I used to have a 2006 Subaru STI. I loved that car, and its performance, capabilities, and usability will forever be stuck in my mind. The only weakness it had were its looks. A side effect of the drug, if you will. The wing was ridiculous, subject to constant ridicule. I didn't care, however, because the car was too damn fun. Well, Subaru may have something to satisfy both your eyes and adrenal glands. It's their new concept coupe dubbed the 216A.
Toyota and Subaru worked together to build the platform for Toyota's new FT-86 Concept, which is already being tested at the Nurburgring. I think some guys at Subaru saw the FT-86 and said, “That's not how ya build a coupe!” The result is the car here, the 216A concept. Paul Hogan from Crocodile Dundee sums it up, “That's not a knife. That's a knife.”
The base model from Subaru will have AWD and a 2.0 Liter turbo flat-four engine. No horsepower figures have been released, but based on the old WRX 2.0 engine we can expect it in the area of 230hp. Hopefully the U.S. market gets the torquey 2.5 liter from the current WRX. Subaru is also discussing an STI version of the 216A with lots of performance upgrades such as a 300hp 2.5L engine, diamond-strength 6-speed, adjustable diffs and Brembo brakes.
Despite the added muscle, the sibling cars looks alike. It's a 2 door coupe with a long hood, short rear deck, and an aggressive face. It's bolder than the FT-86 and a huge step up from the Impreza. The headlights and front fascia are different, with added flares in the fenders. It will be about 1 inch bigger all around, allowing the AWD to fit without distorting the overall look. This also makes the car almost the exact size of the Impreza, so parts carryover is a given. I can hear the tuners buzzing already.
The other change would be the price. The Subaru car will be about $5,000 more than the Toyota, due to the cost of the power-train, bringing it to about $30,000. It puts the cars in different markets, showing you just how safe car makers are being these days. The STI version would carry an extra premium.
I'm happy to say there's no reason this car wouldn't end up in showrooms. The Subaru 216A is a striking coupe with WRX muscles, and there's a demand for it. The number of affordable sports cars is like the fillet pan at a Circus Circus buffet --- not enough steaks to meet demand. Well Subaru just added one, so if you don't like how 350Zs taste you don't have to settle for a piece of Lancer chicken. As long as they don't bolt a 3 foot wing to the STI version...
Hey Cinderella, wanna race for pink slips? I win, I get your boyfriend's big house.
Earlier this year we brought you the scoop on Zele International's GTR: "Complete Edition" that was set to debut at the Tokyo Auto Salon in early 2009. Well apparently the reception was a warm one, because Zele is pulling out all the stops and is bringing it's company mascot, the R35 GTR, to SEMA 2009. Zele started life as a Skyline dealership in Yokohama, selling Skylines to Japanese and international customers for years. In 2007 they were accepted by NISMO as a business partner, an indication of their value to the Nissan world.With this partnership and the R35 arriving soon, the tide was right for Zele to show the world they knew more about Skylines than how to get you low APR financing. They decided the R35 would be the car that would showcase a talent for modifying, by building 8 exclusive GTRs called the "Complete Edition." They will be displaying this Carbon Fiber-clad warrior on the ENEOS performance motor oil stand. Like Jim Carry's eye-searingly brightly colored tux in Dumb and Dumber, this car will stand out at the party.
I stumbled upon the Zele GTR while looking for a tuner that wanted more from their GTR than big horsepower and a lower 0-60 time. Don't get me wrong, I love horsepower and neck-snapping acceleration but it seemed that's the only place people were putting in their time with this car. Everyone is so wrapped up in what the performance capabilities are that the outside is often overlooked. I think the most modified I've seen the outside of a GTR is a pair of painted side-skirts or the giant wing that Mines bolted on. It reminds me of my muscle car friends in high shool. You could have bought an old GTO with no doors, a pink hood, a Hello Kitty sticker the covered the entire roof, saggy suspension (That was me.) and a body in the trunk. But did you address these issues first? No. Second? Not likely. It wasn't until you had maxed-out the power that the laws of physics would allow before you would even notice there were other issues to attend to. So it seems is the case with the GTR. People are still track testing cars, unlocking ECUs, bolting in turbos, and screaming about the latest 0-60 time but without the stickers down the side and the rain of news from the blogosphere you couldn't tell the COBB GTR from the one sitting at the dealer. Everyone is so focused on performance numbers and dyno runs, they forget there's a whole car to tinker with.
That is not the case with the Zele GTR. They paid attention to every part of the car. If you're going to make a name for yourself with the GTR, you better stand out, and it does. It's parts list is longer than the P800 from Switzer we covered last month, but only 3 of those parts influence the horsepower. A Zele ECU raises the boost slightly, and a titanium turbo-back exhaust helps turbo spool and top end power. The result is a mild 550HP. In this day and age that number is practically a starting point for any high-end sports car but for Zele it's enough because they had other parts of the car to develop. For example, all of it. The list of carbon fiber parts is too long to list, so I'll put some of my favorites: the hood, roof, wing, rear diffuser and mirrors. There's at least 6 other trim pieces done in black carbon fiber. All the pieces were designed and developed by Zele themselves. They're a little different than your local Nissan dealership.
Next came the suspension, a Zele-designed kit that can be adjusted for ride-height. But they didn't just put a sticker on some Koni's and bolt them on, they did some serious testing. 3 different race tracks were used, in both wet and dry, to make sure the suspension was perfect. Next time I see a car commercial use the phrase "track-tuned" suspension I'm going Elvis Presley on my TV. With the suspension came a pair of Ray Volk Racing wheels, in a fantastic flat-black finish. Zele brake pads were installed for even more stopping power, and a pair of Recaro seats were wrapped in Alcantara and bolted in. To finish it off, Zele put on a coat of deep-orange paint that contrasts with the black Carbon Fiber perfectly. The color flattens some of the bulges on the GTR, and the shape seems to flow from end-to-end much better. It looks like they took an idea from the Superleggera design book, but executed it much better. The GTR has never been called gorgeous, but I think Zele built a stunning car, without clouding its identity. When I was in high school I bought a 1965 Pontiac Le Mans, that had a GTO's 400ci. V8 in it. Within days I had ordered long-tube headers, Flowmaster 40-series mufflers, and a new intake manifold with a Holley carburetor. I installed all of it in one night, and spent the following years annoying my neighbors and racing the other local hot-rodders. But every day the front tires scraped the fenders due to weak suspension and the rusty holes in the trunk grew til light came through. But I didn't care, because I was a 5 year old who liked loud cars, big noise, going fast, and damn the details.
But I was a kid.
As an adult I would build the entire car slowly and correctly until it was a car, not an engine with bits of metal dragging behind it. As much as I love anyone that shoves 1000hp under the hood of their car, if it doesn't have the brakes, suspension, and looks to match, it seems unfinished. The Zele GTR is a finished product. It is a complete car. It's horsepower may be less than cars from Mines, Switzer, or COBB but it looks like an individual. It won't get lost in a crowd, yet it's not an extra from Fast and Furious 8:Maximum Downforce. In a recent photo shoot for GTR-Bros. Magazine 6 tuners brought their new R35s; 4 of them were white. A different wing here, different wheels there, but it was like seeing 4 Emperor Penguins standing next to each other. They all look the same, even if they're wearing different hats. By comparison a Zele Penguin would have it's feathers dyed and i wearing running shoes, carbon fiber gloves, a hockey mask, and a jet-pack.
Zele's car is simply called "Complete Edition", and you know what? I like that. That's what is is. This is a car that's comparable to a TechArt Porsche, or a Hammann Ferrari. Not necessarily in price or horsepower, but in the idea to create an entire car and the execution of that goal. It has 550 horsepower, it will go 0-60 in under 4 seconds, and it will be a serious competitor when the road gets twisty, all while turning heads. There will be only 8 Complete Editions made, but at $200,000 each, there had better only be 8 of them. That's more than double the price of a stock GTR, and more than the upcoming Spec V. I don't know if I could swallow that price for a GTR, but I do commend Zele for doing what few tuners do, building a complete edition. I think this company will be one to watch.
Sharks are a formidable foe, often unseen until it's too late when they unleash their fury and force with devastating affect. And that image is perfect for a tuning company that has quietly been lurking in the community of Fresno, CA. For a few years SharkWerks swam under the radar, building custom exhaust systems and putting out short teaser videos to showcase their sound. Then they built some lethal Porsche turbos, including one for New York Giants receiver, and Super Bowl veteran, Amani Toomer. They did such a good job they are licensed to install parts from TechArt, Cargraphic, and Evolution Motorsports. So they were circling the auto world, just a fin coming up out of the water from time to time. But this summer they showed what they're all about by building a killer "bored and built" 3.9L 500 HP Porsche GT3RS.
The number "3.9" may not mean much to you yet, but "GT3RS" should ring a bell. In 1999 Porsche built a lightweight version of its Porsche 911 called the GT3. It was a car for the driving purist. You want a car that goes fast and turns well? That is exactly what it was, and nothing more. It came with no A/C, no stereo, no back seats, no BS. It came with a humble 355hp, but weighing only 3,000 pounds it was no slouch, hitting 60mph in 4.5 seconds. But the key was in the handling. It measured 1.03g on a skid-pad, a number that cars rarely achieve today no matter how Italian their parents are. Porsche then built the RS version of the GT3, using carbon fiber to save weight, changing the suspension a little and adding Carbon Ceramic brakes. That car was able to lap the Nurburgring in the same time as a Lamborghini LP670, which has a 300hp advantage and AWD. No wonder Jeremy Clarkson hates "the beetle" so much, it makes his favorite Italians look bad. And that was the old model.
It has only gotten better since then. Porsche was able to keep the weight the same, but packed on more power and better suspension. The 997 GT3 RS came with a naturally aspirated, 3.6 liter motor making 415 horsepower and 300 ft. lbs of torque. Make no mistake, this is a fast car. In 4 seconds flat you are passing 60 MPH and on your way to 193, keeping up with competitors from Italy, Germany, Japan and America.
SharkWerks didn't care. They don't care about how good it is, because they were fixated on how good it could be. They knew it was flawless in the corners, and it was damn fast, but couldn't shake the thought of that car with more power. So, in a building in quiet Fresno, CA, surrounded by 3 star hotels and strip malls with more coffee shops than stores, SharkWerks began to tear down a green 2010 Porsche 997 GT3 RS and build the ultimate driver's car.
SharkWerks has been building fast Porsches for awhile now, installing parts that come in boxes labeled; "TechArt", "Cargraphic" and "EVOMS." For this build they collaborated with Porsche tuning heavy weight Evolution Motorsports. SharkWerks wanted to make sure the essence of the car remained, something I tip my hat to. When you look at it, there's almost nothing to giveaway the fact that it's different than a stock lime green GT3 other than a tiny "3.9" sticker on the back. The loud exhaust might be a give away, but only to the trained ear. It's still a GT3RS. And they didn't want to go for easy power by bolting on a turbo or putting a silly blue bottle in, those would change the nature of the car.
The Porsche GT3 has always been a naturally aspirated screamer that uses high revs and higher compression to create its power. So how were they going to get the power? Well the saying goes, "There's no replacement for displacement." Generally you hear it from old-timers, or worse, V8 fan-boys trying to explain why a top-fuel dragster is a better car than an Evo. No matter how annoying the source of those words may be, they carry some truth. The GT3 engine is already high-strung, redlining at 8400RPM, so to get more power requires more volume. They bored the cylinders, and put in new pistons to raise compression to 13.5. They balanced the rotating assembly, used stronger head studs, and more aggressive cams. After the shiny bits were torqued down, they let the tuning gurus of Evolution Motorsport fine-tune the ECU.
I have to say, after watching the video below, my respect for EVOMS has only been reaffirmed. They ended up with 500 horsepower at the crank, matching or besting the power of those cars generally held on a higher pedestal than the Porsche 997 GT3. But they didn't just strive for maximum horsepower, they wanted a highly usable power-band with improvement throughout the rev range. Mission accomplished. They didn't lose any power or torque anywhere. The gains in the midrange, at 6000 RPM, were 58WHP/50Wtq. Up high, they went from 382WHP to 457. And after the power peaks at 7600RPM, you can bring the engine to an engine mount vibration-testing 8800RPM while only losing 8hp. Imagine being in a corner at 7000RPM and knowing you have plenty of room in the power-band to pull you out onto the next straight.
The evidence of how usable this power is lies in the video below. In a race against a stock GT3RS, the SharkWerks car quickly puts the distance of a city block between it and the factory car. It pulls hard through every gear, and a lightened flywheel allows the car to get into its power band quickly. This will help the car pull out of the corners, and as a bonus it will be easier to drive on the street. Throw in the sound of that flat-six howling through SharkWerks' own Cup-Spec exhaust, and this car moves up to its own pedestal. It has the handling other cars strive to replicate and the power to hang with the big kids on the straightaways before it out-brakes them in the corners. It's not a Great White, it's a Mako. Capable of lightning-quick direction changes and lethal bursts of speed. Imagine going to a track day and pulling behind some oblivious lawyer in his new silver (ohh how original!) 997 Turbo in this Kermit Green RS. You would give him a nibble when you out-braked him, and then chomp on his ego as you pulled away down the straight away, the wail of a high-strung NA engine haunting his dreams for weeks.
I think SharkWerks and Evolution Motorsports worked together to put out something phenomenal. A lot of companies say "We're taking it to the next level!" And like any juiced-up pro wrestler, they overdo things and destroy the essence of what was once a great car (I'm talking to you camo-covered Ferrari). A Porsche997 GT3 RS doesn't need to be lowered 2 more inches, given 1000HP, and painted with expensive paint made from the tears of baby seals. It's low enough, its paint is unique enough, and its hips are already mistaken for Kim Kardashians. SharkWerks did only what was necessary, and nothing more. Sure there's faster cars out there. But if you want to connect to the road at a level rarely experienced, and feel excitement every time you turn, brake, or accelerate, this is the car for you. It is a "driver's car" in every sense of the word.
Stock GT3RS vs. SharkWerks GT3RS:
NY Giants Receiver Amani Toomre's super smooth Stage 3 997TT:
One platform that consistently seems to get a lot of aftermarket attention is the Mercedes-Benz C-Class Sedan. In just the last couple of months we have seen the edo competition C63 AMG and the Avus Performance C63 AMG emerge and there are more variations on the horizon. But sometimes we forget about the company that first saw the potential in the C-Class sedan and set the bar so high that nobody has outdone them yet. The BRABUS Bullit Black Arrow was first unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in 2008 and is now available as a 2009 model. Using a run-of-the-mill C-Class, BRABUS employs "surgical precision" to install a 6.3-liter twin-turbo V12 engine capable of 730 horsepower and 974 lb-ft of torque. All of this power is delivered to the rear wheels using a five-speed auto transmission with a limited-slip differential set at 40 percent. The Black Arrow can reach 62 mph from a stop in 3.9 seconds and tops out at just over 225 mph. That's pretty amazing for a car that has a curb weight of 4,079.
In order to keep the BRABUS Bullit Black Arrow from getting airborne due to its Space Shuttle-like thrust capabilities, plenty of aerodynamic mods have been implemented using carbon fiber. A new front apron with large air ducts helps cool the radiator and front brakes and reduce front axle lift. A rear spoiler and new apron with integrated diffuser add additional downforce. The Bullit has a widened track to give it better directional stability and to house the large BRABUS Monoblock S light-alloy wheels in size 19x9.5J in front and 19x10J in rear. The car also gets a height-adjustable coil-over suspension with gas-pressure shocks that have selectable settings. The brakes feature large diameter vented and grooved discs with 12-piston aluminum calipers up front and 6-piston calipers in back.
Inside, the BRABUS Bullit Black Arrow gets all of the company's usual upgrades including hand-crafted leather interior uphostery and custom seats. Carbon-fiber components are located on the dashboard, center console and door panels. Aluminum pedals and shifter round out the look. MSRP is set as 348,000 Euros, which is $494,160 using today's exchange rate. This vehicle will have a very limited production and is available either in a super stealth black matte paint or metallic silver.
It used to be that everyone who was a sports car junkie wanted a high-performance coupe. And for a long time this was the consistent focus of aftermarket tuning manufacturers and the market segment where the majority of the OEMs offered their most powerful and agile cars. Don't get me wrong, this is still a strong category but the sport sedan market has been heating up over the last few years. Mercedes, Aston Martin, Porsche, Jaguar, Maserati (and soon Lamborghini) are all offering super sedans with tremendous performance and plenty of leg room for four or more passengers.
Even at the next level down, the luxury sport sedan market is booming, with BMW now offering the M3 as a sedan and touring cars like the Cadillac CTS-V juiced to ridiculous proportions. And, obviously, the tuners have taken notice as well. I'm really interested to see what other amazing creations emerge as aftermarket modifcation shops look to outdo one another by using more and more unlikely platforms to peddle their wares. After all, I never imagined there would be a 730 hp Mercedes C-Class Sedan. And yet here we have the BRABUS Bullit Black Arrow!
