Toyota has officially unveiled the TS030 HYBRID race car.

Set to compete in the LMP1 class, the TS030 was created by Toyota Motorsport GmbH and features a carbon fibre chassis and bodywork housing a naturally-aspirated 3.4-litre V8 engine which is backed up by a hybrid system with capacitor storage dubbed Toyota Hybrid System – Racing.

Little is known about THS-R, but the company is evaluating a front motor system produced by Aisin AW as well as a rear motor system developed by DENSO. Regardless, regulations limit the hybrid system to recovering a maximum of 500kJ between braking zones whilst restricting deployment to only two wheels.

As far as the looks go, it’s standard LMP1 fare, with an enclosed cockpit large integrated rear wing and a low aerodynamic body. We think it looks great, but these types of car always do.

Besides releasing specifications, Toyota announced two cars will compete in Le Mans. The first model will be driven by Alex Wurz, Nicolas Lapierre and Kazuki Nakajima. The other team is currently being assembled, but should be confirmed shortly.

In the meantime, Toyota will continue to test the car leading up to its racing debut at the Six Hours of Spa-Francorchamps on May 5th.

We’re just glad that it will have a petrol engine which can make a proper racing car noise. With the popularity of diesel power in the marketplace there was a worry that Audi and Peugeot’s choice of diesel power for their Le Mans racers would rub off on others but it looks like that won’ t be the case. Hybrid or not, this Toyota racer is still a V8…

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Bugatti has released details of the latest Special Edition Veyron model to be made. This one is for the Qatar Motor Show this week, and is based on the Grand Sport model, the most powerful open top car in the world.

It gets the same 1015 bhp quad-turbo 8.0 litre W16 engine as the Veyron coupe had, but is speed limited to 224 mph with the roof off. Certainly enough to ruffle even the most gelled-down of hairstyles. Roof on, it is still capable of 252 mph.

Visually the Special Edition model gets a two tone exterior in a not-too-subtle shade of bright yellow on top, with bare carbon below. Black alloy wheels complete the look. The yellow paint is unusual in that it also covers the air intakes for the engine, which are normally shiny chrome. The rest of the normal chrome trim is finished in gloss black. Despite how the look sounds, a car like the Veyron can somehow pull it off and this model looks pretty fantastic. Certainly more exciting than the usual dull grey, blue or black models you can see circling Harrods every summer.

Where it falls down for us is the interior. They could have gone with black leather with matching yellow piping and stitching, but unfortunately not. In this case they have gone for a matching yellow interior as well – seats, centre console, carpets, the tops of the doors and the headliner are all trimmed in the violent hue. Only the dash top and door cards are black leather or carbon fibre to save the eyes a little.

Still, there is no doubt at all that this one-off will sell to someone in the UAE, after all this is the Veyron’s biggest market, even if demand for the world’s fastest car does seem to be waning. All 300 ‘normal’ Veyron coupes have been sold, but of the planned 150 Grand Sports there are still 105 slots left. Production was thought to be ending this year, but Bugatti will keep making the Veyron until people stop buying them – when that will be is anyone’s guess. But there are certainly enough wealthy petrolheads in the UAE, Russia and China to satisfy a large portion of that remaining number.

Bugatti are going to renew the interest in the Veyron at the Geneva Motor Show in March though, with the launch of the Grand SuperSport model (we’re guessing about the name, so it may be different) – a convertible version of the 1200 bhp SuperSport which holds the title of World’s Fastest Car with a top speed of 268 mph. The Grand SuperSport will likely be reined in a little, but will still be a fearsome car.

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Imagine if you will, that you’re a very wealthy businessman with a nice stable of supercars that you enjoy at the weekend. But the car you use most, day to day is your new Ferrari FF.

Unfortunately your wealthy friends at the Golf Club who believe everything they read in the eco-papers about how cars are the root of all evil constantly berate you about how your FF pollutes the earth much more than their Hybrid Lexus. There’s only one way to shut them up – get a power upgrade.

Not the most logical of routes, but one that also happens to work in this instance, thanks to Norwegian tuning company Customized.no. For the comparatively small fee of $1500 they will convert your FF to run on E85 Bio-Ethanol fuel. What this does is transform your 651 bhp V12 powered all-wheel drive Ferrari super car into a bona fide 875 bhp hyper car all with the emissions of a diesel powered Volkswagen Polo Bluemotion. E85 is a much more renewable source of fuel, and has a higher calorific content enabling the car to produce more power, all with considerably less harmful emissions.

The standard Ferrari FF puts out what is actually a low amount of CO2 for a 651 bhp car at 360 g/km but with the E85 conversion this drops to under 100 g/km.

Downsides? Well it’s highly likely that this engine work will invalidate your warranty so you’ll have an 875 bhp, £220,000 Ferrari with no warranty. But that’s the price you pay for trying to save the planet…

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An incredibly rare Jaguar XJ220S is set to go to auction in Arizona next week.

The regular Jaguar XJ220 was limited to a production run of just 350 units, but this model is the super-rare XJ220S which had a production run of just 6 units. The XJ220S was built with the help of Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR) who stripped most of the original XJ220′s aluminium body and replaced it with superlight carbon fibre. The ‘S’ also got a new front bumper with fared-in driving lights and large splitter, along with a much larger adjustable rear wing with the struts elegantly smoothed into the rear wings.

What this new bodywork and other lightening measures achieved was incredible – the XJ220S weighed a staggering 400 kg less than the standard car at 1080 kg. The XJ220S came with the standard XJ220’s twin turbo 3.5 litre V6 power unit but was tweaked by TWR to produce 680 bhp and 526 lb/ft of torque.

However this particular car has a new $20,000 titanium exhaust system by TWR and additional engine updates which has raised it to approximately 700 bhp. That’s a power to weight ratio of 605 bhp/tonne, very impressive numbers.

Visually the owner decided that this car; chassis #784, needed a little more mystique and aggression (really? Had he actually seen the car beforehand?!), so had it repainted in an exact match for the satin matte grey finish of the Lamborghini Reventon. There are new projector headlights and the magnesium wheels were refurbished and fitted with modern tyres, while the interior has had a full re-trim. What he created was possibly one of the best looking supercars of all time – such smooth lines and aggression combined in one package.

This exceptional XJ220S is expected to fetch between £150,000 and £200,000 when it goes under the hammer next week, which seems a little low to us. A standard XJ220 sells for around £160,000 in the current market so we’d expect this amazing and rare ‘S’ to sell for well over £200,000.

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If you’re one of the people who enter our Supercar Competition, you probably sit there every month waiting for the phone call from Will Hindmarch to tell you that you’ve won.

Well if you did, what exactly would happen? Obviously initially there would be lots of excitement, shouting, drink with bubbles in it and a little more shouting, but after that you have some choices to make. Let’s say you win this January’s competition with a Category 2 ticket. That gives you the choice of an Audi R8 V8, Nissan GT-R (+£10k), Aston V8 Vantage, Range Rover Vogue (+£10k), Maserati Granturismo S, Jaguar XJ SuperSport or the new kid on the block – the new Porsche 911 Carrera S.

The reviews have been incredible, it’s the newest car, has 400bhp, looks to die for and handling to better most cars out there. If it were me, I’d pick the Porsche, so I (virtually) did.

After a bit of chatting with BOTB, some paperwork and an agonising wait, you get the phone call from the Porsche dealer to tell you that your Porsche has arrived. Yes, YOUR Porsche. YOUR £90,000 Porsche is sitting at the dealership, ready for you to collect for free. Nothing except the money you spent on your ticket. You even get your first year’s insurance paid for.

So I arrive at the Porsche dealership like an excited schoolboy. I know the 911 isn’t really mine but it doesn’t make it any less exciting. I’m greeted by the receptionist and led to a very fancy waiting area and given a very tasty coffee from a Porsche Design branded coffee machine while I take in the assorted exotica around me. My attention should be drawn to the three Cayman R’s and the 911 GT3 RS near me, but out of the corner of my eye I can see a car covered by a Porsche car cover.

Some paperwork is signed, then the salesman casually hands me the gorgeous shapely key for my new 911 Carrera S, and it’s mine. We walk over to the car and he starts to pull the sheet back, revealing the nose of the car you’ve only read about in magazines. Further it peels back, exposing the bodywork, flowing over the lines of the car until it’s finally revealed in all its glory.

Nothing prepares you for the drama and excitement of seeing your own car revealed in such a manner, it genuinely takes your breath away. The salesman gets in and manoeuvres the car out of the showroom (wouldn’t want to scratch it with 12 miles on the clock!) and then there it is in the car park.

My 911, sitting there gleaming in the, well, freezing cold raining British winter, but it matters not one bit. Open the door, take in the smell of new leather covering every surface, the exquisite design and then slide down into the seat. Take in the controls, set the mirrors. Shut the door.

Slide the key in the ignition, foot on the brake, turn the key and that 3.8 litre flat six erupts into life with a blare of revs. Nothing ahead but you, your 911 and the open road…

There are more images of the pickup in our Gallery:

And for anyone who wants to see the 911, it’s currently on display in Gatwick Airport. Why not enter the Competition while you’re there…

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Porsche has today revealed images and details of the all-new 2013 Boxster. The model wasn’t due to be revealed until nearer the Geneva Motor Show in March, but after some grainy press shots were leaked onto the web yesterday Porsche decided to move the reveal forward.

Of course, the new Boxster was caught undisguised back in October, but Porsche never confirmed the validity of those shots. What we get now though, is a look at the all-new Boxster and Boxster S in all their glory.

And what glory it is – the biggest change in the history of the Boxster line, the new model is the first to really break away from the mini-911 styling of the older generations with a styling theme all of its own. Thinner headlights are reminiscent of the 918 Spyder Supercar, with individual pods for the lights within. The nose has a more aggressive, angled down poise about it, with the curves over the front wings dipping before rising up again over powerful rear haunches. At the side there’s a new, much more prominent air intake for the mid-mounted engine which is recessed into the doors, much like the Carrera GT Supercar. At the rear there is the familiar central exhaust outlet and a new integrated spoiler which rises as speed with a styling line that runs through the rear lights, again giving hints of the 918 Spyder.

Porsche have certainly gone much more exotic and sporty with the looks of the new Boxster, which can only be a good thing in our eyes. The new look is very pretty, won’t alienate current owners and will win over a lot of new fans who thought the current model wasn’t distinctive enough. For the interior, the new model gets the same look as the new 991 and Panamera models with a raised centre console, placing all the major controls close at hand. It’s a more upmarket look for the Boxster and one that will certainly win over new customers.

The proportions are helped by an increased wheelbase and shorter overhangs, while the windscreen base has been moved forward. The electric hood has been redesigned as well and now dispenses with the need for a hood compartment lid over the stored hood by using a rigid front section panel which then sits on top, hiding the rest when stowed. A very elegant solution and one of the ways that Porsche has managed to trim substantial amounts of weight out of the new Boxster. There aren’t confirmed weights yet, but rumours suggest the new models are up to 75 kg lighter than the previous generation.

Engine wise, the Boxster now returns to the older size of 2.7 litres. This is a new unit based on the 3.4 litre flat six cylinder motor, the efficiency of which is further enhanced by the direct fuel injection, electrical system recuperation, thermal management and start/stop function.

The 2.7 produces 265 bhp (up 10bhp) and the 3.4 engine in the Boxster S gets 315 bhp. Combined with the lower weight the performance is improved too, the Boxster sprints from 0 to 60 mph in 5.4 seconds, the Boxster S in 4.7 seconds. And just to sweeten the deal a little more, economy and emissions are also improved over the old model.

Both the Boxster and Boxster S come with a six-speed manual gearbox as standard, with the seven-speed PDK (Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe) dual clutch gearbox optional. To enhance driving dynamics yet further, Porsche offers the Sport Chrono Package as an optional extra for the Boxster, featuring dynamic transmission mounts for the first time. Also new in the Boxster is Porsche Torque Vectoring (PTV) with a mechanical rear axle differential lock.

We can’t wait to see how the new model drives and we’ll be certain to let you in on it when we do…

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“That feels good – thank you very much! Thank you! Thank you!”

Mr. Uth won with a Category 3 ticket, so he can now choose from an incredible selection of sports cars from Porsche, BMW, Mercedes, Range Rover, Mini and more!

Runners Up Prizes of £200 Worth of Competition tickets go to:

Mr. Mark Olson (GB),
Miss Roisin Lavelle (IE),
Mr. Michael Leech (GB),
Mr. Jim Thompson (IE),
Mr. Kelvin Hughes (GB),
Dr. Per-Olof Wikstrom (GB),
Mr. Oluwaseun Olatawura (GB),
Mr. Mike Molyneux (US),
Mr. David Kennedy (ESP),
Mr. Mike Patel (GB),
Mr. Steve Rogers (GB),
Mr. Stephen Blemings (GB),
Mr. Mike Oxley (GB),
Mr. Myles Farrell (IE),
Miss Tian Sun (GB),
Mr. James Horne (GB),
Mr. Declan Lynch (GB),
Mrs. Jane Gibson (GB),
Mr. Pardeep Singh (GB),
Mr. Hussain Al Ashoor (US),
Mr. Gareth Jones (GB)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgFqgpoHQGM

Honda has unveiled the much anticipated NSX Concept at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit today. It has been shown as an Acura model, which is Honda’s US luxury brand but in the rest of the world it will be sold as a Honda NSX. The concept shows what we can expect from the new NSX which is scheduled to be made in Ohio and launched sometime within the next 3 years.

Styling-wise, we think it’s a great looking car. It manages to look very stylish, sporty and classy without any obviously derivative styling cues from other cars in the genre. At a push we’d say there’s a hint of Audi R8 in the profile but they have managed to avoid the Audi’s overly long middle and awkward proportions.

Just like the original NSX from the early 1990s, the next-generation supercar will have a mid-mounted V6 engine, make use of lightweight materials and have incredible handling, but this time there will be a technological edge as it will include a version of Honda’s Sport Hybrid SH-AWD (Super Handling All Wheel Drive) hybrid system.

Honda hasn’t released any performance specs but previous reports have stated the NSX will have around 400 bhp from the V6 engine and the two electric motors will be placed in-wheel and contribute another 100 bhp bringing the total to 500 bhp. 0-60 mph should arrive in less than five seconds.

The hybrid drive unit will have a next-generation VTEC V6 engine with direct-injection and 2 Electric Motor Drive Unit as Honda refers to it. Transmission will be a dual clutch unit with a built-in electric motor to create the kind of acceleration numbers that are in supercar league but while offering excellent economy.

Speaking at the Detroit Motor Show, Takanobu Ito, President and CEO of Honda Motor Co., Ltd, who led the development of Honda’s first NSX supercar, explained the values of the new NSX, “Like the first NSX, we will again express high performance through engineering efficiency. In this new era, even as we focus on the fun to drive spirit of the NSX, I think a supercar must respond positively to environmental responsibilities.”

One are that is a worry is the weight of the new NSX. The old NSX was a very lightweight car, meaning that it handled with pinpoint precision and gave very impressive performance even though it only had 276 bhp. The fact that the new car will have almost twice the power means that it will invariably weigh a lot more, though Honda have pointed out that they are intent on making it as light as possible.

Plus Honda know a thing or two about making a car handle well so we will have to wait a little while to see what they come up with. But after years and years of concepts we just hope that this really does turn into a production car. Honda really need an exciting car in their lineup again, and hopefully this may pave the way for a new generation of Type-R models.

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Busy. A word that conjures up images of a London Tube station on a Friday evening, or your local supermarket on Xmas eve. That’s how I had perceived it as well, until yesterday.

For yesterday I attended the 2012 Delhi Auto Expo, along with seemingly everyone else in the known universe. I’m not sure if it was bad planning, a bad layout or simply the number of people (I suspect a combination of all three) but I have never encountered such a crowded venue in my life. Truly incredible.

There are about 18 Halls in the Pragati Maidan venue in the centre of Delhi where the Expo is held and it covers every aspect of the automotive spectrum. Cars, motorbikes, trucks, accessories, parts, training – anything to do with cars was there. You don’t get a showing from most of the high end manufacturers like at other shows, but the bread-and-butter car makers were all there, with huge stands from Mercedes, Mahindra, Tata (with Jaguar-Land Rover), BMW and Ford. There were a couple of notable premieres at the show, though the big reveals are usually left for the Detroit Motor Show which is starting this week.

Ford showed off the EcoSport for the first time, a new compact SUV. In the metal it’s a very good looking car, maybe a little too high at the front but it’s certainly distinctive, especially in the bright orange hue of the show car. The reaction to the EcoSport was overwhelmingly positive in Delhi as well – they require a car which is small, nimble, practical yet offers a good view of the road which the little Ford SUV manages to combine in one great looking package.

The other notable reveal, and one we covered last week, was the DC Design Avanti. After seeing the real thing, I can confirm that from the front it is a very good looking car – very low and certainly quite stylish and sporty. But when you get to the rear it all seems to go wrong. The back end slopes down from the middle of the car, a little like the Mercedes CLS, but in the Avanti the design just doesn’t work. From the rear it looks good too, there just isn’t enough about the side profile to rescue it unfortunately – the whole side looks far too long and drawn out.

Jaguar Land Rover put on a big stand; mainly due to their Tata ownership, but it was a good chance to show off the C-X75 Supercar concept and the C-X16 coupe which we reported on earlier in the year. There was also the debut of the Defender DC100 concepts in a new red colour – seeing them for the first time in the metal I just really want them to make it like the concept – it looks rugged, utilitarian yet stylish and even sporty. Though it may not be able to replace the Defender directly, I think there is definitely a place in the line-up for the DC100.

Other notable firsts to be seen in India were the new BMW M5, Chevrolet Camaro Convertible, the launch of the Mini brand and the new VW Beetle.

It was certainly a different motor show experience, but one I was glad to get the chance to go to. Though the reveals are somewhat overshadowed by the Detroit Show, of which we’ll have coverage over the coming few days. For now check out all the images of the interesting, ugly and startlingly normal in our Gallery:

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DC Design from has revealed first sight of their new supercar at the New Delhi Auto Expo.

Called the Avanti, which is a reference to the Studbaker Avanti from Tintin comics, the Indian supercar will initially be available with a Ford 4-cylinder turbo engine producing 265 bhp, then later followed by a Honda V6 making 400 bhp – modest figures indeed for a supercar.

Not helping matters either is a sprint time to 62 mph in just under seven seconds which doesn’t scream ‘Supercar’. The Avanti doesn’t help itself with a 1,560 kg vehicle weight, though the 6-speed dual-clutch transmission helps with performance.

Manufactured at DC Design’s Talegaon plant in Pune, the chassis is made of aluminium while the body panels are made of fiberglass (GRP). Engines will be prepared in the UK and then shipped to India. Despite our initial supercar scepticism, we’re reminded that the Avanti is intended to be an affordable supercar priced at 30 lakh rupees (£40,000). Once that notion sinks in, this actually doesn’t look so bad after all.

Looks-wise, the Avanti has a certain resemblance to the Ferrari 458 from some angles, though this may just be the red/black paint job of the car in the images. There are also hints of the Audi R8 in the stance of the car, but overall it seems to be a very nicely styled car. Aggressive, stylish and sporty for sure, though we’ve yet to see the rear end.

DC Design plans to produce 200 units per year, approximately one car every two days, with the hopes of gradually building up to 2000 units per year. DC Design is the brainchild of acclaimed car designer Dilip Chhabria and has won critical acclaim for some of its creations. Most famously DC Design created the first Aston Martin V8 Vantage prototype show car for the 2003 Detroit Motor Show, and a one-off Rolls Royce coupe which caused controversy around London.

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