Aftermarket auto news

Video: Man creates DIY Lexus LS 400 convertible with Sawzall

We love four-door convertibles, reciprocating saws and watching other people make bad decisions, so the video seen here is a bit like our perfect YouTube cocktail. In it, the owner of a slammed Lexus LS decides he's had enough of living under the oppressive shadow of his sedan's roof. While at StanceWars Belgium 2012, he decides to fire up a generator, plug in his trusty sawzall and go to town. Not surprisingly, the sheetmetal on the roof gives up quickly, and the whole extraction takes less than eight minutes from start to finish.

Hilariously enough, it starts raining just as the owner makes the final cut. How's that for a sign from the universe? Scroll down to check out the carnage... just be prepared for the painful sound of shredded metal.

Continue reading Man creates DIY Lexus LS 400 convertible with Sawzall

Video: Nissan crowd-sourced Project 370Z moves to stage two

Nissan has finally wrapped up work on its crowd-sourced project 370Z. The company put the sports car on a dyno for final tuning and wound up with somewhere around 504 horsepower. That's not too shabby given the jump in gusto was gleaned from a few bolt-on parts.

Nissan then set about fitting the steering wheel and shift nob as chosen by the teaming internet masses. A set of custom Recaro seats also replaced factory buckets. With the interior squared away, the company turned its eye toward ironing out the exterior.

A set of lightweight forged Volk wheels took the place of the factory rollers, and a new matte grey vinyl wrap took care of the standard yellow paint. Nissan debuted its creation at Z Dayz last weekend. Scroll down for a look at the video for yourself.

Continue reading Nissan crowd-sourced Project 370Z moves to stage two

Official: Armortech and Atelier Valdeig outfit Audi Q7 to Bentley standards

Can't wait for Bentley to start producing the EXP 9 F? Sold on the idea but not on the execution? Armortech may be able to help you out.

They've teamed up with Atelier Valdeig to turn the Audi Q7 into something of a Bentley SUV, only without the Bentley badge. Called the Tresor (from the French word for "treasure"), the custom Q7 igets fully restyled, and boasts an interior that has been (or will be, from the look of the cabin renderings) retrofitted to Bentley-like levels of opulence.

The customizers can base their modifications on any version of the Q7, all the way up to the 493-horsepower V12 turbodiesel, and can even stretch the wheelbase or armor it - a particularly sought-after feature in markets where security is a luxury. The full press release is posted below, and you can check out the renderings in the photo gallery for a closer look.

Continue reading Armortech and Atelier Valdeig outfit Audi Q7 to Bentley standards

Official: Armortech and Atelier Valdeig outfit the Audi Q7 to Bentley standards

Can't wait for Bentley to start producing the EXP 9 F? Sold on the idea but not on the execution? Armortech may be able to help you out.

They've teamed up with Atelier Valdeig to turn the Audi Q7 into something of a Bentley SUV, only without the Bentley badge. Called the Tresor (from the French word for "treasure"), the custom Q7 igets fully restyled, and boasts an interior that has been (or will be, from the look of the cabin renderings) retrofitted to Bentley-like levels of opulence.

The customizers can base their modifications on any version of the Q7, all the way up to the 493-horsepower V12 turbodiesel, and can even stretch the wheelbase or armor it - a particularly sought-after feature in markets where security is a luxury. The full press release is posted below, and you can check out the renderings in the photo gallery for a closer look.

Continue reading Armortech and Atelier Valdeig outfit the Audi Q7 to Bentley standards

Official: Edo Competition squeezes 600 HP into Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Estate

If you need to haul some stuff in a big hurry, you could do a lot worse than the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Estate wagon. It offers all the power of its coupe and sedan siblings, only with the added cargo space that so many European customers prefer over the betrunked versions. But if the stock 457 horsepower isn't enough, the good folks over at Edo Competition are glad to help out with an upgrade of their own.

That upgrade, it turns out, is anything but negligible, pumping output up by nearly 150 horsepower to a stonking 600. Torque has also been boosted from 442 lb-ft stock to 501, where that extra single measure of twist makes all the difference.

The boost comes courtesy of new exhaust, headers, cats and filters, supplemented by 19-inch modular alloys riding on suitably low-profile Michelin rubber, with a slew of interior enhancements to make the Edo C63 feel all the more special.

The exterior, however, remains decidedly low-key - all the better for messing with the head of Porsche drivers on the Autobahn while hauling the whole family and all their gear. Check it out in the press release below and the high-res image gallery above.

Continue reading Edo Competition squeezes 600 HP into Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Estate

Mansory channels Enzo styling in Ferrari 458 Spider Monaco Edition

Say what you want about the German-based tuner Mansory, but the company definitely has a style all its own. The same can be said for their latest creation, the Ferrari 458 Spider Monaco Edition, which is channeling quite a bit of the Ferrari Enzo on its snout.

Mansory says that the new body panels, all of which are constructed of lightweight carbon fiber, save a little over 130 pounds, and with power boosted to 590 horsepower the car is capable of hitting 100 kilometers per hour (62 miles per hour) in 3.2 seconds and reaching a top speed of 205 mph. The interior of the 458 Spider Monaco Edition gets the Mansory treatment as well, with custom upholstery done in leather, Alcantara and carbon fiber in a combination of red and white.

Mansory says it will produce just three of the Monaco Edition Ferrari 458 Spiders. No word on pricing, although we can't imagine the changes come cheap. Scroll down below to read the official details from Mansory.

Continue reading Mansory channels Enzo styling in Ferrari 458 Spider Monaco Edition

Report: Apple granted patent for steering-wheel controls to curb distracted driving

As with any uncomfirmed Apple news, take this one with a big ole grain of sodium chloride. PatentlyApple reports that Apple has been granted a patent for a steering-wheel-mounted remote control for various iDevices.

The patent describes a device looking like the multi-touch controller from an original Apple iPod but mounted to a clamp that grabs your car's steering wheel. Once attached to the outer rim, it would put control of your iPhone, iPod touch or, conceivably, iPad right at your finger tips.

Genius? No. It looks ridiculous and potentially more distracting than just fumbling for your iPhone while driving. The patent says the device is touch-sensitive, so any accidental touch during every hand-over-hand turn ups the volume, changes songs or calls your ex-girl/boyfriend. How's that for driver distraction? On top of all that, many states (if not all) have outlawed anything attached to a car's steering wheel.

Like many companies, Apple files hundreds of patents every year. A good percentage of them are just meant to protect the company's intellectual property and are never used for a consumer product. Some analysts speculate that Apple also files patents for wild ideas just to throw off the competition. This could easily fit into either of those categories.

Official: Brabus turns its attention to custom jets

If you're looking to give your Mercedes-Benz an added dose of performance, look no further than Brabus. The aftermarket tuning house specializes in customizing Daimler's finest, and doesn't stop at upgrading the engine and running gear, either. With packages like the iBusiness suite, Brabus will turn your S-Class, for example, into a 219-mph high-tech office on wheels. In other words, it'll make it more like a private jet. But what if you want your jet to feel more like your customized Mercedes? Brabus can help with that, too.

The new Brabus Private Aviation division is set up in response to customer demand and follows a similar project launched recently to outfit yacht interiors. It allows discerning and well-heeled clients to either retrofit the cabins of their existing private jets or commission the accoutrements to be fitted to new aircraft direct from whatever aerospace concern is building their new private jet.

The focus is on both luxury and business capabilities, which Brabus is currently displaying with two concepts at the European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition in Geneva. Scope 'em out in the high-resolution image gallery above, the press release below and the dedicated website beyond the link.

Continue reading Brabus turns its attention to custom jets

Video: This SEMA show car goes 182.4 mph

By and large, the machines created for the SEMA show in Las Vegas are built for lounging around under convention center lights and not much else. All those go-fast parts we see bolted on do little more than collect lustful stares from from the crowd. But Creations n' Chrome set out to discover just what their bolt on additions to its Ford Mustang were good for. Under the outrageous 3dCarbon bodykit sits a Vortech supercharged 5.0-liter V8 good for around 580 horsepower at 8 psi of boost on stock internals. KW served up a set of Variant 3 coilovers, and Hotchkis took care of front and rear sway bars.

The crew rolled the blown Mustang out the to the Mojave Mile for a top speed run. The machine racked up a final velocity of 182.4 mph, though the final seconds of the run looked anything but stable (we hear there was a 20 mph crosswind). Still, we're impressed at the machine's performance. For perspective, the Boss 302 is only good for 155 mph. Check out the video for yourself below.

Continue reading This SEMA show car goes 182.4 mph

Video: Hennessey Ford GT hits 212.9 mph in the standing half-mile

Mark Heidaker's Hennessey Ford GT is back to work snagging records. Sean Kennedy once again took to the wheel of the machine at the Houston Half Mile Shootout, and just as before, the duo didn't disappoint. Kennedy was able to pilot the wicked GT to an astonishing 212.9 miles per hour in a mere half mile, successfully snagging the world record in the process. Not too shabby.

As you may recall, this same team walked away with the standing mile world record back in March. At that time, Kennedy shot the GT to 257.7 mph in the allotted distance. We have to wonder what these guys have up their sleeves for the next stunt. Click Scroll down to check out the understandably quick half mile video for yourself.

Continue reading Hennessey Ford GT hits 212.9 mph in the standing half-mile