The Dodge Dart is being billed as Chrysler-Fiat‘s foray into the increased efficiency market that is growing quickly in the U.S. Now, Dodge customers who are already planning on buying one when they become available in 2013 have a little more to look forward to.

Mopar is offering a list of accessories and a few performance parts to spiff up the little sedan, though nothing in the go-faster department. So far, we’re aware of the following: a brake upgrade including new calipers, rotors and pads and an 18-inch wheel upgrade are the only available mechanical improvements.

Beyond that, you can opt for a hood scoop, carbon fiber grille insert, a matte black chin spoiler, oodles of chrome pieces, rocker panel extensions and much much more. In fact, there are 150 total accessories. That should be enough to make sure that your Dart will be different than any other on the road, if you want to spend the money to make it that way.

Aside from that, Dart owners can take advantage of options like a smart phone app to do everything from remote start to checking tire pressure. Remote 3G wifi will also make it a potential mobile hotspot and wireless charging for cell phones and mp3 players adds some tech flair. All of these goodies will be available from the get go when the car launches.

If it wasn’t abundantly clear before, it is now: the Dart is aimed squarely at a young, plugged in and constantly connected crowd of consumers.

GALLERY: 2013 Dodge Dart

See AutoGuide’s First Look Video of the new Dodge Dart below:

Discuss this story at Dartforums.com

Continue Reading…

Honda has announced its lineup of vehicles for the 2012 Tokyo Auto Salon, the automotive aftermarket expo of Japan. The Honda exhibit will feature a variety of models including automobiles, motorcycles, power products, racing vehicles and other highlights in order to convey the joy of mobility and motorsport excitement.

Honda Access Corp., manufacturer of genuine Honda aftermarket parts, will exhibit an all-new N BOX Custom minicar, which just went on sale in December 2011. Called the FLASH BOX, the custom Honda features a special body color, reflective decal sheets and LEDs used as a decorative element in both exterior and interior designs. Honda Access will also display a custom build based on the Freed Hybrid compact minivan. Known as the Freed Wa, the car aims to evoke traditional Japanese culture through inspirations from the ancient Japanese art of lacquering, and flowers that are featured on the car that represent the four seasons. The last car from Honda Access is the Honda BEAT Auto Salon Special, featuring genuine BEAT Accessories and special aero pieces. Finally, the last custom Honda car at the exhibit is the Freed Spike Transportation Version, loaded with off-road motorcycles.

As for Honda’s motorcycle exhibit, the NC700S, NC700X, and Integra midsize motorcycle that debuted at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show will make an extra appearance at the Tokyo Salon as well. The CB 1100 VT1300CX will be featuring new genuine aftermarket parts and accessories to grab the attention of motorcycle tuners.

A fantastic racing season for Honda, the RC212V motorcycle that brought home the riders’, team and constructors’ championship for 2011. Honda’s GT500 class Supger GT HSV-010 GT race car and a racing CRZ will also be on display.

GALLERY: Honda at Tokyo Auto Salon 2012

From the Toyota GT86 to the Tacoma, TRD has been hard at work developing performance accessories for Toyota’s line-up. In its latest project, TRD introduces a number of tuning upgrades for the new Toyota Aqua, known as the Toyota Prius c in markets outside Japan.

Available performance mods include a sport exhaust system with chrome tailpipes, larger alloy wheels as well as a suspension package that lowers the Prius c’s ride height. For aesthetics, TRD is offering a new front apron with additional air vents and optional LED lights daytime lights, matching side skirts, roof spoiler, and a rear diffuser in a matte black finish. For an added touch, TRD also offers a unique push-start button.

TRD promises to release more accessories and modifications in the near future.

Keep an eye out for the North American debut of the Prius c at the Detroit Auto Show in January.

GALLERY: TRD Toyota Aqua/Prius C

[Source: CarScoop]

Yakima debuted their new WHISPBAR roof rack system at the 2011 SEMA Show last week, and AutoGuide got an exclusive look at their new portable wind tunnel, which Yakima brought along to SEMA to showcase the reduction in wind noise that their new WHISPBAR can bring.

AutoGuide got a demo of the wind tunnel itself and we had the chance to take some video as well. Check it out after the jump.

Continue Reading…

Another day, another Toyota FT-86 leak. A concept development that has received more facelifts and nose jobs than most production cars get in a whole life cycle, today we reveal one more.

FT86Club.com has leaked a Toyota Racing Development (TRD) brochure showing pictures of an accessorized FT-86 with a unique aero package as well as a list of parts from TRD that will be available as upgrades.

Notable add-ons include TRD aero kit, “high response” quad exhaust, a selection of 18 inch wheels, 6-piston front and 4-piston rear Brembo brakes, full length adjustable suspension, and strut tower brace.

Let’s hope this Toyota has power adders in its future as well!

GALLERY: Toyota FT-86 TRD

[Source: ft86club]

Discuss this story at FR-SForum.com

BMW used this past weekend’s Indianapolis MotoGP to unveil its new F10 M5 safety car. The BMW was fitted with an Akrapovic titanium exhaust system that sounds amazing. Other goodies that set this  safety vehicle aside from all other standard M5′s include high performance coilovers, new front and rear spoilers, Recaro bucket seats and 20-inch rims.

The M5 has been entirely redesigned but the biggest change is the switch from a high-revving V10 to a 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8. The new engine will crank out 552 horsepower and 502 lb-ft of torque mated to either a six-speed manual or a seven-speed dual clutch transmission. The car is capable of achieving a 0-60 time of 4.4 seconds, not bad for a car weighs around 4,000 lbs. Pricing has not been announced but the M5 will probably sell for around $85,000.

Check out the video after the jump!

Continue Reading…

Where would the Ford Mustang be without its legions of aftermarket supporters? There’d be no Shelby, for starters. And there would be a shortage of Fox-bodies doing burnouts with straight pipes in the K-Mart parking lot.

But Ford’s latest technical service bulletin aims to put a damper on all this modifying—at least for warranty purposes. It’s not for any potential mechanical issues; rather, tweaking the 5.0-liter engine could “cause damage to the powertrain and/or void the factory powertrain warranty…attempting to increase the engine output via recalibrating the PCM may result in poor drivability, DTCs, or component failures.”

These aftermarket modifications could alter the fuel and spark settings, damage the pistons, and throw off the knock sensor, which Ford technicians have been told to watch out for. They will also see if there have been any aftermarket parts installed, such as exhausts, superchargers, nitrous systems, and intakes, though fuzzy dice and 8-ball shift knobs are still fair game—for now.

“Customization is a big part of the Mustang ownership experience,” said a Ford spokesman. This is designed to alert people to the possible damage and warranty ‘voiding’ one can incur if they modify their vehicles beyond factory specifications.”

Though Mustang enthusiasts shouldn’t be too despondent over the potential loss of their warranty/nuking of their engines: after all, they said the same thing about another cult-status sports car, a vehicle whose popularity and success couldn’t have happened without its endlessly modded counterparts. That car was the Nissan GT-R. And while true-blue Mustang enthusiasts might not get along with GT-R drivers, they can both take heart in knowing that both cars have both survived against such warnings and corporate hand-wringing. You’ll take our cold-air intakes from our cold, dead hands!

[Source: Mustangs Daily]

A Jurassic Park Jeep Sahara Edition Wrangler replica was up for grabs earlier on eBay and it looks pretty sweet. The graphics are painted on, instead of vinyl use, giving it better longevity. There’s even a pretty cool light bar that is still functional with each of the four lights being controlled by individual joysticks mounted to the dashboard.

The Jeep feautes a 4.0-liter I6 mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. BF Goodrich All-terrain tires as well as a CB radio antenna and rear orange fog lamps were mounted on top of the taillights. A very rare air conditioning option as well as an impressive list of parts also came included. The 1995 Jeep has 118,000 miles on it but the level of workmanship and maintenance performed on it make it worthwhilel.

How much did this piece of movie history cost? Only $9,000, which makes it a good choice of vehicle for those being chased around by hungry dinosaurs.

[Source: Autoblog]

BBS wheels are arguably one of the most famous brands in the automotive industry. Appearing on everything from Volkswagens to Formula 1 race cars, the high-quality German made rims have been a staple of both the “show” and “go” sides of the industry for decades. But reports out of Germany state that BBS filed for bankruptcy on December 30th.

This isn’t the first time that BBS has undergone financial turmoil. In 2007, the company also filed for bankruptcy, and managed to pull through. This time, it appears that the company’s precarious situation got the better of it, although partner company IG Metall was apparently planning a large investment in BBS just before the filing.

[Source: Fourtitude]

Bed extenders on a pickup can often be a blessing or a curse. If you’ve got large bulky objects that need to be held in place, like a bunch of 2x4s, or small trees they can be great, but at the same time, if you’re loading items like flat pack furniture or breeze blocks they just get in the way, eating into valuable cargo space.

Detroit based designer Mike Jou, was tired of the major compromises brought by traditional bed extenders, so he elected to design his own for the Ford F-150. Jou’s version, dubbed the Plastech Bed Extender, features four individual folding sections, allowing multiple configurations to suit different types of cargo (most tubular extenders have just one or two), plus it can be stowed compactly inside the box when not in use. It also incorporates LED lighting to facilitate loading items at night, plus power outlets and also a first aid kit.

Despite offering more flexibility than rigid extenders, Jou’s design also uses fewer parts, requiring just 22 total components and 20 fasteners, most existing designs use around double the number of parts and yet the bars on these are fixed!

Jou has tested a working prototype on a late-model F-150 with a hard tonneau cover and from our analysis the results speak for themselves. Given that Ford already touts the versatility of the cargo box features on its current F-150, it would seem a no brainer to add a version of Jou’s extender as a dealer option.

[Source: Core77]