The newest Pagani is the road-legal version of the racetrack-only Pagani Zonda R, and there will sadly be but five of them made for which all are already spoken. Not that we would have bought one, but it would have been nice to have had the opportunity.

The Cinque, with 678 horsepower and 575 lb. ft. of torque will teleport from 0-to-60 in 3.4 seconds, and at 186 MPH the car creates more than half its own weight in downforce. It also gets a sequential 6-speed transmission, and you can flick through the gears with paddles or a gear shift on the center console. That console and the racing buckets that face it will probably be made entirely of carbon fiber.

Pagani has created a bespoke titanium and carbon fiber material that means the Cinque weighs 40 pounds less than the Zonda F. Weight savings are also achieved with titanium monobloc wheels, as well as the magnesium and titanium Ohlins suspension. It is the very definition of a supercar: fast, light, rare, hot. Be sure to check out the new gallery of hi-res photos of the Pagani Cinque below, because that’s probably as close as you’ll ever get to one.

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BMW’s supercar icon, the M1, blew out the candles at the Concorso d’Eleganza at Villa d’Este this weekend. In honor of the car’s thirtieth birthday, BMW rolled out the new BMW M1 Homage, a concept/design study that pays tribute to the original M1 and shows what could be possible if BMW were to produce a new mid-engined sports car. Follow the jump for the breakdown.

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As we’ve heard before, the next generation of AMG-massaged Mercs will have to balance high output with low emissions. That means more turbos, less displacement and (gasp) hybrids.

The big and bad 6.2-liter V8 won’t be around much longer. Instead, AMG is turning its focus towards a new, twin-turbo 5.0-liter V8 that will produce 570 hp and 665 lb.-ft. of torque, with output possibly reaching 700 hp and 885 lb.-ft. to replace the outgoing 612-hp V12 mill.

Forced induction is only part of the equation, as AMG is looking to a new hybrid-equipped V8, dubbed BluePower, that will either come with the X-Trac Flybrid system or a 100-hp electric motor integrated into the transmission. There’s also talk that AMG will be releasing its own plug-in hybrid by 2012 and that diesels will continue to become an important part of the brand.

The other issue with which AMG has to contend is Mercedes’ own turbocharged offerings. Future M-Bs will be sporting turbo’d V8s displacing 4.0-, 4.6- and 5.5-liters, with outputs ranging from 355 to 544 hp.

And what of the upcoming AMG supercar? Car says that the gullwing super coupe, codenamed C197, will debut in March of 2010 and be powered by the same 6.2-liter V8 (likely the last application of that engine) while sending all that energy through an eight-speed automatic gearbox.

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The auto industry may be mired in tough times at the moment, but the sales downturn here in the States doesn’t seem to be bothering Ferrari and Maserati. Ferrari sales were up 4% year over year to 1,654 units, due in part to outstanding sales of its 612 Scaglietti and 599 GTB Fiorano. Brisk sales of the hot Italian supercars led to a 20% increase in revenue over last year’s record numbers, to 456 million euro. It never hurts when you have an 18-month backlog of buyers that are waiting patiently for their Italian Stallion, and new models are on the way to potentially boost sales further.

Maserati has also seen a resurgence in sales, with a 21% improvement in year over year sales to 2,234 units for the quarter. While Maserati made a profit of 10 million euro for the quarter, which sounds lousy until you consider the famed Italian automaker was in the red for 17 straight years until 2007. While the Italian automaker has a checkered past with regards to sales and earnings performance, the gorgeous GranTurismo and a steady backlog of customers translates into good times for quite a while at Maserati.

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lthough you wouldn’t recognize it from the name, the 630 Scuderia is based on the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano. Using Edo’s existing 630 GTB – whose engine more closely resembles the high-strung unit from the FXX than the “stock” 599’s Enzo-derived powerplant – and upgrades it with a new aerodynamic kit designed to optimize the cooling and airflow around the vehicle. There’s a sharply-styled front end with bigger vents that help cool the brakes, with an integrated lip spoiler increasing downforce. Underneath and around back, a new aerodynamic undertray and widened six-blade diffuser help optimize stability, aided by the new side skirts. All the components are made from carbon fiber, cutting curb weight down by.

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By most accounts, Honda originally planned to show off the next generation NSX to the seething throngs at last year’s Tokyo Motor Show. But due to the less-than-positive reception the Advanced Sports Car concept garnered at the Detroit show, Honda’s designers headed back to the drawing board to redesign the front clip housing the 550 hp, 4.5-liter V10.

Now, Autocar has gotten word from a Honda insider that the NSX is bound for the 2009 Tokyo show, sporting a new front end that “has Chevrolet Corvette undertones” and is slated to for production in the fall of 2010.

The new NSX will supposedly kick off Honda’s first serious attempt at producing rear-wheel-drive vehicles to rival BMW, Mercedes, Lexus and Infiniti, including new platforms that will underpin Acura’s larger sedan offerings and an S2000-based Acura sports car that takes aim at the Mercedes SLK. The launch of Acura’s 7-series fighter isn’t due to make an appearance until 2015. For Honda’ sake, let’s hope they can expedite development to make it happen around the turn of the decade.

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In partnership with Bentley, Milanese design house Zagato has decided to offer a limited run of the Continental GTZ it showed us this year at the Geneva Motor Show. Nine discerning customers for whom the “standard” Bentley Continental GT Speed is not enough will have the opportunity to upgrade their coupes for a nominal fee of just €550,000. (For reference, consider that the Zagato’s custom LED tail-lights cost €50,000 alone.) That’s on top of the cost of the donor car, which comes in just shy of $200k. The first vehicle has already been delivered for an all-in grand total of €800,000.. .that’s over one and a quarter million dollars.

The six-figure conversion overhauls the exterior styling with Zagato’s own custom bodywork identical to that seen on the Geneva show car. The interior is likewise treated to a sumptuous bespoke leather re-upholstery job, while the mechanics of the car remain untouched, allowing Bentley to

(source: autoblog)

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The wonders of iTunes will never cease. Now, even if you can’t actually own a Lamborghini of any stripe, you can see and hear them through Apple’s world-dominating music service.

Lamborghini’s made the play on iTunes with a new podcast called “The World of Lamborghini.” If you think that’s a snug, blazingly fast world tucked inside your iPhone or iPod, you’re right — the Italian supercar maker is churning out videos that it says will “ignite the world’s enthusiasm for the most amazing vehicles on the planet.”

Not to sound too cocky, but they’re also planning on expanding the initial launch of five podcasts with regular additions to their feed. The podcasts first feature the Reventon version of the Murcielago, a personalization program for owners, and a three-part series dubbed “Closer to the Road.”

Check out more information at the iTunes site, or on your iTunes software.

(source: Carconnection)

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The Porsche 997 GT2 is the undoubtedly the king of the 911s, but the crew at SpeedART has decided to add a few more jewels onto the GT2’s crown. Beginning with the overly competent twin-turbocharged flat-six, the German tuning haus modified the stock snails, replaced the headers, fitted a new exhaust with freer flowing cats, installed larger intercoolers and tuned it all with a Motronic ECU. Output is now up to 650 hp and 634 lb.-ft. of torque, propelling the BTR-XS 650 to 60 in 3.2 seconds and on to a top speed of 216 mph.

In addition to the extensive work underhood, the modified GT2 gets coilovers fitted at all four corners and custom wheels, while inside, customers willing to plunk down the €27,500 can choose from an endless catalog of interior bits, including sports seats, a new steering wheel and acres of Alcantara.

source (autoblog)

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The Danish tuners at Kleemann have already shown us how they’ve reinterpreted the Mercedes-Benz SLK in the form of the Kleemann GTK. And while the pseudo-exotic’s tuned SLK 55 AMG engine (540 hp and 516 lb.-ft.), eight-piston brakes and carbon fiber panels do their best to up the performance quotient, the restyled sheet metal lost the concept a few cool points.

Now, Christian Brandt, the designer behind the GTK, has released images of the D-SCK Concept that takes several of the cues shown on their first bespoke concept and ported them over to create a more sleek, mid-engine ride. There’s no word on what will be powering the imaginary supercar, but with Kleemann’s ties to M-B, something with eight cylinders and forced induction isn’t out of the question. However, there’s a fair amount of doubt that the D-SCK will ever see the light of day.

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