So what if the holiday season has come and gone? For some folks, the season extends longer than just the turning of the calendar year and in the spirit of this ’extended’ season, German tuning firm Carlsson has decided to give their CK63 RS some Christmas-themed enhancements.

Their name for it? The CK63 RS Santa Edition. If only Santa used this car instead of his usual sleigh...

The whole idea behind Carlsson building a specially-themed program was to build a concept to present something for the season and, boy, did they ever. The engine specs of the car remain the same as that of the CK63 RS, which means that the car’s 5.5-liter bi-turbo V8 engine saw a noticeable bump in output, from the standard 557 horsepower and 590 lb/ft of torque all the way up to 652 horsepower and 663 lb/ft of torque, with the improvements giving the CLS63 AMG a faster 0-62 mph time of just 4.1 seconds.[...]

The 2012 edition of the Tokyo Auto Salon, Japan's largest automotive aftermarket event, is into its second day, and even though it lacked a big presentation, it's always interesting to see what the local tuning industry has in store for us.
Even better when the plethora of tuned and heavily customized cars are accompanied by good looking ?at least for the most part- models. In fact, some visitors like YouTube user "bbmovie1985", seem to have been more fascinated by the heels than the wheels, but who are we to judge?[...]

A year ago in a track not so far away from here, Nick ?Apex? Brocha rode a 2005 Kawasaki ZX-10 in a drift war against a Corvette-engined RX-7 with professional racecar driver Jim Guthrie behind its wheel at the Sendia, New Mexico speedway.

That was episode one of the High Planes Drifters video, which proved quite popular on YouTube.

The sequel features Nick, his teammate Ernie Vigil and two Roaring Toyz-tuned Triumph Speed Triples. What the two riders don?t know is that, while they?ve been searching for the perfect stretch of tarmac to perform their sliding stunts, police officer Dan Brockett is out to get them. And his 550HP Mustang Cobra is also capable of going sideways, too.[...]

We don’t always hear from the people over at Weistec Engineering, but every so often, these guys resurface with a program that just blows you away.

With that being said, Weistec has unveiled the first details of their latest project involving the mighty Mercedes SLS AMG. Packed with an extensive list of performance modifications, Weistec was able to put enough added horsepower on the supercar to make it, at least according to Weistec, the most powerful SLS AMG in the world...period.

The biggest addition to the SLS AMG is a new 2.3-liter Twin-Screw compressor, a supercharger system that clearly defies anything we’ve ever seen before outfitted to an SLS AMG. On top of that, Weistec also put in dual high flow cast aluminum T6 intake tubes, brisk spark plugs, a fuel delivery system upgrade, and a 1,000-hp liquid-to-air unit with aluminum lower manifold and aluminum throttle body inlets.[...]

Porsche tuning specialist RUF has beat the German brand in the presentation of a long-wheel base version of the Panamera sports saloon aimed at the plutocrats of China.

Named the Panamera XL for obvious reasons, the 5,370mm (211.4 inches) long Porsche received its public debut at the Guangzhou Auto Show 2011, which took place in November last year.[...]

The 2012 Tokyo Auto Salon is just chock full of tuning packages for the Toyota GT 86, or any of its sibling iterations. Next to the GT86 by TRD featured earlier, Toyota has also brought the GT 86 Modellista version to Japan. While both versions mostly focused on adding some flare to the small sports car, they both proved that the GT86 is the perfect car to upgrade, in any way the customer dreams or desires.

The Toyota GT 86 Modellista has received a new front spoiler, a new rear spoiler, and chrome door moldings. Both headlights and rear lights have been modified, with the headlights receiving eye lids to simplify the car’s front and the taillights receiving covers to blend with the rest of the car. The final touch for the exterior is a new set of 18" wheels wrapped in high performance tires and a very cool white exterior paint. There aren’t any details on the interior modifications, but stay with us and we’ll keep you posted![...]

Of all the cars that are being penciled in for the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, one of the most interesting has to be the Invader N40.

Unlike a lot of the tuning programs that are usually unveiled at a major show like Geneva, the Invader N40 isn’t based on a sports car or a luxury car. What it is is a Nissan Patrol, which, last we checked, isn’t exactly considered a tuning favorite.

Having said that, the Invader N40 is a different beast altogether. Built and designed by Invader Technologies, the N40 is considered the ultimate customization program for the Patrol, with about as many aerodynamic modifications as any other tuning program we’ve seen in quite some time.

The wide body kit is only the beginning of it. There’s also a restyled front end that features Invader signature LED lights to go with blackened headlights, and plenty of carbon fiber detailing added into the body panels of the SUV. On top of that, Invader also fitted the N40 with a brand-spankin’ new set of 22" forged multi-piece alloy wheels to give the SUV a far more aggressive stance and overall look.[...]

This just in; we just found out that a convertible version of the Lexus LFA supercar made an unsuspected and very surprising debut at the D1GP Kick Off Drift event on the sidelines of the Tokyo Auto Salon 2012 outside the Makuhari Messe convention center.

 

Details remain extremely thin for now but we'll be searching for more information and pass it on as soon as we receive it. That said, we don't know yet if it's a one-off custom creation, a Lexus prototype or the first of a limited production series to be released onto the market.[...]

Our heads are spinning with the overload of tuned up Toyota GT 86’s that are being revealed at the 2012 Tokyo Auto Salon.

Whatever form the GT 86 - or BRZ and FR-S - comes in, one thing we do know is that it exudes some serious hot metal. That’s why a lot of people have been looking forward to the first tuning programs of these cars, with one in particular being the TRD-tuned, Satin White Pearl-finished Toyota GT86.

As it turns out, the GT 86 TRD comes with plenty of new aerodynamic accessories courtesy of TRD. There’s a new front lip, new side skirts on both sides of the car, new front and rear anti-roll bars, a carbon fiber strut, a rear diffuser, additional road-bracing, a high-response exhaust system, interior sports seats, and a new set of 18" alloy wheels.[...]

Anytime someone has a car like the Mercedes SL65 AMG and gets an opportunity to do some tuning work on it, that person shouldn’t even think about hesitating.

Now if that person happens to live in Japan, there’s even more incentive to bring their German sports car to the boys over at Veilside, considering that they’re in the process of unveiling a new aerodynamic body kit at the 2012 Tokyo Auto Salon.

Developed under Veilside’s new Black Fortune sub-brand, the aerodynamic program consists of a complete overhaul of parts, including a new front bumper spoiler, new side skirts, a new rear bumper and diffuser, a new rear spoiler, and a slew of other parts, all of which are made entirely out of carbon fiber.ш...щ