Prior Design Releases Widebody Kit for the E92 BMW 3-Series Coupe

German tuning firm Prior Design has unveiled a widebody kit for the E92 3-Series Coupe, which turns the bimmer into an M3 clone with a "hormonal disposition" [whatever that means...], for a base price of €2,999. While we're not sure about those "hormones", the exterior modifications look nice enough, so Prior's kit is definitely worth a look.

The body kit fits all E92 Coupes, except, of course, the genuine M3, and is a new development manufactured from Duraflex, "a very flexible and extremely stable material", according to the company.

Designers scrapped the old front bumper and fitted the car with a new piece featuring larger air intakes. They also changed the bonnet, but didn't go for the stock M3 look. Instead, they emulated the look of the M3 GT2 racecar's hood with integrated air vents.

Lowered side skirts continue the front's muscular look, alongside the widened wheel arches. At the back, you can find a new bumper complete with a diffuser, which can accommodate the M3 exhaust system and all E92 Coupe tailpipes, minus those found on the 335i. The latter can be opted with a specially designed stainless steel exhaust system, also mimicking the M3, priced at €1,499.

Furthermore, the body kit comes with boot-lid and roof spoilers, both of which are also available in carbon fiber.

An adjustable KW coil-over kit that lowers the car's ride height for a more aggressive stance, rounds off the package.

By Csaba Daradics

Prices:

• Widebody body kit: from EUR 2,999.-
• Bonnet: EUR 1,390.-
• Rear spoiler: EUR 299.-
• Roof spoiler: EUR 299.-
• Front spoiler lip: EUR 449.-
• M3 style exhaust system: EUR 1,499.-
• Assembly and paintwork: Price on application

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Super Green: The New Wave Of Environmentally Conscious Exotic Supercars

It's not that easy being green, least of all if you're a builder of exotic, high performance supercars or uberluxury sedans. Recently however, there has been a move towards improving fuel economy and reducing emissions by many of the world's biggest and most well known luxury and performance brands.

Take Ferrari's stop-start equipped California HELE or Mercedes-Benz's SLS AMG E-Cell concept, for instance. And there's more on the horizon, including the plug-in hybrid 918 Spyder from Porsche and BMW's Vision EfficientDynamics, the latter of which allegedly will offer M3 performance with a CO2 emissions rating of just 99 grams per kilometer.

And it's not just these four who are in it for the environmental crowd cred: other makers including Lotus, Audi, Lamborghini, Jaguar and Bentley are also looking to green up their model ranges.

This comes as no surprise to Christoph Stuermer, an analyst at IHS Automotive in Frankfurt:

"These upper-end, high-performance cars have always been examples of the best car technology out here, and being green is now part of being technologically advanced They have to come up with something so as not to be seen as technical dinosaurs."

Enrico Galliera, the commercial and marketing senior VP at Ferrari, agrees that it's definitely something that the company's customers are all for:

"When you consider buying a Ferrari, you're considering it for the performance. At the same time, when we approached customers and said, 'Here's a way you can still have that and be greener,' the reaction was extremely positive."

So there you have it. Now you can have your cake and eat it too, though you'll have to pay for the cake part first. And with prices around €180,000 (US$252,376) for the California HELE and an expected €500,000 (US$682,260) for the 918 Spyder that is one expensive, green frosted cake.

PS: Metaphors aren't my strong point...

By Tristan Hankins

Via: WSJ

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Bugatti Veyron Replica Crafted from BMW 6-Series Coupe [Video]

Discovered by one of our regulars on Youtube is this walk-around video of a Bugatti Veyron replica. Even though we've seen a ton of Ferrari and Lamborghini replicas, for some reason, the VW Group's flagship supercar hasn't been a hit among enthusiasts of the sort, so it's not very often that we stumble upon generic Veyrons.

The poster of the video claims that this faux Bugatti is based on the BMW 6-Series Coupe. While we can't be 100 per cent sure about the claim due to the low quality of the video, the interior of the replica does indeed look like its sourced from the Bavarian model. Watch the video right after the jump.

Hat tip to Ed!

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Hamann Presents the BMW X5 Flash Evo M with up to 670HP

With 555 hp on tap, the stock BMW X5 M has enough power for most mortals, but Hamann disagrees, hence the birth of the Flash Evo M. Featuring an aggressive bodykit, the German tuner's version of the X5 M can be specified with one of two engines upgrades, delivering up to 670 hp, 22 or 23-inch alloys, tweaked suspension bits and bigger brakes. Various interior appointments are also available.

To improve the SAV's looks, Hamann designers used a new front spoiler, which can be fitted with two or four strips of LED daytime running lights, a carbon fiber bonnet, with additional vents for cooling the engine, and lowered side sills, connecting the massive fender extensions.

Engineers quickly ditched the standard exhaust and opted for two, centrally mounted tailpipes, integrated into the diffuser. Other exterior modifications include an equally aggressive rear spoiler and a roof spoiler (also made of carbon fiber), which increases downforce and improves stability at high speeds.

Buyers can choose between 22- and 23-inch wheels, but Hamann thinks you should take the bigger set claiming it gives the car "a truly sporty appearance".

Two power upgrades are offered, the first of which optimizes the ECU by removing the factory-installed 250 km/h (155 mph) speed-restriction and increases power to 610 hp and 780 Nm (575 lb-ft).

For those who think that more is better, Hamann supplies the HM 670 kit, which, besides the ECU tweak, comes with a sports muffler and catalysts. In this case, peak power is 670 hp, accompanied by 950 Nm (701 lb-ft) of torque, constant between 1,500 and 5,650 rpm. According to Hamann, the Flash Evo M can reach a top speed of 300 km/h (or 186 mph).

A sports suspension kit that lowers the ride height by 30 mm and larger brakes (405 mm front and 340 mm rear discs with 6- and 4-pot calipers, respectively) round off the performance upgrades.

Inside, there's a Hamann sport steering wheel as well as a modified speedometer, which maxes out at 320 km/h (199 mph). As with every Hamann-tuned vehicle, there many additional options, like special leather for the seats, combined with Alcantara, carbon fiber panels, aluminum pedals and stainless steel sill plates with illuminated Hamann logos.

By Csaba Daradics

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