Articles by Viknesh Vijayenthiran

We know the next-generation, 991-series Porsche 911 GT3 RS is due out next year, and that it will almost certainly come exclusively with Porsche’s PDK dual-clutch transmission. Now we have some fresh details on the latest in a line of outlandish 911s that date back to the legendary Carrera RS 2.7 of 1973 and have served many a track enthusiast well. Automobile is reporting that the next 911 GT3 RS won't land in showrooms until the second half of next year, making it a 2015 model. DESIGN While the 2014 911 GT3 chassis already adopts the wider body of the all-wheel-drive 911 Carrera 4, RS trim will see an upgrade to the extra-wide body of the recently revealed 2014 911 Turbo. This body adds an extra 30mm of girth to the body of the 911 GT3, which is already around 43mm wider than the regular 911. Carbon fibre and an even more spartan cabin will be used to lighten the chassis of the already lithe 911 GT3, which weighs in at 1430kg. Other performance tweaks are said to include a shorter final drive ratio, improved aerodynamics and stiffened suspension. TRANSMISSION We’ve already outlined why Porsche is no longer offering a conventional manual on its ‘purist’ models, but there’s more to it than just performance. Engineering the car for two transmissions necessitates added complexity and cost, and the PDK’s hydraulic pump is said to be necessary for the car’s other components. Porsche’s new four-wheel-steering system is also expected to feature. ENGINE As for the engine, it’s still not clear what route engineers will take. One possibility is using an enhanced version of the 911 GT3’s 354 kilowatt 3.8-litre flat-six. Another possibility is using a production version of the 4.0-litre engine featured in Porsche’s latest 911 RSR endurance racer, a class winner at this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans. The latter, however, may be reserved for something special like 2012’s 911 GT3 RS 4.0. ON THE WAY Note, there are two other extreme Porsche 911s still in the works. They include a new 911 GT2, which was recently spied and is also due out next year, and a new 911 GT2 RS, which we’re expecting sometime in 2015. www.motorauthority.com  

Rumors of a convertible version of the Toyota 86 have been circulating for years and really heated up with the reveal of the FT-86 Open concept car at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show back in March, but sadly it looks like plans for the cars have now been dropped.Automotive News, without citing a source, reports that production of a convertible Toyota 86 was under consideration but the expected sales volumes were too low to justify the development resources.The news is sure to be a shock to fans of the 86, as the FT-86 Open concept was well received and certainly a stunning car.To make matters worse, it’s also reported that the 86 won’t be receiving any official performance upgrades, despite their engines developing an anaemic 147kW of power. It’s alleged Toyota would rather leave the performance upgrades to the aftermarket industry.Note, it’s likely we’ll see new options from semi-official Toyota tuners TRD and Gazoo Racing. Both companies have already previewed some interesting mods through various concept cars.www.motorauthority.com 

We see numerous replica supercars come and go, including some that could fool even an expert’s eye, but rarely do you hear of the cars’ builders being busted by the cops, despite the obvious copyright infringements and other breaches of the law that typically go hand in hand with replica supercars.  That wasn’t the case for the unscrupulous builders of these replica Ferraris, who were arrested and had the contents of their workshop in Valencia, Spain seized by the local authorities. A total of 19 cars, most of them Ferrari F430 replicas, though some Aston Martin models were also present, were seized by police. Eight men were arrested and charged. The cars were sold over the Internet and were priced from 40,000 euros (approximately $59,300), according to the police. There’s been no mention of what donor vehicles were used for the replicas but a Toyota engine was visible suggesting one of the vehicles may have been an MR2. The mid-engine Toyota is a popular choice among replica supercar builders. The replicas themselves were made from fibreglass and featured highly detailed engine bays, the police said. We can see that Ferrari wheels and even Ferrari-labeled brake callipers were also copied. www.motorauthority.com  

Dutch sports car manufacturer Spyker recently confirmed it would reveal a convertible version of its B6 Venator concept this year, and that both cars would eventually enter production.The last we heard, Spyker planned to start production of its B6 Venator sometime in 2014, though the company hasn’t said when sales in Australia might actually commence.While Spyker has remained quiet on its future plans, Autoblog has managed to learn that the convertible version of the B6 Venator, which is to be called the B6 Venator Spyder, will be presented for the first time at the 2013 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance taking place in a few weeks.Though still a concept, like the B6 Venator first shown at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show back in March, the B6 Venator Spyder on show at the popular Californian event should provide a clear indication as to what the final production version of the striking sports car will look like when it eventually goes on sale.The B6 Venator is designed to slot in below Spyker’s C8 Aileron and draw its power from a V-6 engine. Its engine is claimed to deliver as much as 280 kilowatts, which should guarantee lively performance considering the B6 Venator weighs only around 1361kg.www.motorauthority.com 

Following the announcement last May that Honda was making a return to Formula One as an engine supplier, initially to the McLaren team for the 2015 season, news immediately broke that the two might partner on development of one of McLaren’s future road cars.This was shot down only days later, when an insider stated that Honda’s renewed alliance with McLaren in F1 was not expected to have any impact on McLaren’s road car business.That may be true for McLaren’s current crop of road cars, which includes the 12C, P1 and upcoming P13 (name still pending) but that doesn’t mean we won’t see any collaboration between the two in the future. “Our road car strategy at the moment has no other automotive partner and Honda would be a good place to collaborate,” McLaren’s F1 team principal Martin Whitmarsh said to Autocar. “Nothing’s fixed, but we’re open to that and so are they.”Given McLaren’s size, it’s logical for the company to continue to outsource components such as engines and transmissions from outside suppliers. The current crop of McLaren cars, for instance, all get their engines from Ricardo while their transmissions are sourced from Graziano.Perhaps for the next generation of McLaren cars, we may see engines and other hardware sourced from Honda. If the two companies are successful in F1, we’re sure both will be eager to capitalise on that success in the world of road cars.Importantly, any deal is likely to work both ways, so we may see some of the McLaren-shared hardware featured in future Hondas like the upcoming NSX.www.motorauthority.com 

The latest iteration of the Nissan GT-R can already hit 100kmh from rest in a blistering 2.8 seconds but that number is expected to drop with the arrival of a more potent GT-R Nismo model currently in the works.Set for a reveal at the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show in November, the GT-R Nismo is tipped to have more than 425kW of power and be capable of setting a new production car lap record at the Nürburgring.It is now being reported that this ‘super GT-R’ will also be able to accelerate from 0-100kmh in just 2.08 seconds. Yes, you read that correctly. Just over two seconds.The information comes from a Nissan insider and was reported by Auto Express. If true, the GT-R Nismo will be the quickest-accelerating production car ever launched. The current holder of that title is the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport, which needs 2.6 seconds to reach 100kmh.The standard Nissan GT-R, powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.8-litre V6 engine, is capable of a top speed of over 300kmh. We'll have to wait to see what the Nismo will truly do.Helping with the GT-R Nismo's development is none other than the Williams F1 Team, well, the team’s technology offshoot, Williams Advanced Engineering, to be more accurate. One Williams engineer also revealed to the British magazine that the GT-R still has a lot of tuning potential.Key to the GT-R Nismo's performance will be lighter weight and more power. We’d expect some upgrades to the car’s six-speed dual-clutch transmission would also be necessary to deliver such an astonishing acceleration time. The Nissan GT-R Nismo is likely to debut at the Tokyo Motor Show in November this year. The car should reach showrooms next year as a 2015 model.www.motorauthority.com 

Mercedes-Benz plans to unveil a new luxury yacht concept at the 2013 Monaco Yacht Show taking place in September. Called the Silver Arrow Of The Seas, a name derived from the automaker’s long history of grand prix race cars, the new luxury yacht was penned by the automaker’s own design team but is being built by British firm Silver Arrow Marine.It measures in at 14 metres and promises to deliver innovative versatility and intelligent use of space. Its designers claim it is suitable for day excursions but it also contains sleeping quarters should guests wish to spend the night onboard.World Car Fans points out that an earlier yacht concept was presented by Mercedes-Benz at the automaker’s own design event held in Montenegro. There’s no word on what power source will feature in the new Silver Arrow Of The Seas, but designers claim the yacht will be respectful of the sea.This means we’re unlikely to see the insane 1491 kilowatt motors used by the range of Cigarette Racing yachts developed with Mercedes-Benz performance partner AMG. We should see the reveal happen in the coming weeks.www.motorauthority.com 

The V8-powered 2014 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG has been revealed and is on track to make its official debut this September at the 2013 Frankfurt Auto Show.

Aston Martin’s CC100 Speedster is a concept built to celebrate the British automaker’s centenary this year and whose design draws inspiration from past greats like the DBR1 race car of the 1950s but also points the way towards the future by previewing the styling of Aston’s next generation of cars.It was widely expected that Aston Martin would build two examples of the concept, one to keep in its collection and the other to be sold to one very loyal customer.According to Autocar, two CC100 Speedsters have been built, though both have been sold, at a price of roughly 500,000 British pounds (approximately $830,000) each.The first version to be sold is said to have been the original concept that took part in several of Aston Martin’s centenary celebrations, the most recent of which took place last weekend in London. The second is said to have been commissioned by another customer, who will be receiving it later in the year.  Interestingly, the owner of the original concept is said to be keeping his or her car in a collection while the owner of the second car plans to get regulatory approval so it can be driven on public roads. Sadly, Aston Martin does not plan to build any more examples so that the car’s exclusivity is preserved. The CC100 was designed and constructed in fewer than six months at Aston Martin’s global headquarters in Gaydon, England. It is based around the chassis of a V12 Vantage but comes with a unique carbon fibre body and sequential manual transmission with paddle shifters. According to Aston Martin, the setup is good for 0-100 km/h acceleration in just over 4.0 seconds and a governed top speed of 290 km/h.The real significance of the car is that its styling previews that of next generation of Aston cars. Key among the concept’s design features is a new take on the Aston grille and fender vent, and a completely new design theme for the rear.www.motorauthority.com 

The updated Audi flagship is expected to arrive on the market early next year as a 2015 model, and most of its upgrades will focus on new technology. As these spy shots of the final testing prototype reveal, the updates to the car’s styling will be minimal. In true Audi tradition the visual changes consist of subtle tweaks to the lights, grille and bumpers. We’re not complaining, since the current A8, particularly in its sporty S8 guise, is one the most elegant luxury sedans on the market. The  2015 A8 will feature Audi’s latest Matrix LED headlight technology. This will allow drivers to leave the high-beam permanently on as the Matrix LED headlight, which uses an array of individually controlled LEDs, automatically splits the light beam to block out sections that may blind other motorists. The interior of the 2015 A8 facelift is likely to receive its own set of subtle updates, along with some new technologies including the latest version of Audi connect Internet services, a modular infotainment system and possibly a redesigned instrument cluster. It’s not clear if Audi will be planning significant updates to the powertrain lineup, although we’re still unlikely to see the A8 Hybrid anytime soon. The current 3.0-litre and 4.0-litre TFSI units should carry over largely unchanged, as should the range-topping 6.3-litre W12. A 184kW 3.0-litre TDI diesel was just added for the 2014 model year, so this unit will almost certainly carry over with the same spec. While the A8 will be facing some serious competition from a new Mercedes-Benz S-Class due out later this year, the changes should keep the car looking fresh until a completely redesigned model, possibly based on Porsche's MSB platform and with autonomous driving capability, launches a couple of years further down the track. www.motorauthority.com