The Motor Report Auto News Blog

With the R35 Nissan GT-R now old news (at least until it finally lobs in Australia next year), one of the more compelling elements of the rumour-mill and spy-photo circuit is Honda’s upcoming NSX replacement.

As is expected with just about any highly-camouflaged test car, speculative illustrations have begun to surface.  AutoExpress have a pair of such images, and if they’re anywhere in the vicinity of accurate, we’re in for one good looking supercar.  I’d say it’s not quite as flawless in its lines as the LF-A, but it’s no dog either, as aggressive lines come together with a classy almost SLK-like respectability.

As we reported earlier, the next-gen Honda NSX is expected to be loaded up with a 410Kw 5.5 V10 heart pumping 570Nm worth of torques, combined with the now almost par for the course cylinder-deactivation technology which allows the car to switch off a number of cylinders in order to save on fuel consumption.

[Auto Express]

An initiative of the Thai-based composites manufacturer Cobra International (how’s that for an ominous sounding business name!), the Scuderia Bizzarrini P538 features a carbon-composite chassis, 7-litre LS7 V8 and the same six-speed sequential gearbox as the Pagani Zonda and Koenigsegg CCX. It’s easy enough to get excited by just looking at its spec sheet, but once you glance at the beautiful roadster bodywork they’ve decided to cover those impressive mechanicals with, one can’t help but salivate involuntarily.

Styled by German designer Stefan Schultze and Italian design legend Giotto Bizzarrini, the body is a sublime blend of modern edges and classic, shapely curves. Bizzarrini’s influence is immediately apparent: he designed the Ferrari 250 GTO as well as the original P538, which this modern incarnation clearly pays homage to.
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Attention Lexus fans, my friends you are in for a shock! North America’s Inside Line is reporting Lexus as confirming that the first digit in the price of a US market LF-A will be a 2. No, you won’t be buying one for twenty US gorillas; Lexus are talking six figures. The hot tip at the moment is for a price somewhere near $225,000 and that’s US dollars for a North American delivery LF-A.

I’ve spelled that fact out because, well, to get this in perspective let’s look at a few other well known cars. Nissan’s R35 GT-R is expected to hit the US market at under US80,000. Pricing for the same car in Australia will be north of AU$170,000. A 2008 Porsche Carrera4 manual coupe is listed at US$79,400 in the States, while Australians are asked to shell out $AU216,400. Currently the Australian dollar is valued at around US$0.95c.
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More news regarding McLaren’s P11 supercar is coming to light. With production of the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren winding up in 2009, McLaren are gearing up for a suitable supercar replacement.

According to Autocar, early prototypes of the P11 began shakedown testing in mid-April in preparation for a 2009 unveiling before hitting showrooms in March 2010. The standard P11 will lead the charge with roadster and hi-po versions expected to follow.
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