TRD Spices up New Toyota Aqua / Prius C Hybrid with Sport Package in Japan

Toyota is losing no time in pushing out its aftermarket proposals for the all-new Aqua hybrid that will be marketed as the Prius C in markets outside of Japan and which will make its North American debut at the forthcoming Detroit Motor Show in January.

On the same day that the regular Aqua went on sale in its home market, Toyota's TRD racing and performance division announced a slew of tuning upgrades for the sub-compact hatchback.

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TRD Spices up New Toyota Aqua / Prius C Hybrid with Sport Package in Japan

Toyota is losing no time in pushing out its aftermarket proposals for the all-new Aqua hybrid that will be marketed as the Prius C in markets outside of Japan and which will make its North American debut at the forthcoming Detroit Motor Show in January.

On the same day that the regular Aqua went on sale in its home market, Toyota's TRD racing and performance division announced a slew of tuning upgrades for the sub-compact hatchback.

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Auto Avio Costruzioni Tunes Second Alfa 159, Battle with Ferrari Continues

If you are a frequent Carscoop reader, you may recall a story that we wrote in October about Laurent Muller, the man who bought the rights to the Auto Avio Costruzioni trademark in 2004.

Muller’s original goal was to build a supercar based on the Ferrari 430, but with a V12 engine instead of the production version’s eight-cylinder unit.

However, as soon as he announced his plans in 2008, Ferrari filed a lawsuit against him claiming that it still owned the rights to the Auto Avio Costruzioni name, as it was used by Enzo Ferrari for a short period after leaving Alfa Romeo and before founding the car company that carries his name.

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Auto Avio Costruzioni Tunes Second Alfa 159, Battle with Ferrari Continues

If you are a frequent Carscoop reader, you may recall a story that we wrote in October about Laurent Muller, the man who bought the rights to the Auto Avio Costruzioni trademark in 2004.

Muller’s original goal was to build a supercar based on the Ferrari 430, but with a V12 engine instead of the production version’s eight-cylinder unit.

However, as soon as he announced his plans in 2008, Ferrari filed a lawsuit against him claiming that it still owned the rights to the Auto Avio Costruzioni name, as it was used by Enzo Ferrari for a short period after leaving Alfa Romeo and before founding the car company that carries his name.

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ASMA Design Does its Aero Thing on the New Porsche Cayenne Turbo

It has been a while since we last heard from ASMA Design, a German tuning house known for its excessive styling creations such as the…unforgettable Phantasma CL Chrome and Shark II CLS.

For its latest tuning job, ASMA Design chose the second generation of the Porsche Cayenne in Turbo trim. Named "The Giant", the styling package turns Stuttgart's SUV into something that would fit right in a Fast & Furious movie.

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ASMA Design Does its Aero Thing on the New Porsche Cayenne Turbo

It has been a while since we last heard from ASMA Design, a German tuning house known for its excessive styling creations such as the…unforgettable Phantasma CL Chrome and Shark II CLS.

For its latest tuning job, ASMA Design chose the second generation of the Porsche Cayenne in Turbo trim. Named "The Giant", the styling package turns Stuttgart's SUV into something that would fit right in a Fast & Furious movie.

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Schmidt Revolution Upgrades VW Golf GTI MkV to 275-Horses

The fifth generation of the Volkswagen Golf GTI gave its place to a newer model in 2009, but the tuning industry still has a lot of love left for the car that rejuvenated the series after the mediocre Mk3 and Mk4 GTI's.

This tune comes courtesy of Germany's Schmidt Revolution, which has readied a package comprising of both performance and some cosmetic upgrades.

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Schmidt Revolution Upgrades VW Golf GTI MkV to 275-Horses

The fifth generation of the Volkswagen Golf GTI gave its place to a newer model in 2009, but the tuning industry still has a lot of love left for the car that rejuvenated the series after the mediocre Mk3 and Mk4 GTI's.

This tune comes courtesy of Germany's Schmidt Revolution, which has readied a package comprising of both performance and some cosmetic upgrades.

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It’s all About the Air: MR Car Design's Low Riding Volkswagen Caddy Maxi

Last year, Volkswagen presented a mild facelift for its compact-size Caddy series that includes a commercial variant and a passenger model, both of which are offered with a regular and a long wheelbase.

German tuning firm MR Car Design has introduced a new package for the LWB passenger variant, the highlight of which is an air suspension system for both the front and rear axles.

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It’s all About the Air: MR Car Design's Low Riding Volkswagen Caddy Maxi

Last year, Volkswagen presented a mild facelift for its compact-size Caddy series that includes a commercial variant and a passenger model, both of which are offered with a regular and a long wheelbase.

German tuning firm MR Car Design has introduced a new package for the LWB passenger variant, the highlight of which is an air suspension system for both the front and rear axles.

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Santa, Your Ride has Arrived: Hennessey's 2013 HPE800 Twin Turbo Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8

With a 6.4-liter HEMI V8 engine pushing 465-horses 465 lb-ft (630 Nm) of torque for 0 to 60 mph (96 km/h) sprint time of 4.8 seconds and a quarter mile time in the mid-13 second range, the regular 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 is one of the fastest production SUVs around.

But for Hennessey Performance Engineering [HPE], that's not enough. The Texas based tuner, known for its outrageously powerful tunes, has done it again with the introduction of the 2013 HPE800 Twin Turbo Jeep Grand Cherokee.

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Santa, Your Ride has Arrived: Hennessey's 2013 HPE800 Twin Turbo Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8

With a 6.4-liter HEMI V8 engine pushing 465-horses 465 lb-ft (630 Nm) of torque for 0 to 60 mph (96 km/h) sprint time of 4.8 seconds and a quarter mile time in the mid-13 second range, the regular 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 is one of the fastest production SUVs around.

But for Hennessey Performance Engineering [HPE], that's not enough. The Texas based tuner, known for its outrageously powerful tunes, has done it again with the introduction of the 2013 HPE800 Twin Turbo Jeep Grand Cherokee.

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Nissan Heads to 2012 Tokyo Auto Salon with 10 Models Including Skyline 55th Limited Edition

The 2012 edition of Japan's largest annual aftermarket event, the Tokyo Auto Salon, will see Nissan in cooperation with its in-house tuners Autech Japan and NISMO presenting 10 models, most of which we've already seen in previous shows such as the Juke NISMO Concept that was displayed at the Tokyo Motor Show earlier this month.

Nissan will showcase two models, the GT-R Pure Edition equipped with the right-hand drive only Track Pack and the JDM Skyline (sold in the rest if the world as the Infiniti G37) 55th Limited Edition, which commemorates the series' 55th anniversary and features bespoke aeroparts and a sportier chassis setup.

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Nissan Heads to 2012 Tokyo Auto Salon with 10 Models Including Skyline 55th Limited Edition

The 2012 edition of Japan's largest annual aftermarket event, the Tokyo Auto Salon, will see Nissan in cooperation with its in-house tuners Autech Japan and NISMO presenting 10 models, most of which we've already seen in previous shows such as the Juke NISMO Concept that was displayed at the Tokyo Motor Show earlier this month.

Nissan will showcase two models, the GT-R Pure Edition equipped with the right-hand drive only Track Pack and the JDM Skyline (sold in the rest if the world as the Infiniti G37) 55th Limited Edition, which commemorates the series' 55th anniversary and features bespoke aeroparts and a sportier chassis setup.

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Mazda to Launch Customized Versions of CX-5, Mazda3, RX-8, MX-5 et al at Tokyo Auto Salon

It may not have the same international flavor as the Tokyo Motor Show, but the Tokyo Auto Salon, which will take place in Chiba, Japan, from January 13 to 15, is nevertheless an event that will draw the attention of all Japanese car manufacturers.

Mazda was the first to announce its line-up for the auto salon, led by the new CX-5 that will be launched in Japan next spring. The new compact-size crossover will be shown in two versions: the standard model, and a customized special edition sporting red bodywork color, matte-black alloy wheels and a slightly lower ride height.

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Mazda to Launch Customized Versions of CX-5, Mazda3, RX-8, MX-5 et al at Tokyo Auto Salon

It may not have the same international flavor as the Tokyo Motor Show, but the Tokyo Auto Salon, which will take place in Chiba, Japan, from January 13 to 15, is nevertheless an event that will draw the attention of all Japanese car manufacturers.

Mazda was the first to announce its line-up for the auto salon, led by the new CX-5 that will be launched in Japan next spring. The new compact-size crossover will be shown in two versions: the standard model, and a customized special edition sporting red bodywork color, matte-black alloy wheels and a slightly lower ride height.

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Hulk Smash and Bash: 2012 BMW 5-Series M Sport Goes Chrome Green

Vinyl wraps can be had in all sorts of colors and designs, but while the majority of drivers usually select normal colors in metallic or matte shades, some owners gravitate towards extreme solutions.

And what could be more extreme than a chrome green wrap around a 2012 BMW M5 5-Series F10 sports saloon?

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Hulk Smash and Bash: 2012 BMW 5-Series M Sport Goes Chrome Green

Vinyl wraps can be had in all sorts of colors and designs, but while the majority of drivers usually select normal colors in metallic or matte shades, some owners gravitate towards extreme solutions.

And what could be more extreme than a chrome green wrap around a 2012 BMW M5 5-Series F10 sports saloon?

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Santa's Candy Cane Toyota Camry Packs 900-Candlepower, it Could be Yours for $1.7 Million…

It sounds and looks like an April Fool's Day joke, but the Candy Cane car is real and it's up for grabs on eBay.

But there's a small problem with this odd creation that's based on a 1991 Toyota Camry LE. It has a 'Buy it Now' price of...US$1.7 million or about €1.3 million if you live on the other side of the pond and it tickles your fancy instead of let's say, a Lamborghini Gallardo, a Ferrari FF, a Porsche Cayenne Turbo, a Rolls Royce Phantom and then some for a condo.

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Santa's Candy Cane Toyota Camry Packs 900-Candlepower, it Could be Yours for $1.7 Million…

It sounds and looks like an April Fool's Day joke, but the Candy Cane car is real and it's up for grabs on eBay.

But there's a small problem with this odd creation that's based on a 1991 Toyota Camry LE. It has a 'Buy it Now' price of...US$1.7 million or about €1.3 million if you live on the other side of the pond and it tickles your fancy instead of let's say, a Lamborghini Gallardo, a Ferrari FF, a Porsche Cayenne Turbo, a Rolls Royce Phantom and then some for a condo.

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