Lighter and stronger, The new Audi R8 GT is unveiled

If this doesn't catch your attention you might as well be blind...

After much rumor in the super car world, the Audi R8 GT's specs were released yesterday. The leaner more muscular version of the R8 will be 220 pounds lighter which puts it at 3,362 lbs. The V10 5.2L engine will put down 560 horsepower, that's 42 horseys over the previous R8 model. According to mibz, who made the GT's specs public after being released by Audi, the GT's power plant will launch the supercar to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds and up to 124 mph in just 10.8 seconds.

The R8 GT will be equipped with a launch control system, six-piston brake calipers for the front and the engine will be mated to the R8's R-tronic sequential manual transmission. It can be customized with special materials for the interior, GT logos and even a roll cage.

Does the Audi R8 GT get your blood flowing or does the $250,000 price tag make you shiver? Is the $95,000 difference between the R8 and R8 GT worth spending the extra money?

Murcielago smokes R8! ...and they got a speeding ticket to prove it

Mibz reported recently that the Austrian police were forced to close a highway in order to catch a speeding Murcielago racing an Audi R8. The 27 years old Bulgarian, who had just bought a Lamborghini Murcielago 2 months before, had it tuned by IMSA which increased the engine's output by 65 horsepower. That translates to  a cool 631 horsepower for the Lambo.




Its contender, the Audi R8, most commonly known for its stellar appearance in the Iron man movies, was in stock condition, That means it pumped out either 414 hp or 518 hp depending on the type of engine (which we assume wasn't included in the police report). The exotic street-racers were clocked by speed traps at 170 mph for the lambo and 145 mph  for the R8. Both driver licenses were suspended.




So rev or die fans, do you have any speeding stories to tell? What's the fastest you have driven your car? have you had a triple-digit speeding ticket? Brag on and comment!

Toyota FT-86 / Subaru 0846

Now this is one of those rides that people have been waiting for a very, very long time. It is no secret that the Japanese automaker Toyota has been slacking with an entry-level tuner car for a number of years. Heck, the Celica has been discontinued since 2006! Toyota's most sporty vehicle at the moment is the Tundra which puts out a cool 381 hp and 401 lb.-ft. torque with its 5.7 L V8 version. However, it is a truck! No tuner wants to put a flatbed next to an STI and have them run side to side. it's like comparing oranges to apples.

According to the publication Car and Driver it might just be a little too late for the release of this vehicle since Hyundai has already taken a head start in the race with its recent release of the real-wheel drive genesis which is marketed with two engine options: 

• a 2.0L  4-cylinder turbocharged produced 210 hp and 223 ft·lb torque
• and a naturally aspirated 3.8 V6 puts out 306 hp and 266 ft·lb torque.

The FT-86 will likely be offered as a front-wheel drive, naturally aspirated 4-cylinder and a turbocharged version of it should be available at a later date.


So what do you think about this one? Will Toyota/Subaru have a shot at the tuner market with the FT-86/0846 or will it be too late for the party as suggested by C&D? Will the option of a naturally aspirated front-wheel drive make it a sit on the side when compared to the existing genesis or will it be a nice tuner starter?

Turbocharged Focus RS Hits U.S. market in 2012

The turbocharged Ford focus ST will finally be introduced at the American market in 2012. According to Car and Driver, the American automaker will fit the focus ST with a turbocharged four cylinder engine that should put out about 247 horsepower.



Though we'll never understand why Ford markets the focus with such puke-inducing colors, the interior of the ST will sport carbon fiber look-like trim, and of course, a six-speed manual transmission. Although no official price has been set on the ST, this car is expected to be a powerful contender on the entry-level tuner world next to the Honda Civic Si, VW Jetta and the Mazda speed 3.
For more information on the upcoming ford ST check out edmunds.com video.





What's your position? Would you put your hard-earned money on a 2012 focus ST? What's its greatest contender in the U.S. market?

Facebook fans bring Audi TT RS to America

The 2010 Audi TT RS is estimated by Audi to go from 0 to 60 in 4.6 seconds

It took only a month for over 11,000 Audi enthusiasts to vote for the TT RS to be sold in America through an online survey in Audi's Facebook page. According to the car magazine Road & Track, the thousands of signatures and the positive reviews in the American media made the German automaker reconsider its marketing strategies in America and last week it confirmed that the 5-cylinder, 2.5 liter turbocharged sweet-looking beast will hit the showrooms in the third quarter of 2011.

 R&D quotes Johan de Nysschen, president of Audi of America: “With performance and agility rooted in Audi motorsports success, the TT RS is truly an emotional sports car. That emotion became abundantly clear as we explored interest across the country.”

The four-wheel drive TT RS delivers performance with an output of 360 hp and 332 lb-ft of torque and It will only be offered with a 6-speed manual transmission. Want to see it in action?




Here's a souped up version of it...







Although the Audi TT RS doesn't have the most masculine and intimidating appearance on the street, it is a nice piece of machinery that will stand out of the crowd both for its sleek looks and improved performance. There's no set price for this babe yet but its European version starts at an equivalent $57,000 US. What's your take on this? Is the TT RS worth a spin around the block?

Ultra Modern GT-R or Electric Fiasco?

You've been living under a rock if you haven't heard a word about the iconic Nissan GT-R R35. When it was launched in 2007 it rocked the sport car industry with its twin-turbo V6 engine putting out 475 hp, 434  lb-ft torque and with a top speed of 192 mph. It is the dream car of many tuners and the reason most of us turn to sites like youtube and streetfire to watch videos like this 9 second GTR:






According to mibz the Japanese automaker Nissan hinted on an interview with the British publication autocar that the next generation GT-R might be 100% electric. This comes as a surprise since part of the vehicle's beauty lies on its twin turbo engine. Now that's a sound any car enthusiast can truly appreciate. But wait a moment, isn't this super car marketed to car enthusiasts? Removing the GTR's twins would be like taking away communion from Christianity; the wings off of an airplane and the U.S. constitution and declaration of independence from the American people. Would this move be a smart decision for the automaker? Would the rumored 100% electric GT-R be as appealing as its twin turbo predecessor to you? Like always rev or die fans, voice your opinion and comment.

 

VS

5-0 gets a boosted makeover!

After 11 years in the police force, the 4.6L V8 crown victoria police interceptor will be put to rest. Its replacement, ford's next generation police interceptor sedan will be based on the taurus' platform with two engine options: the 3.5L V6 and the Ecoboost version of the same engine which according to Ford will produce 20% better fuel efficiency as well as 15% less greenhouse emissions when compared to a naturally aspirated engine. That means the flashing lights  in your rear-view mirror may well be accompanied by a four wheel drive with twin-turbos spooling to get you to pull over. Now that's a tune that will invite to put the pedal to the metal rather than pulling over!

Along with the twin-turbo version, an Explorer-based version will also be offered. The 3.5L V6 should produce a not so wimpy 280 horsepower. The interceptor brothers will be equipped with plenty of gadgets like a rear-view camera, Police-Calibrated power train and transmission, police tuned suspension and level III ballistic door panels. 
So what's the verdict? Although certainly not Italy's specialized highway patrol car, the new interceptor couple should allow the local police forces to crack down on speeders and crooks easier. Maybe it will turn the parking lot of a dunkin donuts into a showroom too!

2nd Gen tC

With an output of 160 hp and 162 ft·lb of torque, the Scion tC was introduced into the market in 2004 as a way to appeal to the generation Y who wanted to get a modern, stylish car who are mostly first time buyers. And the car delivers the goods that are promised with its sleek looks and a nice list of gadgets including a 160-watt Pioneer sound system, mirror-mounted turn signal lights and a beautiful panoramic moonroof. But this is rev or die, we’re not here to talk about looks.

Scion has unveiled its second generation 2011 tC with an improved powerplant.  
The 2AR’s displacement has been increased to 2.5L as compared to the previous 2.4L engine and it is mated with a 6-speed transmission both manual and automatic. How cool is that? Not enough to make me want to buy an automatic, not yet. The engine's output is rated at 180 hp and 174 lb-ft torque an increase of 19 horsepower and 12 lb-ft torque over its predecessor. Unfortunately, despite the rumors and to many people's disappointment, the tC will not be equipped with Toyota's VVTL-i. Now that would have been a heck of a come back for a 2nd generation amped up version of the tC. So rev or die people, does the second generation Scion tC make justice to its predecessor? Will the slight performance improvements give scion's tC an edge over the rest of the entry level cars such as the Ford Focus? Honda Civic SI? At a comfortable $18,895 MSRP You be the judge, comment!

If you disagree and you're more interested in watching the tC's new looks rather than seeing how it performs click here. No, really, here it is.

Got a tip for your tips...

I was driving down Hollywood Boulevard on my way to school when a  very particular car got my attention. Not because of its 22 inch rims or a flamboyant paint job. It was the fact that the car had been customized with what seemed to be a 10-tip exhaust system. I thought to myself,  Is this even possible? what kind of engine could it have? V-20?  Unlikely, so I decided to snap a quick picture so I could share it with the rest of the people out there who have customized their cars in one way or another.

But what makes a person want to add truck horns to the bottom of a Nissan Altima? Customizing or modifying your car is just one more way to express yourself to the world as you drive by. Whether you do it for looks or for performance it's just a matter of choice.

The 93+ Only blog will be a meeting point for people interested in making their car unique regardless of what your choice might be. Are you interested in looks? performance? Both? Forced induction or naturally aspirated?  Are you just into the car scene or are you just looking to learn more about cars? Whatever you choice might be, visit the 93+ Only blog often, comment on it and keep it under 4 exhaust tips please!