While everyone is waiting for the Beetle TDI version to debut next week in Chicago, German tuner Je Design has prepared an upgrade package for the existing 2.0 TFSI version. The package includes a pretty cool exterior upgrade, as well as the addition of 40 HP under the hood.

The new Beetle already looks the part with its new, more masculine design, so the exterior didn’t need much. Je Design only added an attractive rear apron insert with a diffuser, a centered air duct, and a new steel muffler with a round 90 millimeter large twin tailpipe. The car now sits on a new set of 19" alloy multi spoke wheels painted in an exclusive black "Tornado" finish. The new wheels can be combined with new suspension springs with a progressive characteristic and a sporty spring constant.

Under the hood, Je Design has tweaked the ECU to increase the output from 200 HP to 240 HP and the peak torque from 206 lbs-ft to 228 lbs-ft. As a result, the Beetle will now sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 6.9 seconds (down from 7.5) and will hit a top speed of 138 mph.[...]

German tuner, Edo Competition, has unveiled a new tuning package for the Porsche Panamera Turbo S. As usual with their projects, all the modifications were generally made under the hood and were enough to transform the car into the most powerful Panamera Turbo S ever.

The changes made to the engine include a new exhaust manifold, new turbochargers, and high-flow catalytic converters and air filters, as well as a stainless steel high-performance exhaust system with butterfly valves. The engine management system was also re-programmed to get best use out of the new hardware.

As a result, the Turbo S model’s 4.8 liter, V8 biturbo engine now delivers an additional 150 HP and 96 lb-ft of torque. This leaves it with a total of 700 HP and 649 lb-ft of torque, up from the standard 550 HP and 553 lb-ft of torque. The sprint from 0 to 60 mph is made in 3.5 seconds and the sprint to 124 mph in 11.4 seconds. Top speed will now be limited to 211 mph.

In addition to the massive engine upgrade, Edo Competition also put in a new set of 22" carbon-fiber-look racing wheels and an Edo lowering module which brings the Panamera?s body up to 30 millimeters closer to the road. The interior benefited from the finest leather and other high-quality materials.[...]

That's not to say the Edo Competition's Panamera Turbo S isn't fast. On the contrary, thanks to a series of modifications ncluding new exhaust manifolds and turbochargers, high-flow catalytic converters and air filters plus an ECU tweak, the V8 gains 150HP and 130 Nm (96 lb-ft) of torque for a total of 700 horsepower and 880 Nm (649 lb-ft).[...]

When cars first get released, many tuners jump headfirst into trying to come out with a tuning package that outdoes anything the automaker has already provided. Others seem to be a little slow on the uptake and end up providing packages for vehicles that have been on the market for a little while longer. The Mercedes CLS 63 AMG was unveiled in 2010, but German tuner, MKB, have only recently revealed their upgrade for the luxury sedan, and the added power was well worth the wait.

MKB popped the hood of the CLS63 AMG and tuned the boost pressure, high flow exhaust systems, and ECU management. These powerful modifications gave the 5.5L twin turbo V8 engine a boost to the tune of 122 HP and 221 lb-ft of torque. As a result, the CLS 63 AMG now delivers a total of 640 HP and 737 lb-ft of torque.[...]

If the answer is yes, we would like to congratulate you on your excellent memory and tell you that the 2012 MX-5 Miata Special Edition that will be unveiled at the upcoming 2012 Chicago Auto Show is more or less the U.S. market version of those two models ? hence the RHD pictures released by Mazda.[...]

The Chevrolet Corvette made its debut in 1953, marking the first, and arguably the best, generation for the iconic sports car. Crazy as it seems, an owner of one of these first generation jewels wasn’t satisfied and made a call to Pogea Racing to give his 1959 Corvette some "modern" treatment. Now that classic sports car can boast of "contemporary driving characteristics, a terrifically powerful engine, dependable brakes and a refined vehicle interior with classic bodywork."

One of the things we are certain the Corvette had when it entered Pogea Racing’s shop was class, so getting it to the next level would seem to be an easy task. For this, Pogea Racing painted the Corvette in a classic combination of the original Ferrari colors, Rosso and Bianco. That’s red and white for us common folks. The Corvette was then given a generously-sized sports brake system taken from the Corvette LS5 and a new set of 18" racing wheels to top it off.

The red and white motif continues to the interior where the tuning company also added a combination of carpeting and smooth leather. A Vallelunga steering wheel with flattened lower rim was also added for that modern touch, as was Cobra seats, an Alpine multi-media system including satnav, a retro-fitted AC unit, and servo-steering.[...]

However, Texas-based tuning firm Hennessey Performance begs to differ as it believes the MP4-12C could do with some additional horses under the hood ? 200 of them, to be precise.[...]

The most impressive model in Hennessey’s line-up at this point is without a doubt the Venom GT, but with Hennessey, the best always seems to get one-upped by their next project. The vehicle ready to take on the challenge is the new HPE800 Concept based on the new McLaren MP4-12C. As its name suggests, the HPE800 will get a power upgrade to the tune of 800 HP - up from the current 592 HP. Next to this, the tuner will also be offering a more aggressive aero package, new wheels, and interior changes.

Hennessey was able to massage more power out of the McLaren’s 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 by adding an upgraded intercooler system, air intake system, and ball-bearing turbochargers, as well as ECU updates and, of course, a new Hennessey titanium exhaust system. These updates will allow the MP4-12C to push out the aforementioned 800 HP.[...]

In stock form, the Bavarian roadster sports the E39 M5's 5.0-liter V8 engine delivers 400-horses and a peak torque of 500Nm(368.8 lb-ft).

After the addition of a sports filter, a custom exhaust system and a light ECU tune, output is lifted to 450-horses and 535Nm (394.6 lb-ft) with Senner stating that the modded Z8's top speed is in excess of 300km/h (186mph)[...]

The BMW Z8 was one of those cars that were great in theory, but lacked true ingenuity in production form. Before that realization, though, BMW built 5,703 units from March 2000 to July 2003, and 555 of those units were an Alpina version - meaning they were equipped with an an automatic gearbox and featured a wider radiator grill and side air intakes created by Henrik Fisker to get something good out of a design that didn’t exactly work out the way they had intended. Needless to say, the Z8 needed some work to crank up its style and Senner Tuning was able to get their hands on one of these models to do just that.

The BMW Z8 by Senner Tuning features a sleek, black exterior with a new set of 19" Work Schwert SC1 wheels in Diamond Black, wrapped around Continental Sport Contact 5P 255/40R19 and 285/35R19 tires. The wheels were then combined with a new set of Racing Gold varnished brake calipers and a new coilover suspension Variant 2 Inox-Line. The suspension comes with an adjustable rebound and a strut bar installed on the reinforced shock mount in the front in order to stabilize the front end. Nothing else was done to the look of the vehicle, which is probably okay because of the engine upgrade provided.[...]

Noted Chevrolet Camaro tuner, Lingenfelter, has never been bashful about its tuning programs for the American muscle car. That’s why these guys have come up with a pair of new tuning works for the Camaro as part of their Signature Series.

The first of these packages is the Signature Series 1, which features exterior upgrades, including a new hood, a modified grille, a new front spoiler, extended side skirts, a trunk-mounted spoiler, and a new set of 20" alloy wheels. As for the interior, the Camaro Signature Series 1 package comes with some fresh embroidered seats, aluminum pedals, and just to be sure that you’re owning one of these special edition bad boys, there’s also an individually-numbered plaque.

The second package, predictably called the Signature Series 2, is a lot more notable because on top of the aesthetic goodies it also comes with level 2 graphics, a set of exclusive 20" Lingenfelter forged alloy wheels, a Pedders performance suspension, Brembo brake calipers and rotors, and a Corsa stainless exhaust system. But the meal ticket of the Stage 2 upgrade is the massive performance juice up, highlighted by a Magnusson TVS2300 supercharger, a high-flow intake, and enlarged fuel injectors. The resulting engine upheaval takes the Camaro’s output all the way up to a in impressive 600 horsepower, an increase from the muscle car’s standard 426 horsepower and 420 lb/ft of torque output.[...]

Vorsteiner North America is quite famous for their amazing tuning kits offered for the coolest sports cars out there. One you might surely remember is the M3 GTS-V unveiled last year at the SEMA Show. And because sports car is what they like, Vorsteiner now focused on improving the appearance of the Ferrari 458 Italia. This time they only added a new set of wheels, but taking their history into consideration we expect an upgrade package pretty soon.

The sports car has received the tuners latest collection VS-130 Series that includes new super lightweight 5 spoke monoblock wheels. The new VS-130 design features lightweight spoke design utilizing the tuner’s latest spoke scalloping and undercutting technology in efforts to maximize strength to weight ratios.[...]