Autoblog

Click above for a high-res gallery of the ACS1 Cabrio.

In typical AC Schnitzer fashion, the German tuner wasted no time getting to work on the new BMW 1-series cabrio. Then again, it didn't take much effort to port over the work AC did for the standard 1-series coupe to its softer, drop-top sibling.

The ACS1 Cabrio package includes all the Schitzerfied exterior elements (new front bumper, rear bumper with diffuser and side skirts) and interior bits (silver carbon fiber trim, aluminum pedal and shifter, etc.) you'd expect. More importantly, AC is offering tuning packages for every model in the 1-series lineup, including the 135i, 120d and 123d. The two diesel mills get a bump in power to 200 hp and 240 hp respectively, with the 135i outputting 360 hp through the use of a revised exhaust and some ECU tweaks. Naturally, AC is offering up a plethora of wheel options, sized from 17- to 19-inches.


[Source: AC Schnitzer]

It's hard to believe that it's been two decades since the Pontiac Fiero went away. The Fiero was a project that began with great promise and ultimately dissolved into the pre-Lutz era corporate politics that was General Motors in the late '80s. Early spy photos showed a hot looking little two-seat mid-engine sports car. Rumors early on had it powered by an aluminum block 2.9L turbo V6. Unfortunately, the prospect of a mid-engine Pontiac that would out run a contemporary Corvette did not sit well with the bow-tie boys. The result was the first production iterations of the Fiero being neutered to within an inch of their lives.

By the time Pontiac fixed what was wrong with the early models, its reputation was so bad that no one would touch it any more. Over time, surviving Fieros have undergone all manner of visual and mechanical transformations coming out looking like faux Lamborghinis and Ferraris. They have even been stuffed with heavily boosted small block V8s. The one missing project that we haven't seen is probably the one closest to the original vision for the car.

Take an original four-cylinder Fiero body. Add the upgraded suspension from the last '88 GTs. Then insert the 2.0L turbo direct-injected engine used in the Solstice GXP and other cars mated to a six speed gearbox. That engine is now available in front-wheel-drive form in the Chevy HHR SS, so it should be doable. A Fiero with 260 hp and 260 lb-ft peaking at 2,000 rpm, what a deal! Any takers?

Click above for a high-res gallery of the BRABUS SL

"BRABUS" might as well be German for, "Hey, why not?" This would seem to be the question its engineers ask themselves before they stuff ludicrous amounts of power under the hoods of Mercedes-Benz cars and trucks. This behavior is well-documented, and it continues unabated with the arrival of MB's new SL. Full wheel/tire, interior, and styling packages are a given. Backing up those enhanced looks is an assortment of tuning packages capable of providing more power than even Montgomery Scott could ever plead for.

The SV12 S Biturbo engine swap appears to have been created by someone with a severe, pathological hatred for tires. This is the same engine used in the Brabus Bullit, and it dishes out a predictably ridiculous 720 horsepower and 973 lb-ft of torque. The latter number is electronically restrained to a mere 811 lb-ft., and a top speed of well over 200 mph comes with the territory. Not interested in the full swap? No worries, BRABUS has your back. SL 65 AMG drivers can opt for the T 65 S package, which bumps the stock V12 Biturbo to 705 hp/811 lb-ft. There's a solution for the all-motor SL 63 AMG as well that packs on an additional 40 horses over stock. This pattern continues right on down the line -- even the "lowly" V6-powered cars can be tuned to deliver 327 hp/ 310 lb-ft. Bonkers. Er, BRABUS, rather.


[Source: BRABUS]

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Geiger Ford F650.

When the fit hits the shan, we've got two phone calls to make: our Cayman Islands-based banker and Geiger cars. For 99,000 euro we can protect our loved ones while punching through some of the most wicked terrain this side of Dakar in the robust luxury of the German tuner's interpretation of the Ford F-650. Weighing in at 5.2-tons and stretching over 21-feet long, the Geigerfied uber-truck finds motivation from a tweaked 6.7-liter Cummins turbodiesel putting out 320 hp and 738 lb.-ft. of torque. Grunt is shoveled to a six-speed Allison 3000 automatic gearbox and on down to a biggie-sized driveshaft that powers the four, 22-inch rear wheels. Both the suspension and brakes are air-powered, and if we're willing to shell out a bit more cash, we can get chrome fuel tanks, leather, navigation and, surprisingly, gull-wing doors. We think this would compliment our imaginary post-apocalyptic stable that also includes our all-time favorite RV, the Wothahellizat.


[Source: Tuning News]

Click above for a gallery of the Loder1899 Jaguar XF.

Unlikely the atrocity that Galpin performed on the new Jaguar XF, the German tuners at Loder1899 recognized the cat's strong points and built a set of tasteful mods around it. The package from Loder comes equipped with a new front bumper, rear diffuser and trunk lid wing, a suspension setup that lowers the XF by 35mm and a choice of either 20- or 21-inch rollers. Across the pond, buyers can opt for the 2.7-liter V6 diesel, so Loder has employed a few tweaks on the oilburner to increase output to 249 hp (from 207) and torque to 385 lb.-ft. All that kit will cost you a cool 8,000 euro in Germany, not including assembly and painting. Hit the jump for the full press release.


[Source: Loder1899 via WCF]

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Alfa Romeo Brera.

Prodrive is in the process of developing a performance package for the Alfa Romeo Brera S, the first collaboration between the two since Prodrive campaigned a pair of factory-built Alfa 155s in the British Touring Car Championship in 1995. Based off the 2.2 JTS and 3.2 V6 models, between 250 and 300 special edition models will be released. The majority of the focus will be spent on the suspension, aero enhancements and (thankfully) some weight savings. 19-inch rollers are expected to fill the wheel wells, while a handful of driver-oriented improvements, along with some S-badging, will find its way inside. Beyond that, details are scarce, but anytime you mix one-part unobtainable Italian with another part British racing legends, good things are on the way.


[Source: Italiaspeed]

Click above for a gallery of the Steinmetz Corsa OPC

The Opel Corsa is small, cool, and like most other neat U.S.-automaker Euro offerings, unavailable to us -- at least for now. As good as the current car would look wearing Saturn badges and slotted beneath the Astra, we'll have to wait a good while until the next-gen Corsa arrives to see it in Saturn stores. Nifty though it may be in standard guise, it's the OPC performance variant that really strikes our fancy. 192 horsepower, a 6.8-second 0-60, and fuel economy in the neighborhood of 30 mpg is a compelling combo.

Longtime Opel tuner, Steinmetz, has unveiled a suite of mods for the butched-up Corsa OPC. The factory hot hatch gets a new exhaust that adds ten horsepower, bumping its peak output to 202 ponies. Next comes a suspension upgrade that drops the car 30 millimeters, giving it a more athletic stance. Finally, Steinmetz closes the deal with a new front spoiler, replacement grille, side stripes, aluminum gas cap, and an upgraded wheel/tire package. Looks like fun to us.


[Source: Steinmetz]

Click on the image to enlarge

We're rather pleased that Saleen has seen fit to offer their excellent 302 cubic inch V8 as a crate engine. Having driven several Mustangs equipped with the powerplant , we feel qualified to say that this is an engine more than worthy of carrying on the 5.0 legacy. If you want take-no-prisoners style horsepower, consider opting for the supercharged model, which we found almost too powerful for every day use in the Saleen S302E Mustang. Perhaps a more streetable choice would be the naturally-aspirated version that we sampled in the Saleen/Parnelli Jones Limited Edition Mustang.

Regardless of your choice of induction, the base engine will have started life as one of Ford's 4.6 liter modular blocks. After being bored and stroked to the requisite five liters, the block receives bigger injectors, ported aluminum heads, performance camshafts, forged-aluminum pistons, forged-steel connecting rods and a forged-steel crank. Power levels range from 390 to 580 horsepower, depending on your choice of options. You can peruse the complete press release after the break.

[Source: Saleen]

With all the news surrounding the Nissan GT-R V-Spec, the progress on the Godzilla tuning front has been largely overlooked. According to a recent article in Japan's BestCar magazine, the Amuse team has broken the 600 hp mark (at the crank) with a combination of a high-flow exhaust and a tweaked ECU. There were no details on how the GT-R's computer was hacked, but Amuse was able to up the boost to 18 psi, resulting in an increase in output to 602.73 hp and 576.95 lb.-ft. of torque.

However, tuners are beginning to question how the stock gearbox will hold up under the strain of additional output. MCR, which brought out its GT-R for filming of Hot Version 93, has been exacting its own brand of punishment on its tuned GT-R and is worried how long the transmission will last. It's not clear if the tranny woes are due to the clutch plates or something else, but it's been all but confirmed that dual-clutch gearboxes have an issue with additional torque since the friction surface is much smaller than on a stock (read: single plate) clutch. MCR's best guesstimate is that the stock 'box might only be able to hold up to the additional power for 12 months before problems begin arise. Now, we're particularly interested in how Nissan is beefing up the tranny on the V-Spec to handle its rumored 600 hp.

[Sources: GTRBlog, NissanGTRProto]

Click above to view Hennessey's Viper ACR upon delivery

Gearheads across the country are crossing off days on the calendar until May 2 when One Lap of America returns. The annual event, for those unfamiliar, takes participants across the country on a Cannonball-style rally competing on racetracks and road courses scattered along the way. Dodge always makes a strong showing at One Lap, and the team at the company's SRT workshop planned on entering two vehicles this year: a Challenger and a Viper. Time and resources being limited however, Dodge SRT turned to noted Viper tuner John Hennessey to help prepare a brand spankin' new Viper ACR – unveiled just this past November in LA – for the event. To that end, Dodge sent the first Viper ACR off the assembly line to Hennessey, who is now undertaking the task of preparing the car for the race next week. With SRT chief Erich Heuschle driving the Challenger, multiple SCCA national champion and SRT engineer Chris Winkler will be piloting the Viper. Considering that, as John H. points out, Hennessey Vipers came in second place the past two years running, the new ACR promises to put up a good snake fight for the honors this time around.

[Source: Viper Alley]