Mazda Furai 2008

The Mazda Furai is a concept car revealed on 27 December, 2007 and manufactured by Mazda.A teaser image of the vehicle was released on 11 December, 2007.The Furai officially debuts at the 2008 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
The Furai (風籟 Fūrai), meaning Sound of the wind, is the fifth and last of the Mazda Nagare line of concept cars that have been made by Mazda since 2006. The chassis is based on the Courage Compétition C65 Le Mans Prototype that Mazda last used to compete in the American Le Mans Series, two seasons previously and is designed to use E100 ethanol fuel, it is powered by a new generation 3-rotor wankel engine that puts out 450 bhp. The engine is developed and built by renowned rotary tuner, Racing Beat, who also built the car's rotary-shaped muffler canister.

The car bears the #55 number that of its 1991 24 Hours of Le Mans winning ancestor, the 787B. Unlike many concept cars, the Furai is fully functional and is currently being tested at various tracks. It has run at Laguna Seca and Buttonwillow.

Head designer, Laurens van den Acker, has stated in an interview with Top Gear magazine that there are possibilities of the Furai being used for racing in Le Mans, and he also has strong hopes that the car could be brought to the market.

2010 Ford Mustang - Sneak Preview 2008

Sometimes, cash cows simply can't be milked any longer. Ford has produced (or, in the case of various Shelby vehicles, helped produce) a dozen different variations of its iconic Mustang since 2005 - some of which cranked out upward of 600 hp. And while special-edition Mustangs are a powerful novelty, the blue-oval brass decided that a newer, refreshed 'Stang should battle the upcoming Dodge Challenger and Chevrolet Camaro.

Enter the 2010 Mustang that will hit showrooms in spring 2009. America's original pony car won't get a complete revamp, but it will at least get a reshaped front and rear, a freshened grille, new headlights, and updated vertical taillights. Although the 2010 Mustang's styling is still hidden under heavy camouflage in spy photos, a close look shows exterior features inspired by the sleek, Italdesign-penned Mustang by Giugiaro concept (below) that debuted at the 2006 Los Angeles auto show. A full-glass roof like the one from that car may be offered.

Powerplant options - largely influenced by the recent rise in CAFE standards - likely will include a twin-turbo EcoBoost V-6 and a 5.0-liter V-8.

THE OLD GRAY MARE, SHE AIN'T WHAT SHE USED TO BE: The current-generation Mustang is getting old, and while we like the idea of a turbo V-6, we'd still rather that Ford spent the money to reduce NVH and polish the rest of its aging horse.

2010 BMW X5 M and 2010 BMW X6 M

The arrival of the controversial X5 M and X6 M might be confirmation that BMW has dumped every engineering principle that made its M cars so distinctive and consistently good for the last thirty years. Until now, all M cars have had a high-revving, normally aspirated engine, a manual or automated manual gearbox, rear-wheel-drive, and a sedan or sports car shell. You won't find a single one of these qualities in M's latest efforts.

The M versions of the X5 and X6 sport-utes go on sale in the fall, but BMW allowed us to drive prototypes at their winter test center in northern Sweden several months ago. Under their skins, the two trucks are the same: both use an M-massaged version of the twin-turbocharged V-8 and the trick rear differential from the X6 xDrive50i. The 4.4-liter V-8 engine has been boosted from 400 hp and 450 lb-ft of torque to 550 hp and about 500 lb-ft of torque.

Unlike other M cars, there's no delicate balancing of clutch and revs to hinder a clean getaway, and no fiddling with the launch control system, either. Engage 'D' in the regular six-speed automatic transmission, boot the throttle, and the mighty engine slings you forward with a loud, raspy roar - and complete disregard for the behemoths' 4800-pound mass. BMW promises their wundertrucks will be quicker and cheaper than the Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG and the Porsche Cayenne Turbo.

The xDrive all-wheel-drive system has been reprogrammed to send more torque to the rear axle and keep it there. It lets you indulge in long drifts that an M3 would be proud of. Low-grip surfaces emphasize the precision and delicacy of the steering and brakes.

One engineer slipped - doubtless deliberately - that in testing, the X6 M is as quick around the Nürburgring as an M3. You can be as upset as you like about the inherent absurdity of a 550-hp sport SUV, but it's hard to argue with how good these particular ones are to drive.

Price: $95,000 (est.)
Engine: 4.4-liter turbocharged V-8
Power: 550 hp
Torque: 500 lb-ft
Drive: 4-wheel