Liberty Walk Is Gearing-Up An Audi R8 For SEMA

Although arriving a bit late at the “exaggerated fender" party, the 1st-gen Audi R8 looks uncanny in Liberty Walk’s wide-body guise. 

By using freedom of expression as a fairly good excuse (or argument), Liberty Walk manages to apply its bold style on various supercars, without being heavily criticized. Granted, most of the automobiles bearing the Japanese tuner’s signature look stellar, but some purists may disagree with its approach. 

While beefed up fenders and a lowered ride may do wonders on some cars, the style doesn’t necessarily favor high-end exotics, especially as it’s conceived (in this case) as a visual-enhancement only. But does it really matter when the final product looks as good as this R8?

Well, to be fair, the wider track makes the German supercar appear ultra-aggressive, but the bolt-on fenders aren’t in sync with the R8’s formal, high-tech design. Usually, an aftermarket body-kit complements the original style cues, but in this case, the back fenders cover a small portion of the carbon fiber side vents – which means that holes had to be drilled in them.

On the other hand, the thing looks quite cool and, at the end of the day, it remains a matter of taste. So, if you have an Audi R8 lying around and like Liberty Walk’s work, then you should know the tuner charges $21,620 to “butcher” your mid-engine V8 supercar with carbon-fiber-reinforced-plastic bits. Mind you, a visually-enhanced V10 R8 costs a little more ($23,220), and the styling kit includes a front apron, side skirts, a rear diffuser, a rear wing and wide fenders. 

But we will probably see more of the car at SEMA, where Liberty Walk will showcase it. As usual, the result will look stunning for the next few months, before we’ll get bored of it. 

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Liberty Walk Takes The Oridinary Out Of The Audi S5

Liberty Walk strikes again, only this time with a more down-to-earth Audi S5.

Even with the naturally-aspirated, 4.2-litre V8 at its disposal, the Audi S5 doesn’t appeal to the exotic side of the automotive world. Its body – sketched by Walter de Silva – is governed by the familiar Teutonic-look that won’t break any design barriers, thus making it a less incisive option for Liberty Walk’s style.

Still, its well-defined, balanced proportions seem to adopt the Japanese wide-body kit with ease, although some may argue that the visual “improvements” do spoil the vehicle’s overall simple design style.

As you’d expect, Liberty Walk doesn’t surprise anymore with its unique approach, as the S5 – like all of the LB Performance-signed products – bears the same widened style offered by the fender flares. One thing is for sure, though; the German beast looks terribly great with a widened stance (just like a DTM racer). But don’t you think for a moment that the model doesn’t come with its own subtly-unique visual enhancements, as the minute bumper lips and side skirts make the car seem lower and more planted.

We’ve got to admit, not much is happening with the car visual-wise, but it’s enough to completely transform the car. LB didn’t offer additional info for pricing (or performance upgrades) as the S5 is still a preview of things to come.

We’re eager to see how the “real-life” variant will look like and if it will sport smaller flares, since the ones on this CGI version seems to cover the place where the fuel filler cap used to be.

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Liberty Walk Gives The Audi A5 More Stance

Audi took a decidedly understated direction in designing the A5 coupe, all sleek and devoid of extraneous details in a manner that the masters of Bauhaus design would appreciate. Leave it to Liberty Walk, then, to ratchet it up a notch - or 10...

The tuning house best known for its over-the-top widebody kits has done what it does best with Ingolstadt's 2+2, giving it the kind of stance that would make even the DTM-spec RS5 tin-top racer look sedate.

The body kit is available in either fiberglass or carbon fiber, and includes a front splitter, side skirts, rear diffuser, rear wing, and of course those signature wheel arch extensions. They're ready to be applied to the base A5 or the sportier S5 as a complete kit, but can be ordered in individual components as well.

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Hey Mitsubishi, Please Bring Back The Lancer Evolution

The hot hatch game is more competitive now than it has ever been before. Every week it seems that an automaker announces a faster, lighter hatchback designed to snap necks and smash track records. Now would be the perfect time for Mitsubishi to teach everyone else how to create an affordable and fast sports car.

While the Japanese manufacturer hasn't had a hot hatch per se, the Lancer Evolution at its greatest could walk all over more expensive European hatches and sedans for less money. But after the Evo reached its 10th generation, Mitsubishi decided to scrap it in order to focus on more environmentally friendly cars, leaving the Subaru WRX STI as Japan's sole entrant into this fiercely competitive market.

The refreshed Lancer was unveiled late last year bringing with it an updated design and the notable lack of an Evo derivative. Well thanks to Enoch Gabriel Gonzales from the Philippines, we have an idea of what an 11th generation Evo could look like, if Mitsubishi ever decides to bring it back from the dead (unlikely).

Enoch has based his Evo around the next-gen Lancer which could arrive in 2018. His 2018 Lancer in standard guise looks quite aggressive thanks to its sharp edges and Alfa Romeo Giulia-style rear end and when adorned with the characteristic design elements of an Evo, it looks like the real deal.

The front is characterized by a gaping wide honeycomb-patterned grille and includes a set of fog lights within the lower air intakes. Slats are then found in the bonnet while a set of sporting wheels and Brembo brake calipers tell you that the car means business. At the rear is a towering wing, a bold diffuser and a set of large twin tailpipes.

While we'll never see Enoch's creation come to life, it does make us yearn for a new Evo just a little bit more.

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Dealership Asking Astronomical $88k For Mitsubishi Evo Final Edition

A Mitsubishi dealership in Brooklyn is currently selling the first of 1600 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X Final Edition's produced, for a rather insane $88,888.

Initially announced as a Japan-only mode, the Evo X Final Edition has since become available in multiple other markets, though was always unlikely to reach the United States in large numbers, therefore making it quite special to American enthusiasts.

While the concept previewing the model had an insane 473 hp engine, the production-spec is much, much tamer. In fact, it 'only' offers up 291 hp and 300 lb-ft (406 Nm) of torque from the boosted 2.0-liter four-cylinder.

While the engine hasn't been changed over the standard Evo X, numerous handling upgrades have been employed. Significantly, there are a set of Bilstein shocks, Eibach springs, upgraded Brembo brakes and lightweight BBS alloy wheels. The car also includes a shimmering red paint job and a number of 'Final Edition' badges.

Even though the model in question is #0001, it's difficult to judge just how much of a collectable it could prove. The 10th-generation Evolution has never been held in as high regard as the Evo 8 and Evo 9 by enthusiasts so they'd be unlikely to fork over huge amounts of money for the car. As it is the last variant of the iconic sports sedan produced however, collector's may yet clamour over it.

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2021 Mercedes-Benz U-Class Concept for an Uber-Saloon Placed Above the S-Class

Whereas rivaling groups BMW and Volkswagen have the Rolls-Royce and Bentley brands respectively to target the upper echelons of the automotive luxury market, Daimler placed itself in a difficult spot after killing off the Maybach marque.
For the time being, Daimler's solution to this problem is the extension of the new S-Class range to include a "Maybach" edition with a  200mm (7.8 inches) longer wheelbase than the S-Class LWB, and an even more gargantuan, super super-stretched 'Pullman' version.

Many have questioned the long-term sustainability of such a product strategy, including Scott Wu Kaiser, a 6th-term transportation design student at California's Art Center College of Design, who proposed a different take for the future: the development of a new series that would sit above the S-Class.

"Mercedes-Benz will need to secure their dominant position in the full-size luxury segment while entering the higher priced market," says Kaiser. "In order to achieve this goal, the next generation S-Class will be designed and priced to directly compete with the Audi A8 and BMW 7-Series. A new class of vehicle called the U-Class will enter into the higher-end market. The letter 'U' comes from the German word 'üppig', which means 'sumptuous' and 'lavish'", he explains.

The U-Class would measure 5.390mm (212 inches) long riding on a 3,175mm (125 inches) wheelbase, making it longer than both the 2013 S-Class LWB and Bentley Flying Spur, but slightly shorter than the Rolls Royce Ghost. It wasn't mentioned in the paper, but we assume it would be offered in different lengths to eradicate the need for super-long wheelbase versions of the S-Class.

Kaiser says that the U-Class would potentially draw power from a front-mounted 6.0-liter twin-turbo V12 linked to the rear axle.

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Wald Shows Off Mercedes-AMG GT Black Bison Edition In Fresh Pics

After teasing us with a modified Mercedes-Benz AMG-GT back in November, Wald International unveiled their Black Bison Edition version at the 2015 Tokyo Auto Salon.

Right off the bat, the car's aggressiveness factor has increased two-fold with a new bumper, side skirts, more prominent splitter and matte black & orange accents. At the rear, the "Black Bison" features a fixed wing as well as reshaped dual exhaust tips to go with the new diffuser.

Looks aside, we've yet to hear if they did anything to the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 unit, though if not, you still end up with a car that will hit 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4 seconds or less, depending on which version you purchase.

When it comes to the AMG GT, Wald have stated that to them, the aggressive face line of the car looks like a "Bison which has held up through some desperate struggle," and no, we're not making that up.

While it's hard to mirror those impressions, we can recognize the fact that bison don't really have a lot of natural predators due to their imposing dimensions. However, can the same really be said about this car?

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Mansory’s Mercedes-AMG GT S Is A 1/2 Meter-Wider 720HP Beast

Mansory tuning house has revealed their proposal for the Mercedes AMG GT S, adding more than 200hp and a traditionally controversial wide body kit into the mix.

If you thought then that the Mercedes AMG GT S lacked in power and in stance, then Mansory has you covered.

The twin-turbo 4-litre V8 engine now features a set of larger turbochargers, a new stainless steel sports exhaust system and a new mapping system for a total of 720hp, up from the factory 503hp. This allows the Mansory AMG GT S to accelerate from zero to 62mph (0-100km/h) in 3.4 seconds and onto a top speed of 205mph (330km/h).

The tuner claims that all bodywork changes were ‘targeted’ in order to boost the aerodynamic values of the AMG GT S. For instance, the new front spoiler reduces lift while the rear wing combined with the rear diffuser increase the provided downforce for more grip on the road.

The main highlight though is the side extensions which add 250mm (nearly 10 inches!) per side in width, making room for bigger wheels and wider tires, essential components when you have so much power on tap. Every component of Mansory’s wide body kit is made out of carbon fibre for the obvious reduced-weight reasons.

The lightweight ‘Spyder’ wheels measure 9.5x21in at the front and 10.5x21in at the rear and wear 245/30s and 305/25s respectively. Mansory also offers as an option a set of 10-spoke central lock rims.

The cabin now hosts a combination of hand-stitched leather and Mansory’s carbon fabric, with the steering wheel featuring a red visible carbon trim.

The car will be revealed at the Geneva Motor Show, along more of Mansory’s creations.

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