Putting a Range Rover engine on a Renault Twingo isn’t exactly an everyday occurrence, yet custom tuners Lazareth decided to have some fun and do just that.
While you’ll never mistake the French compact car for a luxury SUV, it does make for some awesome thrills to have the miniscule front-mounted engine the Twingo used to come in for a more powerful variety. As a result, the Twingo has been updated with a 3.5-liter V8 180 horsepower mid-mounted engine that conveys its power to the Twingo’s rear wheels through a five-speed manual transmission.
It took a lot of work, especially since a Twingo doesn’t exactly fall in the same line as that of a Range Rover. To fit the luxury SUVs engine on the hatchback, Lazareth modified the Twingo’s chassis by adding a rear tubular subframe, brand new suspensions, modified brakes, to name a few.
The result, as you can expect, is a hatchback that packs more power than Twingo could have ever had with a standard configuration. If the upgraded engine wasn’t enough, Lazareth also gave the Twingo’s interior a plush racing upgrade with MOMO bucket seats, a sports steering wheel, and new digital gauges.
With a new engine and an overall upgraded look, the Lazareth-tuned Twingo, which they’ve come to call as the Twingo Trophy V8, sells for around €70,000, or in the language of US dollars, around $105,000.
The Ford Focus RS is one of the most coveted cars in all the land, after all there is nothing like a turbocharged sport compact that will smoke most modified rides in real world situations and plus it looks like the World Rally Car you see on TV. Even if the Focus RS is the most fun to drive blue oval branded vehicle on the planet, as is in the world of tuning there is no such thing as enough. So the team of engineers at WolfRacing feel that they can do the hot hatch one better with a few simple yet effective modifications tho the engine, drive train and suspension.
Starting out with a revised engine management program for the 2.5 Liter five cylinder engine that boosts engine output from the stock 305 HP and 324.5 lb-ft of torque up to a maximum of 360 HP and 412 lb-ft of moving force. WolfRacing’s tried and trusted competition experience has led them to understand that a well rounded car is about more then just big power figures. A locking differential makes the front wheel drive demon behave in a more civilized manor, giving the driver full use of the turbocharged engine’s power no matter whether you are accelerating full throttle or one wheel up on the rumble strip deep into a turn. Speaking of hitting apexes, WolfRacing also ensures that their version of the Focus RS will get more grip with a fully adjustable coil over suspension. Catering to the tastes of every automotive enthusiast. For the show car winners WolfRacing makes a set of 20 inch wheels to fill out the RS’s wide fenders and for the racing chaps, lightweight 18 and 19 inch forged alloys.
Press release after the jump.
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If there’s one car brand that’s had its fair share of uniquely-designed models, the first one that always comes to mind is MINI. For the most part, the company hasn’t been shy in releasing special-edition models that are, for lack of a better term, eye-catching.
This particular MINI fits that bill to a tee. Created by KRINK founder and graffiti-design savant, Craig “KR” Costello, who, by the way, travelled all the way to the MINI headquarters in Hamburg, Germany, what used to be a simple black MINI was transformed into a fine work of art.
At first glance, you might notice that Costello’s work is nothing more than just dumping a bucket of white paint and letting it drip out on all sides. But upon closer inspection, you’ll notice that the design is more intricate and deliberate than what you probably first thought.
Using the Krink silver paint color that has long been Costello’s trademark, the New York-based artist left no stone unturned in his elaborate design. Suffice to say, it’s not as outlandish as some MINI designs we’ve seen over the years, but nevertheless, it still looks pretty impressive, especially the whole white/black color-balancing effect.
Back in 2003 the English automaker Jaguar unveiled the R-D6 concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show. At the time, the concept car served as an indication of Jaguar’s new design direction. Almost a decade later, the shape of the R-D6 concept will finally find its way into production as the basis for a new sport hatch from Jaguar and is expected to appear in 2014.
Currently known as the R-D7, the future sport inspired hatchback will feature a compact footprint and Jaguar’s lightweight aluminum body and chassis that will be shared with the next generation XK sport coupe and an entry level XE, an E-Type for the 21st century, which is already undergoing development as a Porsche Boxster fighting hopeful. The exterior of the new hatch will be inspired by the latest XJ luxury sedan, while under the hood the R-D7 will make the most of a range of V6 gas and diesel burning power plants as well as an extremely efficient four cylinder diesel for the European market. Either way, the new Jaguar will be set impress as far as styling and performance are concerned because after all it is going to be a Jaguar.
After teasing their fans, the German Automaker Opel has just revealed official details about the new Astra, a vehicle that will make its world debut at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show. The car’s exterior is easily identifiable as an Opel, while the interior features the latest in technology.
The new Astra line-up will be full of options. There will be 8 different engine choices, all of which are shifted by six speed transmissions. The diesel options range from 1.3 to 2.0 Liters making anywhere from 95 HP up to 160 HP. While gas burners will displace from 1.4 to 1.6 Liters pumping out from 100 HP to 180 HP.
The new generation Astra is built on a whole new platform, featuring a longer wheelbase, wider track and a reengineered rear axle. Like the Insignia it comes with the fuel saving Opel FlexRide electronic aide that offers the driver the option to drive in Standard, Sport and Touring mode.
Press release after the jump.
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Even if the Euro only Ford Focus RS is the most powerful blue oval hatchback available at the moment, as is in the world of tuning, there is no such thing as enough. So the German tuning firm Loder1899 feels that they can do the hot hatch one better with a few simple yet effective modifications. First of all Loder begins by bringing the Focus a few inches closer to the ground and then fills the arches with a variety of high performance wheel and tire combinations to sort out the handling aspect of the RS before reworking the turbocharged 2.5 Liter five cylinder power plant.
1899 replaces the factory intercooler with a more efficient intercooler and a set of tuned manifolds to make sure that the Focus RS can make the most of the air it takes in before letting it breath a little easier with a free flowing exhaust system fed by a set of less restrictive Sportkats. The new parts are good to boost the Focus RS from a factory rated 305 HP and 325 lb-ft of torque to an impressive 370 HP and 383.5 lb-ft of thrusting force. Thanks to the newfound ponies, the RS can hit a top speed of 168 MPH. We say, good job.
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While European drivers have been scooting around in the latest generation Volkswagen Golf GTI for a while, we here in the U.S. will have to wait until next year to drive the sleeker sixth generation hot hatch with its slick 17 inch rims and swept back headlamps. The 2010 VW GTI is powered by a 2.0 Liter 16 Valve DOHC TSI gas sipping four banger that makes an even 200 HP and 207 lb-ft of torque that is shifted with a six speed manual transmission. The GTI offers the traditional Rabbit like handling and can accelerate from 0 to 60 MPH in 6.8 seconds and reach an electronically limited 130 MPH top speed all for under $24,000.
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The classic English automaker Mini had a plethora of Coopers on display at the 2009 Miami Auto Show, in a setup that resembled a bag of Skittles, there was something to satisfy every new car buyer’s taste. Ranging from a gleaming white Camden model to a black rag top and a British Racing Green John Cooper Works complete with Union Jacks on the mirror covers; there was literally a Mini for every flavor. Mini also showed off a bit of their fun side reminiscing about a lighter side in America’s history filled with beach bums and go go girls with a pair of surfboards on top of a woodie wagon inspired Clubman.
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The
Subaru WRX STi is always a nice sight to see, and the Japanese automaker had one such example sitting front and center at their exhibit at the 2009 Miami Auto Show. Although Mitsubishi had one of their latest
sleeper EVOs on hand at the show, Subaru was displaying the standard version of their high performance in house tuned hatchback. The STi tuned
Impreza is highlighted for its 300 HP turbocharged 2.5 Liter flat four cylinder engine and symmetrical all wheel drivetrain that earned the car multiple World Rally Championship titles. After speaking with some Subaru representatives earlier on this year, we learned that they have accepted their fair share of criticism for numbing the 2008 model and promise that the 2009 STi is as razor sharp as ever. There is also the issue with the new STi’s hatchback only body style, but rest assured fans of the traditional four door sport compact version, the car will be making a
comeback very soon.
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Like usual the UK got all the coll cars! And the new Honda Civic Type R Mugen is no exception. Designed especially for the British roads, the new Type R Mugen is now officially into production and will be limited to only 20 units, each priced at £38,599 (around $64,000 at the current rates).
Each and every Civic Type R Mugen will be hand-built at MUGEN Euro, based in Northampton – with customers receiving a unique, involved experience during the build process of each car. Under the hood there is a 2.0-litre i-VTEC engine that delivers a total of 240 hp - 20% increase over a standard model. The extra power of the tuned engine is transferred to road or track via a limited slip differential, and grip and handling are also significantly improved through a completely revised suspension set-up, with custom-made springs and dampers employed.
All the 20 units will be painted in Championship White – the traditional racing color of the brand and will will wear a special badge inside on the center console, listing the serial number of each unique model.
Press release after the jump.
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