Less than completely psyched about the launch of the new Citroen C3? Granted, the new compact hatchback may not be the most exciting vehicle ever to come from the quirky French automaker, but don't despair – we've got some more exciting news from the other end of the spectrum as reports surface that Citroen has approved a small run of its fantastical GTbyCitroen supercar for production.

You'll recall the GT as the design which Citroen unveiled together with the creators of the Gran Turismo video game franchise last year in Paris. The closest the concept was ever meant to get to reality was the single show car built and the digitized version which gamers would be able to play on PS3, but earlier this month, we reported that the French automaker was receiving enough interest on the car to consider putting it into very limited production.

As if to whet our appetites, Citroen took the concept on a drive around London last week, and has since confirmed that it will make the climb up the hill at Goodwood this month. But if you're looking for a closer approximation of life-imitating-art-imitating-life, a short run of GTs will reportedly see the light of day. Only six are said to be built, at a reported price of £1.1 million ($1.83 million USD). The jury's still out on what will power the mythical beast – gossip suggests an American V8 sourced from either General Motors or Ford and driving in excess of 500 horsepower through a sequential gearbox – but carbon-fiber construction and exotic interior are said to be part of the final package. We could see a production version at the upcoming Frankfurt show in September, so stay tuned.




[Source: Autocar]

A Car magazine reader has photographed the Aston Martin Rapide looking like it could have come off a dealer lot. The snapper also peeped the inside, which he said has a full-length console a la the Mercedes CLS to create four distinct seating positions. Aston has, however, said that those rear seats are for "children or two adults on shorter journeys." The slinky black number also sports a serious set of pipes out back that we expect to put out a beautiful soundtrack. And thank goodness the car has a hatch like the Vantage, which means -- in a first for current Aston Martins -- it could have a proper trunk. Like the kind you can actually put things in.

[Source: Car]

In 67 days, the Joss supercar will be revealed. The brainchild of Matt Thomas, an aerodynamicist with the short-lived Stewart F1 team, the car has been wholly designed and engineered in Australia. The details revealed so far might not make one immediately think "super" status applies since the car has "only" 469 hp and 479 lb-ft. of twist.

But the carbon fiber, mid-engined car with a home-grown 6.8-liter V8 weighs just 2,068 pounds, which means its acceleration runs should be enough to leave the driver singing "Let's Do the Time Warp Again." However, The Motor Report says that the supercar's 0-100 kmh (62 mph) stat is listed at 3.7 seconds. That's only a shade faster than a Porsche 911 Turbo, which weighs 1,400 pounds more and has about the same power numbers. Elsewhere, it's been mentioned that it will do the run in 2.5 and 2.98 seconds, which seems much more likely if all else comes to pass.

As you've doubtlessly already noted, the rear deck is bereft of a spoiler. TMR says that's because a rear venturi will create enough downforce not to need one (and the vortex-generating doors don't hurt), a trait the car shares with the McLaren F1. It also makes room for the top-exiting twin exhaust. And also like the McLaren, Joss is planning to run a version of the car at Le Mans sometime in the future. In two months, we'll begin to see how its chances rate.

[Source: The Motor Report]

When he's not racing superbikes or reliving the good old days, seven-time Formula World Champion Michael Schumacher gets his thrills testing new Ferrari supercars. The Prancing Horse recently had Schumi take a 599 GTB with the company's new Handling GT Evoluzione (HGTE) package around Fiorano with a vengeance, and then they got the man to talk about his hand in developing Ferrari models from the ground up.

Schumacher's flogging of the tauter 599 was part of Pilota Ferrari, which is Ferrari's multi-level driving school program for owners. In a second video after the jump, the German pilot also discusses the importance of driving schools for every day driving. Somehow, we have a feeling that the "on-the-limit" maneuvers he speaks of just aren't the same in a 599 GTB HGTE as they are in the Pontiacs at our local track.

Gallery: Schumacher Tests the Ferrari 599 HGTE

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[Source: Ferrari]

Audi is developing the groundwork for an entirely new way of building its cars. The future for the four rings is light weight, giving it the proper base to support the best hybrid and electric cars, as well as extract the most from its traditional offerings.

As previously reported, the first example from the test lab is an S5 that is 400 kg -- yes, 880 pounds -- lighter than a traditional S5. Whereas the conventional S5 uses a 354 hp V8, the experimental utilizes a 230 hp four-cylinder, yet laps the 'Ring a humongous eight seconds faster than the V8. The test, of course, is to make such technology cost feasible to consumers and safe to boot.

The reduced calorie S5 is a hybrid steel and aluminum body built over a spaceframe, but Audi didn't say what the spaceframe was composed of. One hopes that they haven't started off with something unobtanium, and that given time, VW group scale could keep the price within a single-digit percent of the current car. If Audi does manage to get the light weight, safety, and affordability equation correct, that could make them... Lotus.

[Source: Autocar]

BMW's equivalent of Deep Throat has divulged a host of information on the marque's coming plans for its premium entry level range incorporating the 1-Series and Z2, and a new line of Y vehicles. According to the mole, Scott26, the 1 will break into three different levels: Traditional, Lifestyle, and Sporting. They will be underpinned by a modular platform that could be differentiated among models and also serve as the basis for the next MINI.

The Traditional line will include the 1-Series along with Active Hybrid and Sport Compact versions. Sporting will comprise the 1-Series and Z2 coupe and cabriolet, plus a Supersports version of the 1 and a 135i Lightweight Performance Concept. Lifestyle counts the 1-Series Gran Turismo, the X1, X2, and the Y1.

As Scott27 breaks it down, the full lineup will advance the capabilities of Efficient Dynamics, and a hybrid version of each car will be offered. As well, the cars will "resist the usual jump in weight by using lightweight materials and sophisticated bonding techniques." What would be weighty at that point is the number of BMW's offerings, with 12 cars alone mentioned here, not counting the hatch models.

And what is the Y1? Strictly a proposal at this point, the line would be for those who want more "identity and creativity" in their Sports Activity Vehicles. A "dynamic , lighter and more personal" SAV than the X6, the Y1 is laid out as a 2-door, 2-seat "hybrid of an X with the aura of a Z." Think of a de-Bangled X Coupe. Thanks for the tip, Andrew!

[Source: 1 Addicts]

That screen cap you see above? That's the first evidence that Gran Turismo 5 will finally have damage rendering. The image is courtesy of the new GT5 trailer (posted after the break) Polyphony Digital released today at the E3 gaming expo. Other bits to note: fully-licensed NASCAR and WRC racing have been added for the first time, and, in typical Gran Turismo fashion, PD hasn't released a firm date for the game's release.

However, even more compelling than GT5's imminent arrival is what joined the release of the PSP Go (right), a lighter, more compact version of Sony's Playstation Portable (priced at $249.99). When the new 16-gig PSP arrives on October 1, you'll be able to download the first portable version of Gran Turismo – aptly named Gran Turismo Mobile – to the device. According to Kazunori Yamauchi, the man behind the GT series, this won't be a stripped-down version of the game. It boasts 60 frames-per-second rendering, 800 cars, 35 tracks, career and arcades modes, and the ability to play against three friends over the PSP Go's wifi connection. We haven't been able to find out if Gran Turismo Mobile will work on the current PSP platform, but we might be willing to shell out the coin if it means we can practice running the Nurburgring on our next flight to Germany.

Make the jump to view the full GT5 and PSP Go trailers, and check the galleries below for plenty of brand new high-res screen shots.




[Source: GTPlanet]

Electric drivetrain aside, the Tesla Roadster isn't the most practical sports car on the market. Like its Lotus counterpart, the Roadster is lacking space for both passengers and parcel, something Tesla CEO Elon Musk is all-too-happy to admit. But as you'd expect from the plucky upstart and its confident chief executive, Tesla has big plans to expand beyond the Roadster and Model S sedan, and it's got the Porsche 911 in its sights.

Although we've known for some time that Tesla plans to base future models on the Model S platform – ranging from a base model to a full-fledged GT – the automaker's been tight-lipped about the specifics of future sports cars. However, Musk let it slip during an interview that a 911 Turbo shares a space in his garage with a Roadster, and he loves its ability to schlep the kiddies to school in its diminutive back seats. Inspired, Musk said that the next Tesla sports car would be a 2+2, boasting 10% more room for rear-seat passengers and 50% more trunk space than the 911, along with all-wheel drive. Additionally, the Model S' flat architecture means that styling won't be completely influenced by the drivetrain, allowing for "greater functionality with avant garde, aggressive" styling. Although this new coupe's future is largely dependent on the success of the Model S, if Tesla can keep the lights on and continue R&D, we might see the GT as early as 2012 or 2013.



[Source: WebRidesTV]

When Citroen collaborated with the people behind Sony Playstation's hit Gran Turismo game franchise on the show-stopping – if clumsily named – GTbyCitroen for last year's Paris Motor Show, few thought it would see the light of day. That includes the French automaker itself, but as we reported back in March, demand has picked up enough to prompt Citroen to consider the GT's creation. The latest reports indicate that the Chevron-labeled automaker will have its answer ready, one way or another, within a month's time.

The indication of Citroen's deliberation reportedly comes straight from the mouth of the company's product guru Vincent Besson (think Bob Lutz with a beret and a dangling Gauloise). Apparently Citroen has received a number of prospective orders from potential buyers who'd like to see the supercar drive off their plasmas and into their garages. If the PSA subsidiary does indeed decide to built the GT, it will be in extremely limited numbers and at a price high enough to cover the costs -- 15 examples at a million euros apiece is where it's tipped to be at. Powertrain is another issue altogether, as the concept's conceptual hydrogen electric drivetrain would likely be replaced by a more conventional V8 sourced from Detroit. French style and American muscle? Sounds like a winning combination. We'll just have to wait four weeks to find out if it will come to fruition.




[Source: Autocar]

Watch out. A blacked-out Bentley Continental Supersports has been spotted pointing its grille at the Nürburgring. In an era when Cobalts and Clios are flogged around the 13-mile loop, it comes as a mild surprise that nobody has timed and tested the Bentley Continental on that particular tarmac. With its E85-capable W12 engine rated at 621 hp and a curb weight 300 lbs lighter than the standard GT, the Supersports could push the coupe's balance that much further to the sport side than the GT side. If Bentley does run it in anger, we look forward to finding out how Crewe's first green effort handles The Green Hell.

[Source: Motor Trend]