VeilSide 4509 GTR is a Toyota Supra IV with an Identity Crisis

Japanese tuners sure love breaking the mold and shocking people with their creations. Revealed at the Tokyo Auto Salon, the 4509 GTR is the product of VeilSide, a Japan-based tuning firm established in 1990 by Yokomaku Hironao. It is based on a fourth generation Toyota Supra Turbo from 1993 and has received a complete makeover with the exterior design borrowing styling elements from the Bentley Continental with a hint of an Audi R8 here and there.

The body parts are made out of carbon fiber and fiberglass, while the look is completed by the new black wheels sized 20-inches up front and 22-inches at the back. The alloys are wrapped in Bridgestone Potenza rubber, 255/30R20 at the front and 295/25R22 at the rear.

Inside, VeilSide's tune sees the addition of new sports seats upholstered in leather and diamond quilted alcantara, a sports steering wheel, modified instrument panel and more.

The 4509 GTR also benefits from a plethora of performance upgrades for the powertrain as well as the chassis. The Toyota Supra's twin-turbocharged inline six-cylinder engine gets an HKS turbo kit complete with an intercooler and a variety of other mods, which help boost output to an impressive 680-horses at 6,250 rpm and 745 Nm or 594.5 lb-ft of peak torque. A new racing clutch, custom sports exhaust system, braking system and sports suspension round off the package.

Source: VeilSide

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Leaked Magazine Shots Overshadow Fourth Pagani C9 Video Teaser

Only a few hours after Pagani released the fourth teaser of the upcoming supercar codenamed C9 – and dubbed Huayra by an increasing number of sources –, a set of allegedly official magazine scans surfaced online. The pictures are said to be sourced from the upcoming February edition of the Spanish-language Car Magazine, featuring several shots of Horacio Pagani's new supercar.

There’s no way of telling if the photos are indeed real and not some skillfully done photoshops, but we have to say that the car shown is not what we expected. Sure, the gullwings are nice additions, but the rest is just a mild makeover of the Zonda, which in this case is a turn off.

According to the magazine, the new model will cost €1 million (US$1.36 million), while the annual production will be limited to just 20 units. Once again, we can’t confirm this, but the price sounds about right.

As for the teaser, it presents a sketch being drawn with Horacio Pagani himself providing the voiceover. “We wanted to give shape to the wind”, Mr. Pagani said. “And Huayra is our wind”. Only time will tell if that sketch has anything to do with the Zonda replacement and if it’ll be called Huayra after all.

By Csaba Daradics

Sources: Autoblog.es via WFC

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Tunisians Destroy Ferrari California Allegedly Owned by a Family Member of the Exiled President [with Videos]

Earlier this week, a video showing ousted Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali's Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano dangling from the forks of an industrial truck made world headlines. But that wasn't the only car from Maranello to be targeted by the angry protesters. New videos and photos showing yet another Prancing Horse model being 'liberated' have now surfaced online.

This time it's a red-colored Ferrari California claimed to be owned by a member of the former Tunisian Preseident's family named Sofiane Ben Ali. In their mad rush, Tunisian rioters utterly destroyed the hardtop convertible relieving it from tires, badges and anything else that could get their hands on.

The looting seems to have taken place in the garage where the Ferrari was parked, meaning that no one took the Italian supercar for a spin, which is kind of sad (in a twisted way of course...). Scroll down for the video and photos.

Source: Czechferrari via Autoblog.nl

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Saab Recalling 2010-2011MY 9-3 Models Due to Faulty Fuel Pumps

Saab is recalling 4,400 passenger cars from the 2010-2011MY 9-3 series manufactured from June 2010 through October 2010 to fix fuel pumps that can seize and cause the engine to stall. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), some of these fuel pumps may have internal components with incorrect specifications.

The Swedish automaker said it will notify all owners of the affected cars and replace the fuel pumps free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin on or about February 18, 2011.

Owners may contact the automaker directly at 1-800-955-9007 or the NHTSA’s Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236.

By Csaba Daradics

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