With a name that stands for "club racer," it's pretty obvious that the new Honda S2000 CR is meant for the most hardcore drivers. One of the purest sports cars sold on the market today, the Honda S2000 takes on new life with the CR trim level. The most obvious change is the deletion of the convertible soft-top, replaced with a removable aluminum hardtop. Chassis bracing has been added into the space previously occupied by the soft-top, increasing body rigidity while still allowing the CR to come in 90 lbs. under a regular S2000.
A quicker steering ratio and a new suspension system have been fitted to take advantage of a new wheel and Potenza RE070 tire package, which includes 255mm wide rear tires. A new sculpted front bumper and rear wing aid in reducing lift at speed, while the cockpit has been accented with an even shorter shift lever, lots of yellow stitching and grippy fake-suede Recaro Tomcat look-alike versions of the stock seats. Although air conditioning and a stereo system are still present and accounted for, the CR's track-bred feel demanded something with a little more grip than the standard leather.
For those expecting a turbocharged engine, wide-body aero and an integrated coupe roof, be prepared for a let down. But for those expecting a more refined, focused version of a car that's already difficult to improve upon, then get ready to jump for joy. This is going to be the Honda to own for stock-class autocross and track duty. Designed as the final project before retirement by Shigeru Uehara, the man behind the NSX and S2000, the S2000 CR uses Honda engineering to build the S2000 you'd modify and build yourself, except with a warranty this time.
Nismo 350zAfter updating the 350Z's exterior and creating a new variant of the VQ35 engine, Nissan has taken the next logical step. Partnering with their performance arm Nismo, Nissan USA has announced the production-ready status of the 2007 Nismo 350Z.
Wearing aggressive bodywork inspired by the Super GT 350Z's in Japan, the Nismo 350Z also comes equipped with a Nismo exhaust and 306hp from the latest variant of the VQ35 engine. 18x9 front and massive 19x10 rear gunmetal Nismo wheels (by RAYS Engineering) come wrapped in sticky 245mm front and 265mm wide rear Bridgestone Potenza RE050A tires. The interior also features special seats, red stitching and a white-faced Nismo tachometer. The best of the standard 350Z bits, including HID headlamps, LED tails, traction control, a viscous LSD and a six-speed manual transmission, are on board the Nismo 350Z.
But the most important reason why you should go and buy a Nismo 350Z? The chassis has been given addition welds and special body dampers to improve rigidity and reduce vibrations. To this a Nismo suspension and Brembo brake system are added, making it the most potent handling 350Z to date. The Nismo 350Z will be available at all Nissan dealers mid-way through this year, but pricing info had not been released as of our printing date. So for all you track junkies, special edition collectors or performance enthusiasts, your Z has arrived.
All New Need For SpeedThe newest edition of the franchise, Need for Speed: Pro Street, has you competing on the highest level of street racing to separate the street kings from the trailer queens. It's no longer good enough to rule your local streets; you have to compete at a higher level, dominate all disciplines and prove your street supremacy by defeating the street kings on their turf. This is elite competition in real world locations where the best come out to show what they've got. This is the most aggressive, white knuckled, violent competition to hit racing.
With Need for Speed: Pro Street you get the ultimate car-building experience, controlling not only every aspect of your car's look, but every aspect of your ride's performance. The Autosculpt feature lets you mold and shape the look of your car and you can test and perfect the aerodynamics of those changes in the wind tunnel. You will also have access to hundreds of real-world, aftermarket parts, allowing you to precisely fine-tune your car's mechanics, right down to individual components. Modding rookies will have their choice of pre-packaged upgrades for their cars. Experienced tuners will be able to get down to the specifics, tuning and tweaking their setups for maximum performance. Either way you do it, on race day, you've got to prove you can harness the power of the beast and master the art of car control against the best racers in the street racing world.
Need for Speed: Pro Street brings real driving with real consequences. Damage and crashes are inevitable and mistakes hurt (your ego and your bank account). Think billowing smoke, swirling fields of debris, shredded fiberglass and heinously twisted metal. Every dent, every scratch and crumpled body panel-those are your battle scars, proof of your aggression and competitive fire. Pushing the limits of your car and skills is mandatory if you want to progress. With the most aggressive and skilled A.I. system to date, you'll watch your competitors intelligently react to your driving style. If you give them the inside, expect them to take it and make you pay for your mistake. Need for Speed: Pro Street is a true taste of the chaos, raw violence and adrenaline of racing, on and off the track.
Need for Speed: Pro Street puts you right in the center of jacked up race day competition to test the limits of your skills...no more excuses! Prove it on the best locations the world of street racing has to offer. Need for Speed: Pro Street frees you to go full throttle in raw, intense racing action. Watch for an in-depth coverage on the game in the October issue of Import Tuner!