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It was only recently that we received all of the details for the 2012 Ford Mustang Cobra Jet, but spy photographers were still hungry for more so they were out on the hunt yet again. This time, they’ve caught the next generation Cobra Jet, due out in 2013, while it underwent some testing.

Anyone would have to be blind not to notice the giant ram air hood acting liked the flared nostril for the Mustang. Upon second look, one can see massive drag slicks stuffed in the rear wheel wells and special exhaust tips that spurt out their growl just behind the front wheel wells. From this, we can deduce that this new Cobra Jet will be a more powerful model with a sportier and more aggressive appearance.

For 2012, the Cobra Jet features a revised 5.4 liter DOHC supercharged aluminum block engine that delivers a total of 430 HP and is mated to a 3-speed C4 Auto Race transmission. It will be limited to 50 units, each priced at $91,900. We expect the 2013 model to come priced a bit higher, but with a similar limited run. We’ll get the official details as soon as they are released sometime in 2012.

Ford Mustang Cobra Jet originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 31 May 2011 20:00 EST.

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Microsoft isn’t letting up on what they are calling the most cutting-edge racing game in history in their Forza Motorsport series and they are bringing it back into the headlines with a Ferrari 458 Italia gracing the official cover and the list of goodies players will get if they preorder their copy.

The fourth installment of Forza is scheduled to hit shelves in the Fall 2011 and the new support for Kinect, as well as the classic controls, will be up and ready to thrill gamers. If Fall 2011 is too long to wait, fans of the game will be happy to know that U.S. retailers will be allowing them to pre-order Forza for $59.99.

Pre-ordering the game wouldn’t exactly be all that necessary if doing so didn’t open up the doors to a bunch of extra goodies. When you pre-order Forza Motorsport at any retail location, the game will come with an exclusive in-game car pack that includes a 1965 Ford Mustang GT Coupe, a 2011 Koenigsegg Agera, a 1997 Lexus SC300, a 2011 RUF RGT-8, and a 2011 Tesla Roadster Sport. Players can race, tune, paint, and share their creations with their friends, but the pack will only be available in the first production run of Forza Motorsport 4 game discs.

That’s not all, either. If gamers preorder their game at certain retailers, other fun prizes will be included in their pack. Hit the jump to check out the list of retailers and their extra goodies.

Preorder Forza Motorsport 4 for Some Extra Goodies originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 31 May 2011 19:00 EST.

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The early 1980s saw the introduction of a more economical Audi model for the masses. Its Type 81/85 debuted at the Paris Salon in 1980 and displayed a complementary shape to its more expensive sibling, the Quattro. Audi continued to produce the 80 series cars until 1988 with nearly 8,000 being made. Audis design of a smaller and more affordable car had also spawned to a new genre of racing. The company had a factory team that was owned by Peter Seikel. He recently had an Audi 80 GT in the United States and one lucky builder was able to get a closer look.

The Audi 80 GT was never officially produced and sold by the company, but did race in the European Touring Car Series. Peters car is in great condition and that allowed for measurements and information to be gathered from it in great detail. The car to be restored was another GT that was originally owned by Peter Aschenbrenner, who had raced it in IMSA and Trans Am events. Since its glory days the car had been sitting in disrepair just waiting for someone to show it a little love.

More details on the Audi 80 GT after the jump.

Audi 80 GT originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 31 May 2011 18:00 EST.

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Remember the packages offered by German tuner, Graf Weckerle, for the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano and the Aston Martin DBS? These packages just oozed style and sophistication with engine upgrades, quality upgrades, and those infamous Fleur-de-Lis ornamental wheels, but not much else was done after those two packages and we were kind of bummed to see the streak end so fast. Thankfully, Jameslist has come to our rescue with another creation from the dynamic duo of Alexander C. Graf and Tim Weckerle. And yes, those artistically interesting wheels are back.

Their uncovered tuning package was created for the Ferrari 458 Italia which is currently on sale on Jameslist, with prices available upon request. The Ferrari is painted in white and is combined with black and red stripes streaming down the side of the car. The trademark 21" forged Fleur de Lis ornamental Graf Weckerle wheels are instantly recognizable. These wheels are hand-assembled and come with 184 individual pieces. The package also includes a progressive lowering coil springs system that will improve the car’s dynamics. Unlike the other vehicles created by the tuning form, however, the interior is modified only upon the customer’s request.

Graf Weckerle isn’t known for crazy power upgrades, but they do provide an extra bit of oomph thanks to a stainless steel sports exhaust system and an engine performance upgrade. These final touches leave the sportscar with a 610 HP bark, up from the standard 570 HP.

Ferrari 458 Italia by Graf Weckerle originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 31 May 2011 16:00 EST.

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We haven’t even gotten around to digesting the full breadth of the Aston Martin V12 Zagato and we’re already getting a close look at the race-spec version of the new Aston supercar. Or at least something like it.

In preparation for the car’s racing debut at the Nurburgring later this week, Aston Martin gave the eager public a first-hand look at the race-spec version of the V12 Zagato. It might only be a rendering of the car, but at the very least, it gives us an idea on what to expect when the car officially makes its track debut on May 28, 2011 at the 53rd ADAC ACAS H&R-Cup VLN race.

Judging from the rendering, the race-spec V12 Zagato looks pretty much like the street-version with a couple of notable additions, including the prominent rear wing, the table-top front lip, and the black wheels.

That’s as much as Aston is willing to share for now. But at least the wait won’t be that long before we see the race-spec version in the flesh. Good timing too, considering that the 24 Hours of Nurburgring is scheduled for June 25 and 26, 2011 and Aston Martin will be fielding two V12 Zagatos in the annual endurance race.

UPDATE 05/27/2011: Aston Martin has placed the first image of the new Zagato racer on their Facebook page. It seems the image was taken at the Nurburgring Test Centre and comes with the promise of more details throughout the weekend. Stay tuned!

UPDATE 05/31/2011: This past weekend the V12 Zagato Racer completed its first run under race conditions in the 53rd ADAC ACAS H&R-Cup VLN race at the Nrburgring. Naturally, the car experienced some minor issues, but the data obtained in the race will be used to tweak the vehicle just before the 24-hour race next month where two V12 Zagatos will be competing. Check out David King’s comments on the racer, as well as a video of the Zagato racer as it takes off on the track after the jump.

Aston Martin V12 Zagato Racer originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 31 May 2011 15:00 EST.

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The Nissan GT-R just gets better and better every year and 2013 will be no exception. The original version launched back in 2007 at the Tokyo Motor Show delivered a total of 473 HP and the most recent model - Model Year 2012 - went up to an impressive 530 HP, and things aren’t slowing down for the Japanese automaker. Apparently, the next model year (2012 in Japan, 2013 in USA) will deliver an impressive 560 HP.

The biggest news, however, is a Spec R version that will replace the current Spec V. The new Spec R version will lose about 66 to 88 lbs from the overall weight and a gold engine cover will replace the current red cover on the Spec V. This will no doubt be the most powerful GT-R Nissan has ever offered.

The revised GTR should have been out in the public eye already, but its launch was delayed by the natural disasters over in Japan. Now it seems that the car is back on track with the final testings being done on the Nurburgring in either September or October 2011. The Nissan GTR’s official debut will be made shortly thereafter.

Nissan GT-R originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 31 May 2011 13:00 EST.

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Okay, we know we generally talk about fast cars on our site, but sometimes it is just necessary to admit there are faster things out there. In fact, there are some things that are surprisingly faster than your average motor vehicle so we deemed these things necessary in our TopSpeed world. In our first car vs. the world category, we present the fastest animal out there: the cheetah.

Sure, they’re cute and cuddly, but these overgrown cats are also wicked fast. A human can only hit a top speed of 25mph, while a greyhound can go up to 40mph. These two are followed by a racehorse that can hit 50mph and an antelope clocking in at 60mph. These numbers, however, are nothing compared to the graceful jungle cat called the cheetah. This statuesque animal can hit a top speed of 70-75 mph and can "sprint" from 0-60 mph in just three seconds. By comparison, a Bugatti Veyron has a sprint time of 2.46 seconds, an Audi R8hits the 0-60 mph mark in 4.5 seconds, and a Ferrari 458 Italiadoes it in about about 3.1 seconds. Guess we know where these automakers are taking their inspiration from now!

Hit the jump to learn more about the cheetah.

Speed Thrills: Meet the animal that can outsprint your Ferrari originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 31 May 2011 12:00 EST.

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Tricycles arent the sexiest forms of racing transportation youll ever come across. Blame it on the odd configuration, but there doesnt appear to be anything redeemable about a car a high-powered one, at that running on three wheels. Then you have the people of Scorpion Motorsports, who appear to have built a trike that will change the way we view three-wheeled racers from here on out.

Called the P6, this three-wheeled machine may look the part of a Formula One racer, but the front end is where the similarities end. It’s about as aesthetically awkward as any high-powered racer can look, but dare we say, the whole profile works great for us.

Even for something of its stature, the P6 has some pretty significant performance specs, which is something that shouldn’t go unnoticed given the package that it comes on. The only downside to this piece of work is that for all of its awesomeness, the Scorpion P6 doesn’t come cheap. Not the least bit. So you want to know how much it costs?

Head over after the jump and find out.

Scorpion Motorsports P6 originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 31 May 2011 10:00 EST.

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New car companies come and go every day. Some have the capacity to create legendary supercars like the Saleen S7 and others simply cannot get the formula right. Carbontech is one of the small companies currently trying to make a splash in the market with their first car which was completed in 2006. The main difference between Carbontech and some other manufacturers, is that their models are sold as kit cars for the consumer to build and configure how they choose.

The Redback Spyder is the first car to be designed and built by the team at Carbontech and the results are quite good. The car looks like a race car and features a lot of racing technology, yet can be built in your garage. With all the racing technology utilized in this car it is fair to say that most will only use this on the track, but the company did abide by Australian regulations during its construction to make the car street legal.

After its introduction at the Melbourne Auto Show in 2006, the car was scheduled to make rounds throughout the world in order to find prospective customers. If things catch on then the company also plans to sell it in the United States. Kit cars target a very specific buyer who has the technical know how and the time to build their own machine. Other companies like Factory Five Racing have developed flawless kits that sell great in our market and it will be interesting to find out whether an Australian company can manage to do the same.

Hit the jump for more details on the Carbontech Redback Spyder.

Carbontech Redback Spyder originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 31 May 2011 09:00 EST.

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Back in the ’30s BMW unveiled the 328 - the most successful and best-looking sports car of the moment. The car’s success was given by its impressive design parameters: systematic lightweight construction, aerodynamic lines, opti-mum engine types and outstanding suspension technology. And as a celebration of the car’s 75th anniversary BMW will unveil at this year’s Mille Miglia the 328 Hommage, a model that translates the principles and the character of the vehicle of that time into present times and offers a possible interpretation of how the designers of that time, Fritz Fiedler and Rudolf Schleicher, might have built the BMW 328 in the present day using current technology.

"With the BMW 328 Hommage, we wish to pay homage to the passion and inventiveness of the fathers of the BMW 328", explains Karl Bumer, CEO of BMW Group Classic. "They created an icon, which is consid-ered a milestone in the history of the automobile."

Updated 05/23/2011: After BMW has revealed the first details on the 328 Hommage earlier this week-end, now is time to see the concept in action at the Concorso dEleganza Villa dEste. At the same event the concept won the title of "best of show" in the "Concept Cars and Prototypes" category. Hit the jump for the video.

Updated 05/31/2011: BMW has revealed a pretty cool video of the 328 Hommage that captures the brand new concept car in action. The movies was filmed around BMW Design.

Hit the jump to read more about the BMW 328 Hommage.

BMW 328 Hommage originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 23 May 2011 17:00 EST.

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