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2011 Audi R8 GT, an AW first look

Three years after it burst onto the supercar scene, Audi has unveiled a hard-core version of its R8 called the GT. Based on the existing mid-engine R8 V10 and incorporating aerodynamic, weight-saving and mechanical developments used by the company's R8 LMS GT3 race car, Ingolstadt will build just 333 copies of the new 560-hp four-wheel-drive performance flagship. Pricing has not yet been revealed, but given the extent of the changes to the new two-seater, buyers should expect a hefty premium over the R8 V10's $147,000 price tag when the GT goes on sale in North America.

Mercedes C63 AMG Black Series Coupe video promo

Mercedes C63 AMG Black Series Coupe video below Mercedes has produced a new video promoting the C63 AMG Black Series, complete with the latest Track Pack & Aerodynamic Pack on show. The new Mercedes C63 AMG Black Series Coupe may not have been given Mercedes’ latest V8 powerplant – the 5.5 litre bi-turbo – but it does a sterling job of propelling Mercedes titivated rep-mobile at great speed towards the horizon, with its 6.2 litre V8 capable of getting to 60mph in a shade over 4 seconds. Just in case you might think that driving round in a C63 AMG Black Series Coupe isn’t shouting loudly enough to your friends and neighbours that you’ve shelled out more than three times the price of an entry-level C-Class Coupe, Mercedes has thoughtfully offered a couple of options for the C63 Black Series – the Track Pack and Aerodynamic Pack – that will leave no one in any doubt that your particular C-Class is a cut above the rest.

Demise of kei cars on the horizon?

The kei car has long been a staple of the Japanese automobile industry and its car culture. Too diminutive for Western markets, the tiny cars and trucks are a strong influencer of design in Japan. Now, as The New York Times reports, the Japanese government has hit kei cars with increases in sales tax, gasoline prices and has reduced the kei car tax break introduced to make the cars popular in the first place by 50 percent.