The Toyota Supra was one of the most iconic Japanese sports cars ever built for the U.S. In its final generation, the famed Toyota bordered on supercar numbers and appearance, leaving a lasting impression on car nuts everywhere. While the final generation of the Supra is well studied and understood by most novice tuners, only true car nuts and Supra enthusiasts really know about the earlier generations.
You see, the Supra actually dates all the way back to 1979 when Toyota decided it needed something that could give the popular Z-cars a run for their money. With this decision, Toyota took its resident sports coupe, the Celica, stretched it out a little, added in a slightly more powerful engine and called it the Celica Supra.
As time went on, the Supra gained more popularity and Toyota wanted to convert the Celica to a front-wheel-drive vehicle. This brought about the deletion of the “Celica” prefix, leaving just the Supra. This name change was the springboard to success, as the Supra steadily became faster car up until its elimination from the U.S. market in the late-1990s.
Now with rumors circulating about a possible MK V Supra, we figured it is time to present you a full historical review of the U.S.-spec Supra model.
For all the attention the Bentley Continental GT Le Mans Edition models are getting - and rightfully so - it’s important to note that Bentley also released a Le Mans Edition model for its flagship model, the Mulsanne.
For this model, Bentley really went to work on giving the Mulsanne Le Mans some unique styling cues, particularly the interior. Diamond-quilted hide seat coverings are just the start. There are also diamond-quilted hide door panels, illuminate tread plates, drilled alloy foot pedals, a Le Mans Edition clock face, an embroidered Le Mans badge on each headrest and tread plates with the limited edition name.
Outside, a new sport-tuned suspension and ‘Quad’ Effect Tailpipe Finishers were added and rounding out the whole package are a new set of two-piece five-spoke dark tint alloy wheels.
While the Continental Le Mans Edition models are getting more of the love, don’t sleep on the Mulsanne Le Mans, either.
Click past the jump to read about the Bentley Mulsanne
Bentley is celebrating its six victories at the legendary Le Mans 24 Hours race over the years by unveiling a special Le Mans Edition. In fact, there are six Continental GT models, each inspired by the driver that lead the cars to the victory. Each version will be limited to only 48 units.
The first version was inspired by John Duff, who obtain Bentley’s first win at Le Mans 24 Hours in 1924. This version is painted in Moonbeam paint, while the interior gets a two-tone Linen and Beluga with contrasting stitching.
The second version was inspired by the Dudley Benjafield - the driver who lead the team to victory in 1927. This version is coated in Verdant paint, while the interior gets a two-tone combination of Linen and Cumbrian Green with contrast stitching.
Next there is a version inspired by Woolf Barnato - the driver who obtain victories in 1928, 1929 and 1930. This version combines a Granite exterior paint with Hotspur interior and Beluga stitching. The fourth version was inspired by Tim Birkin and comes painted in Glacier White combined with a Beluga interior trim.
The fifth version was inspired by Glen Kidston - who claimed first place at Le Mans in 1930. The model dons Dark Sapphire exterior paint combined with a two-tone Newmarket Tan and Imperial Blue interior trim.
Finally, the sixth version was inspired by Guy Smith whom won the 2003 Le Mans 24 Hours. This model features a Beluga color on both exterior and the interior.
Each car will also get a unique Le Mans Edition numbered badge, Le Mans Edition clock face, embroidered Le Mans badge to each headrest, tread plates with the limited edition name and unique Le Mans Edition wheels.
Under the hood, these models retain the stock 6.0-liter W-12 engine that produces 616 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque. This output sprints the Continental GT to 60 mph in 4 seconds and to a top speed of 205 mph.
Click past the jump to read more about the Bentley Continental GT.
This is not Kahn Design’sfirst tuning kit for the Ferrari 458 Spider. The the first was unveiled back in 2012 and just like this latest one, it only includes exterior and interior upgrades.
The new package starts with a lowered suspension and features a new front section and rear styling details painted in black. The car sits on Monza forged alloy wheels finished in any desired color with black painted calipers peeking through the rims.
For the exterior, the tuner opted for a very nice Grigio Alloy paint and replaced the fabric roof with a new, folding hardtop. The roof folds in 14 seconds, and is 25 kg (55 pounds) lighter than the original top.
For the interior, the only update offered is the addition of a luxurious Nero trim. As usual, Kahn offers its clients the possibility to opt for any desired color, leather or any other imagined material.
Click past the jump to read more about the standard Ferrari 458 Italia Spider.
Every year, German automaker Volkswagen goes to the Wörthersee festival in Reifnitz, Austria to show us a concept that blows us away.
It’s no different this year because after much hype and buzz, VW is ready to unleash the Design Vision GTI Concept.
In a word: wow.
In two words: production, please?
We can go on and on about what we think of the concept, but that space is provided after the jump. Here, it’s all about trying not to trip over ourselves in throwing as many superlatives as our brains can come up with.
In any case, Volkswagen designed the concept as a way to show us what the future of its GTI line could look like. It didn’t say that a production version of this car is on the horizon, which is a bummer, but if this does give us a hint of what we can expect for future GTI models, then Volkswagen did a masterful job of getting our attention.
Updated 05/10/2013: After the new Design Vision GTI Concept made its world debut at the Wörthersee meeting the other days, today it unveiled a first promo video that makes our imagination go wild: how will it be if VW will really create a GTI that can transform?
As promised, click past the jump to read more about the Volkswagen Design Vision GTI Concept
Caterham is celebrating its 40th anniversary with the launch of a special equipment package offered as a free purchase for the first 40 Seven orders taken from today (May 9, 2013). The new Limited Edition Pack can be applied to any car in the Seven range.
The models built with the Limited Edition Pack will be painted in a Ruby red "40YOC" exterior color combined with bespoke bonnet stripes. The car sits on 15-inch silver alloy wheels wrapped in Avon ZV3 tires.
Caterham is also offering a grey-painted chassis - replica of the original Lotus Seven color - and for the interior, it adds hand-tailored leather seats, with grey piping and a grey leather dashboard.
The new package will also add: a bespoke tunnel top, with grey handbrake and gearstick gaiters; unique, numbered dash plaque; and of course, "40YOC" badges on the wheels center and the ignition key.
On the British market, prices for the Caterham Seven range from £19,995 (about $30k) in the Roadsport 125 and go up to £42,495 ($65,800) in the Superlight R500.
Click past the jump to read more about the standard Caterham Seven.
Nissan GT-R is one of the most appreciated sports cars among tuners; but if you ask us, it needs no upgrades. Still, the folks over at Litchfield are offering new performance upgrade options for the GT-R that manage to take the output up to an amazing 750 horsepower.
The tuner is offering five different upgrade stages for the GT-R, with a sixth one under development and promising to raise the output to a total of 1,000 horsepower.
The upgrades include changes from small ECU recalibration or new Y-Pipe for the exhaust system up to the addition of new Turbo intake pipes or improved boost control.
The prices for the upgrade differ depending on the stage the customer selects and will range from £1,095 ($1,700) for stage 1 and up to £14,895 (about $23,000) for stage 5.
Click past the jump to read more about all the five tuning stages offered by Litchfield.
Volkswagen came to this year’s Wörthersee meeting with the Vision GTI Concept - a preview of a more powerful GTI. Next to it, Volkswagen, in collaboration with the junior talents from Wolfsburg and Osnabrück, developed a Golf GTI Cabrio Austria Special Edition.
The model is painted in an Oryx White combined with Flash Red stripes on the bonnet and the vehicle’s side. Also painted in red are the exterior mirrors and the brake calipers. The interior continues the same white and red scheme, but it has also been combined with black for an even more extreme look.
The model gets Recaro sports seats wrapped in black-red-white leather with red "Austria" logo embroidering. Volkswagen also offers a red-white decorative trim, and white GTI lettering on the doors. Red accents are also placed on the honeycomb mesh and air vent frames, the leather steering wheel, the DSG gearbox and the seat belts.
Additionally, the rear seats were removed to help make room for an 11-speaker, 2,250-watt stereo system.
The 2.0-liter engine was also tricked to deliver a total of 333 horsepower.
Click past the jump to read more about the standard Volkswagen Golf GTI.
The new generation E-Class Coupe made its world debut at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show and now Mercedes announced that the model can be further customized with a new AMG Sport Package. Buyers can apply this new package to both the exterior and the interior, and it further updates the look and the aerodynamics of the E500 Coupe.
The new package is available in two versions: Sports and Sports Plus, and will add a series of updates that make the E500 look a little more like the AMG version of the E-Class.
Both packages will offer a new set of AMG light-alloy wheels, sized 18 inches in the base version and 19 inches in the Plus package and a new exhaust system with twin end pipes.
Those of you interested will have to pay about $1,700 for the Sports package and $4,500 for the Plus package.
Click past the jump to read more about the Mercedes’ new AMG Sport Package.
