Tuner
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In its standard form, the Lamborghini Aventador is a powerful super machine that snaps necks as fast as onlookers snap pics with their phones. Any car can be turned up a bit more over its factory form, however, and German tuning firm DMC has found a way to inject some aggression and cut a bit of weight from the Lambo. How does it do that? It swaps in carbon fiber anywhere it can and then charges a bundle of money for what it calls the Aventador Las Americas. The wing and engine cover stand out immediately. After that, your eyes will find their way to the deep front fascia and ground-scraping...
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Tuner Says 1,309-RWHP Cadillac CTS-V Is The World's Most Powerful: Video
The Cadillac CTS-V is a favorite of tuners.
Stephen Edelstein -
Porsche Tuners 9ff And speedART File For Bankruptcy
The European car market continues to decline as the economies of most of its nations spiral downward, and the toll on the upper end of the custom and tuner segment continues to rise. Porsche-specific tuner companies 9ff and speedART have both filed for insolvency protection in Germany this month...
Nelson Ireson -
Hennessey Ford GT Breaks Texas Mile Record With 267.6 MPH Run: Video
The Texas Mile may need to be renamed to the “Hennessey Mile,” or even the “Mark Heidaker Mile,” since one thing is becoming clear: the tuner and car owner apparently own the top speed record at the semiannual event, held in Beeville, Texas. In March of 2012, driver Sean...
Kurt Ernst -
Has The Nissan Juke-R Started A Super-Crossover Trend?
The original Nissan Juke-R seemed to answer a question that few people were asking: what if you took an ordinary crossover and grafted the mechanicals of a world-class supercar to it? The end result was an unexpected hit the world over, and enough buyers stepped to the plate with a cost-be-damned...
Kurt Ernst -
Roush Announces 2014 Mustang Offerings
Looking for a 2014 Ford Mustang that stands out in a crowd? Want to buy one that offers superior performance, without spending the kind of money expected from other tuners? A Roush Mustang may be just what you’ve been shopping for. For 2014 (the last year of the Mustang’s current...
Kurt Ernst -
When it comes to compact, affordable all-wheel drive performance sedans, buyers in the United States are stuck with a choice between Subaru and Mitsubishi. Both offer AWD performance cars in varying levels of output, but the real choice comes between the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution and the Subaru WRX STI. Both are getting on in years, and while a new WRX STI is in the works (following the launch of a new WRX), no one really knows what the future holds for the Lancer Evolution. Mitsubishi insists it's working on the next model, but the Japanese automaker has been disturbingly silent about the...
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Hennessey’s Hot Hatch: The Ford Focus ST HPE 300 - Video
As head of Hennessey Performance Engineering (HPE), tuning legend John Hennessey has some impressive cars to choose from as his daily driver. While the world-record-setting Venom GT may be a bit extreme for commuting, we can certainly see the attraction of a 1,000 horsepower Cadillac CTS-V as a...
Kurt Ernst -
SL65 AMG-Based Brabus 800 Roadster To Debut In Geneva
The Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG, in stock form, pumps out some 621 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque from its twin-turbo, 6.0-liter V-12 engine. Before you add a single option, the car prices at nearly $214,500, including destination fee and gas-guzzler tax. If those numbers aren’t...
Kurt Ernst -
Hennessey Performance To Build A 1,000 Horsepower Corvette Stingray
The 2014 Corvette Stingray won’t begin shipping to dealerships until the third quarter of 2013, but those planning a purchase can already put together a holiday wish list, thanks to Hennessey Performance Engineering. While the C7 Corvette Stingray will come to market with 450 horsepower and...
Kurt Ernst -
Alfa Romeo Celebrates 50 Years Of Its Autodelta Motorsport Division
In March of 1963, Alfa Romeo brought a company called Auto-Delta, founded by former company engineer Carlo Chiti and Alfa dealer Ludovico Chizzola in 1961, under its corporate wing. The name was eventually changed to Autodelta SpA, but its mission remained: as the official competition department of...
Kurt Ernst -
Porsche Purchases Andial Name
If you’ve followed Porsche’s racing efforts in North America over the years, chances are good you’ve run across the Andial name. Porsche models prepared by Andial won the 24 Hours of Daytona from 1983-87, and again in 1989. If that’s not impressive enough, the first five...
Kurt Ernst -
Genii Capital, owner of the Lotus F1 Team, is branching out its holdings to include a stake in specialist constructor RUF, long known for building over-the-top Porsche-based supercars. Though some would call RUF a tuner, the German government actually considers the firm a manufacturer, with a history that dates all the way back to 1939. It’s perhaps best known for the Porsche 911-based RUF CTR, better known as the “Yellowbird.” When the Yellowbird was released in 1987, its 214 mph top speed made it the fastest production car in the world. Its legacy lives on in the current...
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New Saleen 351 Mustang Announced In Los Angeles
Now that Steve Saleen is back to leading the company that bears his name, it makes perfect sense to reintroduce iconic products from the builder’s past. The current Saleen Mustang, which gets its power from a 302 cubic-inch (5.0-liter) engine, is well established, so the company has chosen...
Kurt Ernst -
Volvo S60 Polestar Live Photos: 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show
We’ll admit to being fans of the Volvo S60 T6 R-Design sedan, as it’s a near-ideal blend of performance and comfort. As much as we like the car, however, it’s Volvo’s uber-sexy S60 Polestar concept that we’d rather have parked on our garage. Rumor had it that Volvo was...
Kurt Ernst -
Scion FR-S Tuner Challenge Cars Revealed: Video
Last week we told you about Scion’s FR-S Tuner Car Challenge, which would pit three customizers from around the country in a head-to-head-to-head build of Scion’s FR-S coupe. Each was given a Scion FR-S, $15,000 and ninety days to build a car that will impresses an independent judging...
Kurt Ernst -
Scion FR-S Tuner Challenge Cars Headed To SEMA
Three tuned Scion FR-S coupes will be headed to SEMA to see which tuner deserves the $10,000 prize.
Nelson Ireson -
Ford F-150 Tuner Trucks Headed To SEMA, Too
The best-selling vehicle in Ford’s lineup is the F-Series pickup, and that’s been the case for many years. If Ford is using SEMA to highlight other hot sellers, like the Escape and Fusion, it stands to reason that tuned F-Series pickups would command booth space, too. Truckin’...
Kurt Ernst -
Hungry for another slammed, two-tone, big-wheeled Veloster? Then buy your tickets for SEMA now, as there will be a bunch of those present. Among, the ARK Veloster "Alpine" Concept. Wearing a host of aerodynamics bits from ARK, including a carbon fiber "Rally Wing," custom fenders, bumpers, side skirts, and hood, the Alpine Concept is also a bit more suited to high-speed duty than a stock Veloster. Under the hood lies the familiar turbo four of the Veloster Turbo, but tuned up to 232 horsepower and 240 pound-feet of torque by BTRcc. It's also fitted with an upgraded oil cooler from ARK, some...
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Hyundai Veloster "Velocity" Concept: SEMA 2012
The SEMA show is the Specialty Equipment Marketing Association's yearly bash celebrating all that's new and ostensibly cool in tuner and aftermarket culture. Hyundai has embraced the show with a bearhug again this year, adding a new Veloster "Velocity" concept to the mix in addition to its...
Nelson Ireson -
Ford Showing Off Four Tuned Fusion Sedans At SEMA
When Ford showed us its Evos concept in the summer of 2011, we immediately said “build it.” J Mays, Ford’s head of design said, “sorry, not going to happen - but don’t be surprised when a new model comes to market with many of the Evos’ design cues.” That...
Kurt Ernst -
Forbidden Fruit: Honda CR-Z Mugen RZ
Ever since Honda launched its CR-Z “Sports Hybrid,” fans of the car and of the brand have wished for one thing: more power. Even in early 2011, less than a year after the car’s launch, there was talk about a new, more powerful version in the works. That car made its debut at this...
Kurt Ernst -
John Hennessey Tests A 700 Horsepower Camaro ZL1: Video
If you’re looking for a seriously fast muscle car, the 2013 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 is one of two outstanding options you have these days (the other, of course, is the 2013 Ford Shelby GT500). From the showroom floor, the ZL1 makes some 580 horsepower at the crank, which is good enough to get...
Kurt Ernst -
Cosworth Hyundai Genesis Racing Series Coupe Preview: SEMA 2012
This year's SEMA show will feature a special track-ready but street-friendly Cosworth-tuned Hyundai Genesis Coupe.
Nelson Ireson