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2012 Geneva Motor Show: The Tuner Cars
 
One of our favorite parts of any auto show is seeing what the aftermarket industry has done to some of the finest vehicles in the world. At the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, we were completely floored by all the programs being displayed. Whether it was the Lamborghini Aventador, the McLaren MP4-12C, or even a model like the BMW 3-Series, the tuning world was definitely well-represented in Geneva. The list below highlights some of the most impressive programs we saw. Some came from some of the best tuners in the world and some came from some surprising tuners. Nevertheless, it all amounted to some pretty impressive sights. You can check out the list of vehicles that were given tuning programs and let us know which of these works you consider your favorites. Check out the list of tuner cars from the 2012 Geneva Motor Show after the jump. Full story 2012 Mercedes SLS AMG Roadster Gulfstream by FAB Design
We all know how eccentric the folks over at FAB Design are, but one program that really captured our attention was their work on the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. Now, the tuner extraordinaire is back with a similar program for the SLS AMG Roadster. Just like the hard-top version of the Mercedes supercar, the program for the roadster is called the Gulfstream and it comes with plenty of aerodynamic and performance modifications. The first order of business is the body kit, which comes with a new front bumper with vertically positioned daylight running lights. It also has wider fenders that flow down into the sides skirts and run up into the widened quarter panels. A new rear bumper was also added with bigger vents to go with a diffuser and a carbon fiber lip spoiler. Lastly, FAB Design also installed a new stainless steel sports exhaust system that has an integrated valve control and a quad-tailpipe set-up. As far as performance modifications are concerned, FAB Design was able to bump up the output of the SLS AMG Roadster from the standard 563 horsepower and 479 lb/ft of torque all the way up to 607 horsepower and 509 lb/ft torque. The increased output allows the supercar to hit 0-62 mph in 3.6 seconds with a new top speed of 202 mph. 2012 Mercedes SLS AMG Roadster "Hamann Hawk" by Hamann
A year after Hamann wowed the Geneva Motor Show with their program for the Mercedes SLS AMG called the "Hamann Hawk", the tuning company is coming back with the drop-top version of the Mercedes supercar. It’s been no secret as to how adept these guys are with Mercedes vehicles and this program for the SLS AMG Roadster is no different. Aesthetically, Hamann fitted the supercar with the usual aerodynamic enhancements, including a front apron that replaces the serial bumper and a new LED light set-up. The SLS AMG Roadster also gets enlarged air inlets that provide more fresh air to the engine. There’s also a new bonnet made of checkered flag carbon, wider wings that add 60mm on the front side and 70mm on the rear side, new side skirts, a new rear apron with a matching diffuser, and a new set of 21" Unique Forged Anodized light forged wheels. Inside, Hamann’s noted interior wizardry allowed them to add leather applications and ultra-suede embroideries. On top of that, they also replaced the air inlets, door sill protectors, and center console with red colored carbon fiber parts, while also putting in black anodized aluminum pedals and a newly redesigned steering wheel. Finally, there’s the matter of the engine enhancement. For the SLS AMG Roadster, Hamann put in a new sports air filter and an exhaust system made out of stainless steel, as well as remapped the supercar’s ECU unit. The result is a dramatic increase in output from the car’s 6.3-liter V8 engine, from 563 horsepower and 479 lb/ft of torque all the way up to 636 horsepower and 501 lb/ft of torque. These numbers translate to a 0-60mph acceleration time of 3.6 seconds with a top speed of 204 mph. UPDATE 03/06/2012: The new Hamann Hawk Roadster made its debut at the Geneva Motor Show and we have a set of live images from the show. Enjoy! German patent drawings suggest a four-door SLS AMG in Mercedes’ future
With April Fool’s Day being over a month away, we’re not exactly sure how to take this news. It seems Autoblog has come across some patent drawings of a four-door Mercedes SLS AMG, adding to the growing number of shared platforms across their model line. A four-door SLS AMG? Say it isn’t so! The patent drawings reveal a very strange combination of gullwing doors and rear-hinged demi doors with what looks to be a non-existent B pillar. The paper work that accompanies the drawings suggest that Mercedes will be focusing on minimizing weight gain and preserving structural rigidity for the sports car. It also suggest that the vehicle will get an extended wheelbase to accommodate the extra doors, as well as a second COMAND multi-function control knob on the console between the seats. AutoBlog seemed to have been just as taken back by the news as we were. They asked a Mercedes official if he could comment on these patents and that official responded with practically nothing: "We won’t take the liberty of sharing comments for any potential future products." When asked if he would deny the materials, the official declined. If a four-door Mercedes SLS AMG is in our future, then vehicles like the much-ridiculed Porsche Panamera Turbo will get the kind of competition that will make for a cringe-worthy race of ill-proportioned sports cars. Families will never be the same again. 2012 Mercedes SLS "Silver Wing" by Wheelsandmore
It’s not the first time Wheelsandmore has produced a tuning kit for the Mercedes SLS AMG. If you remember back in 2010, the German tuner already unveiled a very cool upgrade package that increased the total output from the standard 571 HP to 624 HP. Fast forward to today and Wheelsandmore has announced their second program for the SLS AMG, called the "Silver Wing". For the exterior, the tuner is offering matte black with copper colored racestripes and a new set of 6Sporz wheels with handcrafted, 3-piece forged rims sizing 9.5x20 and 11.0x21 inches wrapped in ultra high performance 265/30/20 and 295/25/21 Continental Sport Contact tires. For the engine upgrade, the tuner is offering a remapped electronics and stainless steel exhaust system with remote-able valve flaps that will increase the output from 571 to 635 HP. The tuner also added an ultralight aluminum full race coilover with adjustable rebound and compression. 2011 Mercedes SLS AMG GT3
While the wait for the Mercedes SLS AMG roadster version continues on, Mercedes is making the wait a little more bearable by surprising us with another SLS AMG: the GT3 version. The sports car will compete in the 2011 racing season. The SLS AMG GT3 features a new new front apron with a splitter, the bonnet with central cooling air vent, wider front and rear wings, sideskirts with cooling ducts for the rear brakes, a rear diffuser and the adjustable rear aerofoil. The race car will be powered by the same 6.3-liter V8 engine, but has been tuned to deliver an impressive +600 hp, a pretty significant spike from the road-going version of the SLS AMG which comes with a "standard" 571 hp. Also on the interior, the SLS AMG GT3 version will drop all of its luxury amenities, including the air conditioning, navigation, and upholstery. Instead, the car’s interior will be stripped down to only include a steel rollover cage, a racing bucket seat with a six-point seat belt and HANS system. UPDATE 09/22/2011: Tobias Moers, Member of the Board of Directors and Head of Vehicle Development for AMG has confirmed that the SLS GT3 would not be racing in the US market because the company did not want to go through the added expense of re-certifying it for use on US soil. UPDATE 02/10/12: The third part from Mercedes’ series on the SLS AMG GT3’s production has been released. This video talks about the seat customization for the illustrious race car. Enjoy! UPDATE 04/16/12: With the success the Mercedes SLS AMG GT3 enjoyed last year, it was only fitting that Daimler, the parent company of Mercedes-Benz, would release a video chronicling the successful season the SLS AMG GT3 had last season while competing in a multitude of races all over the world. Check out the video by scrolling through the photo above. Full story and press release after the jump. Full story Video: Nissan Juke-R blows away fancy European exotics
If there was every any skepticism surrounding the Nissan Juke-R, this amateur video of the Nissan UK project taking on some of the world’s most powerful supercars is all the evidence Nissan needs to validate the tuned-up crossover. The site of this race is the Dunlop 24 Hours of Dubai, where the Juke-R incidentally served as the official safety car. We can imagine that this race was set up pretty quickly with the Juke-R taking on a Lamborghini Gallardo, a Ferrari 458 Italia, and a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG on a short and improvised sprint track. With the credentials of the European exotics, it appears that the Juke-R has some serious competition - at least until the light turned green. That’s when the Juke-R simply flexed its GT-R-powered muscles, blasting the three exotics like they were plastic traffic cones. Surprising is an understatement, but we do have to pay attention to the track conditions. It wasn’t the best one for racing, but all things considered, elements included, the Juke-R more than held its own against three of the most powerful exotic cars in the world. Consider us very impressed. 2012 Mercedes SLS AMG by Weistec Engineering
We don’t always hear from the people over at Weistec Engineering, but every so often, these guys resurface with a program that just blows you away. With that being said, Weistec has unveiled the first details of their latest project involving the mighty Mercedes SLS AMG. Packed with an extensive list of performance modifications, Weistec was able to put enough added horsepower on the supercar to make it, at least according to Weistec, the most powerful SLS AMG in the world...period. The biggest addition to the SLS AMG is a new 2.3-liter Twin-Screw compressor, a supercharger system that clearly defies anything we’ve ever seen before outfitted to an SLS AMG. On top of that, Weistec also put in dual high flow cast aluminum T6 intake tubes, brisk spark plugs, a fuel delivery system upgrade, and a 1,000-hp liquid-to-air unit with aluminum lower manifold and aluminum throttle body inlets. That’s not all. A Constant Mu, Delta Pressure (CMDP) cog drive system was also added, as was a billet aluminum cog drive cradle assembly, a new cog belt, a new drive belt, aluminum serpentine idlers, a 30 liter intercooler water pump, an intercooler recovery tank, a new heat exchanger, a high flow fuel rail system, silicone couplers, and a power-steering reservoir relocation assembly. The list of modifications is already making our heads spin. But through it all, Weistec was able to improve the SLS AMG’s 6.3-liter V8 engine and increase the output from the standard 563 horsepower and 479 lb/ft of torque all the way up to an insane 750 horsepower and 664 lb/ft of torque. Video: Porsche crashes Mercedes’ party at gas station
YouTube member, Jorrie2, struck gold when he encountered a Mercedes C63 AMG, a Mercedes SLS AMG, a Mercedes CLK63 AMG Black Series, and the lone Porsche 997 GT2 as they were topping off at a gas station. And, as a bonus, the CLK63 AMG Black Series left the gas station in quite a bit of hurry, accelerating rapidly and leaving some tread marks on the road! Following the Mercedes CLK63 AMG were the 997 GT2 and the C63 AMG, which also took part in a little acceleration action, producing some lovely exhaust notes for our hearing pleasure. As a reminder, the CLK 63 AMG Black Series is powered by a 6.3-liter V8 engine that delivers a total 507 HP and sprints from 0 to 60 mph in just 4.1 seconds. The Porsche 997 GT2 is powered by a 3.6-liter boxer engine that produces 530 HP at 6500 rpm and 502 lb-ft of torque between 2,200 and 4,500 rpm. It makes the 0 to 60 mph sprint in just 3.5 seconds and reaches a top speed of 204 mph. The Mercedes C63 AMG is powered by the usual 6.2 liter V8 engine producing 457 HP. This power output can be increased to 487 when equipped with the AMG performance package. The Mercedes SLS AMG is powered by a 6.3-liter V8 engine located front-mid that develops 563 HP and 479 lbs-ft of torque. The engine will help sprint the car from 0 to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds, while top speed will go up to 197 mph. TopSpeed’s Fastest Cars of 2011
 We’re rounding off our Best of 2011 lists with one that is near and dear to our hearts. This list is all about top speed and top speed only, those who have it and one who hopes to achieve it. Of course, speed hopes are nothing new. The battle for the fastest car in the world has been ongoing since the sports and super cars first made their appearance and more than likely, it will never end. These past couple years have been a game of one-upmanship between SSC and Bugatti with both succeeding in one way or another. But who tops the list for 2011? Before getting into that, we think it is important to note that we only incorporated vehicles that were sold in 2011. For example, the Koenigsegg CCX may have a top speed of 240 mph, but that production ended in 2010, which takes the supercar out of the running for this list in particular. Don’t worry, though, Koenigsegg is still well-represented. Hit the jump to see the top ten list of the fastest cars of 2011. Full story | featured reviews:Mercedes SLS-Class latest reviews:Mercedes SLS-Class tuning:
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