Defending champions Ferrari have unveiled their 2009 challenger to the media, ditching the recent numbering system, the new 2009 Ferrari has been dubbed the F60, the 60th year of Formula One competition for the team, and was shortly afterwards shaken down by Felipe Massa at the team’s test track.

The car, initially dubbed the 660 during the design process, conforms to the 2009 regulations and features numerous innovations.

Team boss Stefano Domenicali explained the designated name for the new car, “We wanted a way to recognise the fact that the history… that Ferrari has always been connected in the presence of Formula One. So this is the 60th championship of the F1 and this is the 60th time that Ferrari is here in Formula One.”

As far as aerodynamics are concerned the modifications are a result of the Overtaking Working Group set up by the FIA in collaboration with the teams to produce a set of rules aimed at encouraging more overtaking.

The front wing has been developed mainly on its side elements and is now much wider than the past designs, the rear wing is higher and narrower and the diffuser has been moved rearward.

The new rules regarding aerodynamics have also led to modifications to the suspension and the whole layout of the car has been redesigned in light of the new rules and to achieve a balanced weight distribution.

The Nissan GT-R has had such an impact over the last 12 months it would be impossible to ignore and the scale of Nissan’s achievement deserves to be recognised.

Even the most hardened roadtesters have struggled to get to grips with just how fast the GT-R actually is. Put simply the mighty Nissan offers 911 Turbo pace for M3 money and deploys an incredible array of technology in its single-minded pursuit of redefining what a modern performance car is all about. 

It’s one of the most talked about cars of recent times and it’s easy to see why there is such a fuss about Nissan’s new GT-R. It’s certainly one of the most dramatic looking cars of recent years. And while carrying various classic GT-R styling cues it’s resolutely futuristic, the origami-style creases and detail distinctively Japanese in flavour. The super aggressive styling certainly shouts loud about the car’s potential. 

At every step of its development the GT-R has been benchmarked against the 911 Turbo. But while the 911 is devoted to the past, the GT-R looks only to the future, ripping up the supercar rule book.

The Nissan has already lapped the Nurburgring in 7min 29sec, three seconds faster than the 911 GT2. And while the Porsche retails at £131,000 Nissan is asking just £55,900 for the GT-R.

Watch the video below of the GT-R reaching a top speed of 190 MPH

After nine generations the Mitsubishi Evo had gone about as far down the extreme rally replica route as it was possible to go. So for this all-new car Mitsubishi had to find a way of distilling this formidable heritage into a more usable package, without diluting what made it special in the first place. Mitsubishi’s cult car has an all-new chassis platform and an all-new engine, even Mitsubishi’s all-wheel-drive hardware has received a high-tech makeover.

The basics are as before – lunatic pace, a high-tech four-wheel drive chassis, aggressive looks and a wonderfully driver-focused feel. But it comes in a package far more resolved than ever before, both visually and functionally.

It takes just one glance at this car’s sleek exterior to realize that it’s no longer business as usual in the Mitsubishi’s design studio. Though it’s disguised by projector-beam headlights and fast-acting LED taillights, this is a new sort of Mitsubishi, far more European in character than ever before.

There’s plenty of aluminum in the bodywork, including the hood and roof, twin exhausts are an Evo first, and help improve the look. A tall rear wing has quickly become an Evo trademark, so it’s no surprise that it continues here (although it’s no longer made of carbon fiber). The same goes for the aerodynamic diffuser that peeks out from underneath the rear bumper. The wheels on the car are 18-inch rims, which certainly wont be cheap when it comes to buying tyres after all those four wheel drives slides!

Watch the Mitsubishi Evo X promotional video below

Toyota is to delay its rear-wheel drive coupe collaboration with Subaru until 2012, it has been reported. The collaboration was first announced in February this year and it was originally pencilled in to arrive some time this year – 2009.  

Sadly dwindling sales and the global economic crisis have claimed another victim and the compact rear-drive two-door has been delayed for at least three years. The coupe was expected to be branded the next-generation Scion tC in the US and if it is to be delayed the company will be forced to make substantial updates before its release to keep it fresh, which will mean more work in the factory, including even more tp be spent on the model than was first planned. 

No word yet on a delay for the Subaru version of the car but considering the carmaker has just been forced to pull out of WRC rest assured that it won’t be arriving any time soon, these current times are seeing so many amazing plans for new cars being scrapped, which is such a shame for both us as potential buyers and the industry itself as we are slowly starting to see the development of new and improved cars grinding to a halt.

Honda have said today that the company have been forced to cancel the next-generation NSX because of the global economic conditions. The announcement was made during a speech outlining the carmaker’s revised economic forecast.

News has also been reported that the firm would not be bringing the Acura brand to Japan. ‘The situation is worsening by the day, and there is no prospect for recovery, is our understanding,’ Reporters were told. The NSX was expected to be a V10 sports car and it is reported that the car was almost production ready.

The project had encountered a number of problems but these problems had been overcome and it was in the late stages of development.

The Honda boss had previously told Autocar at the end of last year that the new NSX is ‘necessary for Honda’. The company reportedly indicated its operating profits will be 180 billion yen ($2 billion), down 67% from the forecasted 550 billion yen.

Honda is another manufacturer which has recently pulled out of motor sport to save money, as the firm pulled out of F1 as they were struggling with the costs of the expensive sport, the company had spent an estimated £300 million on F1 each year and in the current economic climate have decided it can no longer take part in the expensive sport.