A car like the Audi A7 is one of those models that’s ripe for an aftermarket project. The timing’s right, too, because the 2012 SEMA Auto Show has just opened its doors. Noted aftermarket company H&R Springs is a fixture at SEMA, and this year, they’re bringing along a number of project cars, including the A7 four-door luxury sports car.
Building impressive car projects is something the H&R Springs has made a habit of. It’s no different with this A7 after the tuning firm did the work to turn it into a bonafide, custom-tuned luxury sports sedan.
Best be advised, though. If you’re expecting something over-the-top, this model is far from it. But where it lacks in eye-popping design, it sure makes up for in improved performance and strengthened handling characteristics.
At the end of the day, those things are what’s important for H&R Springs. Leave the fancy at the door and bring the practicality out.
Find out more about H&R Springs’ program for the Audi A7 after the jump.
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Acura unveiled the 2013 ILX at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show and now, for the 2012 SEMA Show, they have come up with the very cool "Street Build" project car developed in cooperation with Evasive Motorsports. The new ILX Street Project represents Acura’s return to the SEMA Show after a six-year hiatus.
The Acura ILX "Street Build" Concept is based on the 2013 ILX 6-Speed Manual equipped with the vehicle’s Premium Package. It adds a supercharger kit from CT Engineering and an ECU tune that increases the 2.4-liter inline-4’s output up to an impressive 250 HP (up from the standard 201 HP). This special project also received a SP Elite exhaust from Greddy for a throatier engine sound.
The package continues with the Acura Genuine Accessories aero kit that adds a new front spoiler, new side skirts, a rear spoiler and deck lid spoiler, and body side molding. The car sits on a new set of 19" Volk G25 wheels wrapped in Pirelli P Zero tires.
A multitude of Volkswagen Beetles will be on hand at the 2012 SEMA Auto Show to show off a variety of custom programs for the iconic vehicle.
One of these models is called the Beetle "Beach Battle-Cruiser" by European Car Magazine. The surf-inspired Beetle has everything you need to make your day at the beach run as smoothly as possible. It comes with all the amenities for weekend runs in the sand, including a roof rack where you can place surfboards and other beach paraphernalia.
The California-looking Bug also gets a slew of exterior updates, including a unique body kit by FMS Automotive that has a deployable shower system. You read that right: this Beetle has its own shower. Moving into more salient upgrades, the Beetle Beach Battle-Cruiser also received a new set of 19" CustomFuchs Performance wheels wrapped in Continental Extreme Contact DW tires and a revamped interior with Katzkin leather seats featuring a midnight black color with matching military green suede inserts.
The Beetle Beach Battle-Cruiser also comes with a performance upgrade, which isn’t all that surprising considering the nature of the event it’s going to. Revo Technik took the lead in this front, adding its own turbocharger into the Beetle’s 2.5-liter, five-cylinder engine. With the turbocharger, as well as the addition of a new intake and exhaust system, as well as the cursory software upgrade, the Beetle Beach Battle-Cruiser is now capable of producing a mouth-watering 400 horsepower.
400 ponies on a Beetle? Sign us up!
SUVs aren’t exactly the kind of cars that attract attention from tuners, but Mazda has shown up to the 2012 SEMA Show with a number of upgrade packages based on the CX-5, just to highlight the amazing customization possibilities for this model. One of these packages is called the CX-5 Urban - a concept car inspired by styles found in fashion and architecture.
The Mazda CX-5 Urban features two shades of Black Mica exterior paint, with the darker shade showing off multi-dimensional shadows in a triangular-like design shape. The dark night appearance of the CX-5 Urban is highlighted by Ore thin pinstripes on the matte black wheels, in the headlamps, and in the five-point front grille. The SUV sits on a new set of 22" Ace Alloy Scorpio matte black wheels wrapped in sticky Nitto Tire NT420s 295/30R20 all-season tires. The last piece of the package is a new Racing Beat dual exhaust.
It looks like the new generation Toyota Avalon is enjoying plenty of attention from tuning firms at the 2012 SEMA Show. Next to the Avalon TRD Concept, the guys over at DUB Magazine have developed a pretty impressive package for the sedan that transforms it into the perfect urban ride.
The package starts off with a custom mesh grille and a well-integrated custom lower body kit and continues with a new set of 22" wheels with a matte black finish wrapped in ultra-low-profile Pirelli tires. It has been painted in a Brilliant Black finish with the mysterious look accentuated by tinted windows and taillights.
For the interior, the tuner applied suede accents on the console, door panels, and headliner. The seats combine black leather with plush diamond-pattern suede inserts and feature DUB logos on the seatbacks.
Since this is a DUB project, a new JBL sound system was to be expected to see and houses three massive subwoofers and an impressive array of amplifiers.
Wheels manufacturer Rotiform is bringing their own custom take on everyone’s favorite little hatchback, the Volkswagen Beetle, to the 2012 SEMA Auto Show.
For their program, Rotiform decided to integrate the Beetle’s heritage and add a more modern look to it. The company accomplished this by combining custom touches from the past through today, beginning with the installation of an all-new rear axle to accommodate the similarly new air suspension system from AirLift.
Once they accomplished this, Rotiform fitted the Beetle with its very own set of new - and very red - concave wheels, which were then wrapped in Nitto performance tires. Moving on from the suspension and wheels upgrades, the Beetle was also treated to a matte gray aluminum vinyl wrap courtesy of 3M and a retooled interior that saw plenty of the vehicle’s standard factory pieces replaced with parts from other available trims.
The last order of business for Rotiform was to shave the engine bay to give the Beetle a much smoother look. In the end, the aftermarket company accomplished what it set out to do: build a classic-looking Beetle that carries modern touches.
Mission accomplished, we should say.
US tuner Evasive Motorsports has built a reputation as one of the most dynamic auto tuners in the country and they’ve accomplished that by doing things their way. Whereas other tuners prefer the tried-and-tested method of slapping as much horsepower in a car as it can take, Evasive has adhered to the Japanese way of aftermarket customization, one where overall balance is the most important thing.
We bring this up because Evasive Motorsports is coming to the 2012 SEMA Auto Show with a custom-tuned version of the Scion FR-S and it looks deliriously stunning.
So stunning, in fact, that it hurts to think that we probably wouldn’t see this car outside SEMA. We could be wrong, and we certainly hope we are, but for now, we’re going to enjoy this finely-tuned FR-S at the 2012 SEMA Auto Show. If there’s one thing this race-spec sports car has shown us, it’s that Scion and Evasive Motorsports make for a pretty darn good team.
Find out more about the Scion FR-S by Evasive Motorsports after the jump.
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Chevrolet took a little longer than we’re used to unveil their SEMA-bound Camaro programs, but now that they have, we’re not complaining about what they’re bringing to Las Vegas.
One of the Camaros that will undoubtedly get the attention of the crowd at SEMA is the Tony Stewart-designed Camaro ZL1. Jaw-dropping might be selling it short.
First off, the Camaro was treated to a unique metallic gray paint scheme with matching red tribal Smoke graphics in flat red and silver pinstripes. It kind of feels like this muscle car captured the true essence of Stewart’s nickname "Smoke." In addition to the fancy colors and fancier decals, the Stewart-designed Camaro ZL1 also gets red tinted headlamp lenses, red Camaro halo lights, and a personalized set of wheels that have been touched up in a Piano Black finish and red accents.
Moving to the interior, the highlight of the program includes suede door panel inserts and instrument panel wrapping with laser-etched details, Jet Black leather door arm rests with matching French accent stitching and white piping, Jet Black suede leather-wrapped steering wheel with scarlet accent stitching, piano black trim plates, and a gauge cluster bezel.
There’s no stopping Smoke’s Camaro ZL1 from becoming one of SEMA’s showstoppers. It’s already captured our hearts. When it rolls out in Vegas, we’re confident that it’s going to steal a whole lot more of ’em.
Ford has a stacked line-up for the upcoming 2012 SEMA Show, but they are not the only ones introducing packages for their vehicles. The Ford Mustang is also getting a ton of attention from tuners everywhere, from the Mustang "Boy Racer" by 3dCarbon to the Ford Mustang by M2-Motoring, and now from the guys at the Eckert Rod Shop. These fine folks will be presenting an amazing Mach40 pack that combines a 1969 Mach 1 with a 2006 GT40 for an amazing 850 HP muscle car.
Based on the Mach1 platform, the Mach40 was designed as a one-off supercar that will make any car enthusiast turn their head and take notice. It’s the perfect blend of both vehicles’ designs, but has the GT40’s superior 5.4 liter dual overhead cam GT super car motor upgraded with a Wipple 4 liter supercharger along with drive by wire throttle. In addition, the motor was converted to a flex-fuel system. The result is an impressive increase from 600 to 850 HP.
That’s all we have on the Ford Mustang Mach40 by Eckert Rod Shop so far, but more details about the Mach40 will be unveiled during the 2012 SEMA Show, so stay tuned!
The second entry in Scion’s FR-S tuner competition, which competitors have $15K to build the most bad-ass FR-S for a change to win $10K, is Chris Basselgia’s entrant “minty FReSh” – you see what he did there? This custom FR-S creation, much like the “Carbon Stealth” before it, takes a much calmer approach to tuning.
Much like his competitor, John Toca, Basselgia left off all of the gaudy bodywork and focused mainly on a clean design. That’s not to say that his “minty FReSh” concept is free of any additions to the body, he was simply more careful and calculated with where he placed them. This ultimately brings the focus to the performance interior styling and sound system in the “minty Fresh” FR-S.
So, is Chris’ “minty Fresh” Scion FR-S up to the challenge of beating out its other two competitors and taking home the top prize of $10K?
Click past the jump to read our full review and find out.
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