Turn off the mobile, close your email and get yourself a nice warm beverage, because the following 8 minutes is nothing but pure tarmac goodness with a revving soundtrack that is just as satisfying. Compiled at various rallies in Germany, Spain and Belgium, this video captures the fury of the 911 GT3 unleashed. Enjoy!

Aston Martin is accelerating development on the upcoming One-77 supercar. During top secret high-speed testing in the south of France the car comfortably achieved a top speed of 220.007mph (354.86 km/h) under dry but windy conditions. More tests will be conducted in the new year, including dynamic testing.

The One-77 is powered by a 7.3-litre V12 engine and will be Aston's most powerful and of course expensive road car ever. It is a two-door, two-seat coupe with a carbon fibre monocoque body structure.

A brand new street legal version of the greatest racing car America has ever built...amazing...

If you are of a certain age, as I am, then the Group B rally cars of the early 80s are the n’est plus ultra of anything driven by an internal combustion engine on four wheels. Packing unlimited horsepower into econobox based hot hatches with all wheel drive and minimum weight these cars were then launched onto the rally stages of the world when rallying was probably the most watched motorsport in the world. Plus you could actually buy limited production versions of everything you see on the screen. So forget supercars like Countachs or Ferrari Boxers–these were the cars any petrolhead of my day wanted in their garage. Anyway, some genius compiled eleven minutes of these monsters in action complete with full monte original soundtrack. Enjoy!

Federal agents this morning seized an exotic car valued at more than $700,000 from Family Classic Cars in San Juan Capistrano, where it had been left from a car show that took place there on Friday.

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency served the seizure warrant for a 1994 Cizeta V16.

ICE said the Italian car is one of fewer than a dozen such vehicles produced by automotive engineer Claudio Zampoli in a joint venture with music composer Giorgio Moroder.

According to a news release, ICE investigators allege that Orange County resident Zampoli violated U.S. customs and environmental laws when he brought the car into the country in 2001.

In the affidavit filed in support of the seizure, Zampoli’s import agent stated on customs documents when the car was imported that it was worth $125,000, even though the car originally sold new for $600,000, ICE said.

Additionally, the federal agency said the car does not meet U.S. environmental and safety regulations.

“Make no mistake, the illegal importation of gray market vehicles like this is not just a technical violation,” said Miguel Unzueta, special agent in charge for the ICE Office of Investigations in Los Angeles. “Cars that don’t meet U.S. standards are outlawed for a reason. These vehicles can pose a real threat to public health and safety.”

The folks at Family Classic, meanwhile, say they were just as surprised as anyone when federal agents arrived this morning to seize the car.

“We don’t own the car, we weren’t trying to sell the car and it wasn’t even on consignment,” said Family Classic owner Marc Spizzirri. “Apparently they went to (Zampoli’s) business first to seize the car. Then the next thing I know, I had 10 agents here.”

“The immigration guys were total gentlemen,” Spizzirri added. “They couldn’t have been more cordial. They said, ‘This has nothing to do with you; we are just taking the car out of here.’”

(We are still trying to find a phone number to reach Zampoli for comment.)

As for the Cizeta, it will remain in storage while authorities seek to have it forfeited to the federal government. If that happens, it will be offered at a public auction, ICE said. But if sold, the car would then have to be exported due to it not meeting the environmental and safety standards, the government said.

The Cizeta features a V16 engine capable of producing 560 horsepower and was first unveiled in 1988 in Los Angeles, according to the Cizeta Web site.

Yep, thats sinister alright. Techart is one of the few Porsche design companies who hits the nail on the head occasionally.

The TTXGP green motorcycle grand prix has lined up three races in its U.K. Championship series, building on the success of its inaugural June race during the storied Isle of Man TT.

The series is sanctioned by the Auto Cycle Union and supported by the British Motorcyclists Federation. It joins the TTXGP North American Championship that’s already scheduled a race at Infineon Raceway near San Francisco in May and the 2010 running of the TTXGP on the Isle of Man. The highest placed teams from the series will compete in a grand finale in November at a date and place to be determined.

“We are delighted to get these British events off the ground and it is thanks to all those involved who have worked hard to make this happen,” said Azhar Hussain, founder of the TTXGP. “A new generation of motorsport requires a new way of thinking — it needs to be flexible and adapt at any given moment to change. It needs blind belief and utter commitment to push it over the line. It is outstanding to partner with organizations like the ACU and BMF who not only have the willingness to move with us but also the practical ability to put TTXGP UK in motion.”