Ford Kuga Update: New Image Gallery

FoMoCo has just released a new image gallery of its 2009 Kuga Crossover that was unveiled earlier this year at the Geneva Motor Show. As you probably already know, the Kuga won’t be coming towards our shores, which is pretty lame if you think about the free-fall of full-size trucks and the increasing popularity of compact crossovers in the U.S. market. In Europe, the Ford Focus (Euro-model) based Kuga will go on sale this summer where it will be initially available with a 136Hp 2.0-liter turbocharged diesel engine that’s good enough to offer an average fuel consumption of 6.3 lt / 100 km or 37.3 MPG to the front-wheel-drive version and 6.4 lt...

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Renault Laguna Coupe “Le Scooped”

The virtually undisguised 2009 Renault Megane five-door and Coupe versions that we showed you yesterday weren’t the only models to be scooped by the folks over at French car magazine Auto-Plus; so was the forthcoming Laguna Coupe. Based on the 5-door Laguna sedan, the Coupe version looks like it hasn’t strayed too far away (in terms of design) from the Geneva Show Laguna Coupe Concept. Like the new Megane, it too will make its world premiere at the Paris Motor Show this fall. Sales of Renault’s BMW 3-Series sized Coupe are expected to start towards the end of the year with the engine range including a variety of 4-cylinder and V6 petrol and...

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Nostalgia: 1970’s Videos of the BMW M1 Procar in Monaco and the Nurburgring

Last weekend’s presentation of the BMW M1 Homage Concept (see here) prompted us to perform a search on the original M1’s history and in particular, its racing heritage. Our hunt led us to the discovery of two, nostalgic late-1970’s videos of the M1 Procar racing version, one from the Procar Series in Monaco and another one with the M1 lapping the famous Nurburgring race track. The peppy M1 Procar edition featured among other things, a modified version of the M88 6-cylinder unit with new camshafts, larger valves, forged pistons, optimized flow ducts, slides instead of throttle butterflies and a modified exhaust system boosting, all of which...

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Toyota Prius Convertible: The Sky is Green

Well, the sky is actually blue -for the time being- but after seeing these pictures of Newport Convertible Engineering’s (NCE) drop-top conversion of the Toyota Prius Hybrid our eyes are aching so much that we nearly went color-blind. The California-based speciality tuner’s proposition brings to mind those horrid BMW E30/E36 3-Series Bauer conversions of the late 1980’s – early 1990’s with its intrusive, but nevertheless necessary, roll bar and chopped window frames. If you can take it, there are more pictures after the jump. Via: Winding Road...

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Prodrive Prepping Sporty Alfa Romeo Brera Versions?

There’s no official announcement, but the boyz at Brit car magazine “EVO” are reporting that UK tuning specialist Prodrive will introduce a limited edition run of the Alfa Romeo Brera Coupe this June. According to EVO’s information, Prodrive will mainly concentrate on tweaking the suspension and the petrol engine range along with cutting down overall weight to improve the Brera’s mediocre driving dynamics. (Standard Brera pictured above) Via: Autoblog.it , Source: ...

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Rusting Hyundai Sonatas Prompt Investigation as Suspension Corrosion Can Even Cause Wheels To Fall Off!

UPDATE: New Recall Over Same Issue for MY2001-2004 Sonata and XG300 & 350The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has launched an official investigation on the Hyundai Sonata after receiving 40 individual complaints about front subframe corrosion in the 1999 through 2002 model year Sonatas. There are 19 complaints for MY 1999 Sonatas, 16 for MY 2000, 3 for MY 2001 and 2 for MY 2002 with most of the complaints (35) from States that use large amounts of salt on the roads during snowy months. NHTSA supports that the corrosion in the subframe is pretty severe as consumers have reported 'fist-sized holes in the frame'. According...

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Human Snake

A human recreation of snakes. Visit http://www.get-out-and-play.com to play a human version of breakout (bricks, arkanoid), watch the behind the scenes clip and learn mo...

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Brabus Performance Kit For Mercedes Diesel Engines

Depending on the Mercedes-Benz diesel powered model, Brabus’ new “plug-and-play-type” auxiliary control module can increase maximum power output by up to 53 Hp and peak torque by up to 100 Nm (74 lb-ft). The ECO PowerXtra module can be installed by any authorized Mercedes-Benz dealer in less than an hour. The German tuner supports that the ECO PowerXtra modules not only improve performance but they also better fuel economy and reduced emissions without though, giving any specific figures. Interestingly, the Brabus ECO PowerXtra D6 BLUE performance kit for the Mercedes E 300 BLUETEC makes Brabus the first tuner to meet stringent EURO V exhaust...

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Loder1899 Beefs Up the 2009 Jaguar XF

To be officially introduced at the “Tuning World Bodensee 2008” in Germany (May 1 to 4), Loder1899’s sport package for the Jaguar XF consists of subtle cosmetic upgrades along with a kit for the 2.7-liter V6 diesel engine. The Bavarian tuner’s bodykit for the XF includes a front apron, an understated rear spoiler and a “diffuser-style” rear apron complemented with a suspension lowering kit (-35mm) and 20-inch alloy wheels wrapped in 255/35 R20 tires. -Continued As for the 2.7 V6 TD versions, thanks to the modified engine management control, power is increased from 207Hp to 249Hp, thus allowing the Jag to accelerate from standstill to 100...

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Johan Lorbeer’s Still Life Performance and its Secret

Johan Lorbeer is a German street performer. He became famous in the past few years because of his “Still-Life” Performances, which took place in the public area. His installations includes “Proletarian Mural” and “Tarzan”, which are famous in Germany. Several of these performances feature Lorbeer in an apparently impossible position.With his still-life performances, this German artist seems to unhinge the laws of gravity. For hours on time, he remains, as a living work of art, in physically impossible positions. Elevated or reduced to the state of a sculpture, he interacts with the bewildered and irritated audience, whose appetite for communication...

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