For all of you that have a Mercedes CGI turbocharged engine in your late-model Mercedes – engine codes M270, M271EVO and M274 – Carlsson has announced that it now offers CB kits to help bump power by up to 28 percent.
The base CB kit is an adapter plug that goes between the vehicle wiring harnesses and the factory ECU. This little nugget of joy communicates with the various electronic systems within your Benz, assessing the driving situation and conditions, and making adjustments to optimize power.
There’s no need to worry about reliability when you install this kit, as it includes safety checks that help prevent damage that some other tuning kits may cause. First, the CB kit waits for the engine oil temperature to reach 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) before the performance boosts activate. Secondly, the CB kit closely monitors the limits of the CGI engine (oil temperature, coolant temperature, etc.) and drops the ECU to its normal performance if these limits are reached.
This kit’s improvements range from a 24-horsepower gain in the A 180 and B 180 to a 42-horsepower gain in the A 250 and B 250.
For those that want some extra power from the M271EVO engine lineup, the CBS kit is available too, which adds a larger and freer-flowing intercooler to the base CB kit. The power increases from the CBS kit range from 35 horsepower in the C 250, E 250 and SLK 250 to 45 horsepower in the C 180.
When you purchase this kit, Carlsson further shows its dedication to keeping your Benz running by taking over the manufacturer’s drivetrain warranty for two years or 100,000 km (62,137 miles).
Click past the jump to see the full specification sheet
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Don’t look now, but Orlando-based tuner Ultimate Auto is back at it with yet another fantastic aftermarket program.
We’ve seen what the company can do when presented with a sports car. Imagine what kind of work it can produce with a muscle car, like the 2013 Chevy Camaro ZL1?
Well, we won’t have to wonder anymore because the Camaro ZL1 is precisely the subject of Ultimate Auto’s latest program. Aesthetically, the upgrades were mostly contained on the interior. The metallic black exterior is complemented by touches of grey and candy red with the latter being used as housing inserts for the custom JL Audio HD amplifiers and the 2 W7’s inside the cabin.
But that’s not all of it; Ultimate Auto also added a Borla cat-back exhaust system and headers to enhance its exhaust note and relieve any back pressure. From there, a K&N carbon-fiber intake system was also installed to go with that absolutely scintillating NOS system.
Just imagine the kind of damage this Camaro ZL1 can do when it’s taken to the drag strip. We can already see it leaving some poor car in a cloud of tire smoke and shame.
Click past the jump to read more about the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
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Microsoft’s next-generation Xbox was officially announced today and along with the new Xbox One, Turn 10 Studios dropped the first teaser video for its debut game on the Xbox One: Forza Motorsport 5. According to the first details we received, the game was specially designed for the Xbox One and will be available exclusively for Xbox One at launch.
Talking about the new Forza Motorsport, Turn 10 Studios said: "Built from the ground up to take advantage of Xbox One and the infinite power of the cloud, no game better delivers the sensation of being behind the wheel."
Full details on the Forza Motorsport 5 will be announced in Los Angeles during the 2013 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) and will be put on sale later this year. Until then, enjoy this tantalizing trailer that puts the McLaren F1 and its successor, the P1 supercar, head to head.
Shortly after Maserati unveiled the Kubang concept at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show, rumors began circulating that a production version would be offered. Shortly after, Maserati confirmed that a production version will indeed be offered, but the production version will drop the Kubang name in favor of Levante.
The SUV takes its name from the Via Emilia Levante in Bologna, where the Maserati brothers, almost a century ago, dreamed up the company that today still bears their name.
The Levante will be offered with three engines: a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 engine delivering 410 horsepower, a twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V-8 engine with 530 horsepower and a turbo-diesel engine only offered in Europe. All the three engines will be mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission and will send their power to all four wheels via Maserati’s new all-wheel-drive system.
Maserati’s first SUV will combine exterior and interior elements from Quattroporte and Ghibli with some electronic architecture from Chrysler and Jeep.
Until recently, it was rumored that the Levante would be built at Chrysler’s Jefferson North Assembly Plant in Detroit alongside the Jeep Grand Cherokee, but due to the huge demand for the Jeep SUV, this isn’t a possibility. Instead, it will be produced in Italy.
The Levante will be unveiled in 2014 - just in time to celebrate Maserati’s centennial.
Image Note: The above image is a TopSpeed rendering and not an official image of the Levante
Update 5/21/2013: A report by Edmunds has revealed more information on the Levante’s production home and drivetrain.
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Never ever open a car door while moving…
This is a lesson George Michael had to learn in a very unpleasant way. It looks like the famous musician opened a Range Rover’s door and tried to pull it shut again because it wasn’t shut properly. Before he could close the door, he fell out of the car at 70 mph.
The incident happened on a motorway near St Albans and a woman approaching from behind almost ran him over. Katherine Fox said that when she saw him falling from the car she slamed on her brakes and reversed her Mini, so that no other vehicles would hit him.
According to Fox, George Michael had his clothes ripped and there was blood everywhere. Still, when he was transported to the hospital, his publicist Connie Filipello said that the injuries are just "superficial cuts and bruises." Michael’s partner, Fadi Fawaz, also reported the Michael was doing well at the hospital.
Police officers have opened an investigation and a final decision on what happened will be announced the in the upcoming weeks. We’ll keep an eye on Michael’s condition and report back if anything changes, but he seems like everything is going to be fine.
Click past the jump to read more about George Michael’s other incidents with cars.
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Mercedes scored its first victory ever at the famous Nürburgring 24 Hours. The No. 9 SLS AMG GT3 entered by Team Black Falcon obtained an overall win at the race. Behind the wheel were drivers Bernd Schneider, Jerome Bleekemolen, Sean Edwards and Nicki Thiim.
This marked the second 24-hour enduro win this year, after occupying the top step of the podium at the Dubai 24 Hours race. The SLS AMG GT3 managed to pass other favorite cars from Aston Martin and BMW. Along with being a very difficult race, this year’s Nürburgring 24 Hours required teams to face extreme weather, thanks to rain storms and fog that shut the race down for 9 hours.
Along with being Mercedes’ first overall Nürburgring 24 Hours victory, it was also Schneider’s first win and the first-ever victory for a British driver.
Click past the jump for a video from the race and more details on the SLS AMG GT3.
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The recent record-breaking sale of this one-off 1960 Aston Martin DB4 GT Jet by Bertone shows the remarkable passion surrounding the brand’s classic cars, especially those with a unique or special racing history.
What’s so special about this car, aside from its rare provenance and Aston Martin Works Service restoration? Quite a few things about the DB4 GT were celebrated at the time, notably its potent top-end performance, great handling and the aircraft-style leather interior. The DB4 GT’s platform chassis replaced the DB4’s spaceframe, meaning new bodywork was required because the original Touring-designed panels weren’t compatible with the newly-developed floorplan and a chopped wheelbase.
Let’s get the money question out of the way. Yes, the Bertone Jet is more than ten times what a base DB4 is worth, but the final price was near the top end of the pre-sale estimate – so this was no surprise in the Aston community. All signs were good ahead of the sale: custom Bertone – pronounced “Bear Tony” - exterior and interior; the car’s unique nature; and the fact that it changed hands at the original chassis factory with full manufacturer blessing.
So is it a collector’s item? Without a doubt.
The current craze for the similar Ferrari 250 GT and Jaguar E-type heaves most of the dollars on convertibles – making them among the most valuable cars of all time. The 250 GT’s auction magic is greatly enhanced by the fact that the car is a total joy to drive. Is the Bertone Jet a stunning drive as well?
Click past the jump for the full review of the DB4 GT Jet.
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In the past few weeks, the Dubai Police expanded its fleet with the craziest supercars out there, ranging from a Camaro SS up to some of the most exclusive models in the world, like the Aston Martin One-77 and Bugatti Veyron.
Before you get too impressed though, it looks like the Veyron is not actually part of the crazy Dubai fleet.
This comes from an email we received from our friends at Kahn Design who realized that the image of the Veyron police car looked an awful lot like one of their cars. From what we can see, this is, in fact, a bad Photoshop applied to one of Kahn’s images. We thought something looked a little strange about that image.
So, what about the rest of the lineup? Are the police officers really driving an Aston Martin One-77, or is it another fake?
We’re not too sure what the Dubai Police force was thinking when it released this image, but we think it is time for an admission if this is truly a fake. And if so, shame on them!
Click past the jump to read more about the Bugatti Veyron and see the two images put face to face.
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When Aston Martin announced the Hybrid Hydrogen Rapide S we were pretty impressed by the company’s ambitions to enter a hydrogen-powered car in the 24 Hours of Nürburgring. However, it looks like the company did more than just enter the race, as the Hybrid Hydrogen Rapide S made quite a splash at the race where it managed to become the first race car to complete emission-free laps in an international automotive race. Even more so, there were moments when the car hit a top speed of 160 mph, while running just on hydrogen.
The Hybrid Hydrogen Rapide S was the only car to enter a special E1-XP2 race classification. The car needed only 30 seconds to refill, with the hydrogen being stored at 350 bar (5,076 psi) of pressure.
After the race, Aston Martin said that the new racecar "has showcased the most practical technology available to fundamentally address the challenge of global emissions without disrupting the automotive industry."
Click past the jump to read more about the 2013 Aston Martin Hybrid Hydrogen Rapide S.
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