Tag Archives: Tuning

€600 Tune Gives Your VW Golf GTI Mk8 A Clubsport-Rivaling 296 HP

While the eighth-gen Golf GTI is a competent hot hatch on its own, its 242 HP output means it is outclassed by rivals such as the Honda Civic Type R and Renault Megane R.S.

As a result, there are already quite a few aftermarket upgrades, including this one from RaceChip, who offers three different states of tune.

All of them are simple software updates, with the lesser offering improving the turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine’s output and torque by 36 PS (35 HP / 26 kW) and 33 Nm (24 lb-ft). It costs €199 ($243) in Germany and promises up to 10 percent less fuel consumption compared to the stock car.

Read Also: 2021 VW Golf R Could Get A Hotter 328 HP Version, Owner’s Manual Reveals

The mid-range offering is priced at €329 ($401) and brings an extra 45 PS (44 HP / 33 kW) and 42 Nm (31 lb-ft), improving fuel economy by up to 15 percent. For another €50 ($61), customers can get the optional app control, and the tune comes with a one-year engine warranty covering damages of up to €3,000 ($3,658).

RaceChip’s ultimate ECU remap unleashes 55 PS (54 HP / 40 kW) and 50 Nm (37 lb-ft), which means that the Golf GTI now has new GTI Clubsport-rivalling power, with a total of 300 PS (296 HP / 221 kW) and 420 Nm (310 lb-ft), 20 Nm (15 lb-ft) more than the Clubsport.

This tune costs €599 ($ 724) and is accompanied by a two-year engine warranty that covers engine damages of up to €10,000 ($12,193). The company also offers a free one-time re-map in case you sell your car.

The tuner applied the more powerful upgrade to their Golf GTI and strapped it to the dyno, revealing that it makes 312 PS (308 HP / 229 kW). They also demonstrated the new 100-200 km/h (62-124 mph) acceleration time on video, which has dropped from around 16 to a little over 12 seconds.

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Porsche Macan Turbo Drag Races Tuned BMW X4 M40i, 911 GT3 RS Joins The Party

Can the BMW X4 M40i beat the Porsche Macan Turbo in a straight line? With that question in mind, YouTube channel Cars with Pilot Tseno brought the two sporty SUVs at the drag strip for two quarter-mile races from a standing start.

The Macan Turbo holds the upper hand in terms of power, with its twin-turbo 3.6-liter V6 petrol engine producing 440 PS (434 HP / 324 kW) and 600 Nm (443 lb-ft) of torque. It needs 4.4 seconds to sprint to 100 km/h (62 mph), and maxes out at 272 km/h (169 mph).

Watch Also: BMW X4 M, Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 And Jaguar F-Pace SVR Vie For Premium Compact Performance SUV Supremacy

As for the X4 M40i, it has ‘only’ 360 PS (355 HP / 265 kW) and 500 Nm (369 lb-ft) of torque, which allows it to hit 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.8 seconds. However, this particular example rocks a €500 ($611) Stage 1 software upgrade, which lifts the output of the turbocharged 3.0-liter straight-six to 410 PS (404 HP / 302 kW) and thus brings it closer to the Porsche.

Both the X4 and the Macan, which are from the 2018 model year, had winter tires on and ran on half a tank of fuel. So, do you think the Bimmer was the first to cross the finish line, despite the obvious deficit in power? Before finding out the answer to that question, we have to highlight the fact that the winner was set loose against the Porsche 911 GT3 RS in a quarter-mile sprint – but we probably know how that ended, right?

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Shaq’s Old Ferrari F355 Spider Is For Sale With Big Boy Cabin Space

A 1998 Ferrari F355 Spider, said to have been owned by Shaquille O’Neal, is currently up for sale – and it’s a rather unique example.

That’s because the retired NBAer had the Italian supercar modified to free up more cabin space. As a result, the fuel tank was relocated at the front, the soft top was replaced by a unique tonneau cover and a pair of aftermarket seats with racing harnesses and ‘Superman’ logos embossed in the headrests were fitted.

Watch Also: Guess How Much It Cost To Maintain This Ferrari F355 Over 1,000 Miles?

Finished in silver over a black and silver interior, the F355 Spider has 19-inch Giovanna wheels, Brembo brakes, custom audio and, of course, a naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V8 rated at 375 horsepower and 268 pound-feet (363 Nm) of torque which, in this case, is mated to a six-speed automated manual transmission. The Italian supercar can hit 62 mph (100 km/h) in under 5 seconds and maxes out at 183 mph (295 km/h).

Listed on BringaTrailer at no reserve, the F355 Spider is located in Naperville, Illinois. It has only 7,400 miles (~11,900 km) on the odometer, with approximately 1,000 miles (1,600 km) added over the last two decades, and is accompanied by official letters from Ferrari North America, partial service records dating back to 2013, an accident-free report and a clean California title.

At the time of writing the highest bid was $35,000, and with the online auction ending on December 30, there is still enough time to make an offer.

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Jeep Owner Wanted Grand Cherokee SRT Gone, But Then Vilner Did This To The Interior

Vilner Garage continues to do what it does best – which is completely overhauling car interiors to suit their owners’ exact preferences.

The latest car to undergo the Vilner treatment is a Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT, which the owner was almost ready to sell because he wanted something that felt and looked more special inside. A long-time Jeep owner, he desired a ride with a cozy and soft interior, with everything furnished to his taste.

Fortunately, the guys from Vilner made that possible without him having to sell his performance SUV. A quick look at the cabin is enough to realize this is no stock Grand Cherokee SRT. The entire interior is decorated with fine Nappa leather, including the door cards and the entire center console from the dashboard to the armrest.

See Also: Vilner Gives An Older Land Rover Discovery A Range Rover-Worthy Makeover

The perforated leather upholstery features hexagonal quilting with contrasting white stitching, while the edges are decorated with red topstitching. Rounding out the interior modifications are the bright red seat belts.

On the outside, the Grand Cherokee SRT remains completely stock, which is fine because the American performance SUV looks menacing enough from the factory. We gather the combination between a stock exterior and a highly-customized interior should provoke some interesting reactions from onlookers.

Vilner Garage did not touch the naturally aspirated 6.4-liter HEMI V8 either. Thus, it still churns out 475 HP at 6,000 rpm and 470 lb-ft (636 Nm) of torque at 4,300 rpm, which is enough for a zero to 60 mph (96 km/h) sprint in 4.4 seconds and a top speed of 160 mph (257 km/h).

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Ryan Tuerck Is Building A Toyota Supra Drift Car With A Formula 1-Derived V10

Professional drifter Ryan Tuerck is embarking on an ambitious project to create an A90 Toyota Supra drift car powered by a Judd Formula 1-derived V10 engine.

Tuerck has made quite a number of headlines in recent years thanks to his one-off Ferrari 458-powered Toyota 86 drifter, and in a recent YouTube video, announced his new project, adding that he has been wanting to make a drift car like this for a decade. The entire build will be detailed in a 14-part YouTube series that will kick off on October 18.

Watch Also: Get Up Close With Ryan Tuerck’s Ferrari-Powered Toyota 86 Drift Car

Judd has a wealth of experience building racing engines and the one Tuerck has got his hands on is a GV4 V10. This engine is naturally aspirated, displaces 4.0 liters and, while it was derived from the engines that Judd used in Formula 1, it was actually used in a handful of vehicles competing in the Sports Racing World Cup, such as the Rafanelli Riley & Scott LMP1 car that competed at the American Le Mans series in 1999.

The V10 pumps out 750 hp and revs to 11,000 rpm. It remains unclear how the drifter managed to source this engine nor what kind of transmission it will be coupled to, but there’s no doubt the finished product will be one of the maddest 2020 Supras in existence.

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LS V8-Swapped Lamborghini Huracan Is A Twin-Turbo Beast

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One of the most desirable features of a Lamborghini Huracan is its screaming, naturally-aspirated V10 engine. This one, though, is different.

Created by YouTube channel B is for Build, this Huracan is rocking an LS V8 engine – and not just any old LS, but a custom-built one that is sporting a pair of turbochargers. It was presented at SEMA last year and is absolutely wild.

Chris from B is for Build purchased the Lamborghini after it suffered serious engine damage when an aftermarket twin-turbo kit went boom. With the original V10 destroyed, Chris was left with the option of either trying to source a used Huracan engine or, instead, perform an engine swap. As you can see, he chose the latter.

Watch Also: Lamborghini Huracan With A GM-Sourced Twin-Turbo LS V8 Is A Truly Wild Build

The goal is for the car to eventually pump out up 1,500 hp, but actually getting to that figure is proving to be a bit of a challenge. Work on the custom Huracan continues and it was recently taken out to an airport runway to have some fun and put through its paces.

While initially testing the car in this video, the YouTuber encounters some throttle issues that make it impossible for him to smoothly apply power. He suspects it could be some kind of fueling issue, but with it quickly sorted, the car starts to perform very well during a series of autocross tests and some standing-start drag races.

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Mugen Gives Tiny Honda S660 Roadster A Big Dose Of Attitude

We’ve been drooling over the Honda S660 ever since the mid-engined kei car launched in Japan in 2015.

Unfortunately, rumors of Honda taking the diminutive sports car global have been greatly exaggerated, leaving us no option but to merely report on the various variants, special editions and custom body kits the automaker has launched over the past five years.

Mind you, the latest S660 project is not an official Honda effort, but that doesn’t make it less interesting. On the other hand, you could say it’s semi-official, given the very close ties between Honda and Mugen Power.

See Also: Honda Access Gives S660 An Active Rear Spoiler, Other Cool Accessories

On August 28, the tuner will be releasing styling and suspension upgrades for the facelifted 2020 S660. On sale at Honda Cars and Mugen Parts dealers across Japan, the parts are inspired by the Mugen S660 Concept unveiled at the 2020 Tokyo Auto Salon.

For the exterior, the custom parts include a front aero bumper, side skirts, and rear aero bumper, all made of vacuum-formed PPE. Replacing the standard item, the front bumper features a two-tone finish combining the vehicle’s body color with a Dark Gun metallic paint, while it can be had with optional LED fog lights and aero illumination.

At the back, the aero bumper is compatible with both the Mugen sports silencer and the standard muffler. It comes exclusively in the vehicle body color and replaces the standard one. Tying the two custom bumpers together are the large side skirts Mugen Power spoilers. The skirts are attached to the bottom of the body sides and come in a two-tone finish combining the body color with Dark Gun metallic paint.

Rounding out the exterior upgrades are the newly designed ‘FR8’ forged aluminum wheels in a Graphite Gun metallic finish. Interestingly, they come in a staggered setup with 15×5-inch rims on the front axle and 16×6-inch ones at the back, with 165/55 R15 and 195/45 R16 tires respectively.

When it comes to improving the S660’s driving characteristics, Mugen offers a set of Yamaha Performance Dampers, which vibrations and noises over rough surfaces and improve steering stability, maneuverability, and handling.

Bundled up, all these custom parts will set customers back 583,000 yen, or about $5,000. By the end of this year, Mugen Power says it will launch more custom parts for the Honda S660, including carbon front grilles, rear wings, engine hoods, sports silencers, and bucket seats.

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This Tesla Model 3 Convertible Is Probably The Strangest Thing You’ll See All Day

Unlike its ICE-powered premium compact rivals from Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, the Tesla Model 3 can only be had in a single body style: a four-door sedan.

Well, that’s the official case anyway, as if you reach out to NewPortConvertible, then you can have an open-top, yet still four-door, Model 3.

Review: 2019 Tesla Model 3 Performance Is Charged With Appeal

The North American coachbuilder, which already chopped the roof off the bigger Tesla Model S as well as other vehicles over the years, will reportedly charge you $29,500 for the conversion, according to MotorTrend, or $10,000 more if you want that folding soft top to be operated at the push of a button.

As you have probably guessed, the price does not include the donor car, which will cost you around $40,000 if you settle for the entry-level, roughly $48,000 for the Long Range trim level and $57,000 for the Performance. Get must also be ready to part ways with your Model 3 for two to three months if you agree with NPC’s terms, as that is how much it takes them to take care of the chopping and reinforcing required for the conversion.

The company claims that the soft top has been tested in the rain and wind to make sure that it can withstand the elements, and in theory, it doesn’t sound bad – until you look at the images of the actual car and realize that it does look a bit odd.

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