Hyundai Hellion Side

Hyundai Design Center Chief Designer Joel Piaskowski says the Hellion concept was inspired by hard-shell backpacks. Low and wide with squared-off front corners, the concept's two-door hatchback styling is accentuated by big fender flares that house 20-inch wheels. There's a scoop in the clamshell hood, and the taillights look like small wings on the rear-quarter windows.The minimalist interior has front and rear bucket seats with a built-in hydration system, a la CamelBak, that Hyundai says allows the Hellion to do without cupholders. How does this work? It's sort of derivative of the old college hat with two beer cans on top, with tubes to drink from. Really. If that weren't enough, the backs of the bucket seats also have removable backpacks.

Hyundai Hellion Side

Hyundai Design Center Chief Designer Joel Piaskowski says the Hellion concept was inspired by hard-shell backpacks. Low and wide with squared-off front corners, the concept's two-door hatchback styling is accentuated by big fender flares that house 20-inch wheels. There's a scoop in the clamshell hood, and the taillights look like small wings on the rear-quarter windows.The minimalist interior has front and rear bucket seats with a built-in hydration system, a la CamelBak, that Hyundai says allows the Hellion to do without cupholders. How does this work? It's sort of derivative of the old college hat with two beer cans on top, with tubes to drink from. Really. If that weren't enough, the backs of the bucket seats also have removable backpacks.

Hyundai Hellion Side

Hyundai Design Center Chief Designer Joel Piaskowski says the Hellion concept was inspired by hard-shell backpacks. Low and wide with squared-off front corners, the concept's two-door hatchback styling is accentuated by big fender flares that house 20-inch wheels. There's a scoop in the clamshell hood, and the taillights look like small wings on the rear-quarter windows.The minimalist interior has front and rear bucket seats with a built-in hydration system, a la CamelBak, that Hyundai says allows the Hellion to do without cupholders. How does this work? It's sort of derivative of the old college hat with two beer cans on top, with tubes to drink from. Really. If that weren't enough, the backs of the bucket seats also have removable backpacks.

Lexus IS F Review - 2008

The letter F is an auspicious one in Lexus lore. Back in the mid-'80s, when the Lexus brand was still in the planning stages, Toyota insiders referred to the prospective luxury division as "Circle F." And the car that put Lexus on the map, the LS 400, was known internally as Flagship One, or F1. For 2008, the letter F is back: The company has decided to crash the über-sport sedan party with the 2008 Lexus IS-F, a hard-edged performance car based on the IS-series sedan and aimed squarely at perennial magazine-cover fodder like the Audi RS4, BMW M3 and Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG.

The IS-F marks the official launch of Lexus' F line, and it's akin to the aforementioned competitors' in-house performance divisions. As such, Lexus has gone to great lengths to differentiate the IS-F from its more sedate IS-series brethren. Take the IS-F's exclusive power plant, for example, which begins life as the gas-swilling half of the LS 600h L's hybrid engine and then gets a thorough makeover from Toyota's longtime performance partner, Yamaha. The end result is a 5.0-liter V8 that churns out 416 horsepower and 371 pound-feet of torque, compared with 306 and 277, respectively, from the IS 350's already potent 3.5-liter V6. Likewise, the IS-F eschews the IS 350's six-speed automatic transmission for a heavily modified version of the LS 460's eight-speed unit that boasts Ferrari-quick upshifts and automatic throttle blips on downshifts. The singularity and complexity of this powertrain serve notice to the old guard that this Lexus means business. Like its F1-cum-LS 400 forebear, the 2008 Lexus IS-F is designed to go toe to toe with the best.
© Source: edmunds

Lexus IS F Review - 2008

The letter F is an auspicious one in Lexus lore. Back in the mid-'80s, when the Lexus brand was still in the planning stages, Toyota insiders referred to the prospective luxury division as "Circle F." And the car that put Lexus on the map, the LS 400, was known internally as Flagship One, or F1. For 2008, the letter F is back: The company has decided to crash the über-sport sedan party with the 2008 Lexus IS-F, a hard-edged performance car based on the IS-series sedan and aimed squarely at perennial magazine-cover fodder like the Audi RS4, BMW M3 and Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG.

The IS-F marks the official launch of Lexus' F line, and it's akin to the aforementioned competitors' in-house performance divisions. As such, Lexus has gone to great lengths to differentiate the IS-F from its more sedate IS-series brethren. Take the IS-F's exclusive power plant, for example, which begins life as the gas-swilling half of the LS 600h L's hybrid engine and then gets a thorough makeover from Toyota's longtime performance partner, Yamaha. The end result is a 5.0-liter V8 that churns out 416 horsepower and 371 pound-feet of torque, compared with 306 and 277, respectively, from the IS 350's already potent 3.5-liter V6. Likewise, the IS-F eschews the IS 350's six-speed automatic transmission for a heavily modified version of the LS 460's eight-speed unit that boasts Ferrari-quick upshifts and automatic throttle blips on downshifts. The singularity and complexity of this powertrain serve notice to the old guard that this Lexus means business. Like its F1-cum-LS 400 forebear, the 2008 Lexus IS-F is designed to go toe to toe with the best.
© Source: edmunds

Lexus IS F Review - 2008

The letter F is an auspicious one in Lexus lore. Back in the mid-'80s, when the Lexus brand was still in the planning stages, Toyota insiders referred to the prospective luxury division as "Circle F." And the car that put Lexus on the map, the LS 400, was known internally as Flagship One, or F1. For 2008, the letter F is back: The company has decided to crash the über-sport sedan party with the 2008 Lexus IS-F, a hard-edged performance car based on the IS-series sedan and aimed squarely at perennial magazine-cover fodder like the Audi RS4, BMW M3 and Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG.

The IS-F marks the official launch of Lexus' F line, and it's akin to the aforementioned competitors' in-house performance divisions. As such, Lexus has gone to great lengths to differentiate the IS-F from its more sedate IS-series brethren. Take the IS-F's exclusive power plant, for example, which begins life as the gas-swilling half of the LS 600h L's hybrid engine and then gets a thorough makeover from Toyota's longtime performance partner, Yamaha. The end result is a 5.0-liter V8 that churns out 416 horsepower and 371 pound-feet of torque, compared with 306 and 277, respectively, from the IS 350's already potent 3.5-liter V6. Likewise, the IS-F eschews the IS 350's six-speed automatic transmission for a heavily modified version of the LS 460's eight-speed unit that boasts Ferrari-quick upshifts and automatic throttle blips on downshifts. The singularity and complexity of this powertrain serve notice to the old guard that this Lexus means business. Like its F1-cum-LS 400 forebear, the 2008 Lexus IS-F is designed to go toe to toe with the best.
© Source: edmunds

The next Nissan Skyline

The next Nissan Skyline will be wilder than ever when it hits the streets in two years. The all-new R35 Skyline GT-R will use a Le Mans-proven V8 engine that produces around 400bhp. With a 3.5-litre variant of the unit that powered the Nissan R390 GT1, the R35 will rival Porsche's 911 and the forthcoming V8-powered Honda NSX, sprinting from 0-60mph in less than 4.5 seconds and hitting a top speed of 170mph.
The current hi-tech, four-wheel-drive Skyline is powered by a turbocharged straight six-cylinder engine delivering 280bhp. Insiders at Nissan say the new unit is necessary to allow its models to compete with European supercars as more power is needed, and that rival Japanese models, including Mitsubishi's Lancer Evo VI, already produce more than 280bhp. The R35 will borrow from the existing R34's innovative drivetrain and computerised gadgetry. That means the R35 will use a six-speed gearbox and four-wheel-steering. The brakes will be uprated, though, and the suspension tuned to give greater flexibility on demanding roads.
The price will increase, and it is expected the newcomer will cost a Porsche 911-rivalling $60,000. Nissan is not alone in adopting such a change of strategy. Honda is developing a new 400bhp V8 engine, while Mitsubishi is currently working to produce a range of powerful GDi direct-injection units including a 2.0-litre turbocharged version for its rally cars, a V8 and a V12.