Boy oh boy. We’ve seen some pretty bad project cars in our time, some of which can’t be unseen. This, however, might be the most atrocious yet. The victimized vehicle comes from Bosnia, where its owner decided to transform the Mercedes sedan with some Bugatti styling. Unfortunately it just didn’t work out very well and the result is, well… horrendous.

If you didn’t even look at the front of the vehicle, you’d probably be confused as to what the builder was trying to obtain. But the front-end is clearly Bugatti-influenced, along with the rear doors receiving a widebody treatment with the traditional Bugatti flares. Unfortunately the whole thing is just a mess, and not a hot one at that.

Source: Mercedes Turned Bugatti Galibier

[Source: Jalopnik]

For those who are paying close attention to the aftermarket industry, this years SEMA Show might always be remembered as the year RAUH-Welt became a household name. Well, maybe just among car nuts.

RAUH-Welt Begriff or RWB for short, is a small Japanese tuner known for its wildly customized air cooled Porsches, with big fender flares and even bigger spoilers. To the best of our knowledge, no RWB has ever been on display at SEMA, and to make these cars even more special, they are the first to be built in America.

The light green car (above) sits as the main attraction at the Falken tires booth, while the white car (below) belongs to former 0-60 Magazine editor-in-chief Brian Scotto. Scotto now works for Ken Block, managing his new Hoonigan brand and so we’re certain the car has plans beyond just the SEMA Show.

We expect to see numerous other RWB Porsches at SEMA next year and there’s already evidence the trend is catching on. We spotted a few similarly-styled German sports cars and have included them below. Enjoy responsibly.

GALLERY: Rauh-Welt Porsches

GALLERY: Custom Porsches of SEMA

Is it a crime or just a really good idea? One thing is for sure, this SEMA Show car is an excellently executed project.

On display at the Heatshield Products booth and built by Kevin Byrd, this E30 BMW M3 has its hood off for a reason. Rather than the 2.3-liter 4-cylinder that it came with from the factory, filling up ever inch of the engine bay is a 6.2-liter LS3 V8 from General Motors. With custom headers and a Magnaflow exhaust it delivers a claimed dyno number of 480-hp.

As a complete project the car features a 2-inch widebody and plenty of added bracing. And let’s not forget a lowered suspension and some perfectly suitable 18-inch BBS CH wheels. The total curb weight is pegged at 2900 lbs.

GALLERY: LS3 Powered BMW E30 M3

See AutoGuide’s complete 2011 SEMA Show coverage here.

Recently, California based BMW tuning company, Dinan Cars, revealed a video of its latest engine project. Beginning with the V10 BMW S85 engine found in the E60 BMW M5, which remains one of the most sophisticated power plants engineered to date, Dinan bored and stroked the displacement from 5-liters to 5.8-liters, and then installed performance cams, a dry sump oil system, and finished it off with a racing exhaust. Custom ECU tuning software allowed the engine to run on 98 octane race gas in order to produce a stratospheric 720-hp at 8300 RPM. You read that correctly. That’s 124-hp per liter from a naturally aspirated V10 engine!

Designed to be used in the Riley Technologies 2011 mkXXV track car, check out Dinan’s engine demonstration video after the jump. More than anything, it’s the blazing plum purple glow emitting from the headers that got people talking. Do not touch! Continue Reading…

Novitec, famous for tuning Italian gems from Alfa Romeo, Fiat and Ferrari, recently added a new offshoot called Novitec Tridente to expand its portfolio to include Maserati as well. After having worked on the Gran Turismo, Gran Cabrio, and Quattroporte, it’s now time for something more hardcore.

Enter Novitec Tridente’s latest project, the focused Maserati Gran Turismo MC Stradale. The MC Stradale gets a new KW sport suspension set, and large 22-inch alloy wheels rubber banded by a set of Pirelli P Zeros. For power, Novitec gave the MC Stradale a supercharger and installed a Novitec intercooler as well. Finally, combined with a remap of the ECU, the new Novitec MC Stradale gets a power bump from its stock 434-hp to a wild 646-hp and 460 lb-ft of torque. Acceleration is a smoking 3.9 seconds to 60mph, reaching a top speed all the way to 190 mph.

If you’re one of the few privileged owners of the Maserati Gran Turismo MC Stradale and you could still use a little extra, this Novitec kit can be yours starting at $32,000. Visit Novitec Tridente for more details.

GALLERY: Maserati Gran Turismo MC Stradale By Novitec Tridente

An owner from Campbell, California is getting rid of his old BMW 528i on eBay. Nothing special right? Wrong! That’s because this immaculate E28 has undergone a heart transplant that removed its wheezing 2.8-liter inline-6 for GM’s LS1 V8 engine plucked from a Chevrolet Camaro and mated to a 6-speed transmission.

After the project’s completion, the E28′s exterior finish is visibly flawless, hiding its age and its 147,000 mileage extremely well. Other than the engine swap, other visible modifications include wheels fitted from an E39 generation 5-series as well as upgraded disc brakes that one can spy from underneath the wheels. Front and rear bumpers are Euro trim pieces as well.

While BMW purists may complain about the swap, one might consider the cost of repairing a tired and old German 6-cylinder engine difficult to justify. If adding an LS1 to a BMW 528 can help it stay on the road for years to come, and make time spent on the road more exciting, why not?

Sound like a car you want to buy? Then check out the auction page here.

GALLERY: V8 BMW 528

Displayed for the first time at the Frankfurt Auto Show earlier last month Mansory’s SLS “Cormeum” is a wild take on the Mercedes-Benz flagship sports car.

With an entire body that has been refitted with Mansory’s now famous ultra-wide carbon fiber weave, the German exotic car tuner claims a total weight reduction of 200 lbs. Out back is a massive spoiler and aggressive diffuser, while up front the car sports a new bumper that apes the design of the McLaren SLR – the SLS’s predecessor. A widebody transformation is also included with front fenders that are roughly 2.5-inches wider than stock and rear fenders that are 3.5-inches wider than stock.

Along with a custom carbon fiber interior Mansory also upped the 6.2-liter AMG engine’s output from just over 500-hp to a total of 660-hp.

To maintain exclusivity Mansory says it will build just 15 “Cormeum” models, although as is often the case with these custom creations, we wouldn’t be surprised if it turned out to be a one-of-one.

GALLERY: Mansory Cormeum Mercedes SLS

To celebrate 50 year since the first partnership between Aston Martin and Italian coachbuilder Zagato, the duo have now revealed the V12 Zagato which will go on display at the upcoming Villa d’Este Concorso d’Eleganza.

Based on the V12 Vantage the the car uses the same 5.9-liter engine and makes 510-hp. The body has been entirely reworked by Zagato with all new aluminum body panels and plenty of trademark Zagato design cues.

“The task for us has been to create a concept that is a natural successor to those iconic cars that have gone before,” said Aston Martin CEO Dr Ulrich Bez.  “Matching the technology of the age with the traditional skills vital to deliver such a bespoke and exclusive sports car will lead to a strictly limited run of road going V12 Zagatos.”

In addition to those few street cars, Aston Martin is also preparing a racing version of the ultra-rare exotic and will even compete with it in the Nurburgring 24 hour race on June 25th.

The V12 Zagato will get its first public showing at the Villa d’Este Concours on May 20th, alongside other rare one-offs like the Ferrari Superamerica 45.

GALLERY: Aston Martin V12 Zagato

If you want a Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano but think it suffers from being too elegant, then the Mansory Stallone might just be up your alley.

Mansory has made quite a name for itself by customizing exotic machinery to its clients individual needs, and it is clear, money doesn’t necessarily buy you good taste. Hence over the years, we have seen many wild and extravagant modifications on many different exotic automobiles, and Ferrari’s are no exception.

Mansory had made just five copies of the modified 599. Along with changing the cars name to Stallone, Mansory has added a unique body-kit, special wheels and an interior of truly questionable taste.

Now you can have a Stallone of your own since one has propped up for sale in Dubai. The seller, Prestige Cars has not listed much information on this 720-hp supercar, so your guess on its price and mileage is as good as ours. Their website just states it is a 2008 model.

So if you’re interested in parking one of these in your garage, now you know where to find one.

GALLERY: Mansory Stallone

[Source: PrestigeCars]

Never one to disappoint, Mansory has revealed a host of new models at the Geneva Auto Show, including this rendition of the Mercedes-Benz SLS.

With an all-new carbon fiber shell, Mansory claims the car is almost 200 lbs lighter than the stock vehicle. Rather than just replace parts, Mansory got creative with the body, adding some wild additions up front, flared fenders (by 2-inches up front and 3-inches in the rear) and a massive rear spoiler.

Also helping cut weight are the ultra-thin spoke center-lug wheels, which sit deeper in the wheel wells thanks to a suspension that has been lowered almost an inch.

Mansory says power has been upped to 651-hp, while a 789-hp package is in the works.

As for that name Cormeum, it comes from a “operatic aria” called Vide Cor meum, that’s based on Dante’s “La Vita Nuova.” (Hey, at least we avoided any references to Dante’s “Inferno”).

GALLERY: Mansory Cormeum