Automotive World

Sadly, while Subaru released the first rendering of the BRZ GT300, the Japanese automaker is still holding back on the details (though we assume a boxer engine should be in the mix), but we'll keep you posted on any information we get in our hands.

After acquiring a Zakspeed Racing Dodge Viper GTS-R in 2010, the current owner of the 1998 model turned to Heurich Classics, a Germany company that specializes in the maintenance, repair and optimization of vintage and classic cars.

The owner had two very special requests for Heurich Classics: recreate the looks of the Hasseroder Viper GTS-R that won the 24 hours of Nürburgring endurance race in 1999 and at the same time, make it completely street legal.

The German firm started out by eliminating, replacing, adding or modifying certain components of the Viper GTS-R to allow it to achieve road-legal status in Europe.

The video that follows after the break was shot in Taiwan and it shows a couple of dozen local drivers with their modded cars practicing their drifting skills on a relatively small parking lot marked with cones.

Well, as any driver with some experience on the circuit will tell you, it’s as much about the car as it is about the person sitting behind the wheel. That said, the Abarth 500 shouldn't come close to an STI in the right hands but it's plausible under certain circumstances.

Last weekend, German magazine Auto Motor und Sport reported that McLaren was in talks with Honda to rekindle their 1988-1992 collaboration, which yielded four constructor championships, from 2014 onwards, when the rules mandate the change to 1.6-liter turbocharged engines.

This video tells the bitter story of a Chevrolet Corvette owner that was doing just fine during an autocross event at a parking lot up until the moment he thought that he got the hang of it and pushed the car beyond his experience.

The result? A very nasty and ultimately, very expensive encounter with the curb…

During a recent rally in Poland, the driver of a Mitsubishi Colt hatchback was coming fast on a narrow road when some spectators loudly cheered for him the precise moment he passed by.

We don't know if the driver was distracted or not, but a split second later his ride came to an abrupt end when he whammed into a brick fence. Hop over the break to watch the video for yourself.

Now that VW has decided to enter the FIA World Rally Championship with the new Polo R WRC, it wants to make sure that it will be competitive from the first race. Consequently, it will enter the championship in 2013, having a full year to test its new car.

And what may that be, we hear you ask? The Japanese company's British division organized a competition on its official Facebook page giving three people the opportunity to drive around the famous Silverstone track in the LFA.

The lucky winners were Jon Eliel, a freelance events director, Oliver Storry, a commercial pilot, and Tim Andrew, a professional photographer. The LFA driving event took place at Silverstone on November 2.

Watch the film from the track-packed day in the video after the break, while if you scroll further down, you'll find a comprehensive gallery that includes some pretty cool pictures.

NASCAR, on the other hand, despite being much more low-tech, is the series to watch in the Land of the Free and the Home of the Michelle Obama booing Brave. But it remains solely an American thing.

The pair's participation at the race as honorary grand marshals was meant to promote the “Joining Forces” program on behalf of military families. Retired Army Sgt. Andrew Barry, who was wounded in action in Iraq and Afghanistan, and his family were standing beside them when the incident occurred.

According to this video which may or may not be official, the updated GT-R with 550-horses under its hood recorded a mind-boggling 0-100km/h time of 2.84 seconds and a 0-60mph (96km/h) time of just 2.72 seconds.

For the record, last year's GT-R (2012MY in the States) with 530-ponies completed the standard sprint to 100km/h in 3.0 seconds while the 2010 GT-R (2011MY in N.A.) with 485HP, in 3.5 seconds.

Today, the Italian company announced that it would reveal two new production editions and a racing version of the Abarth 500 at the forthcoming 2011 Bologna Motor Show, which takes place in Italy from December 3 to 11.

The new production models are the Abarth 595 Turismo and 595 Competizione, the first of which is said to target buyers that would like a sporty model "without going to an extreme", while the other is designed to appeal to those that would like something a little more aggressive.

But alas; as soon as the flag goes down your STI stalls and the engine shuts off. Your friend chuckles but no worries, just turn the key and fire up the turbocharged flat four and let's take it from the start.

Okay, we're ready now and yes, 18 seconds later you've reached the final cone and you can unleash the awesome power of Subaru's boxer engine only to…crash into a wall! On the bright side, you may have just set a new track record for the fastest crash ever…

Then again, with a carbon fiber chassis, exotic looks and a high-revving V10 that produces 552HP with all the right sounds, that’s to be expected.

Speaking at the opening of McLaren’s new Production Center, the F1 team's principal, Martin Whitmarsh, admitted that they underperformed this year.

To prove its point, Porsche released a video of four test drivers, complete with racing overalls and helmets (and a Right Stuff-like shot) shoehorning themselves in the 430HP, all-wheel drive, PDK-equipped Panamera GTS and driving around the track.

Bernie Ecclestone, longstanding F1 chief executive, has issued an ultimatum to the race organizers, announcing that they must get their act together and solve their problems before the next meeting of the World Motor Sport Council on December 7, which will ratify the 2012 F1 calendar.