The new 2010 Porsche 911 GT3 RS recently hit up the Nordschleife at the Nurburgring where it returned an unofficial lap time of 7:33 – seven seconds faster than the Porsche 911 GT3. An unnamed Porsche test-drive took the new 911 GT3 RS around the Nordschleife during some light traffic, a stopwatch and a helmet.

That compares fairly well to the Nissan GT-R’s 7:27.56 and the Gumpert Apollo’s 7:11.57.

Refresher: Power comes from a 3.8L unit that delivers more output, revving up to 8,500 rpm while producing a neck-snapping 450-hp. Sales in the U.S. begin in early spring of 2010 with prices starting at $132,800.

2010 Porsche 911 GT3 RS:

- By: Omar Rana

Source: EVO

At the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show later this month, Toyota will unveil its new FT-86 Concept, a study of the upcoming production rear-wheel-drive sports car that it will produce in collaboration with Subaru. Subaru’s version of the sports coupe is internally known as the 086A.

A video of a prototype circling the Nurburgring has just popped up and we’re pretty impressed by the sounds.

Click here for more news on the Toyota FT-86 Concept.

Refresher: Inspired by the sporty 1980s Corolla AE86, the production version of the FT-86 is reported to be powered by a 200-hp 2.0L boxer Subaru engine sending power to the rear-wheels. Production is reported to start in 2011 with prices starting above $20,000.

Follow the jump for the video.

Toyota FT-86 Concept:

Toyota FT-86 Concept:

- By: Kap Shah

Source: FT86 Club

The new 2010 Porsche 911 Turbo has beaten its predecessor’s Nurburgring lap time by 10 seconds, reports AutoCar. The new 911 Turbo lapped the famous German track in 7:39 while its predecessor did it in 7:49.

The new 2010 911 Turbo is powered by a 3.8L flat-six boxer turbocharged engine making 500-hp with a maximum torque of 516 lb-ft. Mated to Porsche’s new PDK 7-speed dual-clutch transmission, the 2010 911 Turbo runs from 0-60 mph in 3.2 seconds with a top speed of 194 mph.

The 2010 Nissan GT-R recently bettered its own lap time around the Nurburgring coming in at 7:27.56. It’s previous lap time came in at 7:29.

Click here to read more Porsche 911 Turbo news.

2010 Porsche 911 Turbo:

- By: Kap Shah

Source: AutoCar

Two months ago at Goodwood Festival of Speed’s Sunday Times Supercar Runs, British race-car driver Derek Bell took the Bentley Continental Supersports for a hot-lap. Bell finally took out sometime to take the new Bentley out for a spin on the Nurburgring and we now have a video of his lap around the Nordschleife.

Just to point out how good Bell is, the man is a 5 time winner of Le Mans and also raced in Formula One for the Ferrari, McLaren, Surtees and Tecno teams.

Refresher: Power comes from a 6.0L W12 twin-turbocharged engine making 621-hp with a maximum torque of 590 lb-ft. 0 to 60 mph comes in 3.7 seconds with a top speed of 204 mph. The engine is capable of running on gasoline and E85 biofuel or any combination of the two.

Make the jump for the video.

Bentley Continental Supersports Coupe:

Bentley Continental Supersports Coupe:

- By: Kap Shah

Love the Nurburgring? Love BMW? Love the 507-hp BMW M5? Then check out this video of the BMW M5 Ring-Taxi taking visitors to the Nurburgring around the famous Nordschleife.

We’re just wondering how many people scream “SHOTGUN” when it’s their turn to go for a lap.

Check out the video after the jump.

- By: Kap Shah

Last week, Radical Sportscars announced that its road-legal SR8LM lapped the Nurburgring at a record 6:48. The record beats the Dodge Viper ACR’s 7:22.1 and the Gumpert Apollo Sport’s 7:11.5 from just a few days ago.

The 455-hp Radical SR8LM was driven by Michael Vergers.

Click through for the video of the record-breaking run.

- By: The Daily Auto Editor

Source: YouTube (via AutoBlog)

It seems Gumpert Apollo Speed’s two minutes of Nurburgring fame is over. Radical Sportscars just announced that its road-legal SR8LM lapped the Nurburgring in a blistering 6:48.

The 455-hp Radical SR8LM was driven by Michael Vergers who said: ”The car was great, I could push really hard and it felt clearly faster than the previous SR8 in 2005. It’s fantastic that we’ve beaten the record; hopefully I’ll get an opportunity to return with Radical in the future.”

“I’m obviously delighted, the record has been a real team effort headed up by Phil Abbott and Rob Wheldon,” said Radical co-founder Mick Hyde. “Dunlop have supplied us with brilliant, hard-wearing trackday tyres, indeed we’ve only used one set to both drive to the ‘Ring, and set the record.”

- By: Kap Shah

According to German magazine Sport-Auto, the Gumpert Apollo Speed has set a new record for a road-legal production car at the Nurburgring Nordschleife, bringing in a lap time of 7:11.57.

The time was recorded on August 13th while the Gumpert Apollo Speed was piloted by 26 year-old driver Florian Gruber. Power for the Apollo Speed comes from an Audi 4.2L bi-turbo V8 pumping out 700-hp (capable of 800-hp). It allows the supercar to go from 0 to 62 mph in 3 seconds with a top speed of 223 mph.

Apparently the group has overlooked the achievement of the Radical SR8, which was clocked in at 6:55.

Either way, road tests for the Apollo Speed are scheduled to begin in mid-September. Stay tuned for more from Gumpert.

Gumpert Apollo Speed Nurburgring:

- By: The Daily Auto Editor

Source: WCF

Sport Auto’s Editor in Chief Horst von Saurma recently hit up the Nurburgring Nordschleife in a 2009 Ford Focus RS to set a lap time for the hottest hatch on European roads. von Saurma managed to lap the famous German track in 8:26.

Ford of Europe has just released a video of his run.

2009 Ford Focus RS: Power comes from a 2.5L 5-cylinder Duratec engine with a large Borg Warner K16 turbocharger. That makes a total of 300-hp and a peak torque of 324 lb-ft allowing for a 0 to 62 mph run in 5.9 seconds with a top speed of 163 mph.

Click through to watch the video.

2009 Ford Focus RS:

2009 Ford Focus RS:

- By: The Daily Auto Editor

Thousands of enthusiasts head over to the Nurburgring Nordschliefe track each year to push their skills to the limit. Some are expert drivers while other are just beginners; however, the folks at Nurburgring can never really judge a driver until they actually hit the famous 20 km (12 mile) track. Therefore, there are bound to be errors and severe accidents here and there.

In order to get to the seen as quickly as possible, the Nordschliefe track has a new rapid response vehicle based on the Nissan GT-R. The Nissan GT-R Rapid Response Vehicle is fitted with a fire retardant tank that takes up all of the rear passenger area and a functional hose reel and equipment bay in the trunk.

If you know a quicker way to get to an injured driver than in a 485-hp Nissan GT-R – let us know.

Nissan GT-R Rapid Response Vehicle:

- By: The Daily Auto Editor

Source: Nissan Sportz (via GT-R Blog)

Aston Martin is building a pre-production version of the One-77 supercar that will take on the Nurburgring, reports AutoCar. Sources say that the unit you see at auto shows is just a running prototype and the next stage of the car’s development is to build a pre-production version for fine tuning at the Nurburgring, where Aston Martin has a facility.

Chris Porritt, One-77 program manager, said that the One-77 will go into production in the spring of 2010 with the first customer deliveries to begin in mid-2010.

Porritt said that 40 confirmed orders have been taken (so it’s apparently not sold out), each of which will take the folks at Gaydon three and a half months to build.

Refresher: Power comes from a 7.3L V12 producing more than 700-hp. The engine is mated to a new 6-speed gearbox that allows the One-77 to go from 0 to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds with a top speed of over 200 mph.

Aston Martin One-77:

- By: Omar Rana

Source: AutoCar

The day is almost over and that means it’s finally time for our Miscellaneous Thoughts post for the day.

Sandra Bullock loves herself some Top Gear: Hollywood actress Sandra Bullock loves Top Gear and that may be the fault of her West Coast Choppers CEO husband Jesse James. ”I love Top Gear. I live for Top Gear. Bullock also said that she would love to be one of the Stars in a Reasonably Priced Car. “I want to do it. I saw Helen Mirren and she rocked it. One day I will be on Top Gear, even though the helmet would make me look so bad – and one day I would like to wreck the car in a blaze of glory.” – TopGear

Nurburgring Insurance protects those who want to lap Nordschleife: Nurburgmotorsport is offering a package to protect those who want to lap the Ring’s Nordschleife. The insurance package offers drivers to cover themselves against unexpected bills for thousands of euros. Prices start at £99 ($163 USD) for a day and eight laps. – evo

2010 Infiniti M to debut at Pebble Beach: The 2010 Infiniti M sedan will make its debut for the first time at a press conference on August 14th at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. No details were given about the car but sources say that the model debuting will be a production quality car ready to go on sale by the end of this year. – Straightline

- By: Stephen Calogera

Let’s go back-to-back with the SLS AMG right now. We just posted details on the upcoming Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG with electric-drive and now we have a video of the upcoming Mercedes-Benz supercar lapping the Nurburgring. Unfortunately no lap-time details were revealed – but stay tuned and we’ll give them to you as soon as we get them.

Click through for the video.

2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Gullwing:

2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Gullwing:

- By: The Daily Auto Editor

Porsche and Nissan have been going at each other for a while now claiming to have beaten each other at Nurburgring Nordschleife lap times. In the latest development, the Nissan GT-R recently lapped Green Hell in 7:26.7. Nonetheless, that’s still a bit slower than the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1’s 7:26.4.

General Motors is also the proud holder of the title of having the fastest sedan go around Nordschleife with the Cadillac CTS-V completing the lap in 7:59. However, according to reports coming out of Germany, the new 2010 Porsche Panamera Turbo has taken the title from Cadillac.

It is reported that the new four-door Panamera Turbo recently lapped the 12.9 mile circuit in just 7:56. Porsche has yet to make an official confirmation so take this one with a grain of salt.

The Porsche Panamera Turbo carries a 4.8L turbocharged V8 making 500-hp with a maximum torque of 516 lb-ft. That allows the four-door Porsche to go from 0 to 60 mph in 4 seconds in Sports Chrono mode with a top speed of 188 mph.

2010 Porsche Panamera

- By: Omar Rana

Source: TopSpeed

When your company owns a legendary Nurburgring Nordschleife lap time, it’s only right that you own a shop at “Green Hell.” Nissan announced today that it is opening a new 500 square meter facility at the Nurburgring where fans can experience the company’s history of fascinating sports car.

Fans can visit the facility from 10 a.m to 8 p.m. and browse Nissan’s sports cars and lifestyle products or relax in the Nissan lounge. Nissan also has its GT-R, 370Z Nurburgring Edition (limited to 80 units) and the GT-R SpecV on hand.

Visitors can visit the Sportscar Shop to purchase Nissan and NISMO merchandise.

Sales of the Nissan GT-R SpecV will start later this year with pricing and availability details to be announced at a later date.

2010 Nissan 370Z Yellow Edition (Nurburgring Edition):

Press Release:

THE WORLD OF NISSAN AT THE NEW NÜRBURGRING PROMENADE
DOORS OPEN AT THE NISSAN SPORTSCARS SHOP

- Opened on 09 July 2009, during the celebrations for the dedication of the new Nürburgring
- 500 square metres of exhibition space
- Unique merchandise from Nissan and NISMO

When you go looking for mystical motor sports sites, you are sure to wind up in the volcanic landscape of the Eifel mountain range sooner or later. This is where you find the Nürburgring Nordschleife, still the ultimate when it comes to putting those who participate in the different races held here as well as the materials they use to the test. It is also where the design of many new cars undergoes the ultimate test of strength and endurance, in the “Green Hell”.

Nissan has been among those fascinated with the Nürburgring for some time now. And so, the Japanese company has become involved in more than just the legendary 24-hour race. Nissan has also tried to create a permanent place for itself at the Eifel track and, in March 2007, the company opened its test centre in Troisdorf, a city near Bonn, where it can test out its new models on the Nordschleife. Last April, during its tuning runs with its new sports car, the GT-R, Nissan was able to attain a legendary time on the 20.8-kilometre stretch. The latest version of the mega sports car with 356 kW/486 HP clocked in at a new record time of 7:26.7 minutes.

The Japanese car manufacturer is now getting ready to present a thrilling look into its world: the Nissan Sportscars Shop, on the Nürburgring’s new ring°boulevard, where visitors can experience Nissan. The company hopes to share its own love of racing with fans from all over the world and to let visitors experience its expertise as a longstanding manufacturer of fascinating sports cars. The Nissan Sportscars Shop, which occupies about 500 square metres of space, opened as part of the celebrations surrounding the dedication of the new Nürburgring on 09 July.

Every day from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Nissan shop, visitors can browse among fascinating sports cars and lifestyle products or relax in the Nissan lounge. In addition to the GT-R and the 370Z NÜRBURGRING EDITION, which is limited to 80 cars, highlights include the GT-R SpecV version, the only place in Europe where customers and enthusiasts will be able to see this hyper-exclusive model.

This high-performance version of Nissan’s supercar offers numerous modifications compared to the production model, such as additional carbon fibre parts, carbon ceramic brakes, a titanium exhaust system and a button-operated, short-time torque booster. Trained personnel are available to answer all your questions about the cars and can get you in touch with a Nissan sales representative at the dealership upon request. Sales of GT-R SpecV will begin later this year, with prices to be confirmed in the coming months.

Visitors to the Sportscar Shop can also purchase high-quality Nissan merchandise and its motor sports department NISMO, including rare items imported from Japan as well as scale models of cars.

The Nissan Sportscars Shop is also slated to take on a more central role in many of the company’s marketing and sales activities. At the end of October 2009, for example, the company has planned an entire week full of action. The schedule includes a drift event at the Nürburgring, track days with the Nissan GT-R on the Nordschleife and a “tour of the senses”, a journey through the picturesque Eifel countryside surrounding the racetrack.

The Nürburgring’s expansion into a year-round recreation and business centre is an important milestone in the history of the Nordschleife, which was first built in 1927. In addition to a new main stand with 5,000 covered seats, the new grounds feature presentation and event areas as well as additional accommodations in the track’s immediate vicinity, an expanded range of services for corporate customers, and indoor attractions. The ring°boulevard forms the central axis of the Nürburgring. On it, leading car manufacturers and accessory experts have set up themed stores and exhibition spaces along the Grand Prix track’s start and finish straightaways. The covered promenade is directly connected to other new attractions such as the ring°arena for public events and the ring°werk (motor sports museum).

- By: Kap Shah

About 2 months ago the Nissan GT-R reported a faster Nurburgring lap time of 7:26.7. Nissan has just released the video of the Nordschleife circuit lap.

“This record demonstrates our commitment to the continuous evolution of the Nissan GT-R,” says Kazutoshi Mizuno, Chief Vehicle Engineer and Chief Vehicle Specialist. “We would like to continue delivering the passion and pride of ownership to our customers by improving its performance every year.”

Yup – we’ll see another lap time very soon.

Make the leap for the video.

- By: Omar Rana

According to reports by European media, Nissan is working on a special limited-edition Nurburgring version of the Nissan 370Z to pay tribute to the race-prepped 370Z that raced during the 24-Hour Race. No power upgrades are reported for the Nurburgring edition, meaning the limited-edition 370Z continues to run on its 332-hp 3.7L V6.

So what’s all the Nurbugring-ness about? Nissan will throw on a set of 19-inch OZ Racing alloy wheels and you can expect some Nurburgring track logos on the seats and the floor-mats.

Nissan will build on 80 units of the yellow 370Z Nurburgring edition. Pricing starts at the U.S. dollar equivalent of $71,275. All 80 buyers will receive a bonus card worth $212 of public track days at the famous Nordschleife.

2009 Nissan 370Z:

- By: The Daily Auto Editor

Source: Inside Line

Just yesterday we heard updates on the Lexus LF-A that will make its production debut at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show later this year. It was reported that the LF-A is now reaching a top speed of more than 218 mph? Pretty hot right?

So hot that the Lexus LF-A race version that ran laps during the Nurburgring 24-Hour Race caught on fire.

Check out the video after the jump.

2009 Lexus LF-A Nurburgring 24-Hour Race Version:

- By: The Daily Auto Editor

Source: YouTube (via Jalopnik)