Custom cars

Custom paint jobs and graphics are gaining popularity in late model and ‘plain’ cars as well as classic restorations and full tune jobs. Many see it as a way to take an ordinary car and turn it into something special and unique. Adding to this trend is cars simply last long and are more resistant to rust and corrosion than 20 years ago. With more decent quality affordable cars available many are… Read more

You can have a classic car in showroom condition sitting in your driveway or driving about town for a few thousand dollars. May seem impossible but it is actually not that difficult. If you want to buy a mint restoration be prepared to pay well over $50,000 but if you want to build your own replica it is far more affordable and many believe more satisfying. The popularity… Read more

America's most cheap and powerful mid-size sedan, the Dodge Avenger, acquires new look and a chiseled set of new characteristics with the Blacktop package, which also offers unbelievable value with a U.S. MSRP of just $595.Dodge Avenger Blacktop EditionDodge Avenger Blacktop is available in Black, Redline Red 2, Bright White, Tungsten Metallic and Billet Silver… Read more

It’s now generally agreed that Senner Tuning, based in Ingelheim am Rhein near Frankfurt in Germany, is one of the first points of call when it comes to the fine tuning of Audi A5, S5 and RS5 models. Now Senner Tuning is presenting its latest design for the brawny Audi S5 coupé with its 2012 'facelift' version. Audi S5 Coupe by Senner Tuning Senner Tuning… Read more

Scion revealed its three FR-S Tuner Challenge cars for the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show that kicks off in Las Vegas. The eighth annual Scion Tuner Challenge gave three custom car builders the chance to put their creative talents to the test in a competition to design and build the best FR-S. Three months ago, Scion gave each builder a stock 2013 FR-S and a $15,000 build… Read more

Just how did Afzal Kahn’s team of savvy designers persuade the principal British designer to take time out of his busy schedule to oversee the transformation of a vehicle with 75,000 miles on the clock?As you can imagine, this was no mean feat. Afzal had no control over the type of vehicle which was delivered to him. The design team simply sourced the vehicle and asked him to get on with it. And… Read more

The BLOODHOUND Project is a World Land Speed Record attempt aiming to inspire young people to pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM subjects) by show-casing them in the most exciting way possible – by building a car capable of reaching 1,000 mph. Today the BLOODHOUND team unveils, for the first time, the complete life… Read more

The Ultima GTR has always been on top of the food chain in terms of performance. The RZ Ultima is a concept that can use the same rolling chassis,  but replaces the bodywork in favor of a more modern and aggressive look designed by the Racer X Design team. Sub 10 seconds runs up the strip, quickest acceleration from 0 to 100 mph, quickest deceleration from… Read more

The five-door, four-seater Vauxhall Ampera is on schedule to go into production late next year. It carries the same design DNA as the new Astra and Car of the Year-winning Insignia, yet it uses groundbreaking extended-range electric vehicle (E-REV) technology. Unlike other conventional propulsion systems, E-REV uses electricity as its primary power source, supplemented by a small… Read more

The first shake-down has been held at Fiorano of a very special one-off, the P540 Superfast Aperta, built for an American client. The car, the second in a new Special Projects programme created by Ferrari to meet requests from the most discerning clients and collectors to create truly unique models, is based on the 599 GTB Fiorano and was inspired by a Carrozzeria Fantuzzi-designed Ferrari built… Read more

At a time when most designers swear by curves and shapes which flow and merge, the Lamborghini Gallardo created by Belgian stylist Luc Donckerwolke dropped in 2003 like the proverbial bomb. Look for curves in this vehicle and - except where they are technically essential - you will look in vain. Edges and corners define the front, sides and tail. Donckerwolke's courage in… Read more

The T-models from Mercedes-Benz are extremely popular, since they combine luxury, sportiness and the generous passenger-compartment space of an estate car in perfection. At the same time, it is to be noted that particularly the sportiness has increased in the past years, and the actual storage space has become smaller from generation to generation as a negative effect of the… Read more

The name of this vehicle is a show in itself: C6.BlackforceOne. It is clearly reminiscent of the legendary Boeing Air Force One of the United States president - doubtless no accident by tuner LOMA-Performance. Yet when the C6.BlackforceOne available in Stealth matt black, Eurofighter matt grey and White Storm matt white (other colours on request) comes thundering… Read more

Let's face it, in the history of BMW there has been no better BMW 3 series convertible, besides the M3. If you like to drive fast and topless, here you are seated just right. The dual turbo six-cylinder car from ATT out of Rastatt convinces primarily through its increased engine power to spectacular 362 hp and 536 Nm.The tuner offers two power enhancements. At power level I (2.… Read more

* Performance rises up to 270 hp with the TSFI and 204 hp with the TDI * Entire aerodynamics pack and four-pipe system * LED daytime running lights and wing doors * Interior refinement with two-colour leather equipmentAt Seat, FR stands for Formula Racing. But that was not exciting enough for the JE DESIGN engineers. They turned the new Seat Leon FR into a real sports car which has significantly… Read more

While many custom-car builders prefer extreme designs, VIP Auto Salon and JTuned.com took a more subtle approach with their IS 350 C. Requiring approximately $15,000 and about one and one-half months of hard labor, the Matador Red IS C features a carbon-fiber hood, carbon-fiber trunk spoiler, a high-performance exhaust system, and custom tires and wheels..Highlights• Joe Z… Read more

"The inspiration of project Epic came from a mix of builds I have been involved in over the last 18 months. Each time I begin a project from start to finish no one major factor ever lets me down. Design changes on a daily basis. With that said what one envisions in his or her mind sometimes just doesn't look right and you have to move onto plan B. So, what I do is take all these crazy ideas and… Read more

The growing popularity of retro/old school hot rods in the aftermarket world has inspired Toyota to take a Texas-built Tundra Regular Cab full-size pickup and prove that a present day economical work truck could realistically be made into an American hot rod. Toyota also wanted to show consumers that Tundra is a truck that not only works hard, but plays hard too. The result is the Tundra Hot Rod… Read more

The Concept Kizashi series in Frankfurt, Tokyo and New York. With European sport sedans working as Kizashi's revelation, and Suzuki's design and building team creating a platform fully appropriate to a global marketplace, the all-new Kizashi works as the excellent platform for those stylistic and performance mods essential to America's motoring DNA. The challenge went out and four… Read more

The Ford Mustang, America's favorite muscle car, is also the most customized car in the $31.8 billion aftermarket industry, and there will be no shortage of polished-up ponies at this year's SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) show, which is being held Nov. 3-6 at the Las Vegas Convention Center."The Mustang is an iconic car," said Melvin Betancourt, Ford SEMA design… Read more