Limited Edition Porsche 911 GT2 RS Clubsport Is A 700-HP Track Weapon

Turns out Porsche had a surprise to share in LA after unveiling the new 911.

After presenting the all-new 911 to the world, the Porsche 911 GT2 RSClubsport has made its surprise debut at the LA Auto Show, a new limited-edition track-only version of the already-hardcore sports car.

Limited to just 200 examples, the race-ready 911 GT2 RS is designed to compete in clubsport events and selected motorsport meets. “For the upcoming years, our customers will not only race the GT2 RS Clubsport on track days but also at international motor racing events. We are currently holding very productive talks with the race organiser SRO,” said Dr Frank-Steffen Walliser, Vice President Motorsport and GT Cars.

Like the Le Mans-inspired 935 racer revealed a few months ago, the Clubsport retains the road-going GT2 RS’s rear-mounted 3.8-liter flat-six twin-turbo that sends 700 horsepower to the rear wheels through a seven-speed dual clutch gearbox. According to Porsche, positioning the engine behind the rear axle ensures excellent traction and braking performance. Six-piston aluminium monobloc racing callipers have been fitted to the front axle combined with 15.3-inch diameter steel brake discs, while the rear axle is fitted with four-piston callipers and 14.9-inch discs.

Weighing in at 3,064 pounds, the Clubsport version is equipped with Porsche Stability Management including traction control as well as an anti-lock braking system. These assists can be adjusted separately or switched off completely, depending on the driving situation. The carbon steering wheel and the color display behind it have been taken from the 2019 Porsche 911 GT3 R model. Inside, there’s also a massive safety cage, a Recaro racing bucket seat, a six-point safety harness, and air conditioning.

To reduce weight, Porsche has added a CFRP roof with a removable escape hatch, lightweight CFRP hood with quick release, removable CFRP rear hood with quick release, 115-liter FT3 safety fuel cell (refuelling through the front hood). There’s also a massive rear wing providing copious amounts of downforce, as you would expect to see on a track-only Porsche.

The Porsche 911 GT2 RS Clubsport will set you back €405,000 ($457,000), with deliveries starting in May 2019.

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Porsche Reveals 10-Unit Edition Targa Honoring Legendary Race

And it is going to be nearly impossible to buy one.

Havingalready named one of its most iconic historic models – and its current descendant –after the race that inspired it, Porsche has just released a new limitededition model that goes even further to honor the legendary Sicilian Targa Florio mountainsiderace. The 911 Targa 4S Exclusive Mayfair Edition, which will be limited to just tenunits, features houndstooth pattern seats and fuchs five-spoke alloy wheelswith a special black finish, making it a true collector's item before it even hitsthe road.

With the chances of spotting one in real life so slim, this releasevideo might be your best opportunity to feast your eyes on one. It also offers anintimate glimpse into the DNA of this outstandingly rare car and the specialrace that inspired it:

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10 Craziest Tuning Jobs Of The Month: June 2018 Edition

A half-mile record, one-of-a-kind Ford GT, and some crazy wagons.

Each month, we receive countless emails outlining the latest tuning packages for the trending sports car or SUV of the moment. Some of these creations are pretty incredible, while others are yawn-inducing displays of drudgery. We wanted to celebrate the coolest tuners out there, and have created a list of the ten best tuning jobs for the month of June, 2018. This month, a record was set in the half-mile, a Ford GT was modified for a unique owner, and some some SUVs and wagons were made a whole lot cooler.

Lamborghini Huracan by Underground Racing

The stock Lamborghini Huracan is a blisteringly fast car, but Underground Racing clearly wasn't satisfied with blistering speed. The company added one of its twin-turbo kits, enabling the Huracan to hit 259.67 mph in the half-mile, setting a new record in the process. It won't be too long before we see a Huracan break the 260-mph barrier.

Ford GT With Unique Upgrades

Not every tuning job is about speed and power, which is why this Ford GT is so unique. This supercar was built for former racing driver Jason Watt, who was paralyzed in a motorcycle accident. The GT has been modified with hand controls, new seats, and a Heffner performance cat-back exhaust. Watt recently took it out for a spin on the Nurburgring, probably the first time a car has ever lapped the Nordschleife with a wheelchair strapped to the roof.

Porsche 911 Turbo (GTSport1) by Techart

Techart is one of the best known Porsche tuners out there, so who better to give the 991.2 generation 911 Turbo a final send-off? Dubbed the GTSport 1 of 30, Techart has upped the Turbo's output from 580 to 640 horsepower. Of course, Techart has also given the 911 a unique look and, as the name suggests, only 30 examples will be built.

Mercedes-AMG GT S by Fostla.de

Sports cars like the AMG GT S already attract a lot of attention on the road, but for around $32,000, a company called Fostla.de will make you car look even cooler. The AMG GT S was given new aero pieces, and an increase of 103 hp. Interestingly, AMG's bespoke sports car produces less power from the factory than other AMG-tuned Mercedes models, but the Fostla.de car now produces a whopping 613 hp.

Audi RS3 by ABT

Sedans may be dying off in favor of crossovers, but that hasn't stopped ABT from getting its hands on the RS3 sedan. The RS3's 2.5-liter five-cylinder turbo engine already pumps out 400 hp, but ABT managed to extract an extra 100 hp for a total of 500 hp.

Maserati Ghibli by Novitec

In terms of performance, the 430-hp Maserati Ghibli was always behind its competitors from Germany. Since Maserati itself isn't offering any more power, Novitec stepped in to improve the entire Ghibli range. Novitec's N-Tronic auxiliary control unit brings the 350-hp Ghibli up to 412 hp, and the 430-hp car up to 494 hp.

Mercedes-AMG E63 S by RENNtech

The sedan helped kill off the wagon, and now the SUV is killing off the sedan. Seems almost poetic, doesn't it? Don't worry, because famous Mercedes tuner RENNtech hasn't given up on sedans or wagons. RENNtech has turned its sights on the E63 S, which already pumps out 603 hp from a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8. With all of RENNtech's available options, the V8 can churn out as much as 843 hp.

BMW M3 Wagon Conversion

Mercedes recently released one of the most insane wagon models we have ever seen, but BMW still refuses to build a wagon version of the M3. Fortunately, an ambitious owner decided to take apart a diesel-powered 3 Series touring, and equip it with the heart and bodywork of an M3. The resulting wagon is even faster than a stock M3, thanks to a stage two tuning kit extracting 530 hp from the twin-turbo inline-six.

BMW X3 by Dahler

It shouldn't be a surprise to anyone familiar with the auto industry right now, but the next two tunes on this list are fitted to SUVs. We malign SUVs for being boring, but tuners are working hard to change our opinion. The BMW X3 M40i is already quite potent with 355 hp and 368 lb-ft of torque, but D?hler Design & Technik GmbH now offers a Competition Line Package that pumps that up to 414 hp and 464 lb-ft of torque.

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2016 Nissan 370Z Coupe Enthusiast Edition Review

What’s Best: $10,000 price chop for new entry-level Coupe Enthusiast Edition.What’s Worst: Sacrifices to be made for the price cut. Design is getting dated.What’s Interesting: Sales have already bumped up due to the price cut but there are rumours of a future, lighter, smaller replacement that might simply be called the Z with, hopefully, an efficient powertrain lineup that starts with a turbo four-cylinder choice.

BODY STYLE: Two-door sport car/coupe.
DRIVE METHOD: Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive
ENGINE: 3.7-litre, DOHC V6 (332 hp, 270 lb/ft)
FUEL ECONOMY: 13.3/9.3L/100km (city/hwy); as tested 12L/100km (comb)
CARGO: 195 litres
PRICE: MSRP $29,998; as tested $30,133 includes Metallic Pearl Paint ($135). Freight & PDE ($1,740) not incl.
The steering wheel felt alive under my fingers.

A stomp of the throttle prodded the engine with the snarl of instant gratification.

The handling was quick and crisp, the brakes authoritatively taming the speed bursts of this beast as we carved country road corners, pirouetted through esses, and shot through traffic gaps in the cut and thrust of urban driving.

Ahh, but there’s an inherent problem with this kind of performance.

Because the quicker the car is, the shorter my patience gets.

RELATED: Nissan reveals fan-sourced Project 370Z

The power and agility, the exuberance of noisy acceleration, that sense of can-do-anything ability tends to engender a hyperactive impatience when you’re sharing the road with seemingly mere mortals who are slowly and uncertainly doddering about in minivans and cumbersome sport ute land barges, hesitating over lane changes, inexplicably braking for phantom reasons, and just generally not getting the hell out of your way.

I usually resort to deep breathing, maybe an Enya playlist, or the calming Spa channel. And I remind myself that I am usually a part of that same slow-moving herd.

But I’m also reminded of just how much fun a Nissan Z can be.

And it takes some reminding because, 45 years since the first Z appeared, and with only minor changes over the last two generations, it’s easy to take the Z for granted and not give it the attention it deserves.

But for the 2016 model year, Nissan has added a new Coupe Enthusiast Edition base model ($29,998) that drops the entry-level price by a whopping $10,000.

Now, that’s sure to make potential customers pay attention.

That kind of move goes against the grain for most car companies, where the steady evolution of bigger, more expensive models is a more usual trend.

Even Nissan’s sport car lineup of Zs have tended to get porkier and more fully loaded with each generation.

This new base model still harnesses Nissan’s award-winning 332 hp 3.7-litre DOHC V6 engine with Variable Valve Event and Lift Control mated to a standard six-speed manual transmission. This powertrain combo is rated at 13.3/9.3L/100km (city/hwy) but if fuel economy is a big concern, you’re shopping in the wrong aisle, bub. My real world averages worked out to 12L/100km (comb) even with occasional outbursts of adrenalized lunacy.

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Our tester, dipped nicely in Gun Metallic paint, stands on handsome complementary black-finished 18-inch alloy wheels and comes standard with a sport tuned suspension, bi-functional Xenon headlamps, LED daytime running lamps, black woven carbon seat cloth interior, Nissan Intelligent Key with Push Button Start, power windows, power locks, two 12V outlets, USB connection, Bluetooth Hands-free Phone System, automatic climate control and illuminated steering wheel controls.

OK, so what’s the catch? What are we giving up for the $10,000 price chop?

Well, while I wouldn’t exactly label the Coupe Enthusiast Edition a “stripper”, there are sacrifices to be made, namely:

No available automatic transmissionNo viscous limited-slip rear differentialManually-adjusted cloth seats instead of leatherNo heated/ventilated seat featureNo 7.0-inch VGA touch-sensitive LCD display screen (a cubby storage area in the same space instead)No VoiceLink recognitionNo RearView monitor or NavigationNo Homelink transceiverA 4-speaker audio system without satellite radio instead of the BOSE 6-speaker upgradeNo Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) or Active Sound Enhancement (ASE)No auxiliary audio/video input jacksNo auto dimming rearview mirror or heated outside mirrorsNo aluminum pedals or cargo coverSimpler “Z” side badging without LED illumination

But while I might also miss the 19-inch wheels and SychroRev Match throttle-blipping available in higher trim levels, there’s nothing on that list of deletions above that I can’t live without for a $10,000 price cut.

Customers who need the extra do-dads can still opt for the Touring Coupe ($39,998), Touring Sport Coupe ($43,998), the NISMO (Nissan Motorsports) Coupe ($47,998) or the convertible lineup with the Touring Black Top ($49,498) Touring Sport Black Top ($53,498) or Touring Sport Bourdeaux Top model($54,998).

The one thing this pared-down Coupe Enthusiast Edition definitely does benefit from is a leaner and meaner mass reduction, courtesy of being stripped to its bare essentials. It weighs in at 1,497 kg, about 100 kg less than a fully loaded model, even 50 kg lighter than the lean NISMO (1,547 kg), giving it a very comparable power-to-weight ratio to the performance model.

And that new “less is more” philosophy may well be the new trend for a future revision that will allow Nissan to go head-to-head with class competitors like the Hyundai Genesis Coupe, Scion FR-S, Subaru BRZ, Mustang V6 and Mazda MX-5.

There are rumours of an all-new, downsized, lighter and more affordable Z model that will be designed to tap into the essential spirit of the original 240Z with styling and value aimed at a whole new generation of buyers.

Stay tuned.

RELATED: Nissan debuts country’s lowest-priced car

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Karma Revero Now Available In Exclusive Aliso Edition

The design team say they used California as their inspiration

Derived from the Fisker Karma, the Revero is Karma Automotive’s hybrid sports sedan offering and it comes packed with plenty of luxury features and smart design solutions. Priced at a not insignificant $130,000, these 403 horsepower hybrid sedans are a rare sight on the roads, but not as rare as the company's very first limited-edition model, the Aliso. The sporty hybrid and electric car segment is soon to get some notable new entrants like the Porsche Taycan and BMW iNEXT, so along with the dominant Tesla Model S, the Revero needs all the attention it can get.

“Our Aliso Edition is an example of what ‘custom’ can mean for Karma,” says Karma Automotive’s CEO Dr. Lance Zhou. “It’s a specially-crafted luxury electric vehicle for a very select few who seek a truly unique product, and something we believe can be a model for how Karma approaches other unique custom editions and contribute to the sales growth of the company.”

The Aliso is an attempt by Karma to offer its customers something that has not been done before in this segment: a collector vehicle that is also a plug-in hybrid. Limiting production to just 15 units, the Aliso Editions will have the same mechanical specifications as the standard Revero models so the justification for the $15,000 price hike can be found in the bespoke detailing carried out both inside and out.

Each Aliso will be individually numbered with special exterior paint, interior leather-trim colors, and custom carbon fiber wheels. Deliveries are expected to start during November and be completed by the end of the year.

According to Barny Koehler, President in China & Chief Innovation Officer, Karma Automotive’s design team looked to California’s vibrant coastline and dramatic mountains for inspiration. The interior and exterior color palette mimic the hues found in nature, the Laguna Pearl paintwork for example is formulated to capture elements of the sand, sea and sun.

Such whimsical links are open to interpretation but Karma has also gone to extra lengths to ensure that the leather, wood and other trim items have all been sustainably sourced and impact minimally on the environment. Limited-edition models such as the Aliso tend to get sold out soon after introduction so if you prefer your Karma Revero with a slice of Californication then you’d better get moving.

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