Fan of the almighty 370Z get ready to push the limit of your beloved mythical coupe with the arrival in Japan of the new and improved Autech Nismo 370Z.

Tuned to bring you the most of your Z, you will not only be able to enjoy its 19ps improvement (355ps in total) but also is newly designed exhaust line, improved manual gear box, suspensions, as well as tuned aerodynamic in order to make sure that not only your car will be even faster but also better equipped to handle like a charm.

Interested? Well guess what, in Japan the 6 Manual Gear Box version only cost 4.9 Million Yen (37000€)… So just get your passport ready !

Is this going to be the next new thing? Stateside the tuning scene seems to be turning towards the Dub euro scene with bonnet bras, lowered to the floor and deep dish alloy wheels.

Mazda Motor Corporation has announced the sales launch of the all-new Mazda Axela (known overseas as the new Mazda3) in the Japanese market. Mazda’s mainstay model has been fully redesigned and updated with a host of new features, including the ‘i-stop’ engine stop/start system.

Since the Mazda Axela first debuted in October 2003 it has become a core model in Mazda’s lineup, selling over two million units worldwide and currently comprising over a third of its annual global sales. For the second generation Axela, the development team was determined to once again exceed customer expectations. As a result, the new model inherits and evolves Mazda’s highly acclaimed sporty performance and exterior styling. Additionally, it arrives with an outstanding interior with greater quality and functionality, and offers advanced environmental and safety features.

All 2.0-liter front-wheel-drive (FWD) models are equipped with i-stop, Mazda’s unique engine stop/start system, which uses combustion energy to restart the engine in just 0.35 seconds, about half the time of most other competing systems. The i-stop system also suppresses noise and vibration as the engine shuts down and restarts, ensuring that drivers experience a natural driving feel with no sense of discomfort. Prices for models with i-stop start from an affordable 1,890,000 yen (including sales tax).

The 2.0-liter FWD Axela with i-stop provides 15 percent better fuel economy than the previous model.^*1 The 1.5-liter Axela models are newly equipped with a continuously variable transmission (CVT). This combination enables a sporty ride and top class fuel economy^*2 of 18.4 kilometers per liter. All models in the Axela range qualify as Super-Ultra-Low Emission Vehicles (SU-LEV), achieving exhaust emissions that are at least 75 percent lower than the levels required by the Japanese government’s 2005 exhaust emissions standard. Additionally, six of the nine model grades qualify for Japan’s eco-car incentive program as well as tax reductions of 50 or 75 percent under the government’s eco-car tax reduction program.

Together with its superb environmental performance, the new Mazda Axela also boasts more spirited driving performance. Mazda’s engineers achieved notable weight reduction while efficiently increasing the vehicle’s body rigidity, and reworked the aerodynamics so that the new Axela provides enhanced handling and straight-line stability at high speeds. Drivers can enjoy substantially improved comfort and cabin quietness due to reduced road noise, engine vibration and wind noise.

The updated exterior design, which features a new version of Mazda’s hallmark five-point grille, carries forward the original model’s sporty impression and injects an added touch of dynamic and refined styling. click here to read the rest of the article

If so far only Cusco Racing had an Impreza running on the GT300, Subaru and STI is planning to soon launch a modified Legacy B4 (sedan) in order to compete in this Category.
A bit surprising indeed in such economical atmosphere to start racing again, and especially since Subaru no longer participate to the WRC, but this announcement could boost Subaru brand image in Japan.

Mitsubishi UK propose both the Lancer Evolution X FQ-330 and FQ-400, 2 stunning Evo X with some serious “boost”, and despite our effort to convince Mitsubishi Japan we don’t expect to see anything coming from them soon… Luckily, the folks over at MONSTER Motor Group in Japan, you can TODAY get a fully loaded 360 PS Lancer Evolution X with their 360SPEC Lancer Evolution X.

Based on either a regular GSR SST or GSR-Premium SST, Monster will rework the engine, improved and tweak ECU, Mufflers… In order to provide you a nice 360 PS with a 50kg-m Torque Evo.

Interested? Well make sure to contact Monster Sport since their offer is quite “attractive” and for just 4.5 Million Yen (33 000€) you will get an impressive Evo to play with !

Another week another picture of the week. This time an nice track prepared Honda Civic LSI, from the Japanese Performance Tuning Show at Silverstone 2009. This car might only be a 1.5 SOHC engine but weighing in at under 850kg it can certanly turn a few heads round the track.

Here is the second installment of the Ken Block video. It looks a little more scripted but its still amazing either way. The bit i like best is when he drifts out of one of the buildings and comes close to the waters edge of the dock. Is any one taking bets how long this video does the rounds on the forums.

Nissan is milking the flagship GT-R’s success at the Nurburgring with a special commemorative edition of the 370Z for the European market.

The 370Z Nurburgring Edition is patterned after the yellow Nissan 370Z that took part in the Nurburgring 24 hour endurance competition recently. The special edition model which comes with significant performance upgrades is reportedly limited to just 80 copies and will cost €50,400 ($71,000).

MotorAuthority: Each vehicle features a numbered plaque, as well as unique 19in OZ Racing alloy wheels shod with 285mm tires in the rear and 255 tires up front, plus a Cobra performance exhaust system. A special ring card with €150 ($212) of credit will also be offered to customers, which they can use for public track days on the Nurburgring circuit.

Apart from the new exhaust system, the car’s powertrain has been left untouched which means it features the latest 3.7L V6 engine with 332hp (247kW) and 270lb-ft (366Nm) on tap. Nissan’s six-speed manual with the SynchroRev Match function is standard.

Road&Track: We’ve reported on this before, but we now have stronger evidence than ever that Toyota is getting back into the affordable sports-coupe game with an all-new model priced at around $20,000–$25,000. This front-engine/rear-drive 2-door will reincarnate the spirit of the 1983–1987 Corolla Levin/Trueno (AE86), a car that’s still popular today, especially among drift enthusiasts. According to our friends at Best Car magazine, Toyota’s code name for this future sports car is 086A. That it’s so similar to AE86 is no coincidence.

Toyota is partnering with Subaru to bring this project to reality. In fact, most of the engineering seems to be coming from the company known for its all-wheel-drive rally cars. Powering the future coupe will be Subaru’s 2.0-liter flat-4 equipped with a new direct-injection system, tuned to produce an impressive 200 bhp and 145 lb.-ft. of torque. We predict the car will weigh about 2700 lb., so expect fairly quick acceleration times, probably around 6.0 sec. to 60 mph. The suspension will consist of MacPherson struts up front and a multilink setup at the rear, with the chassis based on that of the Subaru Impreza and Legacy.

Toyota will mainly be in charge of the car’s styling. Although both Toyota and Subaru versions will be offered, the two models won’t look much different, apart from badging — think Toyota Matrix and Pontiac Vibe.

The car is scheduled to appear sometime in 2011 or 2012. If this future car truly is a reincarnation of the AE86, Toyota and Subaru will have a big hit on their hands.