Aftermarket Tuners

Mansory Enzos-up the Ferrari 458 Spider [w/ Video]

By Tom Anderson on Thu, 05/17/2012 - 23:29

Tuning Aftermarket Tuners Exotics|Supercars Ferrari Italian Mansory

To us, it seems like every tuned vehicle Mansory releases is more subdued and tasteful than the last one. The company seems to have outgrown its cornea-melting-colors and scoops-for-the-sake-of-scoops phase, while still churning out cars and SUVs that won’t be mistaken for their factory standard brethren. Mansory has gotten, dare we say it, respectable.

And sure to make the company even more respectable is its treatment for the Ferrari 458 Spider, dubbed the 458 Spider Monaco Edition. Of course, since the newest al fresco Ferrari is so amazing right out of the wrapper, tuners can’t get away with bolting on a new set of wheels, sticking a K&N filter in the airbox and call it a day. No, they have to go the extra mile, and Mansory has certainly done that.

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GSC Stealth Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG [w/ Video]

By Tom Anderson on Wed, 05/16/2012 - 01:34

Tuning Aftermarket Tuners German German Special Customs GSC Mercedes AMG Mercedes-Benz Super Sedan

The Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG is a four-door tour de force right off the showroom floor. The 5.5L twin-turbo V8 kicks out 518hp and 516 lb.-ft of torque (or 550hp and 590 lb.-ft if you order the AMG Performance Package) and blasts it to 60 mph in a claimed 4.4 seconds. And thanks to the combination of the low, coupe-like roofline and the AMG styling bits, this musclebound Mercedes looks as fast as it is. What’s not to like about that?

Well, one possible qualm would be that there isn’t much AMG will do to differentiate one CLS63 AMG from another, other than colors and wheel styles, of course. So what’s the individualist buyer to do? Talk to the aftermarket, of course! And the latest tuner to give the new hot CLS its special touch is German Special Customs, or GSC for short.

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Wheelsandmore Sweetens the Lamborghini Aventador with the Chocolate LP777-4

By Tom Anderson on Thu, 05/10/2012 - 21:08

Tuning Aftermarket Tuners Exotics|Supercars Italian Lamborghini Wheelsandmore

After a few decades off the radar, brown appears to be making a comeback as an automotive color. Cars ranging from the Volkswagen Jetta to the Lexus LFA are available in a shade of the muddy hue, and there’s even a Facebook group (of which we are a member, in the interest of full disclosure) dedicated to the rich history and current renaissance of gravy-tinged transportation devices. Yes, brown is back.

However, if you’re still in need of convincing, one of the regular exterior color options for Lamborghini’s latest flagship, the Aventador, is matte brown. And rather than just ignoring this color and model combination, German tuner Wheelsandmore is embracing it by offering a tuned Aventador dubbed the Chocolate LP777-4. And the name isn’t the only thing that makes us salivate.

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O.CT Tuning Gives the Bumblebee Camaro More Sting

By Tom Anderson on Tue, 05/08/2012 - 23:06

Tuning Aftermarket Tuners American Camaro Chevrolet Muscle Car O.CT Tuning

When Chevrolet was gearing up to re-launch the Camaro a few years ago, they made a deal with the makers of the Transformers movie to cast the concept version as the affable Autobot Bumblebee. To cash in on the flurry of interest brought on by the movie (and its two sequels), Chevrolet in turn released a special edition Bumblebee Camaro featuring yellow paint, black rally stripes and Autobot logo badges. As Transformers director (and noted pyrotechnics aficionado) Michael Bay says, "Awesome!"

Of course, if you need more than 426hp (and let's be honest, who doesn't?), the Bumblebee Camaro falls short of awesome. Thankfully, there are plenty of companies who have made it their duty to do to the Camaro what seeing Mr. Bay's former squeeze Lauren Stoner does to our pulse: Make it faster. And one of those companies comes out of Switzerland and calls itself O.CT Tuning.

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Novitec Rosso Fortifies the Ferrari 458 Spider

By Tom Anderson on Fri, 05/04/2012 - 08:21

Tuning Aftermarket Tuners Exotics|Supercars Ferrari Italian Novitec Rosso

Historically speaking, the convertible versions of Ferrari berlinettas (i.e. coupes) have been heavier, flimsier and altogether wussier than their fixed-roof brethren. Sure, they’re great for enjoying the fresh air (and the siren song of the engine), and they make it easier for people to see who the Richie Rich behind the wheel is. But if you were into performance, you were better off with a coupe.

That changes, however, with the 458 Spider. The stiff structure and remarkably light retractable hardtop mean the performance drop-off versus the 458 Italia is miniscule. Of course, that performance gap could be made smaller still, or even turned into a performance advantage. And that is precisely what Novitec Rosso has done.

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