Ferrari 458 Italia will soon be on sale

A replacement of the F430 super car the all new 458 Italia has a new 4.5-litre V8 engine with 562bhp on tap (at 9000rpm) and 398lb ft of torque. Electronics have become even more advanced with an improved version of the electronic limited-slip differential and Formula One-Trac system, previously in the both the F430 and the Scuderia. The lines on this car are gorgeous, because Ferrari shied away from the previous McLaren-like large circular intake gaps. The front head lights have been redesigned as narrow slits in the bonnet and near head lights are only one circular red light on each side, similar to the California and 599 GTB. A new exhaust system is an in-line three pipe to allow for an aerodynamically improved rear diffuser. This is the first baby Ferrari to top 200mph, with 0-62mph taking 3.4sec. It’s expected to be priced around $220,000, putting it head first into a battle with the McLaren MP4-12C and Mercedes SLS AMG.

Rest of the Pictures from the LA Auto Show

Lotus brought its new most hardcore street/race-car in the line-up: the Lotus Eleven. The car is basically an even more stripped out version of the Elise and Exige. The roof was chopped for a traditionally speedster look, a roll-cage was added, racing harnesses, super-sticky tires were added, the interior was stripped of everything, and power from the four-banger Toyota engine is amped up to 240 horsepower. Interestingly, the car is race-specific legal for many different classes of racing, so it is perfect for those who often go to the track.

Fisker brought back their four-door coupe hybrid as well as a convertible four seater. Both cars are gorgeous with flowing lines almost similar to an Aston Martin, except with less subtlety.

The line-up of Rolls Royces added a baby brother, the Ghost (bottom picture). There are not too many styling differences between it and its bigger brother the Phantom (middle picture), but the car itself is noticeably smaller especially its pompous front grill. Rolls still offers the Drop-head at a jaw-dropping $530,000.

The showroom of Volkswagon definitely did impress with its newer sleeker version of GTI, and a large line-up of TDI clean diesel cars. The cars VW offers with the extremely fuel-effecient diesel technology are the Golf, Jetta, and Toureg. Not only do the V-dubs get revamped engine options and exterior looks, but the interiors have been redesigned to be almost on par with those of more expensive German cars from Audi and Mercedes. The interior of the GTI was far more refined than that of the Audi A3, its "luxury" rival. Volkswagon also brought a prototype of the possible future Golf that would be streamlined on the outside and have a lightened interior to increase fuel-efficiency.

Some more of the Pictures for the LA Auto Show

Lexus brought their v10 supercar to the show, as well, the LF-A. In person, the design of both the exterior and interior are remarkable. Although it is a Japanese car, it still appears like it will be able to keep with those other supercars from Germany and Italy, mainly the Ferrari 458 Italia, the Mercedes SLS AMG, and the McLaren MP4 12-C. Cut-away models are remarkable: the brakes look brilliant and the engine looks like it came out of a formula one car.

Here is the floor-model Jaguar XJ. The redesign is absolutely gorgeous compared to the predecessor. Rather that having an old country side appearance, it has a modern expresso feel to it. As a late 2010 model, the XJ will go on sale in the U.S. this month.

At the BMW booth, the prototype of the BMW Vision Concept car. Designed for BMW's EfficientDynamics, the car makes use of the combination of BMW ActiveHybrid components with an extremely economical combustion engine, and outstanding aerodynamic qualities.

At the Audi booth, an Audi R8 5.2 V10 spyder was on the floor-room. The conversion from the coupe to a convertible will definitely provide drivers with an open-top thrill. The looks are still very good and hopefully the weight of the electric mechanism does not spoil the fun and balance of the hardtop.

This was the one of the first shows the Acura ZDX debuted at, with several floor room models for visitors to sit in. Looking at the ZDX from the outside, the lines are definitely attractively flowing. The sloping of the sport hatch-back similarly mirrors that of the BMW X6, except Acura's sport SUV has a much better exterior with its lower stance. On the other hand, the same cannot be said about the interior. Sitting inside the cockpit, the driver gets the usual mass array of buttons angled all over the dash. The steering wheel also has tons of buttons. The floorboard is raised much too high, so a driver with long legs would not be in great comfort. The ZDX would definitely be a great car for those more concerned with the exterior appearance rather than the comfort and usability.

Mazda unveiled a new sub-compact car to its line-up this year called the Mazda 2. The car is very similar to the Mazda 3 in appearance, except it is much smaller. It looks like it would be a fun peppy little car for the city. The size is very much similar to that of Ford's new Ford Fiesta hatchback. As a 2011 model, the car will be brought to America in either the third or fourth quarter of 2010.

Los Angeles Auto Show: Porsche Pictures

Yesterday I went to the Debut opening night of the Los Angeles Automobile Show. Overall, the show was definitely worth going to. There were a few prototype cars from each manufacturer, current 2010 models, as well as up-coming models that will be released in the winter or the spring. Here are pictures from the Porsche exhibit. I will post the rest of the pictures of cars from other manufactures on Sunday.

This is a beautiful classic Porsche 718/8 W-RS Spyder. It is the first car you see once you enter the Porsche Petree Hall. Made in the 1960s, this race car with a 210 hp flat-four powered the car to many victories on the racetracks of Europe. The Porsche RS Spyder of the modern day has fulfilled the shoes of this car with championship wins in the LMP-2 in the American Le Mans Series.

Here is me and my friend sitting in the Porsche Boxster S. The Porsche Boxster definitely has a very tight small car feel with its two seat roadster layout. Sitting in the driver's seat, one can hardly notice the difference between it and the 911. The Boxster is definitely a solid choice for those whose pockets cannot quite afford a 911.

Here again is the Porsche Boxster Spyder. In person, one can definitely notice the weight saving measures taken by Porsche: looking past the front brakes all of the coverings have been removed. The new body fenders, both front and rear, are much more aggressive and the roof is merely a manual canvas roof.

Here are pictures of the Panamera interior. While the exterior may be a controversial image, the interior is a perfect balance between form and function. The seats hug you without being overly harsh, such as the bucket seats in a GT3, the center dash contains an array of buttons that are still easy to find, the dash wraps around curvaceously, and the navigation screen is beautiful with a perfect placement.

Here is the absolutely most driver-focused car within the entire Porsche line-up. The funky GT3 RS appears juvenile with its orange wheels, roll cage, and stickers around the car, but the contrast of the stealth gray really makes the car look slick and focused.

Retro-Styled Singer Porsche 911

Taking a decidely retro approach to tuning the Porsche 911, the California-based Singer Vehicle Design has released its first tune. Stripping down to a shell and building back up is what Singer put on the menu for this tune. Keeping a few structural standards of the original 911, such as the wheelbase, a-pillar, roofline and some mounting points, Singer rebuilt the car from there, increasing torsional rigidity, adding carbon fiber to the shell and upgrading the suspension. The tune has a final weight of 2,400 lbs. Singer also added a 3.8-liter, air-cooled flat-six from the 993. Of course, Singer didn’t leave the engine stock, adding Ninemeister cylinder heads, 103 mm pistons, and custom valve springs and retainers, among several other upgrades. So what’s all that heavy modding mean? It means you get the sexy, throwback look with 425 horses and a 3.9-second 0 to 60 time. Stepping inside, you’ll also get the benefit of modern comforts like a Garmin GPS, Sirius satellite radio and Bluetooth connectivity.

The Only Foreign Car owned by Edlebrock

This is a 1988 Porsche 911 Turbo slant-nose. It has the 930 body style and a custom with convertible roof with red fuchs. The car was picked up personally from the factory brand new for a price around $150,000.

The Official Porsche Boxster Spyder on a mountain road Video