So a few days ago we brought you the first pictures of Wald Toyota Prius Sport Line body kit, revealed after months of anticipation. Now we have a few live photos of the car showcasing it in the flesh, giving you a better idea hot the thing looks in real life.

We know that we liked Wald Toyota Prius when we saw it in the tuner’s official photos. But we have to say that in the light of day the car looks just too peculiar and, well, rather ungainly. You can tell how hard Wald has tried here to make the Prius sportier and more fun. But you can also tell they have failed in that effort.

Still, if what you want is stand out in public, then Wald Toyota Prius body kit is just the thing for you. The package includes an add-on chin spoiler complete with aero lip and side flaps, custom side skirts, rear apron with integrated diffuser insert and tailpipes, and a tailgate wing.

This car here is also slammed on air suspension and fitted with Wald wheels, but you don’t have to order them. In fact Wald offers these parts individually, which we suppose is a way to make the Prius even weirder.

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To be honest with you we are posting these photos here because we like the girl featured in them. But the car itself is also an icon of blue collar performance worthy of your attention and respect. It’s a 2003 Mitsubishi Evo 8, in this case heavily customized with all sorts of aftermarket goodies.

While the Lancer still lives on, Mitsubishi is not keen on giving us a new Evo, which is sad because this thing used to the ultimate dream of every speed freak who couldn’t afford any of the big bucks, big power super cars. What’s more, the rivalry between the Evo and Subaru’s Impreza WRX was one of the most exciting in the car world. But sadly the Evo proud a marketing burden for the struggling Japanese company.

Anyway, this unique 2003 Mitsubishi Evo 8 we have here is a pretty awesome thing, finished in a bespoke color and fitted with a carbon fiber aero kit with front and rear spoiler, side skirts, and flared arches. The car is equipped with adjustable Cup suspension complete with a set of Japan Racing Wheels. These upgrades were necessary to cope with what’s under the boet.

The four-cylinder turbo engine in this Mitsubishi Evo 8 is boosted with a new HKS turbo unit, AMS Performance heat exchanger, Walbro fuel pump, HKS dump valve, Bey’s Design UK and… the result is an output of around 380 horsepower. Oh, and the girl is called Lenka Silièvich in case you want to look her up.

Photos by Julien Morin Photographie

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Nimrod is probably one of the most hated exotic car tuners on account of the godawful things they do to Ferraris and Lamborghinis. One of their latest creations is the Ferrari 488 GTB Nimrod LeMans and although we thought nobody would ever buy such a thing, one has been spotted on the streets of Budapest.

Nimrod Luxury Cars has a special way of doing things and peculiar ideas as to what makes a car cool. Their body kits are uecessarily massive and feature way too much details. And they are not good details; almost none of them are easy on the eyes. In the case of Ferrari 488 GTB Nimrod LeMans, unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show a while back, the worst parts are the nose cone and the side vents. Mind you, the owner of this particular one has not helped things by painting on it sky blue accents. Just about the only part of this car we don’t find objectionable is the rear wing arrangement, but we reckon that’s a copy of some other tuner’s work.

When you read how Nimrod themselves describe the limited edition Ferrari 488 GTB Nimrod LeMans you get a better idea why it looks the way it does: “With this car we created a classic speciality with which we intend to bow before the deservedly famous 24 Hours of Le Mans. In NIMROD LeMans you can find everything for which you like a car. It provides strength and confidence, yet the joyful driving capabilities capture you imperceptibly. With the LeMans we created a car possessing the duplicity of mankind. It is a little bit of a hedonist, a little bit of an exhibitionist, yet is as reliable as a true companion.”

Photos by Dániel Balogh via Gumbal

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Not that the new Mercedes-AMG C63 sedan is a bad looking car, but there is no denying it could do with a little bit of cosmetic upgrade. That’s where MEC Design comes in, fitting the sports sedan with a set of their unique CCd10 rims, and just like that the German car becomes a lot more handsome than before.

MEC Design Mercedes-AMG C63 S-model gets in this treatment a set of CCd10 alloy wheels, in sizes 9×20 inch up front and 11×20 inch out back, from the meCCon series. The chosen finish here is “luxury grey” with ier and outer lips in gloss black. The rims are shod with 245 and 295 tires respectively.

Besides the wheels, MEC has also equipped this Mercedes-AMG C63 with their renowned Stainless Steel OEM muffler sound version “Apocalypse” and MEC sport springs which is why it sits so nicely on those wheels. The exhaust was enough of a mod for the engine which in standard S guise is pretty potent with 510 horsepower.

These few mods are enough to not only make the C63 AMG look better, but also make the driving experience more enjoyable. If you want anything more substantial you need to look at other tuners, namely Brabus.

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The BBC is breaking out the big guns, literally, to create more hype for the debut of the new Top Gear which is set to retu to British television on May 29, 2016. They have brought back a Clarkson-era publicity gimmick, the nine-meter (30 feet) long Big Stig statue and erected it in London at the BBC’s New Broadcasting House.

The Big Stig was commissioned last year to promote BBC Brit, a network of the broadcasting company for the Polish people. Now this massive thing has been brought back to London where it was first created during a two month operation and has found a new home at a prominent place, leaving the onlooker in no doubt as to the purpose. If this can’t boost the new Top Gear’s ratings, nothing can.

Too bad Clarkson and Wilman didn’t trademark The Stig so they could take him with them to the new Amazon Prime show, the Grand Tour. This tame racing driver was a brainchild of Jeremy who named him after an old classmate of his. It was also Jezza’s idea for the Stig to be mute, with the reason being, according to Clarkson, that racing drivers have tiny brains and nobody cares what they say.

So will this relic of the old Top Gear will be enough to save the new one? If the reaction of the fans on the social media is anything to go by, the answer is a resounding no.

Via Top Gear

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The launch of the new DB11 may have made the DB9 and all its variants, including the DBS, obsolete, but that’s actually good news for those who always fancied one by couldn’t afford it. Prices are plummeting on the outgoing model, and that means you can now have a pristine special edition like this Aston Martin DBS Carbon Black edition for €174,500 (originally €257,912).

On sale at Hoefnagels showroom in the Netherlands, this 2011 Aston Martin DBS Carbon Black is in tiptop shape even though it has done 54,000 kilometers. What sets this model apart is, of course, the special treatment that comes with the Carbon Black edition, including a special paint job that consists of seven layers of paint together with a 25 hour hand flat-and-polish finish for a unique glossy shine.

Other highlights of Aston Martin DBS Carbon Black include 10-spoke gloss black diamond tued wheels with a reversed diamond tued, black brake calipers, carbon fibre mirror heads, carbon rear lamp in-fills and smoked rear lights, obsidian black semi-aniline leather, quilted leather headliner, carbon fibre facia with a carbon weave that has been positioned exactly to follow the form of the dashboard, and a special edition plaque.

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Kahn Design’s first coach-built Aston Martin DB9, better known as the Kahn Vengeance DB9, enjoyed a successful event at the Top Marques Monaco a few weeks ago. But the real treat for the fans was seeing this car out and about on the streets of the Principality.

With its bespoke body and weird wheels, not to mention cool paint job, Kahn Vengeance DB9 is an absolute stuer and a much more appropriate homage to the late DB9 than what Aston themselves came up with. The thing is though, an exquisite car like doesn’t feel at home just anywhere, which is probably why Kahn held on until they could shoot the car with Monte Carlo as the backdrop. The scenery brings out the really beauty of this car.

As for the technicalities, Kahn Vengeance DB9 is based on a pretty much stock DB9 chassis and gets the same V12 engine as well. Some of the highlights include a composite front bumper, a carbon fibre front splitter, a billet aluminium grille and 21” rear and 20” front wheels, as well as a custom interior which will be bespoke to the individual who orders this built-to-order car. The Vengeance is more of a cruiser, a posemobile, rather than a V12 thoroughbred. It’s a good job then they didn’t base it upon the DBS.

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Volvo has dropped the first photos of a couple of new compact concept cars which they say preview the company’s future “premium small cars.” Volvo 40 Series concepts, neatly called 40.1 and 40.2, will eventually be tued into production models called, according to their body styles, the new V40, S40 and XC40.

Based on the nomenclature currently used by Volvo the V40 would be the wagon, the S40 the sedan, and the XC40 the crossover/compact SUV model. These models would slot below the 60 Series and boast styling cues from these 40 Series concepts you see here.

To be built on the firm’s new Compact Modular Architecture (CMA), Volvo 40 Series will be at the forefront of the Swedish car maker’s effort in electrification of their range with the ultimate goal of selling up to one million electrified cars by 2025 globally. The 40’s range will include a pure-battery electric vehicle as well as Twin Engine plug-in hybrid powertrain variants.

“The new 40 series cars have the potential to improve our market penetration in an important growing segment,” said Håkan Samuelsson, President and Chief Executive of Volvo Cars. “An electric powertrain program, including both a new compact Twin Engine plug-in hybrid as well as a pure electric car, are central to the CMA architecture.” He added that the first new 40 series car is expected to go into production in 2017.

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Even though they have only made like six Koenigsegg One:1 and all of them are sold, the Swedish “Megacar” maker is adamant their Nurgburgring escapades in this car is purely for testing reason and they have no interest in any lap records. Right, so they are testing a car that’s already sold out and out of production…

Of course, they can tell you they are using the Koenigsegg One:1 as a test bed for the next ultra-hot megacar, but it takes no genius to see that in doing so they are also guing for a lap record at the Green Hell. We reckon they are not openly admitting it because the records haven’t been particularly brilliant so far. If they manage to set a remarkable time we’re going to be hearing about it day and night.

At any rate, you don’t need an excuse to enjoy the sights and sounds of the magnificent One:1 tackling the world’s most fearsome race track:

Video by CvdZijden

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Brabus cars are too exclusive to be a regular sight out in the wild. That is why the video you are about to see is kind of a big deal as it offers ten minutes worth uninterrupted look at the new Brabus Mercedes-AMG C63 650, which is the hottest tuned version of this sports sedan in the world right now.

In this video you get to walk around the Brabus Mercedes-AMG C63 650 as it gets unloaded from the delivery truck and listen to its superb exhaust noise:

Brabus Mercedes-AMG C63 650 comes with a custom aero kit which in true Brabus style is rather discreet and understated. It includes a front spoiler lip with complete with air intake surrounds in carbon, side skirts, rear diffuser insert with cutouts for Brabus tailpipes, and boot lid spoiler. There is also a set of Brabus Moboblock wheels supported by uprated suspension and brakes. The latter mods were a must considering the car packs an extra 140 horsepower compared to the stock model.

Video by Gumbal TV

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Novitec Torado’s styling kit for the regular Lamborghini Aventador proved hugely popular. Tuners all over the world, from Singapore to South Africa to America, put it on their Lambos and made a lot of money because of it. Now the Italian tuner has given the same treatment to the SuperVeloce (SV) version.

It makes perfect sense to have this superb kit on the SuperVeloce, seeing as it is the high-performance, meaner, more aggressive and overall more badass version. Mind you, because of the Super Veloce’s iate aggressiveness Novitec Torado Lamborghini Aventador SV kit look a little bit tamer than it did on the standard version. The car is already mad enough. What the kit does is put that fact in perspective.

Novitec Torado Lamborghini Aventador SV body kit adds to the standard package larger grille surrounds and a spoiler lip at the front, the tuner’s iconic side skirts, and a revised rear apron with an even taller wing than usual. Obviously, all these components are made from top-notch carbon fiber. This time instead of employing their wheels Novitec has gone for a set of gunmetal Vossen wheels which, to be frank, look a lot better.

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To showcase what they can do to improve the looks of your S-Cabrio, Brabus has released pictures of a S63 sporting their Monoblock wheels. This is of course only a smart part of a thorough package for Brabus Mercedes S-Class Cabrio. There are countless other mods you can order.

Those mods begin with a carbon fiber aero kit which sits on the original bumpers and panels and give the car a lot more attitude while improving its aerodynamic efficiency, a custom interior bespoke to the owner with the finest leather and Alcantara known to man as well as carbon or wooden trims, suspension and brake upgrades, and engine treatments with up to 850 horsepower.

But if you fancy none of those things and just want a simple change with profound effect, the Monoblock rims for Brabus Mercedes S-Class Cabrio, available up to 22 inch in size, are what you need. They give you most of that cool and desirable Brabus look every Mercedes owner is after without giving your bank account a heart attack. That said, if you are having your Merc modified by Brabus, you should go all the way and get a full 850 treatment.

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Since it was first introduced, we have seen the unique Wald Maserati Ghibli Black Bison in a number of different flavors. The latest is vanilla, and it’s put together by Phantom Motorsports using a little bit of help from the boys at Forgiato Wheels.

As you would expect, the end result is eye-catching though not very classy. We are a big fan of Black Bison kits, but the one designed for Wald Maserati Ghibli looks rather cheap to be honest, like those amateurish jobs you see on Civics and Saxos at local tuning shows.

That is not to say Wald Maserati Ghibli should be ignored altogether. The kit does have some redeeming features, such as those nice side skirts which enhance the stance of the car and create a spectacular side profile view. The issues are mainly with the front and rear aprons, but if you get your Ghibli black, they probably won’t show as much.

This vanilla white Ghibli makes its Wald Inteational treatment look a bit more conspicuous than its creators intended, and makes it really pop by employing those gloss black Forgiato rims backed by red brake calipers. Well, as long as you look at it dead side on you’ll be alright!

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This has to be the world’s first proper custom Porsche 918 Spyder. We’ve had 918s with unique wraps before, and we’ve had some with aftermarket wheels. But this one-of-a-kind Matte Black Porsche 918 Martini with HRE wheels is the first one to unite these substantial mods on the same car.

Not only that, this car is significant as it is almost certainly the only Martini-liveried 918 in the whole world where the body and stripes are all finished in matte black. In fact, you have to look at it for a while to realize this bad boy has the Martini treatment at all. Now, some may find this peculiar understatedness very cool, while other may think it sort of spoils the point of having those stripes in the first place.

At any rate, you caot deny this Matte Black Porsche 918 Martini looks super aggressive. But the owner’s quest to give his car a unique look was not done here. After having a few sips of the real Black Martini, he tasked Imola Motorsports to also fit the car with a set of high-end custom wheels, and they went for HRE P103 with a cool titanium finish which is the perfect complement for the dark theme that prevails here. These rims look miles better than what you get with the stock 918.

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Freeskier, car fanatic, and part-time mad man Jon Olsson has recently done a new stunt he would like to share with you. This time he’s taken a custom Lamborghini Murcielago to the top of a glacier because he wanted to know how fun it is exactly to drive a super car on such slopes. Tus out it’s very, very fun.

Now, Jon Olsson has driven cars on ski resorts before. But what sets this stunt aside from the previous efforts is, for one thing, the glacier thing which made the whole thing more exciting, and also the car itself.

The Lamborghini Murcielago Olsson took to the slopes is a 640 horsepower rear-wheel-drive converted mode with custom wheels and 16mm spikes on the tires. Now why would he convert the Lambo from all-wheel to rear-wheel-drive if he wanted to drive it on snow and ice? Well, the simple answer is the Murci simply had too much grip. Omitting one of the diffs didn’t quite eliminated that, but it made the car more easy to toss around.

Jon commented: “I had so much grip I could just drive around anywhere I wanted and take as many runs as the gas tank allowed me to do! So after weeks of plaing and waiting we finally got the day we wanted! So happy that it worked out and we managed to leave with the car in one piece!”

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Infiniti aounced the pricing and specs of the new 2016 Infiniti Q50 3.0t models, a range consisting of four cars each powered by the firm’s all-new 300-horsepower 3.0-liter V6 twin turbo engine. Prices for this sporty new Q50 start at $39,900 for the rear- and $41,900 for the all-wheel-drive version.

While quite like the idea of a twin-turbo V6, we have to the power output Infiniti’s unit delivers is hardly impressive. These days with a displacement of three liters and two turbochargers you can get loads more horsepower than 300. Heck, you get that much these days from a turbo four-pot. But hey, Infiniti says they have also priced the 3.0t like a four-cylinder model.

They say that, but a fully-loaded Infiniti Q50 3.0t in Sport trim and with all-wheel-drive will set you back $45,900. You can knock two grand off that price by omitting the AWD and four grand by stepping down to the Premium trim level. You can do without the all-wheel-drive, but it is highly recommended to get your 3.0t in Sport trim because that where all the good stuff is.

2016 Infiniti Q50 3.0t Sport comes with updated Direct Adaptive Steering system and driver-selectable Dynamic Digital Suspension, sport styled front fascia, 19-inch sport wheels, larger sport brakes, leather-appointed sport seats, aluminum-accented pedals and solid magnesium paddle shifters.

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There is no doubt the new Ford GT super car is one of the coolest and most exciting cars to be launched over the next couple of years. But when you dissect it to its components, this symbol of sexiness is actually a pretty geeky piece of kit made by people with round glasses, turtleneck sweaters, and, most likely, allergies. And nowhere it shows more than in the construction of the car’s carbon fiber wheels.

An optional extra on the new Ford GT, the carbon fiber wheels improve the drive and handling characteristics of the car by reducing the unsprung weight per wheel. It’s only 1kg less per wheel than a regular set of rims, but apparently that makes a big difference, reducing inertia by 25 percent. While we wouldn’t want to go out with the man who has calculated that, we appreciate his efforts.

The carbon fiber wheels for Ford GT are made in partnership with Carbon Revolution, known to you as an aftermarket specialist, constructed with the latest generation of fiber and resin technology that permits greater design flexibility. They come in two finishes of matte or glossy clearcoat which puts the carbon weave on display for everyone to see. They would look seriously uncool on a regular car, but on a futuristic looking thing like GT, they’ll probably work.

Dave Pericak, Ford Performance global director, said: “Ford GT will offer the next generation in carbon fibre wheels, with an advanced resin and fibre technology that gives our designers more freedom, while also showcasing the structure of the material’s weave.”

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Marking the end of production for the current version of the Phantom Coupe and Drophead Coupe, Rolls-Royce has come up with a new special edition series. Pitched as the ultimate expression of these models, the Rolls-Royce Phantom Zenith Collection is loaded with Bespoke features and has a limited production run.

They are making only 50 Rolls-Royce Phantom Zenith Collection models, each one already spoken for and customized and personalized by its “cooisseur customer.” You will still be able to buy one through third party dealers, but you will have pay a healthy premium. It seems to be worth it though, on account of the features these special models come with.

As the piacle of luxury and style, Rolls-Royce Phantom Zenith Collection boasts a number of exclusive features such as a glass shelf, housed within the rear section of the tailgate, which is perfect for serving Champagne, complete with a fridge to chill the spirit, two standard bottles and eight Rolls-Royce glasses. The tailgate itself is covered in padded leather so your rich bum is nicely cuddled.

The Zenith models also come with Rolls-Royce Picnic Hamper featuring accessories and picnic paraphealia, personalized to match the materials and colour palette of the customer, a brushed steel steering wheel, Starlight Headliner, and an elaborate numbered plaque signifying the car’s high status as one of the last Phantom Coupe or Drophead. In personalizing the interior customer can draw on RR’s rich special edition portfolio, mixing for instance the Aviator Collection trims with Wraith’s accents and details.

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It is common knowledge that a matte paint is generally cooler than a metallic or solid finish of the any given shade. That is doubly true in the case of the color grey, on the evidence of this magnificent Matt Grigio Lamborghini Huracan.

Matt Grigio is of course Lambo’s fancy phrase for good old matte grey, but even the name exudes coolness and prestige. This color suits the Huracan like a tailored suit fits Brad Pitt. The man looks handsome no matter what he wears, but in a tailored Armani he becomes somewhat of a sex symbol. That’s the case with our Matt Grigio Lamborghini Huracan here. The car looks amazing in any color you can imagine. But in this, it becomes the stuff of dreams:

Via Car & Car

Lamborghini Huracan Technical Highlights

Mechanicals

Frame: hybrid aluminum/carbon fiber

Body: Outer skin made from aluminum, and composite material.

Suspension: Aluminum double-wishbone suspension

Brakes: Hydraulic dual-circuit brake system with vacuum brake servo unit, six-piston calipers at the front, four-piston calipers at the rear

Type of transmission: All-wheel drive with electrohydraulic multi-plate clutch.

Clutch: 7-speed LDF dual-clutch transmission, shift characteristics variable via Drive Select Mode

Engine

Type: V10 90° IDS, 40 valves

Displacement: 5,204 cm³ (317.6 cu.in.)

Bore and stroke: Ø 84,5 mm x 92,8 mm

Compression ratio: 12.7 : 1

Maximum power: 610 CV (449 kW) @ 8,250 RPM

Maximum torque: 560 Nm (412 lbft) @ 6,500 RPM

Performance

Top speed: >325 km/h (>202 mph)

Acceleration 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph): 3.2 s

Acceleration 0-200 km/h (0-124 mph): 9.9 s

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Eccentric Japanese tuner Office-K has got their hands on their first Tesla Model S and, uncharacteristically, decided to take it slow and begin with a light treatment. So OFK Model S receives for now jus a set of wheels. But they are no ordinary wheels.

The wheels on this Office-K Tesla Model S are Forgiato INSETTO-ECL rims with a polished face and gloss black windows. Normally, OFK would have painted those windows in some ridiculous color like candy red or shiny gold. But seeing as the car in question here is quite a classy one they went with dignified black which also matches the paint job on the Tesla.

So for now the rims are enough to give Office-K Tesla Model S a unique look due to their own special design. The next Model S treatment could do with some extra aero parts, maybe a full body kit. In OFK’s defense, there aren’t that many Tesla body kit around yet, mainly because there isn’t a big market for it. Model S buyers are mostly the highly educated, sophisticated type and these guys find modifying cars a pointless and vulgar exercise.

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Anybody with the tiniest insight into the automotive world knows how cool this is. But for those few who don’t, seeing a Porsche 911 GT1 on public roads is kind of a big deal on account of the car’s rarity, astronomical price, and the fact that it is in essence a pure racing car.

As the name GT1 clearly suggests, this ultimate version of the 996-series 911 was built initially to go racing. But as per rules and regulations, Porsche had to produce a handful of road-going models to be eligible, and that resulted in the conception of the road-going Porsche 911 GT1.

Despite being road-legal, the 996 GT1 came with the same basic engine as the racing version, a twin-turbo flat-six unit with nearly 540 horsepower. Seeing as the whole car, despite its massive size, weighs no more than 1,150 kg, the performance that results from that power is pretty amazing, at least by 90’s standards: 0-100 km/h in 3.9 seconds, top speed ~310 km/h. There are a few converted Evolution racing versions of the GT1 which pack up to 600 horsepower.

As for the value of this bad boy, just a few years ago fine examples of Porsche 911 GT1 used to go around $1.2 million USD. In 2016, and only a few days ago, an Evo version was auctioned for $3.1 million. It’s better than gold and diamonds, this car.

Via Autogespot

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To celebrate its tenth aiversary Mercedes-Benz Museum has commissioned a couple of short animated films which shine a new light on the well-known history of the brand. This seems like a good way to inform the new generation, who has no interest in anything that doesn’t come in pre-digested video form, of the history of one of the world’s biggest brand names.

As some of you may remember a while ago Mercedes-Benz also commissioned a number of comic strips to highlight their history through a medium today’s youth seem to be keen on. The new animated films build on the same effort.

The story of Mercedes is kind of a cool story which is why the company spends so much money and energy trying to remind people of it. They think everybody should know at least why what was invented by Benz became to be known as Mercedes-Benz. If you still don’t know, check out this animation:

The second animation is a bit harder to grasp and a tad less interesting. It’s called “Hungry for History” and it’s about a monster that eats up classic Mercedes model. To be honest we didn’t even try to get it, so here it is, see if you can make sense of it:

The stop-motion animation movies were made by six young film makers from Stuttgart and the surrounding region.

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With a high-performance super saloon like Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio you’d think that only the verdict of a seasoned motoring joualist would carry any weight as to whether it’s any good. But if you are a consumer and thinking about buying a Giulia, the video after the jump will serve you a lot better.

This video review of Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio is brought to you by Shmee150, a super car spotter who gets invited to these gigs because he is a social media sensation. But we put it to you, his opinion on the car could be a lot more useful than what the likes of Chris Harris and Steve Sutcliffe can deliver. Not that those guys don’t know what they’re talking about, but they are basically racing drivers who only care about handling and gear ratio and camber angle. All they want to know is whether the car drifts, and that is not useful to an average buyers who will only drive his car on the road.

So that’s why we reckon Tim’s verdict is more relevant. For one thing, he’s driven a huge number of high performance cars in his time – he actually owns a fair few – and he’d spent the best part of his life in recent years on the road with these cars. So he knows what makes a super sedan tick and what qualities it should have to be rated excellent.

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In a joint effort BMW Italy and Garage Italia Customs have come up with a one-off, artsy version of the i8 hybrid sports car to mark the 50 years of BMW history in Italy. The one-off is called BMW i8 Futurism Edition and it’s a lot more than just a showpiece.

Boasting a wrap inspired by Giacomo Balla’s “Lampada ad Arco” painting, BMW i8 Futurism Edition will enter the Mille Miglia 2016 where it will represent the German brand in Italy along with a 328i driven by Sergio Solero, President and CEO of BMW Italy. As for why it’s called “Futurism,” that has to do with the design of the wrap which “represents a street lamp powered by electricity under moonlight.” That works, what with the i8 being in essence an electric car… at least some of the time.

“There was immediate synergy with BMW Italia” stated Lapo Elka, President and Founder of Garage Italia Customs “the very first time we met for the i8 Futurism Edition project. Garage Italia Customs and the BMW brand both share, in fact, all the values coected to technology evolution and the continuous search for iovation in their specific sectors. The BMW i8 Futurism Edition is a practice of style. It gave the Garage Italia Customs Maestros a chance to celebrate a car which is projected towards the future of mobility. At the same time, it honours Italian art with Giacomo Balla, who is a prominent figure of the Futurism movement.”

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A few months ago Wald Inteational released a couple of renderings previewing their Sport Line body kit for the latest version of Toyota Prius. Back then we were kind of mean to them, because what we saw Wald Toyota Prius looked like in those renderings was awful. Now though they have relased the first photos of the real thing, and it’s actually not bad.

Granted, Wald Toyota Prius Sport Line is still unashamedly, unapologetically Japanese in the way it looks and all the little details of it styling kit, and that doesn’t usually go down well in Europe. But on the whole, what this kit does is make the Prius look more exciting, and for that reason alone we think it deserves a slight tipping of your hat.

The ingredients of Wald Toyota Prius Sport Line package include what they call a front half spoiler which on the front bumper and transforms the way it looks, canards on the sides of the bumpers, headlight bezels, side skirts with extended sills, rear skirt that incorporates a diffuser insert, tailpipe cutouts and a new fog lamp, and rear tailgate spoiler.

Put this lot together, install adjustable suspension, and bolt on a set of massive Wald wheels, and you have a Toyota Prius that would give any Greenpeace activist that comes near it a proper heart attack. The tuner also offers 6-pot performance brakes for this car, in case you are interested.

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According to the teachings of car prophet Jeremy ‘Jezzasus’ Clarkson, Audi sedans are only driven by German cement salesmen. That, if you actually like one of those cars and want to buy it, lands you in a spot of trouble because obviously you’re going to look like a cement salesman. But do not despair because, like most religious decrees, there is a way around the whole thing.

What you need to do to enjoy the quality, practicality, and superb features of an Audi sedan is to order it in one of the company’s exclusive, individual colors. Take this Gotland Green Audi A4, for example. It’s an A4 which is probably the most cement salesman-y model in the range, but because of the unique paint job nobody’s going to think for a second that you are one. Cement people prefer their Audis in beige or grey – something as dull as the suits they wear to work.

Based on the 2017 model, the Gotland Green Audi A4 comes with an equally impressive interior featuring cream colored leather seats, complemented with black leather on the dashboard and door cards, and real oak trims. The mid-size sedan can be ordered with a range of fuel efficient engines, including 2.0 TDI ultra with 110 kW (150 hp), 2.0 TFSI with 140 kW (190 hp), and two TDI six-cylinder units with up to 200 kW (272 hp). What you really want, though, is an RS4 with a bi-turbo V8.

Via Audi Naples

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McLaren Munich becomes the first of the British car maker’s representatives to take delivery of the new McLaren 675LT Spider. The car’s finished in the same Solis gold paint job as the press cars we’ve seen before, but man does it look good in the flesh. We are tempted to call this thing the bestest, most perfect car in the world ever!

The reason for our irrational enthusiasm for the McLaren 675LT Spider is because of what the car offers as a package. First of all, it’s a McLaren super car. Then there is the 675LT bit which means it is one of the most powerful machines you can buy today. And last but not least, there is those looks – those wonderful, sexy, heart-melting looks.

Of course, you get the same looks with the 675LT hardtop. But everybody knows that McLaren’s super car series look better as a convertible and with the top down. What’s more, it’s a folding hardtop which means you are always only a few seconds and the touch of a button away from enjoy alfresco motoring. The Spider also comes with different wheels than the hardtop.

And just to give you some facts and figures about the performance of this car, McLaren 675LT Spider boasts 675PS (666bhp) version of the firm’s only engine which is a 3.8 liter bi-turbo unit with 700Nm (516lb ft) of torque. Acceleration from 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) takes just 2.9 seconds, and 200 km/h (124 mph) is achieved in 8.1 seconds. The only bad thing about this car is the mahoosive price tag and the fact that it’s limited to 500 copies.

Photos by McLaren Munich

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Fiat-Chrysler is off to a flying start with their publicity efforts for the new 2017 Fiat 124 Spider. Yesterday we told you about their “indirect” stunt in giving the 2016 Playmate of the year a free 124 for two years. Now let’s check out the first TV spots they’ve made for this sports car.

As you would expect, Fiat 124 Spider commercials come straight at you and deliver the message – which is the roadster’s ability to give you a sense of freedom and, weirdly, get your manhood going – without beating about the bush.

“No Blue Pill Needed” is the self-explanatory title of one of these ads. In this story getting a boner is used as a metaphor to put in perspective how exciting driving this car is. If that’s true, it’s unfortunate that this car is a roadster. People are going to see inside the cabin and think you are a pervert, driving around while sporting wood…

The next Fiat 124 Spider ad is more dignified. Dubbed “Free Like a Bird,” the commercial is a good effort not only in terms of promoting the car, but also the cinematography – they fitted three eagles with tiny cameras to get a literal eagle-eye view – and also due to the fact that it supports a movement which supports and protects threatened birds of prey.

The new Fiat Spider will launch in America in three trim levels of Classica, $24,995; Lusso, $27,495; and Abarth, $28,195.

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The partnership of Aston Martin and Italian design house Zagato has never made much commercial sense. But it’s based on shared passion for refined, exquisite designs, and it has spawned some magnificent cars over the years. One of the rarest and coolest of them all is this Aston Martin Vanquish Roadster Zagato.

To give you an idea how rare this thing is, this one-off model is still known everywhere as a concept car, designed in 2004 as the joint venture’s rather hastily produced Geneva Motor Show contender. Aston Martin Vanquish Roadster Zagato is more a coach-built, drop-top version of the hardtop Vanquish rather than a whole new, bespoke design, which is why it doesn’t feature an entirely new look as with most other Aston-Zagato models.

Still, cutting the roof off the Vanquish has had a profound, and we think positive, effect on the way it looks, especially combined with the Zagato touches including the round taillights and the double-bubble glass hood cover. Mechanically, Aston Martin Vanquish Roadster Zagato concept is identical to the production coupe, boasting a V12 engine and one of the worst paddle shift transmission the world has ever seen.

Other highlights of this one-off “provocative” design by Zagato include a separate hard-top for winter, a transparent hardened glass and an easily used soft cover for summer, and a special luggage compartment for the days in between. This car was spotted in Paris on British plates, which gives you an idea about the nobility of its owner.

Photos via Autogespot

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The 2016 edition of GoldRush Rally, dubbed GR8EST, is now underway and on this occasion we thought you may like to have a closer look at some of the coolest cars taking part this year. GR8 is an absolute wrap frenzy with some of the craziest color and designs you’ll ever see.

What we have here, then, is a huge collection of exotic cars entered by private teams, individuals, and various well-known tuners, wrapped some other well-known wrappers, all designed to look as mad as possible and attract as much attention as possible. Some look like advertisement billboards, granted, but there are a few whose wraps are pure works of art. And there are those, like the Trumpventador, that are just friggin’ hateful.

It is fair to say that in terms of visual appeal, if nothing else, GoldRush Rally 2016 beats Europe’s recently concluded Gumball 3000. (Photos by CarNinja)

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