modification drag racing, drag racing concept, new modifications

Rumors have been swirling for months about what BMW would do on August 26, 2009 for its Mini brand. After all, that is the fiftieth anniversary of the public debut of Alec Issigonis' original Mini. With most of the speculation revolving around either a coupe or some kind of cropped windshield speedster, it turns out the reality was somewhere in between. Unlike the original coupe of the Sixties that simply had a fastback replacement for the standard square-back roof, the new MINI Coupé Concept completely replaces everything from the beltline up. The upright windshield that has been part of the Mini look from day one is finally swept back and a truncated roof covers the remaining two seats.

All pretenses of being a four seater has finally been dispensed with for the new coupe. The shape of the roof indicates that should Mini move ahead with production, and it could easily be replaced by a folding fabric unit to create the anticipated speedster model. What's more, dumping the rear seats means Mini could theoretically add a hefty brace back there restoring some of the structural integrity lost in the standard convertible, or perhaps restore some cargo room as compared to the Cabrio. At this point, it's unknown if those B-pillars are are tinted glass or just big solid blind spots, but visually, the lower half of the car remains pretty standard R56 John Cooper Works.

Although we don't have images of the interior yet, it sounds like it's largely standard Mini, although there are two clocks hanging off the sides of the steering column mounted tachometer much like the so-called Openometer in the convertible. One tells time while the other is a stopwatch for recording laps. The MINI Coupé Concept will be shown publicly at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month alongside the production version of the new Crossover.

Looks like Maserati is getting into some territory usually reserved for the customizers when it unveiled a new special edition at the Bologna Auto Show, the MC Sport Line. Starting with a GranTurismo S, Maserati adds front and rear carbon-fiber spoilers, side skirts with a matte black central panel, carbon fiber mirror housings and exterior door handles, and glossy black 20" wheel rims.



Maserati also added performance enhancing elements. The suspension has been upgraded to stiffer springs, shock absorbers and anti-roll bars. There’s also new software for Maserati’s Stability Program, which the company says allows the driver "more freedom".

Because this comes directly from Maserati everything is done in good taste. This makes it a much harder sell for some of the custom jobs out there. Although this MC Sport Line is based on the GranTurismo S, Maserati says it will bring the Sport Line features to the GranTurismo and then the entire Maserati line-up in 2009.

More pics ---> Top Speed

Lotus Motor Company released its Exige Cup 260 for the 2008 model year to terrorize much larger and more pricier cars on race tracks around the world. For 2009, the British automaker has spiced things up by adding lightness in the marque's grand tradition. Weight drops by over 80 pounds this year to just under a ton thanks to carbon fiber. Fit with a 257-horsepower 1.8-liter Toyota (Tuned Celica Engine) air force fed through an intercooler by an Eaton M62 supercharger, the '09 Exige Cup 260 should hit 60 mph in less than 4 seconds. Electronic goodies such as launch control combined with variable traction control, plus 40 kilograms of downforce at 100 mph, do their best to keep the car planted on the track.

MTM has been tuning  Audis for more than 20 years, and they have put that experience into developing a new twin-screw supercharger system that pairs up to the 4.2-liter V8 in the Audi R8. The addition of forced induction brings a total output of 552 hp, coincidentally matching the output of the R8's cousin, the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4. In addition to the supercharger kit, MTM also offers a complete line of products for the R8 including brake upgrades, 20" forged wheels, high-flow exhaust system, and a variety of exterior style upgrades.

Saab may have stagnated into GM-branded middle-of-the-roadness in recent years, but when the engineers from Trollhatten are left to their own devices, they can still come up with some pretty nifty technology.

Like this, the 9-X Air Concept. Forget the standard Saab concept face and eminently sensible 1.4-litre turbocharged engine (E85 powered, naturally) and take a look at that roof instead.

The Air Concept is, essentially, Saab's guess at what the next-gen 9-3 convertible will look like when it goes on sale around 2013, and it features a very cool folding soft-top roof.

There's a two-piece fabric cover with a solid glass rear screen, which descends when the roof is folded back and then raises back up to cut out turbulence in the cabin.

Shunning a fashionable folding hard top is good news for weight, while a glass screen eliminates the need for one of those huge cumbersome deflector-thingies that fit over the rear seat. Neat, eh?

Saab reckons the added lightness should allow the Air Concept to hit 60mph in just over eight seconds while returning a healthy 107g/km of CO2.

We'll get to fiddle with the Air Concept's clever roof at the Paris show early next month, if the Saab engineers let us near it...

With the Ford Kuga, the Cologne-based automobile manufacturer once again presents a car from a still booming vehicle class: a compact SUV. The Ford Kuga is an emotionally and technically perfected vehicle which can now even be further enhanced by the exclusive Wolf styling programme. The Ford specialist already devised a power enhancement which improves the serial performance from a standard 136 hp with 320 Nm to 158 hp with 375 Nm. The (German) retail price is 795 euros. The Wolf Race rims measuring 9 x 20“ ET40 in a silver design with high-grade steel lining of the outer rim are not only elegant, but also sportive. The set comes with 275/30 R20 Pirelli tyres. The overall price for the light alloy rim set by Wolf is 2,850 euros (Germany). The Wolf sport springs which lower the car by 40 mm render optimal road holding and can be obtained at any Ford dealer or directly at the company Wolf Racing Neuenstein GmbH & Co. KG for 199 euros (Germany).

The light alloy rim programme for the Ford Kuga is also available in the measures 8,5 x 18“ and 8,5 x 19“. The light alloy rims which were exclusively developed by Wolf stand out by their lower weight compared to the serial rims. This does not only reduce the unsprung masses and renders more comfort, it also minimises the fuel consumption, as every additional and unnecessary load leads to a higher total weight and therefore also to a higher fuel consumption. The light alloy rim programme by Wolf is available in various surface finishes. The complete Wolf styling programme can be directly ordered from Wolf Racing, Neuenstein or from your local Ford dealer.