Lamborghini bringing not one, but two new cars to Paris Motor Show

The plot thickens. Word 'round the web is that the minds at Sant'Agata have something special planned for the Paris Motor Show. Lamborghini will be bringing not one, but two new models to France next month. The news comes courtesy of the crew at 0-60 Magazine. From what we can tell, the Raging Bull will show up with the car that we've all come to know as the Jota, complete with a direct-injection V12, something like 715 horsepower and a heap of carbon fiber. That would be the little gem we've been seeing teasers of for the past month or so.

The second machine is a little more mysterious. A document obtained by 0-60 magazine indicates that the car is internally called the 83X. It could be the long-anticipated production version of the company's four-door Estoque concept, a new interpretation of the Gallardo or a flying ice cream truck for all we know. We're just guessing, here.

Either way, we don't have to wait long to find out. The company is planning a simultaneous unveil of both vehicles for dealers on September 23.

2011 Porsche 911 Carrera GTS Debuts In Paris

Proving once again that you really can’t have too much of a good thing, Porsche is unveiling a new flavor of 911 at this year’s Paris Auto Show. The Carrera GTS will be available in both coupe and convertible body styles, and will slot in just above the Carrera S in Porsche’s lineup.

The GTS sports an additional 23 horsepower from its 3.8 liter flat-six motor, thanks to a modified intake tract and exhaust. The motor is now good for 408 horsepower, but torque remains unchanged at 310 ft lbs. The good news is that peak torque arrives some 200 RPM lower than on the Carrera S, so the GTS should still pull harder to redline than it’s lower priced sibling. Porsche claims a 0 to 100 kph (62 miles per hour) time of just 4.2 seconds, which makes the GTS one tenth of a second quicker than the Carrera S. Top speed also goes up by 2 miles per hour on the GTS, which is now said to be good for 190 mph.

The Carrera GTS will be available with both six speed manual and Porsche’s PDK double clutch automatic transmissions. The car will be launched in the EU first, and is expected to hit dealer showrooms by the end of this year. You can expect to see it in U.S. Porsche dealer showrooms some in Q1 2011.

2012 Dodge Viper Preview

The last model for the current generation Dodge Viper has already rolled off the assembly line, but instead of crying about it, we can take comfort in knowing that the next generation has already been confirmed for production. News of this came when the future sports car was shown at a private Chrysler dealer conference this week.

Insiders at the event said that the next Viper will come with a more aggressive design, featuring all-new bodywork painted 25 times in candy-apple red. They also said the car’s look had moved away from its race-car roots and evolved into a more traditional sports car.

It is rumored that Chrysler will place an 8.4-liter V10 engine incorporating Fiat’s innovative Multiair technology under the hood. Rumors are also circulating that an entry-level V8 engine is also under consideration.

The next generation Viper should be a force to be reckoned with considering Dodge has asked for Ferrari’s assistance in the development of the new sports car. Ralph Gilles, Dodge CEO said that we should be seeing the next Dodge Viper in 2012. We can’t wait!

[Source:Autocar]

Online configurator for the new Bentley Continental GT

The Continental GT has only just been unveiled and already Bentley is giving potential owners the chance to customize their Continental GT. The online configurator is called the "Visualiser" and it allows you to see your Continental GT in one of 14 exterior colors, a range of wheel designs, and numerous interior choices. Not exactly the perfect configurator on the market, but at least everyone will be able to get an idea of what Bentley has to offer!

All you have to do is get online and start having some fun!

Refresher: The new Continental GT gets a more upright grille with new headlamp design, in traditional four-lamp format and LED daylight-running lamps, a bootlid inspired by the Bentley Mulsanne and flared elliptical exhaust tailpipes. Under the hood there is a 6.0 liter W12 powertrain that delivers a total of 567 HP and 700 NM of torque. The car sprints from 0 to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds and can hit a top speed of 198 mph.

[Source:Bentley]

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety names the 21 Best Booster seats

It’s good to see that the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is doing their job by providing us with some very good equipment aimed at keeping our kids safe. The IIHS recently tested 72 booster seats and out of those, 21 come highly recommended as Best Bets, 7 were put down as Good Bets and 8 were simply not recommended at all. As for the other 36 seats tested… we’re actually not sure what happened to those, but have no fear as we’ve got a list of the ones available for purchase. Up until 2008 there was no federal standard as to how children were supposed to be belted into booster seats, nor were they evaluated in crash tests by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Thankfully the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety stepped in and has become the benchmark for booster seating testing.

From the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s website:

The Institute in 2008 began evaluating boosters to help make selecting appropriate ones less of a guessing game. Since then some manufacturers have adopted the Institute’s test protocol and booster seat fixture to help evaluate belt fit on the new boosters they’re designing.

Below are the 2010 IIHS BOOSTER EVALUATION RESULTS:
• BEST BETS

Britax Frontier 85 (combination highback)
Chicco Keyfit Strada (dual highback)
Clek Oobr (dual highback)
Cosco Juvenile Pronto (dual highback)
Cybex Solution X-Fix (highback)
Eddie Bauer Auto Booster (dual highback)
Evenflo Big Kid Amp (backless)
Evenflo Maestro (combination highback)
Graco TurboBooster Crawford (dual highback)
Harmony Baby Armor (dual highback)
Harmony Dreamtime (dual backless)
Harmony Dreamtime (dual highback)
Harmony Secure Comfort Deluxe (backless)
Harmony Youth Booster Seat (backless)
Maxi-Cosi Rodi XR (dual highback)
Recaro ProBOOSTER (highback)
Recaro ProSPORT (combination highback)
Recaro Vivo (highback)
Recaro Young Sport (combination highback)
Safety 1st Boost Air Protect (dual highback)
The First Years Pathway B570 (highback)
• GOOD BETS

Britax Parkway SG (dual highback)
Combi Kobuk Air Thru (dual backless)
Combi Kobuk Air Thru (dual highback)
Evenflo Symphony 65 (3-in-1 highback)
Graco TurboBooster Sachi (dual highback)
Graco TurboBooster Wander (dual highback)
Maxi-Cosi Rodi (dual highback)
• NOT RECOMMENDED

Eddie Bauer Deluxe (combination highback)
Eddie Bauer Deluxe 3-in-1 (highback)
Evenflo Express (combination highback)
Evenflo Generations 65 (combination highback)
Evenflo Sightseer (highback)
Harmony Baby Armor (dual backless)
Safety 1st All-in-One (3-in-1 highback)
Safety 1st Alpha Omega Elite (3-in-1 highback)

[Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety]

Audi UK offering upgraded 4.2L V8 for R8 Spyder

The Euro-spec Audi R8 Spyder will soon be available with a more powerful version of the automaker's 4.2-liter V8 engine. The EU5-approved FSI unit gets ten more horses, going from 420 to 430 horsepower. It also gets an energy recuperation system that comes into effect during coasting and braking. The run from zero to 62 miles per hour takes 4.8 seconds, and a 186-mph top speed is possible "in the appropriate circumstances" (i.e., out on the Autobahn).

For the six-speed manual you'll need £95,545 ($147,759 USD based on current exchange rates), while the not-so-great R-Tronic will require £100,855 ($155,966 USD). The hardtop R8 will also be getting this upgraded engine, and both will be available in January of next year. Don't worry – the new engine will be coming to the U.S., as well.

[Source: Audi]

Mexican Built Mastretta MXT To Debut At Paris Motor Show

The Mastretta MXT has been a work in progress since the sports coupe concept was first shown back in 2007. This year’s Paris Auto Show will see the debut of the production Mastretta MXT, billed as a competitor to the Lotus Elise. The company plans production of some 150 cars per year, 70% of which will be exported to the US or the UK.

The production MXT will use a bonded aluminum chassis and a composite body to minimize weight. Power comes from a turbocharged Ford Duratec motor, good for an estimated 238 horsepower. The car will feature a mid-engine, rear drive layout for optimized handling.