With its all conquering Nurburgring lap times and effortless ability to bamboozle the laws of physics, the GT-R was hardly in need of dynamic sharpening. Despite this, Euro zone customers (who have placed 2500 orders to date, nearly half from the UK) are set to benefit from some technical improvements.

Nissan calls it a simple application of kaizen – continuous improvement – though we think it’s just another opportunity to infuriate European manufacturers.

GT-R’s hand-built 3.8l V6 twin-turbo engine benefits from ECU reprogramming, raising power output to 356kW, which is quite elementary considering the current car is rated at 353kW – allegedly.

Dynamically the most significant change concerns the four contact surfaces. Dunlop SP Sport 600 DSST tyres will be fitted as standard now; and they’re the same items responsible for the 7 minutes and 29 seconds worth of Nurburgring magic which happened earlier this year, in April, and has seen Porsche engineers spend most of their weekends at the office since.

To ensure Porsche technical staff have a miserable festive season, GT-R suspension spring rate settings have been modified too.

Wheel revisions have seen gun metal RAYS mags now fitted to GT-R and Premium editions, whilst black RAYS alloy wheels are, unsurprisingly, standard for the Black Edition.

Source: www.wheels24.co.za.

Most teams begin a three-day test at Jerez from Tuesday, though Williams started a day early to give another outing to Formula 3 Euro Series racer Dani Clos following the Spaniard’s F1 debut with the team back in September. Toyota, meanwhile, will be running solo in Bahrain from Wednesday.

Most teams relied on test drivers at last month’s Barcelona session, but Jerez can expect to see some well-rested race drivers returning to action. Among those due back in the cockpit for the first time since last month’s Brazilian Grand Prix are McLaren’s Heikki Kovalainen and Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen.

As for the cars, the hybrid machines seen recently at the Circuit de Catalunya should be looking slightly closer to their final 2009 spec, as the teams continue to get to grips with slick tyres, KERS and the drastic changes to the aerodynamic regulations before - in most cases - rolling out their new machines in mid to late January.

There are a handful of race seats still unconfirmed for 2009, so some teams will doubtless use the session to evaluate potential candidates. Look out for Japanese star Takuma Sato behind the Toro Rosso wheel, after being invited back for a third test with the Italian team.

As always, Formula1.com will bring you breaking news, daily reports and the latest images from testing, so check back throughout the week for the latest on the teams’ progress. Note - all schedules are provisional and subject to change.

Source: www.formula1.com.

HEADING FOR THE MOUNTAINS: The Mitsubishi ‘Dakar’ teams that will tackle the 9500 trans-Andes race in January 2008 - and the Racing Lancer the team hopes will give it an eighth consecutive win.

Source: www.motoring.co.za.

The design brief, the maker says, was to create a unique four-seater while retaining Porsche styling. At 1931mm wide and 1418mm high, it’s lower and wider than comparable four-door models, and its overall length of 4970mm and short overhangs give it a sleek, sporty silhouette.

The Panamera has strongly contoured air intakes instead of a conventional grille and a long, sleek bonnet creating a typical 911 “landscape” at the front of the car. A sweeping roof line with a tapering rear window over muscular rear quarters gives the four-door a distinctly sports-car look.

These are the first official photos of Porsche’s four-door GT – the Panamera.

Source: www.motoring.co.za.

However, as part of the team’s commitment to cutting costs in Formula One racing, there will be no traditional launch ceremony.

Instead, all press material will be distributed to the media via the internet, before the TF109 begins pre-season testing on 20 January, the start of a three-day test at the new Algarve Motor Park in Portugal.

This will be the first opportunity for the media to discuss the TF109 and the 2009 season with drivers Timo Glock and Jarno Trulli, as well as selected team personnel.

Source: www.formula1.com.

Where the Mazda3 sedan was shown in American spec, the hatchback shows off the European spec that prospective South African buyers would be most interested in.

The second-generation five-door hatchback is said to be more environmentally-friendly with more efficient powertrains and, what Mazda says is, best in class aerodynamics.

Further bragging rights are earned by Mazda’s use of what is claimed to be the world’s first vehicle catalyst constructed with single nanotechnology that allows the manufacturer to cut down on resources such as platinum and palladium.

The engine line-up includes a new 2.2-litre turbodiesel engine, offered in either high or standard power versions, as well as existing 1.6- and 2.0-litre petrol engines. A 1.6-litre turbodiesel is also available.

The next-generation Mazda3 hatchback will be unmasked at the Bologna Motor Show on December 3.

Source: www.wheels24.co.za.

The Golf V R32 was something of a Neolithic beast – sure, it was powerful and roared its pleasure at having its loud pedal pushed, but fuel economy and emission laws have reduced it to something of a wheeled fossil. Meanwhile, VW’s 2,0-litre TFSI manage to largely side-step these issue and offer similar performance.

So how will VW package its next dose of high-performance thrills? Well, according to a report from Car Magazine UK the most likely option is shoehorning the Audi S3’s beefed-up 2,0-litre turbo engine into a sportier version of the Scirocco.

Source: www.cartoday.com.

And the spectacular success of Formula One racing’s first-ever night race has now been recognised at the Professional Motorsport World awards, which were held in the German city of Cologne on Tuesday.
The Marina Bay circuit was awarded the title of motorsport facility of the year at the annual ceremony and was commended for its revolutionary lighting system, and for the location of the track, which was situated right in the heart of the Asian city.

“We are delighted that the efforts of the entire team, the invaluable contribution from all our fantastic partners, and the strong collaborative efforts from the government agencies and businesses, particularly those around the circuit, have been recognised by this award” said Jonathan Hallett, director of media and communications for Singapore GP Pte Ltd.

“We have received a great many compliments from around the world since the running of the race in September, but this is an award given by our peers, the professionals who work in motor sports. It therefore is especially gratifying to receive this award.”

Other shortlisted candidates included the second new venue on the 2008 Formula One calendar, the Valencia Street Circuit in Spain. Meanwhile, Toro Rosso’s Franz Tost picked up the prize for team principal of the year.

Source: www.formula1.com.

Beyond the garish graphics, you’ll find 492kW ready to usurp those rear wheels. This is 9ff’s take on what the Porsche 911 GT2 should be like.

Full Article: www.wheels24.co.za.