JDMpire

So that’s what they mystery car was from the G8 Summit lineup. I had heard Nissan had an FCV X-Trail in the works, but as you can see, this light blue cornering machine doesn’t look anything like the current X-Trail, or even this other green-cred seeking X-Trail Clean Diesel. Congrats, Nissan, you have fooled me.

But you can’t fool me into thinking this FCV’s lap of 11:58 around the Nürburgring really counts for much, because it’s the only hydrogen powered car to ever attempt a record. Let’s get the Honda FCX Clarity out there and see how it fares. It wouldn’t be it’s only time out on the track.

[Source: Nissan]

We just might be on the brink of another sports car renaissance, people. It’ll be like the early 90s all over again, when Honda, Toyota and Nissan unleashed the NSX, Supra and 300ZX on an unsuspecting American public.

According to Inside Line, Honda CEO Takeo Fukui has commanded his minions to summon an NSX that will obliterate the Nürburgring lap times of the Nissan GT-R and Lexus LF-A. The rumored weapon of choice will be a 5.5L V10 with 550hp and 420lb-ft of torque mated to an 8MT and SH-AWD.

The idea of an all-out Clash of the Titans Japanese supercar battle royale is something I’ve been waiting for for 10 motherf’in’ years. I’ll be watching this one closely and hope with every fiber of my being that it will live up to the full epicosity potential inherent in the concept.

[Inside Line]

According to Autoblog, the footage here is of the Lexus LF-A running the ADAC Rundstrecken Trophy Endurance, where it took the fastest lap time of 9:06. Keep in mind that the circuit is not the same as the one where the GT-R set its record lap. This was just a warm up for the Nürburgring 24 Hours endurance later this month.

[Autoblog]

Not content to let Toyota and Nissan have all the fun, Subaru has also announced plans to run an Impreza WRX STI at the upcoming 36th ADAC Zurich 24h Race 2008, or Nürburgring for short. Obviously, it’s going to run in a different class than the Lexus LF-A, but that doesn’t mean they’re not going for the Class A championship. Super GT series drivers Toshihiro Yoshida, Hideo Matsuda, Naotaka Hattori and Kouji Matsuda will pilot, and Subaru’s prepared a website devoted to the event coverage

[Source, Image: Subaru]

Prior to the GT-R’s launch at the Tokyo Motors Show last October, Nissan factory test driver Tochio Suzuki took the Nissan supercar around Germany’s Nürburgring at a phenomenal 7:38, besting performance benchmarks like the Porsche 911 Turbo and Mercedes SLR and setting the automotive world abuzz with its lap time, among the best for any production car in the world.

However, Suzuki encountered two wet stretches of the ‘Ring back then, and was sure he could beat 7:30. And now on a completely dry track, he has. The official new time is 7:29, putting it in league with cars like the Porsche Carrera GT, with which you could buy 7 GT-Rs. Banzai!

[Source: Nissan]

So you think that by playing Gran Turismo 4 till your calloused thumbs and bloodshot eyes shriveled like baked raisins you’ve mastered the Nürburgring. Well, here’s a man who’s probably clocked more hours on the racing simulator than anybody in the world, the mastermind behind it, Kazunori Yamauchi. In this video, he gives driving impressions of the Nissan GT-R around the legendary German road course, which he tackled in the wet and in the cold. Yamauchi’s company, Polyphony, was also responsible for the digital performance display in the GT-R. It’s the confluence of three masters of their respective fields - cars, circuits, and simulators.

[Source: Autoblog]

So that’s what that was. It’s official. Toyota will campaign the Lexus LF-A at the upcoming Nurburgring 24 Hours endurance race, officially called the 36th ADAC Zurich 24h Race 2008. This will be the new Toyota supercar’s first outing in anything other than concept car form, quite likely solidifying the design and powertrain of the new flagship once and for all. The event begins May 22 and the race will be held Saturday, May 24 to Sunday, May 25. Gentlemen, start your engines.

[Source: Toyota]

The title says it all.

[Sources: Autoblog, Jalopnik]

The new GT-R Vspec is confirmed and has been spotted at the Nurburgring with a new front splitter, new spoiler, new wheels, and new lap time of 7:24. Even a Porsche V10 mid-engined Carrera GT at the hands of Walter Rohrl took 7:28 according to Autoblog. Phenomenal. And the new shoes don’t look too bad either.

[Source: Car via Autoblog]