The Alpina B7 Bi-Turbo long wheelbase revealed at the Tokyo Motor Show today doesn't add anything to the less well-endowed Alpina B7 we saw at Geneva except length, but isn't that enough? The double-turbo'd 4.4-liter V8 brings 507 romping horsepower and 516 lb-ft. of torque – all of which is enough to get the white whale to sixty in 4.8 seconds.
Alpina's custom 21-inchers support an interior package touched up with the tuner's logo throughout. Our only cause for pause: the much larger steering wheel; the smaller diameter unit in the regular BMW helps to make the execu-barge a hoot to throw around a track.
There are some images that don't fit into Newton's laws of physics. In nature, flying pigs and twinkle-toed Grizzly Bears come to mind. On the track, we can't think of many things more odd-looking than a drifting Smart ForTwo. After all, it's about as tall as it is long, and it's awfully narrow, too. It's like drifting a postal truck... only smaller... and less agile... and more prone to flipping on its side.
That didn't stop one pioneering tuner from turning the ForTwo into the ultimate lunchbox drifter. The white Smart looks to be modded to the hilt with an overhauled powertrain ('Busa, anyone?), exhaust and larger wheels and tires. Those wheels are also pushed out by several inches as evidenced by the bulging wheel arches. Hit the jump to watch the video shot in Japan. The drifting of this one-of-a-kind Smart car won't make anyone think about Ken Block or Rhys Millen, but this little two seater can sure get around the track, spitting flames in the process.
Mansory isn't one to shy away from the controversial. The creative minds at the Swiss tuning company have come up with with everything from a pink Bentley Continental GT to a gold-clad Mercedes-Benz McLaren SLR. So perhaps it's no surprise that they have turned their attention to Porsche's not-so-traditional Panamera. Mansory is planning to release an aerodynamic kit for the four-door grand tourer that the company says gives the car a more "masculine" appearance. Other available components will include 21-inch wheels, a sport exhaust system, and a variety of wood, carbon fiber, and aluminum interior accessories.
As a testament to its range, the same company that brought you the evil blackness of the Vincero would like you to focus your attention here, on the Bentley Vitesse Rose. The full-on Mansory kit itself is fine. The pink-a-licious color its draped in, matched with the carbon fiber hood, is best digested before you eat solid food. And wait until you see the inside: a color combination we don't think you'll be seeing from the Series 51 program comprising diamond stitched pink and purple leather.
Depending on your take, you might be gratified that Mansory only plans to build three of them. If you want to be one of those... proud... owners, then call Mansory and have a check ready for €269,000.
If you need more edge – and speed – for your Ford Edge, Steeda could have the package for you. Called the Steeda Edge Sport, it is claimed to be "the perfect answer to those that want to have it all." And by "all," the tuner apparently means an eight-piece body kit, brushed-look interior trim and cross-stitching on custom leather, smoked head- and taillight trim, and 22-inch polished aluminum wheels.
Under those double-dubs lurk Brembo's six-piston Big Brake kit, and under the rear bumper you'll find a Magnaflow cat-back exhaust and a Steeda custom trailer hitch cover. Steeda has yet to release any power figures, but there figures to be a bump of some sort considering that under the hood resides a cold-air intake and cool-tube, a new throttle-body spacer, and an ECU tune.
The Hyundai Genesis Coupe is already winning praise from the motoring press, and enthusiasts are itching to get their hands on the RWD Korean 2+2. While some are seeking out the uplevel 300-horsepower, 3.8-liter V6 model, many tuners are itching to get their hands on the entry 2.0T powerplant. At 211-hp, the base model isn't going to win many street races, but countless mods promise to produce tremendous amounts of power with less weight.
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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.
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Saudi tuner shops get different requests than the mod-masters in the US. While we may ask for bodyside moldings and a little something under the hood, the Saudis are just as likely to electroplate a precious metal onto their luxury rides. Since luxury vehicles seem to grow on trees in the world's oil capitol, tuner MyCar is challenged with differentiating these high-end vehicles to make them stand out in a crowd.
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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.
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.
