Decorative Overkill on a Porsche Cayenne SUV

While never mainstream, car decorations in the broadest sense of the word have always appealed to certain people. However, this is something you expect to see on an old, probably run down, conventional vehicle and not on a fairly new upscale model like the first generation Porsche Cayenne SUV….

The absurdly decorated German SUV with the Ontario license plates is covered in stickers, badges, chrome add-ons, reflectors and toys. We even managed to discover a few LED spotlights on the SUV's hood. Talk about overkill… More photos in the gallery after the jump.

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VW Golf GTI Cabriolet Concept Live from Wörthersee. Should it be Built?

Yesterday, we brought you the first images of Volkswagen’s Golf GTI Cabriolet study but today we have live photos from the car’s world premiere at the Wörthersee meeting in Austria along with official information on the concept.

The hotted-up convertible is based on the standard Golf GTI with power coming from the same 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine delivering 210-horsepower and 280 Nm (207-lbs/ft) of peak torque at 1.800 rpm.

Volkswagen says the open-air model’s performance matches that of the closed-top GTI with a 0-100km/h (62mph) sprint time of 7 seconds and a top speed of around 240km/h (149 mph).

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MR Car Design Fine Tunes the Maserati Quattroporte Sports Saloon

For those Maserati Quattroporte owners seeking a bit more flair from the Italian sports sedan, German tuning house MR Car Design has prepared a mild performance package. Starting with a pre-facelift model, MR Car Design’s engineers tweak the 4.2-litre V8 engine’s software and add a custom exhaust system lifting output by 30HP and 29Nm for a total of 430-horses and 480Nm (352 lb-ft) of peak torque. Read more »

Audi A4 2.0 TFSI Convertible Tuned to 260HP by Sport-Wheels

Even if it has been out of production for some years, the Audi A4 Convertible continues to command the attention of the tuning industry. Sport-Wheels, one of the lesser-known tuning companies in Germany, has presented a new take on the soft-top model with a package for the 2.0-liter TFSI version comprising both mechanical and cosmetic updates. Read more »

Volkswagen Brings Golf GTI Cabriolet Study as well to Wörthersee Meet

And the news just keeps dropping in from the largest annual GTI Meet in the world at lake Wörthersee in the southern Austrian state of Carinthia. Aside from the 270-horsepower strong Golf R Cabriolet concept that we told you about earlier today, Volkswagen also brought along a GTI study of the recently launched drop-top model.

We’re still short on information as Volkswagen has not yet published any details, but it’s safe to say that the Golf GTI Convertible is powered by either the standard Golf GTI hatchback’s 210HP 2.0-liter TFSI or the Golf GTI 35th Anniversary Edition’s 235HP 2.0-liter turbocharged unit sourced from the Golf R. Obviously power is transferred to the front wheels either through a six-speed manual gearbox or VW’s DSG transmission. The car also appears to be riding on a lowered suspension.

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Hartge Gives the 2012 BMW 6-Series Convertible a Light Tuning Treatment

The German tuning industry is pushing full steam ahead with beefing up BMW’s new 6-Series sports car. We have already shown you the offerings from Prior Design, Hamann Motorsports and AC Schnitzer, but now it’s time for another traditional BMW tuner to release its goods for the F12 6-Series Convertible.

Hartge’s first take on the Bavarian model is somewhat restrained comprising of some mild styling and chassis upgrades. On the outside, the tuning firm offers its own emblems, new dual tail pipes on each corner of the bumper and a variety of alloy wheel designs in sized 19- and 20-inches shod in beefier performance tires.

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Eibach and Giacuzzo Design Take on the Dacia Duster

Following in the footsteps of Elia, German aftermarket specialists at Eibach and Giacuzzo Design teamed up to create a tuning package for the Dacia Duster SUV. The two companies opted for light modifications in order to stick to the basic character of the Duster and to make sure the price of the tuning package would remain affordable for the car's target group. Read more »

Project Kahn’s Range Rover Autobiography RS600 Cosworth

Not a month goes by without British tuner Project Kahn releasing some kind of tune for a Land Rover model. Their latest effort takes on the more luxurious Range Rover Autobiography Edition with a new package called the RS600 Cosworth.

The makeover starts with a bespoke Nara Bronze finish and continues with a Project Kahn aero body kit that includes a new front bumper with an integrated chin spoiler, front day time led lights and unique fog lamp bezels, side skirts, bespoke door handles and a redesigned rear bumper housing the quad tail pipes of the sport exhaust system. The company also adds a set of 22-inch RS wheels wrapped around in chunky high-performance tires.

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STaSIS Engineering Gives the Audi S5 Cabriolet a Power Boost

North American aftermarket specialist STaSIS Engineering has released a new performance package for the Audi S5 Cabriolet in the UK. The STaSIS Engineering S5 Cabriolet Challenge Edition features an upgrade kit that includes an engine tune, Ohlins performance suspension, monobloc brake calipers and a limited-slip differential. Read more »

Too Much? Graf Weckerle-Tuned Ferrari 458 Italia

It seems that there is a tune for just about everyone and everything these days, from subtle to extreme, and all points in between. We do not know where exactly this Ferrari 458 Italia from German tuning firm Graf Weckerle fits in that spectrum, but those odd-looking alloy wheels are sure to catch the attention of every passerby. Read more »

Take that Goodwood: Vilner’s Mini Cooper S Inspired by Bentley

The BMW Group’s decision to launch a new posh version of the Mini hatch called “Mini Inspired by Goodwood” motivated Bulgarian design studio Vilner to develop its own luxed-up variant of the British supermini. However, while the Goodwood model received the Rolls Royce touch, Vilner’s proposal tries to emulate a Bentley – at least in the interior.

Even though Vilner has baptized the car “The Italian Job” as homage to the famous movie, for obvious reasons, a more appropriate name would have been “Mini Inspired by Crewe”. The Bulgarian company has dressed the Mini hatchback’s interior with fine materials such as brown Nappa leather and Alcantara, with parts of the seats, door panels, dashboard and roof lining featuring a diamond shape theme. In addition, the doors have gained elements of black leather while the original plastic was re-sprayed in a sparkling gray finish.

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Loder1899 Tunes Into the New 2012 Ford Focus Hatch

The all-new Ford Focus has barely launched in Europe but the German aftermarket specialists at Loder1899 have already created a dedicated tuning package. The company dresses the new compact hatchback with numerous carbon-fiber elements such as the front spoiler lip, matching side skirts installed on the door sills and an RS-style rear apron with an integrated air diffuser. Read more »

KBR Motorsport Tricks Out Volkswagen’s Passat CC

It has been a long time since we last saw a tuning firm getting its hands on the Volkswagen Passat CC, but today we received news on a freshly developed styling and performance package for the mid-size sports saloon by German firm KBR Motorsport. Read more »

VÄTH’s €32,670 Tune Lifts Mercedes SLS AMG Coupe to 615HP

The star of the Mercedes-Benz range, the SLS AMG Coupe, has only a year under its belt but the V8-powered supercar has gained a lot of love from the tuning industry in the past 12 months. The newest performance and styling package for the ‘Gullwing door’ supercar to hit the tuning stage comes from Germany’s VÄTH with the introduction of the V63S kit.

The company’s first priority was to squeeze some more juice from the SLS AMG Coupe’s 6.3-liter naturally aspirated V8 engine through the use of a software upgrade and an in-house high-performance exhaust system that also allows drivers to adjust the tone of the eight-cylinder unit.

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It’s a Wrap: CFC’s Artsy Volkswagen New Beetle Convertible

The soon-to-be-replaced VW New Beetle Convertible has caught the attention of Bavarian foil specialist Car Film Components (CFC), which has revealed a rather artsy-looking tuning proposal. The highlight of the tune is of course the exterior with certain parts of the body including the doors, side panels, hood and bonnet covered in a velvet black wrap while the front and rear bumpers, the wheel arches and the rocker panels are draped in a sticker like motif. The pice for materials and labor is €2,200 or about US$3,140. Read more »

AHG Sports Shows 280HP-Tuned Infiniti FX30dS

European Infiniti shoppers have the option of ordering certain models with the firm’s new six-cylinder diesel engine and the FX luxury crossover is one of them. For those buyers that would like a light tune up of their diesel-powered FX30d there is AHG Sport, the in-house performance division of the Infiniti Centre in Hamburg, Germany. Read more »

Eagle Speedster is a Beautiful Tribute to the Classic Jaguar E-Type

Eagle is a British restoration specialist that dedicates its activity exclusively to the Jaguar E-Type. As the iconic sports car celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2011, Eagle has thought of a very special way to celebrate the occasion: the one of a kind Eagle Speedster, a roadster models that combines the beauty of the classic E-Type with the company's technical expertise and craftsmanship.

The car was commissioned by U.S. collector Rick Velaj, who wanted something "a bit special". Eagle designer Paul Brace penned a sketch, Velaj loved it and the rest came naturally. Everything on the E-Type Speedster is custom made. Like the 1960's Jaguar E-Type, Eagle's car sports classic finishing, with every detail being designed and customized, from the unique shape of the all-aluminum body, adapted from an original body by RS Panels, right through to the custom made windshield glass.

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One More Ranger Rover Tune for Project Kahn

While Project Kahn has ventured into several different projects over the years, the British tuner is mostly known for its work on Land Rover models. The company’s most recent creation is called the ‘Black Vogue’ and it is based on the Land Rover Range Rover Vogue. Read more »

Wittera Releases Widebody Kit for the Corvette C5

For those Corvette C5 owners that think their cars could do with a little aero improvements, German aftermarket specialist Wittera has the answer: a new widebody aero package along with a light tuning program.

The widebody kit is offered in either carbon fiber or high-grade glass fiber-reinforced plastic, the latter of which undergoes a special process the company calls tempering. This means parts are heated to exactly 65° C (149 ° F) and then cooled down in a mold for 25 minutes in order to increase resistance and avoid cracks. The carbon fiber parts are 20 percent lighter than those made from glass fiber-reinforced plastic.

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'Two-Face' 1967 Oldsmobile Toronado by Precision Restorations

Suppose you owned a classic car restoration business and wanted to show potential customers what you could do for them. How would you go about it? Well, Precision Restorations of St. Louis, Missouri have ingeniously answered this question by restoring exactly half a 1967 Oldsmobile Toronado.

One side of the car is as it was found: rust-flecked paint, yellowing exterior panels and torn leather. The other side, meanwhile, has been fully restored. Check out our gallery below and marvel, as we did, at some of Precision Restoration’s best work.

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