The Grand Cherokee SRT8 is already somewhat of a sleeper. Certainly, those in the know recognize its prodigious performance. But what happens when one sends one's Jeep off to Hennessey for a 27k tune-up? Epic soccer-mom-look hoonage available at a stab of the loud pedal to the tune of 620hp and 650 turbocharged torques. Car and Driver recently took one out for a spin, and the boys from Ann Arbor point out that it's quicker than practically anything one can buy for the price, hammering not only its ber-ute bretheren, but such warp-velocity steeds as the Lamborghini Gallardo; it's only off the much-lighter Z06's quarter-mile time by half a second. What's more, optioned judiciously, the beastie comes in under 70 large. – Davey G. Johnson

2007 Hennessey Grand Cherokee SRT600 [Car and Driver]

Related:
Take off Your Turbos: New Hennessey Viper at SEMA [Internal]

3400 hours of work and three years is a long time. That's about how long it took Art Morrison Enterprises to take what was essentially a basket case 1960 Chevrolet Corvette and turn it into a machine worthy not only of Art and Craig Morrison's high standards of finish and performance, but also of the Next Edition Gran Turismo HD.

With nearly a 1000 of the 3400 hours sunk into the project during the weeks preceding SEMA, the 1960 Corvette was completed just in time to take Best in Show at the 4th Annual Grand Turismo Awards ceremony at the 2006 Las Vegas show. As part of this achievement the Corvette would be forever immortalized in digital form in the upcoming Next Edition Gran Turismo, also known as GTHD. Witnessing the first stages of this process occur at their shop was a source of wonder for father Art and son Craig of the Art Morrison Enterprises operation.

Art Morrison Enterprises got going in 1971 as a full service, turn-key drag race chassis manufacturer. Over its 36-year history, AME has focused on high performance, innovative chassis designs. As quarter mile mayhem started working its way back off the track with the Pro Street movement so did Morrison chassis. With the end of the eighties, custom racecar fabrication was won over by more hot rod and road going custom car pursuits. Today Art Morrison Enterprises chassis can be found under everything from 55-57 Chevys that turn .94G on the skid pad to V-8 powered Citroen street rods.

The Corvette itself moves well beyond 1960 Chevrolet technology, yet visually holds onto its original looks. At the heart of the Corvette is a Bill Mitchell 427 cubic inch mill that belts out 538 hp and 517 foot pounds of torque. A T-56 six-speed out of a Viper and modified by Rockland Standard Gear handles putting the power down. Modifications are subtle enough to maintain original Corvette styling but innovative enough to push the car into modernity. The seats were reskinned to look like the originals yet rebuilt to sit lower and further back in the car for more room in the cockpit. The original gauge cluster was split down the middle and skinned with carbon fiber. The headlamps are actually a Bavarian projector beam units off a 5-Series BMW.

It is the unseen that sets the Vette far apart from the antiquated performance of the original 1960 version. Under the worked over exterior and interior is a top of the line Morrison chassis riding on some meaty R-compound Michelin Pilot Sport Cups. A 265 series handles the front of the car while a 295 keeps the rear in line. With Art Morrison himself in the driver's seat the Vette scales in at 3080 pounds with a 49% front to 51% rear weight ratio. Corner weights are all within 40 lbs of each other. Even with a heap of the 3400 hours of work hidden under the reworked skin, the crew that came to scan the car for Gran Turismo would miss no detail.

The key to the binary reproduction of the Corvette came in a box with a crew of two. In a darkened room a thin red beam of light shot from the box across the up on the rack Corvette, and relayed data through a three-quarter inch data cable snaking from the back of the black box on a tripod. Art and son Craig Morrison were both amazed.

"The first scan they did was the underside of the car. They did a pan of the chassis. As they were scanning it, in real time, there was a 3-D wireframe model being built of the car on the screen. You could actually see the relationship between the body mounts and the floor. You could see the exhaust and the clearance that the exhaust had. You could see the tread pattern on the tires, the horns, and all the fasteners holding those in place, the whole chassis, the headers, the oil pan - everything", said Craig.

After the bottom half of the car was scanned in the rack was dropped and the interior transferred into binary for a complete 3-D model.

"It was bizzare. A red line swept across the interior. It was sort of a spacey type of a deal. The room was somewhat dimly lit, and you would see this red line sweep across - bzzzzzzzzt. As soon as it finished it was producing a 3d wireframe model to scale on the screen", said Art.

When the scan was complete a full 3d model of the car was soon rotating around on the computer screen. With a click or two of the mouse the entire car began unfolding in three dimensions on a screen in front of Art and Craig's eyes. To fill in the wireframe back at GTHD central a four-person crew took video and still imagery of the car.

"They took video of me going through the gears, and the starting sequence of the car. Turning the wheel. Setting the e-brake. Pulling the hood release. Hi-beam Lo-beam. Everything." said Craig.

While the binary crew is likely to come along for some more work when the Vette goes out for track testing in April of 2007, the method in which actual car handling translates into accurate gameplay remains mysterious. Art Morrison asked the digital crew a question from an analog chassis builder perspective. "Obviously an F1 car handles better than a Toyota Corolla, but how do you make it handle better on the screen"?

The answer will remain a secret, but as the Gran Tursimo faithful know the cars on the screen really do handle like their genuine counterparts. To insure the car handles as it should the Project Manager on hand promised an advance digital copy of the Corvette to Art and Craig for an in-game handling test. Astounding is that it will likely take more hours to reproduce the digital version of the Corvette for Gran Turismo than did building the analog nuts and bolts version.

"They have a crew of 40 people that are going to spend the next six months building our car for the game. That's the amount of detail", said Craig.

The Art Morrison Enterprises Corvette will be available to everyone else as part of the "Next Edition" of the Grand Turismo franchise. We suspect that you'll have to earn it by winning a few races. When this right will be available is anyone's guess. Art and Craig are excited to be involved in the production of Gran Turismo, even though the exact release date remains a source of great mystery and speculation. The fact that the car will be immortalized in binary form is a source of pride for the father and son team.

"What's cool is that it's a real American car, and for us it's a real dream" said Art. – Mike Bumbeck [All imagery courtesy of Art Morrision Enterprises]

Art Morrison Enterprises [artmorrison.com]

Related:
Gran Turismo 5 to be 100 Times Better? [Internal]

We have found Bumbeck's Starion's evil twin. It lives in Nihon and wears American-market Conquest TSi badging. We tend to prefer the stock wheels on Bumbeck's car to the blingy bits on this machine, but if they canned the stickers, it would be the perfect nightime attack-mobile for an aspiring Yakuza hitman with a penchant for the States. If Brock Samson lived in Japan, he would drive one of these. Dare we say it? We do. SUPER MURDERMAN-CARRYING POTENTIAL! – Davey G. Johnson

Related:
A Brief History of the Starion [Internal]

Dear Brian Scotto, if you weren't our hero before for owning a Quantum Coupe or being really, really goddamn tall or pulling obscene donuts in Beverly Hills in a Z06, you certainly are now. We mean, really. An AMG Galant? Admittedly, an Affalterbach-massaged, Hammer-hammering Starionamino might likely be the ultimate Jalopnik meme-mobile, but we'll take this lesser bait just the same. Sometimes, near-perfection is just as good as perfection itself. Click over and bask in the DCX-incest glory. – Davey G. Johnson

Galant AMG! [0-60]

Related:
SUPER TOPPO AMUSEMENT! Mitsubishi Minica Toppo on eBay [Internal]

Cousin-of-tha Jalop Sean brought a Honda Beat back to Dublin from Japan. One sad day, while driving home, a postal van drove out in front of him on a blind corner and well, the Beat has sat under a tarp at his dad's house ever since, it's 660cc mill relegated to dinghy-anchor duty due to the car's smashed up front end. Now Paukert the Exclaimer gives us an idea: Why not swap NSX parts onto it like these fellows from Nihon Automotive College did? They also apparently have constructed some manner of keiamino. Meanwhile, we want a Daihuatsu Boon X4amino in the worst way possible. – Davey G. Johnson

Japan Report: That's Soooo Beat! - NAT's MiniSX At Tokyo Auto Salon [Winding Road]

Related:
More El Caminos [Internal]

The Sport Compact Car boys headed out to Kershaw, SC for an all-Evo-all-the time tuner shootout featuring two classes: Street, for cars under 400hp, and Unlimited, for full-race, stripped and caged monsters. Interestingly, the fastest street car was only 1.3 slower than the slower of the two Unlimited cars around the track at Carolina Motorsports Park. Oh, how we love thee, Mighty Evo. Now give us a new Starion, Mitsu. – Davey G. Johnson

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Tuner Shootout [Sport Compact Car]

Related:
Inside Line Drives the Evo IX [Internal]

The evil masterminds at Brabus began their quest for the domination of Malaysia's roadways back in 2000, and with the opening of the Naza Group's new Bangsar facility, will begin offering a quick-tuning service that only takes a few hours. According to Naza executive vice-president of operations Faisal Nasimuddin, "Brabus owners can leave their cars at the showroom for a few hours to install a power kit in the engine and have it tuned for a few thousand ringgit." He then began cackling madly, a skill which he apparently picked up while visting Brabus headquarters in Bottrop, Germany. – Davey G. Johnson

Quick engine-tuning for Brabus cars soon [Internal]

Related:
Do Not Front on My Brabus, Nor Should You Front Upon Mein Bruce: Claus Ettenberger's Florida Shop Due in February [Internal]

A heavily-prepared '79 model contested the last running of the original Cannonball, sadly expiring in Western Penna. Still, as '70s tuner-type relics go, we like the Fire-Am. How can one not? Goddamn, Fire-Am. – Davey G. Johnson

Pontiac Firebird Vintage Tuner Cars - Fearsome Fire-Ams [High Performance Pontiac]

Related:
Well, Actually, It Could've Come From Your Loins: Trans Am Photochop [Internal]

There are a million stories in the naked city. Folks buy an expensive German sedan just as the company launches a new generation. We've seen the symptoms, as jealousy gives way to indignation ("Yuck. They've ruined it!) Secretly, however, there's a longing for smoother lines, radical noses and uprated mechanicals. Now, owners of the previous Audi A6 can give their aging hoopties a modern makeover, courtesy of Racedesign Automotive. The company offers a head-to-foot aero kit that subtly mimics the late-model A6's sleekness and its most distinctive trait — that grille. With products like this, cruising the lease returns may even be fun again. – Mike Spinelli

Face Lift: Racedesign Helps Old A6s Hide Their Age [Edmunds]

Related:
Audi Gives Jalopnik the Keys to an A6 [internal]

Just in case you'd reconsidered adding the 650 hp RUF RT12 to the Jalopnik Fantasy Garage, take a look at what quick work it makes of its predecessor, the potent 2003 R-Turbo. Madness, I say, and the videographers concur. – Mike Spinelli

[via German Car Scene]

Related:
Jalopnik Fantasy Garage: RUF RT12 [internal]

Okay, its arguable to consider the Porsche Cayenne's true antecedent to be the VW bus, especially when the Stuttgartian SUV can be tweaked into performing such feats of strength (just in time for Festivus). As we mentioned back in November, Edo's highly tweaked, twin-turbo Cayenne seemed from the spec sheet to be quite a goer. Now, we get to see it in action, though still donning that orange-and-black-o-lantern paint job. Lucky for Hockenheim, racetracks don't have eyes. – Mike Spinelli

[via World Car Fans]

Related:
The Flying Bus: Edo Competition's Porsche Cayenne Turbo; World's Worst Porsche Driver? [internal]

What makes some exotics tuneable, and others off limits? Though the Carrera GT is now just another discontinued hypersports car, like the Ferrari Enzo and Ford GT, those of means treat it like an amusement park. Unlike the Enzo, there's no shame in tweaking out a $400,000 Carrera GT to within an inch of its existence — money being mere paper goods to some. Take Gemballa's Mirage GT, built for the customary Arab gazillionaire. With engine tuning (and a new hi-po exhaust) boosting horsepower to 650, more carbon fiber and tire rubber than an F1 paddock, and an interior slathered in alcantara and red leather, the million-dollar custom-order jobbie, you could say, is pretty decked out. Would an Enzo owner do something like that? Oh yeah, I guess he would. – Mike Spinelli [UPDATE: The Mirage GT concept was to have been turbo- or supercharged to the tune of 1,000 hp. This is the WP Black Edition, which uses a similar body kit but is far less mad, at 650 hp.]

Related:
Sheikh Your Moneymaker: Gemballa Mirage GT Concept for Sale in Dubai [internal]

VW/Audi tuner Abt Sportsline has launched its hotted-up version of the 4.2-liter V8-powered Audi Q7, giving it a boost to 500 horsepower. Such extra juice gives the Audi Q7 bus a 0-to-60 time of 5.9 seconds and new top speed of 162 mph. Ok, so it's not a rocket ship, but we just had an idea. How about a kind of Craftsman Series that pitted German full-sized SUVs against each other on the oval? Maybe it could be called the Kraftwerk Series. Who's with me? – Mike Spinelli

Abt AS7-R und Abt AS7 - Die besondere Variante des Performance SUV [Abt]

Related:
Abt Pupil: Tuning Volkswagen's Jetta TDI [internal]

For around $160,000, German tuning shop Hartge will deliver a BMW 3-Series that's been fitted with a moderately juiced V10 from the M5. The resultant 550-hp H50 isn't exactly a moderate runner. In fact, if you take this video at face value, the H50 is apparently best driven sideways. See, there's this technique called "opposite lock" and ... oh just forget it. – Mike Spinelli

[via Carscoop]

Related:
Uber Drei: Hartge's V10 3-Series Coupe [internal]

LEW Design's motto is the "all imaginable is practicable." Teutonic homeoteleutons aside, the company's tuner Bentley Continental GT splits the difference between the Bugatti Veyron and its smaller, less-demonstrative cousin, mainly by way of custom grillwork. It also gets a 100 hp boost to 650 hp, inching the Bent ever closer to the Veyron's near quad-digit power number. Of course, top speed is still a relatively meager 205 mph, which would be fine if it didn't have all the W16's mid-200s rep to live up to. – Mike Spinelli

[via Autoblog.nl]

Related:
Fastest Bentley Ever: MTM's Latest Tuning Kit for the Continental GT [internal]

Prancing horse purists may have to leave the room when they get a look at what Hamann's done with Ferrari's top-of-mast 599 GTB. The average fan of exotics, however, is best positioned to appreciate Hamman's judiciousness with the body kit action on this, the company's latest Ferrari-based tuning job. No over-the-top scissor-door action, no sicko engine refiguring, just a custom exhaust and relatively tasteful set of carbon fiber add-ons, including a front air dam, side sills, and an adjustable rear diffuser, and a jet-black paint job. Badabing. – Mike Spinelli

Related:
Piece d' (Wind) Resistance: Hamman's M6 Body Kit [internal]

Japanese tuning shop Tommykaira is best known for jucing domestic-market Nissan Skylines to within an inch of their lives. Now, with Nissan having launched its latest Skyline — the JDM equivalent of the Infiniti G35 — they've worked up the Tommykaira GT, which is destined for unveiling at the Tokyo Auto Salon in January. No word on specs yet, even with help from a robust Katakana-to-English translation app. More to come. – Mike Spinelli

Tommykiara GT [Response.jp]

Related:
Rarified Skyline: Tommykaira R [internal]

Audi tuning shop B&B turned its attention toward the late-model A3, cranking the nutter dial up to 362 hp. The company is intent on turning hardware from Ingolstadt into Porsche beaters, and its new hatch, in the highest stage of tune, gets to 62 mph in just 4.9 seconds and on up to nearly 171 mph. The mods include a new chip, a larger turbo, sport exhaust system with high-performance catalyst, a bespoke air intake system and tweaked intercooler and oil cooler. A sport-tuned suspension and six-piston brakes keep all that mayhem under human command. – Mike Spinelli

[via World Car Fans]

Related:
B&B Tunes the Audi A4 2.0 TFSI [internal]

Last year, the tuner mensches at Hartge showed off a BMW 3-Series sedan juiced with the V10 from an M5. This year, with the new coupe all the rage, the company did the same — and unveiled it at the Essen show last week. Indeed, they shoehorned the M5's entire running gear, including 7-speed SMG. The result is 550 hp of M-performance in a lightweight package. And without the flashy paint scheme, it could be the most stealthy Q ship this side of a twin-turbocharged 1978 Dodge Aspen sedan. – Mike Spinelli

[via World Car Fans]

Related:
Hartge's V10-Powered BMW 3-Series [internal]

At a show where pure lunacy struggles to get through the door, it was always going to be tough to pick out a star, but that's the job and ignoring the more obvious option here it is: The Mission 400 Plus. Now why this modified Porsche above the countless others that littered the show? Well how's about the basic figures of 1,069 hp and 921 lb-ft of torque achieved with the delicate act of strapping two dirty great turbos to the 3.8-liter 997 engine for a start?

The 997 Carrera S's aerodynamics have been totally revised with a new roof, shallow-raked screen and smoothed just about everything. It works in the wind-tunnel, but that is all for now and the men behind the project were surprisingly candid when they admitted the road testing will be a whole new world and there's no guarantee that it will work at all.

J rgen Alzen Motorsport is responsible, though, and they know a thing or two about Porsche tuning, racing and everything that goes with it. I would be willing to break the journalistic bank and lay five bucks on this machine hitting Nardo or even Bonneville Salt Flats like a whirlwind at some point and both are already being considered for the run that 9ff has already proven can be done. So has this group, as attested to by the 216 mph, 600bhp+ Audi A4 sitting next to the Mission 400 Plus.

If they can make it work, and keep it on the road long enough to break the magic 400 km/h mark, then the Bugatti Veyron had better watch its back, literally, as this is lighter, cheaper and infinitely more fun. There's that sneaking suspicion it will take the bends about as well as a fast-surfacing scuba diver, but who really cares when a car is this insanely fast.

Cargraphic's 4-liter GT3 RSC, meanwhile, is all ready to go. Resplendent in wasp-style warning colors, this lightweight leviathan is sure to continue the company's near violent reputation when it comes to high performance through natural aspiration. This is a company that produced a 420 hp car that held station with 650 hp GT2s at the recent Tuner Grand Prix. And the 997 variant should be even better.

So with a refined aerodynamics kit, new suspension, lightweight wheels and a dollop of extra horsepower, the company should have a hit on its hands and rivals will not be happy when this car comes to defend the 996's crown at subsequent Tuner Grands Prix at Hockenheim.

Michael and Thomas Schnarr have mastered the GT3 like no other and have learned to bring out its natural character with flashes of color rather than the broad strokes of the brush some tuners just cannot resist — sometimes to the detriment of the end product.

I would include TechArt in that list, but then the truly mad TechArt Widebody kind of makes up for anything that happened before. This is the Leonberg firm's second crack at the mid-engined instant classic after the Cayman GT that won serious praise from some serious places. This one is 8mm wider for improved cooling and aero work, and will be a better car. So forget the fact that it's only marginally more subtle than Russian-bound Sushi, it's going to be almighty.

TechArt's engineers felt the need to fit a 3.8-liter powerplant from the Carrera S and then still weren't happy, so they bored it out some more. The new capacity of 3.843 litres is still some way short of 9ff's 4.1-liter monster, but then this may just be a useable every day road car, if you can handle the attention.

If not, just floor it, as this beast will get to 62mph in less than 3.5s and roar through the gears, although Porsche's gearing means it simply will not go faster than 190mph in any tuners' hands, for now anyway. The Cayman is not about eye-blistering terminal velocities, though, it's all down to the cornering. With the inevitable slip diff that comes with that much power and fully adjustable suspension, TechArt may finally have unlocked the true potential of this gem from Zuffenhausen.

And you can't see what it looks like from the inside anyway... – Nick Hall

Remember H&R? They're the German aftermarket suspension shop selling the 24k gold-plated springs for Dubai sultans' Ferraris. Now, they're addressing yet another mode of automotive hyperbolics, sponsoring a severely juiced Porsche 911 that will attempt to break the speed record for world's fastest street-legal car. The car's given name, Mission 400 Plus, gives away the goal: 400 km/h+ on the Nardo test track in Italy, where it'll attempt to break that 248.5 mph barrier in 2007. Success will put it in range of the Bugatti Veyron, Koenigsegg CC and McLaren F1, though it's not technically a production car like those supercars (which means it'll get a fat asterisk next to its final number). It's almost like anyone can spend a few hundred grand on a 1,000 hp car, and try to get it to not come apart at V-max. Piece of cake. – Mike Spinelli

Press Release:

MISSION 400 PLUS Based on Porsche 997

1,054 hp for a new World Record for Street-Legal Cars

MISSION 400 PLUS - under this project name H &R presents an especially spectacular world premiere at the ESSEN-MOTOR-SHOW 2006. J rgen Alzen Motorsport, long-time partner of H&R in the long-distance championship on the N rburgring, engine tuner RS Tuning and H&R have jointly developed a sports car based on the Porsche 997. It is destined to win the Blue Ribbon for the world's fastest street-legal sports car next year, with a top speed of more than 400 km/h.

The idea to tackle the world record was born in August 2006 at the Six-Hour Race on the N rburgring: After the H&R-sponsored Alzen Motorsport Porsche 911 GT3 fell victim to an accident in only the second lap, team boss J rgen Alzen and H&R marketing director Hardy von der Brake had time to discuss means to better demonstrate the technology transfer from motorsports to the development of sporty suspension components.

The idea quickly turned into the MISSION 400 PLUS concept, whose prototype now celebrated its world debut at the ESSEN-MOTOR-SHOW 2006. The three companies that have joined forces to turn this concept into reality have proven their potential in building super-fast sports cars numerous times before.

The experienced team of technicians from J rgen Alzen Motorsport in Betzdorf is responsible for the technical design and for building the car. The engine is based on that of the latest 997-series Porsche 911 Turbo, and comes from RS Tuning. H&R contributes its immense know-how in the field of suspension design and setup.

Favorable aerodynamic properties are essential for a car that is designed to break the 400-km/h barrier. Minimizing frontal surface area is absolutely elementary, which is why J rgen Alzen decided to lower the roof by 75 millimeters. At the same time the A-pillars were tilted back further by 5.5 degrees. To give the coupe a homogenous overall appearance the tilt of B- and C-pillars was adjusted accordingly. Special flush-mounted polycarbonate windows all around complete the roof conversion.

Also part of the MISSION 400 PLUS aerodynamics concept are numerous other modifications that were developed and tested in the wind tunnel. Among them are a long rear with pronounced separation edge and the absence of rain channels. Streamlined cowlings for the 18-inch BBS light-alloy wheels will reduce air turbulence on the vehicle's sides during the record run.

The MISSION 400 PLUS engine is built by RS Tuning in Kirchhaslach, where the racing engines for J rgen Alzen Motorsport have been created for many years. The displacement of the six-cylinder flat engine is increased from 3.6 to 3.8 liters and the engine is reworked entirely. Company owner Reinhold Schmirler's power cocktail also includes special combustion chamber shapes as well as precision-machined cylinder heads with larger valves, and high-performance camshafts.

The engine's peripherals are also completely new. In addition to an intake manifold with larger and smoothened ports the engine is equipped with a more powerful turbocharging system and a high-performance exhaust.

The stock turbos with variable turbine geometry are replaced by larger conventional ones, which are supplied with optimal amounts of exhaust gas by the custom-tailored stainless-steel exhaust manifolds. Higher capacity intercoolers provide cooler charge air for maximum power output, aided on the exhaust side by a stainless-steel sport exhaust with metal catalysts.

RS Tuning's stationary test bench is used to fine-tune the perfect interaction of all individual components with special 100-octane fuel mapping for the Bosch-developed engine electronics.

With a boost pressure of 1.5 bar the engine develops 1,054 hp / 775.7 kW at 7,700 rpm and a peak torque of 1,030 Nm at 5,800 rpm. And yet, the speed-record hunter meets stringent EURO IV emission limits.

Power is transferred to the rear wheels via a high-performance clutch and a modified high-geared six-speed transmission.

The high-speed track in Nardo, where the world record is supposed to be set next year, places extreme demands on the MISSION 400 PLUS suspension, due to its undulated surface. H &R has custom-developed a special version of its H&R HIGH-END suspension specifically for this purpose.

The top-of-the-line product in the H &R lineup distinctly sets itself apart from conventional sport suspensions. In addition to special struts with sporty springs and shocks the H&R HIGH-END suspension further consists of bearings made from especially high-quality harder materials, custom-made aluminum lower A-arms as well as special tie rods and newly designed upper rear axle links.

Installing this almost infinitely adjustable suspension results in even more strength and more direct response. It also allows an even more precise setup of the record car to account for the banked track at Nardo. The MISSION 400 PLUS is further equipped with adjustable H&R sport sway bars on front and rear axle.

The overall lightweight design is completed with Carbon-made doors and hoods and a Spartan interior with Recaro carbon-fiber racing seats and a roll cage.

MISSION 400 PLUS will hunt for the record in Nardo in the first half of 2007. Creator and race driver J rgen Alzen will pilot the ultra-low-profile coupe.

Related:
It's Money that Matters: 24K Gold Springs [internal]

Volkswagen Individual, the company's in-house accessories shop for European tweakers, revealed its R line models at the Essen show last week, with such packages planned for the Golf, Touran minivan, Passat and Touareg SUV. Some might say the company is irreparably diluting its R performance brand (whither the new R32 in the US, huh?) by associating it with mainly cosmetic treatments, just as Audi does with its S line packs. But VW cares not for such talk, and will move ahead with the R line models for Europe in 2007. They'll include alloy wheels, body kits and interior upgrades, but no engine tuning. We hear the company's plotting something similar for the US market, but no word yet. – Mike Spinelli

Press Release:

In a world premiere Volkswagen Individual GmbH is presenting in Essen newly designed R line packages for the Golf, Touran, Passat and Touareg model ranges. They will first be coming out in Germany in 2007.

So far "R" has exclusively stood for high-performance cars such as the Golf R32 (250 hp), or the new Passat R36 (300 hp), which is also being shown in a world premiere in Essen. Thanks to the new R line models now for the first time exterior and interior equipment can be exclusively customized for sportiness, for the most part independently from the type of engine. The idea behind it: all R line products take up on the characteristic design elements that also distinguish the Golf R32 or the Passat R36. The entry into the world of sporty Volkswagens is becoming significantly more economical. In their implementation the differentiation to these top-notch athletes is however large enough that the independence and exclusivity of each model is maintained.

R line for the Golf

Volkswagen Individual has designed three different R line options for the Golf. For the first upgrade stage starting with the Golf Trendline an R line package is available consisting of sporty 17-inch alloy wheels (of type "Omanyt") with wide tires, a sport leather steering wheel (three spokes, perforated leather, R32-style steering wheel clip), parking brake lever and gearshift knob in leather, R-style pedals, door trims and an identifying R logo on the outside of the car.

Volkswagen put together the "Plus" R line package for the next upgrade level. In addition to the features in the first package, here top sport seats in front ("Monte Carlo" fabric with R embossed headrests) refine the interior. The "Plus" package also enters the scene with its own "Engine Spin dark" d cor.
New car buyers can order the "Exterior" R line package separately from these two packages. The package adds a dynamic look to the already powerfully designed Golf. And these are the ingredients: the protective radiator grill in dual fin design with a matte chrome surface familiar from the R32, air inlets in slatted look, 17-inch alloy wheels (of type "Omanyt"), roof edge spoiler, painted spoiler lower sections (front and back), a black diffusor, R logos on the sides of the front fenders and interior door trim.

For all Golf R line packages Volkswagen Individual offers optional 18-inch alloy wheels including sport chassis. "Vienna" leather equipment and a sporty dark rooflining can also be added to the "Plus" package.

These three R line packages - with some car-specific variations - are also being offered by Volkswagen Individual for the Touran (Trendline and Highline), Passat and Passat Variant (Sportline and Highline) and Touareg model series. All of them are also related, among other things, by the R line "Omanyt" wheels, developed for different sizes (up to 20 inches for the Touareg) and loads. R line versions for other Volkswagen models are also entirely conceivable. The R line equipment packages for the Touran, Passat and Touareg in detail:

R line for the Touran

Volkswagen Individual is showing an R line equipment program for the latest generation Touran just now introduced at the Essen Motor Show. Similar to the Golf, new car buyers can also directly customize the Touran (in Trendline and Highline versions) with the R line package. This is available for all engine types (with the exception of the Touran EcoFuel and Touran TDI with 66 kW).

With the R line package the Touran is enhanced with 18-inch alloy wheels (of type Omanyt), a sport chassis, multifunctional leather steering wheel (with R line logo in the vertical spoke), R pedals, R design door trim and matching R line logo on the outside. In addition the package includes an R line front section with painted bumper and radiator grill (also chrome dual fins) and a rear bumper that is also painted. R line logos on the right and left fenders designate this equipment line.

R line for the Passat

The Passat is among the most successful cars in the world. This Volkswagen (as a sedan and Variant) will also be available with the new R line package in the course of the coming year. Passat buyers choosing the "Sportline" and "Highline" equipment lines can also go for an "Interior" or "Exterior" package (available for all engine types).

The "Interior" R line package includes top sport seats (front) with electric 12-way adjustment including electrically adjustable lumbar support and a memory function on the driver's side ("Monte Carlo" fabric design, black on seating strip with R logo in the backrests of the front seats, "Highline" in leather equipment). Also included in this package are d cor inlays in "Engine Spin dark" style, a multifunctional leather steering wheel with R logo and control buttons for the optional DSG direct shift gearbox, the Plus multifunctional display, a gearshift knob in leather and R design pedal caps. As with all other models this equipment also includes R line door trims and 17-inch alloy wheels (of type "Omanyt").

The "Exterior" R line package, available separately or additionally, includes custom bumpers (completely in car color plus black diffusor in back), crest radiator grill with dual fin design, sport chassis, R line interior door trim and 17-inch alloy wheels (of type "Omanyt"), developed independently for the R line versions. The V6 versions come standard equipped with 18-inch alloy wheels of the same type (optionally available for all other Passat R line versions).

R line for the Touareg

The new Touareg generation will be offered with three R line packages in the future. They can be ordered for all engine versions starting from 165 kW (V6 TDI). In the first upgrade stage here the R line program offers extras including 20-inch alloy wheels (of type "Omanyt"), sport chassis, a four-spoke leather steering wheel, selector lever with R line logo, interior door trim in front with R line logo and pedal caps in R line design. Volkswagen offers "Casablanca" 20-inch alloy wheels as an alternative.

The "Plus" R line package provides an even higher degree of customization. It additionally includes a sport seating system in leather ("Nappa") with R line logos in the front headrests as well as very high-quality R line "Engine Spin dark" interior applications.

The "Exterior" R line package is also available for the Touareg. Included in this program of refinement are a matte chrome finish radiator grill with dual fins, custom bumpers also with front transverse web and rear diffusor in chrome (matte) design, special side running board and interior door trim as well as 20-inch alloy wheels of type "Omanyt".

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Volkswagen Passat R36 Shots Leaked [internal]

Okay, the ad for this car reads like something that would be placed in the Recycler if Coach Z had replaced Kyle Gass in Tenacious D and they were looking to fill out the band. But still, 1400+ horsepower at the rear wheels and times in the mid-eights at over 170? That's serious business, friends. Nevertheless we often wonder how the sub-literate can make enough money to afford cars apparently costing 80k above the price of the base vehicle while we starve.

We've just stumbled upon the answer: they don't spend their days attempting to be literate. Christ. We knew we fucked up somewhere. Look for posts rife with horrendous spelling and awful grammar very, very soon. [Thanks to Haller for the tip.] – Davey G. Johnson

1998 Toyota Supra Turbo 6spd Worlds Quickest Fastest [eBay]

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The 1000hp Sin City Supra [Internal]

The bwahs und grills at Oettinger have taken the new Audi TT under their wing and slapped on a body kit and dug into the 2.0 turbo mill to add sort of extra boost to the formerly Bauhausian and now rather butch little Rabbit-based car constructed of a hybrid of aluminum und shteel. Besides the ber-precise 350 horsepower on tap for the highest bidder, cotomers can also opt for lesser 230, 280, and 310 hp sevises. Mostly, though, we wish Oettinger would make use of their well-earned umlaut. Bruce would want it that way. – Davey G. Johnson

Oettinger Tunes the TT [Autoblog]

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Ze TT is a Car for Our Desperate Housewives [Internal]

Motorsports engineering house Prodrive has turned some of its Aston Martin competitive-tuning knowledge on the general public. Developed by way of partnership with the Aston Martin Racing team, the company's tweakage boosts the V8 Vantage's power source from 380 hp to 425 hp, with torque increased from 302 lb-ft to 325 lb-ft. Other kit includes a driver-adjustable suspension comprised of Bilstein and Eibach gear — with normal and sports mode — modified exhaust (with noisy and "don't wake the baby" modes), an aero kit that reduces lift by 45 percent and forged wheels mimicking those of the Prodrive-built DBR9 racer. A fully-kitted show car is on display at the Essen show this week for tuner freaks who find themselves in North Rhine-Westphalia with nothing better to do. – Mike Spinelli

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Aston Martin Reveals Rally GT Vantage [internal]

Our chap about town, Nick Hall, is hanging around Germany's Essen tuner show (like the US's SEMA), attending to the ladies vehicles on display. While he's there, he'll likely come across Cobra's N+ program as applied to the Nissan Qashqai, the company's new compact SUV currently only available in Europe. The package includes cosmetics like chromed and stainless-steel body components, sport muffler, 18" wheels and interior jewelry. All that stuff gives the ropy ute a bit more heft. We'll get more from Essen tomorrow, after Hall gets off the PR ladies floor and files his first report. – Mike Spinelli

Press Release:

World Premi re at the ESSEN-MOTOR-SHOW 2006

Exclusive COBRA N+ Accessories for the Nissan Qashquai

COBRA N+ offers attractive high-gloss stainless-steel body components for the Nissan. The bumper chrome styling with two 15 millimeter strong apron tubes give the look of the standard front bumper an exclusive touch. In addition the standard grid on the front bumper gets replaced by a chromed COBRA N+ stainless steel bumper grille.

The innovative look for the five-door car is rounded out with the side chrome styling, which is fixed on the side panels, and the chrome molding for the tailgate.

The COBRA N+ sport rear muffler for the Nissan Qashquai offers a more powerful engine sound plus refined looks with its two chrome tailpipes. Best of all, the muffler offers exceptional quality thanks to it being manufactured from stainless steel.

The COBRA N+ program also offers custom-tailored tire/wheel combinations in 17- and 18-inch diameter. The largest possible version is the COBRA N+ CN12 wheel in size 8Jx18.

In the interior the COBRA N+ product lineup adds individual highlights with aluminum foot pedals, various versions of shift knobs and stainless-steel sill plates with illuminated COBRA N+ logo.

A two-year warranty with unlimited kilometers bears witness to the exceptional quality of all Cobra Technology & Lifestyle accessories.

Related:
Nissan Qashqai Revealed [internal]

AC Schnitzer's Tension concept hit 206 mph on the Nardo test track in Southern Italy, stopping far short of schooling the Brabus Rocket Mercedes CLS, which peaked at 227 mph during the same AutoBild magazine showdown. But it's enough for the AC boys to call their creation the world's fastest street-legal production BMW. The Tension — like the BMW 6-Series that provides its base — is nonetheless a divisive vehicle in the looks department. And the cartoonishly appointed tuner doesn't do much to bring the poles of taste together. – Mike Spinelli

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Das Rokit: Brabus Super CLS Breaks Speed Record; Frankfurt Premiere: AC Schnitzer Tension Concept; Apply Directly to the Forehead: AC Schnitzer's Street Tension [internal]

With the US version of the new Volvo C30 hatch debuting at the Los Angeles Show this week, a Swede-lover's fancy can't but turn to thoughts of tuning the crap out of one. Down, boy. Volvo tuner Heico Sportiv is unveiling its HS3 D5 at the Essen show in Germany next week. The diesel-fired hatch isn't quite a screamer, but it can get from zero to 60 in 7.9 seconds, by way of the a five-cylinder oil burner, tweaked to produce 205 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. V-max is a respectable 143 mph. The slightly hotter hatch does look like a runner, with a full-body kit, fender flares shrouding 8.5x20" VOLUTION V. wheels, height-adjustable suspension kit, four-tip stainless steel exhaust, four-piston sports brake kit, and interior accouterments (aluminum pedal set, foot rest, hand-brake lever, and door pins, along with two-tone leather seats and door panels). If you were wondering, Essen is SEMA without the road trip to Cadillac Ranch. – Mike Spinelli

Related:
Swedish Speedballs: Tuning Shops to Show C30 Concepts at SEMA [internal]

The Audi Q7 is becoming one of the most heavily messed-with SUV models in tuner-shop history. This time, it's PPI who's doing the tweaking — first with a body kit, then with three stages of engine tuning, up to 600 hp. All they've got to show is a few digitally enhanced images, but we'd imagine some footballer or other will show up at the next World Cup afterparty in a real one. – Mike Spinelli

World Premiere of the PS Q7 by PPI [Fourtitude]

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Oh, Now That's Tasteful: JE Design's Audi Q7 [internal]

AC Schnitzer, as part of its press prep for Germany's Essen show, revealed a new tuning package for the BMW M Roadster and Coupe. The Z4Ms have been accessorizied to within an inch of their lives, with compatible kitting that include carbon aerodynamic add-ons, a 3.91 : 1 axle ratio (compared to the standard 3.62 : 1), undisclosed suspension tweaks, stainless-steel tailpipe (natch) and a range of available ACS alloy wheels. Other interior and exterior cosmetic trimmings include grillework and interior fittings like shift knob and carbon-fiber accents. Model-specific parts include a clear-glass wind deflector and two-piece rear wing for the roadster, and three-piece rear wing for the coupe. No engine mods this go-round, but the company says the change in axle ratio is enough to make the cars feel ever so much more spry. – Mike Spinelli

Related:
More AC Schnitzer [internal]

We like Claus Ettenberger, a man who can rock a Hugo Boss cap without irony, and will complete a cross-country rally as fast as possible simply to have time to shower, say hello to his family and then head up to Ventura to play fu ball. As an official installer of all things Brabus and AC Schnitzer, not to mention Oettinger, Herr Ettenberger has chiseled a career from the embrace of Bruce. The new highly-precise (although our jury is still out on Schnitzer precision) facility will offer the sale and installation of hop-up pieces from Novitec, TechArt, Azev and Antera, as well as the aforementioned brands. Rich people who prefer hurricanes to earthquakes and snow, warm up your checkbooks: the new shop opens February 24th in Miami.

Miami Vices [0-60]

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Claus Ettenberger: Teutonic Butterfly Sadist [Internal]

The Brabus rocketeers say they've broken the speed record for street-legal sedans, having been certified by Germany's technical standards agency, T V, for hitting over 227 mph on the Nardo test track in southern Italy. The ber tuner's ber sedan, the Rocket — based on a Mercedes-Benz CLS — is powered by a bored-out and twin turbo'd V12 displacing 6.3 liters and producing 730 hp and an electronically limited 811 lb-ft of torque (it also meets EURO IV emissions). We'd imagine the record will spark an arms race among German tuning shops who'd rather not let the maniacal laughter from the Bottrop boys go unchallenged. – Mike Spinelli

Related:
Command Presence: A Polizei-tuned Brabus Rocket; Tuning the Crap Out of a Mercedes CLS: The Brabus Rocket [internal]

German VWMoCo tuner, Alfons Hohenester, is bringing what he says is the world's fastest Audi A4, the Hohenester HS650 Nardo, to the Essen show next month. Just last month, the twin-turbo sedan hit 216 mph on the Nardo track, with a score of lab-coated calculations monkeys in attendance to testify on its behalf. The culprit is a 650 hp (531 lb-ft) three-liter V6, which propels the A from zero to 62 mph in 3.4 seconds. While it won't be showing off its speed at Essen, the poor dear will have to endure hours of German hip-hop via of the show's stereo wattage demos. Bass Sultan Hengzt in der haus! – Mike Spinelli

It's No 1977 Trans Am: Audi's TT S-Line; 'World's fastest A4' for Essen [Autocar]

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Power (Not) to Wait: Audi-Engining the Lotus Elise [internal]

Last year, on occasion of the Essen auto show — Germany's version of SEMA — tuning safety organization Tune It Safe showed off a tuner Porsche 911 dressed up as a police cruiser. This year, to promote its agenda of preventing accidents from faulty self-tuning jobs, it's unveiling a Brabus CLS Rocket decked out in full polizei trim. If you'll recall, the Rocket is Brabus's most extreme tweaker, reportedly topping out at 217mph by way of a major uprating of the V12 to 730hp @ 5100 rpm. What better way to catch some nutbag in 1,000-hp Opel Calibra with five turbos and a nitrous bottle the size of Dr. Z's head. – Mike Spinelli

Related:
TechArt Builds Police Porsche to Promote Safe Tuning; Frankfurt Premiere: Brabus Rocket [internal]

Japanese design firm DAMD aims for SUPER UNDERBODY POTENTIAL! with its new BLACKxMETAL kit for the miniscule Mitsubishi i. The company says the three-piece package, which comprises front and rear half spoilers and side skirting, does more than just pretend to offer i drivers more downforce, it also creates chiaroscuro effects by blending light and shadows to emphasize the i's lines. So while the ground effects may be nothing more than an affect, they could help score an invite to that Bergman retrospective at the local art college. Groovy. – Mike Spinelli

[via World Car Fans]

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That DAMD Infiniti: Japanese Tuner Tweaks the G35 Coupe [internal]

Who would have thought the bespectacled Bavarians at Loder 1899 could improve the sexiness of the Brits' latest Emma Peel, the Aston Martin V8 Vantage? But while the eyes have it, the wallet might as well take a powder. This is a purely high-end treatment, with an titanium suspension system that allows the driver to adjust the car's height, gradient, pressure level, strut compression, and whether Scottish gin or Russian Vodka goes in his martini. That tweak alone is a $10,000+ option. A $7,000 sport exhaust increases horsepower from 385 to 405, and a carbon-fiber aero kit defies currency conversion (Ok, $6,000). Wheels are by Afzal Kahn ($7,000+) and the payment card is American Express Centurion. Just try not to wake the staff by doing doughnuts in the courtyard. – Mike Spinelli [UPDATE: Jeffrey from Kahn Design says the wheels in the press shots aren't the company's RS-Vs, as indicated in the press release, they're by Loder 1899. There's a big difference.]

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LA Gear: Aston Martin Reveals V8 Vantage Roadster [internal]

And we didn't even known Porsche tuner Gemballa actually built the Mirage GT concept, which up to know only seemed to exist as a few static digitally enhanced images on the company's site. Now, it seems royals in Dubai, flush from their real estate and trade holdings, can grab a Mirage with both hands. The kitted-out Porsche GT reportedly gets from zero to 60 in 3.4 seconds, and boasts a theoretical top speed of around 250 mph. Just the thing for doing doughnuts outside the Emirate In-n-Out burger. – Mike Spinelli

Gemballa Mirage GT [Supercars.net via Autoblog.nl]

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Orange You Glad: TechArt Tunes the Porsche Carrera GT [internal]

Were it not for the media tweakers at Novitec, a German tuning shop specializing in Ferraris, we'd never ever get to see how engineers tunnel-test a Ferrari fitted with one of the company's aero kits. But there we are — complete with photo spread. It's a story of how a bunch of really smart people determine the drag coefficient of the company's Novitec Rosso F430 Supersport. The wind tunnel simulates a speed of ~87 mph, at which engineers determine lift at the front and rear axles. The point is to keep the horse from prancing too wildly, despite the increase in power from Novitec's engine mods (read: twin superchargers). Plus, the F430 just happens to look extremely cool amid all that science gear. – Mike Spinelli

Press release:

Optimal Cd and down force

Finding the design that matches the vehicle and the optimal aerodynamic function are the two main pretensions for the construction of body parts. The Novitec Rosso aerodynamic program for the Ferrari F430 accomplishes this accordingly. Should the observer's taste decide about the design, then the aerodynamic function is documented through expendable tests in the wind tunnel. These proof tests, usual during the development by the automobile manufacturers, are extremely rare in the automobile tuning branch, although they are essential.

In the wind tunnel of the Research Institute for Motor Vehicles in Stuttgart, the Novitec Rosso F430 Supersport reached its aim perfectly. In this special institution the driving behaviour of the cars can be reproduced at different velocities. The tests of the Novitec Rosso F430 Supersport were performed by a simulated velocity of 140 km/h. Each part of the Novitec Rosso aerodynamic program has been tested, not only single but also in combination to each other, at numerous tryouts.

The lifting effect originated by the rising velocity can be converted into negative lift force through the accurately calculated Novitec Rosso aerodynamic parts, which offers the more optimal driving stability at high velocities. The Novitec Rosso front spoiler brings the front axle to 15.2 kg down force. The Cd (drag coefficient) is reduced to 0.37. The complete aerodynamic package, including front bumper, rear diffuser, side skirts and rear wing, optimises the vehicle to 8.1 kg negative lift at the front axle and 35.3 kg at the rear axle.

The Novitec Rosso aerodynamic offers to the F430 pilots an extra in security and diving fun, especially during fast driving.

Related:
Pistonheads Drives the Novitec Ferrari F430 [internal]

A photo of of tuning shop AC Schnitzer's latest BMW tweaker slammed into the internets today, offering a preview of the company's plans for the 335i turbo. There's no real info on the coming tuner, but we suspect it'll have the same suspension tweaks designed for the E90 (antiroll bar kit, plus stiffer strut brace for the front), AC Schnitzer Type IV wheels, stainless steel exhaust and aero kit. No word on engine mods, but if the E90 is an indication of what's to come, expect some manner of ECU hack. We'll find out more any day now. – Mike Spinelli

ACS (schnitzer) E92!! [E90Post.com via Autoblog]

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Generally speaking, black-and-orange color schemes should be confined to coal fires and plastic jack 'o lanterns. This Porsche Cayenne tuner from Edo Competition does little to refute that, but it is quite a goer for such a fat ride. The Edo bunch, perhaps best known as the company that dared finagle with the Maserati MC 12 supercar (click through to the jump page for more on that), worked the 4.5-liter V8 to produce 610 hp and 579 ft-lbs of torque. Such tweakage cuts the bus's zero-to-60 time to 4.6 seconds, and gives it a top speed of 180 mph. Suspension mods and 22"alloys keep matters groundward. Paint it in British racing green and we have a deal. – Mike Spinelli

[via Edmunds]

Related:
Super Bus: Video Review of the Gemballa GT600 Porsche Cayenne [internal]