Ford is going heavy-duty at SEMA with four project F-150 trucks on standby to wow anyone with any inkling towards off-road excursions or on-site projects. These come with a twist though, as does everything at SEMA.

The four tuners who turned these tough boys into Cinderellas are DEWALT, X’Treme Toyz, Street Scene Equipment and Hi-Pa Drive. DEWALT attempted to load an entire Home Depot inside their creation by cramping features that turn the F-150 into a mobile tool centre. It features things like Tool Link, a solution that allows owners to see which tools are loaded in the truck and if they are the correct ones. Also a built-in charger for battery-powered tools is integrated.

X’Treme Toyz chose to call their outcome the Fahrenheit F-150° which works well with the “hot flame” exterior graphics theme. Its makers say the big toy carries a 9,000lb winch located behind the front license plate and rear, a bike rack, and sliding cargo drawer.

Street Scene Equipment chose to go a little less “wow” by giving their F-150 Lariat Supercrew limited style – as far as SEMA goes – while keeping F-150’s ruggedness and tough attitude. Said attitude is only outside though because Street Scene has taken care of interior comfort too. The Ford F-150 by Street Scene promises to be a true F-150 for all reasons and seasons.

For Hi-Pa Drive, the F-150 represented an opportunity of a different kind, one that spelled G.R.E.E.N. Hi-Pa Drive F-150 is an eco-driven fully-electric mammoth worth more than 600 hp from the four electric in-wheel motors. This one’s like the green giant.

Read the rest of this entry and check out more photos »

AC Schnitzer present X6 Falcon – a project largely following the styling features seen on the recently-launched new X5 of the same name. The newest predator in its namesake’s valley territory, AC Schnitzer are keen to point out the X6 Falcon’s parallels to its bird of prey counterpart. Broad wings are however where the name originates, but such characteristics go more than skin deep.

Tthe X6 Falcon has been painstakingly ‘adapted to its habitat’, undergoing numerous laps of Nurburgring testing by engineers, namely to fine tune the set up of the AC Schnitzer springs. The result: traction even at speeds only achievable by a falcon in ‘nosedive’. The styling package was designed for ‘downforce instead of lift’ and includes front and rear skirt, moved fog lamps and a contoured spoiler edge.

Instead of protection to the underbody and ’submarining’, a rear diffuser and spoiler has been added, while skirts are now body-coloured so as the body appears more drawn down. We’ll avoid calling the alloy wheels the ‘legs’ of the falcon like AC Schnitzer, but nonetheless it is AC Schnitzer 22-inch alloy wheels Type Vll, available in black or silver, that complement this new look.

AC Schnitzer Racing Design have given the Falcon an exhaust system to shout about, providing excellent resonance for its equally well-performing range of engines, enhanced by Control Unit. Two diesel units, the 30d and 35d, are enhanced from 235 hp and 286 hp to 272 hp and 310 hp respectively.

“Decorated and equipped in this way, the AC Schnitzer Falcon really has no natural enemies out there.”

Read the rest of this entry and check out more photos »

Afzal Kahn, CEO of Kahn Design, has been trying to put a little romance back into the UK automotive industry. That may be a difficult task to accomplish single-handedly but he’s certainly had a jump start to the Kahn Cosworth Sport 300 with an order for 80 vehicles coming from the Saudi Royal Family. Last April, Khan Design joined forces with Cosworth to combine Khan’s design work with Cosworth’s engine tuning packages. Their first model is the Khan Cosworth Sport 300 which will be launched at the MPH show in London on October 30.

“Despite the harsh economic climate I believe this innovative new creation will continue to turn heads and instill pride into the industry; the UK has been out of the limelight from the world’s motoring industry for too long. The industry needs flair, imagination along with British fighting spirit. I for one will not allow the industry to stagnate; I am in this for the long haul and this is the re-birth of the British motor industry,” Khan said in a statement to WorldCarFans.com.

According to a spokesman for the Arab Royal family of Saudi Arabia, the 80 vehicles were bought for “members of the family because Cosworth is back on the streets and we wanted the cars before anybody else.”

Read the rest of this entry and check out more photos »

As with the Lorinser C-Class Estate, tuner Lorinser has released its engine upgrade for the Mercedes-Benz C350 sedan. From the standard vehicle’s 200kW/ 272 hp and 350Nm, Lorinser has worked on ECU and upgraded the cam to make more power.

As a result we now get 224kW/ 305 hp from the engine bay, plus more pull from the torque upgrade worth 30Nm, to 380Nm. Kit features integrated muffler pipes that curve to match the car’s rear bumper, which houses a sporty horizontal honeycomb grille. The Lorinser C350 sedan is carried by 19-inch Lorinser RS8 wheels with a turbine design. Probably the best part, alongside the wheels, is the Winnenden honeycomb sport grille that runs across the car’s width, obstructed only by the front bumper’s downward sloping shape. It completes the car’s purposeful sporty look.

Read the rest of this entry and check out more photos »

Last time we covered SsangYong we noted with concern the Koreans’ lack of new hot products to sizzle the market and get people interested in the brand. Not sure if they listened, but Project Kahn certainly did, well, after a fair amount of convincing from SsangYong. With very little to work from, admitted Afzal Kahn himself, they didn’t underestimate the task at hand concerning this Rexton tune-up, now called Kahn Rexton R-Line post-makeover.

Six months later the results are there for all to see, and Kahn is rightly proud of the work done. He was heard to say: “I believe we have delivered an outstanding product that proves there we know exactly what we are doing and can add our touch to any car. I challenge anyone to bring me any car and I will give it that unique edge.”

Work involved lowering the 7-seater SUV’s all-round independent suspension, inserting a bespoke Kahn exhaust system, 22-inch Kahn Design alloy wheels and Mercedes-Benz T-Tronic gearbox to run that 4×4 arrangement. Laziness-boosters include parking sensors, hill descent control, heatable (is that a real word?) seats and an optional Kenwood nav system. The latter plus a rear spoiler happen to be the only options for this £29,995 package.

Read the rest of this entry and check out more photos »

Luxury customization company, Alchemist, thinks their Aston Martin DB7 isn’t getting enough attention. So, they’ve decided to bath the exterior in 24-carat gold and platinum leaf. No details have been given exactly how they did it and what the total cost might be, but they went as far to add 7 diamonds embedded in the bodywork as the final touch.

Alchemist’s creative director and modern day ‘Goldfinger’, Jacques Blanc, said: “Forget the everyday optional extras offered by car manufacturers, this is the King Midas of customization and the gold standard of luxury.”

The 24-carat DB7 makes its debut at MPH The Prestige and Performance Motor Show featuring Top Gear Live at London’s Earls Court among 200 other supercars on display. Tickets are available via mphshow.co.uk/info

Read the rest of this entry and check out more photos »

Afzal Kahn is a maverick, a flamboyant character with an unbelievable spirit. This is the man who hopes his company’s newest creation, the Land Rover Range Rover Sport-based Kahn Cosworth Sport 300 will help spark a fire that will revive the British motor industry. A tall order.

After months of teasing Kahn Cosworth will finally officially show the car at the 2008 MPH show where fans can ogle it to their heart’s content. Better yet, they can drop off a cheque for £69,995 so one can be delivered to them. For that they get a fully-kitted Kahn Cosworth Sport 300 fitted with a new Cosworth fully adjustable electronic module to improve handling and an engine upgrade. The engine is covered in carbon fiber, while the vehicle itself runs on in 285/35-22 tyres. Extremely important, according to Kahn himself, is that the car sports that expensive F1 numberplate said to be worth millions in money.

In-car entertainment, or ICE, is taken care of by two Alpine screens measuring 7 inches for the rear, connected to a multi-region DVD player and two Phillips cordless phones, iPod connection, head-up display, the usual dash-mounted display and an optional rear and front parking camera.

Plenty of exterior kit to keep any design enthusiast busy, including Cosworth aluminium foot pedals, Nappa leather interior, white stitching all the way, stainless steel door sill plates with an engraved Cosworth logo, in case you didn’t realise what car it was, a perforated gear lever and Cosworth leather or Alcantara steering wheel, stitched by humans. Last but not least, that red start/ stop button completes its sportiness. Looks alright doesn’t it?

Read the rest of this entry and check out more photos »

In synchronized form, closely related Honda tuner Mugen announced body styling kits for the new Honda Odyssey the same day it launched in Japan. Available in two styles – one for the standard M, L, Li trim levels and a second for the top sporty Absolute, the aero kits consists of grille, front and rear bumper fascias, side skirts and rear roof spoilers. Other add-ons include sport exhaust, brake pads, floor mats, two styles of aluminum wheels and intelligent Tire Condition Monitoring System (i-TCMS). Price for both kits is expected to be approximately €2000 in Japan.

Read the rest of this entry and check out more photos »

Tuning firm Carlsson has released a new performance package based on Mercedes C63 AMG, called the Carlsson CK63 S.

Power jumps from 457 hp to 565 hp, while peak torque climbs 85 Nm (63 lb-ft) to a total of 685 Nm (505 lb-ft). This enables the CK63 S to accelerate to 100 km/h in just 3.8 seconds, compared to 4.5 seconds in the standard C63 AMG. The car also features a sports air filter, a carbon fiber Carlsson motor cover, sport rear muffler, and an electronic speed limiter which kicks in at 300 km/h (186 mph).

Helping to control all this power is a new Carlsson RS coil-over kit which features step-less height adjustment and adjustable damping. The company also suggests that owners install a limited slip differential in order to improve traction and increase driving stability. The CK63S is also available with ultra light wheels which weigh 38% less than the standard wheels and allows for improved driving comfort.

No tuner car would be complete without a styling kit and Carlsson is happy to oblige. Both ends of the car get special spoilers to improve high speed stability, and can be made of either high-quality polyurethane or carbon fiber. For the interior, customers can choose from a variety of options in order to make their car truly unique.

Read the rest of this entry and check out more photos »

Shot by spys earlier this month wearing only its somewhat less than inconspicuous Hamann bodykit, the firm’s Mercedes-McLaren SLR-based new Volcano model has now been part-unveiled in video form. The official presentation stylishly introduces the Volcano in all its outlandish glory – from studio to the road. And although unaccompanied by an official press release, the video does give the first peek inside its plush, albeit largely unchanged, cabin.

The first Mercedes vehicle to join the impressive Hamann ranks, the SLR-based Volcano is not the first supercar to be suped by the firm. The Volcano slots into the line-up alongside modified Ferrari and Lamborghini models, complementing a range of tuned vehicles from firms such as Aston Martin, BMW and Bentley to name just a few.

The principle visually-differentiating modifications on the Volcano are its two-tone paint scheme and its huge rear wing, while of substantial impact are its new rear diffuser, black and white 3-piece alloy wheels, front skirt, triple-pipe exhaust and darkened rear lamps. Details are scarce but expect technical upgrades akin to the rest of Hamann’s range. Its soundtrack can be heard in the video.

Read the rest of this entry and check out more photos »