A Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) is a type of passenger vehicle which combines the load-hauling and passenger-carrying capacity of a large station wagon or minivan with features designed for off-road driving. They have been the hot car to own for the past 10 years, but lately they are regarded as gas guzzler and substantially dangerous because of high potential to roll over.
Last year, Gemballa unveiled the Aero 1 tuning kit based on the new Porsche Cayenne. For this year’s Geneva Motor Show, the tuner upgraded the kit and transformed it into Aero 2. The new kit adds a new aerodynamic package that increases the presence of the Cayenne.
The new kit includes all the elements offered in the Aero 1, like front bumper and spoiler, the rear bumper and the side skirts, but adds new wheel arch extensions and new side sills that made the Cayenne even wider. All the elements are made in carbon fiber. The new Aero 2 kit is offered with 22-inch forged wheels that weigh about the same as the factory 20-inch wheels. If you want to pay less, you can order the new wheels in a cast version.
The interior is also modified when compared to the Aero 1, and what we like the most are those yellow insertions.
Unfortunately, this is purely an aesthetic package, so there are no under-hood modifications.
The new-generation G-Class AMG received lots of attention at the 2013 Geneva Auto Show. The second tuner to update the new G65 AMG is Brabus which developed a kit called the G800 - a clear reference to the engine’s output of course.
The G800 kit includes a high-tech Bi-turbo system, a new exhaust system with integrated turbine housings and high-performance turbochargers to help optimize throttle response. Brabus also installed four water-to-air intercoolers and two air filter boxes in the front fenders. With some extra help from reprogramming of the ECU, the engine now delivers a total of 800 horsepower and 1,047 pound-feet of torque. The sprint from 0 to 60 mph is made in just 4.2 seconds, while top speed is limited electronically to 155 mph, but it can be increased to 168 mph by removing the speed limiter.
The G800 kit continues with an aerodynamic package that includes powerfully sculpted fender flares, a new front spoiler with integrated LED daytime running lights on both sides and a new front grille with Brabus logo. The G65 AMG is now 4.7 inches wider, thanks to the addition of new fender flares. The model will sit on a set of 23-inch forged wheels combined with high-performance tires in size 305/35R23. There is also a new Ride Control suspension that offers two different setups: comfort and sport.
For the interior, the tuner offers a combination of BRABUS Mastik leather and fine Alcantara, plus carbon-fiber and wood inlays.
The AMG versions of the new Mercedes G-Class — both the G65 AMG and G63 AMG — are quite perfect from factory, but there is always room for improvement. German tuner, Hamann, is proving this by unveiling a new tuning kit called Spyridon that can be combined with both the AMG models.
In order to deliver more power, the only modifications the tuner is offering are the addition of a new exhaust system and some minor ECU upgrades. The results are quite incredible, as the G65 AMG’s output goes from 612 to 702 horsepower and the peak torque goes from 737 to 818 pound-feet of torque, and the G63 version’s output is increased from 544 to 610 horsepower and the peak torque up from 516 to 645 pound-feet.
The exterior upgrades include the addition of tailor-made LED fluorescent strips added to the front spoiler, new mirror housings and engine bonnet made in carbon fiber. At the back, a new roof spoiler and rear apron offer increased aerodynamics. Down the sides, new side skirts are offered with LEDs that illuminate the floor. The latest addition to the exterior is a set of 24-inch light-alloy wheels made from aluminum.
For the interior, the tuner offers decorative stitching on the instrument panel and the seats, gold-colored leather door panels and a total of 24 carbon trims.
UPDATE 04/04/13: Hamann has released the official studio photos of the G65 AMG Spyridon a month after the Geneva Motor Show. You know what they say: better late than never. Check out the photos in the gallery below!
Since its official debut earlier this year, the new-generation Range Rover has already received numerous tuning kits, but we have to admit that the "Mystere" kit unveiled by Hamann at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show is the most colorful we have seen. No updates have been made under the hood, but the aerodynamic kit and that crazy exterior color are more than enough.
The exterior upgrades include a new front spoiler with integrated LED daytime running lights, a new bonnet made completely in carbon fiber and new side skirts that add a total of 80 mm (3.14 inches) to the SUV’s width.
The upgrades continue with the addition of new front wings made in special carbon GFK composite and new door fixtures. For the rear, the kit adds a new spoiler with integrated tailpipes. The new Mystere rides on 23-inch forged wheels offered in either "Edition Race" or "Unique Forged" versions.
If its body additions are not enough to catch your attention, let us present you the exterior color: a mirror-like pink paint combined with pink large-sized roof beams in a brushed matte finish.
UPDATE 05/23/13: Hamann has released a fresh batch of photos of the Mystere program for the Range Rover. Click the gallery to check out the new pics.
We already brought you the first teaser image of the upcoming Land Rover Range Rover Sport, which LR is calling "the fastest, most responsive and agile vehicle to date." Though that teaser image showed us very little, it certainly piqued our interest. Well, it didn’t take Land Rover long to follow that up with a teaser video, which it just released today.
This early glimpse of the new Range Rover Sport shows us only limited bits of the new SUV, but you can clearly tell that there are some significant updates. The only real clear image we see is of the headlights, which will feature a wraparound effect, much like the 2013 Range Rover and Evoque.
Other than the headlights, the video offered little more clarity besides a sharp shoulder line that flows from front to rear. We’re holding onto hopes that the new Range Rover Sport will carry with it some updates to its 5-liter V-8 engine, but we haven’t heard anything about that yet.
We’ll keep an eye out for additional teaser videos and we’ll bring them to you as soon as Land Rover releases them.
Infiniti is going to add a new hybrid version to the QX60 premium crossover lineup. This model will make its world debut at the 2013 New York Auto Show. The new QX60 Hybrid will be priced $3,000 above the non-hybrid models, meaning the price will start at about $63,000.
The QX60 Hybrid will combine a 2.5-liter supercharged engine with a 15 kW (20 horsepower) electric motor connected to an advanced CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) and it will produce an estimated 250 horsepower. The electric motor will take its energy from a compact Lithium-ion battery, but the model will also feature an Intelligent Regenerative Braking system that partially recharges the battery during braking.
The model will be offered with advanced technologies like Backup Collision Intervention (BCI) and Around View Monitor to help keep you safe.
Full details on the 2014 Infiniti QX60 Hybrid will be unveiled during the car’s debut at the 2013 New York Auto Show.
The Audi SQ5 may not have a direct competitor from BMW, but Alpina has unveiled the XD3 Biturbo - a tuning kit that seems to be a direct response to Audi’s model - at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show.
The XD3 is based on the 3-liter straight-six-cylinder version of the X3 and, with significant updates made under the hood, it adds plenty of extra horsepower to the engine’s standard output. The engine is coupled to a new eight-speed automatic transmission and numerous other updates have also been made to the SUV’s chassis.
Along with upgrading the engine’s characteristics, Alpina engineers also built an aerodynamic kit that includes a new front spoiler with integrated air intakes. On the rear, Alpina adds new elliptical double-ended tailpipes integrated into an Alpina-designed rear valance.
Hit the jump to read more about the Alpina XD3 Biturbo and find out if it really does offer any competition to the SQ5.
Most of the auto makers that did not prepare any major updates for the 2013 Geneva Motor Show, decided to come at the show with either special editions of their current lineup or some cool concept cars. One of these makers is Toyota which unveiled three different concept cars that will "amplify different aspects of the cars’ styling and capabilities" in Geneva.
The first is the RAV4 Adventure - a concept car specially developed to reinforce the RAV4’s off-road capabilities. The concept features a striking dark-red exterior paint combined with matte paint on the redesigned front and rear bumpers. The front bumper features an integrated under-run, while the rear one is redesigned to fully integrate the twin exhaust pipes and a reworked skid place.
The concept is also equipped with extended wheel arches that suit the 20-inch alloy wheels perfectly. The concept’s aggressive look is further accentuated by machined roof rails and dark-tinted privacy glass.
Unlike most aftermarket companies, Swiss tuner Mansory rarely releases programs unless it has plans of showing them off in major auto shows.
But you can always count on it to have a presence in Geneva, in large part because a) it’s in its own stomping grounds, and b) it’s the biggest auto show of the year.
One of the programs Mansory has prepared for Geneva is a rather over-the-top program for the Mercedes G65 AMG. We’ve already established the tuner’s proclivity to use carbon fiber, something its Gronos program for the G65 AMG has in abundance.
The newly designed bodywork was made from ultra-light carbon, including the front splitter, which features LED daytime running lights and the front fairing that lays over it. It’s also worth noting that, despite the vehicle receiving multiple layers of Magic Yellow color paint, certain parts of the G65 AMG, particularly the roof, the mirror housings and the decorative trims, were left to show the carbon fiber design of the bodywork.
You’ll also notice that the G65 AMG is a little wider, something that can be attributed to the wider wings and side skirts, as well as the stretched wheel arches, netting an increase of 20 mm (0.78 inches) in width. Finally, a new set of 23-inch ten twin-spoke wheels wrapped in high-performance Vredestein Ultrac Vorti tires.
The interior is also the picture of Mansory tuning genius, particularly the dashboard and center console, which has been redesigned with more carbon-fiber components. The plush modification in those areas is complemented by the immaculate leather upholstered on the seats with matching Magic Yellow stitching.
Finally, there’s the engine, which Mansory was able to upgrade, thanks to the addition of a newly designed exhaust system, a new manifold, and a double stainless-steel tailpipes. Put together, the tuner was able to increase the output of the G65 AMG’s 6-liter V-12 engine to 840 horsepower with an electronically limited 738 pound-feet of torque.
Land Rover has not prepared any big surprises for the 2013 Geneva Motor Show, but the company decided to still come at the show with some updates for the stunning Evoque. The luxury SUV is going to receive a new Black Design Pack offered on the sporty Dynamic version and set to be put on sale in April.
As its name suggests, the new Black Design Pack will add a host of striking black exterior details, starting with darkened front headlights and fog lamps, Santorini Black exhaust pipes, a gloss black rear bumper, a black rear sport spoiler and "Range Rover" lettering across the hood and tailgate also painted in Santorini Black. Specially designed for this package are also the 20-inch wheels offered in a nine-spoke design and painted in gloss black.
On the interior, this special edition will add yellow contrast stitching on seats, central storage area, door trims and fascia mid-section, plus an anodized yellow horizontal finisher.
Customers will have the possibility to choose between two exterior color schemes: Sicilian Yellow with a Santorini Black contrast roof, or Santorini Black with a Sicilian Yellow contrast roof and door mirrors.
