The talk of Saab's postponed imminent demise got us to looking at old Saabs, especially after we wondered just how hard it would be for Jalopnik to buy the company and build some of the old-fashioned ultra-violence into the Swedish marque. On our meandering we found this awesome Swedish-built Saab 92 with a modern Saab V6 wedged in its nose. According to those in the know, when the owner came into ownership of the car, it was too far gone for a proper restoration, so instead of junking it, the guy swapped in all the mechanical bits from a wrecked 9-5, so it's got a V6 but we're not real clear on the engine here so all you Saab-o-philes out there, step up and ID this thing. With this new motor and an automatic transmission it's got a whole snout full of power that wasn't there before. The guy took the build a step further and integrated the flat center stack into the dash completing the retromod look. Leave it to a Swede to make the original Saab sing. [Tugboat Lars, Trollhattan Saab Archive]

[via Flickr]

Thanks for the tip, Lionel!

Ridiculous camber angles aside, VIP Styling, the tuner behind this concoction, has managed to make a better looking wagon/minivan than BMW's been able to produce between the 5 Series GT, X6, and X3. They've even got an interior which doesn't remind us of a space ship for the uppity technophile. Normally, we'd rant against a poseurmobile like this, but when they manage to make imitation the sincerest form of improvement, we can't really argue. [Jonsibal via Carscoop]

The creator explains exactly how this unique-for-a-reason piece of kit came together:

"This is a 1969 Danz Camaro SS concept car. I built the car in 2006. In 2006 the new Camaro was just a concept with no definite plans to go to production. I took a real 1969 Camaro and modified it to look somewhat like the 2006 concept Camaro.
Thinking that I would have the only one in the world if the Camaro never went to production. I combined the original 69 Camaro design with the 2006 concept Camaro design, with my own designs. Especially the hood scoop and rear spoiler design are my own. I gave GM pictures of my car in Jan 2007.
It appears that the 2010 SLP Camaro has a simular designed hood scoop and rear spoiler to my car. To power my car I went with a 427 small block with the vintage dual 4-barrel crossram manifold and carbs. I went in that direction because I wanted the legendary 427 cubic inch and also to use the vintage dual 4-barrel crossram. Backed with a 700 r transmission to a Ford 9" differential. If you're interested in learning more, call 920-830-4994."

[Carpictures via Carscoop]

What if someone offered you the Cadillac of El Camios? That would be the best of all worlds, wouldn't it? El Camino style and utility with Cadillac panache, all wrapped into one? If only such a creation really existed. Well, pine no more, because a Nevada-based eBayer has put just such a beast up for grabs, and it give the Vegas Strip a run for its money in the over-the-top audaciousness department.

Taking a standard Coupe de Ville and replacing the back seat and trunk with a massive covered storage box gives this 130-in wheelbase two-door a cab-forward appearance, despite having a hood large enough to be its own Vegas subdivision. There's no mention of what's under that hood, but the factory fitted a 325-bhp 390-cid in '59.

Also left unexplained is the impetus for the caddy's creation. Did someone think that Batman needed something in which to haul steer manure and rye seed back to stately Wayne manor? Was there a bunch of emo kids who looked at the car and thought that trunk's big, but we can do better?

Regardless of motive, the Ed Glowacke-led design retains much of what was iconic back in '59, including the sweep of the body-line from headlight to faux jet exhaust, made possible buy the use of Buick door structures. The exaggerated dogleg A-pillar, necessitating a complex-curve windshield is extant, although partially hidden by the external visor, and of course, the fins. The '59 Cadillac fins were the apex (or nadir, depending on your appreciation of the fin as automotive styling theme) of the genre, having out-finned the Exner-penned Chryslers that debuted a year prior. Those fins, as well as much of the rest of the chrome- which Bill Mitchell had described as laid on with a trowel- has been painted black here.

So, it's weird and, perhaps wonderful. And, like having been born with a tail, chances are you won't be running into anyone else with one of these anytime soon. But, is that worth $27,000? After all, that's a lot of chips to be betting all on black. What's it worth to you- a trip home from Vegas, twenty seven grand lighter, but a caddy-camino richer? Or, would you rather just lose that at the craps table and ride out of town on your thumb?

You decide!

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The Black Keys combine their garage/blues rock sensibilities with a cast of hip hop all-stars. It's almost a Wu Tang Clan rally with Raekwon, Rza, and even a posthumous ODB performance as well as Mos Def, Q-tip and others. You can listen to most of it here. So far so good.

And the car? It also started with a powerful platform but the upgrades aren't quite so great. The "higlights [sic]" are things the Camaro SS already comes with. The rest is the minimum you can do to consider a car truly upgraded including blacked-out logos/lights, tint, Lexani wheels and custom BlacRoc door sills. It's not bad, but we're not sure we're interesting in heading out on "Blak Friday" to pick one up.

However, if someone knows where a Deltron 3030 Jetta is we're totally ready to buy one.

Press Release: All the incorrect spellings may or may not be on purpose

Higlights
• Boston Acoustics Premium Audio
• USB Port
• Bluetooth Wireless
• Four Pack of Auxiliary Gauges
• Leather-Appointented Front Seats
Upgrades
• 22" Lexani LX15 Wheels*
• 20% Tint All Around
• Blacked out Rear Taillights
• Blacked out SS Badging
• Blacked out Marker Lights
• Blacked out Reverse Lights
• Custom stiched BlackRoc Logo on Center Console
• Custom Door Sill Plates with BlackRoc Logo

(Hat tip to Jousha!) [BlakRocCamaro]

All it takes is a liberal application of black paint with two strategic spots of red:

The one remaining snag on the way to pure teddy evil is the wheel lock masquerading as a belly button. The blackest of paints will be inadequate to make that detail even slightly serious. You’d probably have to install a gun in there to complete the transformation. An Oerlikon autocannon should do the job.

Photo Credit: BustedFoxWaGeN, Jackson Allen

The rebirth of N.A.R.T. is a big undertaking, especially if you're going to create your own racer. Fortunately, big projects are Glick's forte. His post on FerrariChat below:

No Longer Red but a Flashing Green...
Things are starting to come together. It will take time but there is excitement and real interest.

Thanks to my Partners in this adventure!

This will be some trip and it has begun.

P 4/5 took on a life of her own.

May P 4/5 Competizione follow her example.

The HPP Daytona, first unveiled at SEMA earlier this month, is little more than a dolled-up Challenger R/T with the 5.7-liter HEMI. Nothing's been tweaked beneath the hood, but somehow they've managed to add styling cues of the classic Charger atop the new Challenger and make the whole thing work pretty well. The new nose cone fits perfectly with the new Challenger's lines and while we'd quickly toss the faux side details, we're liking pretty much everything about this monster-winged creation. Of course, we never really outgrew our love of Hot Wheels cars. Now if only Chrysler could make an interior worth working with. [Source: HPP]

Though the cabinet itself is modeled after a Ferrari Testarossa, it'll be built on top of an EVT America Electric Trike with electric motors. The GPS sensors from an iPhone will be combined with custom software to spit out a "map" on the arcade screen in an OutRun style. Of course, since this is highly dangerous it'll only be used in a controlled environment and not just out on the street. You can get a sense for how it works in the video below.

We look forward to seeing this incredible death trap on the street.

[ConceptLab via Destructoid, GameSetWatch]

This comes to us from the hallowed halls of Teamspeed, where one of their forum members spotted this sucker at local South African dealer. Just like the headline suggests, the carbon fiber is coated in diamond impregnated resin to give it that ridiculously expensive, ultimate warlord status symbol finish. Imagine the repair bill when your little warlord-in-training crashes his tricycle into it and leaves a nice long scratch. [TeamSpeed]

Designed for racing, the Skelta includes a lightweight spaceframe with a carbon fiber composite body keeping the car's heft down to a Calista Flockhart-like 1,587 pounds. Bringing the power to the sports car's power-to-weight ratio is either a tuned Honda 2.0-liter fourbanger putting down 340 HP or a 3.0-liter Hartley V8 pumping out 460 HP. Both are mated to a Honda six-speed transmission. The vehicle is available in either an open-top spyder or a two-seater with gullwing targa top.

There's no final word on the price of one of these, but it doesn't matter unless you live in the UK and probably have a lot of disposable income.

In spite of its ferocious name and its compact but good looks, the Volvo Amazon is not a sports car. Far from it: the Amazon is a Swedish family sedan built half a century ago. With its small Euro engines, it took inspiration from Sweden’s glaciers when it came to acceleration in spite of the curb weight of 2,400 pounds, a helium balloon in these times.

Not this particular Amazon, though, put through the paces by the Getaway in Stockholm people. Instead of the original car’s double-digit amounts of horsepower, Linköpings Motorsport’s mad creation has a full five hundred at its disposal. Combine that with the delicate curb weight and the sight of this cute little box hurtling itself along forest roads suddenly makes sense.

And as for the handling? “It’s like a snake on a hot summer day,” is how the video’s narrator puts it.

There is something incredibly delicious about this Swedish school or performance tuning. It makes you shudder just to think what these people could do to yet another Swedish car: the mighty Koenigsegg! Christian von Koenigsegg’s earthbound fighter jets would probably reach for the skies in no time.

Photo Credit: klareralt/Flickr

Hat tip to Máté Petrány.

CarandDriver has the full scoop and a whole messload of photos above and beyond these couple live shots here. We'll get a more detailed look ourselves when we head to SEMA tomorrow.:

Given the company's penchant for pumping up horsepower, of course Lingenfelter would rework the engine, too. Under the striped hood-there's no huge screaming chicken as of now-sits an aluminum 455-cubic-inch (7.5-liter) V-8 block with a lofty 11.5:1 compression ratio, ported-and-polished Lingenfelter heads from the Corvette Z06's LS7, a forged crankshaft, and high-flow intake. The custom stainless-steel exhaust comes courtesy of Corsa. Power output is quoted at 655 hp and 610 lb-ft of torque, up significantly from the 426 hp of a stock manual Camaro SS. Also present are a new twin-disc clutch and flywheel assembly and tougher rear half-shafts to withstand the extra grunt. Handling alterations are limited to the addition of Nitto tires.

[CarandDriver]

Winters are long in Sweden and very dark. There's not much to keep you entertained, which explains why so many of the world's stupid-awesome projects come from the Nordic regions. This one is high, very high on the awesomeworld meter. These nutjobs took a straight-bodied Saab 99, stripped the interior and caged it, removed the engine and replaced all the internals then turned it around 180 degrees and mated it to an Audi 100 transmission and all-wheel-drive system, turbocharged the bejesus out of it and made everyone's wildest dreams come true. Our hats are certainly, and respectfully off to you, crazy Swedish Saab hoons.
[Build Blog (translated from Swedish) via CarThrottle]

The car is based on Lamborghini's height-adjustable sports chassis and gets some ravishingly expensive central locking wheels, a carbon fiber body kit of some extent, bespoke spoiler and carbon fiber seats along with interior carbon fiber widgets. The polished stainless steel exhaust is the only performance improvement, adding 29HP and 15 lb-ft of torque to the output of the 5.2-liter V10 for a total of 581 HP and 413 lb-ft of torque. [WorldCarFans]

We pulled into Specter's parking lot and the brilliant blue car was already out front, undergoing final detailing and getting some last minute partner stickers along the rocker panel. The car's a stunner out in the sunlight, and looks unbelievable compared to the debut silver color, wearing colors reminiscent of the C4 Corvette Grand Sport, with the carbon fiber splitter and rocker panels wearing a subtle red/orange stripe to offset the blue and brooding matte carbon fiber details. The HRE carbon fiber wheels are pretty amazing, with a carbon drum and forged center bolted through bushings embedded in the lip, wouldn't want to hit a pothole with those babies at speed. The StopTech brakes promise massive stopping power and they look great too. No engine shots yet boys and girls, you gotta wait for something to see from SEMA.