Skoda isn’t exactly one of the marquees that you immediately associate to “cool” cars but that doesn’t stop the Czech automaker to attempt to make some.

Check out these hardcore versions of the Fabia and the Octavia which get “cool” sounding RS+ designations. Skoda previously developed souped up version with the vRS badge but the + means these cars pack just a bit more.

The Fabia RS+ is based on the Fabia S2000 that competes in the IRC rally championship. The car gets black tinted headlights, a blacked-out girlle with black spoilers front and back. New air vents also accentuate the hood.

Inside, the Fabia RS+ gets sports seats and a color scheme to match the two-tone grey and lime green exterior. Not too hot on that color combination though.

THe Octavia RS+ boasts the same package as the Fabia.

Ferrari’s not alien to the use of carbon fiber. They’ve used it to most of their higher tier cars like the F50 and the Enzo. However, the company’s not keen on using the material fleet-wide.

This comes as an announcement from Ferrari boss Amedeo Felisa. While rivals McLaren, Mercedes, Lambo, and BMW preparing to use the material extensively, Ferrari’s taking the conservative route.

“We will only use carbonfibre on very special cars which have a very low rate of production and which are not for everyday use, such as the new Enzo,” Felisa said.

According to Felisa, the long-term use of carbon fiber on vehicles has yet to be known. Felisa wants Ferrari to maintain its fleet’s repair-ability by sticking to more conventional materials.

“The fact is that nobody today has a real understanding of what happens if you damage a carbonfibre structure,” says Felisa.

Ferrari’s quite busy in developing new cars for the next five years. One of the more eagerly anticipated cars will be the next Ferrari Enzo.

Company boss Amedeo Felisa hinted on a few details in an interview with Autocar. Felisa said that the new Enzo will most likely pack a twin-turbo V8 when it comes out in 2012. Ferrari has been experimenting on turbo-charging, making it their crusade to solve turbo lag.

“There are no plans for a six-cylinder engine today,” Felisa said. “Ferrari will not build a six-cylinder engine until customer attitudes towards smaller engines change.”

Ferrari’s also “forced” to experiment with hybrid technology with increasing legislation for better economy. Felisa claims that their work on hybrids is largely to protect their use of the V12. Hybrids are sought to augment the efficiency of their V8s and V10s.

TechArt’s not letting up with Porsche tuning packages. They made quite the stunner with the Panamera, now here’s their take on the new 911 Turbo.

TechArt offers two tuning packages for the 911 Turbo.

The first tuning package ups the power to 562 hp thanks to a revised ECu and air filter. That allows the car to zip from 62 mph from standstill in just 3.2 seconds and blow past 200 mph.

The second tuning package increases the total hp to as much as 612 hp thanks to new manifolds, exhaust, and a new ECU. 0-62 mph time is trimmed down to 2.9 seconds and can go all the way up to 207 mph.

No more teaser images this time. Fiat’s finally unveiled the new small car that’s going to be slotted in between the Panda and the Grand Punto.

The Uno will be powered by a choice between two engines. A 1.0L engine that dishes out 73 bhp runs on alcohol and a larger 1.4L engine churns out 88 bhp when running on alcohol and 85 bhp when running on gasoline. Power is delivered to the front wheels through a five-speed manual.

The car’s only 3.77m long and 1.64m wide. The car gets stylings from the Panda but has sleeker lines. The front grille and bumper are also redesigned to make the Uno look unique on its own.

The pictures are of the pseudo-SUV Uno known as the “Way.” The new Uno will be produced at the firm’s plant in Brazil.

Source: Autocar

I hate teasers but I guess we just all have to live with such things. American car firm Panoz Auto Development has just unveiled their new sports car that will be showcased at the next Le Mans 24 Hours.

The car is powered by a 4.6L Ford V8 tuned to dish out 300 bhp. The engine’s mounted at the front and is built upon an aluminum chassis from Panoz’ own Esperante.

Even with a V8, the car’s sort of green. The body’s made from recycled materials and the special cooling system is expected to make the car run more efficient.

As for the styling, the car is said to be inspired by “a classic era” when racers can compete in Le Mans with the car they drive getting to and going from there.

“We are truly excited about the Panoz Abruzzi – not only about the design and performance of the car, but by the whole concept it represents,” said company boss Don Panoz.

One off deals are great for show. Just check out this 286-bhp version of the new Suzuki Kizashi saloon.

Dubbed as the Suzuki Concept Kizashi Turbo, the car was developed by Suzuki tuning specialists Road Race Motorsports (RRM). They basically took a pre-production Kizashi GTA that dishes out a “standard” 185 bhp from a 2.4L four-banger.

RRM then slapped on a new turbocharger and an intercooler to boost the power all the way up to 286 bhp. Aero mods include a rear spoiler, 19-inch alloys with Dunlop tires. The suspensions are also stiffened to cope with the added power.

The standard Kizashi is only available in the US, Japanese and certain select European markets. They’re steering clear of the UK though.

Looks like EVs will be the treat for us all this year. The Nissan Leaf is set to make a splash in the US market and Nissan feels like it’s going to be their next cash cow.

Nissan has been focusing on performance cars for the past few years (the GT-R, the 350Z and the 370Z) so it’s nice to see that they’re keen on making this EV a mass-market thing.

The Leaf EV is powered by a 107 hp electroc motor that gets its juice from lithion-ion batteries. The car has an effective range of 100 miles and a top speed of 87 mph.

The pace of orders peg Nissan to get orders for 25,000 units. That volume is considered decent enough to make the Japanese automaker some decent dough.

Why can’t people realize that CUVs are simply sporty-looking people movers? They won’t go off-road and they’re too stiff for city driving.

The overcrowded CUV market, however, shows that people haven’t really gotten wise at this. The appeal, I think is the idea of having a smaller and more economical vehicle that packs the same “safety” as an SUV.

For BMW, that market segment is quite profitable, moving 80,000 X6s since its launch. Now, the company is taking a look at offering an even smaller vehicle to be slot in below the X6.

Currently rumored to be the X4, the car is expected to share the same platform as the upcoming X3 but will share the same styling as the X4.

Dr. Ulrich Bez is quite proud with what his boys have done with the Aston Martin One-77 supercar.

Now, despite the German influence to the car, Aston Martin as a marquee is still as British as Bovril. So there’s no fitting place to showcase the One-77 on the prowl in city streets other than London.

Here’s the One-77 making its first public outing in the UK as part of the supercar run from London to Silverstone. The event’s to promote the FIA GT1 World Championship.

If you’ve forgotten what monster Aston Martin the One-77 is, then let us go through some key details. The car’s powered by a massive 7.0L V12 that dishes out 700 bhp. Initial tests were able to push the car past 220 mph.

Only 77 cars will be made and are priced above the Veyron at £1.2 million.