Search the Community
Showing results for tags 'performance tuners'.
-
Kahn Design's R172 Mercedes Benz SLK200 gets AMG for styling and Brabus for power
Rigval posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
According to Afzal Kahn, founder of Kahn Design/Project Kahn, 'the road is my catwalk'. According to yours truly, this chap takes any car, in this case a Mercedes Benz SLK 200 and rearranges it to his whims and fancies. But customers lap it up as he does the 'bling' and 'in-your-face' concept quite well. The latest release from the UK based tuning house is the R172 Mercedes Benz SLK200 BlueEfficiency Brabus powered AMG Sport Pack. That folks is the official name for the car. Long isn't it? This latest release from Kahn Design consists of a R172 Mercedes SLK200 BlueEfficiency with the full AMG sport pack - including front and rear bumpers, side skirts, Kahn exhaust, lowered suspension, matt black and carbon finished grille, carbon front splitters, red calipers, matt black side vents, remote control roof, roll bars in brushed aluminum. While the body parts are AMG, Kahn has added his own matte black touches to it, making it look a tad bit different. MattE black 20" RS600 Kahn alloy wheels complete the exterior. Don't actually bother asking about interior mods, its a fully customizable SLK200. Whatever type of interior trim that floats your boat could be installed as the choice is purely up to the customer. High end tuners usually have this ultimate option choice actually. If you want the seats the same shade as the colour of your girlfriend's apartment's curtains and the dashboard in the same colour as her derriere, it could actually be possible. With the looks and styling done, Kahn Design then enlists Mercedes tuner Brabus who then tunes the supercharged (surprisingly not turbocharged) four-cylinder 1.8-litre Mercedes Benz engine to make about 30bhp more than stock or about 210bhp. If one were to connect an optional Brabus piggy-back ECU, the car will make another 26bhp. The power made will be transmitted to the rear wheels via Mercedes' 7G-tronic automatic transmission. One should also note that the engine mods are indeed Mercedes Benz approved. This particular model pictured is priced at -
The most outrageous Audi A1 ever - MTM Audi A1 Nardo Edition hits 324km/h
Rigval posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
Totally insane. This is what I think the MTM Audi A1 Nardo Edition is if I sum in up in just two words. Every year European tuners flock to the Nardo high speed test track for a round of high speed showdowns and for a showcase of their latest performance products. You get big names like G-power, Ruf, 9ff, and so on showcasing their latest test cars and show cars. But MTM has decided to attend with Audi's latest supermini. Albeit one with 500ps and can hit 201mph (324km/h). Imagine a car the size of the new Suzuki Swift pumping out that much power.....through its front wheels. Insane isn't it? What MTM have done is plonk in Audi's 2.5liter 5 cylinder that one usually finds located in the Audi TT-RS and used all of its magic to bring the power up to 500ps from 340ps and a whopping 600Nm of torque but kept it front-wheel drive. It must be as it is gravity defying in that the tiny (still) front-drive Audi A1 can accelerate from a standstill to 100km/h in 4.5seconds and go on to 324km/h. In such a small car doing anything above 300km/h must be like riding a bicycle downhill at breakneck speed without any safety gear or even any clothes on. Imagine this tiny tot thundering (I wonder if thunder can be this small) around the Nardo high speed ring surrounded by 9ff Porsches as well as tuned Mercedes SLRs. It must be David slaying many Goliaths at one go. This is the only Audi A1 which I truly fancy. The MTM Audi A1 Nardo Edition. Enough said. -
The ABT 'Speedie' - ABT starts tuning the 2012 Volkswagen Beetle
Rigval posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
The totally new 2012 Volkswagen Beetle has barely hit most markets around the world but as usual, the tuning houses have gotten their hands on it. ABT, known for tuning VW Group cars have their pimped out Beetle ready and wants us to call it the 'Speedie'. A bodykit, alloy wheels and 'go-faster' stripes and it deserves to be called 'Speedie'? I doubt it if you went out and bought the base 105bhp 1.2-litre TSI version. Even with ABT's ECU tweaks for that engine. But do continue reading anyway. Anyway, the ABT Volkswagen Beetle Speedie (which I think is what it's called in full) is basically ABT's first step in tuning the all new, new Beetle (I just had to say it in this way as this IS the revamp of the first new Beetle). ABT have not finalized details of the engine mods and have just stated that the Speedie will have tweaks for its looks. It has a complete bodykit -
[extract] The Ferrari California is a V8 powered Ferrari that isn't that extrovert in its looks and was built for a different sort of market compared to its other V8 powered sibling, the 458 Italia. This is one that feels at home puttering around at slower speeds, around Orchard Road, the Marina area, the Cote D'Azur, Beverly Hills and other happy shopping/pleasure/leisure zones. In fact it looks more Maserati than Ferrari. Especially its stance and posture
-
If you think that..... BMW is taking their sweet time in coming out with the latest M5; or if you think that BMW's M Sport body kit is too tame for you; or if you know you can't afford the upcoming F10 M5 as your paycheck isn't large enough; and if you think that your 520d with the M sport body kit still looks like an 'unclemobile'.... then you should head over to Hamann for a makeover. This kit differs from the Hamann Motorsport kit for the normal F10 5 series as it adds to the M Sport parts. The front end receives a lower lip/splitter setup, the sides receive thicker skirts, the rear looks like it only has larger quad-tailpipes (from a sports muffler setup) as well as a tiny boot-lid spoiler and a roof spoiler. Fat 21inch alloys on suspension that is lowered by about 35mm rounds up the package as do the monotone rear lights. The interior gets the usual alloy pedals and carbon fiber trimming. Nothing out of the ordinary and nothing seriously worth mentioning. At best this is all dress up. It does look good but if you're all about max power then this is not for you. The exhaust system may add 5bhp or so to a 520d or 520i and the car may feel like its handling better (with those huge wheels and lowered suspension) but aim it at the nearest pothole and weep. I suppose Hamann is doing the bread and butter stuff first for the 5 series and is waiting to let loose its tuning skills on the upcoming M5. I mean, why bother modding a 520i like crazy when they can go ballistic on the Full Monty that should be launched as a 2012 model sometime soon? source:hamann via wcf
-
Six or seven months ago word first broke out that tuner Merdad intended to come up with a 'coupe' version of the Porsche Cayenne SUV. Some shook their heads in amazement, while some eagerly waited for it. Those that were eager for it would be pleased to note that Merdad had indeed built such a Cayenne and had displayed it at the Londow Motor show in the United Kingdom last November. Merdad of UK has basically released official press photos of the car, called the Merdad GT 902 2door coupe. No real details have been made public as to how the conversion was done. They must have welded the rear doors shut and made a new rear window surround as well as new rear glass in order to achieve the 'sleek' (for an SUV) 2 door look. What you' get if you bought one would be the lack of rear doors, full Merdad 'unique' exterior styling (i.e. a bodykit), special leather interior trim, special Merdad 'Super Sound' exhaust system, electronic lowering module (up to 40mm lower), 22inch forged black or silver edition rims, Merdad alloy racing pedals, Merdad 'entrance blends' (door sill trims), Merdad floor mats and Merdad special steering wheel. It basically started getting boring after the 'super sound' exhaust system for me. But you know how marketing statements are. Strange thing is that Merdad seems to act as if a 2 door Cayenne is a normal item that we see everyday. They should be making a bigger fuss about it. I do wonder if there would be any gray imports of this 2 door monster SUV in our region any time soon. A door door luxury SUV harks back to the days when you could only get a Range Rover in 2 doors
-
Hamann Gallardo Victory II a.k.a I've got money but I may be lacking in taste
Rigval posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
"I have the money to make something so purposeful, tasteful and beautiful into something garish, outrageous and into something that spells out 'boy racer' even though I may have a monthly income of more than the annual GDP of Timor Leste." This is what I think Hamann must have meant when they created the Lamborghini Gallardo Victory II you see in this short article. Enough said. Just enjoy the pictures and proof on what you can do with excess cash. Happy 2011 people! -
We already know that the newly launched Audi RS5 is a pretty fabulous car. Actually, it is pretty fabulous driven in isolation as if you try one against its smaller sibling, the supercharged S5 (cabriolet), it doesn't gain much ground as all of its power and torque comes in high up the rev range. Usually a 4.2liter normally aspirated V8 is stupendous but a supercharged 3.0liter V6performs just as well due to the torque it produces. And so, to avoid embarrassment, a RS5 owner can head over to Senner Tunning for their latest RS5 tuning package. To fend off other Audis, Porsches and other Uber-wagens the 4.2liter FSI V8 gets an ECU upgrade and a valve controlled stainless steel exhaust system. From more precise monitoring and fuelling, as well as that freer flow exhaust system the RS5 now makes 499bhp instead of 444bhp and more importantly 478Nm of torque. Up from 430Nm previously. It should make the RS5 hustle slightly faster than before. It does, as the RS5 gets to 100km/h from zero in 4.2seconds. Down from 4.6 seconds. The maximum speed is also increased as the limiter is lifted from the usual German 250km/h limit to 280km/h. 300km/h is another option that could be had with a tire upgrade. So after the 50bhp power upgrade, Senner Tuning shoves 20inch wheels under the arches of the RS5. 9.5inch x 20 up front and 11inch x 20 at the rear. Vredestein Ultrac Sessanta tires are the rubbers and the tires are 255/30R20 fronts and 295/25R20 at the rear. The 20inch alloys come in the Spider SC1 design and the Varianza T1S design. The display car featured the Spider on the driver's side and the Varianza on the passenger side. I suppose Senner Tuning were a little lazy for the photo shoot. Do note that the car is a left hand drive model, and the driver's seat is in the 'wrong' side of the car. The Senner Tuning RS5 package is rounded up by carbon fiber side mirrors, a front grille and windo frames in their Black Edition trim. The interior gets the usual carbon fiber bits and pieces as well as the usual leather trimming for the seats, steering and door panels. So the RS5 gets 50bhp. The S4 gets about the same from a tuning package and more torque. It usually is the case for blown engines to make more power than a normally aspirated one. Even one as good as the RS5. However, the one very important thing I have to add it the V8 makes a stonkingly marvelous sound that no supercharged V6 can every dream of achieving. Its all about the whole experience, not only all out power. But the 50bhp that the Senner Tuning RS5 makes is very much appreciated for RS5 owners who wants to play Top Trumps with the guys at the golf club.
-
The Brabus Widestar Mercedes-AMG SLS: A not-so-wide widebody kit.
Rigval posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
Brabus has taken to opportunity to launch their widebody version of Mercedes-AMG's gull-winged SLS at the 2010 Essen Motor Show in Germany recently. The car gets a widebody kit called the 'Widestar' and this modification is for those who somehow think that the SLS isn't butch or, shall we say isn't wide enough to create an impact at the local nightspots or at the country clubs. Since the most important addition to the SLS is the body kit, we'll start with this first. The Widestar gets the usual front bumper/spoiler setup, rear bumper/diffuser setup, bootlid spoiler and only slightly wider rear wheel arches with optimized (and larger) air inlets and outlets. It isn't one of those really over the top, super wide body kits like we've seen on some tuned cars. It actually pretty subtle for a 'widebody' kit. Too subtle in my opinion. Anyway, the front inlets and fender outlets are also aerodynamically tuned and tested at Brabus' wind tunnel facility to optimize airflow throughout the car. All of the components mentioned above are made from carbon fiber and customers can opt for a matte or glossy finish for the parts if they do not want to paint the add on parts. But do note that it is only wider at the rear wheel arches as the front fenders and arches are not extended. Only the front fender outlets seem to protrude more than the stock ones giving some illusion of a wider front end. To complement the package even further Brabus gives the Widestar SLS an adjustable suspension that is driver controlled from inside the cabin. Aside from being 30mm lower, the suspension system allows the driver to increase or decrease the ride height as well as harden or soften the damping rates to make the car handle better when needed or ride better when the driver wants some comfort instead. The bespoke system was developed in collaboration with suspension specialists Bilstein. If the customer still feels that this isn't extreme enough, there is an option for stiffer anti roll bars front and rear. To complement and to ensure that the rear wheel sit nicely under the wider arches the rear gets 21inch wheels running rubberband 295/25ZR21 series tires and the fronts get 20inch wheels with 275/30ZR20 tires. The wheels are Brabus specific Monoblock F Platinum Edition and must cost a bomb too. According to Brabus, the alloy wheels are lighter even though they are bigger than the stock versions. The press release also states that the car gets Brabus' titanium sports exhaust system. This system increases the power output by 10bhp giving the SLS 573bhp to play with. The exhaust system is also 12kg lighter. I suppose both of these small improvements would only enable the Widestar SLS to power past a standard SLS by a mere whisker or so. -
Hamann Motorsport and H&R combine forces: H&R Hamann Fiat 500 Abarth
Rigval posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
There recently was news regarding a collaboration between horsepower brokers Hamann Motorsport and suspension tuner extraordinaire H&R. Between them they have basically created the ultimate Fiat 500; the 275bhp, 380Nm H&R Hamann Fiat 500 Abarth Essesse. This is basically the ultimate bubble sports car as it should have the handling to match the power supplied to it. We start with Harmann's contribution to the package first. In order to achieve the desired 275bhp, Harmann has basically thrown in everything it has at the Fiat 1.4liter Multijet turbocharged engine. The engine gets forged pistons, uprated & polished conrods, cylinder head porting & polishing, different camshafts (most probably high lift with a different duration), Hamann fuel rail with fuel pressure regulator and larger injectors, a larger geometry variable vane turbocharger, Hamann specific intercooler & air baffles and colder high heat resistant spark plugs as well as the usual ECU tweaking and tuning. All of the fuel and air gets exhausted via a 200cell sports cat and then through a quad tail pipe sports exhaust system. This then passes through a limited slip differential equipped 6 speed manual gearbox that gets an uprated clutch & pressure plate and a 20% lighter than stock flywheel. With 350Nm going through the Fiat's front wheels, all of the goodies mentioned are very necessary. Hamann also adds larger 4pot brake calipers up front with 305mm diameter discs and larger than stock 264mm discs at the rear. This is added insurance for those trying to quell such a ballistic little car from very high speeds. Hamann then throws in their body kit complete with front splitter and rear diffuser, LED daytime driving lights, wide wheel arches and side skirts. Also assisting in the looks and handling are 18inch alloy wheels running 225/35//18 tires. H&R then comes up with the handling package for the car after Hamann is done upping the horsepower and the stopping power. H&R have stated that they had developed a new suspension system that consists of coil-overs front and rear (with high-low/soft-hard settings). They have also increased the width of the little Fiat's track front and rear with the use of wheel spacers specially designed for the Fiat. The suspension takes into account of this extra width and it isn't like some aftermarket tuner slapping some spacers without any proper research. Aside from improving grip, H&R claims that the handling is greatly improved as the firmer suspension and wider track reduces pitching and roll movements to a minimum. This allows the driver to actually focus on driving fast and hard instead of worrying about trying to control the extra body movements. The news on this special collaboration Fiat 500 Abarth was released in line with its official preview at the Essen Motor Show in Germany which started on the 27th of November. No information on pricing has been announced as yet. Not a bad looking little monster. I'd keep the power mods, alloys and suspension but I would lose the slightly over the top body kit and I'd keep the car painted in the original Abarth colors as this car looks like it has been painted by someone who works at the Puma shoe factory. It seems to have a cat leaping from one side of the bonnet to the other, much like the Puma Speedcat shoe. -
Honda CRZ is the Japanese Car of they Year...and look what Bisimotor has done to it
Rigval posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
[extract] -Mugen Honda CRZ- The Honda CRZ Hybrid sports car has been voted Japan -
[extract] Project Kahn is a relatively new tuner that has burst into the scene with their tuned versions of the Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and the Bentley Continental GT. They somehow bring a sense of looming danger and mystery all because of their name. A Project Kahn Range Rover Sport RS600. It sounds dangerous and mysterious doesn
-
[extract] How do you tell an Audi R8 V10 from the normal
-
Red, Italian and NOT a Ferrari or an Alfa Romeo: NOVITEC Fiat Punto Evo
Rigval posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
[extract] It isn -
AC Schnitzer does the F10 BMW 5 Series, and its carbon trimmed interior is shocking
Rigval posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
AC Schnitzer is a long time BMW specific tuner and they have been doing BMWs for as long as I can remember. In the early 1990s I used to love looking at BMWs with those AC Schintzer alloys on those E30s, E34s and E36s. They look really good. And speaking of the grandchild of the E34 5 series, the F10, AC Schnitzer have come up with their upgrades for the latest BMW mid range saloon. Now AC Schnitzer is not about alloy wheels and bodykits. While this is the stuff that flies through their catalogue of stuff they also do performance upgrades for their cars. This time around, their press release emphasizes the power upgrade for their diesel 530d as it now puts out 286bhp instead of 245bhp. I suppose this oil burner is what most of Europe buys and this is the first of the engine upgrades done by Schnitzer. In fact, the other F10 5 series that will have a tuning package is the 520d, 525d and the 535d. All oil burners. The only upgrade for the petrol engines is a rear muffler for the exhaust system. This is for the 550i, 535i as well as for the diesel 535d and 530d. You get better exhaust noise and better throttle response but you do not get any additional power from it. There are no other performance upgrades mentioned for now. For handling as well as for that cool lowered look AC Schnitzer has a spring kit for all F10 5 series. The springs lower the car by about 25mm and tighten up the handling without making passengers suffer. But I suspect that the ride will slightly suffer if you opt for AC Schnitzer -
Wheels And More tunes the Audi R8 V10 for more looks & more power
Rigval posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
Wheels and More is a German tuner that focuses on high end German and Italian marques as well as Bentley, the Ford GT, Jaguar XK and the Shelby GT to name a few non-German/Italian marques. They've recently previewed their uprated version of Audi's R8 V10. Their uprated R8 V.10's 5.2liter V10 makes 600ps over the standard 525ps/518bhp. This amount of horses and 590Nm of torque came to be due to Wheels and More doing the usual ECU tweaking and the addition of a stainless steel sports exhaust system that has a driver controlled exhaust valve to adjust throttle and release some of the extra bhp when it is possible or allowed to do so. In order to corner better Wheels and More have collaborated with German suspension specialists KW for a bespoke driver bounce and rebound adjustable suspension. The damping and the ride height can be controlled from inside the cabin where KW has installed a Lift Control System (KW LCS) so that the car may be raised by about 30mm to clear speedbumps and basement car parks. This suspension system is combined with Wheels and More's exclusively designed chrome alloy rims as well as the black with red lining Project Khan alloy rims as option. This should be pretty obvious since the tuning firm is named....Wheels and More. The Type C alloy rims come in 9x20inches up front running 235/30/20 tires and 11x20inches with 295/25/20 (with a 305/25/20 option if you feel 295 section sized tires aren't enough) tires at the rear. There is also a super lightweight (and super expensive) carbon wheel option too at 21,500Euro -
Audi and Volkswagen tuner ABT have upgraded their performance package for the Audi TT RS, enabling it to achieve near supercar levels of performance in terms of outright power. The previous iteration of the ABT TT RS developed 420bhp. Up from the standard 340bhp. Now, it packs 501bhp. Enough to make even a Porsche 911 Carrera feel like a Volkswagen Beetle. According to ABT, the TT RS allows the owner of such a car to experience
-
Onyx or Onyx Concept is an Irish company that started out with tuning the Range Rover Sport and all sorts of premium SUVs (like the Porsche Cayenne and the full sized Range Rover) and the odd Bentley (the Continental GT). They have now gone a little down market with the BMW E92/93 M3. Of course, onyx is a semi precious stone, so loved by traditional Englishmen who think that luxury means an onyx coffee table for their living room. And that table is usually a little garish and slightly over the top. Much like the car you see in the pictures. The Onyx M3 has an exterior with a front bumper with a carbon fiber lip, rear bumper/diffuser in carbon fiber, side skirts, a carbon fiber bonnet, carbon fiber boot and a roof spoiler made also of carbon fiber. I suppose there will be a slight weight loss due to all that lightweight carbon fiber here and there. The interior gets buffalo instead of normal cow. I suppose this is slightly harder wearing and still can be had with various color combinations. Since the exterior has a lot of carbon, the interior can be laid with a 12 piece carbon fiber panel kit that can come in various colors, from the usual grey black to orange and blue. Much like the onyx coffee table, very garish. For those who are a little power hungry, Onyx mentions that the standard 414bhp can be upgraded to 621bhp but does not mention how they will go about trying to achieve this figure. One can assume that a supercharger or a turbocharger kit will be bolted on for this feat. No prices have been released at this point of time. But since most of the car can be custom made to the likes of the customer the sky's the limit.
-
[extract] The Volkswagen Golf R is the fastest Golf you can buy from Volkswagen these days. The Golf R, being an uprated Golf GTI with all-wheel drive is a pretty fast hot hatchback as it has 267bhp and 350Nm of torque to play with. If you feel that that amount isn
-
[extract] Mercedes Benz are no longer very logical when it comes to numbering their cars nowadays. For instance, the current W204 C-Class starts off with a C200 CGI and then a C250 CGI which then cumulates in the range topping C63. If it were the good ol
-
[extract] Anderson is a German based tuning specialist for exotic cars and they have just released pictures of their styling and performance package for Ferrari
-
[extract] G-Power, another famous German tuning company have claimed that their E60 BMW M5 had broken the World Record for the fastest sedan. This car had achieved a top speed of 372 km/h or 231mph. It beats their own previously held record held by their earlier tuned M5 called the (say it with one breath
-
Not satisfied with a full carbon Bugatti Veyron Linea Vincero which they created sometime last year Mansory have decided that with carbon, there must be gold to spruce things up. These are the same people that decided that the Porsche Panamera needed a little colour in its life. A little colour here and there is good thing....IF Mansory actually knew when and how to stop in the first place. The previous Linea Vincero Anyway, they've not created a one off show piece to showcase more of the Linea Vincero range of accessories for the Veyron, but with gold. With the gold comes the addition of the word
-
MTM has decided to preview their tweaks on the Audi RS5. This piece of kit is for those that think that the standard RS5, which is actually an A5 or an S5 with a 4.2liter V8, slightly different rims and a lot more noise from its exhausts, isn't enough to impress their drinking buddies. That V8 in the RS5 is derived from the old B7 Audi RS4 that we all love so much. Well, I do anyway. Not much is done basically, the MTM RS5 isn't a radical tweak as the 450bhp thereabouts 4.2 liter V8 makes.......450bhp. Yes, it is the same power output the RS5 had when it left the factory but the ECU is tweaked to allow the car to reach a maximum speed of 303km/h (188mph) instead of the usual German manufacturer limit of 250km/h (155mph). Audi does offer an increased speed limit too, but it is only to 280km/h (174mph). So this is a good thing if you intend to keep up with some 911GT3s or to actually boast a higher V-max than your other RS5 buddies at an Audi gathering. There is also an exhaust upgrade, but I suppose it is more for releasing more of that wonderful V8 rumble from the RS5 as there is no reported increase in horsepower. MTM Bimoto rims are fitted to the car (in black or silver), as with uprated tires that can handle that extra maximum speeds the MTM RS5 can achieve. The ECU tweak costs1499
-
Tuning big boy Hamann has come up with tuning parts for the F10 BMW 5 Series. This kit ups the ante in the looks department of the 5 series as the standard car looks very sedate compared to the previous generation, over styled E60 5 series. But maybe they have put in a little too many spoilers at the rear. The rear is full of juts, ledges, fins and spoilers. On the roof the Hamann 5 Series is the BMW trademark shark