Jalopnik: body kit

Repeat: Do Not Mess With The Nissan GT-R

Travis Hudson — Thu, 08 May 2008 17:00:00 EDT

Despite the owner's manual for the Nissan GT-R strictly forbidding it, a Japanese company has gone ahead and released a carbon fiber kit for Godzilla himself, defying everything Nissan stands for this with vehicle. Arios is the company behind this mess. Despite it not being a giant wing or massive fender flairs, the inclusion of carbon fiber front and sideskirts is enough to make every Nissan designer crap their pants, simultaneously. Along with the kit, Arios offers to swap the new GT-R front emblem with the older one from the Skyline GT-R KPCG10. Please. [WCF]

Volvo to Call Cosmetic Package R-Design

Mike Spinelli — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 06:00:33 EDT

Separate Volvo R performance models may be going the way of the Sunday-night mob series, but Volvo's new enhancement package will keep the consonant employed. The Swedish Fordies are reportedly tagging their new line of mild performance upgrades and bold-on trim "R-Design." It's like Audi's S-line kit, and includes bodykitting, suspension stiffenings, 17" aluminum wheels and special badging on the outside, and leather-lined steering wheel and aluminum accents on the inside. The first models to get the R-Design treatment will be the S40 and V70, later this year. No word on price, but expect a few grand to change hands in the name of international relations. – Mike Spinelli

Volvo sports line to be called R-design [Motor Authority]

T(u)RD Kit: The Toyota Auris Sportiva

Ray Wert — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 11:07:19 EDT

We just showed you the new Toyota Auris the other day and folks were already lamenting the plain-Jane upgrades available for Toyota's newest entry into the euro C-segment market. Without a performance upgrade, how could Japan's A-plus number one bestest automaker compete with the VDub GTI's of the world? Well, the folks in Toyota's aftermarket speed-freak shop, Toyota Racing Development (TRD), are already getting their body kit action on — so at the very least you'll be able to kit up your Auris to look like it's got the horsepower to match what the rest of the kiddies have. And don't worry — it'll still look that way when they're a mile ahead of you too. – Ray Wert

Auris Sportivo Version by TRD [Nihon Car]

Exclusive 2006 SEMA Preview! Ford Encases The Fusion In A Darth Vader-esque 3dCarbon-ite Body Kit

Ray Wert — Tue, 24 Oct 2006 16:01:00 EDT

You'll forgive the pun, but as I sit here in a Dearborn Starbucks, I'm listening to two fan-boys spout off on whether Episode III was better than Episode V — which as everyone knows, isn't even a contest. Which brings me full-vicious-circle to the last of FoMoCo's immortal trilogy that is the automaker's preview of SEMA offerings (sans one toy you'll be seeing tomorrow). This third one is straight out of the body kit shop of 3dCarbon. We'll let 3dCarbon take it from here and tell you a bit about the product, a six-piece kit including a front air dam, side skirts, a rear lower skirt, an upper deck spoiler and a rear deck spoiler:

"Aerodynamic styling inspired by the love of the Autobahn, the Euro Series Styling Kit sets the Fusion apart with a road hugging stance that exudes confidence. Officially licensed by Ford — engineered & manufactured by 3dCarbon. All kit components are manufactured in flexible high pressure injected urethane..."

It certainly all seems to give the Fusion a bit of a meaner stance — and is a definite improvement over the plainer-Jane base version. Oh yeah, it's also got AWD and a set of Brembo black brake calipers with drilled rotors. Plus, Episode V's better than III — Luke gets his friggin' hand chopped off for pete's sake. Full gallery of the 3dCarbon hotness via the link below. – Ray Wert

[Ford Fusion by 3dCarbon Gallery]

Dynamism in Skirts: Mercedes Introduces AMG Body Kit for CL-Class

Mike Spinelli — Fri, 14 Jul 2006 10:21:23 EDT

We'll have to wait a couple of months for Merc's CL-Class stormer, CL63 AMG, but the company today announced it would make available a body kit and 19" AMG alloys to tart up the base model in kind. The styling kit includes front and rear aprons and side skirting, and the wheels are five-spoke AMG light-alloys with embossed AMG lettering. Sure it looks nice, but does offering these kind of superficial supplies — also seen from Audi (S-line) and BMW (M-line) degrade companies' hard-won performance-brand images? We're asking.