Autoblog

As Fiat's in-house tuning arm, Abarth stands for high performance and unique design. The firm hopes to have hit on both of these qualities with its latest adventure in the art of co-branding, the new Powerplay Extreme gaming desktop. The crew definitely got the unique design part down, with a soaring, bridge-like truss holding a giant fan at the very top of the inner workings of the computer, which is powered by Intel's latest and most powerful chip ever, the Core i7 Extreme.

This new pint-sized desktop machine will be launched to kick off Intel's new "Friday Night Game", which is an Electronic Sports League sanctioned event that pits elite gamers from 30 different countries against each other. As far as the actual hardware goes, we see the expected firewire and USB ports along with an external serial port for terabytes of fun. The exposed motherboard sports a slew of heatsinks and LED-colored fans to keep things cool. Plus, it controls a Blue-ray/HD DVD player and, of course, a couple of CD\DVD burners. We're sure it all runs on an Intel chipset, but there aren't any details yet on the RAM or hard disk space. The best part? How 'bout that big red Start Engine power button?


[Source: Carscoop]

Within 20 minutes of taking delivery of a Pontiac Solstice GXP last year, we were on our way to our local shop to see what mods could be done to the turbocharged 2.0-liter four-pot. With 260 hp and a claimed 260 lb-ft of torque (our dyno run showed around 250 lb-ft of twist at the wheels), the Solstice is hardly lacking for grunt, and when we finally got around to driving the Chevrolet Cobalt SS, we were sure that the new engine would be embraced by power-hungry tuners in short order.

Scotia, NY-based Synapse Turbo has taken up the task and created a bolt-on kit for the Cobalt SS that puts out 371 hp and 383 lb-ft of torque. From what we can gather based on forum postings and the video after the jump, the Stage 3 kit consists of a Garrett GT2871R turbo, stainless steel 4-1 exhaust manifold, three-inch downpipe, three-inch intake, TurboXS BOV, a new intercooler and aluminum plumbing. ECU tweaks were provided by the HP Tuner system and redline has been raised to 6,700 rpm. We're itching to get some time behind the wheel, if for no other reason than to see if our wrists can cope with the torque steer, but until then, the video below the fold will have to do.


[Source: MotiveMag]

It appears that German tuner Mansory isn't content doing outrageous things to Ferraris, Rolls-Royces, Mercedes, Bentleys and Aston Martins. They apparently want to do similar things to Porsches as well. To make things easier on themselves, they have decided to just purchase a firm that already does wondrous things to Zuffenhausen's finest. Mansory has purchased the Porsche-tuning arm of Rinspeed and renamed it Mansory (Switzerland) AG. The deal is a bit complex, but Rinspeed Inc. will continue to operate as a separate entity, and will continue to do additional automotive work in the future, and the Porsche-specific side of the business now belongs to Mansory. So while Mansory will now be able to offer cars like the "Rinspeed" X-Treme Cayenne, Le Mans 600, Imola and Indy 4S, Rinspeed will continue to build its wild and wacky show cars, like the Splash, eXasis, and sQuba. Got it? Good.





[Source: 4WheelsNews]

Click above for a high-res gallery of the edo competition Cayenne GTS

For Porsche Cayenne GTS owners who wish they would've opted for the forced induction 'ute, edo competition has come up with a performance and styling package that helps close the gap between the two models. The German tuner adds another 45 horsepower through the use of high-flow cats, a performance air filter, and a recalibration of the ECU. As a result, the Cayenne GTS is capable of reaching 60 mph in a mere 6.4 seconds and a top speed of 168 mph. Handling and braking is improved with massive 15-inch, six-piston front brakes and an adjustable sport suspension. Other upgrades include 22-inch forged wheels, power dome hood, a new front fascia, and a variety of interior options. Full details are in the press release after the jump, and plenty of high-res photographs can be found in the gallery below.

[Source: edo competition]

The German uber-tuners at 9ff have come to the conclusion that 253 mph just isn't fast enough, so work is currently underway on a hotter version of its GT9 supercar.

The "standard" GT3-based 9ff GT9 puts out 973 hp and 711 lb-ft of torque, but with a few tweaks to the ECU and a slight increase in boost pressure, the 4.2-liter flat-six will be putting out 1,120 hp and 774 lb-ft of twist. The chopped roof, lengthened body and widened haunches will carry over to the GT9R, but a new front fascia, splitter, wheel well extractors, brake cooling ducts, roof-mounted air scoop and wing will be added to the package. There's no word on what 9ff plans to do with the GT9R, but don't be surprised if it hits the circuit next year.


[Source: 9ff via Supercars.net]

Click above for high-res gallery of the ProCharger Challenger SRT8 supercharger

As we found out at SEMA, performance parts are coming fast and furious for the Dodge Challenger. The Camaro may have been the official vehicle of the Las Vegas show, but the Challenger was the car of choice for many of the tuners in attendance. We were especially fond of the pair of Group 2 Widebody Challengers from Classic Design Concepts, one of which featured a ProCharger intercooled supercharger system. The blower wasn't unique to the car, however, and we found that ProCharger is offering two separate kits for Challenger owners, both of which boost horsepower by at least 150. Both feature ProCharger's P-1SC-1 centrifugal supercharger pushing 6 psi of boost, a 3-core air-to-air intercooler, upgraded fuel system and all necessary tubing and brackets. The Stage II kit pushes the bar further with a dedicated drive system for the supercharger and an upgrade air intake. You can check out full details on each system in the press release following the jump.

[Source: ProCharger]

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Aigner CK65 RS Eau Rouge Dark Edition

Carlsson is continuing its line of two-tone Aigner-themed vehicles with the CK65 RS Eau Rouge Dark Edition. Previous versions include the CL-based CK65 Eau Rouge introduced in Frankfurt last year and the S-based CK65 RS Blanchimont. The latest rendition features an upgrades twin-turbo V12 with up to 756 horsepower, 849 lb-ft torque and a top speed of 208 mph. The exterior gets a carbon fiber aero kit, 21-inch lightweight wheels, and Obsidian Black Metallic and Himalaya-Gray paint scheme. Inside, the seats have been upholstered in Aigner leather, and a leather/Alcantara steering wheel, aluminum pedals, and wood trim have been added as well. Carlsson has planned a production run of just ten cars with a price tag starting at over $400,000. More details about the car can be found in the press release after the jump, and we've put together a gallery high resolution photographs below.

[Source: Carlsson]

Click above for a high-res gallery of Project Kahn's interior for the Aston Martin Vanquish S

If you haven't been living in a cave, shut off from the fantastic world of European supercars for the past decade, then you'll likely know that Aston Martin has been hard at work on a succession of new flagships since the vaunted Vanquish. But Aston Martin is an automaker deeply rooted in its heritage, so even after discontinuing the Vanquish, it came back to give it some upgrades. Now, noted British tuning house Project Kahn has followed suite by revisiting the Vanquish S with a new interior package.

Kahn's vision for the Vanquish's interior includes a custom dashboard, center console, seats, door panels, steering wheel and roof lining decked out in the customer's choice of contrasting Nappa and Alcantara leather trim, deliciously perforated and top-stitched. Piano lacquer trim panels and smoked privacy glass also form part of the delectable package. Of course Vanquish owners could probably find any number of upholsterers eager and willing to work up a fresh take on the erstwhile Aston flagship's cockpit, but Kahn presents a compelling option. Follow the jump for the press release and check out the high-resolution images in the gallery below.

[Source: Project Kahn]

Click above to view the Brabham BT 92 in high resolution

It's hard to make a BMW M3 any more bad-ass than it already is. Fortunately Brabham Racing is up to the task, as you can see from the image above.

If the name sounds familiar, it could be because it's one of the best known names in racing. Or at least it was. Founded in 1960 by legendary Australian F1 driver Jack Brabham, the racing constructor went bust from financial liabilities in 1992, but not before winning the F1 drivers' title four times and the constructors' crown twice with such noted drivers as Dan Gurney, both Damon and Graham Hill, Niki Lauda and Nelson Piquet. Brabham's own 1966 title remains the only championship won in a car bearing its driver's name. Now after a nearly 16-year hiatus, Brabham is back, and it's starting out by modifying BMWs.

Brabham will be offering modded Bimmers for road and track, and will be showcasing a trio of street-legal Bavarian monsters at the upcoming Essen Motor Show in Germany. They will include the M5-based BT 60, the X6-based BT 70 and the M3-based BT 92 you see above. Little else is known at this point, but you can bet we'll be keeping our eyes peeled. Press release after the jump.

[Source: Brabham]

The Porsche 911 GT2 is hardly lacking for horsepower, but the 9ff crew can never leave "good enough" alone. With a pair of V670 turbos, a 9ff custom intake manifold, headers and exhaust system with a two-stage valve that takes the engine note from raucous to profane, the 9ff GT2 puts out 670 hp and 590 lb.-ft. of torque. Zero to 62 comes up in a supercar embarrassing 3.6 seconds and 124 mph is dispatched in a scant 9.8 seconds. Naturally, the ECU has been modified to make use of the additional boost and breathing mods, while simultaneously raising the rev limiter to 7,200 rpm. The additional power is shoveled to the transmission via a single-mass flywheel and racing clutch, while a coilover suspension does its best to keep the GT2 on terra firma at all times. And if having the ability to bully ZR1s, Enzos, and Carrera GTs isn't enough, a 910 hp version is on the way.


[Source: 9ff]