Of course that this days in Las Vegas SEMA Show got all the attention. But Shelby Auto decided not to bring their cars to SEMA. Instead they went to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. In here the company brought the Super Snake Ford F150, a concept car with design inspired by the Shelby GT500 Super Snake.
Shelby Autos, in collaboration to Ford Racing started with a red 2007 F150 regular cab truck and added a custom functional hood and fascias, black Super Snake stripes and Alcoa Shelby wheels.
The engine was also tuned to deliver a total of 475 hp and the suspension was lowered 3 inches and tightened up to improve handling.
Announced few days ago, SpeedArt revealed today the official details on their tuning package for the Porsche Panamera. Called PS9-650, the package will be officially revealed at the Essen Motor Show.
SpeedArt will offer three customization levels for the Panamera: 550, 600 and 650 hp. The latest one will sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 3,5 seconds and top speed will be over 200 mph.
The aerodynamic kit will include: a front chin spoiler, hood vents, a rear diffuser, a roof spoiler, a modified rear bumper and aggressive side skirts, 22-inch three-piece ’LSC FORGED’ wheels and an aforementioned sport exhaust system.
As you know SEMA is all about customizing and letting your imagination free. But the guys from MotionLite went a bit too far with this! Or maybe not, depends on everyone’s taste no?
Their illumination system lights wheels from the outside, switches between seven colors, and includes strobe and morph functions.
Hartge has revealed a new customization program for the new BMW 5-Series GT. They mode a few modifications to the suspensions, body, interior and wheels, leaving the engine unchanged.
The Hartge 5-Series GT get a new sport spring set that lowers the ride by 30 mm, Hartge set of emblems for bonnet and boot lid, aluminum pedals and foot rest and also an aluminum emblem for the center of the steering wheel.
The tuner is also offering a set of 22" wheels, in four different designs and finishes.
Mazda came at SEMA Show with two customized models: a Mazda3 and a MazdaSpeed3. Both models are painted in a Crystal White Pearl base coat with soft gray tone graphics to mimic the new MAZDA3 World Challenge race car.
The pearl white is combined to a black paint on the grille inserts, side mirrors, fog lamp bezels, the roof panel, and the formerly chrome interior of the front lamps. Besides that the cars get tinted windows, dark red taillight lenses and 19x8-inch wheels.
The Mazda3 uses a 2.5-liter MZR engine with a Tri-Point turbo kit and a rugged cast iron turbo manifold. This way the output was raised to 250 hp. On the other hand, the Mazdaspeed3 is already using a AEM cold-air intake that is increasing the output with 20 hp.
If you have enough patience to take a quick look over the documents released by Chrysler regarding their 2010-2014 Business Plan Meeting you will notice something that will make you very happy. Besides promises like "70% of vehicle line renewed by 2010 and 100% by 2012", there is another good news: the company has under consideration a Dodge Viper successor for 2012.
As you might now, the sports car will go out of production in July 2010, after four generations, and to be honest not quite such a big success. With a history started back in 2012, the Viper will end its life with a final run of 500 units, sold as a special edition.
But Viper’s fan can still hope! And it seems that not only there might be a replacement in 2012, but the car might also be influenced by Fiat owners.
The Subaru WRX STI by SPT is a demonstration of what a WRX STI owner can build at home using just the SPT catalog as a source for bolt-on parts. The WRX STI by SPT offers more power along with even sharper handling response, making it the ideal machine for high style street performance or track driving.
It is powered by a 2.5 liter DOHC, 16 valve, turbocharged and intercooled 4-cylinder Subaru Boxer engine with Dual Active Valve Control System. The engine delivers a total of 315 hp @ 6,000 RPM (up from the stock 305) and a peak torque of 290 lb.-ft. @ 4,000 RPM.
The concept also features 19 x 8.5-in. Prodrive GT2 wheels finished in Glitter Gold, STI performance springs, an SPT strut tower brace and an SPT lower chassis brace. On the interior there is an SPT boost gauge, a media hub digital music integration system and an auto-dimming mirror.
One of the highlights of the LA Auto Show is the annual design challenge that goes along as part of the whole event, and this year figures to be no different. The theme for this year’s event will be called “Youthmobile 2030” – a nod towards what vehicles would look like in 2030 for young minds born this year.
Among the manufacturers that are scheduled to participate this year includes Volkswagen/Audi, Nissan, GM, Mazda, Toyota, and Honda. Most of the participants already have their entries close to completion and from what we’ve heard a number of them have already mentioned what they’re going to bring to LA. VW/Audi is set to bring an AI-enhanced car that can interpret driver movements, Nissan has an ‘eco-neutral’ vehicle ready to roll to LA, GM is bringing a ‘gamer-friendly’ car, Mazda is going for a more business-minded approach with their entry, targeting the entrepreneurs of 2030, and Honda is bringing something that “incorporates human DNA.”
Safe to say, the participants for this year’s design challenge are all bringing the heavy artillery.
The pool of judges – there will be four of them - that will be tasked to evaluate and grade all the entries include Tom Matano, Durector of Industrial Design at the Academy of Art in San Francisco, Jason Hill, the brains behind the Aptera 2 Seres hybrid and electric cars, Imre Molner, Dean of Detroit’s College for Creative Studies; Stewart Reed, Chair, Transportation Design, Pasadena’s Art Center College of Design.
No, it’s not just a guy’s rich imagination! It is in fact how the British version of the Chevrolet Camaro will look like! The car will be called Camaro VR and will debut in January 2010. If it’s bad or good, you decide!
Designed by the Danish design consultancy Hermann and Brandt, the VR Camaro features Lamborghini Reventon-style swollen nostrils and early ’70s wind-tunnel Trans-Am inspired ducktail spoiler. There are also re-sculpted bumpers, skirts and spoiler are made from carbon fibre and 22" wheels.
The VR Camaro will be powered by a new 6.2-litre V8 supercharged engine with a total output of 600 hp.
Chevrolet’s special edition Jay Leno Camaro was unquestionably one of the highlights of the SEMA auto show in Las Vegas and rightfully so. As one of the coolest cars to hit SEMA this year, the buzz surrounding the Jay Leno Camaro was more than justified thanks in part because of the added touches Chevrolet put on it. This includes a pair of Turbonetics T-3 turbochargers the 3.6L direct injected V-66 delivering a total of 425 hp, which if you don’t know, is around 40% more powerful than a standard Camaro LS or LT.
Here’s a video of Jay Leno himself taking a closer look at the car Chevrolet named after him.