Archive for the 'Cars' Category

…It’s Tuner Tuesday: Pimped Prius?

Sure, your Prius gets 45+ MPG when it’s rolling down the freeway doing 55 in the slow lane, but does it get looks from fellow motorists?

No, unless you’re head’s on fire and there’s a unicorn sitting next to you, then you probably don’t get looks like the Prius you see here does.

This Prius, customized by a crew from Classe’s Garage, is what happens when you dump over $180k into a car and film the process along the way. (The car was made for Sweden’s TV4, which wanted to do a show about ‘building a custom car’.)

Everything you see here (except for the chrome trim on the grill) has been smoothed, stretched, widened, waxed, painted, polished, and pampered to the limits of what most automotive enthusiasts, let along Prius owners, ever thought possible.

To get the body looking right, a wide-body kit from an XC90 Volvo was grafted on. The back doors were smoothed over, the fronts were given a scissor style opening, and the rear windows were reshaped, and the back window was scrapped all together.

A carbon fiber wind splitter sits under the front bumper, as do wind splitters under the doorsills, and a rear venturi made entirely from the stuff sits out back. Air suspension keeps all four corners planted, and the stock rims have been swapped out for 20-inch replacements, including an over-sized brake kit for extra stopping goodness.

Don’t think they stopped there though. The interior had to match the exterior, so a fully custom dashboard was crafted, along with a custom center console to house the 4,400-watt stereo (five subs, eight speakers, a 15 inch LCD, a tablet PC with internet access, and a quarter mile of cable). Racing seats keep anyone brave enough to get behind the wheel firmly in place, and everything was covered in orange, black and red so the colorblind won’t miss it.

Think you’ve got what it takes to roll around in the world’s most pimped green mobile?

Yeah, me neither.

[Via: Wired]

…It’s Tuner Tuesday: Nike Ill-Mobile?

Nike Ill-Mobile

If you want to go anywhere and do anything, then you need a…Nike Ill-Mobile?

The as yet nameless machine is “a souped-up, tricked out, action sports shred-mobile: part amphib, part 1970’s camper, and 100% rock and roll”.

The 8-wheeled ill-mobile can cross deserts, climb mountains, and search out any secret spot on the planet. Once there, it deploys rack mounted bikes, surfboards, wakeboards, and skateboards for any session that you can throw at it.

Can’t find a place to board?

No problem.

Nike Ill-Mobile 2

Grind rails line the sides, and a quarter pipe folds down from the rear for an impromptu session.

Need to chill for a bit?

Got you covered there too. The ill-mobile has an on deck bbq, a deluxe camper shell, a basement couch front seat, and a stereo to piss the neighbors off with if you ever have any.

Ride on.

[Nike - Ill-Mobile]

…It’s Tuner Tuesday: Hemi Rolls-Royce?

Hemi Rolls-Royce

Anyone who can look at a classic Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow and decide that it’s just not going to be enough until there are 1040 horses of Hemi V8 under the hood is ok in my book.

The 592-cubic-inch monster features a dual-stage nitrous system to reach those astronomical power numbers, and the interior is even done up in full luxury garb, with a leather wrapped roll cage and a full collection of shiny gauges.

Plus, who’s going to deny some Grey Poupon to a guy with a blower sticking out of the hood?

[Via: Carscoop]

…It’s Tuner Tuesday: WhiteKnightTwo?

WhiteKnightTwo

Sir Richard Branson and Virgin Galactic continued their quest to turn space into a tourist destination on Monday with the roll out of the new WhiteKnightTwo (WK2) carrier aircraft that will ferry SpaceShipTwo and “thousands of private astronauts, science packages and payload on the first stage of the Virgin Galactic sub-orbital space experience”.

WK2 is the world’s largest all carbon composite aircraft, and at 140 ft., the wing spar is also the longest single carbon composite aviation component ever manufactured.

Powered by four Pratt and Whitney PW308A engines, WK2 will support up to four daily space flights, and reach a maximum altitude of over 50,000 ft (limited only by the atmosphere).

It might only be for the rich and famous right now, but soon, Virgin Galactic hopes that you’ll hop aboard SpaceShipTwo, and WhiteKnightTwo will whisk you away into the blackness of space for a quick lap around the Earth.

[Virgin Galactic]

[Via: Josh Spear]

…It’s Tuner Tuesday: Lotus Eco Elise?

Lotus Eco Elise

How do you take an already feather-light supercar and reduce the weight by more than 70 pounds?

Easy; just make it more environmentally friendly.

Lotus decided to make an Eco version of their venerable Elise, and in the process, managed to reduce the already svelte curb weight.

Changes include a collection of sustainable materials for the body and trim, including hemp, eco wool, sisal, and a new, high-tech, water-based paint that can be applied by hand and can still achieve the fantastic finish you’d expect from a car of this quality. The new pieces and parts manage to reduce the Elise’s environmental footprint throughout its lifetime, as well as limit the amount of energy used during its production.

Lotus Eco Elise Interior

In addition to the new materials, Lotus has also added a flexible solar panel to the roof that helps power the electric system (less strain on the engine means better efficiency) and added a green shift light (hopefully in addition to the regular, ‘you’re about to blow up your engine’ red shift light) that helps drivers achieve the maximum fuel efficiency while driving the car.

Thankfully the engine and chassis are still the same, and Elise has actually managed to improve the performance by reducing the weight, so you’re still getting one of the best handing cars on the market out of the deal, but if you’d like to save a little Earth while tearing up a little track, the Eco Elise might be just the car you need.

[Lotus - Elise]

[Via: Autoblog]

…It’s Tuner Tuesday: Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG Black Series?

Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG Black Series

The Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG Black Series takes the country club favorite and leaves it out in the rain until it’s good and mad and then unleashes it onto the streets.

Based on the already beastly SL65, the AMG Black Series lightens the load to the tune of 550 pounds through the use of a carbon fiber hood, fenders, and trunk, as well as a fixed carbon fiber roof with integrated roll cage in place of the SL65’s retractable hard top.

A biturbo, 6.0-liter V12 provides the motivation, and with 661 hp and 738 lb.-ft. of torque on tap, and 60 flies by in 3.9 seconds on your way to a top speed of 199 mph.

They’re only making 200 of them for the States, and with a price tag of $320,000, it’s probably not something you’re going to see everyday buying milk at the grocery store, but if a low slung, wide body Mercedes creeps up in your rear view, proceed with caution.

[Mercedes-AMG]

[Via: Autoblog]

…It’s Tuner Tuesday: Roush Horse Trainer?

Roush Horse Trainer

Today’s Tuner Tuesday mobile is a bit…different.

Featuring 2.4 liters of five-cylinder Volvo horsepower in the back, it has just one horsepower in the front, but that’s all that it needs to get the job done.

See, this specialty vehicle, build by Roush Technologies (yes, the Roush Technologies) was developed for Kurt Systems, a Turkish racehorse and camel training equipment company, and was designed to let a driver, veterinarian and trainer ride comfortably behind the business end of their horse at full gallop speed while constantly monitoring its vitals from inside of a nicely appointed cabin.

Ready to talk accessories?

How about a silicone saddle that simulates jockey weighs, electronically controlled reins to steer the horse in the same direction as the vehicle, and exterior lights of nighttime runs.

Though no pricing has been announced yet, expect it so roll out soon to a barn near you.

[Via: Autoblog]

…It’s Tuner Tuesday: Koenigseder Wide-Body Smart ForTwo?

Smart ForTwo

The Smart ForTwo isn’t known for being a particularly sporty car, but that didn’t stop Koenigseder from pimping it out with a wide-body kit, 17” rims, Eibach springs, floral decals, and environmentally friendly floor mats.

It won’t get you to where you’re going any quicker, but at least you can arrive in style!

[Koenigseder]

[Via: Autoblog]

…The Hamann Stallion is mean?

Hamann Stallion Exterior

Hamann’s Stallion is a Porsche 911 Turbo based monster.

With 630 horses coming from the twin turbocharged, 3.6 liter engine, the car gets to 60 in just 3.3 seconds (a full six tenths of a second off of the regular turbo), and has a new maximum speed of 359km/h (223 mph).

Hamann Stallion Interior

As if a monster engine wasn’t enough, Hamann also lowered the roofline by up to 8cm for extra aerodynamics, and mounted a huge wing to the back in case you decide to fly. (Because at the speeds you’d be going in one of these, that’s a definitely possibility.)

Now if they just offered it in a color besides gold…

[Hamann]

[Via: World Car Fans]

…It’s Tuner Tuesday: Obsidian SG-One?

Obsidian SG-One Exterior

The Obsidian SG-One is in a class all its own, and is possibly (probably) one of the coolest custom cars I’ve ever seen.

What you see here started life as a 1967 Mustang, but didn’t stay that way for long.

The first to go was the engine, and it was quickly replaced with a 392 cubic inch V8 making 847.8 horsepower and 770 lbs. ft. of torque on 91-octane pump gas. Twin Rotrex C38-81 superchargers feed through twin air-to-air intercoolers, down through a custom aluminum intake, and past the Big Stuff 3 fuel injection system.

What’s the resulting performance?

0-60 in under three seconds, and an estimated top speed of over 210 MPH.

Power is then routed through a Tremec TKO 600 5-speed with Master Shift paddle shifters and a Mittler Brothers 9” rear end.

Chassis refinements include an integrated tubular chassis, 4-point hidden roll cage, redesigned shock towers and reinforced frame rails, and a full 4-piece belly pan.

Coil over suspension on all four corners keep the 18” and 20” wheels firmly planted, and 14” Brembo brakes slow everything down if needed.

Obsidian SG-One Interior

The interior features a 2-seat conversion with heated Recaro seats, a 3,000 watt Kicker sound system including GPS navigation, XM radio, mobile wi-fi, and more. The hand crafted dash board, door panels, headliner, center console, and rear panels all fit like a glove, and the billet accessories are sprinkled throughout to keep everything sparkling.

Outside, a 2005 Mustang front end was grafted on, including custom headlights and turn signals, a custom hood vents the massive power plant, flared fenders tuck the wheels away, and custom billet grills and tail light panel finish off the look.

According to the current owner, over 15,000 hours of work went into creating this perfect pony, at a duplication cost of approximately $1.3 million. Sure, you could get a Bugatti Veyron for that kind of coin, but who wants something that 499 of your closest billionaire buddies have too?

Not I, said the oil tycoon.

Does the world need a million dollar mustang?

No, but I’ll bet it sure is glad it has one.

(Be sure to click through to the site for more information, since there was tons more facts, figures, and custom parts that I could have listed.)

[Obsidian SG-One]







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