The Track’ster concept car was created at Kia’s California Design Studio and went on show for the first time today at the Chicago Auto Show. To be powered by a 246bhp (250PS) Petrol engine (if it’s ever produced), Track’ster is intended to be the ultimate sporting representation of Kia’s Soul, in keeping with the B-segment SUV’s rebellious, individual and urban character.

Kia’s hugely successful urban crossover, the Soul, was originally created in the California Studio, the birthplace of the Soul’ster convertible concept that is currently under final assessment for production. Soul has been a hit with US consumers, with more than 102,000 delivered to owners in 2011.

At the moment, there are no plans for Track’ster to enter production, but as always this will depend on the response Kia receives at motor shows and from customer feedback.

The Track’ster certainly looks like it would make a good addition to Kia’s ever improving range, we just wonder whether they’ll need to up the ante in their ads and use something more bad-ass than Hamsters.

This engine is available for the special RACE 606 model and as an after-market fitment on any standard California model. The compressor system consists of a mechanical supercharger driven by the crankshaft via a cogged V-belt, and produces a maximum boost pressure of 0.4 bar. The conversion also includes a water-to-air intercooler, a newly designed intake manifold and larger injectors.

For better exhaust-gas flow the supercharged engine is fitted with a flap-controlled high-performance exhaust system with sport catalysts – controlled by the Manettino button on the steering wheel. The driver can choose between a subtle and subdued tempo, right up to an extrovert sports exhaust note.

In addition to the hike in power, the RACE 606 boosts peak torque from the standard car’s 485Nm to 603 Nm at 5,500 rpm. Performance is suitably impressive with a claimed 0-62mph sprint time of 3.8 seconds and a top speed of 203 mph.

The NOVITEC ROSSO designers went into the wind tunnel to develop body components that further reduce lift on front and rear axle and thus contribute to further optimized directional stability at high speed. All parts of the aerodynamic-enhancement package are made from matte clear-coated carbon fibre, making them especially light and yet highly resistant. The front and rear spoilers together with the rear diffuser create an optimal aerodynamic balance and are essential for the racing look of the sports car. Rocker panel blades, side air outlets in the front fenders, mirror covers and the rear moulding add further highlights.

To further emphasize the wedge shape of the sports car the wheels were manufactured in a staggered combination of size 9Jx21 for the front and in size 11.5Jx22 for the rear axle. The matching PZero high-performance tyres in 255/30 ZR 21 (rear) and 315/25 ZR 22 (front) are said to provide considerably more grip combined with sports springs which lower the ride height of the Ferrari by some 35 mm.

To avoid frequent (and expensive) repair bills to thos vulnerable carbon fibre body parts, the RACE 606 is fitted with a hydraulic front lift system, activated at the push of a button in the cockpit which raises the front of the car by 40 mm and makes navigating speed bumps and garage ramps a little less of a nerve racking experience.

The RACE 606 will make its world debut at the Geneva Motor Show next month and is available to order now.

Photo Gallery

Fabulous cars, close racing and loads of ‘lapping’ as they like to call it Stateside.

We hope you enjoy the trip with us!

He smashed the previous record of 171 feet set by DC Shoes co-founder Ken Block in November 2006 and made it look easy, finishing up in a tyre wall constructed on the barge.

Travis Pastrana: the new record holder for world’s longest rally car jump

Pastrana celebrated his record by ascending to the ramp’s highest point, saluting the massive crowd, then black-flipping into the Pacific Ocean.

“When I used to say I was going to do something, everyone would say, ‘Don’t do it. That’s crazy! That’s dumb! And they’d try to talk me out of it,” Pastrana says. “Now, I say I’m going to do something like jump a car onto a barge and they say, ‘Cool. You’ll be fine. You’re Travis Pastrana. It will work.’

Somehow I’ve built this reputation as being better than I actually am. It’s an amazing position to be in, because when I have an idea, people are willing to take a risk to help me make it possible. But it’s also very scary, because I have to think things through a lot more now.”

As it turns out, it’s very difficult to jump a car, … “If it goes well, it goes really well. If it goes bad, it goes really bad”

– Travis Pastrana

“I’ve never made a New Year’s resolution,” Pastrana says. “I don’t need the extra motivation. I live my life every day as best I can.” And if he wants to change something, he doesn’t wait until January 1. “I get that from my dad,” he says. “If he bought me a cool Christmas gift, he’d give it to me that day. He’d say, ‘What if I waited to give you this bike and it snowed the day after Christmas and you couldn’t ride it? Why wait for Christmas?”

But if he were to make a resolution today? “It would be to do less,” he says. “Lately, I’m always tired and sore and hurt.” So, less is more? “I couldn’t do it,” he says, rethinking his resolution. “I’d be bored by next week.”

What a hero.

You can watch a video of his record jump above.

Interview quotes: ESPN

Read the full interview

You will love this, regardless of whether you approve of the LFA, and if you had any doubt as to whether it qualifies as a ‘real’ supercar then we suspect you might feel differently after listening to these clips.

The acoustic performance of the V10 engine and exhaust system has been fine-tuned to create a unmistakeable “soundtrack” that rises from a rumbling note at idle to a nape-tingling red-line wail.

The acoustic team studied the noise made by a Formula 1 car at maximum revs, then applied detailed design features to create an exhaust note for the LFA, enhancing the sensation of speed and acceleration.

The main silencer is made of titanium and has a valve-actuated, dual-stage structure that channels the exhaust flow according to engine speed. Up to 3,000rpm, the exhaust valve stays closed, routing the flow through multiple chambers, creating an unobtrusive note. Above 3,000rpm the valve opens, allowing the exhaust to bypass these chambers and flow into a single resonance chamber, before exiting through the stacked trio of tailpipes.

The V10’s induction system was also modified to complement the engine’s acoustic qualities. The uniquely formed horizontally split resin surge tank – a unique design – mimics the acoustic chamber of wind and string instruments: up to 4,000rpm it emits the engine’s primary firing frequency of 300Hz; this changes to 400 to 500Hz as the engine revs climb to 6,000rpm; and a peak is reached at 600Hz as the engine wails towards its 9,000rpm red line.

The air intake is made from a porous duct material to generate bass to mid-range tones. The LFA development team called this acoustic effect Resonated Complex Harmony.

The engine’s induction and exhaust soundtrack are channelled into the LFA’s cabin, so people on board can enjoy the experience as much as those on the outside. The main sound channel that pipes in the engine’s induction notes runs from the surge tank into the cabin below the main dashboard panel.

Two further sound channels run to an opening in the upper cowl on top of the dashboard structure and a reflector panel low down at the front of the cabin. Together with the primary sound channel, these put the driver at the centre of the LFA team calls the 3D Surround Sound Concept.

Take a listen to a few samples below, then get on over to the Lexus LFA microsite and listen to the rest, you can also watch videos and browse the picture galleries and start scheming for ways in which you can find £336,000 to buy one for yourself.

Click on the image below to launch the Lexus LFA microsite
(you will find the sound clips by following, GALLERY > SOUNDS):

Lexus LFA Microsite

We understand that the driver was unhurt, however the damage inflicted on the California will require a little more work to fix.

Demand for the Ferrari California has been strong, with waiting lists extending between 2-3 years, so let’s hope this one manages to get fixed and the driver learns that showing off on a busy public road is neither clever nor worth the risk.

Read the 20 page feature magazine and then tell us what you think.

[Click picture below]