Vilner Poshes Up Classic Land Rover Defenders

Land Rover's timeless Defender is a rugged, durable and extremely capable off roader, and as such, it falls behind when it comes to luxury. But where there's a will (and plenty of cash to go around…) there's a way.
Vilner, which is a Bulgarian design studio, said it was approached by a "Russian oligarch" (a.k.a. a business magnate) who wanted to turn the wick up on a short- and long-wheelbase Land Rover Defender by customizing their interiors.
The Bulgarian tuner accepted the challenge and revamped the cabins of both models with boatloads of high-quality nappa leather and alcantara, while also adding sound insulation throughout the interiors.
A new infotainment system with a 600W audio receiver and a 15-inch LCD screen hooked up to a DVD player, along with LEDs for the instrument panel complete the upgrades.

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How to Overkill a Ferrari 458 Italia

Electric lamps are so passé these days. The way of the future is LEDs or Light-emitting diodes that can be found just about everywhere. Lately, LEDs have taken the automotive industry by storm with carmakers offering them either optionally or standard on most of their models.But it’s not only regular carmakers that have adopted the new lighting technology; so has the tuning industry which discovered a new toy to attract consumers. The results, as you can see from this example of a Ferrari 458 Italia slathered in LEDs, aren’t always graceful. Video follows after the break.

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Mutant Opel Astra Station Wagon

Of all the excessive custom creations that we've shown you through these pages over the years, this 1999 Opel Astra Station Wagon from Holland must be one of the most bizarre –and that's an understatement- ever.

While keeping the standard model's…82HP-strong 2.0-liter diesel engine, the owner modified the late 1990s Astra estate with anything he could find including an Audi front end, a wide body kit with excessive wheel arches and more vents than a cheese grater.

But wait, there's more: the Astra SW also features a pair of Lambo-style scissor doors up front and….Gullwing-style doors at the back. Inside, we find four-bucket seats (to keep you in place from all those Gs generated by the 82 stallions under the hood) and a decorative NOS kit.

Perhaps the most ridiculous aspect of this story is that the owner put the car up for sale with an asking price of…€12,000 or about US$17,200!

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Ebay news: Camaro Meets Batmobile

Fancying a GM classic with a little more, ahem, pizazz than your run-of-the-mill F-Body Chevrolet Camaro? Welcome to the wonderful world of eBay and the DreamRyder (that's how the owner spells the name of the car).
The DreamRyder is the creation of one Bill Logan who used a V8-powered 1984 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible as a base. Logan says he spent 13 years to complete all the customizations, which include a fiberglass body said to be inspired by a number of animals such as the bat ray and the eagle.
The DreamRyder is up for sale on eBay at an undisclosed reserve price, with the highest bid currently standing at $5,900. Head down for more photos, a video and the seller's description of the car.

eBay Seller's Description:
"Built on an "F" body 82-92 Camaro over a 13 year period, I consider it functional art.
So my work is an animalistic representation in the form of a sphinx like creature, crouching between its flanks, about to pounce. In the front is a face with a beak, fangs and eyes.
The roof is kind of a bat ray with an eagle like head and its body spread out behind it, embracing the rear window and ending in a sweeping transition into a creatures buttocks in the rear.
All the lights are functional and are fiberglass as is the rest of the body as are the side pipes.
I have built a set of molds so I can reproduce any part I might need. I am considering building an enhanced version eventually.
It is a driver and a traffic stopper and is very well received at shows."

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The TIV-2 is a 14,000-Pound Armored Dodge Ram Storm Chaser [Video]

A tornado is a force of nature that almost nothing can withstand. Therefore, when Sean Casey decided to see what was going inside a tornado, he had to build a very special kind of vehicle. And that’s how the original TIV (Tornado Intercept Vehicle) was born back in 2003.
In 2008, and after the TIV made it on prime time television in a series called Storm Chasers that began airing on the Discovery Channel in October 2007, Casey and his team built the TIV-2 using a Dodge Ram 3500 as a base.
However, the six-wheel vehicle was plagued with problems leading Casey back to the drawing board for a series of improvements, which were completed in 2009.
The updated TIV-2 is armored with two-inch thick aluminum, Kevlar and steel. It is equipped with special steel plates that slide down to the road to prevent it from being lifted into the air by a tornado. If the situation calls for it, special spears shoot three-feet into the ground providing additional stability.
The truck also features a 360-degree rotating turret from where the cameraman does the shooting. It tips the scales at 14,000 pounds and is powered by a 6.7-liter Cummins turbodiesel engine producing 625-horsepower enabling it to reach a top speed of 100 mph (160 km.
Scroll down to watch three videos of the TIV-2, including the official IMAX trailer of “Tornado Alley”.

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Irmscher Sports up the New Opel Astra GTC

Well-known Opel tuner, Irmscher, is one of the first to get its hands on the new generation of the Astra GTC revealing details on its customazation program ahead of the car's world premiere at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.
The upgrade starts with a performance package for the Astra GTC with the 1.6-liter turbocharged gasoline engine. A stage 1 kit lifts output from 180-horses and 230Nm to 212HP and 274 Nm (202 lb-ft).
Exhaust exits through a stainless-steel system with new quad exhaust tips while handling is improved via a sports suspension that lowers the ride height by 30mm.
The Irmscher styling package for all Astra GTCs includes a front apron, new upper and lower grilles, side sills, a larger roof spoiler, and a rear diffuser.
Customer can choose from several alloy wheel designs in sizes up to 21 inches.
As for the interior, the German tuner's offerings include leather upholstery and aluminum trim and pedals.

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Ford Fiesta Zetec S tuned

ECU tuning specialist Superchips has released a new software upgrade for the UK market Ford Fiesta Zetec S. In factory tune, the Ford's 1.6-liter Ti-VCT twin independent cam timing engine delivers 120-horsepower.
After Superchip's engineers optimize the engine control unit (ECU), the four-cylinder powerplant gains an additional 10 bhp at 5,986 rpm and 13 Nm of torque at 4,390rpm.
The tuning firm says that the upgrade is designed to work with either 95- or 98-octane fuel and claims that if driven in the same manner with the standard car, it will retain the Fiesta Zetec S’s 48 mpg combined fuel economy.
The ECU remap is suitable for all Mk7 1.6-litre 120 PS Fiesta Zetec S models produced from October 2008 onwards, with pricing set at £249.00 including VAT.

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Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT600 New Design

The Hennessey-prepped Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT600 is once again in the center of attention of the Bulgarian design firm Vilner. Back in October 2010, the company had launched its first take on the Hennessey Grand Cherokee SRT600 that packs a modified V8 engine fitted with a "Vortech" turbo system for an output of 600-horses.
For its second go on the Jeep, Vilner completely revamped the interior with red and black Alcantara combined with black leather trimmed in red seams. The company says it also designed a new flat-bottom steering wheel with its shape customized to fit the owner's personal preferences.
As for the exterior, changes were limited to the new headlamps that incorporte LED daytime running lights.

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MTM Adds Some Power Upgrades to Audi A7 Sportback TDI

After Senner Tuning's recent take on the Audi A7 Sportback TDI, MTM is next in line to offer its services to the diesel-powered model.


In regular factory trim, the A7's 3.0-liter V6 turbocharged diesel engine churns out 245-horses and 500Nm (369 lb-ft) of peak torque. The German tuning firm offers buyers two different options, the first pushing output to 285HP and peak torque to 580Nm (427.8 lb-ft), and the second to 300-horsepower and 600Nm (442.5 lb-ft) respectively.
Whichever tune you choose, top speed is set at 263 km/h (163 mph). MTM said both systems are available for 1,392 Euros (US$2,000) including fitting.
For those with deeper pockets, MTM offers a sports exhaust system with quad tail pipes for 2,600 Euros (US$3,750) and 20-inch Bimoto alloy wheels, while the tuner is also working on a new sports suspension for the A7 V6 TDI.

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Honda Mugen CR-Z RR Study

Here's a new set of photos of the Honda CR-Z Mugen RR competition study that made its debut alongside the more production ready CR-Z Mugen Concept at the beginning of July in the Moving Motor Show area at Goodwood Festival of Speed.
While the CR-Z Mugen was designed and built by "MUGEN EURO" based in the UK, the more hardcore RR model is the work of the firm's Japanese division.
The CR-Z Mugen RR features a range of bespoke prototype parts, several of which are made from carbon fibre, including the bonnet, passenger doors and rear tailgate. Other unique parts to the car include a full-length carbon-fibre underbody, a twin central-exit exhaust, vented front bumpers and race-developed suspension.
A set of orange-colored 4-piston monobloc brake calipers and forged 18-inch alloy wheels in black along with the lively Valencia Orange Pearl paint round off the exterior looks.
As for the cabin, Mugen dressed the seats in a combination of orange leather and black Alcantara and plenty of carbon fiber trim that covers the dashboard, the door panels and the center console.
A key highlight of the CR-Z RR's interior is the addition of a race-developed information screen that can record chassis and engine data while also housing a Satellite navigation and audio system.

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