Today we know plenty about the the 2000GT, especially after its near $1.2 million sale earlier this year.  But back in 1966 this joint project between Toyota and Yamaha was out to make a name for itself by hitting the track.  With a three-day run at the now-defunct Yatabe Test Course, the 2000GT set over 15 new FIA records for speed and endurance.  The Yatabe tests helped the automotive world take notice of the speedy Toyota, and the company still celebrates that heritage today as one Lexus LFAs was given the same yellow and green livery as a tribute.

Last year BMW showed up to the same concours with the Zagato Coupe.  In the tradition of most Zagato designs, the Z4 base vehicle was clearly noticeable from almost any angle.  From the teaser shots of the Pininfarina car, it seems that we will only be left with hints of the original BMW that lies beneath.

When we finally get to see the full Gran Lusso Coupé on May 24, it will likely be something that we all beg for production.  After all, BMW has been getting better with their designs lately, but they haven’t come anywhere near Pininfarina’s perfect balance of aggressive and sinister that is the F12 Berlinetta.

The new Acura NSX (badged Honda NSX in most other parts of the world) will keep the tradition of being powered by a V6 engine, however, this time it will include a hybrid system with two electronic motors.  Honda has not hinted at the total horsepower, but we do know cars like the Nissan GT-R, Audi R8, and Porsche 911 are some of the engineers’ benchmarks.  Whatever the final output is, it will be delivered to the ground via a version of Honda’s Super Handling All Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) system.

The original NSX was very much a Japanese product.  The finest engineering and racing mind in Japan worked on the development, and then it had a 15-year production run at two sites under the rising sun.  The new NSX is much more of an American affair that goes beyond just the production site.  Honda R&D Americas chief engineer Ted Klaus is leading the global team developing the new NSX, and Clement D’ Souza, associate chief engineer at Honda of America, is bringing the car to market.

The catalysts to build the NSX in the U.S. likely included mix of favorable exchange rates, resource availability, and the desire to produce the car in an area where a sizable percentage will be sold.  Regardless, in a few years Honda will be receiving Marysville factory tour requests not just from Accord enthusiasts.

If these pictures look at all familiar, it might just be more than a coincidence.  The Detroit Electric SP:01, has a profile that is a dead ringer for the Lotus Elise.  It makes sense considering this small company is filled with ex-Lotus employees, but it does feel a little odd considering Tesla has already fished these exact waters from 2008-2012 with their roadster.  Regardless, the Detroit Electric people say that the carbon fiber bodywork is “all-new”.

What should excite the speedy eco crowd is Detroit Electric says is car can achieve a 0-62 mph time of 3.7 seconds on its way to a top speed of 155 mph.  This is a achieved by mating a 201 hp, 166 lb ft of torque electric motor with a vehicle that weighs in a very Lotus-like svelte 2,354 lbs.  Those using the SP:01 as a performance car will likely not get the full 190-mile battery range.

Inside, the party piece is a interface the company calls SAMI (Smartphone Application Managed Infotainment).  It does all the main functions found in other cars such as radio controls and satellite navigation, as well as the necessary battery range calculators.  What makes this a bit unique is that is can also act as a remote control unit, enabling the user to locate the vehicle, turn on the climate control system, and check the charge status.

The Detroit Electric SP:01 will cost $135,000 when it hits the international market this summer.  While it may seem a bit much, used Tesla Roadsters are currently listed for not much less, and they don’t come with the 3-year/30,000-mile warranty of the SP:01.  Plus, Detroit Electric says they plan to limit production to only 999 examples of this roadster before moving on to, “two other high-performance models that will enter production by the end of 2014.”

Detroit Electric is more than just reviving the name of a forgotten electric car icon, it is also holding true to the name by keeping their headquarters and factory in the Detroit area.  So we are a bit hopeful to see this ambitious company find a success where few others have.

The next WRX will not disappoint the loyal as Subaru will once again be delivering a high horsepower AWD champion.  Just how much power, though, remains to be known.  The current WRX makes 265 hp (305 hp for the STI), and we would expect this to be the same of better.  Subaru is a company that is becoming known for better efficiency, so some of the performance may really come from with the new WRX that spawns from this concept may just be about the car going on a stricter diet.

As usual, the next WRX will be Impreza-based.  Sure this one has some huge fenders, quad tail pipes, carbon fiber roof, and new hood scoop, but squint hard at this WRX, and the lines of Subaru’s more pedestrian sedan become clear.  What is more apparent is that the production car will fall in between the wild of this concept and the mild of the current Impreza.

When will we see this compromise? As impatient car addicts, we always feel the sooner, the better.  So hopefully will see a street-ready version before the LA show this fall.

The changers for the 2014 Camaro include a more angular front end with meaner looking headlights.  Around the back the taillights that took their inspiration from the second generation Camaro had the clock turned back even further as this update looks a bit more like the 1969 (gen 1) Camaro.  Not a whole lot of the major body parts changed on the 2014 Camaro, and honestly, the mild revision to the now four-year old Camaro would probably not get too much of our attention if it wasn’t for the gravity of the Z/28.

The heart of the beast is the 7.0-liter LS7 small block V8 from the outgoing Corvette Z06.  It makes 505 hp in that car, so we expect power to be about the same.  For those wondering why Chevrolet would do this when they already have the 580 hp Camaro ZL1.  Well, just like the original 1967 version, the 2014 Camaro Z/28 is about offering a balance of good power and good weight.  In fact, there is a 300 lbs difference between the current ZL1 and Z28.

It is not all just engine in this package.  There is an aero package that includes front and rear spoilers. Chevrolet is particularly proud of the spool-valve suspension dampers that have multiple settings for track maneuvers. Keeping all this on the road are 19-inch wheels on Pirelli PZero Trofeo R tires and Brembo carbon ceramic brakes.  “We made nearly 200 changes to improve the track performance, which cumulatively make the Z/28 capable of 1.05 g in cornering,” according to Mark Stielow, Camaro Z/28 engineering manager.  “For perspective, with all other things, equal increasing maximum grip from 1 to 1.05 g can cut up to four seconds per lap.”

We’ll take their word on all the improvements for now, but we’ll certainly want to test it all out for ourselves sometime very soon.

We don’t know much about this flick (once we heard something about sharing a writer with the Twilight series, we just kinda started focusing one the car.)  This type of movie will likely not have the same boost on Lotus’ sales as having James Bond turn your car into a submarine.  Still, having a few of their ultra-light, Toyota-engined sportscars on the big screen should give the company a good boost among the tweener market.

Lotus seems to be showing up with a chrome covered Evoras to every place this movie premieres across the globe.  Although the Los Angeles party was the most recent, we chose to use most of the shots from an earlier Italian premiere for a couple of obvious reasons.

Source:Lotus

Today we all continue to be a bit worried about fuel economy, and even the 2.7-liter engine in the Boxster gets over 30 mpg on the highway.  Still, we doubt Porsche will be trying to sell cars on their frugal nature like in this ad again any time soon:

Some may have noticed the poor gentleman who had to drive his modified Honda was originally going to set out in his rare Bizzarrini GT.  We’re fans of the Porsche 914, but we would openly weep if we had to witness anyone trading that Italian stallion in for the economy Porsche.

They put together a video of ace driver and current Pikes Peak record holder Rhys Millen drifting the 12C Spider in a downhill race against snowboarder Chanelle Sladics.  They use Loveland Pass in Colorado as the place to pit the 616 hp, rear-wheel drive drop top against gravity:

Those who know the geography of the area shouldn’t worry about the actual location difference between Millen and Sladics.  Also, all of us shouldn’t try to make sense of a plot.  Instead, we should just enjoy the simple entertainment of watching a $265,750 supercar have some fun in the snow.

Giovanni Agnelli does not get the same international name recognition as Enzo Ferrari, but he was an even bigger player in the Italian automobile industry.  As president of Fiat for 30 years, he steered the company through some its most interesting (i.e. creative and turbulent) times.  Agnelli wielded enormous political power, and like any good wealthy auto executive, he had a passion for interesting cars.

L’Avvocato (the lawyer) had some vehicles specially built for his personal transport, and now they are a part of the National Automobile Museum in Turin’s exhibit called Le Auto dell’Avvocato.  While it might be interesting to see Agnelli’s favorite Fiat 125 (complete with road scars from its use,) or his Fiat Multipla Spider that normally resides in Fiat’s private museum, there is one unique machine that should command a lot of attention.  Agnelli had a Lancia Delta Spider Integrale built just for him.

Rally fans know Delta Integrale as one of the greatest, although far from prettiest, rally Lancias that were released for the streets.  Agnelli had a one-off spider created to turn this ugly duckling into a swan he could be proud to drive on the Italian and Swiss mountain roads while summering St. Moritz.

Other cars being featured include a shooting brake made from the beautifully square Fiat 130 coupe, an off-road Fiat Panda known as the Rock Moretti, and a Lancia Thema station wagon by Zagato.  This is the kind of exhibit that meets what we imagine the legacy of a stylish and eccentric Italian automotive executive should be (Sergio Marchionne may want to start buying more than just black sweaters.)

Le Auto dell’Avvocato will be part of the museum’s temporary display now through June 2nd.  Those lucky enough to have already visited the facility know that temporary exhibition space makes up only a small part of this world-class car museum.  So for those making it to Turin this summer, plan to spend at least the whole day looking at cars, but don’t forget to have lunch Lingotto’s rooftop test track.