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Bentley Azure T arrives in style

The Bentley Azure T sits on its raised, hardwood decking like it's about to dance with the stars. At 18 feet and 5,700 pounds, it probably won't be pulling any Thriller moves, but we bet it could do a mean tango. The lowered stance and larger wheels make the car gentlemanly mean, and the 6 3/4-liter engine is good for 500 hp and 738 lb-ft. and a 176 mph top-down speed for your hair's pleasure. We could tell you how much it costs, but there are far more interesting things to talk about. Frankly, all you need to know is, as AB'er Alex Nunez wrote: It comes with everything. Bring money.

Hondas FC Sport fuel cell sports car concept

The real surprise at the LA Auto Show came from Honda in the form of its FC Sport fuel cell design study. The designers at Honda's advanced design studio in Pasadena decided to take advantage of the packaging flexibility afforded by a fuel cell powertrain and mounted it mid-ship driving the rear wheels. Using the vertical flow fuel stack mounted behind the driver and an electric motor between the rear wheels, the FC Sport is a three-seater in the style of the McLaren F1 where the driver sits in the middle of the car with the two passenger seats on either side and further back. The FC Sport is strictly a styling study right now, but we wouldn't be surprised to see a fully functional version at some point.

Spyker C8 Laviolette LM85

The Spyker C8 Laviolette LM85, which we'll call "Tiger," is officially out and about. Spyker has released more images of the Audi-engined, 400-hp, 6-speed manual Le Mans-inspired road car, and to our eyes it could be the best looking Spyker we've seen. The blacked-out mirrors do it a lot of favors and don't remind us any more of carry handles, and it has even retained 19-inch wheels secured with one lug nut and will apparently get you a combined 15 mpg on the EPA cycle. Not bad for a leathered up race car.

Nissan debuts all-new 370Z

Nissan dropped the final cover off its all-new 2009 370Z at the LA Auto Show. While we've been looking at pics of the two-place coupe since last month, today Nissan gave us pricing base MSRP of $29,930 and a slew of technical info at the roll-out. Regardless of how you feel about the new styling, it will be hard to dismiss the significant improvements Nissan made to the interior of the new car. The materials, fit, and finish are all excellent especially if you compare the new car to the old side-by-side. Addressing poundage another significant complaint about the previous-gen 350Z, Nissan put the new car on a serious diet. Paying close attention to the little things, engineers dropped several hundred pounds off the curb weight compared to the outgoing 350Z. The svelte standard model with a 6-speed manual now tips the scales at just 3,232 pounds (the 2008 350Z Enthusiast Model was about 3,350 pounds). More power, a stronger chassis and a much improved interior. Enthusiasts will find a lot to like with the new model.

Competition Ferrari FXX to be street legal

It seems that edo competition is determined that no supercar be left untouched. They've developed upgrades for the Porsche Carrera GT, Maserati MC12 Corsa, Ferrari Enzo, and now they've got their hands on a Ferrari FXX racecar. They claim to have made the car road legal by installing a new windshield, hand brake and all necessary lighting. A new suspension system with adjustable compression and damping and a modified exhaust system have also been fitted. We thought more would have been required to make the switch from race car to road car, but judging from the photos they obviously have no qualms about driving this car on the street.

Tough times delay the Camaro Convertible

According to Motor Trend, the economic slowdown has forced GM to delay the introduction of its Camaro Convertible. Earlier this year it was reported that the Camaro Convertible would be delayed by six months, but it looks as though that delay has been extended to at least 12 months, if not longer. The Camaro Convertible was originally slated to hit the market about a year after its coupe counterpart, but plans have been put on hold.

2009 Volvo S80 T6 AWD

The 2009 S80 V8 Sedan is not for the budget-minded buyer with a retail price of $51,850.00 but you usually have to pay more for pure excellence.

2009 Honda Accord EX

A major reason for the Honda Accord's success has been its fit with the needs and desires of family car buyers. When it first appeared in 1976, the Honda Accord was a larger version of the Civic hatchback, but "large" was only in comparison to the then-subcompact Civic. The Accord was still small and economical, and so perfect for that time of escalating fuel prices. And byproducts of its small size included good, almost sporty handling and a fun-to-drive demeanor.

Kasey Kahne Racing driver Brad Sweet clocked in at the Turkey Night Grand Prix

Team Mopar driver Dakoda Armstrong continued his 2008 pattern of turning heads in major Midget races by posting an eighth-place finish in the 68th annual Turkey Night Grand Prix at Southern California's Irwindale Speedway. The event, sanctioned by the United States Auto Club as part of the Mopar Midget National Championship, drew a staggering 64 entries, making Armstrong's achievement even more commendable.

In other motorsports news...

Officially official: Force India ditches Ferrari for McLaren

Ferrari's 056 V8 was good enough to propel the Scuderia to the constructors' title this past season, and good enough to bring erstwhile back-markers Toro Rosso to a solid 6th place by season's end. But it wasn't enough to take Force India F1 the latest incarnation of Jordan Grand Prix � out from the back of the field all season. Notwithstanding the unfortunate incident that saw Ferrari's own Kimi Raikkonen take Force India's Adrian Sutil out from 4th place at the Monaco Grand Prix with only ten minutes to go, Force India didn't manage a top 10 finish all season, earning a grand total of 0 championship points. So rather than stick with Ferrari, Vijay Mallya the team's owner, chairman, director and main sponsor has canceled the remaining year left in his contract with Ferrari and defected to McLaren-Mercedes instead.

KTM X-Bow confirmed for Race of Champions

One look at the KTM X-Bow should tell you it's about as close to a race car for the road as you're ever likely to see. Add to that the European GT4 Sports Light championship and it pretty much seals the deal. But if that still isn't enough, here comes the news that the 2008 Race of Champions has chosen the super-light Austrian track car to compete in this year's event. For the uninitiated, the Race of Champions takes place every year, fielding a roster including some of the best racers from various motor sport disciplines on two wheels and four against each other on identical machinery. Each year the list of vehicles is changed, and has in the past included Ferrari, Aston Martins, Porsches, Renaults, Abarths, various rally cars and a specially-made sprint car. Last month, RoC officials took a look at the X-Bow, alongside a 4WD racer powered by a pair of Suzuki Hyabusa motorcycle engines, but the final decision just came down. You'll be able to watch the X-Bow, along with the rest of the motor-pool, being man-handled by some of the world's greatest, including F1's Sebastian Vettel, WRC's Sebastien Loeb, DTM's Mattias Ekstrom and WTCC's Andy Priaulx along with recently retired legends Michael Schumacher and David Coulthard at Wembley in London on December 14.

Lotus Sport reveals 270hp 2Eleven GT4 Supersport racer

In 2007, Lotus released the 2-Eleven track car for customers who wanted an affordable club racer for their weekend fun time. Now the gang at Lotus Sport, the motorsports and tuning arm of the English sports car maker, has created an even more ferocious 2-Eleven, dubbed the GT4 Supersport. As the name implies, this one is designed to conform to the SRO GT4 Supersport technical rules. The modified body work is accompanied by more power, a sequential gearbox and full roll cage. The GT4 gets an extra 15 horsepower taking it to 270 with 181 lb-ft of torque. Power is put down to the ground through a new 6-speed sequential gearbox with a fore-aft shift lever. Lotus has also tied the gear position and shift indicator into the engine management system to manage torque output during shifts. Racers can upshift without lifting their foot while the engine automatically blips the throttle for downshifts. Lotus is only planning to build 10 cars initially for delivery in March 2009. This professional race car will run �78,255, although Lotus says some of the changes can be applied to existing cars for those looking to improve performance.

VW to unveil diesel-powered Touareg TDI Trophy Truck

If Formula 1 is the pinnacle of on-road motorsports, competitive off-roading hits its apogee with the Baja Trophy Truck series. With vehicles sporting over 20 inches of suspension travel both front and rear, along with massive power provided by V8 engines, these trucks travel over the worst terrain imaginable at ludicrous speeds. Sounds like fun, right? Volkswagen thinks so, and while it's older Beetle-based buggies often make it through the race unscathed, albeit much slower than their big brothers, the automaker has decided to enter the top rung of the SCORE series and will debut its latest Touareg TDI to tackle the course at the upcoming LA Auto Show. Boasting a turbocharged diesel 5.5L V12 engine that puts out 550 horsepower and a stump-pulling 625 lb-ft of torque, the 5,650-pound race-prepped Touareg should have the guts to keep up with the rest of the field. This will be the first turbo-diesel ever to compete at the Baja 1000 in the Trophy Truck class. Custom double A-arms up front and a four-link rear suspension provide 25 and 30 inches of wheel travel, respectively, and 37-inch BFG's will do their best to provide traction. VeeDub is set to officially unveil the truck on November 19th, just ahead of the 41st running of the big race.

Pirelli debuts spec racing slick at Grand-Am testing in Daytona

While the motorsports season is coming to a close, manufacturers and teams are already preparing for the 2009 season. Pirelli is getting a jump start by debuting their new P Zero racing slick this week at Daytona International Speedway for the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona test session. Both prototype and GT cars will run the upgraded rubber next season, and reports are coming back that the new tire has both a higher level of performance and increased longevity. The Rolex 24 Hours will kick off the 2009 Grand-Am series from January 24-25.

Great Moments in Motorsports

With less than a mile left in a stage of the Ralley de Serrians in France, the throttle cable in our hero's Renault finally gives up the ghost. Does he give up? No! Does the team try to push their way to the finish? Hell no! The driver tells his co-pilot to man the wheel while he hops into the engine bay, pulls the hood over himself and then manually controls the throttle cable bracket to a heroic finish. The picture above speaks for itself

SVT Raptor R race truck ready for Baja 1000

Ford is eager to prove that its new SVT Raptor is the real deal when it comes to off road capabilities, so it's developed a racing version along with the production truck that's set to compete in the grueling Baja 1000 taking place in just a few weeks. The Raptor R will use numerous stock components including the complete frame, transmission, brakes and axles. The suspension, however, has been upgraded for more travel and better approach and departure angles. The stock interior has also been replaced with race seats, a full roll cage, and the necessary equipment to properly monitor and navigate the vehicle. The 6.2L V8 powering the Raptor R is not available in the production truck... yet, and features an aggressive camshaft, modified computer mapping and exhaust headers. As an added bonus, the race program will serve as a test bed for future off-road performance parts in the Ford Racing catalog.

Pontiac Solstice GXP

GM released a early look at its Solstice GXP Coupe Concept. Already available from the GM Performance Parts catalog is the Stage 2 performance kit and cat-back exhaust that bumps output to 290 hp.