transplant Archives

Saab 9-3 Sport Combi unlikely but awesome Viper V10 transplant recipient

Filed under: Aftermarket, Motorsports, Performance, Wagon, Etc., Europe, Saab, Specialty

Saab 9-3 Sport Combi Viper V10 – Click above for image gallery

Of the multiple sacred laws of hot rodding, “Thou shall put big engines in small cars” is by far our favorite. This line of thinking spans cultures and has led to the creation of many a magnificent machine. Machines like this Saab 9-3 Sport Combi with a kicking V10 sourced from the mighty Dodge Viper under its hood. This thing puts a whole new spin on the term “sport wagon.” As you might imagine, shoving a longitudinally mounted lump of American engineering into the engine bay of a small Swedish long roof required significant re-engineering of the 9-3 body structure, including fabricating an entirely new transmission tunnel.

With that big lump situated behind the front axle and a set of stoppers lifted from the big snake as well, we have to imagine that this beast is an absolute terror on the track. Who do we have to bribe for a little seat time? Check out the full build over in Zatzy forums thanks to contributor mrspringer.

Saab 9-3 Sport Combi unlikely but awesome Viper V10 transplant recipient originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 16 May 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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UPS truck gets SHO transplant, flame job

Filed under: Aftermarket, Etc.

UPS Hot Rod parcel truck

When it comes to getting packages where they’re going, few crews are more on point than the team at UPS. Whether it’s across the state or around the world, Brown gets your gear where it’s going with a quickness. The company has used a fleet of proprietary delivery trucks since 1966, but judging from what American Trucker just discovered, someone’s been turning some wrenches after hours. As it turns out, UPS has its own Hot Rod delivery special. Along with one wicked flame paint job and wild wheels, the beast packs something truly under its fiberglass hood.

Instead of a tired old diesel mill, a super-high output Ford Racing V8 dumps 500 horsepower on the rear wheels via a manual gearbox. As if that wasn’t enough to raise some eyebrows, the engine supposedly runs off of straight alcohol for a clean-burning machine that can light the rear rubber on command. We dig the truck, but if it were ours, we’d be rocking stock wheels and a standard coat of UPS brown paint for the ultimate sleeper. Head over to SPEED to check out the video for yourself.

UPS truck gets SHO transplant, flame job originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 08 May 2011 11:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New York 2011: 2012 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG gets a twin-turbo heart transplant

Filed under: New York Auto Show, Sedan, Performance, Mercedes-Benz, Luxury

2012 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG

2012 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG – Click above for high-res image gallery

The 2012 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG has been unwrapped at the New York Auto Show having gained a new, more economical lease on life thanks to the brand’s 5.5-liter twin-turbo V8. For 2012, Mercedes-Benz is offering the mill in two levels of crazy, with either 518 horsepower in the regular E63, or 550 if you opt for the AMG sport package. That much grunt shuffles the standard car to 60 miles per hour in 4.4 seconds on to a top speed of 155 mph, or 4.3 seconds and 186 mph if you drop the extra coin for the sport pack.

Like its kissing but shapelier cousin, the CLS63 AMG, the 5.5-liter engine channels its substantial resources through AMG’s Speedshift MCT seven-speed transmission. We’ve sampled and enjoyed the unusual gearbox before, and this one also has a “Controlled Efficiency” mode, which is Mercedes-speak for a stop-start function.

Despite the looney power and performance figures, Mercedes says its big sedan is 22 percent more efficient than last year’s model, thanks to the new powerplant. To help keep things green(ish), the new heart sports spray-guided direct injection thanks to a set of piezo injectors. Mercedes has even gone so far as to develop an eco-friendly power steering setup which saves fuel by only drawing power when the wheel is being turned.

Inside, the car gets a new sports steering wheel with aluminum shift paddles and flat top and bottom sections. For those who go with the AMG sport package, the wheel is trimmed in Alcantara for the last word in racy luxury.

Gallery: 2012 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG: New York 2011

Gallery: 2012 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG

2012 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG

[Source: Mercedes-Benz]

Continue reading New York 2011: 2012 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG gets a twin-turbo heart transplant

New York 2011: 2012 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG gets a twin-turbo heart transplant originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 20 Apr 2011 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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