Anyone who has ever spent any time visiting other workshops knows that you are always seeing some tool or fix or supply that you didn’t know about or think about for your own workshop. Those are the moments when you slap yourself on the side of the head and say “Why didn’t I think of that?” or “I didn’t even know something like that existed!” I know that when I opened my hot rod shop in the early 2000’s, I had no idea that a local ZEP representative would happily deliver cleaning supplies, hand cleaners, and shop supplies even though I was a little one-man shop. I had no idea the number of things I had access to that would help me until someone mentioned it or I saw it somewhere else.
Of course, it isn’t 2001 anymore so that means there are a lot more ways to find this stuff and that’s why so many folks have cool stuff in their home shops that you wouldn’t have expected 20 years ago.
In this video from Jason at Fireball Tools he is going over stuff that he couldn’t live without in his own shop. Some of it is stuff that Fireball makes and sells, but not all of it. Not by a long shot. So check it out, see if you learn something, and then get after it. It is the season for shop upgrades and working on projects so maybe some of this stuff will help you out on both counts.
Video Description:
In this video, I reveal the items in my shop I could not live without.
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Lancia Stratos HF Zero: The Future, From The Past – Speedhunters
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Imagine for a moment, we’re living in the year 1970. The Boeing 747 has completed its maiden commercial flight; English rock band The Beatles have just announced their breakup; and NASA’s Apollo 13 has made its way back to earth after major issues. The average family car is a three-box design and enthusiast models generally offer performance by increasing engine capacity over their commuter-based siblings.
When the Lancia Stratos HF Zero concept was revealed at the 1970 Turin Motor Show, it was a a revelation compared to everything else on offer. Walking past this very car at the 2022 NEC Classic Motor Show a couple of weekends back, I almost missed it completely given its diminutive size.
Prior to the Turin event, Italian automotive design houses Bertone and Pininfarina had, for a short while, sought to outdo one another, each revealing their own concept car. The Bertone-designed Lancia and Pininfarina-designed Ferrari 512S Modulo squared up in 1970, but the Lancia was ultimately the more extreme vision of the future. It was also a fully running concept, whereas the Ferrari was not.
The Zero measures a scant 84cm (33in) to its roofline, a challenge that Bertone took on to see how low a car could be built. This had a practical significance as well, aiding aerodynamics. Bertone sought to not only break the predefined rules of what a car should look like, but also give an insight to, and ultimately usher in a new era of automotive design.
The headlights comprise of numerous bulbs along the front edge, with the taillights hidden in the circumference of tinted red plastic around the rear.
Rearward vision is somewhat limited, with an external central mirror and small side mirrors tucked into the back of each wheel arch.
Lifting the triangular engine cover exposes the 1.6L V4 engine good for 115hp. The engine, gearbox and entire subframe assembly along with suspension was taken from a crash-damaged Lancia Fulvia at the Lancia factory. This drivetrain was chosen primarily for its low deck height, being canted over at 45 degrees.
The interior is no less subdued than the exterior with the hinged windscreen connected to the steering wheel by way of a hydraulic linkage, so as one tilts away so does the other, allowing for slightly easier ingress and egress. No, there aren’t any doors as such.
Dashboard dials are tucked away in the panel to the driver’s left, along with toggle controls for the essentials.
Bearing more than passing resemblance to the Lancia Stratos HF is no coincidence. While not a direct forerunner, the Zero generated enough interest for Lancia’s top-floor management to continue the relationship with Bertone and ultimately green-light the Stratos as a production car.
Today, this one-of-one Stratos HF Zero lives with its owner in the USA, who has a penchant for what can best be described as ‘wedge’ cars. The equally outlandish Aston Martin Bulldog also resides in his custodianship. The Zero was in the UK as it had just been given a light restoration here.
I don’t believe we’ll ever live to see another era in which such creative automotive visions for the future take place. While safety understandably takes precedence, most cars nowadays are led by the finance department first and the design department second, which is a shame. This glimpse into what could have been certainly isn’t a bad one.
This is pretty amazing. The Ford LTD was a cars and truck possessed by grandparents across America. It was not an amazing car, not a rapid vehicle, not an auto that was created to do anything but simply shuttle people around in relative convenience. I keep in mind the groaning V6 in the one my grandparents had. It was, of training course, the same tan color that every other LTD seemed to be repainted in. Little did I referred to as a youngster that there was a bitchin’ version of that automobile which Ford managed to sell for a while and had I learnt about it then, I ‘d have likely been stressed with finding one for the rest of my life. This video clip evaluation of the Ford LTD LX is a terrific testament to the reality that a little bit extra engine and also a little extra grasp can change a snoozer of an automobile right into on hell of a sleeper!
Making 165hp, running 16.5-second quarter mile times, as well as going to 60mph in less than 9 seconds this automobile was actually quite fast for the segment in its day. The customers go to very first waiting to call this a sports car and eventually give in and just call it that. We comprehend why. Things does not have any one of the regular sport sedan styling hints and beyond the red LTD LX badges simply looks like any other run of the mill LTD.
. Sure, Ford generally just sold a police auto to the public and what’s wrong with that?! This is a fun recall in a rarely seen car today. We question how many are left.
Press play below to see this awesome video review of the 1985 Ford LTD LX–
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0 Not So Magnificent Seven: This Video Profiles Seven Of The Most Heartbreaking Racing Losses Ever
2022 Volvo XC40 Recharge Twin Ultimate in Thunder Grey Metallic(a$695 shade choice) 2022 Volvo XC40 Recharge Twin Ultimate Class: Electric Vehicle Miles driven: 400 Battery capacity: 78 kWh CG Report Card Room as well as
Comfort B+ Power and Performance A Fit as well as Finish
A Gas Economy A Value B-Report-card qualities are originated from an agreement of test-driver analyses. All qualities are versus other
cars in the
exact same class. Worth quality is for details trim level examined
, and might not mirror Consumer Guide’s impacts
of the
entire model lineup. Big & Tall Comfort Huge
Guy B Tall Guy B+Big & Tall comfort rankings are for front seats only.”Big “score based on male tester weighing roughly 350 pounds,”Tall”ranking based on 6’6 “- high male tester. Drivetrain Engine Specs 402 horse power Engine Type Electric electric motors Transmission Automatic Drive All-wheel drive EPA-estimate MPGe: 92 city/79 hwy/85 combined EPA-estimated driving array: 223 miles Consumer
Guide range estimate(optimal problems):
223 +miles Base rate:$58,150(not consisting of
$1095 location fee)Options on test lorry: Special paint($695), warmed steering wheel($150)Price as evaluated:$60,090 Quick
Hits & The excellent: Better-than-expected passenger and also cargo room within neat exterior measurements; stylish velocity; indoor feels and look well upscale The great: Comfortable;
youthful-yet-sophisticated
styling The not so good: Complicated infotainment system; not fairly
as much variety as some EV competitors, unexciting steering and also handling CG Says: New to the Volvo
U.S. lineup for
the 2021 design year
, the all-electric XC40 Recharge takes pleasure in a number of updates for the 2022 version year. You can
read our full report of the 2021 version below. For the brand-new year, the XC40 Recharge is supplied in 3 brand-newtrim degrees: Twin, Twin Plus, and also topline Twin Ultimate
. Just one trim level was offeredin 2021. Range is improved for 2022 also. The 2021 XC40 was EPA ranked to take a trip 208 miles on a full fee, the 2022 is currently
ranked at 223. In Consumer Guide screening– throughout a period of battery-friendly mild temperatures– we saw array price quotes as high as 280 miles, trustworthy outcomes based on our evaluation. Our top-trim Twin Ultimate delighted in a premium-level cabin, cut in top notch product and alsoplenty of soft-touch surface areas. Indeed, the whole drive experience is polished, with ride high quality, sound levels, and audio-system efficiency all worthwhile of high-end automobiles costing a lot more than our examination cars and truck. As
we’ve kept in mind in the past, the XC40 Recharge isn’t especially stylish, with lifeless guiding feeling, and also demonstrating considerable lean in edges. That claimed, Volvo’s little electric crossover is quick– very quickly. It’s quick from a quit and also around community, as well as facilitates job
Vises can be pricey. I recognize that when I’ve been in the market for one, I considered both made use of vintage Wilton’s, brand-new high buck vises, and inexpensive price cut vises also. Inevitably my budget didn’t permit me to afford any one of the “great” vises as well as rather I bought a mid-priced smaller vise that would certainly get me by till my budget changed.I’ve reached
obtain a brand-new vice for the brand-new store when it’s done so we’ll see what I choose after that, yet this video clip below from Project Farm will absolutely assist me determine what could benefit me.
Inspect it out.
Video Description:
Brands: Heuer, Ridgid, Yost, Wilton, Baileigh, Irwin, Forward, Central Forge, Olympia, Myoyay. Vises tested for clamp load, sturdiness from impact, anvil toughness, and clamp load failing factor. I purchased every one of the vises to make sure an unbiased review.
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Here’s Your (Even Bigger) SEMA 2022 Gallery – Speedhunters
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There must be some portal-like witchcraft going on at the SEMA Show, because it’s seemingly impossible to cover every inch regardless of how long you’re there for.
And, looking through other galleries on Instagram, it’s apparent that I missed quite a lot this year, despite feeling fairly confident I’d seen the bulk of cars on show at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
That even included taking a brave pill and diving into the North Hall, which is crammed full of marine audio, LED lighting and questionable air fresheners.
And yet, I still missed the new Nissan Z GT4 race car. I’m sure I heard Rob Dahm’s quad-rotor, all-wheel drive FD3S Mazda RX-7 fire into life, but couldn’t actually find it before being distracted by something else just as nutty. Oh, and I completely missed a Buick GNX by The Roadster Shop, a failing I now have to take to my grave.
That might sound a tad extreme, but the want for a GNX is very real right now, so my barometer of what’s an acceptable response is heavily skewed to say the least.
This is of course very annoying for a media outlet like Speedhunters, which is supposed to be on the cutting edge of car culture and photojournalism. But it does at least fill me with some confidence that – despite early concerns of SEMA 2022 being a bit weak – it’s still far superior in size and quality than most shows out there. And that’s also a much better excuse than me simply being tardy and missing cars.
If anything, the subdued opening day lulled everyone into a false sense of calm. Once the sun rose on day two – and hundreds gathered at 8:59am clawing to get in – SEMA resembled a weird episode of The Walking Dead, albeit with more mobility scooters and a crazed lust for free posters rather than human flesh. I’d put money on the zombies being more patient, though.
Not that I blame anyone for arriving early. Before the show even opened there was plenty to see in the public outside area, including the eBay Motors Experience by the main crossing.
Much to my disappointment, this didn’t involve someone offering you half the asking price before abruptly stating your car’s crap anyway. Instead, various products were put on display alongside interviews with builders and much skiddin’ in the outdoor arena.
Given how subdued the indoor displays were this year, I don’t think anyone from SEMA passed that memo to those displaying outside. Maybe this area is classified as international waters in Las Vegas, because it felt brilliantly lawless at times with tyres exploding in the Hoonigan Burnyard and high-horsepower trucks racing in a coned-off area which made intersection takeovers look safe.
Head beyond this and you reach SEMA’s District Nine, an area handily tucked right out the way of innocent show-goers and chequebook builds to house the SPL trucks. SPL is the acronym for sound pressure level, and that basically means building a car with the sole purpose of playing audio as loud as humanly possible.
It might be the polar opposite of Speedhunters, but it turned out to be one of the most bonkers aspects of SEMA. When I first started working in this industry in 2004, the drone of SPL cars would shake your insides from the moment you arrived at an event till the second you left. They were painful, confusing and (for the most part) completely pointless.
What about now? I still don’t understand it, but watching trucks shake themselves apart is extremely entertaining. Especially when one owner decides to battle Marshmello with Tony Christie at 140dB.
Consider it the audio equivalent of running 40psi on a stock motor; you watch because you know destruction is just around the corner, and for the few minutes leading up to that it’s a complete riot.
For all those exhibitors spending hundreds – if not thousands – of hours building cars just for SEMA, I’m sure they’ll appreciate the bulk of this story being focused on the handful of characters who pour concrete into their trucks to stop them rattling apart so quickly. But there is a serious point to this: Car culture (in all forms) is entertainment.
SEMA is a trade show, but it’s also open to the public from Thursday onwards. And if those people can get excited about car tuning, that can only be a good thing for everyone.
Yet, judging by the way some builders act on social media during the build-up, you’d think they were trying to escape a really naff SAW trap which involved Jigsaw and a pair of badly cut fiberglass overfenders.
There are many amazing machines at SEMA which, rightfully so, should be celebrated to the absolute max. It’d be wrong not to mention the Ring Brothers’ 1948 Chevy Loadmaster – a car that took out this year’s SEMA Battle of the Builders competition.
You could argue this blurs the line between car customisation and building something entirely bespoke, but to do so would diminish the mind-boggling amount of work Mike and Jim poured into the Chevy-based work of art.
It goes beyond most of those multi-million-dollar concepts drawn up by manufacturers that never make it into production, because this one’s real. It’s registered and could be driven on the street right now if you so wished.
While we’re on the subject of jaw-dropping builds, another stand-out this year was Driver Motorsports’ Nissan Skyline GT-R on the Vibrant Performance stand. Glance at this car and you’d assume it’s a very tidy R32 wearing a Garage Active wide-body kit with a set of Work SP1s tucked deep in the arches.
But dig a little deeper and the true extent of the work becomes clear… almost four years’ worth to be precise.
The fuel setup in the boot is textbook motorsport yet it’s been fabricated into a piece of art, while the boot lid has been trimmed to match the interior. Sure, it’s got a cage, but there’s no exposed metal in here; even the rear nitrous/air setup has been meticulously built.
That tidy-looking engine is in fact a Nitto-built RB30 monster capable of 1,000+ horsepower. And that’s a genuine power estimate as opposed to the age-old ‘every-built-RB-with-a-single-must-be-1,000hp’ quip.
There’s a lot to take in, but one of my favourite touches is the cam cover. This has had the plug cover welded to the front (cam) cover and trimmed to give space to the mechanical fuel setup and CAS trigger. It’s still undeniably an RB engine, but dialled all the way up to 11.
As someone foolishly taking on their own GT-R overhaul, I have nothing but respect for what Brad and the Driver Motorsports team have created here. Yes, it’s clearly had a lot of cash spent on it, but when everyone else is hell-bent on returning GT-Rs to factory condition it’s massively refreshing to see a US-built one still pushing the boundaries in 2022.
This is all very positive for a SEMA post, because frankly it was a hugely positive (and exciting) show to attend this year. But it wasn’t without its drawbacks, and I’m not just talking about the whole Bluetooth driveshafts meme.
Actually, let’s start there, because this represents a bigger issue in the form of incomplete cars displayed at the show. Undoubtedly this will divide many of you, and while I appreciate both arguments, I can’t help but think it sends out the wrong message for what SEMA (and other shows) should stand for.
Building any car isn’t easy. Issues crop up, deadlines surpass, and costs spiral out of control. The last thing anyone wants is a sea of copy/paste builds, but SEMA doesn’t exactly come as a surprise each year.
Two of my stand-out builds this year, Mike Burroughs’ Ferrari ‘244 GTK’ and Igor Polishchuk’s K-swapped E30 BMW M3, were both finished with hours to spare before making their way to Las Vegas. Why cut it so fine? Because both owners insisted their cars be driven in under their own power as a matter of principal. No power, no show.
And on the flip side to this, I was gutted not to see Stan at Toyo Tires’ Mercedes-Benz 190E build this year. There were no issues to report, it just wasn’t ready in time and Stan wasn’t prepared to rush through it only to then have it appear on FormulaDerp several days later.
This isn’t a point to suggest one attitude is better than another; an individual’s build will always be approached differently to that of a company with product it needs to promote. But what message does it send to a global audience when the product on display isn’t the best it could be.
Cars aside, there’s one more gripe with SEMA which needs to be aired that doesn’t actually relate to the show. In fact, it’s not even exclusive to SEMA.
If your pass allows you in – regardless of what it says on the front – you’ve got as much right to be there as anyone else. It doesn’t matter how many followers you have or how big your name is printed on a Fruit of the Loom tee; nothing elevates you beyond anyone else.
Social media has given the voiceless a voice, and that’s not a bad thing – everyone deserves to be heard. But not all of them need to use a megaphone in the process.
Plus, if the most stressful part of your day is someone walking in front of your shot, your day really hasn’t been that stressful. The fact any of us can call this work is surely the biggest hoax of the 21st century. Go to Vegas and look at cars? Sounds dreadful…
Car culture comes in all shapes and sizes as SEMA demonstrates every year. Pour concrete in your 140dB truck? Amazing, keep being awesome. Bolt twin-turbos in the back of your Aventador? I wish I had the bravery of your tuner. Hell, bring an unfinished car to a show because it brings you happiness? Let’s throw that earlier point straight in the bin.
I cannot think of many industries more bonkers than the world of car tuning. Its diversity is why we love it, but also why it can feel so frustrating at times.
If it goes beyond this and starts to control your life in a negative way, it’s probably time you should take a break from it. Car culture is enjoyment. So, if anyone needs me, I’ll be pouring concrete into a GT-R ready to fit 12 subwoofers in the boot. See you next year, SEMA.
There are engines that seem to go beyond time as well as space. Engines that are bigger than the amount of their components as well as hold an aura over gearheads for seemingly never-ending varieties of decades. One of those engines is the big V-twin that was made use of to power the Vincent Black Shadow motorcycle which was the most bad ass motorbike on the planet of a lengthy stretch of time in the 1950s and 1960s. Very important, rather unusual, and properly mechanical fashion jewelry, there are fewer and less men in the world who truly recognize these engines. In this video clip we see 2 older gents taking their time as well as drawing this apart, all the way down to splitting the instance open to get the crank out as well as stuff.
This is not a video with results and wild editing and enhancing. This is similar to standing in the store with these two knowledgeable wrenchers doing that they do and have provided for a zillion years. If you have actually been lucky enough to stand shotgun while an old man deals with caring hands on a piece of machinery like this, bear in mind just how lucky you are. No anxiety, no hurrying, no compeling stuff. Simply doing things properly, dealing with the parts with treatment, and also usually going down expertise bombs all over the place, it is the very best.
Rest back, unwind, and enjoy the Vincent Black Shadow engine give up age old tricks at the hands of two knowledgeable technicians.
Enjoy a fabulous Vincent Black Shadow engine dissection–
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0 Retro Review: This Look Back At The 1984 Buick Century Estate Wagon Is Grandma Approved
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If you have a pet or any type of pet dog for that issue, you recognize exactly how important they are to you and your family.So if you’re like US
, you intend to provide a healthy and balanced and delighted life.Manufacturers like Subaru and also Nissan even market their cars as ideal for dog proprietors. Our ACE Agent. But what makes THEIR cars perfect for guy’s friend other than they market to pet dog owners?Well seeing it’s the weekend, lets have some enjoyable and also open up the discussion.If you have a pet or thinking of obtain one tell
us which versions attract you because of their pet friendliness?In other words, what do you think are the very best DUV’S
(Dog Utility Vehicles )? As well as what about them SPECIFICALLY makes them your selection or choices? I’ll begin with one. I truly like the Jeep
Wrangler’s back seat
layer level floor. Our current head of safety and security and also ACE Agent specifically appreciated the Jeeps roomy, level room for his travel snoozes. And great deals of the K9 devices like the Explorer. Let us know which you like and also take pleasure in the homage listed below to the Auto Spies inaugural mascot Miss Bailey (RIP Dec. 2020).
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Dodge Last Call Cars The home window on the contemporary muscle-car era continues to close as model-year 2023 will be the final one for the Dodge Challenger as well as Charger. Parent-company Stellantis recently announced that these automobiles will certainly obtain 7 special-edition trims to be developed over the following 14 months.
Among the swan-song designs offered for both the two-door Challenger as well as four-door Charger will be the “Shakedown,” “Super Bee,” as well as “Swinger.” Records recommend 1,000 of each will certainly be developed and divided in between the Scat Pack as well as Scat Pack Widebody versions. An extra 300 Challenger “Black Ghost” and also Charger King Daytona “Go Mango” versions will be available based on the Hellcat Redeye Widebody. Speaking of the Hellcat, every 2023 model will certainly provide the Jailbreak spec, which pushes its supercharged 6.2-liter V8 engine approximately 807 horse power. All 2023 Challengers as well as Chargers will consist of a “Last Call” celebratory plaque, with R/T qualities including badges that refer to its 345 cubic-inch engine. Traditional paint colors including “B5 Blue,” “Destroyer Gray,” “Plum Crazy,” and “Sublime” will make one last look.
To assist make sure that any person who desires one of these swan-song designs can obtain one, Dodge has actually currently launched its entire 2023 allowance to dealerships. Potential customers can look the “2023 Dodge Horsepower Locator” to see precisely what versions are readily available to order at every location. The system is designed to avoid underhanded dealers from taking down payments for automobiles they will certainly not eventually get. Keep in mind that you can not put your order or take down any kind of cash online– you have to speak to the dealer directly. Further, Dodge has no control over which shops will certainly be selling these cars and trucks with an extra markup over MSRP. We can all but ensure that the most desirable specs will lug a substantial costs over sticker.
SHARE Performante Power Without The Price: The Lamborghini Urus, Cooled By CSF
It wasn’t that long ago when the idea of a performance SUV seemed like an alien concept.
GMC’s Typhoon may have kicked this off back in the 1980s – and for that car alone we’re eternally grateful – but it wasn’t until the late ’90s when the Germans took this fast 4×4 platform and pushed it all the way to the mainstream. Think Mercedes-Benz ML, BMW X5 and Porsche’s Cayenne.
Fast-forward to 2022 and this genre isn’t so niche anymore. In fact, SUVs represent some of the best-selling models on the planet full stop. So popular in fact that even Ferrari – who once swore they’d never build an SUV – have now jumped on the bandwagon too.
Love ‘em or hate ‘em, SUVs are here to stay.
To say performance SUVs fit within the modern agenda of sustainability is a bit like saying the Titanic sprung a small leak. That’s a completely different conversation, so for the sake of Speedhunters’ sanity we’re going to focus on the positives about these cars. Performance. Lots of performance.
And not just petrol performance either. Remember the Audi SQ7 V12 TDI? That used a 6.0L twin-turbo diesel V12 to celebrate Audi’s dominance at Le Mans. Horsepower seemed quite modest by today’s standards, set at 500hp, but torque had to be electronically limited to 1,000Nm. With a cheeky little ECU flash, you’d be closer to 600hp and 1,200Nm.
Then there was VW’s V10-powered Touareg, and the BMW X5 with the same V12 found in McLaren’s F1 GTR stuffed in its nose. The more you dig into this class of oddities, the more you realise that performance SUVs have actually been some of the most interesting new vehicles in recent years.
And then you get to the ones which somehow manage to translate their straight-line performance into cornering performance too. Models like the Lamborghini Urus which, from some angles, looks a bit like a Huracán put its head in a wasp nest. But mash the throttle and it’ll do similar things to your own face.
Credit to the engineers? Without a doubt, but this Lamborghini’s very existence proves there’s not only demand for a supercar-priced SUV, but an audience out there wanting to modify them too. And you can thank the model’s twin-turbo V8 for that, a powerplant pinched straight out of the Audi RS6 and tweaked to produce 649hp.
But if people will spend serious money on a stock Urus, it goes without saying they’ll pay a big premium for the ‘Performante’ edition too, right? Yes, but perhaps only until they realise there’s just a modest 16hp power increase. So is it really worth forking out all that extra cash for a slightly-tweaked Lamborghini, or can you get even more power for less dollar? This is Speedhunters, so of course we’re going to push for the latter.
Thankfully, CSF Radiators follows this same ethos whether it’s for a Civic Type R or the latest Italian super-SUV. One company taking full advantage of CSF’s extensive product line is Autowerks, based in Thailand.
Thailand’s modified car scene is absolutely blowing up right now, and if a striking Verde Mantis Lamborghini Urus doesn’t grab your attention, nothing will. But more importantly than that, this is the first Urus to be modified in the Southeast Asian country, and with a whole host of world-first parts fitted, it’s safe to say the Autowerks team haven’t held back.
First thing’s first, the performance. Being the same 4.0L twin-turbo V8 as found in the C8 RS6, there’s already plenty of knowledge floating around on the engine’s capabilities. With just under 650hp from the factory it’s no slouch, but throw the right hardware into the mix and that beast of an SUV will be transformed into a total monster.
That’s where CSF Radiators come into play. It’s one thing to increase boost and airflow with a turbo upgrade, but utilise this without the correct cooling and your engine’s potential is always going to be limited. On the flipside of that, simply cutting up a US$220,000+ car to incorporate larger coolers isn’t an option most owners are going to be too happy about. Time to engineer a solution…
CSF first released their Audi RS6/RS7 (C8) intercoolers last year (these units also fit the RSQ8 as well the new Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT), so the initial design and core dimensions could be carried over in order to improve the engine’s efficiency. But with a completely different packaging – right through to the bumper ducting and angle the coolers are mounted – the tricky part would be ensuring they lined up with all the OEM mounting points to create a true ‘drop-in’ design.
With physical space limited, how else do you improve an intercooler’s efficiency? Take a look at the black finish below. That’s not just for looks, even though it is suitably badass. It’s actually a special thermal rejection ceramic coating which disperses the heat by an extra 15% compared to a non-coated intercooler. This coating can only be applied by an aerospace coating company in California where CSF is based, and is specifically used for these kinds of premium upgrades.
Improved efficiency and capacity means even more power. That’s a win in itself, but the biggest benefit from the CSF x PWR Urus intercooler kit is its ability to recover (and fight off) heat-soak. Not only does it improve peak performance, but the coolers help the 4.0L V8 maintain a consistent power level run after run, even in hotter conditions. By comparison, the OEM intercoolers and the rate they deteriorate with heat-soak means that performance is compromised even during hard road use.
It all sounds very impressive, but what does that translate to for the Autowerks Urus? With cooling taken care of it means they were able to utilise a pair of TTE833 turbos from The Turbo Engineers, and once combined with a free-flowing exhaust system and ECU tuning, power is increased by almost 200hp over stock.
836.1hp is the magic number, but torque is also bumped up to 1,031Nm. Trust us when we say, this kind of power in a 2-tonne SUV doesn’t feel watered down in any way. It is savage all the way into license-losing speeds, and the V8 soundtrack builds drama with every RPM.
The power jump only tells half the story with this build. Because there’s nothing subtle about an 836hp Verde Mantis Urus anyway, why not raise the exterior to match too?
Unsurprisingly, there isn’t really an off-the-shelf bodykit for the Urus, so Autowerks turned to TopCar in order to create a bespoke, one-off bodykit combined with a camo green carbon hood. Autowerks lowering links bring the ride height down to sit perfectly over a set of HRE P111SC wheels for a truly menacing look.
Ironically, the Autowerks Urus not only blasts past the Performante edition in horsepower, but the TopCar aero pushes the styling way beyond even what Lamborghini can offer from their limited Performante model.
Whether performance SUVs are your thing or not, you do have to give credit to automakers like Lamborghini for their ability to push not only what’s acceptable with an SUV, but also for building a base that – even as a $220,000 model – still has room for tuning.
The fact there’s demand for these cars to even exist in 2022 is a mind-bending fact in itself. And with tuners already taking the 4.0L V8 engine past 1,000hp in other applications, it’s something we’ll only encourage more of.
So, with that in mind, what’s your take on the performance SUV industry? Let us know in the comments below…
