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With the tight tolerances, high-quality materials and top-level engineering that goes into today's cars, there's often a surprising amount of potential left inside their engines. It appears the Porsche GT2 is no exception, with the tuners at Wimmer Rennsporttechnik Solingen finding another 150hp (111kW) inside the already brutal car with just a few additions. Starting with a twin-turbo version of Porsche's 3.6L boxer engine, Wimmer adds advanced engine management, a custom-built sport exhaust with high-flow cats, a redeveloped cylinder head and 'sport' camshafts. That's all it takes to get...
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Lorinser dresses up the Mercedes Benz GLK
Some people change clothes twice a day to stay fresh and sharp-looking. Those that can afford it change cars almost as often. It's that sort of world that Lorinser's GLK is designed to step into - one where appearance takes precedence over performance. And the 2010 Mercedes Benz GLK is one of the...
Alex Kaufmann -
Avus Performance takes on the Mercedes C63 AMG, pushes power to 585hp
After a very unfortunate naming/translation incident with their Audi RS6 'White Power', Avus Performance have followed up with two more strong contenders for the tuning market's elusive 'most tasteful' award. Proving they have what it takes to build on - but not screw up - high-performance German...
Alex Kaufmann -
Bertone could sell up to 10 units of $2M Mantide
With a hexagon-centric theme and styling that looks like it was sent back through a space-time rift from 2020, the Bertone Mantide is a new and polarizing figure in the automotive design world. Recently Jason Castriota, the car's designer, revealed that as many as 10 of the cars could be built if...
Ralph Hanson -
Avus Performance gives Audi A5 a menacing matte black finish
After a tough go of things last week, Avus Performance is trying to spring back with a new matte black Audi A5 dubbed simply the A5 Coupe Matte Black. Though it offers a healthy boost to the pulling power of the V6 TDI under the hood, the main focuses are handling and appearance modifications...
Kenneth Hall -
Lingenfelter teases plans for 2010 Camaro SS
Superchargers, twin turbos, body kits and handling upgrades - all this and more is on the Lingenfelter docket for the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS. Ranging in power from 550hp to 800hp, the tuned 'Maros will be among the most powerful on the road. The new images of the body kit and wheels show that...
Nelson Ireson -
It's common for a tuner car to cause controversy over its looks - some are downright hideous, after all - but it's rare for one to raise eyebrows over political issues. That's just what happened to the Avus Performance RS6, however, which was unfortunately released with a mis-translated title of 'White Power'. The company promptly posted a retraction of the name on its website, blaming its press agency for the improper translation of the car's name - which is apparently innocent in German. Instead, they're calling the car the Audi RS6 V10 biturbo. "Due to a mistranslation of our latest...
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Königseder Tuning takes on the Porsche Carrera GT
Leipzig, 2004: the Porsche Carrera GT, born out of a racing program but built for the street, begins a production run that will total just 1,270 units and last only two years. Little did the world know new versions of the car would still be built by the aftermarket on a nearly monthly basis for the...
Nelson Ireson -
PhantASMA CL 65 AMG: tuning gone wrong
We've said it many times before, but sometimes tuners just don't know when to leave well enough alone. The Mercedes Benz CL 65 AMG is a well-turned-out and highly massaged car in its factory-tuned form. Dressing it up with pseudo DTM garb and odd bits from discarded industrial window treatments...
Kenneth Hall -
Gemballa takes wraps off Porsche Cayenne Turbo-based Tornado 750 GTS
The high-performance SUV is something of an oxymoron at first blush, but anyone that's taken the wheel of a Porsche Cayenne Turbo or Mercedes Benz ML-Class AMG knows it's possible. Gemballa takes the concept to the next level, dropping over 550lb (250kg) from the Porsche Cayenne Turbo and boosting...
Nelson Ireson -
Hartge takes the diesel X6 to new highs - and lows
Style is undoubtedly a subjective thing, but sometimes agreement is nearly universal. The Mona Lisa has been revered through the ages, while the bowl-cut hair style is a perpetual laughing stock. Somewhere toward the latter end of the spectrum lie creations like Hartge's latest X6 variant, sporting...
Alex Kaufmann -
mcchip Audi TTS bumps power to 315hp
No matter how far the carmakers take the horsepower wars - or how much they back down from them - the aftermarket is always prepared to go farther. Too much is never enough for a determined tuner, and the latest example is mcchip's Audi TTS. Rolling off the factory floor with 272hp (203kW) from its...
Alex Kaufmann -
Noted for its sleek, stylish and almost stealthy modifications of Mercedes Benz vehicles, Lorinser occupies a special place in the German tuner scene. Apparently that place is very special because Lorinser has developed a tuning program for the 2010 E-Class before the car has even been delivered to dealerships. Today the first official photos of the package have emerged, complementing the sketches released a couple weeks ago. The new E-Class, which sneaked onto the scene at the Detroit Motor Show, won't be delivered to European customers until May, and America will have to wait until the...
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eBay watch: Dodge Challenger widebody convertible by West Coast Customs
Dodge may have ruled out building a convertible version of its Challenger muscle car but if you’re determined enough to purchase one then there are a score of vehicle customizers across the country willing to serve your needs, for the correct price. One such customizer is California’s...
James Martinez -
Steve Saleen to honor warranties voided by Saleen, Inc
After Steve Saleen resigned from Saleen, Inc. in 2007, the company, under its new leadership, sold the majority of its aftermarket business to MJ Acquisitions on February 2, 2009. About a month later, the new ownership decided to shut down Saleen, Inc. after selling off the supercharger...
Nelson Ireson -
MTM takes on KTM's X-Bow
KTM's X-Bow doesn't really need any help to be extreme. It is born that way. But MTM wasn't satisfied, so they took their tuning ways to the car's engine and brakes to make it even more of a trackday star. The standard X-Bow only sports a 240hp (179kW) four-banger but it's strapped to a lightweight...
Alex Kaufmann -
MTM builds Audi TTS to 380hp
Audi's TT platform has shown some seriously long legs, running in updated but still very familiar form from its debut in 1999 to the present. Now it's showing even more potential remains with the upgraded TTS and TT-RS models. But even that's not enough for the aftermarket, and MTM has answered the...
Alex Kaufmann -
Tiret New York and LSE Design team up for Range Rover based Tiret Coupe
Land Rover's Range Rover Sport has long been a popular choice with celebrity and pop-culture icons, but with the modifications that Tiret New York and LSE Design have managed, the Tiret Coupe takes the vehicle to another level. Wider flared arches, LED lighting, 22in LSE alloy wheels and a full...
Kenneth Hall -
Noted for its sleek, stylish and almost stealthy modifications of Mercedes Benz vehicles, Brabus occupies a special place in the German tuner scene. Apparently that place is very special because the performance workshops is one of the first tuning firms to develop a complete upgrade package for the new 2010 E-Class. The latest E-Class, which sneaked onto the scene at the Detroit Motor Show, won't be delivered to European customers until May, and the U.S. will have to wait until the third quarter of the year, but Brabus has already had its hands on one long enough to develop a whole range of...
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Hyundai Genesis Coupe sales off to a good start, already outpacing Sedan
Traditionally, coupe variants of mainstream sedans sell in much lower numbers than the four-doors on which are they based, but in the case of the new 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe the opposite is true. Sales of the Coupe have been extremely strong, even outpacing that of its sedan sibling despite...
Ralph Hanson -
JMS offers unique look for new VW Scirocco
Love them or hate them, tuners are here to stay, and sometimes they even manage to improve the cars they tackle. Take the new JMS VW Scirocco for example. Though they recognize the difficulty in improving on a dramatically styled new car like the Scirocco, they've managed to make some basic changes...
Alex Kaufmann -
Kicherer mods the E-Class before it even hits the streets
Noted for its sleek, stylish and almost stealthy modifications of Mercedes-Benz vehicles, Kicherer occupies a special place in the German tuner scene. Apparently that place is very special, because it has released a new E-Class tuning program before the car has even been delivered to dealerships...
Alex Kaufmann -
Premier4509 Bentley Continental GT: elegant aero
Common adjectives applied to tuner-modified Bentleys include: gaudy, excessive, and hideous. The Premier4509 won't be falling victim to such criticism, however, as its sleek lines and highly aerodynamic profile actually fit with the overall theme of the car. Rather than going the route of its last...
Kenneth Hall -
Video: Switzer Performance P700 GT-R hits 626AWHP on the dyno
We've all seen, and mocked, tuner cars that think adding 100lb of fiberglass body kit will add 50hp at the crank, but Switzer Performance is known for a different kind of tuning: the kind that makes serious power. Confining most of their work to Porsche's fine machinery, their latest example steps...
Nelson Ireson