Tokyo Auto Salon pits performance autos against hybrids

The world's other big January auto show, the 2010 Tokyo Auto Salon, opened its doors to tuner enthusiasts in mid-month with a record 402 exhibitors. The Auto Salon fuses numerous styles, but the overriding theme this year was hybrid cars, with customized Toyota Priuses and Honda Insights at every turn. Good old-fashioned engine tuning is alive and well in Japan, where even new sports cars are being heavily modified, with cars such as the KRL Mitsubishi Evolution X and the HKS Nissan GT-R both boasting in excess of 600 hp.

Lyonheart K: Was the Growler, still very Jaguar E-Type

Lyonheart K - the 21st Century Jaguar E-Type The Lyonheart K was the Jaguar E-Type “Growler” and is now heading for production as a Swiss English venture by Classic Factory. Last year we were treated to renderings of a  Jaguar E-Type homage in the form of the Visualtech Growler, an XKR dressed up as a 21st century E-Type. But it all went quiet.

Saturday night's all right at Barrett-Jackson auction

Auction company Barrett-Jackson has a long-standing tradition of selling cars with no reserve--meaning the car is sold to the highest bidder regardless of price--but a change in that policy saw several million-dollar sales Saturday night at the annual extravaganza in Scottsdale, Ariz. While most of the cars crossing the Barrett-Jackson auction block continue to be sold at no reserve, the auction giant offered up several classics with a reserve and the results were impressive. The top five sellers all eclipsed the magical million-dollar figure with the auction broadcast live on Speed TV.