Toyota recently revealed the highly-anticipated FT-86 Concept that will be shown at the Tokyo Motor Show happening soon. Many excited about this new Toyota, but the Japanese auto maker only released a few images of the sports concept, up to now that is.

We now have a total of 44 new images of the FT-86 to share with you. However we still need wait until the concept makes its debut for juicier details, such as power figures and more. We do know that it has a Subaru-sourced 2,0-litre boxer engine under the hood and that Subaru will also produce its own version of the FT-86. Furthermore, Subaru is also like to roll out a high-performance STI version.

Adapted from iCars

It’s only just been revealed… but the new McLaren has already blown its top! The Surrey-based company is planning to produce a Spyder version of its MP4-12C supercar. And here is an exclusive look at how the stunning drop-top will look.

Going head-to-head with the Ferrari 458 Italia Spyder, Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder and forthcoming Mercedes SLS AMG Cabriolet, the McLaren will boast a retractable hard-top, potentially the work of convertible expert Webasto. Layouts released of the firm’s new Woking factory show that an area of the facility has been devoted to ‘RHT [retractable hard-top] Sub Assembly’.

The tiny hood is likely to be made from lightweight aluminium or even carbon fibre, and will fold away behind the occupants’ heads ahead of the engine, slotting neatly beneath a pair of sporty buttresses. The Spyder is unlikely to weigh much more than its fixed-roof brother.

It will be powered by the same 447 kW 3,8-litre twin-turbo V8, and should reach 100 km/h in 3.5 seconds and accelerate on to 320 km/h – with the roof on, of course. But the model won’t come cheap – buyers will have to pay a significant premium over the GBP150 000 coupé version, with prices likely to start at around GBP175 000.

Adapted from AutoExpress

It’s been a long time coming, but today we can finally bring you the first official photographs and news of the new McLaren MP4-12C. It’s the supercar known until now by its P11 codename, but make no mistake: the MP4-12C is the first bespoke McLaren road car since the seminal F1.

The two-seater MP4-12C doesn’t go on sale until early 2011, when it’ll wade into what McLaren Automotive calls the ‘core sports car market’ spanning from GBP125 000 – GBP175 000. Expect a pricetag of around GBP160 000, pitching it a notch above Ferrari’s new 458 Italia.

Why so expensive? Blame the extensive – and expensive – use of carbon fibre, a technology McLaren first introduced to roadcarkind in 1993’s F1. McLaren calls the skeleton of the MP4-12C the Carbon MonoCell, an unusually light one-piece structure where most supercars normally use assembled composite architectures. Although pricey, it’s developed using a much quicker, cheaper production method than the McMerc SLR’s tub, and it’s clothed in aluminium and SMC plastic body panels. The tub pictured in our gallery weighs just 80kg.

No kerbweight has yet been issued, but it’ll be in the region of 1 300 kg’s, helped by conventional brakes whose forged aluminium hubs save 8kg and – incredibly – weigh less than ceramic stoppers.

The new McLaren is powered by a 3,8-litre 90-degree V8 mid-mounted engine producing ‘around 447 kW and 600 N.m’. “It delivers the highest horsepower to CO2 ratio of any car on the market today with an internal combustion engine – and that includes petrol and diesel hybrids,” boasts Antony Sheriff, MD of McLaren Automotive. Expect a CO2 output somewhere just south of 300g/km.

Contrary to earlier speculation, this is McLaren’s own V8, dubbed M838T. FThe twin-turbo motor drives the rear wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox (no manual is available). The V8 has a dry sump and a flat-plane crank like a race engine, to lower the centre of gravity and allow a higher rev limit of 8 500 rpm.

Every single component of the MP4-12C is unique, vows McLaren. Not a single switch or part is pilfered from a rival’s parts bin.

McLaren claims that 80% of the MP4-12C’s torque is available below 2 000 rpm, so it’ll be damned quick. Actual performance figures aren’t available yet, but we hear the 0 – 100 km/h time will be in the low 3 second bracket and it seems certain that the MP4-12C will top 320 km/h with ease.

McLaren is making use of a few electronic nannies to help keep the car pointed in the right direction. Brake Steer uses the stability control to dial out understeer by braking the inside rear wheel, but McLaren claims there are remarkably few microchips at play; instead, they prefer an aerodynamically sound body to help keep the MP4-12C planted. There are no protruding spoilers or air dams, the underfloor is flat and those kiwi tick air vents on the flanks are 100% functional. (Check out the tick motif repeated on the LED day running lights).

There’s also a new gadget on the twin-clutch Seamless Shift Gearbox (SSG – another acronym like DSG!). It has two wet clutches and something called Pre-Cog. Rather than guessing which ratio you’ll pick next – like most dual-clutch ‘boxes – you half press or pull the paddle to warn the car, like on an auto-focus camera. That ratio is then selected and – bang – you’re into the desired cog almost instantly.

If you’re wondering where the name comes from, the MP4 bit is the chassis designation of all McLaren Formula 1 cars since 1981 – harking back to the merger from Ron Dennis’ Project 4 organisation. The twelve refers to McLaren’s internal benchmarking system for rating its own cars and rivals, ranking power, weight, efficiency and so forth. The C apparently refers to carbon, although we wonder if it shouldn’t stand for coupé as there will be a roadster MP4-12 too.

At the rear, the MP4-12C’s rump is dominated by the V8′s cooling needs; the diffuser aids rear downforce, twin exhausts exit high and central, and most of the back end is left open to extract hot air, while the rear lamps are cleverly hidden in the top two horizontal black bars. An air brake pops up at speed to improve stopping ability. Cleverly, it’s raised by passing air flow once triggered, rather than relying on heavy mechanicals.

Inside the MP4-12C, the upright 7-inch multimedia screen dominates the centre console, and the view ahead is clear and unencumbered compared with many supercars. There are some gizmos in the cabin: launch control primes the car for take-off at velocity, while drivers can pick Normal, Sport and High Performance settings for throttle response, gearshift speed and damper settings.

Adapted from CarMagazine

Meet the world’s fastest fire-fighting vehicle: Nissan’s specially modified GT-R that takes up role as an emergency response vehicle at the Nurburgring circuit in Germany. The fire-fighting R35 GT-R is a gift from Nissan to the Nurburgring operator and it was created in collaboration with M&M Automotive, a Bonn-based specialist for car development and motor sports. While the mechanical hardware remains intact, the GT-R’s rear seats were removed and replaced with a 50-litre water tank secured with a roll cage.

The 357 kW sports car also gets a medium-pressure extinguisher system (20 bars) as well as a winding device for the hose, while an additional radio communication system and a new set of Recaro sports seats complete the upgrades. The manufacturer claims that with a foam reach of around 18 meters and a 20-metre hose, the unit will be able to fight fire for around two minutes on a single tank.

Even though the extra equipment added 200 kg to the coupe’s weight, Nissan supports that the GT-R can still lap the Nurburgring circuit in less than 8 minutes. The standard model has recorded a lap time of the Nordschleife circuit of 7 minutes and 26.70 seconds.

Adapted from CarScoop

The 2010 Jaguar XJ has shed its retro skin to set a new course for the company’s flagship sedan. The future of the XJ will include a 375 kW supercharged V8, aluminum body, and virtual instruments.

Starting with the obvious, design director Ian Callum has managed to both underwhelm and surprise with this newest Jaguar. At first glance, it’s almost indistinguishable from the Jaguar XFR, taking much of the nose and sleek profile from the four-door coupe.

Upon further investigation the new XJ reveals a longer and more muscular profile, with a low roof line that slopes into an elongated and blacked-out C-pillar. The addition of a full panoramic glass roof adds another new dimension to the car. Whatever you’re feelings on the new design, it’s clear this is an almost complete departure from the previous XJ.

Mechanically, the Jaguar XJ isn’t quite as drastic a step forward. The platform is new, featuring a significant use of aluminum in the structure, but the first batch of engines will be a trio of the 5,0-litre Gen III direct-injection V8. The base XJ and XJL will include the naturally-aspirated version good for 283 kW and a 5.4-second zero to 100 km/h jaunt. The XJ Supercharged and XJL Supercharged models will be fitted with the same engine supercharged for 345 kW and a 5.2-second time.

The new high performance model, perhaps a stand-in for the XJR or merely a placeholder, is the XJ and XJL Supersport models. This will feature the XFR’s supercharged V8 good for 375 kW and a 4.7-second zero ro 100 km/h time. All of these will get Jaguar’s six-speed, shift-by-wire transmission with steering wheel-mounted paddles.

The biggest upgrade on the inside, which includes the usual mix of wood, chrome and piano black surfaces, is probably the ‘virtual instrument’ panel, which includes three round hi-def screens and no physical read-out at all. This allows the pods to adjust themselves to the driving conditions. For instance, if you switch into Dynamic mode the dials change to a red hue and bold the gear position indicator – which turns red as you approach the red line.

The new 2010 Jaguar XJ was unveiled earlier this month by celeb’s Elle Macpherson and Jay Leno at the Saatchi Gallery in Chelsea, London.

Adapted from Jalopnik

The new Volkswagen Golf 6 GTD has been launched in Europe. With a top speed of 220 km/h and a zero to 100 km/h sprint of 8.1 seconds, it certainly puts the ‘GT’ into GTD. Enjoy the gallery of 30 hi-res pictures and decided for yourself if the new Golf GTD’s bark matches its bite.

Described by some as the most desirable hot hatch of 2009, the new Ford Focus RS certainly stands out from anything else on the road today. 55+ Hi-res images will allow you to decide for yourself on the desirability factor of the all new Focus RS.

Images: WorldCarFans