Luxury cars and hip-hop music belong to each other, so the news that Grammy Award-winning artist Nelly will include the 2011 Mustang 5.0-liter V-8  in his upcoming album’s artwork is no surprise for us. The album, set to launch this spring, will feature a 2011 Mustang GT customized by DUB Magazine.

“I don’t care where you grew up, everyone knows the Mustang. At some point, you’ve had a conversation about a Mustang – and it was probably one about you wanting to get behind the wheel of one,” says the 35-year-old rapper. “I’ve always loved the Mustang; the vehicle has power to the point where you can’t help but want to hit the pedal. And the newest one? More power, hotter style.”

Saleen Performance Vehicles, based in Michigan, is currently displaying two of its latest contraptions at the 2010 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. The visitors at the booth will take a closer look at the Saleen 435S and the Saleen S281, both based on the 2010 Ford Mustang.

The Saleen 435S was the first vehicle launched under Saleen’s new ownership, following the purchase of Saleen Inc. in 2009, debuting as part of the Special Vehicle Team Owners Association’s annual “Mustang Week” event.

Ford chose the Detroit Auto Show as the first time to show the new 2011 Mustang GT Coupe and Convertible. With the majority of the news on the 2011 Mustang GT already available, this is actually the first time the convertible model has been shown at all.

Producing 412-hp at 6500 rpm and 390 ft-lbs of torque at 4250 rpm, the convertible is powered by Ford’s impressive new 5.0-liter V8.

Long time Mustang man Steve Saleen is showing off official images of his new 2010 SMS 620 Camaro, the third and latest of the ultra-high performance automobiles produced by Steve Saleen’s company, SMS Supercars of Corona, CA.The SMS 620 Camaro definitely has a SMS DNA in its striking design.

Chief Creative Officer of SMS, Phil Frank notes, “We have incorporated our well-known functional SMS Red Butterfly Dual Side Induction Hood as well as our race-proven aerodynamics in this third vehicle in our SMS Signature Series. The SMS 620 Camaro is a dramatic and iconic visual statement that very clearly bears the SMS design DNA.”

The interior includes high performance gauges and all-new Alcantara and leather SMS performance seats that feature the patented Signature Series chevron stripes. SMS offers its “Tailor Made” options for the exterior, interior and engine compartment; highlighted by a dozen show car quality custom SMS exterior colors. This newest creation by Steve Saleen’s company is scheduled for a market launch in the second quarter of 2010.

The 2010 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit is highly anticipated and it’s not much left before the event, carmakers are starting to release details of the car that will be displayed.

Chrysler has announced the arrival of the 2010 Chrysler 300 S6 and S8, two versions of the 300. Both are distinguishable from the mainstream 300 due to their distinctive look and some highly powerful engines. The 300 S6 is powered by a 3.5l V6 engine, 250 hp and able to return a 25 mpg highway fuel consumption. 

In recent months, rumors have been rampant that the next generation of Ford’s Shelby GT500 Mustang would dump the existing 5.4-liter supercharged V8 in favor of a twin-turbo version of the new 5.0-liter Coyote V8 that debuts this spring. Unfortunately, in spite of earlier reports confirming the development, it appears that such an engine will not be installed in the GT500 any time soon. Mike Harrison, Ford’s chief engineer for the 5.0-liter and 6.2-liter V8 engines  made it clear that the mooted engine is not part of the program for the Blue Oval bomber.

The Jeep Wrangler Mountain edition will join the manufacturer’s lineup for 2010. The Mountain is based on the Wrangler Sport S package and it is destined for the Wrangler Unlimited 4X4 models.

A special mountain decal is placed on the hood, to emphasize the car’s theme. This features latitude and longitude coordinates, which represent an actual location. Other exterior features include a bespoke finish for the front grille and bumper, tubular side-steps, a Mopar fuel cap, and black tail lamp guards.

DETROIT – Corvette Racing program manager Doug Fehan has seen it all in motorsports, and he had to rely on every element of that hard-earned experience to navigate through a tumultuous 2009 season. In the midst of a global economic storm, Fehan steered Corvette Racing to the team’s sixth win in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the successful mid-year introduction of the GT2 version of the Corvette C6.R in the American Le Mans Series.

Corvette Racing’s 10th anniversary season was a year of transition. The championship-winning GT1 Compuware Corvettes secured a seventh win in the season-opening Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring on March 21, and made their farewell appearance in the ALMS in Long Beach, Calif., on April 18. The curtain fell on the GT1 era on June 13-14 with a GT1 victory in Le Mans, France, as Johnny O’Connell, Jan Magnussen and Antonio Garcia stood on the top step of the podium. Seven weeks later, two new-generation Corvette C6.Rs made their competition debut in the GT2 class at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

GeigerCars from Germany released an upgrade program for the Cadillac CTS-V,
coinciding with the American performance saloon’s European launch. The four-door Cadillac
with the tapered bonnet is powered by a 6.2-liter eight-cylinder engine, developing 564 horsepower and a maximum torque of 747 Nm.

Under the massive power dome hood are hidden the large intercooler and the compressor. Thanks to several tweaks here and there, such as an increase in air charge pressure, GeigerCars managed to lift the power up to 619 horsepower and raised the maximum torque to 850 Nm, which means a top speed of over 330km/h thanks to a shortened fifth and sixth gear.

GMC Urban Utility Concept (mentioned previously as the GMC Granite) is the teaser, released by GM, prior to its debut at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show on Monday. The concept hints at a new segment GMC may venture into to compete with the likes of Kia’s Soul and Nissan’s Cube.

“We’ve designed a new breed of truck that’s as efficient as it is chic, innovative as it is functional,” says Frank Saucedo. “Our goal was to create the next generation of urban mobility, fusing a flexible, functional social space with an urban-box design that’s equally at home at the cabin or the club.”