Pirelli wanted to do something special for its newest flagship store in Milan, Italy. So the tire manufacturer commissioned renowned tattoo artist Scott Campbell to work his artistic magic to create a cool tattooed tire.

Instead of using a needle and ink, Campbell used a gouge to engrave an eye, a heart and a skull into the tread of a Diablo Rosso II tire. The tire was then mounted on a special-edition Ducati Diavel at the new store. This design is also adorned on the inside of a special edition Dainese jacket, along with  St. Christopher, the patron saint of motorcyclists.

This marks the first time Campbell has worked with rubber as a canvas, and he said it was a challenge he was up for. After putting in a considerable amount of research into the project, he was able to transfer his tattoo talent to a new medium.

Watch a video of the tire and the Diavel after the jump.

[Source: Autoblog]

Gymkhana expert, flat-bill cap aficionado and a man who knows the importance of thanking his sponsors, Ken Block, will drive a Formula 1 car.

Wait… what? OK, Block won’t actually race a car, he’s just going to drive one. The car will be the Pirelli F1 test car, and Block will drive it on August 5th at Monza in Italy. The stunt is being arranged through Pirelli, which signed on as one of Block’s sponsors in 2009 and is the current tire supplier for Formula One.

“I’ve been lucky enough to do some pretty spectacular stunts in my career so far,” said the stunt-driver turned WRC pro, “but this is something else! Everybody talks about Formula One being the pinnacle of world motorsport so I can’t wait to discover it for myself. I’m very grateful to Pirelli, which has been one of my partners since 2010, for this amazing opportunity. These cars are so specialised that I need to be realistic about what I can do, but I know that it’s going to be a lot of fun and take hooning to a whole new level…”

Platinum Motorsports is known for bold luxury and exotic builds, and to really put the spotlight on what they’ve done over the recent years, they’ve put together a video of epic proportions. Taking some of their finest projects and hitting several Los Angeles landmarks while armed with a video camera, Platinum Motorsports has released this video that will make any luxury and exotic lover drool.

The video mainly highlights a Lamborghini LP640 with a matte Reventon Grey paint job, along with a Mercedes-Benz SL550 with a Black Series widebody treatment sporting the same shade. In addition, their Premier 4509 widebody Bentley GT Mulliner also steals the spotlight in matte white and we see glimpses of several Range Rovers.

Obviously the point of the video is to spotlight what Platinum Motorsports specializes in, but we can’t help but wonder how awesome Transformers would be if they had these cars in the movie; or what would happen if Fast and the Furious met Gone in 60 Seconds and had a bastard child.

Check out the video after the jump:

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If you’ve ever wanted a watch that would get your style racing, strap on the Pirelli PZero Disk_O wristwatch – it’ll take you from 0 to cool in 10 seconds flat.

Better known for their tires, Pirelli has been releasing plenty of branded swag overseas. The company has put out everything from clothing and sneakers to sexy calendars and films. This time (pun intended), Pirelli has launched collection of watches inspired by the industrial elegance of disk brakes.

The PZero Disk_O’s case is made of anodized aluminum that is designed in the shape of a ventilated brake disc, while the button cluster mimics the shape of a caliper that stops the disc. Its case comes in either black or steel gray. This watch has Swiss chronograph quartz movement that will ensure accurate time-keeping.

What’s cool about this timepiece is its anodized aluminum bezel rotates through the caliper just like a real brake disc. And, just like the brakes on the supercars, the caliper can be ordered in different colors: red, yellow, black or steel gray.

You won’t find any steel bracelets or leather bands on the PZero Disk_O – it’s held on by a rubber strap that has been styled after racing slicks.

It’s that time of the year again, when car’s are handed out like candy bars to select companies and builders for the 2010 SEMA Show. Last year Chevrolet made a huge splash with a massive display of Camaros, having a diverse variety of builders designing and creating their own unique creations. And this year it looks like Chevy isn’t stopping, with some Camaro build previews already being released for SEMA.

First on our list is intake and exhaust manufacturer CGS Performance Products. Having done several Fords and GMs in years past, CGS is no stranger to building beautiful, high quality show cars. This Camaro however will be sticking to its true roots with a custom paint job, ACS body kit and a ZR1-influenced hood. From CGS themselves will be custom handmade chrome moldings and their signature exhaust system, while Whipple Industries will be supplying their twin-screw supercharger in order to pump out 500-hp.

A rendering of the Camaro show car has some serious hot rod-influenced, with a staggered set of 22- and 24-inch Genuine Boyd wheels. The rear rollers will be a ridiculous 15-inches wide wheel with Pirelli’s all new 405/25/24 tire – that’s a lot of rubber! CGS claims they’ll be stuffing these without any fender modifications, but merely by swapping out the rear suspension with Chris Alston’s Fab 9 rear end with a latter bar and coil over suspension. We are definitely curious on the finished product and will be sure to report back, with extensive SEMA coverage when the show takes place in early November.

Famed Japanese tuner Tommy Kaira did not disappoint with the public debut of its “Silver Wolf Edition Ebbrezza-R” kit for the Nissan GT-R. As many of the factory panels as possible were replaced with carbon fiber, including on the interior where an array of dry carbon parts are used.

Outside, a new aero kit includes a redesigned front bumper with a large lip extension, side skirts, rear fender flares, a large rear spoiler and wild rear diffuser. Inside the fenders can be found 20-inch Advan AVS Model F15 wheels in a Platinum Black finish wrapped with Pirelli P-Zeros.

Tommy Kaira promised a wild design and plenty of carbon fiber and certainly delivered.

GALLERY: Tommy Kaira Silver Wold Edition Ebbrezza-R Nissan GT-R

It doesn’t get much more extreme than this in the tire business. Known for building ridiculous one-off tires for the SEMA Show, in the past Italian tire manufacturer Pirelli has shown such monstrosities as a 30-inch tire – on a Hummer no less. For the 2009 SEMA Show, the company has decided to go in the opposite direction.

No… we’re not talking about smaller tires, but wider ones. Debuting on a brand new 2010 Camaro are a set of Pirelli tires in a 405/25/24 fitment. The wheels were supplied by bling wheel maker Forgiato and with some custom flared fenders that will have Bumblebee doing a double-take. An AirRunner air bag suspension lets the Camaro drop low for the show, or raise up for more functional use. Still, we doubt this Camaro will even see Main Street, let alone the drag strip.

See AutoGuide’s live SEMA Coverage here!

GALLERY: 2010 Widebody Camaro With 405/25/24 Pirelli Tires

After building up a reputation as a top level Corvette tuner, Lingenfelter engineering is taking what they know about the Chevy sports car and adapting it to the bowtie brand’s newest performance machine, the Camaro. Set to be unveiled at the 2009 SEMA Show in just a few weeks, Lingenfelter has taken a Camaro SS and tossed the car’s factory 426-hp 6.2-liter V8 in favor of the Corvette Z06′s 505-hp 7.0-liter LS7 engine. And that’s not all. Known for their expertise in forced induction, the boys at Lingenfelter have then gone and strapped a supercharger to the big 427 to make no less than 750-hp.

The engine has even been built up to take all the extra boost with JE Pistons, titanium intake valves and Iconel exhaust valves – the same material used for making Formula One exhaust systems.

For the build Lingenfelter teamed up wit the suspension experts at Hotchkis for what they call a, “Total Vehicle System,” complete with springs, sway bars and a subframe brace – which is sure to be needed with 750-hp and (we imagine) an equal amount of torque. The shocks are a Lingenfelter/Sachs combo. On to of these addition, there’s a big set of Brembo bakes, big 20-inch Pirelli tires on LPE wheels and a pretty wild aero kit complete wit carbon fiber additions.

“Over the years we have been involved in dozens of OEM and racing development programs, but this one is special,” said Hotchkis Performance president John Hotchkis. “Lingenfelter builds some of the fastest, coolest and most refined domestic supercars in the world, and the fact that they asked us to help develop the suspension for a 200 mph Camaro and then offered to debut the car in our booth is very exciting. Everyone in attendance will certainly be impressed with this stunning piece of high-performance engineering.”

We’ll be sure to bring you plenty of photos of the Lingenfelter Camaro with live coverage of the 2009 SEMA Show starting November 3rd.

See AutoGuide’s live SEMA Coverage here!

GALLERY: Lingenfelter/Hotchkis Camaro

See the full list of vehicle specs after the jump:

Santa Fe Springs, Calif. (October 2009) – Two of the most storied names in domestic performance vehicles will join together to debut a stunning, world-class supercar at the 2009 SEMA Show in Las Vegas. Lingenfelter Performance Engineering of Decatur, Indiana, will unveil its latest offering; a 750 horsepower 2010 Camaro SS in the Hotchkis Performance booth at the annual automotive aftermarket trade show. Hotchkis Performance, of Santa Fe Springs, California, developed the suspension system for the Lingenfelter Camaro and has worked with the renowned specialty supercar builder on several projects in the past.

“Over the years we have been involved in dozens of OEM and racing development programs, but this one is special,” said Hotchkis Performance founder and president John Hotchkis. “Lingenfelter builds some of the fastest, coolest and most refined domestic supercars in the world, and the fact that they asked us to help develop the suspension for a 200 mph Camaro and then offered to debut the car in our booth is very exciting. Everyone in attendance will certainly be impressed with this stunning piece of high-performance engineering.”

The Lingenfelter 750HP Supercharged LS7 2010 Camaro SS is a technological tour de force, featuring a hand-built 427 CID (7.0L) LS7 engine featuring forged pistons, titanium connecting rods and Inconel exhaust valves. A Magnusson/Eaton TVS2300 supercharger breathes into a custom Lingenfelter intake manifold. The result is 750 tractable, usable horsepower. Other highlights include a Hotchkis Total Vehicle System (Sport Springs, Adjustable Sport Sway Bars and ChassisMax Subframe Brace), Brembo brakes, custom LPE 20-inch 10-spoke wheels, an LPE exclusive air management body kit, a custom embroidered interior and a Mito rear view mirror with video display. The Lingenfelter body kit and engine package will also be offered as separate packages.

* Engine
* 427 CID/7.0L LS7 engine
* 8.8:1 compression ratio with forged JE pistons
* Production GM LS7 crankshaft and titanium connecting rods
* LS7 cylinder heads with titanium intake valves and Inconel exhaust valves
* Magnuson/Eaton TVS2300 supercharger
* Custom fabricated LS7 cylinder head supercharger base manifold
* Lingenfelter 14 rib rear drive system with tensioner pulley
* Lingenfelter/ATI Racing 10 rib front accessory drive
* Lingenfelter heavy duty power steering pump
* Lingenfelter low temperature thermostat
* Custom Lingenfelter coil covers
* Corsa stainless exhaust system
* Lingenfelter Camaro SS twin pump fuel system with LPE fuel pump controller

* Drivetrain
* Six-speed manual transmission
* Lingenfelter 6 bolt LS9 twin disk flywheel and clutch assembly
* Heavy duty Driveshaft Shop halfshafts

* Chassis
* Hotchkis Sport Springs
* Lingenfelter double adjustable Sachs shocks
* Hotchkis Sport Suspension Adjustable Sway Bars
* Hotchkis ChassixMax Subframe Brace
* Brembo brake calipers and Brembo rotors

* Wheels/Tires
* Custom LPE 10 Spoke Design Wheels
* 20 X 9.5 Fronts
* 20 X 11 Rears
* PIRELLI 275/40ZR20 Fronts
* PIRELLI 305/35ZR20 Rears

* Lingenfelter Camaro SS Body Package:
* Front Fascia Splitter
* Rocker Extensions
* Carbon Fiber Grille
* Hood with Air Extractors
* Rear Deck Lip/Spoiler
* Rear Fascia Extension with LPE Exhaust Tips
* Custom LPE 10 Spoke Wheels
* Lingenfelter Embroidered Interior
* Lingenfelter badges

* Interior
* Muth turn signal mirrors
* Mito rear view mirror with video display
* Lingenfelter/Grant custom steering wheel
* Lingenfelter CNC machined pedal covers
* Lingenfelter floor mats

Lotus displayed its Evora Type 124 endurance racer at the Frankfurt Auto Show.

The Type 124 (the 124 was the next number in line in Lotus’ naming sequence, but coincidentally, the 24 also represents 24 hour endurance racing) will make its racing debut at the 2010 Nürburgring 24 Hours in May.

Lotus engineers tuned the Toyota-produced V6 engine to produce up to 394hp. The car has been lightened to less than 2,646 lbs, though both power and weight may be subject to race regulations.

Other racing components on the car include a full roll cage, 18-inch wheels with Pirelli racing slicks, a new suspension setup as well as AP Racing brakes with six-piston calipers.

Gallery: Lotus Evora Type 124 Endurance Racer

Lotus is on a motorsports roll as of late, releasing racing versions of the Elise, Exige 260 and now this, the company’s flagship Evora model. Called the Type 124, this race-prepped Evora gets a 400hp version of the Toyota Camry’s V6 motor, mated to a six-speed sequential transmission.

The Lotus mantra is to build fast cars through the use of light-weight components and so the company’s road cars are already featherweights by comparison to most of the competition. Impressively, through the use of carbon fiber body parts and a fully striped out interior, Lotus engineers managed to drop an additional 440 lbs from the curb weight of the Evora, reducing it to just 2,600 lbs.

Other racing components on the car include a full roll cage, 18-inch wheels with Pirelli racing slicks, a new suspension setup as well as AP Racing brakes with six-piston calipers. The car meets FIA standards and will debut at next year’s Nürburgring 24 Hour race. Lotus says it will run a factory backed team in 2010 and 2011 and we would imagine the Evora Tye 124 will also be made available to private teams to compete in motorsports throughout the world.

“Every Lotus car is designed to be at home on the race track as well as the road, and the Evora is no different,” said Roger Becker, Vehicle Engineering Director for Group Lotus Plc. “Designed primarily as an everyday road car, the Evora’s lightweight and stiff structure, its aerodynamics and performance means that it is perfectly suited to taming race tracks around the world, and we are looking forward to seeing the new Lotus Evora Type 124 Endurance Racecar line up on the grid for the 2010 season.”

GALLERY: Lotus Evora Tye 124 Endurance Race Car

Official release after the jump:

Lotus Evora Type 124 Endurance Racecar

The Lotus Evora Type 124 Endurance Racecar has been developed from the award-winning Evora road car and is built to FIA regulations and safety standards.

The Type 124 (pronounced One Twenty Four) Endurance Racecar is the next step in the evolution of the Evora. The car will make its 24 hour racing debut at the ADAC Nürburgring 24 Hours which provides a great test for the Evora’s performance, efficiency and durability under tough and demanding endurance race conditions.

Lotus Evora Type 124 Endurance Racecar

The Lotus Evora Type 124 Endurance Racecar has been developed from the award-winning Evora road car and is built to FIA regulations and safety standards.

The Type 124 (pronounced One Twenty Four) Endurance Racecar is the next step in the evolution of the Evora. The car will make its 24 hour racing debut at the ADAC Nürburgring 24 Hours which provides a great test for the Evora’s performance, efficiency and durability under tough and demanding endurance race conditions.

At the heart of the Lotus Evora are fundamental racecar elements: mid-engine layout, high-tech and super-stiff extruded and bonded aluminium chassis and very strong lightweight forged aluminium wishbones. All these elements mean that it is a natural evolution from the road going Lotus Evora to a competitive endurance racecar.

From the outset the design team had intentions to take the Evora racing and the chassis was designed with this in mind. Endurance races are the perfect events to showcase the efficiency, handling and durability characteristics that have been fundamental to the concept of the Evora.

The Lotus Evora Type 124 Endurance Racecar has a race-tuned version of the mid-mounted Toyota V6 engine, with power increased to over 400 ps (depending on race regulations). Vehicle mass is expected to be reduced by up to 200 kg, bringing the weight of the racecar to less than 1200 kg (depending on race regulations).

Further changes for the Lotus Evora Type 124 Endurance Racecar include a six speed sequential paddle shift racing gearbox, full FIA specification roll cage, FIA-compliant 120 litre ATL fuel system, FIA fire extinguisher system, competition carbon fibre rear wing, diffuser and front splitter.

The racecar is fitted with AP Racing 6 piston callipers front and rear, with a race-tuned Bosch ABS system, 4-way adjustable dampers and adjustable anti-roll bars. The racecar runs on 18″ rims shod with Pirelli racing slicks and the wheels widths have been increased over the roadcar to 9 ½ J on the front and 11 J on the rear.

The aerodynamically efficient Lotus Evora Type 124 Endurance Racecar body design, made from lightweight composite and carbon fibre panels, remains predominantly unchanged from the road car, with the only modifications being to the lower sections of the front and rear clamshells and the side sills.

Luke Bennett, Director of Lotus Cars Limited, said, “Motorsport has been in our blood ever since our founder, Colin Chapman, built the first Lotus back in 1948. We are proud of our motorsport history, which includes victories in Formula One, Le Mans, saloon car, rally car and sportscar racing around the world; more recently, we won the British GT3 Championship in 2006 with the Lotus Exige. The Lotus Evora Type 124 Endurance Racecar is from the same unique stable and we expect it to be a competitive racecar when we enter various endurance races next year.”

Roger Becker, Vehicle Engineering Director for Group Lotus Plc said, “Every Lotus car is designed to be at home on the race track as well as the road, and the Evora is no different. Designed primarily as an everyday road car, the Evora’s lightweight and stiff structure, its aerodynamics and performance means that it is perfectly suited to taming race tracks around the world, and we are looking forward to seeing the new Lotus Evora Type 124 Endurance Racecar line up on the grid for the 2010 season.”
The racecar is expected to compete in a number of endurance races in 2010/ 2011 forming part of a factory-supported race program. The races that are targeted are: The 2010 ADAC Nürburgring 24 Hours (Nürburgring Nordschleife, Germany) in May 2010, Merdeka Millennium 12 Hours (Sepang, Malaysia) in August 2010, BritCar 24 Hours (Silverstone, UK) in October 2010 and the Dubai 24 Hours (Dubai Autodrome, UAE) January 2011.

As expected, Ferrari-tuner Novitec Rosso has released a power-package for the drop-top F430 Scuderia Spider 16M. Thanks to two superchargers the Scuderia’s already impressive engine now puts out 696hp at 8400 rpm and 503 ft-lbs of torque at 6300 rpm. That is an increase of 186hp and 156 ft-lbs of torque.

Novitec claims a 0-62 mph time of just 3.5 seconds with 124mph (200km/h) coming in just 9.7 seconds. Those autobahn-loving Germans at Novitec even give a 300 km/h (186 mph) time of 23.8 seconds. Top speed has been increased from 196 mph to 205 mph.

Due to the Scuderia’s stunning exterior, Novitec decided to leave the body of the Ferrari well-enough alone. However, those looking for a new set of wheels are certain to love the larger 20×8.5-inch front and 20×12-inch rear NF3 rollers, that allow for 235/30/20 and 325/25/20 Pirelli rubber. A height-adjustable suspension is available, which can raise of lower the front axle by 40 mm (1.6-inches) – perfect for making sure you don’t leave any paint behind while exiting the parking garage.

GALLERY: Novitec Rosso F430 Scuderia Spider 16M

Official release after the jump:

N E W S  R E L E A S E

Some Like It Even Hotter:
NOVITEC ROSSO Tunes the Ferrari Scuderia Spider 16M
696 hp / 512 kW, 682 Nm and More than 330 km/h

How can you make a Ferrari Scuderia Spider 16M, built in a limited edition of just 499 vehicles, even more exciting and more exclusive? Easy, just take it to NOVITEC ROSSO, the world’s leading refiner of the sports cars from Maranello.

There the open-top lightweight model is fitted with the NOVITEC ROSSO RACE Bi-Compressor engine with 696 hp / 512 kW.  It propels the Ferrari to a new top speed of more than 330 km/h. Numerous uncompromising sporty options such as 20-inch wheels, sport springs, a lift system for the front axle and exterior and interior accessories round out the product lineup.

NOVITEC ROSSO compressor technology has been the proven recipe for added driving fun for many years. For the eight-cylinder four-valve engine of the Scuderia Spider 16M NOVITEC ROSSO has now developed a custom version of its RACE Bi-Compressor engine.

The 4.3-liter V8 is supercharged by two cogged-belt-driven high-performance compressors with a maximum boost pressure of 0.48 bar. Each cylinder bank is fitted with a generously dimensioned water-to-air intercooler.

A specially manufactured heat-insulated intake manifold with larger cross-sections provides the engine with pre-compressed air. High-performance air filters and larger injectors round out the engine conversion on the intake side.

For a perfect symbiosis of maximum power yield, exemplary running smoothness and durability beyond reproach, the NOVITEC ROSSO engine specialists precision-match the new components with a newly programmed electronic engine management system.

Just as important are the larger cooling circuits for water and oil as well as dedicated cooling circuits for both compressors and the intercoolers.

The extensive NOVITEC ROSSO RACE Bi-Compressor conversion, available for 47,000 Euros for this and all other F430 Spider models, offers unique performance. With a power output of 696 hp / 512 kW at 8,400 rpm the NOVITEC ROSSO conversion surpasses the production engine by 186 hp / 136.9 kW. Peak torque grows from standard 470 Nm to 682 Nm at 6,300 rpm.
Driving performance improves just as impressively: The tuned Scuderia Spider 16M sprints from rest to 100 km/h in just 3.5 seconds, and reaches 200 km/h after just 9.7 seconds. The 300-km/h barrier is shattered after just 23.8 seconds. Top speed for the open-top mid-engine sports car increases from 315 to more than 330 km/h.

For further optimized handling of the lightweight sports car NOVITEC ROSSO offers an update from the standard 19-inch tires to three-piece 20-inch wheels. The NOVITEC ROSSO NF3 double-spoke wheels in size 8.5Jx20 in front and in size 12Jx20 in back widen the track and thus allow even higher cornering speeds. The custom-tailored high-performance tires in size 235/30 ZR 20 in front and in size 325/25 ZR 20 on the rear axle are provided by technology partner PIRELLI.

NOVITEC ROSSO sport springs lower the center of gravity and further improve agile handling. For added daily utility of the Scuderia Spider 16M NOVITEC ROSSO offers a hydraulic lift system for the front axle. At the push of a button the front is raised by 40 millimeters and makes navigating obstacles such as curbs, speed bumps and garage entries easier. The front axle reverts to normal position at a second push of the button or automatically once the car reaches a speed of 80 km/h.

To give the Spider exterior an even more striking appearance NOVITEC ROSSO offers blacks taillights, side markers and reflectors.

The lightweight-construction interior can be refined with exclusive NOVITEC ROSSO options as well. The ergonomically shaped leather/carbon-fiber NOVITEC ROSSO sport steering wheel features a flattened lower rim for easier entering and exiting. The NOVITEC ROSSO carbon-fiber shift paddles are longer than their production counterparts and make manual gearshifts of the F1-SuperFast2 transmission even easier.

Special interior color requests can be fulfilled by NOVITEC ROSSO in any imaginable color combination.

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For additional information please contact:

Novitec Rosso GmbH & Co. KG
Hochstrasse 8
87778 Stetten
Germany
Phone:     +49 / (0) 82 61 / 75 99 50
Fax:         +49 / (0) 82 61 / 73 88 20
E-mail:     info@novitecrosso.com
Internet:     www.novitecrosso.com