Call it project Sniper, project Nitemare, or just bat poop crazy, but Scott Vanderschoor’s twin-turbo, Viper V10 powered Mustang project has officially transitioned from garage-bound dream to functioning automobile status and we have the video to prove it.

The link was sent to us by Scott Clark (DieselGeek on the forums) who spends some of his spare time doing what he’s doing in this video, tuning and dialing in fuel injection setups on cars that range from fairly tame to, well, this.

Vanderschoor, it needs to be mentioned is a home builder, and he performed the work on every aspect of this amazing project. He’s been providing photo updates throughout the build on the BangShift.com forums.

This is a quickie video that shows the car’s first fire up and Clark establishing a baseline to have the car idle and behave itself well enough to get it onto the dyno rollers and really put the wood to that big V10. Video in the jump!

The Competition/Plus project was started in an effort to provide a more affordable package, as well as appeal to customers who might not necessarily want the classic gold paint schemes. Named after the legendary shifter that helped make Hurst famous, the package includes only the essentials: an Eibach suspension system, Magnaflow exhaust system, Hurst 20-inch alloy wheels, color-matched leather inserts and stitching for the interior, matte black exterior accents, and, of course, a Competition/Plus short throw shifter with the classic white ball. We're told the package is available on any color of Challenger, whether it's the B5 Blue pictured here, Hemi Orange, TorRed or any other.

Pricing has yet to be announced, but full details on the car should be released soon. More images at the source!

Source: AutoBlog

The standard Porsche 911 Turbo's 480HP 3.6-liter bi-turbocharged flat six is by no means a slouch, but where there's power, there's always space for even more power. Or at least that's what Porsche tuning specialist Sportec believes. The Swiss based tuner revealed a new version of its 911 Turbo based SPR1 that lifts the 3.6-liter flat six's output to a staggering 858 horsepower at 8,200 rpm and 642 lb-ft of peak torque at 4,800 rpm. Power is transferred to all four wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox.

Weighing in at 1,345kg or 2,965 lbs, the power-to-weight ratio is 637 horsepower per ton. According to Sportec, the SPR1 takes a mere 3.0 seconds to hit 62mph (100km/h,) with 186mph (300km/h) coming in just 18.9 seconds. The Swiss firm said that the supercar has recorded a top speed in excess of 236mph or 380km/h at Nardo, Italy.

Other highlights of the SPR1 include titanium connecting rods, a flat carbon fiber under floor, active suspension and F1 style ceramic brake discs plus composite (carbon / Kevlar) body panels, 20-inch forged alloy wheels, an integrated safety cage and a leather / alcantara interior.

Source: CarScoop

BMW has released a staggering amount of images of the 2011 BMW X1 showing the brand's new soft-roader in every conceivable environment before it's officially revealed at this year's Frankfurt Motor Show.

Along with the pics, BMW put out a brief statement confirming the X1's arrival in the U.S. sometime in 2011 and its plans to offer both rear-wheel and all-wheel drive (xDrive) versions, along with "a wide variety of gasoline and diesel powertrain choices." BMW won't officially confirm what mils will make the trip across the Atlantic, but the automaker says the X1 will use its EfficientDynamics system and that one gasoline engine and three diesels will be available when the X1 launches in Europe this fall. Check out all 183 high-res images in the gallery below and expect official U.S. market information to be released closer to the X1's launch in the States.

Full press release and more than 100 photos at the source.

Source: AutoBlog

Volkswagen is usually known for its simple, basic, iconic styling; the classic Beetle and the previous-generation Jetta are perfect case studies. Which is why the svelte and streamlined CC – known overseas as the Passat CC – has come as a refreshing change of pace for the German automaker. We're not the only ones who think so, either, as the four-door coupe from Wolfsburg has been accumulating design awards the world over.

Adding to the list that already includes the coveted iF Product Design Award and the Australian International Design Award, the Volkswagen CC has now been awarded the prestigious Red Dot Design Award. The prize has bestowed annually since 1955 by the Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen, the legendary design museum housed in the reclaimed Zollverein coal mine.

While work is progressing at a feverish pace for the upcoming launch of the 2010 Steeda Q Series Mustang, Steeda has been flooded with requests from those that just cannot wait for them to make a Steeda version of the 2010 Mustang avaiable. Your wait has ended, meet the 2010 Steed Sport Edition Mustang.

Using a donor 2010 Mustang GT as a the foundation to build upon, the Steeda Sport Edition provides for an immediate injection of power and increased handling ability that only the Team at Steeda Autosports can provide. Available immediately at an MSRP of just $8995 (not including the cost of the Mustang GT), the Steeda Sport Edition propels the overall vehicle’s performance to an entirely new level.

Specs:
-Steeda hood paint treatment
-Steeda sidewinder stripes
-Steeda underdrive performance pulleys
-Steeda performance air cleaner
-Steeda Sport Springs
-Steeda Billet Lower Control Arms
-Steeda Spyder Wheels-Chrome (20x9.9 front and 20x11 rear)
-Nitto NT05 High Performance Tires
-Steeda Sport Shifter

Source: Muscular Mustangs

The latest camaro production and delivery #'s were released today.
Here are the stats:

Production Stats:
Camaros produced in June 09: 9,456
Total Camaros produced to date (since March 16, 2009): 24,171

Delivery Stats:
Camaro June Deliveries 9,320
Total April - June Deliveries 15,397

Camaro sales: 9,320 units sold
Mustang sales: 7,632 units sold

The Camaro is beating the Mustang - for now. Thanks for the tip, Shawn!

Source: Camaro5

GM has announced its “72-hour Sale” incentive, which will run from July 1 to July 6. The automaker is offering 0 percent financing for up to 72 months to well-qualified buyers on select 2009 and 2010 GM vehicles.

GM said that the vehicles included in the incentive are: Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra regular, extended and crew cab light-duty pickups; Chevrolet Suburban and GMC Yukon XL SUVs; Chevrolet Impala; and the Pontiac models: Vibe, G3, G5, G6 and G8.

GM said that other vehicles that are not a part of the 72-Hour Sale will also have “reduced rate financing of 0 percent for up to 60 months for well-qualified buyers.”

Source: eGMCarTech

Tony George has resigned from his position as head of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the IndyCar Series following a meeting of the board of directors of the Hulman-George company that owns the legendary racetrack and the championship.

His role as president and CEO of Hulman & George Company will be taken by W Curtis Brighton, currently the group's executive vice president and chief legal counsel, while executive vice president and chief financial officer Jeffrey G Belskus will become president and CEO of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation.

George will remain on the board of directors, and will continue to run his Vision Racing team in the IndyCar Series.

Earlier this month Indianapolis released a statement refuting American media reports that George had been ousted, but acknowledging that he had been asked to devise a plan for the management of the family companies "that would allow him to focus on the business which requires the greatest attention".

Chairman of the board Mari Hulman George said the Indy Racing League founder had ultimately decided to stand down from his position instead.

"Our board had asked Tony to structure our executive staff to create efficiencies in our business structure and to concentrate his leadership efforts in the Indy Racing League," she said.

Source: AutoSport

Driven to desperation, a growing number of financially strapped car owners are torching, sinking or ditching their vehicles and then reporting them stolen to cash in on the insurance. SUVs have been found ablaze in the Nevada desert, cars have been dumped in a Miami canal and a BMW was discovered buried in a field in Texas. Some vehicles have been parked in the path of a hurricane.

Known as owner give-ups, the scams have increased even as auto thefts dropped nationally -- a sign that the deepening recession is pushing the trend. Authorities say most of the false claims are filed by first-time offenders looking for a quick financial fix with little regard for the consequences.

Source: Detroit News

The team responsible for the SS and Firehawk of the 4th gen Camaro and Firebird have finally released their iteration on the new 5th gn Camaro. Check out the PDF and let us know what you think!

Source: SLP Camaro

The Pontiac brand may be on its way out the door, but that doesn't mean it can't have one last fling with a renowned tuner. Hurst Performance Vehicles, the legendary shifter company that most recently has made waves with its Hemi Challenger, announced its new H.O. program for the Pontiac G6 and G8. Few details have been released regarding the performance upgrades of the cars, but each will feature Hurst's signature black/gold or white/gold paint scheme, forged alloy Hurst wheels, an exclusive Hurst shifter, supercharged engine, suspension upgrades, and a newly trimmed interior.

To help with the development of the car, Hurst also brought on performance icon "Doc" Watson, who developed such vehicles as the Hurst Hemi-Under-Glass and the 1972 Pontiac SSJ. Only 52 Hurst H.O. Pontiacs will be built along with ten G6 convertibles used as parade and special event vehicles. More details regarding the performance upgrades will be announced on August 1st.


Source:AutoBlog

Following the announcement on the termination of the Pontiac Vibe that was the last remaining project of the New United Motor Manufacturing Incorporated (NUMMI) joint venture with Toyota, the so-called 'New GM' said today that it plans to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection without its 25-year old California tie-up with the Japanese automaker.

"Given that, GM believes it is in the best interest of the 'New GM' and its stakeholders that we place our ownership interest in NUMMI in 'Old GM'," the company said in a prepared statement.

General Motors added that the two sides could not reach an agreement on a future product plan that "made sense for all parties" and that there are no future GM vehicles planned for the joint venture at this time.

Source: CarScoop

Episode 2 of Top Gear's 13th season aired last night in the UK, and the main event was a one-mile drag race between the McLaren F1 and the Bugatti Veyron. Notice that we didn't say a McLaren F1 and a Bugatti Veyron. These two supercars are so super (and rare) that any single example tends to represent the whole run of each, and since your chances of encountering two of either kind in the same place are practically nill, they might as well be the only ones in existence.

The Top Gear crew chose Abu Dhabi as the location for its supercar shootout. With an arid climate that sees practically no rain or freezing-and-thawing cycles, the roads in Abu Dhabi are long, straight and, most importantly, free of pot holes. Richard Hammond chooses to pilot the Bug and The Stig takes the centrally located wheel of the F1. We won't spoil the results except to say that this is the most real and nail-biting competition that we've seen on Top Gear in a long time. Video in the jump!