Apple isn’t the only big news with a major update this month; Polyphony Digital, the developers of Gran Turismo 5 for the Playstation 3, released the version 2.0 update to the cult racing simulator game.

After a year from its long-awaited release, the Gran Turismo 5 racing simulator gets a major overhaul, being upgraded to version 2.0. The upgrades include an interior/cabin view (previously only available for premium vehicles in the game), shortened game load times (GT5 has a really long load time for its racetracks) and menu response times.

GT5 spec 2.0 also gets the capability to save progress for its many endurance races, as in the original version you had to restart the race if you had to turn off your PS3. Developers also announced an upgrade to the cars’ physics and computer A.I. for even better realism. The player also gets better control of the weather, as well as added support for the newer Logitech G27 and backward compatibility for the G25 racing wheels.
The upgrade also features a cool new opening movie.

In addition to the free upgrade, GT5 developers also announced new content for the game with several packages. The Course Pack dowloads includes Circuit Spa-Francorchamps while a Racing Car Pack includes 12 new cars from various manufacturers, and even gets Red Bull X2011 Prototype.

A new Downloadable Content (DLC) Compatibility has also been implemented as part of the update. Additional content for the game will be made available for purchase on the Playstation Store. The DLC will be made available beginning October 18, 2011.

The update will cost you about 1GB of download time. But it is very much worth the wait. In addition, the new opening movie is available for download under Gran Turismo TV and is a great addition to the new update.

Mint Design recently launched their products officially in Manila with a party entitled “Backyard Sessions” in Makati City. On deck were DJ Funk Avy, DJ B-Cal and DJ Skratchmark spinning from sundown until the wee hours while guests kept themselves busy Beer Pong, Graffiti Wall, Sumo Suit Wrestling, Velcro Wall, and Jousting. Some of the hottest cars and bikes from Manila were also on display. Son of a Beef sponsored BBQ and Burgers to go with the free flowing booze.

Hyundai partners with top aftermarket companies to customize latest models for SEMA

Hyundai recently showcased modified versions new Equus sedan, the Sonata Turbo and the Genesis Coupe at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show last Nov. 2-5, 2010. Hyundai has again united with some of the biggest names in the aftermarket industry to build six one-of-a-kind models for the Hyundai display at SEMA (booth #24387) at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

“Each year we bring our newest, most exciting custom cars to SEMA through a partnership with aftermarket specialists to create even more options for Hyundai owners,” said Michael Deitz, manager of Hyundai’s SEMA program. “This year, we chose to bring back the tuner-friendly Genesis Coupe, and debut modifications to our new luxury flagship Equus and 274 horsepower Sonata Turbo, both debuting as 2011 models.”

DUB Edition Hyundai Equus

Well known for prolific designs, the fabricators at DUB magazine have teamed up with Hyundai to customize an Equus, Hyundai’s all-new luxury flagship sedan. Exterior modifications on the DUB Edition Hyundai Equus include Trex DUB Design mesh grille, DUB Design custom body kit, tinted windows and tail lights, and a custom two-tone, gloss black-and-matte charcoal paint job.

The Equus also features a DUB Edition custom suspension riding on 24-inch TIS modular style 10 wheels with Pirelli Pzero Nero tires. To add to the already world-class Lexicon audio system that comes from the factory, DUB Design built a custom trunk enclosure that is fitted with Infinity Kappa components including nine Infinity Kappa Series speakers, KAPPA ONE mono and KAPPA FOUR four-channel amplifiers. Additionally, the interior of the Equus features DUB Design custom leather and suede, a DUB Design illuminated headliner and custom rear bucket seats.

“Elegant Equus” from Mummbles Marketing

The VIP themed “Elegant Equus” from Mummbles Marketing features a 450 horsepower, high-performance engine and advanced technologies as it aims to be the envy of every high-power executive. To capture the VIP luxury look, Mummbles Marketing has complemented Equus with some of the highest performance products on the market. The “Elegant Equus” will display engine, interior, exterior, brake, wheel and suspension modifications, as well as one-of-a-kind audio and video enhancements.

Along with a turbo kit and carbon fiber accessories to enhance Equus’ V8 performance, Mummbles installed an Apple iPad to control certain aspects of the vehicle such as ride height, luxury curtains, stereo and windows. Mummbles Marketing teamed up with Legacy Innovations and S-Max to build and manufacture the turbo kit and also worked with Infinity, Mobile Spec and Pyle for the custom audio and video parts on the vehicle.

ARK Track Time Attack Genesis Coupe 3.8L

To enhance the tunability of its most dynamic performance car ever, Hyundai teamed with ARK Performance Inc. to develop custom parts for the Hyundai Genesis Coupe. These high-performance parts will debut on the ARK Track Time Attack Genesis Coupe 3.8L show car. The Genesis Coupe from ARK is designed for enthusiasts looking for quality performance products and inspiration for their own modifications. All of the ARK Performance parts designed for the Genesis Coupe are production-ready and will soon be available for enthusiasts everywhere.

ARK was able to reach 585 horsepower with engine modifications, including an APG KOREA 3.8 supercharger kit, to Genesis Coupe’s already powerful 306 horsepower, DOHC 3.8-liter V6 engine. As an added feature the ARK Genesis Coupe’s paint scheme was designed and completed in collaboration with artists from Hyundai’s North American Design Center in Irvine, Calif.

Rhys Millen Racing Signature Edition Equus

For the third consecutive year partnering with Hyundai at SEMA, Rhys Millen Racing will debut the RMR Signature Edition Equus with exterior, interior and performance upgrades that enhance the already luxurious sedan.

The Equus showcases exterior RMR Signature Edition components including carbon mirrors, and front chin and rear deck spoilers. A two-tone carbon fiber and Red Bull Racing blue satin clear paint by BASF and HRE 21-inch P40 wheels will appropriately round out the exterior. Tuners aiming to get even more power from the stock 385 horsepower, V8 engine get a glance at a bolt-on RMR Signature Edition air intake and stainless exhaust that together will add another 30 horsepower. The RMR Signature Equus also features a 14-inch brake kit designed to tame the added power. The interior of the Equus features RMR Signature Edition embroidered headrests and floor mats, and ostrich hide leather seats with suede accents.

Gogogear Racing Genesis Coupe

The Gogogear Racing Genesis Coupe emphasizes racing reliability and high-end performance capabilities. The bright yellow paint scheme was designed in conjunction with Hyundai’s California Design Center. Gogogear Racing plans to show off the performance capabilities of its modified Genesis Coupe car in the U.S. Touring Car Championships in 2011, which is sanctioned by the premier auto racing sanctioning body in the U.S., the National Auto Sport Association.

Modifications to the Genesis Coupe prepare the performance vehicle for the track. Mechanical adjustments to the engine produce 330 horsepower and 280 lb-ft of torque by adding an AEM air intake, Magnaflow exhaust system and ARK Performance headers. The Gogogear Racing Genesis Coupe also features Ground Control suspension tuning with ARK Performance shocks, springs, coilovers and QA1 bearings. A light weight Spec racing clutch increases reliability and helps with quick and direct shifts of the stock close ratio six-speed manual transmission. At each corner, StopTech brakes, Hawk racing pads, Konig lightweight wheels and BF Goodrich R1 street legal race tires with aluminum light weight Gorilla lugs and H&R spacers ensure proper grip with the road.

On the exterior, Gogogear Racing increases the aerodynamics of the vehicle by adding an APR rear wing and an ARK Performance body kit. To lighten the car and to lower the center of gravity, a carbon fiber roof replaces the original steel roof. Inside, the Genesis Coupe includes Sparco race seats and seat belts, a full custom Metric Motorsports roll cage, a SPA Techniques fire suppression system, and a two-way radio to further ready the car for its racing debut. A RacePak IQ3 data logger dash supplies critical information and lap times to the driver. And a Linear Logic Scan Gauge II further notifies the driver of secondary engine parameters.

RIDES Magazine Sonata Turbo

To build excitement around the recently launched 2011 Hyundai Sonata Turbo, Hyundai Motor America teamed up with RIDES magazine to trick out one of the first turbos off the assembly line of its Alabama plant. Inspired by the Mercedes CLS, the modified Sonata 2.0T features an assortment of custom fabrication from RIDES’ team of expert builders.

The vehicles exterior modifications are clever and tasteful, starting with a one-off, fully custom RIDES-designed bodykit that’s comprised of new front and rear bumpers, side skirts, rear spoiler and roof spoiler, which all work together to accentuate the factory body lines of the Sonata. Other key exterior elements include a matte pearl paint job from BASF, 20-inch Rennen Modular M9 concave wheels powder coated matte black wrapped in Falken FK452 tires, smoked taillights and painted headlights, a matte black debadged front grille, Audi LED fog lights integrated into the new front bumper and 3M vinyl carbon wrap on the roof.

To complete the design, the RIDES team reupholstered the entire interior in a combination of black leather and suede with red stitching, along with integrating carbon fiber trim throughout. In the trunk there are two JBL 12-inch subwoofers paired with two JBL amplifiers. To finish things off, a custom quad tip exhaust was installed out back, while an S-Max front mount intercooler replaces the factory unit up front, ensuring that this build incorporates both go and show.

It may be Las Vegas, but all bets are off when America’s top custom car design teams are commissioned to create stand-out show machines for SEMA, the USA’s number one trade show for the specialist auto parts industry. Toyota seized the opportunity to parade beefed-up race and rally versions of Yaris and Urban Cruiser and a street-mean interpretation of Prius at the show, taking place this week.

The Yaris GT-S Club Racer is the real deal, a race car created by SportsCar Magazine that proved a double class winner in this year’s SCCA (Sports Car Club of America) competition. Based on a road-going five-door model, the car was stripped out and fitted with a carbon fiber bonnet and hatch in order to meet the weight regulations. Power from the 1.5-liter VVT-i engine was beefed up from 106 to 145bhp with the addition of performance parts and handling was sharpened with a limited slip diff, slick tires and Jongbloed Racing wheels. The GT-S name harks back to the celebrated Celica GT-S competition cars of the 1980s, while the graphics pay homage to Dan Gurney’s All American Racing team which fielded the all-conquering IMSA GTP Eagle Toyota cars in the 1990s.

0-60 Magazine is behind the transformation of the Urban Cruiser into a full-blooded rally car. A Sparco interior, roll-over cage, Tein suspension, Quaife LSD and Greddy performance exhaust are all included in the complete competition make-over. Attention to detail extends to the car being fitted out with a rally timing computer and on-board HD cameras. The livery on the concept pays homage to Toyota’s succesful World Rally Car heritage.

Toyota Motor Corporation in Japan commissioned the Prius C&A Custom Concept, created by its own Conversions and Accessories department to show just how the world’s best-selling hybrid can be transformed. Apart from the doors, the body, skirts, spoilers and bumpers are made from carbon fiber, finished in “Mystic Lavender”. The car rides on 18-inch forged alloy wheels and the Tien suspension drops the ride height by four inches at the front and six at the rear. Inside it is fitted out with Recaro sports seats and Alcantara upholstery and trim. The car’s debut at SEMA forms part of the celebrations of Prius’ 10th anniversary in North America.

Lexus has let some of America’s top custom car specialists loose on its hybrid models to mark its return this week to the 2010 SEMA auto trade show in Las Vegas. The result is a jaw-dropping display of giant rims, flared wheelarches, dazzling paintwork and outrageous body kits, plus high-performance axles, suspension systems and brakes.

Lexus has worked its own magic on the CT 200h, creating an F Sport Concept version of its soon-to-be-launched full hybrid luxury hatchback, fitting it out with 18 x 8-inch alloys with Pirelli PZero Nero 225/40R/18 tyres, adjustable suspension and shocks and a high-performance Big Brake Kit, with mighty 12.9 x 11-inch cross-drilled front discs. It may be a show concept, but it demonstrates just what an F Sport version of CT 200h might deliver.

0-60 Magazine has taken the GS 450h sports saloon and added a raft of performance and handling upgrades to increase the car’s fun factor on road and track. The Custom Carbon five-piece body kit includes an outrageous rear wing, while the hot hybrid also gains a GReddy performance titanium racing exhaust, racing dampers and springs from TEIN USA, Brembo Gran Turismo brakes and forged racing wheels from Rays Engineering.

Fox Marketing’s Lexus LS 600h L is SEMA’s “greenest” limousine by far, with its special Glacier Green and Satin Black paintwork. The bold colour scheme is matched by a full Artisan Spirit body kit with skirts, smoked tail-lights, twin rear wings and a front light bar. The car rides on Rotiform concave 20-inch BLQ wheels with a “candy copper” finish and it hugs the ground thanks to an adjustable ride height system. Modified Lexus/SSBC brakes are fitted – 14-inch front discs with four-piston callipers and 13.2-inch discs at the rear, and as a finishing touch, the Lexus emblems have a satin black finish.

VIP Auto Saloon’s take on the LS is lean, low and luxurious, with a customized interior (created together with Top Stitch), 21-inch WALD Mahora M11c polished machined black wheels and customized air suspension with a JoeZ Series rear axle system from Performance Tube Systems. Fifteen-inch Brembo discs with six-piston monoblock calipers are fitted and the car is turned out in a metallic bronze PPG paint finish.

The RX 450h – Lexus’s top selling North American model – has been transformed by Paul Tolson of EST Styling with a clean and mean new look, using a Hired Gun Paint Werks wide-body conversion kit. Add Leon Hardiritt 21-inch rims – -4 offset at the front and +9 offset at the rear – and an integrated Air Runner suspension system and you have a formidable full hybrid street machine like no other.

High-intensity, fast-paced full-on drifting action was once again the order of the day (weekend to be exact) at the Clark International Speedway as the 2010 Lateral Drift Pro-Am Championship held its 5th Round at the circuit inside the Clark Special Economic Zone in Pampanga.

Over thirty drivers came to tackle the challenging course selected by race officials to test the skills of the country’s top drifters.

Alex Perez makes full use of the racetrack.

Francisco Blanco smokes the rears of the powerful Motul S13

Jason Choachuy smokes the Kumhos of the AutoIndustriya.com Cefiro to the Top Qualifier Spot

Gio Rodriguez countersteers to victory

Mike Tuason captures the Amateur Division win and championship lead

Pro Division

1. Gio Rodriguez
2. Jason Choachuy
3. Alex Perez

Amateur Division

1. Mike Tuason
2. Bjorn Ongtiaobok
3. Norman Agojo

German-based Ferrari tuner Novitec Rosso recently unleashed their new bi-compressor supercharged F430 Edizione 747 to bid farewell to the F430 Scudiera. The new powerhouse boasts of 747-horsepower at 8500rpm and 738Nm of torque at 6300rpm, capable of going from 0-300km/h in 22.9 seconds and tops out at 351 km/h.

The limited upgrade is exclusive to the Berlinetta model of the Ferrari 430 Scuderia. The conversion uses a similar layout to all Novitec Rosso bi-compressor conversions with each cylinder bank fitted with an intercooler. Extra power is provided by a cogged-belt-driven high-performance supercharger with a maximum boost pressure of 0.53 bar. The intercooling system features its own dedicated water circuit. The radiator of the system is located behind a special centrally placed air duct in the front apron.

For more efficiency, a specially developed underbody with integrated air deflector optimizes the flow of cold air into the engine bay. The precompressed air is routed to the combustion chambers using a custom-tailored heat-insulated intake manifold with larger cross sections. Eight high-flow injectors ensure adequate fuel supply for the compressor conversion. Upgraded radiators and oil coolers are also added to guarantee durability under high temperatures.

A Novitec Rosso engine management system perfectly syncs all high-performance components and also increases redline speed by 200 rpm. The result is a generous increase of 237-horsepower from the normally aspirated form with a generous bump of 268 Nm in torque.

It also has performance test to back up its numbers: A sprint time of less than 3.4 seconds for 0 – 100 km/h is just as unique as the sprint time of 9.4 seconds to 200 km/h. Hitting the 300 km/h mark just after 22.9. The two-seater version can also be equipped with longer gear ratios for a top speed of 351 km/h.

New sport springs have also been installed to give more agile and direct handling, which lower the ride height of the Ferrari by some 30 millimeters. An innovative hydraulic lift system has been added to the front axle. At the push of a button in the cockpit the front is raised by 40 millimeters. It allows drivers to safely navigate parking ramps, low curbs and speed bumps. After safely passing over the obstacle, another push of the button reverts the suspension to its original position. If the button is not pushed the front end reverts to its original position automatically once the car reaches a speed of 80 km/h.

A two-tone special matte yellow and grey paintjob emphasizes the sporty shape of the body and lends the Scuderia pedigreed racing looks. To complement these looks Novitec Rosso installed black taillights, side markers and reflectors. The racing theme also dominates the engine’s appearance: All carbon-fiber engine components come with a matte finish.

The Edizione 747 rolls on three-piece 20-inch NF3 double-spoke wheels in sizes 8.5Jx20 in front and 12Jx20 on the rear axle are fitted with Michelin Pilot Cup sport tires in sizes 245/30 ZR 20 in front and 315/25 ZR 20 in back.

Interior upgrades include the Supersport steering wheel features a combination of leather and carbon-fiber with flattened bottom making entering and exiting the vehicle easier. Carbon-fiber shift paddles were added to complement the new steering wheel. The longer paddles also make manual shifting of the F1-SuperFast2 transmission easier. A two-tone interior is also available on option to match the racey exterior.