FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2013 |

Once again, ABT Sportsline is pickup up where one of the Volkswagen Group brands left off, and in particular, Audi and its refreshed 2013 R8 V10, for which it has developed an assortment of upgrades, starting with an ample power boost.In series production form, the R8 5.2-liter V10 mill delivers 518hp (525PS) and 530 Nm (391 lb-ft). After ABT's engineers place their upgrades under the hood, output is lifted to 592hp (600PS) and peak torque to 550Nm (406 lb-ft), allowing the coupe to go from zero to 100km/h (62mph) in 3.5 seconds and top out at 320km/h (199mph).
ABT then fits the car with its own suspension bits that bring it closer to the road, with the tuner also making promises of "even better road behavior", and a sports exhaust system with quad pipes.
The performance improvements can be combined with ABT's aerodynamic styling kit comprising carbon-fiber front and rear bumper spoilers and trim parts, side skirts, a rear spoiler, grille piece and rear diffuser, plus new 19-inch wheels in tires size 235/55 at the front and 305/30 at the rear.

PHOTO GALLERY

THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2013 |

You could say that, compared to some of its prior projects (the Porsche Tornado and evenmore so the Mistrale, come to mind), Gemballa's styling take on the new McLaren MP4-12C Spider is subtle, but we don't mean that in a bad way, quite the opposite actually.

The German tuner's cosmetic touches accentuate the 12C Spider's lines affording it a more individualized appearance that could have very well originated from McLaren's factory.

Announced at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show in March, the package is now available for order starting at €19,980 (about US$25,800) excluding VAT (taxes) for the aero kit that includes a new front bumper with a lip spoiler, side skirts and rear diffuser.

Another €7,980 (US$10,300) will get you 20 and 21-inch diameter alloy wheels for the front and rear axles respectively shod in high performance tires, while the tune is completed with an an upgraded interior featuring individual colored leathers and instrument dials (no pricing was announced).

PHOTO GALLERY

TUESDAY, MAY 14, 2013 |

We won't blame you for lifting an eyebrow or two at the name of this car – "Ok-Chiptuning Manta-Porsche" as well as its colorful looks, both of which were inspired by the 1991 German action comedy "Manta, Manta".While the protagonist of the film drove an Opel Manta coupe, Ok-Chiptuning chose a 996-generation Porsche 911 Turbo from 2002 for its tuning project. The exterior of the sports coupe was foil-wrapped in the same colors as the movie model, with the tuner adding a set of Opel logos on the new 19-inch, pink colored rims from TechArt shod in tires size 235/35-19 at the front and 305/30-19 on the rear axle.
The German tuner put down its funny mask when it came to the engine bay, where it revised the ECU along with the turbocharging and intercooling systems, to lift output to 641hp (650PS) and peak torque to 750Nm (553 lb-ft).
Other updates include the Sachs-Performance-clutch, a more aggressive sports exhaust system, a KW-Coilover-Suspension kit, a set of Recaro sports seats up front, a tri-color leather steering wheel wrap and a new Techart rear spoiler.

PHOTO GALLERY

TUESDAY, MAY 14, 2013 |

It was to be expected that the tuning industry would jump on the Mercedes-Benz CLA shortly after its market launch and prepare a multitude of accessories and performance parts for the compact model, and already, we have at least two companies that have announced an initial tuning program.Following Brabus, Germany's Piecha Design also released images and details on a new package for the CLA 250 called the GT-R, though, don't let the name fool you as this is mostly a styling kit with no performance upgrades under the hood – for the time being.
The aero tuning includes a body kit comprising more aggressive looking front and rear bumpers, the latter sporting a prominent diffuser and large quad-tailpipes, side skirts, plus roof and boot lid spoilers.
A lowered suspension improves the car's stance, with the final touch coming from the new 19-inch alloy wheels wrapped in tires size 235-35/19 up front and 255-30/19 at the back.
Piecha Design said it will launch more accessories for the CLA later this year.

PHOTO GALLERY

VIDEO

MONDAY, MAY 13, 2013 |

You may or may not be surprised to learn that there are fans of low-riders in mother Russia – just not with the kind of vehicles most of us have associated this car-culture.Instead of the usual Chevy Impalas and Oldsmobile Cutlasses that you see in the U.S. or the large Toyota and Nissan sedan models in Japan (VIP-style), in Russia you'll find low-riders in the form of the Lada Priora economy car.
In this case, there's also one more substantial difference – the absence of air-bag suspensions, which are necessary if you want to use a low-rider in everyday driving conditions.
Carscoops tipster Mikhail explains: "You know, in the south of Russia (this happened in Krasnodar) there are many fans of low-riding, and the main car for these projects is the Lada Priora. I originally thought that they use pneumatic suspensions. You can buy them easily; Chinese items are rather cheap...but I was mistaken".
See what Mikhail means by that in the video that follows…
Shout out to Mikhail for the submission!

VIDEO

FRIDAY, MAY 10, 2013 |

The press release-happy tuners at A. Kahn Design (formerly Project Kahn and sometimes called simply Kahn) have come out with another creation featured in their trademark neck-twisting photos.Finished in a beautiful Grigio Alloy light blue shade, the Ferrari 458 Spider received a Kahn styling package that includes chrome trim bits on the front lower grille, matte detailing at the rear end, black painted brake calipers and a new set of Monza forged alloy wheels.
A lower suspension kit gives the Italian supercar a more aggressive stance.
Kahn says it also gave the interior a "bespoke touch", but doesn't go into any details, nor does it show any close up photos of the cabin, so your guess to as what it did is as good as ours.

PHOTO GALLERY

WEDNESDAY, MAY 01, 2013 |

Of all the models that have worn the Volvo badge over the years, the first generation of the S40, which was co-developed with Mitsubishi and shared a common platform and engines with another mind-numbing model, the Carisma, ranks very high on the uncool-meter.However, this particular S40 has a littlesomething that its regular siblings don't: 420-horses rumbling under its hood. We're told that it's a 1998 Volvo S40 T4, which in factory guise was powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four delivering 197hp (200PS), but this one is tuned by Autotech. It's unclear whether the 420-horses are measured on the crankshaft or the wheels.
What is clear, though, is that the tuned Swedish sedan walked all over a 2008 Lamborghini Gallardo LP520-4 with 513hp (520PS) that it went up against in a 60km/h to 260km/h (37mph-162mph) sprint race, which you can watch below.
Shout out to Mike for the video tip!

VIDEO