While the GT-R SpecV is one of the fastest and best-handling cars currently in production, it’s safe to say that almost every car enthusiast on the planet was hoping Nissan would pull out something much more extreme for the special edition model. In the lead up to the car’s unveiling earlier this year, rumors of a 550hp (410kW) output and a 220lb (100kg) lighter kerb weight were building excitement everywhere.

Though the SpecV wasn’t a complete letdown, its 485hp (362kW) output – the same as the standard Series II GT-R – and 132lb (60kg) weight reduction certainly was.

2010 Nissan GT-R SpecV

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While it never turned to be the April fool’s day joke we had all thought it to be, IKEA’s mysterious ‘Leko’ has turned out to be a new car sharing program launching in France next month. The new program is an online car-sharing service that will allow motorists to book vehicles via the Internet then pick them up at one of 26 IKEA stores located around France.

The program is being run together with Comuto, a more established car-sharing business already in France, and is similar to the one already operating in Austria.

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Canada has followed the lead of the U.S. and rejected the respective viability plans of General Motors and Chrysler, claiming the plans do not go far enough in their current form. This means the carmakers may miss out on the initial $3.2 billion in loans pledged in December, though a small portion will be offered to help buy them time and come up with a new restructuring plan.

Chrysler will be given $200 million today of its $800 million promise, while GM will receive a similar sized portion of a $2.4 billion packaged promised to it next month, reports The Detroit News.

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The lamentations of American hatch fans - as few as they may be - over the unfairness of Europe’s bounty are legendary. But soon it’s European hatch fans that may be sobbing, mourning the stillbirth of Ford’s tiniest hot hatch, the Fiesta RS.

The initial report, sourced by an interview of Jost Captio of Ford’s Team RS in the UK’s evo Magazine, indicates that the Blue Oval is canning the car before it’s even been built. The reasons are of the typical mundane: it’s expensive, times are tough, and there’s no business case for it.

But fans of fast and flickable front-drivers are not concerned with such frippery as profit and ‘corporate responsibility’.

Ford Fiesta S performance hatch

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The ‘cash for clunkers’ type programs have proven hugely successful in Europe - particularly in Germany - and today President Obama put his support behind at $7,500 trade-in incentive for old cars. Along with the car scrapping push, Obama has also lent his support to a set of new car tax incentives designed to get people out of their mobility malaise and back into dealerships.

Both the car-scrapping and the new-car tax incentive proposals have been around for several weeks, proposed to Congress as stop-gaps against the weakening economy and car market.

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Volkswagen’s Mark VI Golf hatchback will lose the Rabbit nameplate when it goes on sale in the U.S. later this year. VW of America decided to bring back the Rabbit nameplate three years ago after it was dropped following the demise of the first-generation Golf back in the early 1980s. The idea was coined to help promote the Golf by touching on some of America’s nostalgia for the Mark I Golf, but unfortunately VW had forgotten about the poor quality and lackluster image the original Rabbit had left with many American buyers.

VW Golf Mark VI official photos

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Hyundai continues to build its presence in the U.S. with attractive new products such as surprisingly luxurious 2009 Hyundai Genesis and the Infintii G37 inspired 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe. But while auto sales overall have declined, Hyundai showrooms have been aided not only by incredible new products, but also by the unique Hyundai Assurance Program.

The Hyundai Assurance Program has received plenty of buzz as it offered Hyundai buyers the chance to return their vehicle without penalty should they lose their job or otherwise can no longer afford the payments. In an economic climate that seems to go from bad to worse on a near daily basis, that incentive has provided the peace of mind that consumers want, but that few automakers can actually match. While the program seems like a lofty risk on Hyundai’s part, new reports say no Hyundai buyer has has yet to actually utilize the program.

According to Kicking Tires,  Hyundai buyer has taken advantage of the Assurance Program, even after 55,133 Hyundai sales thus far in 2009. Maybe Hyundai buyers happen to be stable in this shaky economy, but perhaps an increasing number of buyers are content with the value and quality that Hyundai appears to be providing these days.

Bristol, England has become known for its thriving art scene, which is why Acura sought out Bristol artists David Whittle and Henry St. Leger for their advertisement of the Acura RDX compact crossover. The 30-second spot combines the work of these well-known street artists with that of film makers from Collision Films to provide a stunning commercial that fuses animation with street art. To see the Acura RDX commercial as well as the behind the scenes look at how it was made, check out the videos below.

Late last year, reports emerged claiming Volkswagen was working on three separate sports-oriented versions of the popular Golf hatchback. The first of these we’ve already seen in the form of the recently launched GTI, and now the second star of the trio, the GTD oil-burner, has been revealed ahead of its debut at the Leipzig Motor Show tomorrow.

The GTD features a 2.0L turbodiesel engine with 170hp (127kW) and 258lb-ft (350Nm) of torque. This engine will fully comply with tough Euro 5 emissions standards, yet still accelerate the car from 0-100km/h in 8.1 seconds when equipped with VW’s six-speed DSG (a six-speed manual is also available).

VW Golf Mark VI official photos

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German tuning firm Cargraphic has launched a new performance upgrade for the V8 Vantage that sees improvements in power, handling, and design. The company’s engineers have modified the 4.5 litre V8 engine to raise peak power from 426hp (313kW) to 466hp (342kW), as well as increasing peak torque by an additional 24lb-ft (32Nm). This reduces the car’s 0-100 km/h to a sub-5 second reading. A new throttle map, combined with the increase in torque, also make the engine more responsive throughout the rev range.

A new driver-adjustable suspension system, which lowers the car up to 20mm, is also available.

Cargraphic Aston Martin Vantage V8

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