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Chrome

custom cars

Chrome Ferrari 599 Lays Bling Smackdown On Chrome Audi

We all know the car, the polished-to-perfection Saudi Arabian Audi A8 you get in your email every four to six months, usually from the uncle who doesn't understand the internet telling you those durn furiners got too much money. Well, that car has now been tossed into the waste bin of internet history. We have a new champion of bling, a fully polished Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano. While not doused in platinum (as the email always claims), this over-the-top wonder takes advantage of the 599GTB's aluminum body and simply classes up the joint, with thousands of hours of polishing and buffing.

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stupid criminals

Chrome Rims Lead to Murder Suspects

Living in Chicago and hanging out with reporters on the metro beat, we hear more than our fair share of horrible stories, and the case of a homeless woman beaten to death by a couple of gangbangers ranks up there. That's why we were so glad to hear the alleged scumbags were hoisted by their own auto accessories. The two men involved were seen on tape driving a Chevy Tahoe with 22 or 24 in chrome rims, but that's not the reason they got caught. More »

sema

How Heico Sportiv "Chrome-Plated" The Volvo S80


Amidst all of the glitz and chrome of the SEMA show in Vegas, there was one concept car that stood out — mostly because the paint reflected so much light in the Las Vegas Convention Center you couldn't ignore it. This seemingly chrome-plated beast is the Heico Sportiv-tuned S80 T6 "High Performance Concept." To begin with, it's a Volvo S80 powered not by the high-powered 4.4-liter Yamaha V8 that's in the engine bay of the up-model version — an engine that generates 311 HP, mind you. Instead, it's powered by the new T6 engine, which ups the standard engine lineup to 350 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 405 lb.-ft. of torque between 1,500 and 4,000 rpm. Heico estimates that with the T6, this S80 concept can reach 62 mph in just 5.8 seconds. But the real story's the paint job. As you can see from the video above, nearly every panel of the Heico S80 T6 HPC was re-fabricated. The S80's front clip was replaced with a more aggressive nose that incorporates ultra-slim LED turn-signal indicators, a deeper front air dam and wide intake tunnels for improved airflow into the intercooler and brakes. And oh, yes, there's the "metal effect" paint scheme. Seven coats were applied over a two-week period, and the process allows for no "touch-ups" whatsoever. So once you get it, don't expect to drive it...ever. Full release from Volvo below the jump.
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lowrider

La Vida Lowrider: Cruising the City of Angels

The Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles is hosting a selection of the city denizen's automotive creations that defy the soulless mechanicals of modern commuter boxes by proudly representing the culture and families that crafted the machines. While one group of post WW2 hooligan Angelenos were seeking higher velocity out on SoCal dry lakebeds, another was going slower - and lower, on the streets of the basin. The exhibition marks the second time the museum has scraped a group of Lowriders into its halls. Cars, bicycles, motorcycles, and even a few baby carriages have been chosen based on historical significance and sheer hypnotizing power of metalflake and chrome. The show opens tomorrow and runs through June 8th. [La Vida Lowrider via Petersen.org]

friday ennui countermeasure

Can You Identify This Car?

It's Friday! That means you've earned the right to forget about your servitude in The Man's cruel salt mine and spend some Company Time trying to figure out what the hell kind of car this bit of decoration comes from. They don't build 'em like this no more! Or do they?

There's now a study suggesting Cadillac's appeal may be slipping. [Winding Road]

custom cars/hot rods

Chrome Affected: Shiny, Shiny BMW M3

It's becoming Maximum BMW day (well, half-day), but this chromed M3 deserved mentioning, though it's apparently been kicking around for a couple of years. Canadians have known about the shiny, shiny 2002 widebody E46 for a while (the guy's from Toronto). It was first shown at SEMA 2004 and was a cover car for Max Power, but somehow slipped below our radar until now, possibly due to its eyesight-thwarting bodywork. [Full spec sheet here] More »

custom cars/hot rods

Chromed Cobra

So what if this chromed Shelby Cobra replica was mere eye candy in a garage-floor supplier's SEMA booth. Someone had to strip and high-polish the thing, and make sure the plastic parts were properly mocked and coated for maximum effect. Maybe it's not even close to tasteful, and would likely be wanted for murder on South Florida highway in August. But radness comes in all sizes, shapes and level of retina threat. More »

news

"Chrome" Lexus IS 250 Unveiled at Sydney Show

Lexus's Austrailian aftermarket team went arse over tit for 50 Cent's chrome Lamborghini, to paraphrase today's press release. So much so that the accessory squad worked up a chrome-like IS250 for the Oz market. It's layered in Alsa Corp.'s MirraChrome paint, a reflective formulation that contains microscopic bits of shiny metal, giving it the look of chrome without the six-figure bodyshop bill. In production since earlier this year, the special IS also gets Lexus factory add-ons including a body kit comprising front lower spoiler, side skirts, rear lower skirt and trunk spoiler, and polished alloys. If you happen to find yourself on that side of the globe, you can check it out at the Sydney show, right next to the AC/DC-themed fried-out combi display. [Gallery] More »