Is it me or are car companies spending more time working together than ever before? Every time I load up my car news it seems as though one company is holding its competitors hands on one project or another. This story is no different. Toyota and Subaru will be partnering to develop an affordable sports car that should hit global markets by the end of 2011.

Expect pricing to start just under $20,000. It will be sold under the Subaru brand globally except in Japan where it will be marketed under the Toyota brand. Go figure. Not that bad looking either if you ask me.

Source: InsideLine

A supercar is any car that is custom-produced for ultra-high performance.

Most often, supercars are designed and built to break performance records. As an example, the SSC Ultimate Aero TT was designed with one purpose in mind: to set production car speed records.

Supercars typically have three characteristics that set them apart from mass-produced cars.

In celebration of 30 years BMW bestowed upon the M1 and the many fans who adore it a gift in orange and alloy. What you are looking at above is not a mere rendition of what a redesign of the M1 would look like, as animated as it appears to be. It is a physical reality that may be more study than reality, but truly does capture the spirit that drove the two preceding designs.

The new M1 concept car was received by those attending the Concorso d’Eleganza at Vista d’Este this weekend, where you will see in the photos of the gallery that it was joined by its 2 brothers. While what we see here may be just a concept it does reinforce the knowledge there are still people around today who can produce superlative designs such as this. To anyone’s knowledge thus far the 30 year anniversary M1 concept is merely a shell as no hint of a motive source or interior contents were exposed as its single outing.

Rekindling the knife’s-edge sharpness of the two prior designs tip of the hood the new M1 begins just as all others, with the two kidney shaped grill bookended by sinister headlamps. The contours of the body reflect well on the Giugiaro-designed M1 that followed up on the original M1 designed by Paul Bracq. The tribute follows suit from front to rear concluding with the louvered rear window and the dual BMW badging over-top of the rear break lamps.

Take a look at the gallery after the leap and join BMW in celebrating 30 years of M1 design.

As soon as the combustion engine was invented, men started playing with automobiles to see how fast they could make them run. It is in our blood, if you will.

Over the past decades, hundreds of sports cars were produced by dozens of car manufacturers around the world. Which are the best sports cars of all time is a question we wanted to tackle head-on. Below you will find a list the top 20 sports cars of all time. Some featured innovative designs, others had incredible power, but one factor unified them all: they were all made to drive pretty darn fast!

20. Audi RS4 (B7 Second Generation)

In 2007 the Audi RS4 won the “World Performance Car” award. Among its competitors, we had Porsches, Ferraris and Jaguars. Do we need to add anything else?

Design: Based on the A4 B chassis, the RS4 is practically a racing car masked under an executive station wagon frame. Simple yet beautiful.

Performance: Powered by a 4.2-litre engine, with 8 cylinders in V formation, it produces an output of 414 horse power. It accelerates from 0-60 mph (0-100 km/h) in 4,2 seconds, and it also comes with Audi’s Dynamic Ride Control to provide an even better driving experience.

Chick Factor: High. Some women just don’t like the aggressive look of sporsts car. That is where the RS4 comes handy: elegant style and stunning performance.

19. Lotus Elise Series 2

The British manufacturer Lotus Cars has a unique concept for sports car: “performance through light weight.” Introduced in 2000, the Lotus Elise Series 2 definitely took the Lotus family to a whole new level.

Design: The Lotus Elise packs an aggressive design, despite it’s small frame. The car is 3,8 meters long and it weights less than a ton (from 860 to 910 kilograms). It also comes with a fiberglass body shell.

Performance: Considering that the car features a modest 1.8-litre, 4-cylinders engine, one would not expect much, right? Wrong! This baby can go from 0-60 mph (0-100 km/h) in 4,7 seconds, and it has a top of speed of 150 mph (240 km/h). Given its light weight, you should also have a good time braking and cornering it.

Chick Factor: Low. Some chicks like roadsters, other do not. If you want a car to impress the ladies, though, the Lotus Elise is probably not the best choice. It is, hmm… just small.