VxDesigns

mustang

In honor of 25 years in the pony-tunin’ business and 45 years of Mustangs, Steve Saleen’s new company has created the 2010 SMS 460 Mustang and, surprise, the SMS 460X.

The 2010 SMS 460 Mustang is the more pedestrian of the two 2010 Mustangs, offering 470 HP and 427 lb-ft of torque. For real power, you’ll want the SMS 460X and its supercharged V8 pumping out a mean 655 HP and 600 lb-ft of torque. The 460 grabs a five-speed automatic or manual, while the SMX gets a six-speed SMST manual. No hard numbers out, but expect low 4’s from the former and “even lower” 4’s from the SMSX.

In addition to the power, the Saleen Stangs get the golden touch on the outside and inside. From this drawing it certainly looks like a Saleen.

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In a “first,” other than the Cayenne, Porsche just revealed the four-door Porsche Panamera in Shanghai. It’s supposedly able to go from zero to 60 in under five seconds. Also, it has a big butt.

In a first-ever move for the company, Porsche introduces the four-door Panamera at this year’s Shanghai Motor Show

The legendary sports car maker is changing the whole idea of a four door sedan. People may do a double take when they see the first-ever four-seat sports car from Porsche called the “Panamera”, just introduced at the Shanghai Motor Show in China.

The 2010 Panamera is Porsche’s fourth model line and the company says customers will see an unprecedented vehicle concept, a gran turismo offering dynamic performance, elegance and luggage space - all delivered at zero to 60 miles and hour in under 5 seconds.

This is the first premium car with an automatically shifting double-clutch transmission to feature an engine start/stop system that saves fuel and reduces emissions by turning the off when it is not needed, such as sitting at a stop light, for example. The Panamera will be on sale in the United States this October.

Meet the Bertone Mantide — part Corvette ZR1, part Italian model and all sex appeal. With the Mantide, Jason Castriota’s come very close to outshining his last great design, the Pininfarina P4/5. Exclusive gallery below.There’s something we really hate and that’s covering bespoke supercars we’ll never own, built specifically for the über-rich. Really though, we secretly like it. Okay fine… we love it. Designed by Jason Castriota of Pininfarina P4/5 fame, the Bertone Mantide had its coming out party today at the Shanghai Auto Show to one very surprised writer — me. I honestly thought that I’d hate this thing, thinking to myself; “Ick, another Corvette-based supercar?” But it truly is a beautiful work of art, best appreciated in the flesh.Stile Bertone started with the best ‘Vette platform yet, the 638-horsepower supercharged LS9 2009 Corvette ZR1. By creating the Mantide’s body shell in carbon fiber, they were able to shave off 220 lbs from the already lightweight ZR1 allowing it to rocket to 62mph in 3.2 seconds and break police radar detectors and lasers with its 217mph top speed.

jaguar

The current XJ, on sale since 42 AD, is a bloated attempt to pack modern luxury into an outdated design. If this shot is anything to go by, the 2010 Jaguar XJ isn’t. Hallelujah.

Jaguar released this image to coincide with the Shanghai Auto Show, but the car itself will actually be unveiled on the Queen’s soil on July 9th. Available with the pictured panoramic glass roof, a long or short wheelbase, A Europe-only V6 diesel or Jag’s usual selection of 5.0-liter V8s; the supercharged 2010 Jaguar XJR will produce 510 HP. Sales should start at the end of 2009.

Like the current iteration of the XJ, this new one is expected to use an aluminum chassis and bodywork, but this time the design won’t be limited to a trad rehash of the 1968 original.

honda GAC

Honda and Chinese partner Guangzhou Auto currently make Accords for the Chinese market, but with the curiously-named VIP Lounge concept it looks as if the two are hoping to make a special-VIP-access-only model.We don’t have many details about this new concept, other than it’s clear there’s a sleeker sedan look than what’s currently offered with the Accord. The VIP Lounge, by its name, is probably a more luxurious and special edition and carries over the company’s darker-colored grille. If this goes on sale anytime soon we expect you’ll have to slip the bouncer $20 to get on the list to buy one.

challenger

How do you get a 5.7 Hemi to make 700 HP? With a whopping great big supercharger, that’s how. But don’t worry, the rest of the SMS 570X Challenger has been suitably beefed up, too.

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aston martin rapide

The Aston Martin Rapide four-door super-saloon has officially been uncovered in this first-look image. With flowing body work and a 6.0-liter V12 doling out 470HP and 442 lb-ft of torque, this is one sexy sedan.

The long brewing Rapide resembles the original show car in nearly every way, with modern Aston styling stretched out over a four door platform and a snazzy glass roof up top. Those rear doors open in a novel way, what Aston calls “swan doors,” and open like normal doors but swing up for dramatic effect. Judging from the press release, which says rear seats are “for children or two adults on shorter journeys,” we’re assuming leg room in the back is less than stellar, which makes us wonder what the point of the whole thing is. In any case, the car gets the monster 6.0-liter V12 with 470 HP and 442 lb-ft of torque turning a paddle shifted automatic transmission, which drives the rear wheels.

Additional specs are forthcoming, but for now you can make do with the high resolution image HERE and the available details below.

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opel insignia

GM’s European divisions finally have an answer to that pesky AWD hot-rod Audi S4. Say hello to the new turbo, AWD, 325-HP 2010 Opel Insignia OPC and brother-from-another-mother, 2010 Vauxhall Insignia VXR. That’s a Saturn?!

We’re absolutely pleased to see this newest performance sedan from GM’s European performance studios. Aiming, with no excuses, directly at the Audi S4, is a 2.8-liter V6 turbo ECOTEC engine. That engine’s a derivative of the top-of-the-line Insignia model, producing a fairly stout 325 HP and 295 lb-ft of torque thanks to such features as a micro-alloy forged steel crank, die-cast alloy oil sump, twin-scroll turbocharger and variable valve control. Enthusiasts will get to row through a six-speed manual gearbox helping the new performance Insignia reach 60 MPH in 5.8 seconds and with an electronically limited 155 MPH terminal velocity.

The Insignia OPC/VXR receives a performance-tuned chassis as well as a 10mm lower and stiffer suspension featuring new HiPerStruts, all-wheel-drive and a new electronic limited slip differential (eLSD). Helping to stop the new sport sedan is a set of color-matched Brembo calipers and vented/cross-drilled discs that sit behind a bespoke set of 19- or 20-inch lightweight, forged alloy wheels wrapped in sport rubbers…you know, to be safe.

buick regal

The recently announced 2010 Opel Insignia and Vauxhall VXR could spawn another variant we would love to own: the Buick Regal GNX.

With the Buick Regal proving to be a huge sales success here in China, and the Regal 2.0 Turbo planned for a reveal at the Shanghai Auto Show next week, the chances of a high-performance version being developed (or badge swapped) is entirely within the realm of possibility.

As strange as it may sound, Audi is Buick’s biggest competitor here in the People’s Republic of China and the A4 is the Regal’s main foe. Audi also sells the high-performance S4 model here, which is also the Opel Insignia OPC and Vauxhall Insignia VXR’s performance target. Why not slap a Buick waterfall grille and a GNX badge on this biatch and call it a day? We’ve seen stranger things happen.

audi Q7

The 2010 Audi Q7 has debuted it’s LED-bedazzled visage, but the main news is under the hood, the 3.0-liter V6 TDI gets clean diesel tech making it good for European sale through 2014.

Styling upgrades for the Q7 are limited to reshaping some of the moldings and the front bumper, a minor tweak to the grille and new LED’s sprinkled about. Inside, things get massaged with ambient color tweaks, a revised gauge cluster and swtichgear, but not much else.

The biggest changes are under-hood with the “clean diesel” 3.0 liter V6, which is equipped with a system called Adblue, a urea injection system, and an “energy recuperation technology” which engages the alternator to generate electricity while coasting and braking and stores it in the battery to reduce the demand on the engine. The system helps push fuel economy all the way up to 26.4 MPG. Not too bad for a full-sized SUV. It’s also clean enough to kill almost all nitrous oxide emissions and meet the Euro 6 emissions requirements through 2014.