Meet the first ever two-wheel-drive Lamborghini Gallardo. This is the LP550-2 Valentino Balboni, named after and dedicated to Lamborghini’s most famous test driver.

Balboni was hired by Ferruccio Lamborghini himself in 1967 and worked on cars that have adorned bedroom walls for the past four decades, from the Miura to the current Gallardo and Murciélago models. “A Lamborghini must always combine the precision of a race car with the reliability of a good friend,” says Balboni.

As for the car, the LP550-2 is a limited run edition of just 250 cars, and UK buyers can expect to pay £137,900 for one. Plus tax. As you might have guessed, it’s got a 550hp version of the 5.2-litre V10 driving the rear wheels. The LP550-2 VB weighs just 1,380kg, resulting in a 0-62mph time of 3.9 seconds and a top speed of 199mph.

The whole car has been recalibrated to suit two-wheel-drive, including new springs, dampers and tyres. The... Read More

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The Jaguar XKR Goodwood Special will be driven up the legendary Goodwood hill by no-less legendary Brummie Mike Cross, who is Jaguar’s Chief Engineer. The special XKR is currently just a one-off - fingers crossed not for long - and will take part in the Supercar Run alongside all manner of automotive niceness.

Talking about the XKR, Jag boss Mike O’Driscoll said: "The XKR 'Goodwood Special' has been developed as a one-off to explore the harder side of the XKR's character and allow our engineering team to explore some performance boundaries. The Festival of Speed gives us the opportunity to have fun in a high performance car without all the practical and legal requirements of driving on the road getting in the way!”

So there. Other stuff that’s interesting about the Jag, apart from its err… interesting Lime Green paint colour, is that it has an uprated version of the 5.0-litre supercharged engine as used by the XFR. It has a... Read More

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The Lamborghini LP550-2 might just be the hottest version of the Gallardo ever created. So now we’ve seen these spy pics as well as the leaked official images of the finished car, we’re itching for Lamborghini to spill all the juicy details about its first two-wheel-drive car in ages. And we don’t want to wait until Frankfurt for the official word ta very much.

If the £230,000 Lamborghini LP-670 SV is a little out of you price range, then how about this stunning Lamborghini LP550-2 instead?

So far, we don’t know much about the lightweight baby Lambo as the firm won’t officially admit to the LP550-2’s existence – although it has said the pics are genuine. However, if the Italian firm’s naming protocol is to be believed the LP550-2 will have a 550hp version of the awesome 5.2-litre direct injection V10 engine and two-wheel-drive.

You can also tell that the LP will be offered with a six-speed manual gearbox, some rather natty trim combinations and some silly go-faster stripes.

Performance-wise, expect the LP550-2 to be a little slower from 0-62mph than the 3.7 seconds it takes the four-wheel-drive Gallardo LP560-4. However, the 550-2 should have the upper hand in the corners as it will weigh considerably less than the standard car. If it gets the Superleggera badge,... Read More

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The new Citroën C3 will be shown off next to the production DS3 at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September before going on sale in the UK in early 2010.

The C3 will be a five-door only bodystyle, whereas the DS3 is a strict three-door. But although we haven’t seen the C3 in the flesh yet, we reckon its funky rear end looks even better than the DS3’s.

Cool design features include the C3’s curvy shoulder line, lots of chrome and the option of the whopping Zenith panoramic windscreen.

On the inside, the step up in quality is clear – the C3’s insides are pretty similar to those in the DS Inside concept car, which we’ve sat in. Nicer materials have been prioritised, and the level of kit includes USB, iPod and Bluetooth functionality, as well as offering Citroën’s ‘MyWay’ satnav.

The C3 is based on the same platform as the C3 Picasso and Peugeot 207, but it’s been revised to... Read More

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The Aston Martin Cygnet Concept represents the ultimate in posh urban transport. According to Aston, it “will offer customers a distinctive, intelligent and exclusive solution for urban travel in style and luxury.”

When we were at the Nürburgring 24 hour race a few weeks ago, we noted Aston boss Ulrich Bez and new Toyota CEO Akyo Toyoda sharing a friendly embrace after the race finished.

So it’s no surprise that the Cygnet is based on the Toyota iQ, including the standard engine range.  That means Aston automatically gets a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating and a drastic cut in its average CO2 emissions across the range.

Aston Martin design boss Marek Reichmann has gone to town with the full Aston Martin styling treatment. At the front, a full-size Aston Martin grille has been grafted on, and the front bumper re-profiled to suit. Aston projector lamps have replaced the iQ’s normal headlights, and there’s... Read More

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Bugsy Malone meets Buzz Lightyear in this Bugatti Stratos concept by French designer Bruno Delusso. With strong cues from the swooping Bugatti Type 57 Atlantic of the 1930s, the Stratos combines stretched curves with stark edges and carries the characteristic split rear window of its ancestor.

Delusso’s other work features Batman, the Rocketeer and emasculated humans with their brains hanging out. On this form we’re hoping he’ll spend more time on cars. Please.

Yesterday was E-Day as Tesla launched its electric car assault on Europe in London’s Knightsbridge, with branches to follow in Monaco, Munich and Zurich.

Located near Harrods and the boutiques of Sloane Street, the showroom supposedly takes design cues from Apple and Starbucks outlets.

Tesla’s lone current model is the Roadster, an electric-only sports car, which stealthily sweeps from 0-60mph in 3.7 seconds and has a curbed top speed of 125mph. The Lotus Elise-derived Roadster has a claimed range of 240 miles and recharges in 3.5 hours.

The California-based company delivered its 500th Tesla this month, and has orders for 1,300 units in Europe, although the right-hand drive version won’t be available in the UK until early 2010.

The £94,000 price tag might seem hefty, but that’s because it is. Tesla’s Model S saloon, due to start production in 2011, won’t be much slower, will have more range and... Read More

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BMW’s most efficient, cleanest 3 Series ever goes on sale in September priced at £23,330. For that fairly pricey sum, you get a 316d powered by a 2.0-litre diesel engine which returns 62.8mpg and emits 118g/km of CO2. BMW will even throw in air con, a steering wheel with lots of buttons on it and a pair of foglights. How generous…

But while it might not be the Ultimate Driving Machine, the 316d will still manage to get you from 0-62mph in 10.9 seconds and hit 125mph. And if it drives anywhere near as well as the smaller 116d, the 316d will still be top of the class in the dynamics stakes.

The Jaguar XJ will be officially launched at the Saatchi Gallery in London on July 9th. But in order to keep us on tenterhooks, Jag’s PR department has kept up the stream of teasers. This latest one is about the XJ’s lightweight aluminium bodyshell.

Check out the latest Jaguar XJ teaser video here.

As you’d expect, the Jag chaps rattle on about how the XJ will be the bomb to drive because it doesn’t weigh much. Jaguar also claims that the new XJ will feature class leading fuel consumption, best in class CO2 emissions levels and will be 85% recyclable.

But to be honest we’re not really any the wiser for watching the film. We’re still stuck knowing that the XJ will feature Jaguar’s latest GEN III engines, including the 240hp 3.0-litre V6 diesel and 510hp supercharged 5.0-litre V8... Read More

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Infiniti is bringing its excellent hybrid Essence concept car to the Goodwood Festival of Speed. So far, we’ve only seen the Essence looking very svelte on its stand at the Geneva motor show, but next weekend two Infiniti engineers will actually drive it up the famous Goodwood hill.

And that’s pretty significant if you’re interested in the arrival of Nissan’s posh brand to the UK. When Infiniti’s range of coupes and SUVs arrives, they’ll all be powered by pretty thirsty V6 and V8 petrol engines.

The Essence is no exception, as it’s powered by the firm’s 3.7-litre V6. But the engine in the Essence is also turbocharged and connected to Infiniti’s lithium ion hybrid system. When combined, the Essence has a whopping 600hp at its disposal – plenty enough for a few thrills on Goodwood’s hill.

We took to the hills around Munich in the 500hp Panamera Turbo to find out. View the latest issue of iMOTOR to see our exclusive video review of the Panamera, take an interactive tour of the car, and even start the engine!

The PlayStation-derived GTbyCitroen stopped off to see London’s sights en route to its show debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed next month.

Retracing some of the London routes featured on Gran Turismo 5, the five metre long monster set a leisurely pace around the capital, stopping off at Big Ben, Buckingham Palace and Trafalgar Square.

The half-mile saunter up The Mall offers scant preparation for the 1.16 mile thrash the GTbyCitroen will face as it competes against the likes of the Lexus LF-A in the Sunday Times Supercar Run at Goodwood.

The digital GTbyCitroen is powered by a fuel cell – more likely to creep halfway up Goodwood Hill in silence before running out of juice – but its live version packs a 560hp V8, which should make things a bit more interesting, even if it means they had to pay the congestion charge on yesterday’s London jaunt.

Not only has Citroen been successful in bringing the GTbyCitroen to... Read More

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The facelifted Mercedes AMG S63 and S65 have been unveiled and should be on our streets in about six months’ time, to coincide with the revised S-class.

The raucous 6.3-litre V8 and 6.0-litre V12 engines stay, but the cosmetic changes are more incremental than mental. Both cars get a slightly more beakish grille and the rear diffuser insert is now colour-coded rather than black, a change not expected to benefit black cars.

Chromed “6.3 AMG” or “V12 Biturbo” lettering has been added to the front wings, but the only other changes you’re likely to spot are the AMG-only LED lights at the front and rear.

Equipment changes are minimal but include the new TVB (Torque Vectoring Brake) system, which stabilises the rear inner wheel when a touch of brake is applied under cornering. The equipment list includes a reassuring array of other TLAs (Three Letter Acronyms) to improve driver confidence in ways we may never truly... Read More

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New spy pics reveal the Peugeot 308 RC Z taking shape before its launch at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. Deliveries should start in early 2010 with prices from below £20,000, undercutting the Audi TT.

The shape remains mostly true to the concept launched at Frankfurt two years ago, with the double bubble roof (lightly disguised in these photos), distinctive curved door line and multi spoke wheels. An addition to the original is a retractable rear spoiler, another similarity to the TT.

The interior should be similar to the 308CC but with the added luxury of extra leather and chrome finishes.

The RC Z uses PSA’s versatile Platform 2, which also underpins the 308, 5008 and Citroen’s C4 and Berlingo amongst others. Power will come from a choice of turbocharged 1.6 litre engines: the 220hp unit from the Mini Cooper Works and an entry level 152hp engine shared with the 207 150 GT. Diesel powertrains are also likely in the form... Read More

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The father of the original Ford Mustang is launching his own reinterpretation of the current pony. In Lee Iacocca’s own words “once in a while a car comes along that changes everything, and that was the original Mustang”. The Iacocca Silver 45th Anniversary Edition Ford Mustang doesn’t change everything. Just a few things.

Performance enhancements are all Ford Racing modifications, with a handling kit and optional brake package, and power is up to 320hp, with the chance to increase to 400hp using an optional supercharged version of the 4.6 litre V8.

The interior sports patterned black leather seats, leather wheel, and special edition dash plaque, but the most striking mods are to the exterior. At the front end the headlights have receded into the bodywork and the already keen front grille has been slanted further forward for a more aggressive look. According to Iacocca this gives the car “street attitude”. Ok then,... Read More

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The DS Inside previews the DS3 - a three-door-only plush version of the all-new five-door-only Citroen C3 which will be unveiled next month. According to a Citroen spokesman, the Inside is “between 90 and 95 percent production car” – the finished version of which arrives at Frankfurt in mid-September.

The DS3 is pitched at the Alfa MiTo and, because of its size, the MINI Clubman. But whereas these two offer a sporty drive, the DS3 is a comfort-biased machine. It’ll be similarly priced to the MiTo, and use a selection of powerplants including the 1.6-litre petrol engine as seen in the MINI, albeit detuned. The DS3 will offer more personalisation options than MINI offers too.

Looking further forward, Citroen is likely to show off the DS4 and DS5 at Paris 2010. The DS4 will be based on the PSA platform two, conventionally powered, and inspired by the Citroen C-Sportlounge concept car shown in 2005. The DS4 will fit in a niche that... Read More

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Meet the Honda Civic Type-R Mugen - the Renault Mégane R26.R’s fiercest rival yet. And while you might have heard of the Japanese Civic Type-R Mugen RR before, this one’s quite likely to come here.

If you’re not in the know, Mugen is Honda’s in-house tuner – just like M Division is to BMW. And this is what happens when Mugen gets its mits on the European Civic Type-R. Sadly, we don’t know much about the car yet as the press information is very scant and very Japanese.

Click here to see the official Mugen Honda Civic Type-R on video.

But what we can hypothesise is that if the Mugen Civic makes it over here later in the summer – as the website promises – is that it’ll be a lot like the Japanese market Civic Mugen RR that sold out in just 10 minutes when... Read More

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The identity of The Stig was revealed last night on Top Gear in the form of F1 legend Michael Schumacher. For the first time The Stig lived up to the moniker of “tame” racing driver as Schumi’s combination of infomercial skills and German wit left the audience thoroughly indifferent.

Top Gear Power Lap protocol was broken as the track-only Ferrari FXX was sent round in record time by Schumacher before he was revealed as the driver. Herr Stig then spent his interview with Jeremy Clarkson endorsing sponsors and avoiding controversy.

As brand ambassador for Fiat and Bacardi, Schumacher earned his pay with plugs for the Abarth 500, Fiat Croma, and the merits of enjoying a certain rum on a responsible basis. Clarkson tried to coax Schumi towards being entertaining by asking who the worst drivers he’d competed against were, but the former champion pretended not to understand, which compared to the rest of the interview was truly hilarious. Read More

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Rolls Royce has just launched a dedicated website for the 200EX/Ghost, which includes the all-important time thieving web configurator. In true Rolls Royce style, the site is piled full of juicy, rich media content, including videos of how the 200EX came to be, and a full interactive explore feature – which lets you look at the Ghost’s interior and exterior best bits.

The configurator is worth a look too. It lets you play with a few of the exterior colours and work out your favourite interior colour/trim combo. Sadly you can’t opt for a completely ridiculous 1970s rock n roll star setup - pink metallic exterior/giraffe skin interior isn’t available.

However, Rolls Royce assures us that the full compliment of bespoke upgrades will be available on the Ghost, providing your pockets are deep enough. Until the Ghost is unveiled in all its glory at the Frankfurt Motor Show, Read More

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