Ferrari 458 Speciale with active aero debuts at Frankfurt

The only thing better than a 458 is, of course, a lighter, stronger and more aerodynamically efficient 458. Toward that end, Ferrari unveiled the 458 Speciale at Frankfurt, a successor of sorts to the Challenge Stradale and 430 Scuderia, previous specials that, as good as they were, wouldn't last a race on the same lap as this one. “This is the most powerful V8 Ferrari, never made before,” said Ferrari chairman Luca di Montezemolo, who still speaks much better English than we could ever hope to speak Italian.

Concept Car of the Week: Bizzarrini Manta (1968)

In the latter half of 1965, Giotto Bizzarrini began working on a racing car designed to compete with the Ford GT40, Ferrari 250P and the Porsche 906. The result was the P538, his most sophisticated car to date. The first two examples built were fitted with Lamborghini V12 engines and sold to American buyers to compete in SCCA races, while the third used a highly modified 5.4-liter V8 from the Chevrolet Corvette.

Audi R8

By Ben Oliver Motor Shows 28 September 2006 01:46 The lowdown Audi has unveiled its first mid-engined sports car, the R8. The 420bhp, 4.2-litre V8-powered 911 rival will hit 188mph (or 301kph) and gets to 62mph in 4.6secs. The Lamborghini Gallardo-based supercar will cost an estimated £75,000 when it arrives in the UK in May, with the Audi R Tronic sequential manual costing an extra £5000.