Red Racing Ferrari Dino 206S

Ferrari Dino 206S, originally uploaded by martinswelt.

Dino was a brand for mid-engined, rear-drive sports cars produced by Ferrari from 1968 to 1976. The Dino brand was meant to be used for cars with engines that had fewer than 12 cylinders, reserving the Ferrari name for the V-12 and flat 12 models. The Dino name was retired after that point, in favour of conventional Ferrari branding. The Dino brand was an attempt by Ferrari to produce a relatively low cost sports car by using components from other vehicles.

The Dino models used Ferrari racing naming designation of displacement and cylinder count with two digits for the size of the engine in deciliters and the third digit to represent the number of cylinders, i.e., 246 being a 2.4 liter 6 cylinder and 308 being a 3.0 liter 8 cylinder.

The Dino 246 was the first Ferrari model produced in high numbers. It is lauded by many for its intrinsic driving qualities and groundbreaking design. In 2004, Sports Car International placed the car at number six on its list of Top Sports Cars of the 1970s. Motor Trend Classic placed the 206/246 at number seven in their list of the 10 "Greatest Ferraris of all time".

Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato

Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato, originally uploaded by Jojo Cence.

The Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato was introduced in 1960 at the London Motor Show. It was effectively a DB4 GT improved by the Zagato factory in Italy, by Ercole Spada. The Zagato's engine produced 314 hp, a 0 to 60 mph acceleration of just 6.1 seconds and a top speed of 154 mph (246 km/h). Initially the factory had plans to produce 25 cars, but demand wasn't as strong as expected and production ceased at the 24th unit. Nowadays the car sells for over £3,500,000.

The DB4 GT Zagato was raced in the 1962 24 Hours of Le Mans race by such famous names as Roy Salvadori and Jim Clark.

In 1991, 4 unutilised chassis numbers were put to use. With the approval of Aston Martin, four DB4 chassis were appropriately uprated to GT specifications. The chassis were then sent to Zagato's Milan workshop to be bodied. To familiarize the workforce with construction techniques of the 60's, an original DB4 GT Zagato was sent along to be dismantled. These cars were known as the Sanction II cars. They were outwardly identical, but several changes were effected in the interest of better handling. Each of these cars sold for over $1,000,000.

Jaguar E-Type (XK-E) Raced by Peter Newman

Jaguar E-Type (1 of 2), originally uploaded by _DaveAdams.

The Jaguar E-Type (UK) or XK-E (US) is a British automobile, manufactured by Jaguar between 1961 and 1974. Its combination of good looks, high performance, and competitive pricing resulted in a great success for Jaguar, with more than 70,000 E-Types being sold over its lifespan. It is often referred to as the E-Type Jag, and has subsequently become an icon of 1960s motoring. In March 2008, the Jaguar E-Type ranked first in Daily Telegraph list of the "100 most beautiful cars" of all time. In 2004, Sports Car International magazine placed the E-Type at number one on their list of Top Sports Cars of the 1960s.

De Tomaso Pantera Italian Racing Car

Detomaso Pantera, originally uploaded by Martin Vincent.

The Pantera was a sports car produced by the de Tomaso car company of Italy from 1971 through 1991, the last one delivered to a customer in 1992. The word "Pantera" is Italian for "Panther". The car was designed by Tom Tjaarda and replaced the de Tomaso Mangusta. Unlike the Mangusta, which employed a steel backbone chassis, the Pantera was a steel monocoque design, the first instance of de Tomaso using this construction technique.

The first 1971 Panteras were powered by a Ford 351 in³ (5.8 L) V8 which produced 330 horsepower. The ZF transaxle used in the Mangusta and was used for the Pantera. Another Italian exotic that shares the ZF transaxle is the Maserati Bora. Power-assisted four-wheel disc brakes and rack and pinion steering were standard equipment. The 1971 Pantera could accelerate to 60 mph (97 km/h) in 5.5 seconds according to Car and Driver.

Ferrari 250 GTO 3387GT Race Car

Silverstone Historic 1999 Ferrari 250 GTO 3387GT, originally uploaded by jccphotos.

The 250 GTO was designed to compete in GT racing. It was based on the 250 GT SWB. Chief engineer Giotto Bizzarrini installed the 3.0 L V12 engine from the 250 Testa Rossa into the chassis from the 250 GT SWB and worked with designer Sergio Scaglietti to develop the body. After Bizzarrini and most other Ferrari engineers were fired in a dispute with Enzo Ferrari, development was handed over to new engineer Mauro Forghieri, who worked with Scaglietti to continue development of the body, including wind tunnel and track testing. Unlike most Ferraris, it was not designed by a specific individual or design house.

The rest of the car was typical of early-1960s Ferrari technology: hand-welded tube frame, A-arm front suspension, live-axle rear end, disc brakes, and Borrani wire wheels. The five-speed gearbox was new to Ferrari GT racing cars; the metal gate that defined the shift pattern would become a tradition that is still maintained in current models. The interior was extremely basic, to the point where a speedometer was not installed in the instrument panel. Many of its switches came from the Fiat 500, and it was said that as the car was rushed into production, the original cloth seats were made from workers' overalls.

Lola T70 built for Sports Car Endurance Racing

Lola T70 #1, originally uploaded by Nigel Smuckatelli.

The Lola T70 was built for sports car racing, popular in the mid to late 1960's. Developed by Lola Racing Cars in 1965 in Great Britain, the T70 was made for endurance racing. In 1966, the open-cockpit Mk II version with a Chevrolet V8 engine was an entry in the CanAm series, winning five of six races during the year. In 1967, the T70 raced again but only won one race, outpowered by the newer McLaren made cars.

Despite its short-lived success in the CanAm series, the T70 was quite popular, with more than 100 examples of the vehicle being built in 3 versions. The first version, besides the original factory car, was the open-roofed Mk II, joined by the Coupé-version Mk III, and a slightly updated version, the Mk IIIB. The T70 was replaced in the CanAm by its lighter, stronger predecessor, the Lola T160.

1958 AC Aceca - Classic Sports Car with Racing Stripes

1958 AC Aceca, originally uploaded by smenzel.

The Aceca (pronounced "A-See-Ka") is a closed coupe from AC Cars, produced from 1954 through 1963. The similar Bristol-engined Aceca-Bristol was also available starting in 1956. Both were hand-built GT cars in the British tradition, with ash wood joining steel tubing in their construction. One notable feature was the hatchback at the rear, making the Aceca only the second car, after the 1953 Aston Martin DB2/4, to incorporate this element.

The main difference between the Aceca and Aceca-Bristol was the engine. Both were straight-6es, but the Aceca shared its 90 horsepower 2.0 L engine with the lighter AC Ace, while the Aceca-Bristol used a 125 hp "D-Type" 2.0 L unit sourced from Bristol Cars. The Aceca-Bristol was also available with a milder "B-Type" Bristol engine of 105 hp. The Bristol specification added $1000 to the Aceca's $5,400 price tag in the United States.

151 Acecas and 169 Aceca-Bristols were built when production (and all of AC Cars) halted in 1963.

Chevrolet Volt

Chevrolet Volt

The Chevy Volt is not an all-new concept that we haven’t seen before – Paris was merely its European debut. But it still warrants a mention because it is a genuinely production ready electric car being built by a major mainstream manufacturer.

The Volt really does go on sale in 2010. It uses electric power only to drive the wheels, but has an onboard petrol engine to act as a generator when the built-in battery runs out of juice. So while the theoretical electric-only range is around 40 miles, the Volt can keep on going using the petrol engine as a charger. Clever stuff.

Citroen GT

Citroen GT

Citroen stole the show with this car. The GTbyCitroen, created in partnership with Polyphony’s GranTurismo PlayStation game, is an utterly jaw-dropping future supercar, all curving surfaces, ducts, vents and high-speed detailing. Just look at that outlandish over-sized tail section – incredible to think the same manufacturer also builds the C1.

Which is, of course, almost exactly why we will never see anything like this for real. Would anyone actually buy a Citroen-badged supercar? We think not – no matter how cool looking. Makes the whole exercise rather pointless. Unless you happen to own the games console, as the GTbyCitroen really does appear in Polyphony’s game.

BMW X1

BMW X1

We’re a little puzzled by the BMW X1. One of so many new “crossover” concepts to appear at the show – the crossover is rapidly mutating from niche to not interesting – even BMW didn’t seem to be making much of a fuss over it, despite the concept model looking every bit the production possibility. Casually positioned in one corner of BMW’s stand, if it wasn’t for the ludicrously gold paint, the X1 is easily overlooked. Especially as the styling is far from radically diverting – it looks like a miniaturised X5 that’s been run over. Perhaps, given the current economic climate, the German carmaker is having second thoughts…?

New 2009 Nissan Skyline GTR R35 Test Run @ Race Track

2009 Nissan Skyline GT-R: The most eagerly anticipated new performance car of the century

Brakes: Brembo 4 Wheel Disc
Differential: 1.5 Way Mechanical Limited Slip
Final Drive Rati: 3.70:1
Layout: Front Engine, AWD
Transmission: 6 Speed DSG Manual
Engine: 3.8 liters Twin Turbo 24V V6
Horsepower: 480 hp @ 6400 rpm
Torque: 430 ft-lbs. @ 3200 rpm
Acceleration: 0 to 60mph in 3.3 sec

Born from a long line of Skyline GT-Rs dating back to 1969, this latest version — "R35" to the hard-core — promises to pack more turbocharged power, more all-wheel-drive technology and more sheer speed than any Japanese car ever to come to America.

For six years the 2009 Nissan Skyline GT-R has been the subject of intense rumors and frenzied speculation. Frequent sightings of GT-R test mules help fuel the excitement. We've caught GT-R prototypes on the streets of L.A. and the Nürburgring test track in Germany. Nissan's engineers also made a trip to a couple California racetracks, bringing the GT-R to both Laguna Seca and Sears Point.

Why is this car followed so closely? Because the Skyline GT-R R35 is expected to be the ne plus ultra of Japanese performance machinery

The original Nissan Skyline GT-R
might have hit the street in 1969, but it wasn't until 1990 that the GT-R legend would be solidified. That was the year the Skyline GT-R was introduced to an utterly stunned Japanese market. It was the first of three twin-turbocharged, all-wheel-drive and all-wheel-steering Skylines (R32, R33 and R34) and it's the generation upon which the Skyline GT-R legend rests.

Though the R34 left production after the 2003 model year, it was so beloved that Nissan's Nismo division actually bought 20 used Skyline GT-R R34 V-Spec models during 2005 and completely rebuilt them into what is currently considered the greatest GT-R of them all — the $170,000, 500-horsepower Skyline GT-R Z-Tune.

So prominent had the Nissan Skyline GT-R become that in 2003's 2 Fast 2 Furious, the film's hero drove and raced one through the streets of Miami. And the actor Paul Walker, who played the role, bought his own and modified it.

Crazy gullwing-door Volkswagen Golf GTi

by Vijay Pattni
These are the first pictures of the craziest-looking Golf GTi Volkswagen has ever built – the Volkswagen Golf GTi Performance.
The Volkswagen Golf GTi Performance is a design study which the carmaker is showcasing at the annual Worthersee Tour.
The Volkswagen Golf GTi Performance study is a one-off car by the German carmaker which features crazy upwards-opening doors as found on the Lamborghini Murcielago and Lamborghini Gallardo.
View more images of the Volkswagen Golf GTi Performance
The Volkswagen Golf GTi Performance study also features a wide bodykit, lowered suspension and larger alloy wheels.
The bonkers Golf is on display at the Worthersee Tour, which is an annual gathering of Audi and Volkswagen enthusiasts and a platform for one-off VW models.
Last year Volkswagen unveiled the 6-litre twin-turbocharged Golf W12 650, which uses the engine from a Volkswagen Phaeton and produces a titanic 641bhp.
View more images of the Volkswagen Golf W12 650
This means the mid-engined hatch will accelerate from 0-62mph in just 3.7 seconds and hit a top speed of 195mph – as quick as a Lamborghini Gallardo.
Volkswagen hasn’t released any official information on the one-off Volkswagen Golf GTi Performance study, but the pictures show two huge exhaust tips surrounded by wire mesh.
And Volkswagen has fitted two bottles of nitrous oxide – which instantly boost power at the touch of a button – into the boot, indicating an uprated version of the standard Golf GTi’s 200bhp 2-litre petrol engine.
The mad Golf gets a black and orange paint scheme with racing decals while the interior gets a three-seat interior.
Audi is also showcasing two crazy new models at the Worthersee Tour – but this one’s going into production.
The hot new Audi TT Clubsport Quattro is an open-top roadster with no fixed or folding roof and will come with a highly tuned 2-litre turbocharged engine said to “break the magical 300bhp barrier.”
View more images of the Audi TT Clubsport Quattro
Audi is also displaying the Audi A3 TDI Clubsport Quattro at the Worthersee meet.
View more images of the Audi A3 TDi Clubsport Quattro
Check out the standard Volkswagen Golf GTi put through its paces:

Tuner adds heat to Volkswagen Golf R32

by Adrian Hearn
A German tuner has taken the range-topping Volkswagen Golf R32 hot hatch and beefed it up – to 372bhp.
ABT Sportsline – which has previously built some crazy cars including a modified Audi A5 – has taken the Volkswagen Golf R32’s 3.2-litre V6 engine and tuned the engine management system and fitted a supercharger.
This has increased power from an already adequate 250bhp to 372bhp – just eight less than an Aston Martin Vantage sports car.
This means the Volkswagen Golf R32 will accelerate from 0-62mph (100kph) in five seconds and on to a top speed of 168mph – 13mph more than the standard R32.
Handling should be sublime with the R32 benefiting from four-wheel drive, while ABT has also fitted a sports suspension and 19-inch alloys wheels.
But this isn’t the fastest Golf in a straight line.
Last year Volkswagen unveiled the Golf W12-650, where they had taken a standard Golf GTi and fitted it with a rear-mounted twin-turbocharged version of the 6-litre W12 engine from the Phaeton.
Add Lamborghini brakes and an Audi R8 chassis and you have 0-60mph in 3.7 seconds and a top speed of over 200mph.
But it was a show car designed in just six weeks so, when it came to lapping the Top Gear track the Stig managed a time of 1min 29.6seconds – just 0.8seconds quicker than a standard R32.
ABT hasn’t disclosed a price for its 372bhp Volkswagen Golf R32, but expect to pay about £32,000 plus import taxes for the left-hand drive hot hatch.