Of all the models in Jeep’s line-up, the one that doesn’t get a whole lot of love is the Compass. We know all about the Grand Cherokee, the Wrangler, and the Liberty, but the Compass isn’t given the same amount of attention.
Whatever reasons that may have, the new Mopar-tuned Compass "True North" model is giving the Compass some well deserved love and affection.
The enhancements done on the Compass are prevalently cosmetic, albeit a comprehensive one. On the outside, Mopar added plenty of modifications, including a new matte black-finished roof, wider wheel flares, black-headlamp and fog-lamp surrounds, rear fog lights, a new lower fascia, a new black grille with body color inserts, custom front and rear brush bars and custom rock rails, and a new set of 16" matte black alloy wheels wrapped in BF Goodrich All Terrain tires to go with a 2" lift kit from Rocky Road Suspensions.
Inside, the Mopar went to great lengths to give the Compass’ interior space with plenty of fine-tweaking. The most notable is a tie-up with renowned audio component manufacturer Kicker. For the ’True North’ model, the latter added a completely new audio system that includes front and rear speakers, an amplifier, a sub-woofer, and lift gate speakers. Outside of the audio system set-up, Mopar also added a custom center stack gauge pod that carries the pitch and roll inclinometer gauges. There’s also a new Mopar bright pedal kit, door-sill guards, a rear-cargo tray, a new shift knob and neoprene seats, all of which adds some serious flair and attitude to the Compass’ interior.
Availability for the Compass "True North" model has not yet been announced, although we expect to hear more about the details at the Chicago Auto Show this coming February.
The most impressive model in Hennessey’s line-up at this point is without a doubt the Venom GT, but with Hennessey, the best always seems to get one-upped by their next project. The vehicle ready to take on the challenge is the new HPE800 Concept based on the new McLaren MP4-12C. As its name suggests, the HPE800 will get a power upgrade to the tune of 800 HP - up from the current 592 HP. Next to this, the tuner will also be offering a more aggressive aero package, new wheels, and interior changes.
Hennessey was able to massage more power out of the McLaren’s 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 by adding an upgraded intercooler system, air intake system, and ball-bearing turbochargers, as well as ECU updates and, of course, a new Hennessey titanium exhaust system. These updates will allow the MP4-12C to push out the aforementioned 800 HP.
With a power update like the one provided by Hennessey, the super car also had to get a mini makeover for both the exterior and interior to balance itself out. For this, the tuner installed a new, center-positioned frontal air inlet with hood extractor that will allow room for larger heat exchangers for improved engine intercooling as well as transmission cooling. The new set of wheels are wrapped in Michelin Pilot Super Sport Tires, while the interior combines carbon fiber, Alcantara, and leather for a luxuriously supple feel.
The recently released Dodge Dart has been a simmering topic of conversation for a lot of people. In order to build off of the buzz the car is generating, Mopar has gone out of its way to pay homage to the Dart GTS of the 60’s, building a program that it has affectionately called the Dart GTS 201 Tribute.
The car is part of a four-vehicle assault from Chrysler’s resident aftermarket company, which released the vehicles as part of their 75th anniversary. For the Dart GTS 210 Tribute, Mopar prepared two tuning packages, beginning with the Stage 1 Appearance Package. As the name suggests, this program centers on a plethora of aerodynamic upgrades on the Dart, featuring a new chin spoiler, new side sills, a rear spoiler, and a rear-diffuser-style panel, all of which have been finished in fine matte black texture. In addition, the Stage 1 program also comes with a carbon fiber hood, an applied carbon fiber roof appliqué, and a new set of 18" 10-spoke titanium wheels.
Interior modifications are also part of the Stage 1 program, consisting of seats, door panels, map pockets, and a center armrest that have been finished in a Ruby Red color with black serving as a perfect contrast on the stitching and the suede instrument cowl. Meanwhile, a red-and-black, leather-wrapped steering wheel and new floor mats finish off the rather audacious looking interior space of the Dart.
Moving into the engine - that’s the Stage 2 Performance Kit - Mopar added a slew of performance enhancing equipment, including a new cold-air intake, a cat-back exhaust, and a remapped ECU. These changes bring the Dart’s output emanating from its 2.4-liter four-cylinder MultiAir2 engine from 184 horsepower to something Mopar calls “over 210,” which explains why ’210’ is part of the car’s designation.
According to Chrysler, pricing for the two packages will be made available later this year, so stay tuned.
The BMW Z8 was one of those cars that were great in theory, but lacked true ingenuity in production form. Before that realization, though, BMW built 5,703 units from March 2000 to July 2003, and 555 of those units were an Alpina version - meaning they were equipped with an an automatic gearbox and featured a wider radiator grill and side air intakes created by Henrik Fisker to get something good out of a design that didn’t exactly work out the way they had intended. Needless to say, the Z8 needed some work to crank up its style and Senner Tuning was able to get their hands on one of these models to do just that.
The BMW Z8 by Senner Tuning features a sleek, black exterior with a new set of 19" Work Schwert SC1 wheels in Diamond Black, wrapped around Continental Sport Contact 5P 255/40R19 and 285/35R19 tires. The wheels were then combined with a new set of Racing Gold varnished brake calipers and a new coilover suspension Variant 2 Inox-Line. The suspension comes with an adjustable rebound and a strut bar installed on the reinforced shock mount in the front in order to stabilize the front end. Nothing else was done to the look of the vehicle, which is probably okay because of the engine upgrade provided.
The original Z8 came equipped with a 5.0 liter V8 engine producing 400 HP and 370 lb-ft of torque. With a sports air filter set, a new a stainless steel silencer, and flame tubes designed with metal catalysts, the Z8 by Senner can now deliver an extra 50 HP and 25 lbs-ft, bringing it up to 50 HP and 395 lb-ft of torque. These figures make the Z8 good for a top speed of 186 mph, up from the standard 155.4 mph.
The full conversion kit for the BMW Z8 by Senner Tuning will set customers back 18,900 Euro (or $24,800 at the current exchange rates).
Noted Chevrolet Camaro tuner, Lingenfelter, has never been bashful about its tuning programs for the American muscle car. That’s why these guys have come up with a pair of new tuning works for the Camaro as part of their Signature Series.
The first of these packages is the Signature Series 1, which features exterior upgrades, including a new hood, a modified grille, a new front spoiler, extended side skirts, a trunk-mounted spoiler, and a new set of 20" alloy wheels. As for the interior, the Camaro Signature Series 1 package comes with some fresh embroidered seats, aluminum pedals, and just to be sure that you’re owning one of these special edition bad boys, there’s also an individually-numbered plaque.
The second package, predictably called the Signature Series 2, is a lot more notable because on top of the aesthetic goodies it also comes with level 2 graphics, a set of exclusive 20" Lingenfelter forged alloy wheels, a Pedders performance suspension, Brembo brake calipers and rotors, and a Corsa stainless exhaust system. But the meal ticket of the Stage 2 upgrade is the massive performance juice up, highlighted by a Magnusson TVS2300 supercharger, a high-flow intake, and enlarged fuel injectors. The resulting engine upheaval takes the Camaro’s output all the way up to a in impressive 600 horsepower, an increase from the muscle car’s standard 426 horsepower and 420 lb/ft of torque output.
