There are few achievements a car can earn that can compare to being chosen as the pace car for the Indianapolis 500 race.  A top honor for both the car and the driver, it is a spot reserved for only the best cars.  With its selection as the 2008 Official Pace Car, the 2008 Chevy Corvette Z06 holds the record of 10 times having paced the Indy 500.  In fact, two sports cars will pace the event, with the other being none other than, another Corvette.  A 1978 Corvette will be sharing the pacing duties, celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the 1978 Pace Car.

To be completely honest, labeling the 2009 Hyundai Genesis as merely a performance sedan, is a bit misleading.  The word often used to describe its benchmarks, such as Mercedes E-Class, Infiniti M and Lexus GS, must also be applied to the Genesis.  Hyundai is leading off the race of future performance vehicles in its fleet with this luxury-based performance sedan.  The Korean automaker’s plan was to deliver a $60,000 vehicle at a $30,000 price tag and after a year and half of testing, they've finally completed their task.

Let's be honest, it is the age of supercars.  Every company has one it seems, and those that don't are busy scheming on how to get into the market, or at least create something that can rival the supercars of today.  Names like Chevrolet and Nissan are joining the ranks of Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Porsche with cars that everyday Joes like you and I can dream of affording.  All without those pesky little monthly visits to the dealership that equate to two or three months of paychecks for some.  Audi is no different.  They wanted to enter the realm of the supercar, albeit a little more modestly, with the R8.  However, no one expected it to be such a hit, such a magnificent feat of engineering, or as awe inspiring as it has turned out to be.  All quite possibly the reasons that the R8 was named both Automobile Magazines Auto of the Year, as well as its Design of the year. 

It's been just days since we saw the first official pictures of Chevrolet's newest supercar chaser, the 2009 Corvette ZR1.  One could only imagine what its new 6.2 liter supercharged V8 engine sounded like, but now, we don't have to guess any longer.  A video of the official photoshoot has surfaced, in which viewers can hear the engine lope along happily at idle and see the ZR1 in motion.  We cannot wait to see what this car will do on the track.

Incredible.  One of many great adjectives that could be used to describe the new Nissan GT-R, which, is easily a contender for the most shocking car of 2007.  It seems everyone thought the next "Skyline" was going to be much of the same routine from Nissan, AWD, Turbocharged six cylinder.  Oh it's that, alright, and yet, so much more.  So much, in fact, that Nissan felt it was too amazing to label as another Skyline, instead, it wears only three letters.   

Prepare a towel.  Your chin is about to be drenched in saliva.  We brought you the rumors.  We brought you the spy shots.  We even brought you the power plant.  RPM Planets is now proud to bring you not what what will be, but what is - the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1.  Behold the most powerful, most inspiring and possibly the most hyped Corvette in Chevrolet's history.

The much anticipated new Cadillac CTS-V has been spotted at the Thunderhill Raceway in California.  It is set to be yet another amazing car from General Motors, who seems to be on a recent power kick, providing amazing performance for modest prices with cars such as the Corvette Z06, the Trailblazer SS, and the upcoming Camaro.   

Chevrolet has finally released pictures of the power plant that will propel one of the most clandestine projects of the decade.  The upcoming 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 will be officially powered by the 6.2-liter LS9 engine.  The blue trimmed engine sports a positive displacement-type supercharger and twin intake-manifold-integrated intercoolers.  Though total output has yet to be released, expect power figures near the 650 horsepower mark.  GM's Performance Center in Wixom, Michigan will be responsible for the engine builds.  To see the entire ZR1 package, stay tuned to RPM Planets during the Detroit Auto Show in January.

The next time you happen to see a Bugatti Veyron flying by at top speed take note of what may be closing in on it.  From the Swedish car manufacturer, Koenigsegg, comes the tail of a higher level supercar.  A vehicle aimed at not only being the fastest production car, but doing it with the help of eco-friendly biofuel.  Enter, the Koenigsegg Special Edition CCX-R.  This red and black bullet aims to take the crown with a cast-aluminum V8, a pair of twin rotrex centrifugal superchargers and octane-friendly biofuel.  Registering an increase of 212 horsepower and 102 lb-ft of torque from the Koenigsegg CCX, total output will be 1,016 horsepower and 780 lb-ft torque.  This power output subsequently makes the Koenigsegg CCX-R the first homologated car currently in production to reach over 1000 BHP.  Check out larger shots of the CCX-R (click the images to see a close-up) as well as the full press release from Koenigsegg.  Be sure to stay tuned to RPM Planets for further news and information.