SEMA Preview: Another Hyundai Veloster gets Ready for the Tuner Treatment

Joining Hyundai’s ARK Performance Veloster Turbo at this year’s SEMA Show floors will be yet another specially tuned version of the South Korean maker's sporty hatchback, this one being prepared by digital media distribution company and publisher of Wrecked Magazine, PM Lifestyle.

PM Lifestyle's approach, however, will be different as the company teamed up with the students at Universal Technical Institute (UTI) with the goal of presenting modifications that can be "achieved in real-world garages".

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Posted on 11.48 / 0 comments / Read More

MTM's Colorful Audi RS3 Sportback Packs a Mighty Punch

German tuning firm Motoren Technik Mayer, aptly known as MTM, has a knack for improving the performance of any Volkswagen Group model.

The firm's most recent project concerns the Audi RS3 Sportback that is normally powered by a 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-five generating 340-horses and 450 Nm (331 lb-ft) of torque, which are good for a 0 to 100 km/h (62mph) acceleration time of 4.6 seconds and a limited top speed of 250km/h (155mph).

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Posted on 06.24 / 0 comments / Read More

Romeo Ferraris Preparing Insane Fiat 500 Abarth with 300-Horses

Once upon a time, not too long ago, 300-horsepower was considered sports car territory. For example, in 1989, the BMW 850i Coupe came with a 300HP V12 under its long hood while the Ferrari 348's V8 also churned out 300HP. Heck, up until 2009, the Ford Mustang GT was powered by a 300HP V8.

Nowadays, 300HP has become something like Five Dollar Foot-long subs with even the smallest of cars like the Fiat 500 reaching the magic output number with a little help from the tuning industry.

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Posted on 05.27 / 0 comments / Read More

The Story of a Man who Bought the Rights to the Auto Avio Construzioni Name Only to be Sued by Ferrari

As we’ve already mentioned in our tribute to Enzo Ferrari, the founder of one of the most iconic brands in the world initially worked for Alfa Romeo. As the story has it, in 1939 he left the Milanese carmaker, but part of the agreement was that he could not manufacture any vehicles under his name for four years – so he used the Auto Avio Construzioni brand instead.

The years passed by and following the end of WWII, Enzo Ferrari finally founded his own brand and produced its first car, the 125. The rest, as they say, is history – or so we thought until Laurent Miller sent autoscardesign an email describing his story that has to do with the Auto Avio Construzioni brand name and his legal quarrel with Ferrari.

Muller's involvement began in 2004 when he claims to have bought the right to the Auto Avio Construzioni trademark with plans to build a bespoke Ferrari F430 fitted with a V12 engine instead of the regular model's V8 powerplant.

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Posted on 17.34 / 0 comments / Read More

Novitec Powers up Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale with a Supercharger

The Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale was introduced at last year's Paris Motor Show as a lighter and more hardcore alternative to the standard model. However, the Italian firm left the Ferrari-sourced 4.7-liter V8 largely intact as it gained a mere 10HP over the S model producing 450-horses and 510 Nm (376 lb ft) of torque.

Famed German tuning house Novitec and its Tridente division, which specializes on Maserati models, decided to step in and offer owners of the GT MC Stradale an upgrade package that focuses on the performance aspect.

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Posted on 08.40 / 0 comments / Read More

Video: Sleeper 1978 VW Beetle Packs a 5.7-liter V8 Super Punch

A 'sleeper' car is defined as a super-fast vehicle with deceptive, run-of-the-mill looks. They can come in many forms and shapes, but the basic idea remains the same.

One of the more popular options for those looking to build a sleeper is the original Volkswagen Beetle, which is factory form is a total buzz killer. The owner of this modified Bug tried to keep the looks of the car as close to stock as possible, but underneath, it's a completely different story.

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Posted on 12.08 / 0 comments / Read More

Tuned Nissan GT-R Embarrasses Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 on the Drag Strip

As they say, more equals less, or to put it into context, the more horsepower a car has, the less time it will need to cover a defined distance.

And while the new Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 with its 6.5-liter V12 engine pushing out a hefty 700-horses for a factory 0 to 100km/h (62mph) sprint time of 2.9 seconds is by no means a slouch, 700HP is significantly less than around 1000HP.

That was the case with the R35 that went up against the white Aventador in the drag strip race you're about to watch after the break. According to the YouTube poster, this wasn't your run-of-the-mill Nissan GT-R but a heavily tuned R35 packing close to 1,000-horses under its hood.

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Posted on 09.23 / 0 comments / Read More

New Hyundai Veloster gets Turbocharged for Upcoming SEMA Show

We already know for a fact that Hyundai is planning to launch a more powerful version of its new Veloster sports car fitted with a 1.6-liter turbocharged engine delivering 208HP for a 0-62mph (100km/h) sprint time of under 7 seconds (autoscardesign has officially confirmed all numbers), with European sales to start in early 2012.

We still don't know when and if this engine will be offered in North America, but those interested in a more hardcore Veloster will have a chance to see plenty of aftermarket options at this November's SEMA show in Las Vegas.

Among the many Veloster proposals that are expected to be displayed in SEMA, is a highly modified model created by Hyundai in partnership with ARK Performance.

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Posted on 08.47 / 0 comments / Read More

The Chevrolet Farm Truck is One Sleeper You Don't Want to Mess With… [Videos]

Sure, there are many stupidly fast sleepers out there, but how many look like a 40-year-old rust bucket with wobbly bits and pieces hanging from the body?

Enter the world of "The Oklahoma Farm Truck", a 1970s Chevrolet C/K truck that has been modified from within to create a straight-line slayer with hugely deceiving looks.

The big-block V8-powered monster from Oklahoma comes with a nitrous punch and a huge set of slick wheels at the back.

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Posted on 09.09 / 0 comments / Read More

Project Kahn Turns its Focus on the RS

Aftermarket British tuner Project Kahn has released a mild upgrade package for the now obsolete Ford Focus RS. The company left the hot hatch's 305HP-strong 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-five intact, and concentrated on the styling aspect of the tune. Read more »

Posted on 07.57 / 0 comments / Read More

SpeedART Treats New Porsche Panamera Diesel with More Power and Aero Bits

The PS9-300D is SpeedART's newest performance package that bundles aero add-ons with modest engine upgrades for the recently introduced Porsche Panamera Diesel.

The German tuning firm starts out with the Panamera's 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 diesel that leaves the Stuttgart factory with 250-ponies and a peak torque of 550Nm (406 lb-ft) channeled to the rear wheels through an 8-speed automatic transmission.

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Posted on 07.29 / 0 comments / Read More

It has Begun: Speedart Working on 2012 Porsche 911

Suffice to say, it won't be long before we're flooded with bespoke creations and a sea of performance programs for the all-new 2012 Porsche 911, which just made its world debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show earlier this month.

One of the first tuning houses to tease its work is renowned Porsche specialist Speedart. The German firm's upcoming model is the SP91-R based on the 911 Carrera S, which in factory tune is powered by a 3.8-liter flat-six delivering 400 ponies.

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Posted on 05.57 / 0 comments / Read More

Citroën DS3 Racing Special Receives the Superchip Treatment

These days, the easiest way to improve the performance of any modern car is through a software upgrade. British tuner Superchips, which specializes on ECU remaps, has launched a new program for the special edition Citroën DS3 Racing that has a limited production run of 1,000 units.

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Posted on 10.11 / 0 comments / Read More

It Came from eBay Hell: Once a 1974 Toyota Celica GT, Now a Faux Ferrari

The first generation if the Toyota Celica is somewhat of a cult hero here in Australia. Affordable, sporty-looking and well equipped at the time of its launch in the early 1970s, it proved a popular alternative to the heavier, thirstier American and Australian built offerings of the time.

Let’s put that aside for one moment and focus on our eBay entrant for today. It’s a 1974 Celica GT model that’s been the victim of one of the shoddier-looking Ferrari conversions featured on this site. It’s supposed to look like a 308 GTB, though at best it looks like a 400 that’s been severely shortened.

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Posted on 15.57 / 0 comments / Read More

Techart Porsche 911 Turbo goes from 0 to 100km/h in 2.8 Seconds

There's fast and then there's Techart fast. The German aftermarket company that has made a name for itself in the crowded world of Porsche tuners has presented a new and more potent performance package for the current 911 Turbo [997 series].

The TA 097/T3 conversion kit for the 997 Turbo involves the installation of a sport air filter, new manifolds, the TECHART Turbo chargers VTG, high performance intercoolers as well as the an ECU upgrade and engine styling package in carbon-fibre.

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Posted on 05.21 / 0 comments / Read More

Kubatech Gives the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Some Wings

In cooperation with Mcchip-dkr, German tuning firm Kubatech has presented a soft performance upgrade for the new Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Gullwing.

The kit is limited to a software optimization for the ECU. The Gullwing model's 6.3-liter naturally aspirated V8 engine normally lays out 571-horsepower and 650Nm (479 lb-ft) of peak torque at 4,750 rpm, and this package will bump those figures to 625-horses and 680Nm (501.5 lb-ft).

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Posted on 08.27 / 0 comments / Read More

Ferrari 458 Italia Re-imagined by French Designer

Almost everyone who has laid eyes on the Ferrari 458 Italia's bodywork will agree that it is a work of art. Even though Ferrari’s people claim that it was function, and especially aerodynamics, that dictated many elements of the 458 Italia's shape, it is perhaps one of the most striking supercars currently on sale along with the Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4.

Surely, no one would dare suggest otherwise, right? Well, not so fast. Olivier Demangel is a French designer and 3D artist who lives in London has cooked up three proposals for a redesigned 458 Italia.

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Posted on 19.31 / 0 comments / Read More

MR Car Design Spiffs Up the Renault Clio RS

The Renault Clio RenaultSport or RS 200 for short is considered to be one of the best small hot hatches in Europe. German tuning house MR Car Design believes it can make it a little bit better with a selection of very mild modifications.

MR Car Design starts with the Renault Clio RS 200's 2.0-liter, naturally-aspirated four-banger that produces 200-horses in factory tune. After the fitting of an optimized ECU and a custom exhaust system that includes the Akrapovic-Evolution-System, output is pushed to a more potent 220-horsepower.

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Posted on 07.57 / 0 comments / Read More

BMW Releases New Power Kits for 135i and 335i that Boost Output to 320HP

BMW's North American division has set its eyes on the lucrative aftermarket business with the releases of two performance packages for the 135i Coupe and 335i models.

The stage 1 and 2 Power Kits for the aforementioned models are fully covered under BMW of North America’s limited warranty and can be retrofitted at BMW centers or via the Port Installation Program.

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Posted on 08.38 / 0 comments / Read More

Japanese Tuner Sheds Some…LEDs on the Lamborghini Diablo [Video]

If you found the LED adorned Ferrari 458 Italia to be an overkill, wait until you check out this gem created from a Japanese audio and light systems specialist called Diecock – no seriously, that is the company's name.

Make the jump below and see what you should never do to a Lamborghini Diablo.

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Posted on 09.13 / 0 comments / Read More