Awesome Sports Cars

We don’t always associate Nissan with luxurious sports cars, but this upgraded GT-R does have us drooling over its zesty 523-hp engine, enhanced aerodynamics and handcrafted leather interior.

Customized by guys with the perfect Italian car name, Romeo Ferraris, this decidedly American ride has been skinned with a stunning carbon film, and its 7.0L V8 supercharged to crank out 667-hp.

Go Speed Racer, go! with Gotham Garage’s scale replica of the Mach 5, built on a classic Corvette C-4 chassis, and even offers rotating, retractable sawblades and push-button chrome steering wheel.

Looking very much like a convertible version of the 599, the SA Aptera is perfect for a sunny day outing, but don’t let its leisurely style fool you. It’s got a 611-hp V12 and goes 0-to-60 in 3.1 secs.

We first saw the One-77 almost two years ago in concept form. Now, Aston Martin is showing off an actual car, to go into production in 2011, with an incredible 750-hp 7.3-liter V12 engine.

The French automaker teases our eyeballs with their Blade Runner-esque 100% electric sports car of the future, powered by a pair of 125kW motors capable of pushing the equivalent of 340-hp.

Placed somewhere between a Carrera S and GT3, the new wide-track Carrera GTS out-guns the standard Carrera by 23 horses, with its 3.8-liter, 408-hp power plant. It sure looks purdy, too.

The 2011 Evora S offers an amped-up Toyota 3.5l V6, with 345-hp, while the IPS option makes the Evora line easy to drive, with a six-speed automatic transmission and manual paddle-shift override.

Remember the eco-conscious Porsche 918 Spyder concept? Well, the hybrid sports car prototype actually drives. Last week, Porsche took the 918 Spyder Hybrid out for a ride in Monterey, CA.

If you like your cars extra shiny, your retinas are going to be thrilled with this gleaming SLS AMG, recently sighted at the German Grand Prix, created for the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation.

Only 100 of the 2-seater convertible will be made, and will include a 3.8-liter, 408-hp engine with the X51 Carrera power kit, 19-inch wheels, and sell for about $200k. Get out your checkbooks.

While the Porsche-based custom 2009 9ff may not have been a real looker, it certainly had the goods under the hood. This 2010 model has the looks to back up the power. All 1120 horses of it.

Building on the awesome 458 Italia, the 458 Challenge gets a gear ratio upgrade to ensure higher torque at low revs, and shaves significant weight off its base model to help it speed along.

Did you like the stealthy Audi R8 Valkyrie? Looking for something flashier? Then you’ll love this one, spotted in Moscow, Russia: an R8 wrapped in gold. Our eyes are burning from the shine.

The Marussia is Russia’s first sports car. Featuring dramatic industrial design, the B1 offers up an ample, if not Earth-shattering 300-hp 3.5-liter V6, and can do 0-to-60 in less than 5 seconds.

Officially the fastest production car in the world, the Veyron 16.4 Super Sport has an all-carbon monocoque and a massive 1,200hp 16-cylinder engine, propelling the car up to 268mph.

The unholy offspring of minivan and exotic car, it’s one of the stranger vehicles to hit eBay in some time. The mutant 1994 Astro has a thrilling 4.3 liter turbo V-6 and 211,615 miles on the odo.

French automaker Renault isn’t known for their exotic styling, but their all-electric DeZir two-seater concept tells a different story, with gull-wing doors, and an aggressive low-profile cabin.

Can you handle a 2000-hp engine? How about the quarter-mile in less than 6.7 seconds, 0-to-60 in 1.5, and a top speed of 300 mph? Only 5 will be made in 2011, so get your checkbook out now.

The latest in Audi’s zippy, stylish R8 line, the Spyder 4.2 FSI Quattro offers a sporty drop-top. The 430-hp V-8 cranks out 0-to-60 speeds in just under 4.8 seconds, and a top speed of 185 mph.

While 18 year-old Tunisian designer Khalfi Oussama may not have created the most practical concept car here, we give him bonus points for creativity and superhero styling on his BMW X9.

While this prototype SLS AMG might run entirely on electric power, it’s no slouch in the performance department, still cranking out 526 horses and zooming from 0-to-60 in less than 4 seconds.

While we really like real Ferraris, Sasha Selipanov’s conceptual design for a 612 GTO has us drooling. On the other hand, we couldn’t afford this if it really existed, so it’s best left as a fantasy.