US residents need not apply, the 2009 Nissan 370Z Nurburgring Special Edition will only be available in Europe.  Special consideration is being given to this 370Z because of the cars contribution to the 24 hour race last month.  Although there are no major engine overhauls on this special edition, there are a few tweeks that make it a worthwhile purchase.

Most notable difference between the Nurburgring Special Edition 370Z and regular 370Z is the exhaust.  This special edition will get a higher performance exhaust system to accompany the unchanged 3.7 liter V6.  Also, there will be an upgraded set of rims and tires, with 19" OZ racing rims.

The special edition 370Z will only be available in the color Yellow.  So, close your eyes and imagine the car picture below in bright racing Yellow with some fancy schmancy rims.  Basically, that's all it takes to pump out a special edition nowadays.  This comes with a price tag of over $71,000 and a limit of only 80 will be made.  Time to go stand in line.

370z Nurburgring Race Car

Spy Photo

A picture has surfaced on the internet of a Japanese magazine with a concept picture of the 2011 Honda Civic.  Although at this point it may just be a rumor, you can be the judge.  For starters, I'm not sure sporty is the first word I think of when I see this tall squished Civic.  The tuner boys and girls may feel differently.

2011 Honda Civic Spy Pic

2011 Honda Civic

At any rate, looks like Honda has plans to completely redesign the Civic.  Whether or not the all new model will be a 2010 or 2011 Civic has yet to be officially announced.  Please feel free to discuss your predictions in the automotive forum.

Honda Products From The-Grayline.com

Honda Civic Chrome Key Ring

Honda Hoody's Starting at $40.99

Ahhh, summer is here and those that can golf are on the course and those that can't are on the course, only drinking a little more.  Lexus has recognized the changing of the seasons as well, with the release of their 2009 Lexus SC430 Pebble Beach Edition convertible.  It's a sport hardtop, so cloth convertibles need not apply.

This is the 6th generation Pebble Beach edition Lexus, which will be limited to just 300 in production.  A few things that make this Lexus SC430 special will be color combination's, Black-Bird's Eye Maple Trim, and special brushed chrome badging.  Furthermore, this special edition SC430 comes with a nice new pair of shoes, 18x8 Machined Tourmaline alloy rims.

Another reason why this Lexus is so special is because members of the Pebble Beach Resort get to spend some quality time with the SC430.  All members are able to test drive and even use it for regular transportation amongst the resorts destinations.

The 2009 Lexus SC430 Pebble Beach Edition will set you back about $66,000.  But really, if you are even considering purchasing one of these vehicles, chances are you aren't concerned with the price anyway.  Typical families need not apply, this is for the social elite.

When car buyer moves past the status of "owner" to "enthusiast", the can of worms opens up to a whole new world of customization, tuning, and modifying.  One of the first and easiest modifications a car nut can complete is to find a nice, finely tuned and crafted exhaust system?  Why replace the exhaust first?  Oh, there's lots of reasons: sound, appearance, performance...  If you've ever heard or felt a V8 rumble or a Diesel bellow, you know exactly what I mean!

There are hundreds of design types out there on the market to choose from.  Some people like nothing...literally...pipes cut off and the sounds of crop-dusters meet you on the roadway.  Others go for a chambered style, hoping to recapitulate the sound of their once-had muscle car from the 1960s.  The last primary design is a straight-through setup, where the exhaust gases are allowed to resonate inside the system with minimal flow restriction and completely refined sound.  One slick maker I've relied on for years is Magnaflow Exhaust.  These folks have consistently focused on making sure customers get the most value and quality for their dollar, bar none.

Fuel Efficient Sports Cars

Chevrolet is showing the world that big power can also translate into big fuel efficiency.  The 2010 Camaro comes in several different trim packages, each sporting it's own miles per gallon ratings and some of these numbers will really surprise you.  Let's start with the smallest of the engines, the 3.9 V6 which is available in the base model 2010 Camaro.

3.9 V6 2010 Camaro LS

According to Chevy the 2010 base model V6 Camaro is capable of a whopping 29 miles per gallon.  Impressive on it's own, but this motor is also producing over 300 horsepower.  This technological advancement is a far cry from the 67 Camaro outfitted with the inline 6 cylinder.

6.2 V8 2010 Camaro SS

The beefiest version of the 2010 Camaro sports a huge 6.2 liter V8, which produces over 420 horsepower.  It's a bulging muscle machine, that's also capable of producing some respectable miles per gallon.  Consider that the SS Camaro gets 24 mpg highway, an efficiency never conceived in this size engine package before.

What the fuel economy in the 2010 Camaro means?

The numbers don't lie and if the 2010 Camaro proves to be dependable, then we will have a true leap in efficiency for usable sport vehicles.  This type of fuel efficient technology will slowly find it's way into SUV's, Trucks, and hopefully even more sports cars.  Perhaps the fear of single digit gas mileage in sports cars will permanently be a thing of the past.  Of course, depending on how heavy your foot is, mileage may vary.

Just happened to be logging into MySpace yesterday and was greeted with a full scale huge ad for the 2010 Mustang.  The advertisement itself was a video of the new Ford Mustang in action, but not in the typical sense I would associate it with.  The 2010 Mustang Advertisement highlighted the cars drifting potential and seemed to be targeting the tuner crowd.

Is this what the Mustang has come to, targeting drifters on MySpace?  Nothing about the ad screamed muscle, but only seemed to try and squeeze the Mustang into the mindset of the small group of kids that think the Fast and Furious movies are real.

The next question that comes to mind is at what cost was this ad created and then cost to be displayed on MySpace?  Surely there are better target markets that yield a larger return on investment for such an expensive marketing campaign.

What are your thoughts?