Check out the way the harnesses are mounted. By attaching the shoulder belts to a point lower than the shoulders, the driver and passenger’s spines will be compressed in the event of the car running into something. This will crush the vertebrae and could even lead to paralysis in extreme cases.

Other modifications include tastelessly applied decals, plus the usual assortment of big wings, big wheels, lowered suspension and fancy brakes. We’re not sure what’s going on inside the GT-RR’s engine bay, but judging by Bespoke Venture’s online selection of engine upgrades, it’s probably plenty.

FORD TO SHOWCASE NEW F-150'S VERSATILITY AT SEMA

DEARBORN, Mich., Oct. 28, 2008 – America's best-selling pickups for 31 consecutive years are also the most accessorized vehicles in the aftermarket, and this year's Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show brings new options aplenty for the 2009 Ford F-150.

Four F-150 project trucks – running the gamut from a rolling work shop to a functional fun machine – debut at the SEMA show in Las Vegas, which runs Nov. 4-7.

The F-150 Heavy Duty DEWALT Contractor Concept was designed to be the "ultimate contractor's truck," according to Jennifer Ervin, director of Business Development for DEWALT.

"At DEWALT, we are obsessed with developing innovative solutions for the professional contractor that will deliver productivity on the job site," she said. "We have thoroughly thought through how a contractor uses his or her truck on the job, and we've worked hard to integrate every application into the truck."

The DEWALT Contractor includes features such as a built-in charger for battery-powered tools that is hidden in the center console, a customized storage area beneath the second-row seat and Ford Works Solutions™ Tool Link™ from DEWALT.

"Tool Link will enable contractors to know if they have the right tools for the job in the truck when they leave in the morning, and it also helps prevent loss of tools at the end of the day," said Ervin.

Mike Duval, owner of X'Treme Toyz, had something else in mind for the F-150 he dubbed "Fahrenheit F-150°."

"I ride motorcycles, mountain bikes and four wheelers, and I like to go camping," he said. "I wanted to transform the truck into a functional, fun vehicle for outdoorsmen like myself."

In addition to "hot flame" exterior graphics, the Fahrenheit F-150° includes features including a 9,000 lb. winch hidden behind the license plate at the front and rear of the truck; a bike rack across the top rail; and a Bedslide sliding cargo drawer equipped with a toolbox, tire and small compressor.

"You can basically put all of your toys in the truck, hook up the trailer and go," said Duval. "And with the winch on both ends of the truck, you can get pulled in either direction if you get stuck."

Duval says he usually "goes crazy" with the interiors of his show cars, but he didn't see a reason to tamper with the interior of the 2009 F-150.

"I didn't do a whole lot to the interior because the factory did such a fantastic job with the vehicle right out of the gate," he said. "It's got a great stereo system, Ford SYNC™ and a variety of other creature comforts."

In addition to a well-appointed interior, the 2009 F-150 offers customizers like Duval a variety of different options straight from the factory to build upon. The vehicle is available with three cab styles, four box options and seven unique trim levels — a total of 35 different configurations in all.

Ford Designer Melvin Betancourt says he believes the F-150 is so popular in the aftermarket because in addition to all the "built-in" options available on the vehicle, there are still countless ways for customization enthusiasts to change it up.

"Whether it's adding big tires for off-roading or lowering the truck to give it more of a street performance look, the F-150 is like a blank canvas that you can do almost anything with," said Betancourt. "It all depends on the personality of the owner."

The 2009 Ford F-150s featured at this year's SEMA show include:

2009 Ford F-150 Heavy Duty DEWALT Contractor
When there is a job to do, Ford F-Series trucks are the leading choice for the men and women who need to get it done. The 2009 Ford F-150 continues this work truck leadership with even more capability and smart pickup features than ever before.

The Heavy Duty DEWALT Contractor turns the 2009 F-150 into the ultimate tough truck for any job site with features that will drive productivity and help contractors achieve their peak performance. This rugged, durable, hard-working truck is equipped with powertrain mods to improve performance and efficiency plus a long list of custom features that turn it into a rolling work shop. To ensure that they have the right tool at their fingertips for any job, contractors can effectively store and manage their tool inventory through Tool Link and Customized On Board Storage.

2009 Ford F-150 FX-4 by X-Treme Toyz
The 2009 Ford F-150 FX-4 is "Built Ford Tough" for hard work or for rough play. Starting with this extremely capable pickup X-Treme Toyz turns up the heat with its "Fahrenheit F-150."

This highly functional fun machine is totally tricked out for the active outdoor lifestyle enthusiast. With a radically rugged-looking exterior, a luxuriously refined interior plus a full array of functional upgrades and accessories, this truck will put true weekend warriors in the zone. It lets them play rough all day, hose off the mud, then hit the nightspots in style.

2009 Ford F-150 by Street Scene Equipment
The new Ford F-150 Lariat is built for those who don't believe in compromises. It combines "Built Ford Tough" performance and capability with a surprising level of comfort and luxury.

Drawing on years of experience and success in the sport truck market, Street Scene Equipment has taken the no-compromise attitude of the 2009 F-150 Lariat Supercrew to the next level. The result is the perfect combination of head-turning style and tough performance with the level of comfort now expected by today's demanding truck owners. Whether it's putting in a hard day at work, towing a large boat to the lake for a weekend of family fun or a taking friends to a black tie event, the Ford F-150 by Street Scene will get you noticed and get you there in comfort and luxury.

Hi-Pa Drive™ F-150
What's been taken out of this Ford F-150 hinges on what's been put in. The engine, drive train, gear box and all the related parts have been replaced it with the game-changing Hi-Pa Drive™ system. The four electric in-wheel motors that power the fully-electric Hi-Pa Drive F-150 will deliver more than 600 horsepower as well as more torque than the 320 horsepower V-8 engine it replaced. Hi-Pa Drive is helping car designers eliminate oil dependency, carbon emissions and costs, while adding more power, room, performance and design options.

[Ford]

SEMA SHOW 2008: BANKS TO SHOW 200+ MPH DIESEL DRAGSTER & MORE SEMA
Debuts: Banks Marine Engine, SpeedBrake™ & EconoMind® Tuner

Azusa, Calif. 10.24.08 - - Banks Power, the nation’s pre-eminent producer of complete aftermarket packages that not only power up, but bolster fuel mileage as well in both diesel- and gasoline-powered light trucks, motorhomes, and SUVs; will have some new attention-catching “items” on its stand at the 2008 SEMA Show.

First, foremost (and pretty darn obvious) will be the latest weapon in Gale Banks’ “arsenal” of diesel-powered record assault vehicles; his brand new Sidewinder Top Dragster. At almost 300 inches long and powered by a Banks-equipped GM Duramax 6.6 liter V-8; the dart-shaped, projectile is aimed squarely at being the first diesel dragster to make consistent, backed-up 200+ mile per hour runs in the quarter mile.

SPECIAL MEDIA INVITATION:
PLEASE JOIN US AT THE BANKS EXHIBIT
TO BE AMONG THE FIRST TO SEE THE
BANKS POWER TOP DRAGSTER
The introduction of this exciting new machine is set for
10:15am on Wednesday, November 5
(Banks Exhibit - Central Hall - Space 23721)

Company President Gale Banks will be on hand to present the machine
(which boasts power readings of well over 1,000 horsepower and 1,000 pounds-feet of torque)
to the media and talk about the future racing plans
for his latest Banks Sidewinder!

Sharing space in the Banks display will be the new Banks Marine Engine that’s also based on the muscular GM Duramax. Designed to be a state-of-the-art, high performance diesel engine for use in a wide range of boat types; the 6.6 liter diesel engine will be available from Banks in multiple ratings and configurations depending on application and customer requirements. This is the engine that elicited such a positive buzz at the Miami Boat Show earlier in the year. It too will be seen by SEMA show goers for the first time at this show.

Additionally Banks will have all of its latest consumer products on hand including the new EconoMind Tuner®. Designed and produced with the words fuel efficiency foremost on everyone’s mind, this latest electronic marvel from Banks helps vehicles to get every last mile out of every drop of fuel, as well as allowing those same vehicles to “flex their muscles” on demand or when encountering steep grades.

Also on view at SEMA will be Banks’ brand-new revolutionary SpeedBrake™ for the GM Duramax LBZ & LMM engine. The patented, all-electronic unit is completely adjustable for individual preference as well as for all road and load conditions. During extensive testing this system exceeded expectations and far outperformed any other so-called “competitive products” in all braking functions. In fact, no other company offers anything like the functionality of this exclusive Banks SPEED CONTROL.

The gargantuan SEMA trade show, held annually in Las Vegas, attracts over a million members of the multi-billion dollar automotive aftermarket industry, takes place this year on November 4-7, and is anchored at the sprawling Las Vegas Convention Center. Gale Banks Engineering has just begun its NEXT fifty years of design, engineering, prototyping, testing, and manufacturing excellence.

From its founding in 1958, Banks Power has been continuously involved in applying the tough lessons learned in all-out competition to improve street products for everyday users. Generally speaking, Banks customers do not actually need to go 200 or more miles an hour. But most feel that getting the best of power and mileage out of Banks’ unflinching quest for speed is a pretty good spin-off.

[Banks Engineering]

Before we even talk about how the thing drives, it's worth noting the almost ridiculous level of build quality on this conversion. If you didn't know better, you'd think the HEMI was original equipment; in fact, thanks to AEV's connections to Chrysler, it's built using a lot of the same suppliers Chrysler uses. The wiring harness comes pre-tested and everything plugs up to the point that if you patch in a technician's scanner, it'll read as a Wrangler with a HEMI. It's literally as good as if it came from the factory.

But what the HEMI Wrangler is all about is performance, and let's get one thing out of the way right off the bat: The price of admission for the AEV conversion kit is worth the exhaust note alone. Firing up that big V8 fills the little cabin with intoxicating levels of awesomeness. Out on the asphalt, the big bad JT actually rides really well for what is in essence a purpose-built rock crawler. That's not to say anyone will mistake it for a sports car, but it certainly will get you where you're going quickly. Since this is Michigan and not Moab, the most off-roading we could do in our short test drive involved some back-country dirt roads — the kind that would swallow a passenger car into its ruts and holes, but only rough enough to test the assembly quality of a rock hopper and not much more.

Up against this measly test, the Wrangler didn't even flinch, providing an almost disturbingly smooth ride. Even with the huge tires, the excellent turning radius found on a stock Wrangler is unaffected. Ride and drive, exhaust note, nice leather seats — that stuff is all well and good, but you know what's really fun? Four-wheel dirt burnouts. Not that we did any of those, or dirt road brake stands. We'd never do stuff like that. But if we did, we would probably report AEV's HEMI V8 conversion turns a stock Wrangler Rubicon, which is pretty good on it's own, into a fire-breathing, mud-spitting, swaggering, snorting, off-road superstar.

PRESS RELEASE:

Most custom shops have a backyard BBQ for friends when they want to show off a new car. Galpin Auto Sports (GAS) in Van Nuys, California took that concept to a new level on Saturday, October 18, when it debuted one of the most radical custom show cars of the modern era to a packed house of automotive icons, celebrities and media. While smoke rose from the floor and a massive twin supercharged engine crackled in the background, GAS president Beau Boeckmann unveiled Scythe, a one-of-a-kind machine packed with the most advanced onboard technology ever showcased in an automotive application. Other highlights from the evening included the unveiling of Ed "Big Daddy" Roth's long-lost Orbitron show car, a charity silent auction with proceeds going to three local charities and performances by a variety of top-tier rap and rock stars culminating in an all-star jam session between Ozzy Osbourne and members of Guns N' Roses, The Cult, Jane's Addiction and more.

"With Scythe, we set out to showcase all of our unique fabrication abilities here at GAS," Boeckmann says. "From the hand-made composite body and voice-activated onboard computer system, to the twin-supercharged 1,005 horsepower engine, this car was built to make a statement. In the 1950's and '60s, show cars were meant to shock and amaze people, and we wanted the same effect from Scythe but with a high-tech twist. This isn't a hollow concept car, it's a fully functional, incredibly fast and usable machine with a talking onboard computer and over a thousand horsepower running on methanol."

Scythe exemplifies the melding of old-world coachbuilding techniques and cutting-edge digital technology. The GAS team started with a proven performance platform, a 2008 Ford Mustang GT Convertible. After the body panels were removed, the unibody structure was covered in clay, which was sculpted to match renderings drawn by famed Kustom Kulture icon Ed "Newt" Newton. Molds were pulled from the clay sculpture, and composite body panels were formed and fitted to the Mustang pan. Reverse opening vertical doors, a wrap-around pillarless glass cockpit with no B- or C-pillars and custom headlights and taillights surrounded by hand-made aluminum trim are the highlights of the unique design.

The interior features some of the most sophisticated technology ever installed in a vehicle. Scythe features an onboard Shuttle XPC computer that manages every function of the car and is controlled entirely by voice commands. Simply speak to the electronic personal assistant in your own words and through a digital uplink to a 3G network Scythe will provide real-time weather, traffic, sports, stock market and news information and maintain your daily calendar. Other onboard electronics include flush mounted exterior cameras that offer 24-hour monitoring via cell phone or internet and a voice-activated iPod compatible JL Audio 5.1 Surround Sound system allows the driver to choose artist, song or music type verbally.

Scythe also offers unparalleled power and performance. Hand-built by GAS, the twin Magnuson supercharged 5.0L racing engine with custom ported 24-valve SOHC cylinder heads pump out up to 1,005 horsepower. A GAS custom fabricated intake manifold, custom performance grind camshafts and a custom electronic shifter complete the powertrain of this one of a kind vehicle. Other performance advances include a custom Air Ride Technologies suspension system by GAS and an onboard CPU which constantly adjusts ride height for maximum performance. Dual driving positions with retractable motorized steering wheels allows for left and ride side driving control of the vehicle and custom GAS designed brakes using Wilwood 16.5" rotors and 6-piston calipers on all four corners make Scythe stop on a dime.

About Galpin Auto Sports

Galpin Auto Sports, located at 15600 Roscoe Blvd. in Van Nuys offers customizing and personalizing services on all new and pre-owned vehicles including collector and classic cars and is the official garage for MTV's Pimp My Ride. For more information on Galpin Auto Sports' unique products and services, please contact G.A.S. General Manager, Steve McCord (smccord@galpin.com), at (877)-GO-GAS-GO or visit the website at www.galpinautosports.com.

[Autoblog]

We dunno — the front bumper on Jon Sibal's LF-A does appear to bear an uncanny resemblance to the one on the RMR Hyundai Genesis Coupe. What do you think?
(Hat tip to Anderson!) [JonSibal]

The Rhys Millen race boys will be massaging everything, including the engine, suspension, body and interior. A few of the upgrades include a big turbo kit on the 2.0-liter four-cylinder (an engine and modification we expect to be very popular when the car goes on sale) hooked to an HKS sequential race transmission, a coil-over suspension and lightweight Enkei wheels wrapped in Potenza tires. The body gets upgraded in the form of additional width, aero enhancements, a functional hood scoop and a carbon fiber wing at the back. This thing ain't your little bro's kimchee rocket. Full details in the presser below.

HYUNDAI TEAMS UP WITH RHYS MILLEN RACING TO INTRODUCE GENESIS COUPE AT SEMA SHOW FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., 07/30/2008 Hyundai Motor America announced today that it has teamed up with Rhys Millen Racing (RMR) to create the "Art of Speed" Genesis Coupe show car. The Hyundai RMR "Art of Speed" Genesis Coupe 2.0t will be on display at the Hyundai booth at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show in the Las Vegas Convention Center from Nov. 4 - Nov. 7, 2008. The RMR Genesis Coupe will be the first of many Genesis Coupes to be modified by some of the best tuner shops in the world. This RMR - developed Genesis Coupe will be a fully functional race car capable of putting the driver in the winner's circle.

The unique part of this project is that it will be moving art, which is why we named it the 'Art of Speed,'" says Rhys Millen, professional race driver and founder of RMR. "The focus will be on the engine and a radical body design to complement the factory body lines. We are going to transform the Genesis Coupe into an apex-carving machine with jaw-dropping looks. We think it has the possibility of being one of the coolest cars at the show."

The RMR Genesis Coupe will be powered by a 2.0-liter DOHC inline four-cylinder engine with RMR turbo kit for maximum horsepower and torque. It will be equipped with a heavy-duty HKS sequential transmission and a K&W coil over suspension to put that additional power to the ground. The are just some of the planned mechanical modifications to turn the Genesis Coupe into a race car capable of running in the Pikes Pike Hill Climb, Formula D or Redline Time Attack series.

"We've been excited about working with Rhys Millen since the minute he walked through our doors at Hyundai Motor America," says John Krafcik, vice president, product development and strategic planning, Hyundai Motor America. "Genesis Coupe is a rear-wheel drive performance machine we designed to capture the hearts of hardcore automotive enthusiasts, so we can't wait to see Rhys' RMR Genesis Coupe on the race track."

The RMR Genesis Coupe will be outfitted in a silver and black paint scheme and dominated by a RMR wide body kit, functional hood scoop and a carbon fiber wing. Enkei racing wheels and Bridgestone Protenza RE-01 tires surrounding Brembo brake calipers complete the package.

Inside will be a racing cockpit with Sparco steering wheel and seats, eight-point roll cage and a RMR carbon fiber dash.

RHYS MILLEN - DRIVER, OWNER RMR

With more than 16 years of racing experience, Rhys Millen has established himself as one of the premier rally/drifting drivers in North America. Born in New Zealand in 1972, Rhys is the son of famed rally and off-road racer Rod Millen. Rhys joined Rod in the U.S. as a teenager and soon afterward established himself as racer by taking first at the Pikes Peak Hill Climb in the Open Division and winning Rookie of the Year. He won the Formula Drift championship in 2005 and was runner-up in 2006.

HYUNDAI GENESIS COUPE HIGHLIGHTS
· Hyundai's first rear-wheel drive sports car
· 306 horsepower (est.)from enhanced 3.8-liter V6 from Genesis sedan
· Std. 212 horsepower (est.) turbocharged, intercooled inline four cylinder
· Genesis Coupe arrives in the spring of 2009 as a 2010 model

RHYS MILLEN RACING

R. Millen Motor Sports Sales (RMR) was founded 12 years ago by Rhys Millen to fulfill a huge demand for quality aftermarket products created by the Millen Racing heritage. Similar to motor sport clothing merchandise to a race fan, RMR offers proven race products to street customers primarily based on its motor sports associations. Since its creation, RMR has built itself up become one of the industries most respected tuners for Toyota, Lexus and Mitsubishi. In addition to RMR's excellent relationship with auto manufacturers, the company has custom built many private vehicles for celebrities such as basketball star Dennis Rodman, actor Jason Priestley and rock star Alex Van Halen. RMR has also built cars and worked closely with the producers of the blockbuster hit franchise "The Fast and the Furious."

RMR currently offers over 100 products that are designed and produced in our facility or private labeled exclusively for RMR. These parts are carefully designed to provide the customer with quick and easy installation instructions with the highest quality. In many cases, our parts have met or exceeded factory specifications allowing dealers to warranty their installation keeping the cars under the factory warranty.

[Source: Hyundai]