Car and Driver: 2011 Hyundai Genesis Coupe Gets Interior Updates, New 3.8 R-Spec Model
Tuner-Ready V-6 Model – The new 3.8 R-Spec trim mirrors the existing 2.0T R-Spec trim, but for models equipped with the 3.8-liter V-6 engine. The R-Spec treatment is essentially a de-contented version of the 3.8 Track model, allowing buyers to get upgraded suspension and brake components with fewer interior toys and gadgets, meaning a lower entry price for a track-focused Genesis V-6. Full Story…

The Wall Street Journal: Too Early to Place Bets on Fiat
Ratings agency Fitch is keeping Fiat on Negative Outlook as a result of this ambiguity. “Although Fiat’s operating margins remained resilient in 2009 and Fitch believes that the group’s financial flexibility has improved, the Negative Outlook reflects the uncertainties regarding the future financial structure of the group,” it said in a July 19 note. Full Story…

Yahoo! Autos: The World’s Most Beautiful Cars
The $197,850 Aston Martin Rapide received multiple nominations from our judges. Its “swan-wing” doors (they open up and out at a 12-degree angle, for ease of egress), low roofline and 20″ rims expertly give a sporty edge to an otherwise elegant four-door sedan. Other notable design features include a broad rear end and the B-pillar-less sides, which actually make it seem more like a coupe. Inside, a swooping center console moves from front to rear, wrapped in hand-stitched leather and flanked by brand-new sport seats in the front of the vehicle. Full Story…

Rianovosti: Vintage Cars Race Through Havana at 19 MPH
Eighty vintage cars and motorcycles raced through the streets of Havana. The 65 cars were predominately U.S.-made, and most of the 15 motorcycles were Harley Davidson. No one tried to reach top speed, and some drivers stopped along the way to chat with locals and tourists. Foreigners had their pictures taken with vintage Fords, Chevrolets and Buicks, many of them as old as the Cuban Revolution. Full Story…

SouthtownStar: Cool Cars the Stars at Benefit for Vets
Lask estimated about 75 cars and 1,000 spectators came out to the one-day event outside the American Legion Glenn Maker Post No. 1160 in Chicago Ridge. The sons are an auxiliary of the post. “This is our second show. It’s growing. It’s getting bigger and better every year,” Lask said. The car owners came from across Illinois and elsewhere in the United States, Lask said. Full Story…

New Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8 R-Spec Model

Price est.: $70,000
HP: 480 @ 6,400 rpm
Torque: 430 lb-ft @ 3,200 – 5,200
0 – 60 mph: 3.5 seconds
¼ mile: 11.7 seconds

Here is one of my all time favorite sports cars, the Nissan Skyline GT-R. For the first time ever, Japanese auto manufacturer—Nissan, will be gracing North America with their prized sports car. The Skyline will be sold simply as the GT-R. Why Nissan chose to drop the word Skyline is unknown, all that matters is that the GT-R is coming and should be available in the summer of 2008.

If you’ve ever indulged in the video game Gran Turismo, you can easily speculate to this beast’s performance capabilities. Nissan Motor Co. has reported that over 2,000 pre-orders were made in Japan, prior to the official release early October 2007, which accounts for an entire month’s planned sales volume.

What makes the GT-R so unique, is the fact that it compares to sports cars twice its price—the Mercedes SLR McLaren, Porsche Carrera GT, and the Bugatti Veyron. Car and Driver’s Tony Swan compares the GT-R’s down-force, of 176 pounds at 186 mph, to the Porsche 911 Turbo’s ($50,000 more than the GT-R); which only produces 60 pounds of down-force, at the same speed.

The GT-R’s engine is a cast aluminum cylinder block, 3.8 liter, twin-turbo V-6. Which bangs out a much needed 480 horsepower and 430 pound-feet of torque, to hurl the 3,850 pound vehicle from zero to sixty in 3.5 seconds. According to Swan, “Nissan left with a hot-lap claim on the Nordschleife—7:38—that puts its competition on the trailer. A current Corvette Z06 covered those 12.9 wicked miles in 7:49. A 911 Turbo is on record at 7:54.”

Make no mistake this super production car is worth every penny spent on it. Expect to find car enthusiasts from multiple demographics to yearn for an opportunity to own this incredible vehicle. For presale information, contact your local Nissan dealer or click here.

To read more about the 2009 Nissan GT-R, click on the resources listed below:

GT-R Nissan

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. (2007, November). Advance orders for Nissan GT-R exceed 2,200 – Strong demand for Skyline coupe fueling sports car revival in Japan. Communications CSR Department. Retrieved February 28, 2008, from http://www.gtrnissan.com/item.en.us.html?id=Advance_Orders_en&type=press

Car and Driver

Swan, T. (2008, February). Car and Driver: 2009 Nissan GT-R, a gripping blend of speed and technology. Automotive, vol. 53, no. 8, p. 102-103.