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Los Angeles-based tuner CEC has announced a new partnership with Lexus North America to create a tuning program for the Lexus LFA. Limited to just three vehicles, these unique supercars will feature a variety of enhancements created specifically for each customer. “We believe these three CEC Tuner Edition LFAs will be the most expensive and rarest of all the LFA supercars that Lexus will manufacturer and sell worldwide,” said Sherif Yassa, Vice President of CEC.

Thanks to the technical innovations that went into building the LFA, the CEC upgrades will mostly be limited to aesthetics. “We looked at the LFA and what Lexus engineers had done, and knew it would be crazy to try and improve it from a performance or engineering standpoint,” said Claus Ettensberger, founder of CEC. Even so, the tuner has managed to squeeze an extra 10 horsepower from the 4.8-liter V10 and trimmed shift times to .15 of a second.

While we don’t have any photos of the trio of custom LFA supercars quite yet, CEC did have an LFA on display featuring their lightweight forged wheels. You can see high-res photos of the car in the gallery below.

Sorry Formula One fans, it looks like Porsche won’t be throwing its hat into your ring anytime soon. Instead, the German manufacturer is more likely to back a factory team at Le Mans, at least according to ESPN. CEO Matthias Mueller said that while F1 has some attractive aspects, it’s also very expensive. Throw in the fact that success is a good sight less predictable than in other racing theaters and you can begin to understand why Porsche is a little skittish about diving into the deep end of the motorsports pool.

Instead, Mueller says that there’s a stronger possibility that we could see Porsche return to Le Mans. If you’re thinking that Audi just might have a thing or two to say about having to go fender-to-fender with its corporate cousin, you’re probably right. Still, the minds at Porsche seem to think that having two teams parented by Volkswagen gunning for the checkered flag is better than just one. For now, this is all just speculation. Mueller said that he wants all Volkwagen Group companies to come together to discuss a cohesive motorsports plan in the near future.

Hemi. The mere mention of the word is enough to strike fear into the hearts of lesser powerplants… or at least images of a pair of scrubby-looking bottom-feeders that really love themselves some Ram Trucks. In any case, we’re keenly interested in the latest Hemi engine from the Dodge Boys, in this case displacing a heady 392 (or so) cubic inches and placed gently inside the engine bay of the 2011 Challenger SRT8.

Not only is this new Hemi larger than the already oversized version it replaces, it’s also considerably more potent. The Pentastar says that its new 392 kicks out 470 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque – substantial improvements over the outgoing SRT8′s 425 hp/420 lb-ft. But those are factory ratings, and we all know those don’t necessarily match what’s actually under the hood of production models.

Thankfully, the crew over at Inside Line managed to score enough time with a 2011 Challenger SRT8 to strap it down to a proper dyno. And the results? How about 452 horses at 6200 RPM and 443 lb-ft at 4400? Yep, that’ll do nicely, and it means that Dodge may actually be underrating its potent performer just a tad. Oh, and for what it’s worth, IL managed to record 370 horses and 343 lb-ft from its 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS on the same exact dyno. Chevy’s answer ought to be coming in the form of a Z28 with over 500 supercharged ponies… Stay tuned, the horsepower wars are clearly still in full swing.

As 2010 draws to a close, it’s time for different publications to start dishing out the numerous “car of the year” awards that highlight the best and brightest offerings for each new model year. The folks at Popular Mechanics have just released their Top 10 Cars for 2011, with American manufacturers (Ford, specifically) taking away the vast majority of top honors. Add General Motors and Chrysler to the mix, and the Big Three account for six of the ten vehicles on Popular Mechanics‘ list.

Ford’s Mustang, Fiesta and F-250 Super Duty were all recognized as class-leaders for the 2011 model year. Across town, the new Cadillac CTS Coupe and Chevrolet Volt were given a hat tip from the editors, as was the Jeep Grand Cherokee, one of parent company Chrysler’s big comebacks for the year 2011. The remaining awards were given to the Hyundai Sonata, Toyota Sienna, Lotus Evora and Infiniti M, all of which are fantastic cars in their own rights.

To see which cars were honored for each category, you can scroll through our image gallery of the winners, or hit the jump to read the official press release. Look for the full story in Popular Mechanics’December issue, which hits newsstands on November 12.

We’ve got good news for you if you want the skinny on exactly how the 2012 Nissan GT-R will be available when it arrives. The crew over at 2009GTR.com have sourced up the ordering guide for the next Nissan supercar from the North American GT-R Owners Club, and it looks like buyers will be able to pick from a total of six colors. Of those, it’s unclear exactly how man that the company will only charge extra for at the moment. Right now 2009GTR.com seems to think that Super Silver will be the only cost-adding hue, though the forums are rife with speculation otherwise. The 2012 GT-R will be available in just two packages, including Premium, which will fetch $89,950 excluding destination and Black, which is expected to land around $95,100.

Options include floor mats, a cold-weather package and a rear view camera, though at this point it’s unclear how much Nissan will want for those niceties. One of the most curious additions comes from the car’s homeland. Japanese buyers will be able to opt for an Egoist package for the interior that drapes the cabin in red and pink leather as seen above. Let’s just say we won’t be missing that one in the States. More demure owners can go for grey and red hide.

To each their own, we suppose. There are also a heap of photos of a new JDM-only Club Track Edition, though details are scarce at the moment. Judging from the photos, that machine is a full-on track heathen with a gutted interior, unique dampers, a roll cage and a driver controllable rear differential cooler. Tasty. Sadly, it looks like that particular car isn’t headed stateside anytime soon, either.

Head over to 2009GTR.com to have a look at the full order sheet.

The time has come to virtually create your own modern-retro (an oxymoron? Not these days…) muscle car convertible. That’s right, the 2012 Chevrolet Camaro convertible configurator is now online. The base price for a standard-grade 1LT model with a V6 comes in at $29,150. Stepping up to the top-level SS model will empty the wallet to the tune of $39,650… but if you’re like us you will end up closer to $50,000.

To get there, we threw on the RS package and blacked-out 21-inch wheels along with the dealer-installed ground effects package. However, once we looked to the cost summary and saw $49,635 we began to backtrack a wee bit on the options. We ended up at $47,920 for a tasty new Camaro Convertible painted up in classic white with orange racing stripes.

Head on over to the Chevrolet Camaro convertible configurator and see what your ideal setup will cost you.

What’s even better than a supercar? A one-of-a-kind factory prototype. And few drummed up as much excitement back in the 70s as the Mercedes-Benz C111. The experimental showcase demonstrated the epitome of performance technology and aerodynamics, and still stands as one of the most advanced prototypes ever devised in Stuttgart… or anywhere else for that matter. And now it’s back.

GWA Tuning, a Benz tweaker out of San Antonio, has breathed new life into the C111 formula with a recreation called the Ciento Once (Spanish for “one hundred eleven”). The one-off eschews the Wankel engine of the original for the AMG M120 V12 that drives the Pagani Zonda, driving 408 horsepower in this case through a six-speed transmission with the brakes from the S55 AMG and the rolling stock from theSLS. Have a closer look in the gallery below, and do try to keep the drool from puddling on the keyboard.

As part of its Hemi Highway Tour, a country-wide tour that started in November of 2010 and just recently came to its end, Dodge decided to stop and spend some quality time with the boys and girls from National Speed in Wilmington, NC. Though that company’s main purpose is modifying high-performance machinery to make even more power, Dodge decided to put a couple of its brand new 2011 models on their dyno to see what kind of power could be had right off the showroom floor.

As a preface to the actual dyno results, you should know that Ralph Gilles, Dodge Car Brand President and CEO, claims that a bone-stock 2011 Challenger SRT8 392 ran the quarter-mile at Infineon Dragway in just 12.44 seconds at 110 miles per hour. That, boys and girls, is seriously fast. And those figures are backed up by the data spat out by the computers hooked to National Speed’s dyno.

Without further ado, the numbers: The 2011 Dodge Charger R/T put down 327 horsepower at the rear wheels and 349 pound-feet of torque. For a car rated at 368 horses and 395 lb-ft, that’s quite good. Remember, the dyno measures power after it’s already gone through the transmission and through the wheels to the ground, which saps around 15 percent of total power.

It’s not every day that a Ferrari mule comes up for sale, but that day, ladies and gentlemen, has arrived. What you see here may look like an old 348, maybe with some 355 components retrofitted. But what you’re actually looking at is one of the mules that gave rise to the all-conquering Enzo supercar.

The car may wear modified 348 bodywork – disguising evaluation testers with existing sheetmetal is common practice in Maranello – but like so many things, it’s what’s inside that counts. And in this case, it’s a 670-horsepower V12 derived from the Scuderia’s Formula One racing program, but adapted for roadcar use and mated to a six-speed paddle-shift transmission.

Enamored of the Enzo’s performance, but less so of its styling? This could be your once-in-a-lifetime chance. Think of it the same way as the 288 GTO was to the F40, only one-of-a-kind, and suddenly the Langenfeld, Germany dealer’s 750,000 Euro (a cool $1M at today’s rates) asking price doesn’t seem quite so extravagant, though it’s not much cheaper than a full-on factory Enzo. Have a closer look in the high-res image gallery below and then be sure to take a look at Modena Motorsport’s website.

Beijing Automotive Industry Corp, or BAIC, is looking to buy Italian design firm Pininfarina. The Chinese automaker is already working with Pininfarina in collaboration on its upcoming models based on older Saabs.

Since mid-2009, Pininfarina’s family ownership has been looking to unload its majority stake in the company. Interest from several Chinese automakers has been piqued and BAIC is not alone in bidding for the right to purchase the design house. Brilliance and Anhui Jianghuai Automobile have put in bids, as have Indian automakers Mahindra and Bajaj Auto and Canadian parts supplier Magna International.

Regardless of BAIC submitting a winning bid, work with Pininfarina is proceeding and we expect to see the fruits of both companies’ efforts at a car show sometime in the very near future.

We’re anticipating a new Ferrari to be unveiled in a few months time at the Geneva Motor Show, but just what form – and arguably just as vitally, what technology – the new Prancing Horse will take has been the subject of much rumor and conjecture as of late.

Based on Ferrari chief Luca di Montezemolo’s reported pronouncement that his company is preparing “a very different new Ferrari” for the Swiss salon, initial reports speculated that a production-ready hybrid could be in the cards. But the latest reports seem to call that into question.

So if not a hybrid, what has Maranello got in store for us? Most reports point towards a replacement for the 612 Scaglietti, the company’s flagship (if somewhat lackluster) four-seat GT. Others suggest a shooting brake two-door wagon, while yet others report that whatever debuts will incorporate the company’s part-time all-wheel drive system, if not necessarily a hybrid drivetrain. The truth probably lies in the combination of several of these reports, if not all of them, but we’ll just have to sit tight to see what will lie underneath the veil come March.

It isn’t easy redesigning an icon, especially one as popular and well-known as the Chevrolet Corvette. Nevertheless, a seventh-generation Corvette is coming, and while rumors of an exotic mid-engine layout for America’s supercar are unlikely to pan out, it’s possible that the Bowtie brand’s designers could take the Corvette’s look in an entirely new direction.

Student designer James Robbins has his own ideas for what the C7 Corvette will look like. His renderings look like a logical next step in the car’s design evolution, though we’re not fans of some of the details. We particularly like the rear end’s reimagination of the Corvette’s signature round taillamps, albeit perhaps without some of the edgy detailing on the car’s hood. What say you? Check out the rest of the renderings in the gallery below and let us know what you think of Robbins’ C7 Corvette.

It’s no secret that the corporate schnoz adopted in recent years by Acura is, shall we say…controversial. But whether or not it’s helping or hurting sales is up for debate. On one hand, the brand’s 24-percent increase in sales in 2010 over the previous year has Honda’s luxury division outpacing the gains of its rivals. On the other hand, nearly everyone’s 2009 sales figures went down the economic toilet, and J.D. Power reports that exterior styling is the number one reason new car shoppers are rejecting the marque, followed closely by Acura’s interior styling.

Perhaps tellingly, Acura’s two most successful models in sales gains are the MDX and RDX utility vehicles, models competing in burgeoning segments (and the former of which features a somewhat muted faces compared to the rest of the company’s lineup). But hope may be on the way, and soon. According to Automotive News, Dave Conant, who owns an Acura store in Mission Viejo, California and has gotten an early look at the next-gen TL, Acura’s middle child is getting a major nose job.

And more new models are reportedly on the horizon as well, including hybrids and a likely return to the entry-level compact luxury class. What’s more, the automaker has promised dealers that future models will be better differentiated from one another, both styling-wise and in size. All that sounds good, just so long as no giant polished cow-catcher grilles get in the way.