FAB Design's Cadillac Escalade Proves Money Can't Buy Taste

Swiss-based tuning firm Fab Design will no doubt raise a few eyebrows with its most recent work on the Cadillac Escalade. Roland Rysanek, the owner of the aftermarket company, which specializes on Mercedes-Benz models, found himself in front of a dilemma when asked by a North African client to modify the heavyweight American SUV.

Rysanek eventually accepted the job, as the eccentric owner was a loyal client with plenty of Fab Design Mercedes models parked in his garage. Anything for a devoted customer, right? Well, this particular client wanted the car to look like no other Escalade and to have an interior lined with genuine snake leather and crocodile-imitating leather – lots of it.

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First Photos of Honda’s Hot CR-Z Mugen, Early Tests Show better Performance than Civic Type R

Honda's sporty-looking CR-Z hybrid will finally get the performance to back its looks, as the Japanese carmaker teamed up with its tuning partner Mugen Euro to develop a high-performance version of the hybrid model. As we wrote earlier this year, the car will be unveiled at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July, but until then, you can take a look at the first official photos of the car to see if they match the sketches released by Honda two months ago.

The Japanese company says development of the CR-Z Mugen is on track, with “performance figures already looking promising”. Honda revealed that early tests with a prototype car based on a standard CR-Z and a mid-tune engine have given 0-60 mph (96 km/h) sprint times around that of the European market Civic Type R (6.6 seconds). Later on, Mugen increased output by another 15 percent and reduced the chassis' weight by 50 kilograms, so that overall performance is expected to be even better than the Type R's.

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Project Kahn's Lil' R8 is a dressed up Audi TT

Given the huge price difference between Audi’s two core sports coupe models, the mainstream TT and the niche R8, it doesn’t come to much of a surprise that many tuners have tried to offer the first a taste of the latter, both in terms of performance and styling. In the case of Project Kahn’s newest tuning take on the Audi TT, the goal was to flavor the small coupe with some R8 seasoning. Read more »

Insane! Swedes Turn a Dodge Viper into the Saab 9-3 SRT10 MegaPower

Proving once again that there is no limit to what one can build when you let your imagination take over, a team of Swedes transformed a Dodge Viper into the menacing Saab 9-3 SRT10 MegaPower you see in these pictures.

It all started when a man bought a wrecked Dodge Viper SRT-10 with the intention of rebuilding it. However, it soon became obvious that task was far more difficult than he originally thought due to the extent of the damages and the lack of parts. It didn’t take long to come up with a fresh idea: strip the Viper’s body clean and use the mechanical hardware and parts of the chassis on a Saab 9-3 Sport Combi.

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Piecha Design Gives the new 2012 Mercedes SLK its First Tune

Not surprisingly, it didn’t take long for aftermarket specialists to get their hands on the new Mercedes-Benz SLK. Piecha Design is if not the first, one of the first tuners to release a package for the compact German roadster. Named “Accurian RS”, the kit focuses on exterior enhancements. Read more »

Canadian Man Throws a V12 into a 1967 MGB GT

If you are a car guy like Mark Sawatsky of Winnipeg, Canada, and you happen to have a Jaguar 5.3-liter V12 and an old 1967 MGB GT lying around in your garage, it doesn’t take too long to come up with an impressive project. For Mark it was the creation of racecar to compete in the modified class of the SCCA (Sports Car Club of America). Read more »

Carlsson Gives the Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet more Power and Poise

German aftermarket specialist Carlsson released a new tuning package for the Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet, offering 20 percent more power, a new aero package and interior improvements. All these are available for the E 350 CDI model, whose 3.0-liter V6 diesel engine delivers 231 horsepower out of the box. As expected, Carlsson didn't think that was enough, so it developed the C-Tronic Diesel Power CD28-35 REVO package that consists mainly of ECU remapping. Read more »

Vilner Custom Studio Takes on the Smart ForTwo

You may or may not like Vilner's aesthetic proposals, but you’ll have to agree that Bulgarian studio is a very good example of what a company from a relatively small country with no background in its niche can achieve with some hard work and smart yet efficient marketing tactics. You see, instead of focusing on the local market and waiting for someone to discover the firm’s products, over the past year or so Vilner has been aggressively promoting every tune it has worked on. We don’t know if this strategy has translated into an overseas income, but it has put the company on the map, and that’s something worth noting.

In this latest tune, Vilner crafted a bespoke Smart ForTwo for one of its local customers. The Lilliputian two-door model received extensive styling modifications built around a square motive that is visible inside and out. On the outside, the ForTwo gains a colorful wrap that includes a chrome finish at the back and orange wheels, while the interior has been completely reworked featuring new and more luxurious materials throughout. Follow the jump for more pictures as well as a video from the build.

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Lumma Design (Over)does the E64 BMW 6-Series Convertible

Even though the new F12 BMW 6-series Convertible has already landed on the market, Lumma Design has set its eyes on the previous generation of the Bavarian firm’s flagship cabriolet with the release of a new cosmetics only package.

Known for its brazen styling choices when it comes to dressing up cars, the German tuning house’s latest proposal is no exception to the rule. On the outside, the team over at Lumma Design developed an a full aerodynamic kit that includes M-style front bumper, more prominent side skirts and a new rear bumper with side openings and a diffuser that houses quad tail pipes. The deal is sealed with a carbon fiber rear wing, and carbon fiber trim in a checkerboard design on the double kidney grille, the exterior mirrors and the rear diffuser.

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Ford’s Facebook Fans Choose “Mayhem” Moniker for the Mustang V6 Performance Package

Ford held a contest on its official Mustang Facebook page asking fans to suggest a name for the new V6 Performance Package. More than 3,000 submissions were made and nearly 6,700 users installed the “You Name It” app that let them take part in the contest. Some 1.4 million fans were then asked to vote with the winning name being “Mayhem Mustang Package”. The top-voted submission came from Jeremy Marler from North Carolina, who won a three-year lease on a 2012 Mustang, equipped of course with the Mayhem Mustang Package. Read more »

Volkswagen Transporter Tuned up by MR Car Design

Just because Volkswagen’s Transporter can be used in a professional manner moving goods, people or even both, doesn’t mean that tuners aren’t paying attention to it. On the contrary, the Transporter has received a lot of tuning love over the many years it has been in production. The tuning proposal for the pre-facelift Transporter you see pictured here comes from German aftermarket specialist, MR Car Design. Read more »

STaSIS Engineering Brings 540 Ponies to the Audi R8 V8

After the 710HP Audi R8 V10 we told you about earlier this year, American aftermarket specialists at STaSIS Engineering introduced to the UK another upgrade for the German sports car, albeit this time for the V8-powered model. At 540HP, the Audi R8 V8 Challenge Extreme Edition has 120 more horsepower than the standard V8 model and 15 more horsepower than the V10 factory version. STaSIS says the car also features an upgraded suspension response and handling abilities. Read more »

New Mopar Grilles and Alloy Wheels for 2011 Chrysler 300 Sedan

Mopar, the Chrysler Group’s in-house performance and styling brand, has been on the busy side lately having introduced several upgrades for the latest Jeep vehicles, as well as standalone versions of the newest Dodge Charger and Challenger models. Now, the Detroit firm’s tuning division is onto its next project sprucing up the new Chrysler 300 sedan with a range of custom grilles and bespoke alloy wheel designs. Read more »

Chipped Ford 2.0-liter EcoBoost Gains 40 More Ponies

As Ford gradually spreads out its new 2.0-liter EcoBoost turbocharged four-cylinder engine to more models across its international lineup, tuners are jumping in to offer their performance goods. And the easiest way to do this of course is by reprogramming the car’s engine controller. Superchips Ltd has developed a new firmware upgrade for the European version of the four-cylinder EcoBoost currently found on the refreshed S-Max and Galaxy minivans, as well as the Mondeo. Read more »

BMW Opens its First Official Parts Store on eBay UK

Being that in this day and age, most owners searching for parts and accessories for their vehicles will at least take a quick look on eBay, BMW’s UK division decided to engage in e-commerce and open up a store on the local version of the online auction and shopping website, becoming the first automaker to do so on eBay UK.

The Bavarian automaker said that this is the first time it will sell parts and accessories directly to owners as up until now, those wanting to pick up Genuine Parts have had to place their order through one of the company’s dealerships.

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Pontiac GTO Judge Resurrected…Sort Of: Tuner Prepped Model Based on the Camaro

The makers of the fire-breathing Phoenix T/A that we saw at the 2009 SEMA show in Las Vegas are back with yet another proposal for a Pontiac model based on the latest iteration of Chevy’s Camaro pony car. This time the people over at Trans Am Depot will give birth to a modern day interpretation of Pontiac’s famed 1969 GTO Judge. The tuner named its creation “The GT9 Goat”.

The teaser renderings and photos of the faux-Pontiac reveal a bespoke front end with a split grille and a revised hood with air scoops, while at the back we find new tail lamp and bumper designs as well as a restyled trunk sporting a prominent wing. The characteristic profile side stripes, quad tail pipes and the newly styled alloy wheel options round off the exterior changes. There’s no word yet if there will be any kind of upgrades to the interior and the mechanical hardware of the Camaro.

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Novitec Rosso Supercharges Alfa Romeo 8C Spider to 600-horsepower

It may not be the best sports car Italy has to offer us right now, but Alfa Romeo’s 8C Spider is certainly a prime candidate for being one of the most beautiful out there. That said, even Novitec Rosso is smart enough to know that you don’t mess with a good thing with the German tuner focusing its attention on improving the Alfa’s mechanical hardware.

The highlight of Novitec Rosso’s performance package is hidden under the 8C Spider’s hood with the adoption of a modified version of the supercharger system used on the firm’s Maserati GT tune. A new water-to-air intercooler with a dedicated radiator, custom injectors, a stainless-steel high-performance exhaust system and an ECU optimization round off the changes to the 4.7-liter V8 engine.

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Hennessey’s Tire-Shredding HPE500 Supercharged Ram Truck on Film

The tuners over at Hennessey Performance have always had a thing for boosting anything that rides on four wheels. More recently, the Texas-based tuning firm applied its technical wizardry on the Ram Truck. The result is the Hennessey HPE500 Supercharged Ram, which as implied by its name, features a supercharged version of the Chrysler Group’s 5.7-liter Hemi V8 producing 505-horsepower at 5,400 rpm.

The tune include numerous standard upgrades such as a sport exhaust and Hennessey embroidered seats, along with various optional parts like different alloy wheel and tire combos and suspension systems. While we’re waiting for Hennessey to pit the HPE500 Supercharged Ram against a stock Nissan GT-R or a Porsche 911 Turbo, you can watch the powerful pickup truck in some tire shredding action in the video after the break.

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Yugo…Grale Replicates Lancia’s Iconic Delta HF Integrale [with Video]

If you grew up in the late 1980s or early 1990s and were an avid automotive enthusiast, chances are you fondly remember the great Delta HF Integrale, arguably the last super exciting (from a driver's perspective) Lancia model.

And while Lancia has turned a new page in its history, tending to the needs of customers enamored with fashion catwalks instead of rally courses, there are plenty of drivers out there who cherish the original spirit of the Italian brand. Some, however, have taken their love of Lancia to the extreme turning mundane Yugos, itself a by-product of the Fiat 127, into Integrale replicas.

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The Most Affordable Techart Porsche Ever: New Collector’s Edition GTStreet Scale Model

When it comes to tuning Porsche models, Techart is one of the most renowned aftermarket specialists in Germany. This time, however, the tuning firm has something far smaller but also, far more affordable in store for us. We are talking about Techart’s new Porsche 911 Turbo-based GTStreet collector’s edition die cast model. Available only in 1:43 scale, production of the miniature Porsche is limited to just 300 units with pricing set at €59.90 (including 19% VAT in Germany) or about US$89. Read more »