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There are lots of Porsche tuners out there tinkering with 911s, but it takes a special kind of company to work up the nerve to let loose on a six- or seven-figure supercar. Edo Competition manages to do it repeatedly, and after squeezing more juice out of already high-strung exotics like the Maserati MC12, Ferrari 599 GTB and Porsche Carrera GT, the German tuner has turned its attention to the Audi R8.

By fitting a freer-flowing, lightweight exhaust system, Edo has managed to coax an extra 22 horses out of the stable, boosting output from the 4.2-liter FSI V8 to 442hp while trimming 18 lbs off the car's weight in the process. Buyers can specify a loud exhaust or a really loud exhaust, along with their choice of 19 or 20 inch forged rims. Edo has also crafted a set of carbon fiber aero bits, including a front chin spoiler, rear diffuser and - this is the best part - an eight-piece set of inserts for the rear bumper.

The result? Running to 100 km/h (62 mph) from a standstill is cut by 0.2 of a second, down to 4.5 from the standard 4.7 seconds. Sure, that isn't a dramatic increase in performance, but it'll probably make you smile a little wider when you pull away from that tricked-out 911 at the light.

[Source: Edo Competition]

Gallery: Edo Competition Audi R8

Tuner Tuesdays: Edo Competition tinkers with the Audi R8 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 15 Jan 2008 18:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Since starting its F1 team in 2002, Toyota has poured in an unprecedented - although undisclosed - amount of money into its Formula One team. But after five years of lackluster performance, even Toyota's patience - and cash - is beginning to run out. Team principal Tadashi Yamashina revealed in his annual report that the company has given him until 2010 to increase the team's level of performance.

Although it hasn't been specified exactly what consequence it will bring if the Cologne, Germany-based team fails to meet the company's expectations, one could not imagine the coffers staying filled if the team continues to disappoint the bean-counters back in Japan.

In his report, Yamashina pinpointed aerodynamics and a failure to adapt to the new uniform Bridgestone tires as the principal reasons why the team failed to score even a single podium finish this past season, declaring that the team needs to improve in these areas in order to succeed. But Toyota's overall performance in 2007 was about par for the team, which hasn't placed better than fourth in the constructors' championship.

Better luck next year, Toyota. You're going to need it.

[Source: Autosport]

Toyota HQ gives until 2010 to improve F1 team originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 31 Dec 2007 15:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It was only a matter of time. Audi unveils the R8 supercar, and somebody wants to take it racing. Leave it to the Dutch to pick up the slack, as Netherlands-based Creventic BV is preparing the "CR-8" for an assault on endurance sportscar racing.

Thus far, Creventic has been cautious with its modifications. The current CR-8 benefits from a remapped engine management system to produce 430 hp (ten horses over the stock 420) and the removal of the factory-installed low-gear restrictor, as well as a host of baubles and bolt-ons to the body to bring it up to race spec. 18-inch BBS competition rims wrapped in Toyo racing slicks are put in place, a 90-liter racing fuel tank installed and AST suspension components mounted at all four corners. Creventic is also working on squeezing more power out of the RS4-derived V8 engine, a race-spec sequential gearbox and carbon fiber body panels, among other competition modifications.

The first pair of CR-8s will be shown next month at the Dubai Autodrome in the United Arab Emirates for a race-track shakedown and public unveiling, with the first customer cars to be delivered shortly thereafter.

Check out CR-8.com for more details, and the gallery below for a whole mess of pics.

[Source: CR-8.com via Le Blog Auto]

Gallery: Creventic BV CR-8

Creventic CR-8 takes Audi supercar to the track originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 19 Dec 2007 13:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gallery: Nissan student designs

NYC teens design $9,000 Nissan econocar originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 24 Oct 2007 08:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

As far as rivalries go in Formula One, the competition between two drivers in the same team is far more intense than that between rival squads. Few have articulated that point quite as vividly as Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton, the two star drivers at McLaren-Mercedes. One's a returning back-to-back world champion, and the other a wet-behind-the-ears rookie if there ever was one. But yesterday's race notwithstanding, the rookie's been acing the champion in classic style. As anyone who's been following this post-Schumacher season can tell you, it's been pretty intense.

Leave it to the Germans to lighten things up a bit. (Yeah, the Germans.) Mercedes, who, don't forget, through its Ilmor subsidiary, supplies the engines for Lewis' and Fernando's cars, put together this commercial. The video after the jump reminds us of two things: (a) a scene from that *ahem* "classic film" Days of Thunder, and (b) just how childish men can get... especially when it comes to fast cars.

[Source: Motor Authority]

Continue reading VIDEO: Boys will be Boys...especially in a McLaren

VIDEO: Boys will be Boys...especially in a McLaren originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 23 Jul 2007 21:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Decision on CTS siblings coming soon

Decision on CTS siblings coming soon originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 12 Mar 2007 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In the world of modern Italian exotic supercars, a surprising share of the field has stemmed from one car: the Ferrari Enzo. It is in and of itself one of the best performing cars of all time, shattering previous records and nearby windows in the process. But it didn't stop there: the Enzo had offspring. Most recently, the 599 GTB Fiorano got its engine from the Enzo. Before that came the Maserati MC12, which itself bred road, race and track versions, as well as the show-stopping Birdcage concept car. Then Ferrari turned out the FXX program, something of an "Enzo Evo".

German tuning house Edo Competition didn't like that the FXX was out-performing the first ever 200-mph Maserati and has set out to rectify the situation by giving the MC12 the "FXX treatment". This isn't the first time Edo has tinkered with the limited-edition MC12, having created the MC12 R previously. But whereas that program netted a more modest 70 horsepower increase - by no means something to scoff at considering how high-strung the engine is already - the new MC12 XX boosts power by 170hp to match the FXX's 800hp rating.

[Source: Edo Competition and World Car Fans]

Continue reading Tuner Tuesdays: Maserati MC12 XX by Edo Competition

Tuner Tuesdays: Maserati MC12 XX by Edo Competition originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 20 Feb 2007 17:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione is clearly an object of desire, but what if it lived up to its literal name by breeding a competition automobile? Picchio has come up with the answer in the form of its new Daytona prototype.

The car is being created by Europe's only Grand Am-certified manufacturer in order to fill an anticipated demand emerging from new regulations in the race series, which allow for a race car's body to be adapted to match an engine supplier's styling. In other words, if it's running an Alfa powerplant, it can and should look like an Alfa.

In anticipation of Alfa Romeo homologating its new V8 engine for racing, Picchio redesigned its DP2 racing chassis to accommodate the engine and adapted the bodywork to mirror the styling of the roadgoing 8C Competition coupe. The result is a beautiful concept that we hope to see on the race track in the near future. As with Alfa Romeo's own impending re-emergence into the US market, until then this car will just have to keep our hearts racing.

Gallery: Picchio Daytona Prototype

[Source: Picchio via Car Body Design]

Alfa Romeo 8C Daytona Prototype by Picchio originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 18 Feb 2007 09:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

What's faster, a kart or a Viper? That's the question Nurburgring wunderfrau Sabine Schmidt asked and answered in this ten-minute segment on her German television show DMAX. (You remember Sabine... she's the girl who dragged Clarkson's sorry old ass around the 'Ring in a diesel Jag.)

To make the plum even sweeter, we're not talking about any ordinary Viper or any ordinary kart here. The Viper is the GTR race version based on the first-generation super-snake, and the kart, as far as we can gather (we've yet to launch Autoblog German) is one beast of a suped-up shifter kart with a 164-hp 1100cc motorbike engine.

No contest, you say? The Viper'll win it hands down? Not so fast (no pun intended). Power-to-weight is the name of the game, and even with a quarter the power, the kart doesn't weigh nearly as much as the big American muscle. It's a close race... you'll have to watch to see which crosses the finish line first. Blitzschnell!

[Source: 0-60mag.com via Motorpasion]

VIDEO: Davidkart vs. Goliath GTR originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 16 Jan 2007 19:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

eBay Find of the Day: 1995 BMW M3 CSL originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 16 Jan 2007 10:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Although it seems like President Bush has issues meeting with the auto industry, his government is working hard to protect carmakers from themselves.

NHTSA recently proposed that potentially important safety information, such as consumer complaints, warranty claims and information on vehicles involved in deaths and injuries should be kept confidential. They stated that releasing this type of information could result in "substantial competitive harm." Are you kidding me?

Current market conditions unfortunately force automakers to get the latest, greatest vehicles to market quickly in an effort to remain competitive and stay financially viable. This announcement proves what is really important... money. If automakers were truly concerned about consumer issues, maybe they would consistently build vehicles that didn't have to be recalled multiple times, often in reaction to the above mentioned customer complaints, warranty issues or accidents. But if that were the case, what would the folks at NHTSA have left to do?

[Source: Detroit News]

Fed want safety data kept secret? originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 04 Nov 2006 15:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading SEMA: Fords builds a GT500 for street, strip and scary track driving

SEMA: Fords builds a GT500 for street, strip and scary track driving originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 31 Oct 2006 16:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TTAC launches Ten Worst Automobiles Today Award originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 17 Oct 2006 18:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Ferrari F40 is a legend among supercars - the yardstick against which all other supercars are measured. Imagine then what would happen if you took what was essentially a racing car for the road and re-tuned it for the track. Now open your eyes and gaze upon the Ferrari F40 GTE by Michelotto.

Long before Prodrive ran race-prepped 550 Maranellos in endurance races and Mercedes co-opted AMG as their in-house performance division, Michelotto was the tuning house to which Ferrari looked to prepare its road cars for competition. Michelotto, then, was (and remains) far more than an ordinary aftermarket tuner - they are the go-fast consultants for the fastest in the business. To help develop their first supercar, the 288 GTO, Ferrari turned to Michelotto, who in turn prepared the ultra-rare 288 GTO Evoluzione, the F40's precursor. Ferrari called on Michelotto again to help develop the F40 a few years later. Who better, then, to prep the supercar for the track than its creators? The resulting GTE (along with the F40 GT and LM variants) was to the F40 what the FXX and the Maserati MC12 are to the Enzo: the pinnacle of performance, pumped up with steroids.

This example from Germany failed to sell on eBay Motors with a buy-it-now price of $658,300, and didn't meet the reserve price after getting a top bid of $325,300. While the buy-it-now price seems a tad steep, the top bid comes up a little short for the $400,000 minimum these cars usually fetch, depending on their racing history.

More pics after the jump!

Continue reading eBay find of the day: Ferrari F40 GTE by Michelotto

eBay find of the day: Ferrari F40 GTE by Michelotto originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 Oct 2006 10:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Scion holds showroom design contest originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 25 Sep 2006 19:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Saleen S7 Competition makes quick impression originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 18 Sep 2006 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

While most racing fans probably recognize Jack Roush's name from his teams' success in NASCAR, the man in the hat got his start in drag racing and holds a number of national championships in that sport. It should then come as little surprise that the first half-dozen components in ROUSH Performance Products' new Competition Line are aimed squarely at the quarter-mile crowd.

Heading up the new lineup is a two-piece upper trailing arm relocation bracket, which works in conjunction with adjustable-length upper trailing arms (with spherical bearings) to move the instant center of the rear four-link. This increases the anti-squat and improves traction while reducing wheelhop. An adjustable-length Panhard bar (also with spherical bearings) keeps the rear axle centered when the ride height is changed, while relocation brackets allow the use of a heavy-duty cast "girdle" axle cover (a popular modification with drag racers). Brackets are offered to relocate the rear sway bar to allow the use of small 15" wheels and drag tires. With the use of dedicated drag tires comes an NHRA requirement for a driveshaft safety loop, and so ROUSH is offering up one of those as well. A second wave of components is on the way, but no word yet on when they might drop.

Even with ROUSH's typically high level of engineering, proper validation is always a must, and so the team proceeded to rack up some 135 trips down the strip in the process of performing track testing. Yea, we're sure that it was really tough convincing employees to put in those hours.

[Source: ROUSH Performance Products; press release is posted after the jump]

Continue reading ROUSH Performance Products introduces new Competition Line of racing parts

ROUSH Performance Products introduces new Competition Line of racing parts originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 15 Sep 2006 18:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Level Field Institute - a group consisting of Big 3 retirees - has released a report detailing the impact of domestic and transplant automotive OEMs on the American auto parts industry, and it contains some interesting nuggets of information.

Of the $225B in auto parts purchased from the US last year, approximately 77% was bought by the Big 3. GM led the spending with $85B in purchases, compared to $20B by Toyota. Overall, the domestic content of vehicles from the Big 3 averaged 71%, while Japanese automakers came in at 48% (note that both figures include vehicles that were manufactured elsewhere and imported into the US). Honda has the highest domestic content of any company outside of the Big 3, with 59% of its parts sourced in North America.

As the Level Field Institute points out, if the Big 3 were to drop their domestic parts buying down to the level of import manufacturers, the net loss to the US auto parts industry would be about $83B and 232,000 jobs. On the other hand, if the import manufacturers bring their domestic component buying up to the same level as the Big 3, the gain would be about $47B and 131,000 jobs. In all likelihood, what we'll actually see in the coming years is a convergence of these trends, with domestic manufacturers buying fewer components state-side, and foreign manufacturers increasing their domestic content.

[Source: Level Field Institute]

Warning - the Read link below points to a PDF.

Level Field Institute releases report on domestic content originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 01 Sep 2006 15:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Having offered up some tips on running the quarter-mile in a previous post, it's now time to line up and take a few passes ourselves. We did so courtesy of a close friend who was nice enough to hand over the keys of his '96 Impala SS; presumably, the favor will need to be returned once our own land yacht returns to the road.

For some reason, certain people see a car of this size and automatically dismiss its performance potential. Sure, there's over two tons of mass to accelerate down the track, but surely Newton would smile at the potential force that can be unleashed by the 5.7L LT1 upon his famous laws of motion.

Continue reading Autoblog hits the dragstrip, Part II: We actually take a few passes

Autoblog hits the dragstrip, Part II: We actually take a few passes originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 12 Jul 2006 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

General Motors demos diesel, gearing against heavy truck rivals originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 25 Mar 2006 18:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.