A Lotus Elise (or in this case, the higher-end Exige) with a V-8? Yeah the prospect is pretty crazy, but if there was anyone that specializes in craziness, it is Hennessey. The company has been talking for a few years about its Venom GT super car. Last year it was unveiled in production guise, as a super elise, with a host of upgrades to turn it into a super car. Chief being its twin-turbocharged V-8 from the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1. Three power outputs are available: 725, 1000 and 1200 horsepower. This is all in a car that weighs just 2,400 pounds. The company builds five copies of the $950,000 Venom GT per year, and it says it has already sold two of them for the 2013

Toyota FT-86 Concept, Toyota GT-86, Toyota 86, Scion FR-S, Subaru BRZ - wow has this car had a lot of names or what? There has been wall-to-wall coverage of Toyota's much-anticpated enthusiasts entry. We're sure it is a welcomed change for Toyota, who has mostly endured negative coverage pertaining to recalls, quality issues and well...boring products. In the United States, the car is badged as the Scion FR-S, and it was just revealed in Los Angeles with few changes and a cheapened interior versus its Toyota counterparts. We thought the era of rebadging was over, but apparently Toyota didn't get the memo - there are very few changes between the Toyota, Scion and Subaru models. Now, two new videos have been released from Toyota and

Polestar? Interesting name.....it is the moniker Volvo slapped on for a new line of power upgrades available direct from the company. Aftermarket chips are out there that aim to boost engine power outputs, but when you have a car that is new or just a few years old, voiding the warranty isn't too bright of an idea. BMW was the first out with their Power Kit line of engine horsepower boosts, and Volvo followed suit. As far as we know other manufacturers aren't doing things like this. Could this trend catch on? We aren't sure, it depends if there is demand for an expensive package like this. You wouldn't think at Volvo there would be, but according to Chris Dauerer, Volvo Cars of North America

At the Los Angeles International Auto Show, Porsche showed off the new 911, but its big (literally) debut was the Panamera GTS. It sounds really expensive doesn't it? Well it is, but it isn't the top dog in the Panamera lineup. It takes its spot in third place. The most-expensive title goes to the Turbo S, which dings the register at $174,175. Ouch. That makes it $98,000 more expensive than the base model V-6. Next is the Turbo, at $137,675, then the $110,875 GTS. The GTS is the most powerful naturally-aspirated Panamera, generating 430 horsepower (up by 30). Porsche says its a Panamera for driving purists, with stiffer standard air suspension (normally optional), a widened rear track and suspension and brake hardware shared with the

Lotus stole the Paris Auto Show in 2010 with a whole host of new concepts. While the company has been saying they are all headed to production, launching them all would be a huge feat for a small company such as Lotus. The funding and manpower needed are just beyond the level they are at right now. What is definitely coming though is a successor to the Esprit super car. It is scheduled to arrive in late 2013. For years Lotus has had an engine sharing relationship with Toyota. The Elise, Exige and Evora are Toyota powered, and many expected that partnership to continue with Lotus in the future. The Esprit was rumored to have Lexus V-8 power, possibly the 5.0-liter V-8 from the

One minute of pure sound. That is the title of this new video of the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupe, and it lives up to that. Aural feedback from a properly tuned engine is one of the joys of driving. Few don't enjoy the race car screams of a Ferrari or the burble of a muscle car, even not all want those sounds in the vehicles they drive everyday. The C63 AMG coupe is a jewel in an era where many manufacturers are turning to smaller-displacement turbocharged. Not that we have anything against those (we don't), but it is nice to see some naturally-aspirated big V-8's out there still. Mercedes plopped a naturally-aspirated 6.2-liter V-8 into its smallest coupe to turn it into the C63 AMG.

Is this the next Saab 9-3? And more importantly, shouldit be the next Saab 9-3. That is the question. Saab's most recent concept car, the Pheonix, had a name chosen for what the company hoped would happen - seeing Saab rise from the ashes after being declared dead. Anyone paying attention (and a lot that aren't) know the roller coaster Saab has been through in just the past year. And boy, it goes back even farther than that. We'll spare you the details though. Chief Executive Officer Victor Mueller and company have pulled every rabbit out of their hat that they can, and their latest deal involves a Chinese buyout. Yes, wholly and completely Chinese owned. Pang Da and Youngman have submitted a bid, which

Zoom-Zoom has been Mazda's tagline for a while, but in regards to the Mazda6 sedan, it seems to have lost some of that sparkle. For awhile, the 6 was highly regarded for its dynamics. The current car has faded into the background. Think about it; when is the last time you've really heard it mentioned as a serious contender? Yeah, we thought so. The new Takeri concept gives us a look at Mazda's plans to bring it into the spotlight again. The Shinari concept showed a look at future Mazdas, but it was more of a pure concept. The good news is the Takeri is pretty stylish. The Takeri ditches the cartoonish look of the current 6 for elongated, flowing lines and an aggressive

With the V-Series lineup, Cadillac has dispelled any lingering notion that it isn't capable of producing some of the world's best performance vehicles. The CTS has gotten a lot of accolades in standard form, in addition to high praise for the V-Series lineup. When it first launched back in 2003, the CTS was designed to compete in the compact entry-level segment. While it is priced in that range currently, with the next-generation car that launched in 2008 it moved up to mid-size status. The ATS is coming, looking to rectify that situation with a vehicle aimed squarely at the BMW 3-Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class and other sedans in the segment like the Infiniti G37. If it is going to have any hope of competing with those

If there is one brand that has been happy to oblige enthusiasts with all manner of performance cars over the past few years, it has been Audi. It has successively brought out variants of the R8 (V-10 FSI, R8 GT) as well as with other models up and down the lineup. The Audi TT-RS is the most powerful version of the TT available, and we're sure glad it made its making its way to the United States. Initially, it was supposed to be sold in Europe only, along with the RS5. What's up with that? However, Audi has decided to bring both cars here for North American buyers. RS is the most powerful line of performance vehicles at Audi, but French magazine L'Automobile