Maserati GranSport to take Alfa 4C strategy with V8 power

If you're of the viewpoint that Maserati has gone smooth, you're not alone. The organization that once taken over huge corrt rushing and designed mid-engined exotics these days creates attractive, but relatively smooth huge tourers with automated signals. But there's a purpose for that. Since it was incorporated into the Fiat team, the Trident marque had to discover its own position, and competitive head-on with sister-company Mercedes wasn't an choice.

So, Maserati's concentrate was changed to the factor that now it's planning to release two new cars and an SUV. But don't publication it into a pension team just yet, because term has it that the Modenese car maker is also operating on a serious, mid-engined V8 activities car to carry the marque returning to its origins and display to the globe exactly of what it is able.

The first review on the venture came in last 30 days, and now the performance-obsessed automatic scribes over at Evo say they have some more information for us. And it's already appearing drool-worthy. The compact supercar is to get returning the GranSport name last used on one more edition of the 4200-series Maserati Vehicle that was changed by the GranTurismo in 2007. The venture is allegedly being motivated by Harald Wester, who moreover to presiding over Maserati, is also us president of Alfa Romeo.

Having experienced the passion which the 4C  has drummed up for Alfa, Wester seemingly wants the same for Maserati. The same kind of as well as monocoque development would be applied, but where the 4C will use a four-cylinder website, the GranSport would be designed around the 454-horsepower 4.7-liter V8 designed by Mercedes for the newest GranTurismo Game. With bodyweight ambitiously focused to undercut the Mercedes 458 Croatia by several number of bodyweight, that could confirm one devastatingly fast program.

The GranSport would also aim to undercut the 458 in cost to take on the higher end of the Mercedes 911 variety where the Turbocompresseur and GT3 designs sit. Wester says development wouldn't be restricted by style, but he desires they could offer betweem 1,500 and 2,000 systems per season after presenting it sometime around 2015. Promoting the Fiat panel on the concept, however, is another issue entirely.

SPEED TV giving away customized Shelby GT500 as part of Hagerty Fantasy Bid at Barrett-Jackson

For the past several years, SPEED has invited classic car fans to participate in the Barrett-Jackson auction with the Hagerty Fantasy Bid contest. Viewers compete to correctly guess the sale prices for select vehicles, and those who accumulate the most points come away with prizes.

SPEED will be holding the contest once again for 2012, and today announced that it will be sweetening the deal for participants – a customized 2011 Shelby GT500 with 750 horsepower. The car has been upgraded with a Ford Racing supercharger system, adjustable suspension system, Wilwood brakes and a few unique visual enhancements.

Ford set to double the amount of SYNC-controlled apps at CES

For the fourth year in a row, Ford is going big at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, and that includes the North American debut of the Evos concept, a new production car and even more SYNC-controlled apps.

Next week at CES, Ford will reveal the 2013 Ford Fusion, which is also set to bow halfway across the country at the Detroit Auto Show. Joining the Fusion will be the normal smattering of Mustangs and Focus sedans, hatchbacks and the all-new Electric, along with the Evos concept that debuted earlier this year. The Evos' presence is particularly important, as it outlines Ford's plan for a cloud-connected vehicle, and there's a chance we'll see those concepts evolved even further at CES.

Finally, Ford reps say they'll be doubling the amount of apps available through the automaker's SYNC infotainment system, so expect more streaming, more social and more connected apps to be available later this year.

Toyota Supra rumors continue with 400-hp hybrid power

Have we told you how badly we want a reboot of the Toyota Supra? One of the iconic cars of Gen X youth, the Supra died an untimely death in the mid-1990s along with the rest of the Japanese sports car market. This was, of course, long before most of us had managed to graduate from college and get decent enough jobs to be able to afford anything more exciting than a used Honda Civic.

So yes, we hang on every word out of Japan, and the latest comes via Motor Trend. It's reporting that a hybrid, 400-horsepower, 3.5-liter V6 powertrain is being tested for possible release in 2015. The new Supra would look a lot like the FT-HS concept that Toyota showed at the 2007 Detroit Auto Show, according to the magazine, which also says that if we really want to see this Supra successor, we'd better hope the Toyota GT 86/Scion FR-S does well.