Brian Carless, Gleaner Writer

Yamaha R6 - first 600 to break 170 mph

When the Yamaha R6 was redesigned in 2006, the focus was purely on the racetrack, with street riding a distant thought in the backs of engineers' minds. The R6 isn't a bike to ride on the street, but there are certainly far better choices if your main goal were to commute back and forth to work. On the track, however, the R6 shines with its high-RPM power band and razor-sharp handling traits. The 2008 R6 got a few minor upgrades in an effort to add mid-range power while still retaining its class-leading high-RPM punch, including a higher compression ratio, Yamaha's Chip Controlled Intake (YCC-I) and Yamaha's Chip Controlled Throttle (YCC-T). These changes have allowed the R6 to break the 170-mile-per-hour barrier, a first for a 600cc machine. Yamaha saw fit to increase chassis stability by reinforcing the steering head, engine mounting points and rear swing arm pivot. Suspension tuning is slightly different, too, with a 41mm inverted fork and a more adjustable rear shock.

'Bulldog' diesel bike

Hayes Diversified Techno-logies has been delivering a machine that can run at 55 mph all day and can get close to 100 mpg. The bike is a diesel-powered Kawasaki KLR-based motorcycle; HDT's MD670F 'Bulldog'.

Based upon their successful military machines used by the ground forces in Iraq, the Bulldog will be a civilised version able to run on just about any form of diesel. Unfortunately, the military organisations about the world have also come to appreciate the capabilities of HDT's 30 hp, 369-lb Enduros so production of the street version has been delayed until at least 2009. It has been battle-tested, and has a top speed of more than 90 mph.

'Iron Man' will drive an Audi

Audi is obviously pleased with the product placement monopoly it has acquired on the upcoming blockbuster movie Iron Man, starring Robert Downey, Jr, Jeff Bridges and Gwyneth Paltrow. Sharing the screen with those actors will be the Audi R8 - Tony Stark's personal daily driver, an airborne Q7 SUV, and no doubt many other autos branded with the four rings that are subtly slipped in here and there (Stark's assistant, Virginia Potts, drives an S5). Regardless of how heavy-handed Audi is with the product placement, the movie is coming out this summer.

Tyson's Bentley for sale

Mike Tyson's Bentley Continental SC, or Sedanca Coupe, is currently for sale in the United Kingdom. Seventy-three examples of the SC were made, this 1999 model is being sold in the UK but comes in left-hand drive. This 3-ton Bentley goes 0-60mph in 6 seconds and has a removable glass roof.

When it was a brand new the car was worth $500,000, which it took Tyson in his prime all of about five seconds in the ring to earn. So the car isn't worth exactly what it would be when Tyson was in his prime, the car is being sold for a low price of £135,000.

White the number one car colour

White is the new silver in the United States. The colour white or white pearl has overtaken silver as the colour of choice, consumer products and other desirables. Silver had been 'market' leader for the last seven years and black in the top three. Younger buyers are drawn more towards expressive colours like orange, yellow, red and so on, than conservative colours like silver and grey.

New Toyota Supra has 350Z clear in sights

Three years ago a Japanese Toyota executive confirmed that indeed Toyota had investigated the Nissan 350Z thoroughly and decided it was time to offer a Toyota alternative. It wasn't unknown whether this alternative is the Supra itself or the next Celica.

Likely to be powered by one or three engines, 3.7 V6, a smaller turbo (courtesy of new Toyota-Subaru alliance) and a hybrid, the Supra/Celica has been numbered at between 350 and 400 bhp. This would make sense since the Lexus LF-A is a 500 bhp machine.

Toyota cuts Tundra pickup production

Toyota Motor Corp, which bumped Ford Motor Co for number two in United States sales last year, said it would trim US production of its full-size Tundra pickup trucks due to sluggish demand. Toyota did not know when it would start cutting Tundra production at its two plants in Texas and Indiana, or by how much production would be reduced.

Toyota has the capacity to produce about 300,000 Tundras at the two plants. It sold 196,555 vehicles in 2007, the truck's first year on the market. However, the US housing market downturn has hurt sales of large pickup trucks, which are often bought by contractors and small businesses for use on worksites.

The Tundra puts Toyota on head-on competition with Ford, General Motors and Chrysler in the full-size pickup segment, the last area of the US market still controlled by Detroit's Big Three.