new £1.2 million One-77 hypercar

It’s official! Aston Martin has announced that another milestone has been reached in creating its new £1.2 million One-77 hypercar. As part of the engineering sign-off process, the car’s engine has been certified as developing 750bhp and 750Nm, making it the most powerful naturally aspirated road car engine in the world today.

The 7.3-litre V12 unit is being built with input from legendary engine-builders Cosworth, which also provides engines for F1 teams Lotus, Virgin, Williams and HRT.

The car is now in the latter stages of the sign-off process, which has included hot and cold extreme weather testing, as well as many punishing laps of the Nürburgring Nordschleife undertaken from the firm’s technical base located just outside the circuit.

Aston boss Dr. Ulrich Bez said, “The One-77 is approaching a production reality and of course, there is considerable excitement in the project. Now the next steps are all about details and refinement to complete the composition. I know the final car will demonstrate what the Aston Martin team is capable of.”

Deliveries of the One-77 are expected to commence in early 2011. Aston claims that around half of the cars have been sold, with the remaining cars accounted for by reliable and strong expressions of interest.

Magnaflow Exhaust System Performance

Magnaflow Exhaust System Performance - Stainless steel
Part Number: M6616575
Manufacturer Number: 16575
Magnaflow Exhaust System Magnaflow Exhaust System
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MAGNAFLOW CAT-BACK EXHAUST SYSTEM, STAINLESS STEEL, NATURAL FINISH -- 50-state legal; Designed specifically to meet California Air Resources Board standards; Legal for sale or use in California; Designed and tested to meet legal sound level limits; Increases horsepower on an average range of 10 percent; 2.5 in. main piping diameter, 2.5 in. tail pipe diameter; Split rear exit; Two mufflers with single inlet and outlet configuration each; Includes 4 in. x 4 in. x 14 in. stainless steel mufflers, Y-pipe, clamps, pipes, and dual 4 in. polished T-304 stainless steel tips with round shape, angle cut, and rolled edge design; Made of 100 percent tough and durable stainless steel; Dyno tested and proven to provide performance gains in horsepower and torque; Delivers great sound with a smooth and deep tone; Built to last, all welded, and mandrel-bent; Easy weld-on installation.

Lexus LS steering fault

2010 Lexus LS steering fault – Click above to watch video after the jump

Toyota seems to have learned from its recent brushes with the law over how the company handles its recalls. While the automaker has been judged to be less than transparent in both the floor mat and unintended acceleration sagas, the company has responded to recent Lexus LS recalls with plenty of information for both owners and the public at large. Example, you ask? How about the video after the jump? Toyota has apparently released a quick flick showing exactly what happens when the design defect rears its ugly head on the range-topping sedan. Apparently, if a driver turns the steering wheel to full lock in one direction and then rapidly turns it back the opposite direction, the steering wheel won't center itself even though the vehicle is traveling straight.

Eventually, the variable gear-ratio system will allow the steering wheel to right itself, but it takes its sweet time. Only around 3,800 of the vehicles with this problem are actually roaming U.S. highways, and all of them are eligible for a free fix. Toyota has said that the problem is both mechanical and software related.

Gallery: Review: 2010 Lexus LS460 Sport

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Volvo S60

2011 Volvo S60 – Click above for high-res image gallery

The Volvo S60 has been priced: $37,700 plus $850 in destination charges is all you'll need. What happens when you put a comparably equipped S60 priced at $41,400 up against the BMW 335i xDrive, Mercedes-Benz C350, Lexus IS350 and Audi A4? The S60 undercut the BMW and Merc, while coming in above the the Lexus and Audi. Of course, none of those other cars include Volvo's Safe + Secure plan that offers five-year/60,000-mile warranty, maintenance wear-and-tear and roadside assistance coverage, so there's that.

The Volvo is also the most powerful of the bunch with a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine producing 300 horsepower and 325 foot-pounds of torque, albeit in front-wheel-drive, sport-tuned Dynamic chassis guise, with power getting down through a six-speed Geartronic transmission. But wait, there's more: The Volvo also has Pedestrian Detection and City Safety systems that the others don't offer. Follow the jump for a press release with all the details, and see if the Swede has what it takes to get your lux dollars.

2011 Volvo S60

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Lexus IS-F with Torsen LSD and new options coming to the coasts of the United Kingdom

After the introduction of last year in Frankfurt Motor Show, which subtly revised 2011 Lexus IS-F its way into dealers in the United Kingdom with an on-the-road price of £ 55,595 (approximately U.S. $ 82,900 or € 62,150) .

For 2010 the Lexus premium sports sedan, a new limited slip differential as standard and a new satellite navigation system, guided by a disk of 40 GB, also a library on-board sound "function, with 10 GB of archiving.

In addition, the tuner in the IS-F with the 14-speaker Mark Levinson 5.1 surround-sound system is upgraded to DAB broadcasts and a USB port is to get (in addition to the Aux-In) jack.

In addition, the 2011 IS-F will be ordered with a new white skin instead of the standard black finish and design of the new mesh 19-inch alloy wheels instead of the usual 10-spoke, with both functions Lexus says that the cost functions are not options.

Japanese tuning show

Our Tokyo Auto Salon man Phil Alex with the help of friends Mike and Aaron put their photo cameras to exceptional use today capturing the booth sirens on film for your enjoyment. And as you will soon find out, the Japanese tuning show is only interesting in terms of car presentations but also in terms of female presences... Feast your eyes out in our high-resolution mega gallery after the break.

Photos by Phil Alex , Mike and Aaron