine Porsche represents the purist form of the roadster sports car, meaning it is agile, powerful, open and efficient. Weighing only 2,811 lbs. and delivering 320 horsepower, it goes on sale in February 2010 and will join the Boxster and Boxster S that made their world debut here last year.



This exciting new member of the Boxster family stands out among other versions of the company's famous roadster. Almost reluctantly, Porsche's engineers equipped it with a lightweight manual soft top meant for protection only; it is there to be deployed on those occasions when the elements absolutely demand it. This utilitarian top, when combined with extra-low side windows and two striking bulges on the single-piece rear lid, provides the Boxster Spyder with a sleek, low-slung silhouette reminiscent of the Carrera GT.

"The new Boxster Spyder looks distinctly different from its Boxster siblings," said Klaus Berning, Porsche's executive board member responsible for worldwide sales and marketing, speaking at the Los Angeles Auto Show press conference today. "Our designers borrowed from the rich history of our mid-engine sports and race cars of the '50s, but under the skin it has our most advanced technology so that its performance matches the Spyder's looks, making it the quintessential purist Porsche."

The Boxster Spyder features a 3.4-liter six-cylinder engine with Direct Fuel Injection upfront of the rear axle. Maximum output is 320 horsepower, 10 more than the Boxster S.

The combination of more horsepower, 176 lbs. less weight than the award-winning Boxster S, an all-new sport suspension that lowers the Boxster Spyder 20 mm, a lower center of gravity, a standard limited slip differential, and exclusive wheels provide the kind of driving dynamics that back up the unique look. Aluminum door skins and lightweight interior door panels from the 911 GT3 RS contribute to the weight reduction.

When equipped with Porsche-Doppelkupplung (PDK) transmission and the Sports Chrono Package, the new Spyder, using Launch Control, accelerates from a standstill to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds. Top track speed is 166 mph – with the roof open.

ATT Thunderstorm BMW M3 Convertible

Autotechnik + Tuning or also known as ATT has released its tuning package for the BMW M3 convertible known as Thunderstorm M3.

ATT increases the output of the stock 4.8-liter V8 engine from 420 hp to 500 hp. The improvement is made possible thanks to the inbuilt compressor, optimized engine software, unique exhaust system with optimized dynamic pressure and 4×90 exhaust pipes (€1,355).

The price for the engine upgrade including installation is €11,749. The suspension system has also been upgraded with KW Variant 3 coilover suspension system at €2,029.



The ATT Thunderstorm BMW M3 Convertible stands on ATT-TEC LeMans 8.5×20” wheels wrapped with Michelin Pilot
Sport 245/30 ZR 20 tires at the front and 10×20” wheels wrapped with 285/25 ZR 20 tires at the rear. The wheel set is priced at €3,475 including mounting and balancing. To complete the wheel set, ATT equipped the BMW M3 with 20 mm distance washers on the front and rear axle for €393.

Customers have the option to wrap the interior cabin with either carbon parts or Swarovski crystals.