Spectra Premium Industries Inc Cu2152 Radiator on 2040-parts.com

Ford debuts another Australian hot rod

Ford's Australian-based Performance Vehicles operation has unveiled its fastest car to date—the Falcon-based FPV GT R-spec. To be assembled at Ford Performance Vehicle's headquarters on the outskirts of Melbourne, the rear-wheel drive GT R-spec packs the same engine as the earlier GT335, a supercharged 5.0-liter V8 producing 449 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque. But, a range of chassis modifications, including a retuned suspension, wider 19-inch rear wheels and tires and new launch control system are claimed to provide the greater off-the-line speed than any previous model from Ford's Australian outpost.

Nissan Juke Nismo: Price from £19,995

Nissan has announced that their sport take on the Juke – the Nissan Juke Nismo – will cost from £19,995 and is the first of a new Nismo range. For your £20k you’ll get a new sporty Juke with an extra 10 horses thanks to a tweak or three to the 1.6 litre petrol engine in the Juke DIG-T, which means a total of 197bhp, 0-62mph in 7.8 seconds and 135mph. Not exactly up there with the Juke R, but more than enough to blat properly round an urban landscape.

Visionary tech

Ignore the marketers: There's nothing new under the technological sun. Cost and reliability concerns may have hindered the early adoption of these auto-tech breakthroughs, though you'd never know it based on their present-day ubiquity. 1941: Crossovers The combination of a fully enclosed, carlike body and all-wheel-drive underpinnings got its start with the Volkswagen Type 87 Kommandeurwagen.