MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013 |

The Honda S2000 is one of the last great modern sports cars built. That means it’s a good base to start a project on, however, throwing away the incredibly rev-hungry two-liter engine, which up until the introduction of the Ferrari 458 Italia, had the highest horsepower per liter for a naturally aspirated production unit, is not something we would immediately consider doing.

But that’s exactly what a high school student set out to do: pull out the internal combustion engine and replace it with a hugely powerful electric motor. The video attached below, which was found by Motorauthority, stands a testament to that.

His name is Juan Ehringeras and his car is now all-electric, with a claimed power figure of around 920 hp without factoring in drivetrain losses from two motors connected directly to the rear differential sans actual gearbox.

There’s also the huge torque number to get our heads around – 1,500 lb-ft or 2,030 Nm. Even if these figures aren’t fully achieved, the car will still be monstrously powerful for its size, so we’re waiting for a little more than the sedate test drive video the builder uploaded to his YouTube channel and we linked below.

By Andrei Nedelea

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FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2013 |

Some would say that the 2014 Lexus IS hardly needs a styling upgrade, which is even more true if we’re talking about the factory-offered F-Sport package. However, you will always have people wanting more, which is why Toyota Racing Development (TRD) has released a styling and performance kit for the new IS.

The aero kit includes more pronounced side skirts, lower corner pieces on the front bumper, a generous diffuser with dual exhaust on the rear bumper and an integrated trunk spoiler. A set of 19-inch alloy wheels with 15 spokes rounds out the exterior upgrades.

As for the performance part, TRD retunes the suspension by adding a set of sport springs and dampers that lower the car's ground clearance and promise to improve handling. That’s about it as the engines remain untouched, with the IS300h developing 223 hp, while the IS250 and IS350’s outputs are also unchanged at 207 hp and 306 hp respectively.

For the time being, the TRD aero kit and performance package are available only in Japan. The price for the entire list of modifications is a little over €9,500 ($12,180). If that is too much, those of you interested (and living in Japan) will be glad to know that the parts can be ordered separately as well.

By Dan Mihalascu

Story References: TRD via Autoblog.nl 

PHOTO GALLERY

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.

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