Tag: tuned

Video: Watch this tuned VW van break Sabine Schmitz’s record

Filed under: Motorsports, Minivan/Van, Videos, Diesel, Racing

We tend to get hot and bothered when a production car sets a newly minted lap record around the incomparable Nürburgring Nordshleife, but records for other types of vehicles tend to fly beneath the radar. Thank God then that we’ve got the Germans to pay attention to these things on our behalf.

Volkswagen tuning outfit Revo had such a record in mind when it started to hot-up a VW T5 2.0 turbo diesel van to make a record ‘Ring run. The target was a lap turned in by none other than the Queen of the Ring herself, Sabine Schmitz – a 10:08-lap done in a Ford Transit van for the guffawing audience of Top Gear.

Revo changed the stock ECU map on the T5, fitted a custom exhaust and an uprated intercooler and oil cooler, underpinned the whole deal with a Bilstein coilover kit and set to racing. The final product was just racy enough, in the capable hands of veteran driver Dale Lomas, to finish its lap some 11 seconds quicker than the former record. Circumnavigating the Nordshleife in under 10 minutes in a commercial diesel van is, of course, bonkers, which is as good a reason as any to watch the video of the run below.

Continue reading Watch this tuned VW van break Sabine Schmitz’s record

Watch this tuned VW van break Sabine Schmitz’s record originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 22 Jun 2013 19:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: Holden launches tuned, pre-facelifted Malibu in Australia

Filed under: Sedan, GM, Holden, Australia

As General Motors prepares to launch a refreshed 2014 Chevrolet Malibu in the US, the current, year-old version of the car will go on sale in Australia as the Holden Malibu. Rather than just making it right-hand drive and putting new badges on the Malibu for Aussie duty, Holden engineers worked on the sedan’s drivetrain and suspension to give it a tuning unique to that market.

It seems like one of the biggest challenges was getting the Holden Malibu to drive smoothly on Australian roads, and GM’s crew Down Under accomplished this by retuning the suspension’s damping calibration, as well as giving the car proper right-hand-drive tires. Yes, apparently tires designed for a left-hand-drive car would cause the Malibu to pull “excessively to the left,” according to GM’s press release. Engine choices for the Holden Malibu are the 2.4-liter gasoline four-cylinder or a 2.0-liter diesel I4.

Scroll down for the official press blast.

Continue reading Holden launches tuned, pre-facelifted Malibu in Australia

Holden launches tuned, pre-facelifted Malibu in Australia originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 13 Jun 2013 18:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Geneva 2011: AC Schnitzer comes strong with sporty diesel BMW Z4, tuned 550i [w/videos]

Filed under: Aftermarket, Concept Cars, Convertible, Sedan, Performance, Geneva Motor Show, Europe, BMW, Specialty, Diesel

AC Schnitzer 99d

2011 AC Schnitzer 99d – Click above for high-res image gallery

AC Schnitzer has showed up at the Geneva Motor Show with not one, but two fresh-off-the-press upgrade packages for 2011.

Not wanting to look completely unfriendly to Mother Earth, AC Schnitzer has taken their expertise to the Z4 and BMW’s EfficientDynamics system, working over a 320d mill to go under the Z4’s hood. The 2011 AC Schnitzer 99d gets a 70-hp boost to 190, hits 60 in 6.9 seconds, releases a scant 99g of C02 per mile and returns a handsome 63 mpg in the European cycle. That, according to Schnitzer, is better than any BMW on the market. Unfortunately, the 99d is just a concept, and won’t be available to the public any time soon.

For the family minded executives attending the show, AC Schnitzer started with the 2011 BMW 550i, bumping the car from 407 to 540 horsepower. According to Schnitzer, the result is a 4.5-second 0-60 sprint and a whopping 198 mph top end. The engine exhales through a new set of the tuner’s own mufflers capped with chrome surrounds. The resulting executive express has been dubbed the ACS5 Sport S.

Hauling all that energy to a stop is a revised set of brakes sporting eight-piston calipers. Outside, Schnitzer went all-out to ensure that the car would be stable at its newfound velocity. The laundry list of exterior mods includes a front spoiler, carbon ducts for the brakes, new engine bay vents and, of course, your choice of 20 or 21-inch AC Schnitzer custom wheels.

Check out the official videos and press releases after the jump.

Gallery: AC Schnitzer 99d: Geneva 2011

Gallery: AC Schnitzer ACS5 Sport S: Geneva 2011

Photos copyright (C)2011 Drew Phillips / AOL

[Source: AC Schnitzer]

Continue reading Geneva 2011: AC Schnitzer comes strong with sporty diesel BMW Z4, tuned 550i [w/videos]

Geneva 2011: AC Schnitzer comes strong with sporty diesel BMW Z4, tuned 550i [w/videos] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 Mar 2011 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chicago Preview: Lexus bringing tuned… CT 200h?

Filed under: Aftermarket, Chicago Auto Show, Hybrid, Hatchback, Lexus, Luxury

Lexus CT200h by Five Axis

If you just can’t wait for SEMA 2011, head to this year’s Chicago Auto Show. Lexus is bringing a little Las Vegas to the Windy City with a version of the company’s CT 200h hybrid hatchback tuned by the go-fast gurus at Five Axis. The car wears a custom widebody kit, unique paint and a lower suspension courtesy of Tein.

Stoptech hardware handles braking duties, and the interior has been saddled with enough tech to put a man on the moon. The Five Axis CT 200h will be joined by the crowd of tuned Lexus vehicles that we saw at SEMA 2010 too, including cars by VIP auto salon and Paul Tolson.

Lexus says the vast majority of the company’s 20,000-square-foot booth will be devoted to the company’s performance aims and that the luscious LFA will make an appearance as well. Something tells us that machine just might overshadow the widebody CT 200h. Hit the jump for the full press release.

[Source: Lexus]

Continue reading Chicago Preview: Lexus bringing tuned… CT 200h?

Chicago Preview: Lexus bringing tuned… CT 200h? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 02 Feb 2011 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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G-Power tuned BMW M5 World’s Fastest Sedan with 231 mph top whack?

Filed under: Aftermarket, Sedan, Performance, Europe, BMW, Luxury

G-Power M5 Hurricane RR – Click above for high-res image gallery

The mad scientists at G-Power have reworked the company’s sinister M5 Hurricane into something even more impressive. Meet the M5 Hurricane RR – an 800 horsepower beast that G-Power claims is the fastest sedan in the world. The company started by plopping a new set of superchargers onto the M5 sedan’s already potent BMW V10. With a theoretical capacity of 900 horsepower, each belt-driven supercharger delivers air to a single bank of the engine. According to the tuner, this configuration allows for 25 percent more air to enter the combustion chamber. The engine’s internals have been completely reworked and balanced to handle all of that extra boost as well.

All of that mojo is good for a top speed of 231 mph on track, which the company says makes their matte monster the fastest four-door extant. If lofty top-speed numbers aren’t your bag of tricks, maybe acceleration figures are. G-Power says that 0-60 mph takes around 4.35 seconds and 0-120 mph clicks by in 9.5 seconds. Yep, that’s pretty darn quick for a two-ton sedan. Even better, G-Power will be more than happy to convert any old BMW M5 into the beast you see above, all for the low, low price of $71,780 – plus donor M5. Hit the jump for the full press release.

Gallery: G-Power M5 Hurricane RR

[Source: G Power]

Continue reading G-Power tuned BMW M5 World’s Fastest Sedan with 231 mph top whack?

G-Power tuned BMW M5 World’s Fastest Sedan with 231 mph top whack? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 16 Aug 2010 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Heico Sportiv previews 330-hp tuned 2011 Volvo S60

Filed under: Aftermarket, Sedan, Performance, Volvo, Luxury

Heico S60

Heico Sportiv Volvo S60 renderings – Click above for high-res image gallery

We’re all pretty excited about the launch of the 2011 Volvo S60 – the sedan that could make or break Volvo’s worldwide appeal. We haven’t driven it yet, but the shapely new S60 certainly looks like it means business. We hope that it retains that solid “Volvo-ness” that we’ve come to love, while adding a welcome dose of driver involvement.

Even though the S60 hasn’t quite hit the road yet, Volvo tuner Heico Sportiv already has plans for its first modified version of the new sedan. These renderings show an S60 with sharper, more aggressive design elements, including hot new wheels, a revised front fascia, and a rear diffuser that encompasses quad tailpipes. Mechanically, Heico plans to rework the suspension and exhaust, as well as boosting output to around 330 horsepower – 30 more ponies than the standard S60 T6. We’ll take one in matte black, please.

Gallery: Heico Sportiv Volvo S60

[Source: Heico Sportiv]

Heico Sportiv previews 330-hp tuned 2011 Volvo S60 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 24 Jul 2010 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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