Last week it was Nissan that stole the show with a report of a fast lap at the Nurburgring, as all sorts of manufacturers not only use the famous German track for testing but also publish their results.

This week, it is Lexus. A Toyota/Lexus test driver has taken the Lexus LF-A round the ‘Ring even faster than the Nissan. At first sight, you might expect the Lexus to be faster as it is a two-seater, against the 2+2 arrangement of the Nissan GT-R, and it has a 5.0-liter V-10 engine.

On the other hand, Nissan has been honing the GT-R for years, and the twin turbos give it the sort of power you might expect from a 5-liter job. Well, there is no doubt about one thing. At the Nurburgring, the Lexus is quicker than the GT-R, and not by a whisker either.

Nissan’s GT-R has lapped the infamous German track in 7 minutes and 29 seconds, which Nissan seems to think is about as fast as it can go, and I was impressed, I can tell you. But I’m even more impressed by the fact that the Lexus has scrambled round in 7 minutes and 24 seconds - that is a full four seconds faster than the 600 bhp Pagani Zonda! In fact, very few cars have lapped that fast, apart from the Radical SR8 and Donkervoort D8 270RS, both of which are near trackday cars.

True, the Lexus LF-A is still a prototype, and not a production car, but we can be pretty sure that the production car will be very close to what we are now seeing. And we can also be sure that it is going to be good.

Any car that can lap the Nurburgring Nordschleife in under 8 minutes when driven by someone who is not a racing driver is a very quick car with good handling. The Nordschleife is a twisty circuit 12.9 miles long, although it is modified for most tests to be slightly shorter at 12.8 miles.

The fastest production is the Radical SR8, which is a near sports-racer. It has lapped I 6 minutes 55 seconds, and the second fastest is the Donkervoort D8 RS at 7 minutes 14 seconds.

When the Nissan GT-R clocked 7 minutes 38 seconds, that was reckoned to be very fast. After all, the Koenigsegg, despite its 800 bhp could manage no better than 7 min 34, and the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren abd Bugatti Veyron both took 7:40.

Well, Nissan, which does a lot of testing at the Nordschleife, like many car companies, recently went back, and its top test driver, who drives like a racer, hurtled round in 7:29! this compares with 7:28 for the Pagani Zonda F with 650 bhp, which shows just how quick the combination of Tochio Suzuki and the GT-R on standard tires really is.

With 473 bhp and four-wheel drive, the Nissan GT-R is undoubtedly a very fast supercar, and must have the handing to match. That’s enough to put it up there with some very expensive metal.

In a move to become more environmentally friendly, Ferrari is launching a front-drive 2+2 powered by a V-8 engine. This moves opens up a new supercar market for more compact high-performance cars – expect others to follow. the new car is the Ferrari California.

A sleek looking car, with some similarity to the F599 GTB Fiorano, the new car has the same type of aluminum frame and body as existing models, but breaks new ground with a folding metal roof. There is the usual Ferrari grille, with faired in headlamps at the front, but the sides are a little different, with the rear fender extending forward to the bottom of the front wheelarch.

New 460 bhp engine and seven-speed box

Power is from a new flat-plane crank 4.3 liter V-8 with direct injection, which improves fuel consumption a little. Power output is 460 bhp at 7,500 rpm, guaranteeing startling performance. Ferrari claims a 0-60 mph time of less than 4.0 seconds, thanks in part the use of a twin-clutch seven-speed gearbox. This box, mounted with the final drive gears as a transaxle to give good weight distribution, represents a change of direction for Ferrari, which had previously clung to its F1 system of sequential shifting.

The suspension is new, of course, with double wishbones at the front and a multi-link rear system. Brembo is supplying the brakes, which come with carbon ceramic discs as standard. Should be a fantastic car.

GM-Holden, the thriving Australian arm of the General, is really aiming for the top with the HSV (Holden Special Vehicles) W427.  Similar to the other HSV V-8s, some of which are sold as Pontiac GR8s in the USA, the new model is powered by GM’s LS7 engine, instead of the 6.0 liter used in other models.

In fact, the 6.0 liter mills of the HSV models are about to be replaced by the 6.2 liter jobs found in the latest Corvettes, which produce 437 bhp. That is not enough the engineers at HSV, who want to put their cars well ahead of arch-rival Ford, so they are introducing this W427. Power output is 500 bhp, while maximum torque is 347 lb ft (470 Nm), pushing this neat-looking sedan into the supercar class. The engine is coupled to  the TR6060 six-speed manual box. The new car should be capable of hitting 60 mph just 5 seconds from a standing start, and could be very quick indeed- rivalling the BMW M5 among others.

Showing the fact  that the W427 is headed for the tracks is the dry sump lubrication with oil cooler which come as standard, and brakes by AP racing. At the front, the AP six-pot calipers work on massive 15-in (380 mm) diameter grooved discs, and at the rear there is a combination of four-pot calipers and 13.78-in (350 mm) diameter discs.

Externally, the car looks a little different with a big air dam and new grille, and the large rear carbon fiber spoiler. Special 20-inch wheels, which are 8 inches wide at the front, and 9.5 inches wide at the rear combine to make the car look a little different.

And wants to build a coupe again

GM-Holden sprung a surprise at a couple of shows in Australia recently by displaying its C60 concept car, a coupe based on the Commodore VE underbody. The C60 is a smart, and lithe coupe, with a fastback line, and an aggressive front end. The sporty look is enhanced by the side exhaust pipes.

It would look better if they had shortened the wheelbase compared with the sedan, but here is an interesting car that could become a successor to the Monaro and Pontiac TransAm. In theory, that is. However, the Monaro was dropped as there was not enough demand to justify production, so it was replaced by sedans.

Having dropped the coupe once could GM bring it back? By basing the C60 on a standard underbody, the pricing may not be impossible, but it will be difficult to get GM’s top brass to sanction another coupe with doubtful sales potential, given the poor financial state of the parent company. On the other hand, GM-Holden might be able to swing it, based on its recent successes….

Hennessey, which is renowned for its very potent tuned Chrysler/Dodge V-8 and V-10 engines is thinking of moving into the exotic car market with a mid-engined sports racing coupe.

Designed by British auto designer, Steve Everitt, the Venom GT would incorporate Hennessey’s potent Venom 1000 Twin Turbo Viper V10 engine, which develops 1,000 bhp. Not quite as much power as the SSC Ultimate Aero TT, but this will be a lightweight car weighing in at around 2,700 lb (1,225 kg), which would be very light. The engine will be coupled to either a 6-speed manual or sequential transaxle.

Henessey expects the car to have a power-to-weight ratio of 800 bhp per tonne, which is very high, and enough to accelerate the Venom GT to 60 mph in less than 2.5 seconds, and to 180 mph in around 14 seconds. The Venom GT is seen not seen as a competitor for the Bugatti Veyron, but a much more sporty car.

Company founder, John Hennessey says: ‘The Veyron is an ultra fast and ultra luxurious grand touring car which also happens to be quicker and faster than any other road car, except for our Venom 1000 Twin Turbo SRT which beat the Veyron earlier this year from 0-200 mph. The Venom GT will be a much more engaging sports car to drive by challenging the driver with 1000+ HP in a chassis that is nearly 1,500 lbs lighter than the Veyron.’ Of course, the SSC Ultimate Aero TT has since proven to be a faster car than the Veyron.

Hennessey said, ‘The company already has existing Venom 1000 Twin Turbo clients interested in ordering the lighter, mid-engined Venom GT. Right now we are taking a serious look at building two concept cars that could be shown to the public sometime in 2009. If there is enough demand we may consider doing a very limited production run of the Venom GT.’

If the Venom GT goes into production, it would be built at the company’s facility at Lonestar Motorsports Park which is located just west of Houston, Texas.

Unless you are Australian, you have probably never heard of Bolwell sports cars, but since he was a teenager, Campbell Bolwell has been building sports cars in low volume. The Nagari was his first productrion car, and was mid engined. It was produced in about 1969-1972. Nagari is an Aboriginal word.

Now, Bolwell makes large glass fiber mouldings for trucks and other products, but after a lull of many years without any Bolwell sports cars being produced, the Bolwell Nagari is reborn.

Nagari was a name used by Bolwell for a smart sports coupe years ago, but now the Bolwell Nagari is a brand new design. It has a carbon fiber passenger module, with front and rear subframes, as on some of the most exotic cars in the world. It is a compact coupe, and to keep costs down, Bolwell plans to install the engine crosswise behind the driver, in unit with a transaxle. This means that a production engine from one of the big manufacturers can be used.

This is the layout used on the Lotus Elise and Exige, the Noble M400 and KTM X-Bow.

On the prototype, Bolwell has installed a custom-supercharged Toyota V-6 power train. The engine of the production car should develop about 350 bhp, and as the car is very light at just over 2,000 lb (920 kg), it should be a flyer.

There is still some development needed to get the car into production, but just watch this space.

After all those designer’s sketches were sent out some time ago, we were expecting a dramatic-looking new Scirocco from VW. After all, the old Scirocco may not have been fast, but it was a sporty looking job.

My guess is that the Scirocco fell foul of the new VW strategy on underbodies is intended to rationalise production (again). Whatever the reason, the new Scirocco is a disappointment, as it looks like a flabby hatch.

Here we have one more hatchback, which looks a cross between the VW Golf GTI and a Volvo C30. What we were expecting was a low sporty coupe, maybe a bit bigger than an Audi TT, and maybe not so dramatic as the Toyota Celica, but at least something that looked sporty.

As it is, I’m left wondering: ‘What’s the point?’ Why didn’t they just chop two inches off the height of a Golf and call it a Scirocco. Maybe the new car will drive well. It remains to be seen.

Hyundai has announced that its new rear-drive sports coupe, the Genesis, is to go into production soon. The top model has a 306 bhp 3.8 liter V-6 and rear-drive, so at last Hyundai has a really competitive sports car. The adoption of rear-drive gives good weight distribution, resulting in better handling and traction than with front drive, but is more practical than a mid-engine car.

The specification looks good, as the car has double-wishbones at the front, and multi-link rear suspension. Brakes are by Brembo. Hyundai claims a 0-60 mph time of less than six seconds.

There is also a two-liter version, which has a 212 bhp turbo engine. The Genesis will compete head-on with the Nissan G37 coupe, the Audi TT 3.2 liter, and the Mazda RX-8.

Ford has unveiled the new Falcon in Australia. This mid-size sedan, sold only in Australia, has been rebodied with slightly more sporty lines and upgraded performance.

All models get a new double-wishbone set-up, which should combine with the multi-link rear end to give good handling. Ford’s sportiest Australian models are produced by FPV, and the new Falcon FPV gets a proper FPV badge, and more sporty looks with an aggressive front end.

The new models get a double grille, which is like a figure-of-eight, taking in the conventional grille and the air intake below the bumper. These are flanked by grey panels which include the lamps and give the car a completely different look. But is it good? Not sure, need to see it in the metal.

Also the 5.4 liter V-8 in the GT will be more powerful than the old models, and at the same time Ford has improved fuel consumption.

Alfa Romeo is adding a Spider version of its fabulous looking Alfa 8C Competizione. The car is basically the same as the coupe, and has a 450 bhp 4.7 liter V-8. The engine is coupled to a  6-speed sequential paddle shift gearbox.

Inside the car has carbon fiber trim panels.