Filed under: Aftermarket, Tuners, Crossovers/CUVs, BMW

Opinions about the BMW X6 are split around the Autoblog virtual water cooler and this teaser from Lumma Design hasn't helped. The German tuning haus will be unveiling a production model of its CLR X 650 at the Paris Motor Show later this year, and much like the standard X6, you'll either love it or loathe it.

What isn't up for debate is the CLR X 650's aggressive demeanor. If the nuclear mishap hue isn't enough to catch your attention, then the new fascia equipped with super-sized air dams, the side skirts, rear fender vents and revised mirrors will keep your wandering eyes in check. The whole package is slammed by 40mm over a set of 23-inch bespoke black rolling stock, while the interior is expected to get a color-matched instrument panel, aluminum pedals and a new steering wheel.

Even those of us partial to the X6's proportions aren't convinced that Lumma is doing the SAV concept right. But we have to admit that its revised stance compliments a few of the pseudo-'utes characteristics, even if it does remove the minimal amount of utility that was there to begin with.

[Source: Lumma via Autofiends]

 

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Filed under: Aftermarket, Tuners, Euro, Videos, Supercars, Lamborghini, Ferrari

Click above to view the video.

We've said it before, but it warrants repeating: it takes a special kind of crazy to take an epic supercar like a Ferrari or a Lamborghini and tune it like you would a Mustang or even a Porsche. Fortunately, Novitec and EDO are just such a breed of crazy. We've brought you news of the former's modified Ferrari 430 Scuderias and 599 GTBs and the latter's Lamborghini Superleggera, Maserati MC12 and Audi R8 (to name just a few), but never side by side. For that, you may follow the jump and thank those zany Germans for pitting a Novitec Rosso-modified Ferrari 575M Maranello against an EDO Competition-tuned Lamborghini Gallardo. You'll need four and a half minutes to spare, but not fluency in German... "vroom" is international.

[Source: YouTube via Autoblog.nl]

Continue reading Autoblog Night Watch: Novitec Ferrari 575 vs. EDO Lambo Gallardo

 

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Filed under: Aftermarket, Tuners, Wagons/Estates, MINI, Lifestyle, Special/Limited Editions

Mothers Against Drunk Driving are not going to like this one. Italian coachbuilder Aznom, which has previously rolled out custom MINIs like this pickup "tender", has now produced a Clubman inspired by a vintage of another sort. The Aznom MINI Chateau is distinguished by a mobile wine cellar installed in the trunk, capable of housing six wine bottles in isolated comfort, along with six wine glasses with which to enjoy them. Aznom's wood veneer finish decorates the exterior and cabin, which also gets a unique leather trim. Riding on 18-inch TSW Pace rims shod with Yokohama rubber, Aznom will only produce 12 examples, each one individually numbered and personalized for their owners. We'll have to wait a few years to see if the Chateau gets better with age like the vino it transports.

Images in the gallery below and press release after the jump. Please enjoy responsibly.

[Source: Aznom via Luxurylaunches.com]

Continue reading Chateau Clubman: Aznom's rolling MINI wine cellar

 

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Filed under: Aftermarket, SEMA, Tuners, Coupes, Dodge

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Dodge Challenger SRT-8.

Mopar can't let Speedfactory have all the fun supercharging the Dodge Challenger SRT-8, so when the SEMA show rolls around this November, the in-house tuners of all things pentastar will unveil a blown Challenger of their own.

The Mopar-modified SRT-8 will be fitted with all the show-going kit you'd expect at the world's largest aftermarket expo, including a cold-air intake, high-flow cat-back exhaust and a variety of wheel designs and sizes. The details of the blower are still unknown, but with Speedfactory boosting the 6.1-liter HEMI V8 from 425 to 630 hp with its Stage 2 mods, we'd suspect similar figures from the Mopar kit.


[Source: InsideLine]

 

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Filed under: Aftermarket, Gadgets, Time Warp, I.C.E., Videos

Click above to view the video posted after the jump.

Okay, Mio's Knight Rider GPS unit is now officially "hella" cool. Engadget snagged some video of the startup sequence, and we're overcome by nostalgia for 1984. We're not excited to the point where we've gone digging for vintage Le Tigre polos or pulled that zombie leather jacket (the Thriller replica, natch) out of deep closet storage, but seeing that sweeping light bar and watching the flanking LEDs twinkle to the dulcet tones of William Daniels brings back sunny memories for those of us that lived it the first time around. Even cooler is that there's a bank of 300 names to choose from, so odds are good that KITT will greet you personally - that closes the sale right there, we officially want one.

[Source: Engadget]

Continue reading VIDEO: Engadget gets to play with Mio Knight Rider GPS, Autoblog jealous

 

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Filed under: Aftermarket, Motorsports, Tuners, Nissan

Nissan's motorsports arm, NISMO, will bring a race-prepared GT-R to the Tokachi 24-hour race on July 20th and 21st equipped with NISMO tuning parts that will be available to consumers later this summer. The car is being prepped by both NISMO and MOTUL, the Japanese French specialty oil manufacturer, and the modified GT-R will benefit from a special blend of the brand's high-performance oil.

The GT-R won't be packing additional ponies, with power still pegged at 480 PS (473 hp) and 434 lb.-ft. of torque. However, the curb weight of the racer has dropped from over 3,800 pounds to 3,527 pounds. Masami Kageyama (former Formula Nippon racer and SuperGT pilot) and Tetsuya Tanaka (2008 Super GT GT300 driver) will be handling the tuned GT-R around the track at Tokachi.

The team's director, Taro Kumagai, points out that this is the first time a production-based GT-R has been raced, and that the aim of the campaign "is to complete the race distance, testing both the performance and reliability of the car." There's no word yet on what performance parts will be released and whether they'll find their way into NISMO-certified dealers in the U.S. We'll let you know.

[Source: NISMO via GTR-World]

 

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Filed under: Aftermarket, Tuners, SUVs, Ford, Lincoln

Do you often wonder why putting your foot down while driving your Ford Expedition or Lincoln Navigator doesn't deliver the response for which you'd hoped? Well, that could be because you're driving an enormous beast of a vehicle saddled with an overburdened 5.4L V8 producing 300 horsepower. Well, Saleen now has the solution for more power that Ford has not been willing to offer.

The SpeeLab division of the American tuning house has announced the availability of its Series VI twin-screw supercharger for the current-model Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator. The forced inductor, already on duty in the Saleen S331 Sport Truck, provides an extra 100 horsepower and 100 lb-ft of torque in the SUV. The result? Substantial extra pulling power, for one, while acceleration is said to be vastly improved, dropping the 0-60 run into the sixes while improving 35 - 65 mph passing times by 30 percent, all the while making a negligible impact on fuel consumption.

[Source: Inside Line]

 

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Filed under: Aftermarket, Tuners, Supercars, Ferrari

Click above for a high resolution image

Is it wrong to mess with perfection? We don't know if we would dare to change even a single nut or bolt on the F430 Scuderia if we happened to have one in the garage, but Novitec Rosso seems to have no problem with it. Granted, they have plenty of experience laying their hands on the F430; in addition to their standard version, they've also built RACE, TuNero, and Evoluzione variations. For the Scuderia they've added their twin-supercharger package good for 717 horsepower and a top speed of just over 215 mph. Considering the standard F430 Scuderia can lap Ferrari's Fiorano test track faster than the Enzo, we'd imagine this car would be insanely quick.

[Source: WorldCarFans]

 

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Filed under: Aftermarket, Tuners, SMART

Click for a hi-res gallery of the Koenigseder Smart ForTwo

"Wide-body" is a relative term. An SUV or a supercar decked out with a wide-body kit? Pimpin'. But a smart ForTwo? Well, it's wider, sure.

Koenigseder is known for modifying big SUVs, but with this kit it's gone decidedly smaller. The Austrian tuning house's package for the diminutive Smart car widens the body by over an inch, which we're not sure is so Smart for a vehicle designed to park sideways in tight spots. The kit also includes 17" rims, which look positively monstrous on such a tiny car, plus Eibach springs, an aero kit, some subtle floral decals and even environmentally-friendly floor mats. Check the action out in the gallery by clicking the thumbnails below.

[Source: Koenigseder via Inside Line]

 

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Filed under: Aftermarket, Tuners, Supercars, Lamborghini

Click above for a hi-res gallery of the EDO Gallardo SLE

Some things you figure are universal. Like time, for example. But for a tuning house that regularly takes the fastest cars around and tinkers with them just for kicks, time - say, production dates and acceleration numbers - might not hold the same meaning as it does for the rest of us mere mortals.

Never minding that Lamborghini has ceased production of the Gallardo Superleggera to make way for the new LP560-4, German uber-tuners EDO competition has come out with a package for the stripped-out Raging Bull. With a simple twist of the ECU, a new catalytic converter and a carbon fiber air box, power is pumped up to 560 horses and torque to 398 lb-ft, dropping the 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) time down to 3.7 seconds and the top speed nudging 320 km/h (199 mph). EDO's also installed a variable-noise exhaust and dropped the right height by 15 mm and can outfit any of the 172 Superleggeras produced with custom-painted 19" three-piece modular rims.

Check out the press release after the jump for the skinny and the images in the gallery below.

[Source: EDO competition]

Continue reading EDO puts the Super in the Gallardo Superleggera

 

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