You wanted something sporty, but due to additions to the family, a minivan is as athletic as its going to get. But if that minivan is the 2010 Honda Stream, you can still satisfy your sporty urges thanks to Mugen. The practically in-house tuner has developed a full line of interior, exterior, aero, performance, handling and cosmetic parts for the people mover -- from typical Mugen mods like spoilers and wheels to a performance air filter and TypeT touring brake pads. If you add the sport suspension to your minivan, well, maybe you really do need to get a different car.



[Source: Mugen]

Hennessey has some interesting plans for the 2010 Camaro, including the supercharged, 562 horsepower HPE550. The aftermarket powerhouse has already taken delivery on its first 2010 model, an Inferno Orange SS model with a six-speed manual and 426 hp at its beck and call. Wait, make that 446, as Hennessey engineers have already tweaked the LS3 V8 to provide an additional 20 ponies.

Barely a day into Hennessey's ownership of the bow tie pony car, it was already at the track and ready to play. Hennessey took to the quarter mile with 6.2-liters of small block fury, and exited with a reasonably 13.6 @ 108 mph. The Camaro's 60 time was also registered at 5.2 seconds, even with an absolutely pedestrian jump out of the gates. Hennessey also mentions that they didn't even bother to let a bit of air out of the tires to increase the time, and we're guessing the time can be cut down considerably with a little practice. Hennessey is hoping to bring the HPE550 to 60 in 3.9 seconds, with a 11.9 second run in the quarter mile.

Hit the jump to check out Hennessey Camaro #001 for yourself. You'll see a nice-looking burnout to warm up the massive SS tires, followed by the glorious symphony that emanates from the tried-and-true small block Chevy V8.

Novitec has long been regarded for their ability to produce streetable tuner Ferrari models with massive power and generally well-integrated aesthetic and aerodynamic modifications. And while this car, the Novitec TuLesto that see before you clearly has a lot of Ferrari 430 in it, this is a far more ambitious piece than what has come before it. Built in Bavaria by the German tuner, this mid-engined supercar is something of a celebratory affair, designed to mark the company's 20th anniversary.

Just 11 examples are planned, each brandishing 777 horsepower – enough to push the slippery carbon-fiber and aluminum shape to 60 mph in 3.4 ticks before topping out at more than 350 kmh (217 mph). Power comes from a 4.4-liter four-valve V8 (.10-liter larger than that of Ferrari's 430) with a pair of superchargers strapped on to yield the aforementioned 777 hp (at 8,200 rpm), along with a peak torque figure of 536 pound-feet at 6,300 rpm. The sole transmission choice is a six-speed semi-automatic paddleshift setup.

While probably a trackday monster, there is some streetability to the TuLesto, as well. The Luca Serafini Stile-designed front-end can be lifted four inches to accommodate speed bumps and aprons without incurring expensive scraping noise. Perhaps at full height you'll get a better look at the fully tweakable double-wishbone suspension, which includes adjustable dampers and swaybars.

The available 20- or 21-inch wheels are sinister-looking Novitec pieces that strike us as a bit Lamborghini-inspired, not necessarily a bad thing, and they house a set of ceramic composite brakes hatted by six-piston fixed calipers.

Funnily enough, our 20th celebrations weren't nearly as interesting as this. Happy Birthday, Novitec! Now... can we help you to blow out the candles?

Press release after the jump, high-res gallery below.



[Source: Novitec]

Singapore has been singled out to receive a hotted up version of their Mark V Volkswagen GTI dubbed GTI V50. This gift to the island nation gets upgrades from APR including a Stage 1 ECU tune that adds 36 more horsepower and an additional 74 lb-ft of torque. Also underneath are a VW R32 brakes and calipers and a VW Performance exhaust. Together they'll turn your 0-to-60 run into a 5.6-second affair, which takes more than a second off the standard GTI.

Outside, the body is adorned with go-fast cosmetics like a VW Performance body kit, white turn signals, blue-tinted glass, along with some bespoke 18-inch VW wheels and Pirelli rubber to round the whole thing out. The paint job is one we'd describe as "novel." The GTI V50 will be a limited run, so expect a commensurate premium as another added feature. Check out the gallery of photos below, and the press release and tech specs after the jump.



[Source: VW Asia]

Let's get this over with right now: This isn't really a Nissan GT-R wagon. That said, it is a decidedly artful conversion of the Japanese automaker's M35 series Stagea wagon, a JDM load-lugger it produced from 2001 to 2007. Available in both rear- and all-wheel drive with a variety of V6 powerplants, the now-dead Stagea has been called the "GT-R Wagon" by many enthusiasts.

Spotted at Nagoya Auto Trend this weekend, this particular Stagea looks to be a super-clean conversion, with a well-integrated R35 GT-R front-end that's been carried through along the bodysides, with factory-like rocker panel indents and modestly rear quarter panels to keep the theme.

While we don't have information about what lurks underneath, the folks at GTRBlog speculate that the wagon could have something interesting like a stroked VQ-series V6 with a twin-turbo kit. Given the apparent high level of finish on the outside, we would hope for nothing less. Check out the galleries below for more shots of both the GT-R and Stagea wagons... and if you find any additional information on this particular car, drop us a tip!




[Source: n-autotrend via GTRBlog]

BRRRAAAAP! It's music to the ears of a subset of car nuts. Noisy exhaust setups are hardly a new phenomenon, but the fashion for mufflers that intentionally buzz as much as possible is a more recent development in the pantheon of annoying things others do. Exasperation with the muffler rap has led a New Zealand vigilante to start terrorizing cars equipped with what he or she describes as "boy-racer exhausts" in a written manifesto sent to the Marlborough Express.

Using the handle "Phantom Expander," the self-righteous vandal has taken to filling the tailpipes of offending cars with self-expanding foam. So far, the four-hour set time of the foam has been the saving grace for the Phantom's victims, most of whom have been able to clear the exhausts before the intended plug has dried. Vehicles with fully clogged exhausts will not start, and repairs could get expensive if other components are damaged.

For now, the foam bandit roams free, but it's only a matter of time before someone gets caught with a can of "Great Stuff" in their hand. Will it be the constabulary or a car owner that catches them? For the foamer's sake, it might be best to get nabbed by the police so that they can keep all of their teeth.

[Source: Stuff.co.nz]

Ron Flint, president of Hurst Performance, is quick to let you know that founder George Hurst's original intent was to make hot rods for gentlemen. It is ironic, then, that for the revived company's 50th anniversary, it has thrown its energies into a car that isn't a hot rod, and certainly isn't for gentlemen: a Dodge Viper. Leaving the heart of the beast well enough alone, Hurst merely tinkered with some oily bits, stuffed the thing with leather, and then slathered it in a hue something like a monochrome sunset. Autoblog was invited to be the first to drive the Hurst 50th Anniversary Dodge Viper, and you know what we discovered? There's (matte) gold in them thar hills. Follow the jump for the story and video of our drive, and be sure to check out the gallery of gorgeous high-res images below.



Photos copyright ©2009 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.

If you're a STRUT fan, then New Year's is starting off right. The maker of jewelry for your car has released five new wheels in the Icon line: the MS, 11, M, V, and X join others like the Icon D and the Icon 10. The forged aluminum wheels are available in 2- or 3-piece designs, and have five available finishes: chrome, brushed satin, pinstripe, two-tone and carbon fiber. You can even get deep lip versions. But don't even pick up the phone if you can't go at least 20 inches -- the wheels start there, and end at 26. Oh, and they also start at $6,000. It costs money to STRUT, don'tcha know... Strut through the gallery of high-res images to see for yourself.


[Source: STRUT]

Thanks to a company called fahrmitgas ("go with gas", get it?), our European readers will soon be able to cut their fuel costs to the low, low price of €3 (about $4.20 USD) for every 100 km of driving. Of course, they'll need need to be driving a converted Chevrolet (nee, Daewoo) Matiz converted to LPG, but on the other hand... that's just €3 to go 100 kilometers.

The fahrmitgas Matiz LPG Concept has been put through a suite of bench-tested enhancements in order to be so frugal. Since fahrmitgas is a supplier to Chevrolet, it has intimate knowledge of the Matiz's systems. After installation of the LPG unit and some engine tuning for mid-range power, the company added stop/start, lowered the car a whopping 30 mm, and fitted it with ultra low rolling resistance Hankook Optima 4S tires. A shift light on the center console helps the driver get the most of from his or her LPG.

A liter of gas in Germany is about €1 (@ $1.40 USD), meaning 3 liters/100 km for the LPG Matiz, instead of 5.2 liters/100 km for the petrol Matiz. fahmitgas is looking at a production run, but no timetable or prices have been announced. In the meantime, check out the press release after the jump and the high-res gallery of photos below.


[Source: Fahrmitgas]

Mention the name Geiger to a physicist and you're likely to hear about the man who discovered the atomic nucleus and the meter that bears his name. To automotive tuning fanatics, the name refers to the aftermarket firm that turns lethargic HUMMERs into tarmac-chomping beasts. But we're not so sure the two are that far removed.

Geiger's latest project is another riff on the relatively (and only by comparison) "small" H3, tinkering with the truck's reactor core to pump up its radioactivity. The stock H3 comes with a 3.7-liter inline-five producing a paltry 239 horsepower and 241 little torques, though it is available with a 5.3-liter V8 which still only manage 300hp and 320 lb-ft of twist. Along comes Geiger to fit a supercharger to said eight-cylinder, boosting output to 423 megatons horsepower and 502 lb-ft of torque. So equipped, the 5000-pound Geiger'd Hummer can reach 60 miles-per-hour in an admirable 7 seconds. 380mm discs gripped by six-pot calipers bring it all back to a halt, surrounded by 22-inch wheels bearing 305/40 Continental rubber. The interior, decked out in carbon fiber, is a matter of taste, but we love how Geiger revives classic racing livery: After their custom H2 popped up in a baby-blue and orange Gulf scheme, this H3 brings back the iconic striped white Martini livery popularized by Lancias on the rally circuit and Porsches on the track. Check it out for yourself in the gallery below.


[Source: Motor Authority]