modification drag racing, drag racing concept, new modifications

Looks like Maserati is getting into some territory usually reserved for the customizers when it unveiled a new special edition at the Bologna Auto Show, the MC Sport Line. Starting with a GranTurismo S, Maserati adds front and rear carbon-fiber spoilers, side skirts with a matte black central panel, carbon fiber mirror housings and exterior door handles, and glossy black 20" wheel rims.



Maserati also added performance enhancing elements. The suspension has been upgraded to stiffer springs, shock absorbers and anti-roll bars. There’s also new software for Maserati’s Stability Program, which the company says allows the driver "more freedom".

Because this comes directly from Maserati everything is done in good taste. This makes it a much harder sell for some of the custom jobs out there. Although this MC Sport Line is based on the GranTurismo S, Maserati says it will bring the Sport Line features to the GranTurismo and then the entire Maserati line-up in 2009.

More pics ---> Top Speed

The collective artistic skill of Zsports Cars would hardly equal the pinky toe of Picasso, which is why we are duly impressed with Rob Ijbema's website called Car-A-Day. Rob began the site about a year and a half ago painting and publishing one work per day of cars in various forms of motorsport. He continued at this pace for over a year, but has since slowed down a bit, but the sheer size of his catalogue is still staggeringly impressive. As you can see in our gallery of favorites, Rob has pretty much all of the well known brands of motorsports covered with paintings of race cars from LeMans, Formula One, the WRC, DTM, vintage racers and even NASCAR! His style might best be described as Impressionist with, as he explains, a focus on movement and atmosphere rather than detail, which would take much longer to reproduce on canvas. Most of Rob's work could go for hundreds if not thousands of dollars in a gallery somewhere, but for him they're all in a single day's work. Each one is for sale, just email Rob for a price. Check out our faves in the gallery below, and be sure to visit Car-A-Day yourself and peruse his archives, as well as subscribe to Rob's RSS feed for updates on when he publishes a new painting.

Here's the link ---> http://www.car-a-day.blogspot.com/

We'd love to tell you that we're showing you this photo of a Bentley Conti GT getting sideways on the Finnish ice because it illustrates some Important New Car News: a new lightweight front splitter, or some innovative tires made from bin bags and bad thoughts, or something like that.

But we're not. We're showing it to you because it looks awesome. Big British super-coupes powersliding on frozen Arctic lakes is something we should see more of.

It's part of Bentley's 'Power on Ice' driving experience, where owners (or 'Premiership footballers', as they're better known) get to learn the grip and handling capabilities of their Bentley... by hooning it around the frozen lakes of Finland. Which definitely beats looping around traffic cones in a dingy parking lot.

Actually, maybe there is some useful consumer advice here. If you get snowed in this winter, don't go thinking you need a super-safe 4x4 will hill descent control and a low ratio box.

No, what you need is a 600 hp rear-drive supercar and a heavy right foot. Glad to be of help.

The thing about replicas is that most of the times you're impressed with the effort that went into building one rather than the overall result. But in the case of the Audi R8 replica that was made out of a European 2001 Ford Cougar 2.5 V6 by Alberto Gavach Fuertes from Zaragoza, Spain, we must admit that we're also amazed from the outcome. For those that are swift to criticize, bear in mind that Alberto managed to approximate the looks and proportions of a mid-engined sportscar using a front-engined, front-wheel drive coupe.