Crank up the volume and checkout this sick video of Chris Harris driving the most amazing car I’d love to have as my daily driver, the McLaren F1 GTR Video. This custom race car air restricted to 600hp (racing regulations) and weighing 1100kgs (~2400lbs) delivers one of the sexiest sounds and unlimited amounts of fear when unleashed off the track on regular streets

After the McLaren F1 GTR was launched in 1995 it took the 1st, 3rd, 4rth, 5th, and 13th place in the 24 hours Le Mans race which was a huge achievement. After its huge success in this race the McLaren team went further and produced 9 more vehicles in the same year. More photos of the McLaren F1 here.

Remember that Gordon Murray, creator of the McLaren F1, originally saw his creation as the ultimate road car, with no intention to take the car racing. Although the car used many racing technologies and designs, it was felt that the car should be a road car first, without any intent built into the creation of the car to modify it into a racing car….. However finally, Murray relented and agreed to modify the F1 into a racing car, agreeing to build several chassis for competition in the 1995 season.

[Source: YouTube.com, Wikipedia.com ]

Merry Christmas!! Enjoy the last batch of the 2011 SEMA Show Girls brought to you by Richard Owen of Supercars.net.

[Source: Supercars.net]

Need to find a gift for the car enthusiast on your holiday shopping list, but are operating on a very tight budget? If so, don’t freak out just yet. Just because cars themselves are expensive doesn’t mean that you can’t find budget-friendly parts and add-ons that will make an automotive enthusiast jump for joy. Below, you’ll find three gift suggestions each presented for their low total costs. By that, we not only mean that the initial expense for the merchandise is on the low side for automobile upgrades, but the full cost is low entirely. That means no pricey professional installation or other sidebars that might add hundreds or thousands on to the actual price of the piece. That way, you can stay on budget, and still provide an incredible gift to the car lover on your list.

Performance Chip
There are few upgrades that offer as much bang for the buck as a performance chip. A typical performance chip will cost you less than a hundred dollars, and they’re so easy to install you can do it with only basic tools (meaning no professional installation is required). A chip can boost a vehicle’s stock horsepower output potential by up to 60 extra horsepower, and can even improve your vehicle’s fuel efficiency as well. Plus, this little add-on is small enough to be a great stocking stuffer, so you won’t have to worry about finding a box big enough to fit it as you would with many other automotive parts.

Rims
It’s true that there are many exterior rims available on the market that are quite pricey, some even running into the high hundreds and low thousands of dollars in terms of cost. Still, that doesn’t mean there aren’t budget varieties out there. With the proliferation of aftermarket body parts in the last few years resulting in overproduction on the parts of many manufacturers, there are quite a number of budget-friendly rim sets you can pick up for your car enthusiast. Just keep a few things in mind if you do choose rims. First, make sure to find a set that reflects light well. A glossy set looks nice, but a matte finish on rims is commonplace on many vehicles so the new wheels won’t really do much to improve a car’s appearance. Also, take note of the spoke count on the set you’re buying. Some drivers prefer high spoke counts, others low ones. Find out which count your car enthusiast prefers, and go with that to avoid disappointing him when he opens his package.

Seat Covers
Available in many brightly colored designs and patterns, interior seat covers are fun to pick out. With so many varieties available, this is a gift you’re certain to be able to tailor exactly to the personal taste of the person you’re giving the gift to. Unlike actual seat replacements, seat covers allow you to improve the condition of your seats’ looks without requiring expensive new physical seat components. You can simply slide the new seat covers on and customize the appearance of the car’s interior anyway you like. Considering how nasty some car seats can get with juice stains, dust buildup, and other issues such as general wear and tear, seat covers have a big impact for a low price point, and are sure to impress someone whose car seats are worse for wear than most.

Sorry this post is so late. There really is no excuse. Please enjoy these photos of female 2011 SEMA Show car models posing in front of various custom modified cars. You can click on the photos to view them full size. This years photos are again courtesy of Mr. Richard Owen of Supercars.net! Don’t forget to checkout last years 2010 SEMA Girls either

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Muscle cars, it is generally agreed, can be blamed on Oldsmobile. That's right. The dowdy "This is not your father's Oldsmobile" kind of car started the muscle revolution in 1949. Oldsmobile took an intermediate car and replaced the V-6 engine with a high compression overhead V-8 for more power. From Musclecars magazine, “The idea of putting a full-size V8 under the hood of an intermediate body and making it run like Jesse Owens in Berlin belongs to none other than Oldsmobile…” Looking to start and capture a market, Chrysler introduced the C300 in 1955. Advertised as the most powerful car ever sold, the C300 came out as a limited edition with a 300 bhp engine. Driven with the pedal to the floor the car reached 60 mph in 6.9 seconds and could reach speeds up to 130 mph.

Moving forward, Ford and Mopar's battle in drag-racing in the early 1960s led to an increased production muscle cars. Ford turned out its 7 L Thunderbolt engine and Mopar turned out its 7 L hemi engine. The Pontiac GTO with its 6.4 L engine became its own model in 1966. This car was developed in a special division lead by John DeLorean who broke corporate rules to put this car on the market. This car was an answer to the Dodge Polera and the Plymouth Barracuda. These high performance cars attracted young people to the showrooms, but they ended up buying the more sedate street models. This lead the auto manufacturers to come out with a more compact, economic model of the muscle car. These models included American Motor's (the 4th car company) Rebel Machine, Plymouth's Road Runner, Dodge's Super Bee, Ford's Torino, and Chevy's Chevelle.

Muscle cars were also produced in Australia (the Holden HG Monaro), the United Kingdom ( Capri 300GT), and South Africa (Firenza CamAm). But, the end was near.

The engine size for the muscle cars peaked around 1970. Muscle cars had obtained a status of being dangerous as traffic fatalities occurred with car owners drag racing their cars and speeding on roadways with cross traffic. Most owners found themselves paying much higher insurance quotes. Further, the gas embargo of 1973 made these cars extremely expensive to drive. In addition, beginning in 1970, car manufacturers were required by law to increase their mileage and reduce pollution. The heaviest polluters and the cars with the worst gas mileage were the muscle cars. Another issue that effected these cars was the impending phaseout of leaded gasolines. The muscle cars of the 1970s were not designed to run on lead proof gas. Between the laws and the desire from consumers for more affordable cars, these behemoths were pulled out of production. Cars became smaller and smaller as imports and higher fuel economy became a necessity.

Beginning in the late 1980's and 1990's, muscle cars of a sort made a return. Based on more efficient engines and less weighty bodies, pony cars, smaller, sportier versions of muscle cars, returned. This led in the early 2000's to the return of some of the muscle car brands including Thunderbird, Camero, and Charger. Gas prices stabilized during this time, and since these cars were better designed, higher insurance quotes were not necessarily a given. The public had tired of small cars.

Once again, however, a spike in gasoline prices to almost $4.00 per gallon has led to a decrease in production and sales of large cars. Along with the recession of 2008 and the increase in hybrid cars, the new muscle cars are being driven out of production once again.

The 2011 Dubai International Motor Show Photos opened yesterday and runs until November 14th. MadWhips contributor Tariq199 has just uploaded his first batch of his Day1 coverage for all of us to enjoy. Included are 3 Special Edition Bugatti Veyrons and custom modified supercars by Mansory, Hamann, AC Schnitzer, Gemballa and more. There are also a pair of Rolls Royce Phantom’s (Coupe & Drophead) with a 2300 diamonds (g color, vs clarity) “flying lady” hood ornament weighing in at 38.53 carats to celebrate her centenial!

Stay tuned and check back daily for more photo coverage of the show!

[Source: MadWhips.com]

The title says it all! Looks like there were quite a few bad ass 2011 SEMA Show Custom Mustangs Photos this year! Can’t decide which is my favorite, but the ones highlighted below definitely are front runners! Don’t forget to checkout my earlier post of photos from Monday 2011 SEMA Show Outdoor Event. Enjoy these pics from my friend Richard Owen of Supercars.net!

[Source: MadWhips.com]

Another year, another slow economy for the USA and specifically sunny Las Vegas, yet the 2011 SEMA Show Photos seems to be packed full of modified and exotic cars. It truly is something to visit SEMA, and see all the sweat, blood and money that goes into some of the custom cars and trucks at this show. Special thanks go out to my friend Richard Owen (founder of supercars.net) for these pictures and the rest to come this week!

[Source: MadWhips.com]

The 2011 Quail Motorsports Gathering took place on the green lawn of the Quail Lodge in Carmel Valley, California. There was a gathering of 10 Bugatti Veyrons, a special class dedicated to the Ferrari Superamerica and of course the crazy Pagani Zonda R. California this past August. Checkout all the photos thanks to Stephan Bauer!

[Source: Stephan Bauer via MadWhips.com]

This years 2011 Pebble Beach Concours was yet again another cloudy and dismal day in the otherwise sunny and beautiful Monterey California region. The weather didn’t hamper the mood as there were several new exotic supercars on the Concours d’Elegance. Click below for all the fun photos!

For more pictures, click on the thumb nail photo gallery below!

[Source: MadWhips.com]

Remember the infamous Police Questioning Enzo Ferrari owner over 339km/h video stunt? Well looks like Zahir Rana (owner of the pre-owned exotic dealership ZR Auto) has jumped on the viral bandwagon trying to trump Andy House who crashed his Bugatti Veyron into a lake and blamed it on a pelican

ZR Auto takes the gold medal by splashing down into the Atlantic Ocean!!

This EDO Competition Enzo Ferrari came to Targa Newfoundland 2011 with 4 other supercars! This car is owned by ZR auto exotics Zahir Rana and was tuned to be a street legal Ferrari FXX. The car was tuned in Germany making 850hp and a 0-60 time of 2.8 seconds!

Checkout more of ZR Auto’s Supercars while in Montreal during the Formula one in 2008 and while at a ZR Auto Track Day at Mont Tremblant.

ZR Auto Links
ZR Auto EDO Enzo Ferrari Pics

[Source: Jalopnik]

Vehicle owners and motor traders should be aware that there have been significant and important changes made to motor insurance law. While it is vital to be aware of these new changes, it should also be recognized that the best way to stay within the law is to secure a strong and thorough motor trade insurance policy from a reputable provider like Staveley Head.

But what are the new legal requirements for vehicle owners and motor traders? Basically, all vehicles owned and registered in your name must be fully insured unless it has been declared by the DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) as being SORN by receiving a Statutory Off Road Notification.

Neglecting to have your car officially declared SORN will mean your insurance policy record will be absent from the MID (Motor Insurance Database) which could ultimately lead to prosecution for not possessing valid motor insurance and a penalty fine.

It is therefore vital for vehicle owners to ensure the vehicle or vehicles registered under their name have either been declared SORN by the DVLA or are fully covered by an up to date motor insurance policy. Failure to do so could prove to be extremely costly, particularly if you have more than one vehicle failing to meet legal requirements.

Likewise, those in the motor trade must ensure that all their vehicles have been added on to their motor trade insurance policy and that all trade plates have been added on to the MID. Motor traders must ensure they send all necessary information updates to the MID as soon as possible, as fines can be significant.

Motorists driving without insurance cost UK motorists millions every year. The MID was created by the MIB (Motor Insurance Bureau) to combat this costly law breaking. The new legal requirements are a further step to dissuade vehicle owners and motor traders from neglecting their motor insurance responsibilities.

If you are a motor trader or vehicle owner and have vehicles not covered by motor insurance move fast to get them fully covered or you could be hit with a hefty fine for failing to meet the strict regulations of the new legislation.

This year marked the 20th anniversary of the McCalls Motorworks Revival private event at the Monterey Jet Center.Lotus debuted the Evora GTE Road Car Concept, Lamborghini had 2 LP700-4 Aventador’s, Hennessey also displayed their first Venom GT (destined for a domestic customer) and Aston Martin brought a bright red V12 Zagato. Full Photo Album: 2011 McCalls Monterey Jet Center Party Pics

[Source: Stephan Bauer via MadWhips.com]

Checkout this official music video released yesterday (August 11th) for the song “Otis” from Jay-Z & Kanye’s latest wicked collaboration album “Watch The Throne”. Only 1 Maybach was harmed in the filming of this video

Checkout the video Jason Thorgalsen filmed while on the Gold Rush rally in June 2011 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway drag strip of a Maybach burnout!!

[Source: YouTube.com, JTPhotos]

Checkout the great video and photos of the Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 Unveiling in Miami @ Epic last night. Among the 400+ VIP patrons in attendance, Valentino Balboni (former Lamborghini Chief Test Driver) and Bret David (Owner of Lamborghini Miami & Prestige Imports Miami) were there to welcome Lamborghini’s new flagship model to our shores.

[Source: YouTube, Prestige Imports Miami Facebook Page]