Nissan GT-R tweaked for 2009 with more power

By Ben Pulman Motor Industry 09 December 2008 11:30 The Nissan GT-R still hasn’t gone on sale in Europe and it's already been treated to a few tweaks - new for 2009 will be more power, revised suspension, different wheels and tyres, plus a price hike. Quite, but the increase is a mere 5bhp, taking the output of Nissan's 3.8-litre twin-turbo V6 from 473 to 478bhp. Nissan says the extra grunt comes from the fine tweaking of the electronics, though torque remains unchanged at 432lb ft.

Volume sales of plug-in Toyota Prius to begin in two years

Toyota will start leasing 150 of its Prius plug-in hybrids in the United States this winter and plans retail sales of tens of thousands in two years. The North American arrival, scheduled for around February, is part of a global rollout of 600 units. With a longer electric-only cruise range than the standard Prius, the plug-in is Toyota's answer to the Chevrolet Volt extended-range hybrid being launched next year by General Motors Co.

Goodwood Launch For Latest Alpina Performance Models

FANCY something different from the usual premium German offerings? If so, Alpina hopes its interpretation of BMW’s already popular 4 Series Coupe and Convertible models will have buyers opening their wallets. The firm has built up a considerable reputation for taking a slightly different and more refined approach, as it focuses on luxury and ensuring the generous levels of performance are more accessible in the real world and not just on the track.