After Porsche launched the updated 911 GT3 last month, we’re now waiting for the revised RS to break cover. Before that happens, Manthey is spicing up the outgoing Rennsport variant with a factory-backed aerodynamic body kit. The significant upgrade has the automaker’s blessing and won’t void the car’s warranty. As a refresher, Zuffenhausen has owned a 51% stake in the company based in Meuspath, Germany since late 2013.

You’ll immediately notice the rear window is gone. In its place, Manthey mounts a 25% lighter carbon fiber panel with a shark fin antenna derived from the Porsche 963 endurance racer. The large aerodynamic element works together with six extra smaller fins mounted on the roof. Their role is to guide the hot air coming from the front radiators away from the car so that the rear intakes draw cooler air.

Elsewhere, the massive carbon rear wing now has different endplates for increased downforce. For the same purpose, Manthey also made the diffuser bigger. To reduce air resistance, the 911 GT3 RS is fitted with aerodisc wheel covers made from carbon fiber. With all these changes made, the track machine now generates over 2,204 pounds (1,000 kilograms) of downforce at 177 mph (285 km/h).

There’s more to the Manthey kit beyond the modifications made to the body. Porsche’s track monster has 30% increased spring rates at the front axle and 15% at the rear. Other tweaks include new shock absorbers, racing brake pads (for cars with ceramic-composite brakes), and some miscellaneous items. Goodies vary from body decals and illuminated door sill guards in carbon fiber to LED door projectors and a towing eye you can’t use on public roads.

The upgrade package has been two years in the making, and it involved thousands of miles of testing on European racetracks. Speaking of which, Manthey wants to do a hot lap of the Nürburgring, but weather conditions haven’t been friendly. The goal is to shave off time from the standard GT3 RS’ performance established in October 2022 when the stock car lapped the 12.92-mile (20.8-kilometer) configuration of the famous track in 6 minutes and 49.32 seconds.

It should be able to get closer to the 6:43.30 lap time achieved in June 2021 by a previous-generation 911 GT2 RS fitted with Manthey Racing components. Lest we forget a 992-generation GT2 RS is seemingly on the way, so Porsche and Manthey could shave off even more seconds.

In the meantime, GT3 RS owners can already order the new kit. Countries in the European Union will get it from January next year while non-EU regions will have to wait until March. Pricing isn’t mentioned but the package tailored to the 718 Cayman GT4 RS costs from $53,946 in the United States, plus installation fees.

It’s perfectly okay to admit your guilty pleasures when it comes to weird vehicles. We all have a soft spot for at least one car our brain tells us we should just ignore. Although common sense would be not to like the Mitsuoka M55, we’re strangely attracted to the retro muscle car styling of this Honda. Yes, it’s a plain Civic underneath the Dodge Challenger-esque exterior. It started as a concept but now you can buy one by taking a trip to Japan.

The Japanese coachbuilder showed the M55 a year ago to celebrate its 55^th anniversary. At the beginning of this year, Mitsuoka announced plans to put the car into production. Fast forward to November, and it’s now taking orders for the M55 Zero Edition. Only 100 cars will be delivered in 2025 at 8,085,000 yen a pop. At current exchange rates, that works out to approximately $52,200.

The styling may say four-door Challenger but the custom car is all show without any extra go. The M55 sticks to a turbocharged 1.5-liter gasoline engine with 180 horsepower and 177 pound-feet (240 Newton-meters) of torque. The faux muscle car sends its Honda power to the front wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox, so it’s all standard Civic affair. Further down the line, Mitsuoka says it might offer the car with a CVT and even a hybrid powertrain.

Mitsuoka is taking 350 requests until January 19, 2025, when the order books are set to close. The car can’t be ordered online or through a phone call as it’s only available at dealers across Japan. To take part in the lottery and claim one of the 100 vehicles planned for production, customers must pay a 550,000 yen ($3,500) application fee. Don’t worry–you’ll get your money back if you don’t win the lottery.

Jaguar as we know it is dead. It’s about to enter a new era by ditching combustion engines to compete in ultra-luxury EV territory. But if you long for the good old days of the leaping cat, the XJS is making a spectacular return. No, Jag isn’t bringing it back. Instead, TWR is reviving the posh grand tourer through a boldly styled restomod with a carbon fiber body penned by Khyzyl Saleem.

Founded in 2020 as a separate entity from the legendary Tom Walkinshaw Racing, TWR is an engineering company. It won’t do just Jaguars and restomods but their inaugural project breathes new life into the XJS. Aptly named “Supercat,” the new-old vehicle is nearly 10% lighter than the original. It tips the scales at 3,538 pounds (1,605 kilograms) after fitting that wildly designed carbon body. Customers can also opt for carbon-ceramic brakes at both axles.

From the boxy wheel arches to the aggressively aerodynamic front and rear ends, a lot is going on outside. TWR gave the Supercat a side-exit exhaust not just for show, but to make room for the flatter underbody and a giant rear diffuser. The car is also slightly wider than the original XJS and has much bigger wheels than the stock 15-inch setup: 18 inches at the front and 19 inches at the rear.

Beyond the outlandish styling, there are skin-deep changes. The chassis has been reinforced with carbon fiber while the subframe uses TWR-designed, high-strength T45 tubular stainless steel. The double wishbone suspension now has active and adjustable dampers while a limited slip differential has been added as well. To bolster stability beyond the LSD, the Supercat also has a traction control system. Keeping up with the times, there are even five selectable driving modes.

But the pièce de résistance is undoubtedly lurking from underneath the vented hood. The engine is now a bored-out supercharged 6.5-liter V-12 instead of the original 6.3-liter mill. The enlarged powertrain makes 660 hp and 538 lb-ft (730 Nm) channeled to the rear axle via a six-speed manual gearbox featuring launch control. The standard XJS V12 HE referenced by TWR made do with 281 hp and 318 lb-ft (431 Nm) delivered to the wheels through a three-speed automatic transmission.

While the donor car had a 2+2 layout, the Supercat is strictly a two-person affair with electric seats and a larger cargo area. If there’s one thing we don’t like about the car, it’s the fully digital instrument cluster. Surely some nice analog gauges would’ve been more suitable since everything else looks nice and retro inside. We particularly like the carbon fiber-backed leather seats and the shifter. The digital instrument cluster isn’t the only screen since TWR also added a center infotainment display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support.

TWR is converting only 88 XJS cars to the Supercat specification. It’s not a random number as it harkens back to 1988 when Tom Walkinshaw’s XJR-9 won at Le Mans with the Silk Cut Jaguar team’s endurance race car driven by Andy Wallace (Bugatti’s current test driver), Johnny Dumfries, and Jan Lammers. That year, a different XJR-9 from Silk Cut Jaguar finished fourth.

Both left- and right-hand-drive configurations are available. TWR is already taking orders in the US, the UK, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Only a limited number of vehicles are still available. At home in the UK, the car kicks off at £225,000 ($285,000) before taxes and should you be interested, an initial £35,000 ($44,000) deposit is necessary before signing your name on the dotted line.

The latest BMW M cars are straight-line demons from the factory, and they take well to mods. This is perhaps the most extreme modern M car we’ve seen yet, an M2 drag car pumping out 1,500 horsepower to all four wheels. It’s the work of UK-based aftermarket shop R44 Performance and Tom Wrigley Performance, and it’s headed to the US to try and claim the mantle of the world’s quickest BMW.

This project began with the all-wheel drive conversion. BMW doesn’t sell an all-wheel drive M2—at least not yet—but underneath, the car is largely the same as the M3 and M4, both of which have all-wheel drive options. (BMW does sell an all-wheel drive 2 Series, but the hardware is slightly different than the M cars) For this build, R44 and Tom Wrigley Performance sourced the drivetrain from an M3 and after much trial and error, managed to make it work. 

To get 1,500 horsepower, Tom Wrigley Performance dropped the stock twin turbos for an enormous single turbo setup, skimmed and sleeved the engine, installed forged internals, and all sorts of extra cooling. The eight-speed automatic transmission also gets new internals to deal with the massive torque. On top of all that, there’s a full roll cage, carbon bucket seats with six-point harnesses, extensive suspension upgrades, custom Vossen wheels, and lots of carbon-fiber bodywork. Oh, and a parachute. 

The M2 is headed stateside to make a couple appearances, including at the TX2K in Texas next March, an event for street-legal drag cars. There, it will challenge to become one of the world’s fastest BMWs. R44 Performance has a full build series on its YouTube channel, so be sure to check that out if you want to see everything that goes into making one of the most extreme M2s on the planet. 

Roush has a long history with Ford, and the partnership continues with the 2024 F-150. The company’s 5.0-liter supercharger kit is now available for the updated pickup, turning the ordinary half-ton truck into a Raptor R fighter. On pavement, anyway.

The crux of the kit is a big R2650 roots-style supercharger, wielding four-lobe rotors and displacing 2.65 liters. Roush says it has larger bearings and thicker timing gears for better durability, and it works with a custom intercooler to help keep temperatures down. The kit also includes a new coolant reservoir and radiator, designed to optimize cooling during high-load situations like towing. The kit swaps in new spark plugs, adds a crankshaft damper, and a new engine calibration makes it all work in harmony. You’ll need to run premium fuel, though.

The result is 705 horsepower at the crankshaft, according to Roush. That’s a 305-hp improvement over a stock 5.0-liter V-8, and if the kit is installed by a Ford dealer or an authorized technician, Roush will cover the enhanced powertrain with a 3-year/36,000-mile warranty. There is a price for such power, however. The 2024 F-150 supercharger kit costs $8,649.99, not including installation.

That said, there’s serious potential to build a bonkers performance truck for a reasonable price. A new F-150 STX 4×4 with a 5.0-liter V-8 costs $52,235. Toss in the supercharger kit and add a bit more for installation, and you could have a 705-hp F-150 off-roader for a touch over $60,000. The least expensive F-150 Raptor R with comparable power is nearly double the price—$112,460 to be exact. Of course, you give up the Raptor’s suspension. But if high-flying fun isn’t a priority, a lower-trim truck with a supercharger kit could be your ticket to ride.

When it comes to Porsche 911 restomods, you’re spoiled for choice. Established names include Singer, Ruf, Canepa, and Paul Stephens, just to name a few. But what if you want something with an Italian flair? Enter Lab Eleven. Although the company is headquartered in Austria, the workshop where the magic happens is 20 miles from Milan. The niche company specializes in giving Zuffenhausen’s 993-generation sports cars a new lease on life.

Lab Eleven starts by securing an accident-free 911 with matching numbers. It ships the car to Modena where the air-cooled machine is completely stripped down. Some body panels such as the bumpers, front fenders, doors, and hoods can be swapped out for aluminum, magnesium, or twill-weave carbon fiber parts. The new panels are faithful to the factory-spec tolerances to maintain the OEM look.

After refreshing the body, the car is hand-sprayed in one of the 100+ original Porsche colors, some of which trace their roots to the 356 era. Alternatively, there are over 200 custom paint jobs available. It’s the very same body shop where the limited-run Lamborghini models such as the Aventador SVJ, Veneno, and Centenario were pampered.

The Italian expertise is noticeable inside where the cars get a retro treatment with wool fabrics, houndstooth, tartan/plaid, and bull hides of European origin. Lab Eleven can also apply hand-woven patterns and perforated motifs, not to mention that neat mahogany gear knob hardening back to the 917 race car. Not everything is a tribute to the past since the 993-gen 911 gets a modern infotainment system while still blending in with the rest of the dashboard.

As for the mechanicals, the engines are not reconditioned in Italy. Instead, they’re sent to a German partner in Baden-Württemberg, near Stuttgart. It’s where most bits and pieces are re-machined in higher tolerances compared to when the car rolled off the assembly line. The six-speed manual gearbox goes through the same process. Additionally, this Getrag transmission can be fitted with different gear ratios, a lightweight flywheel, a limited-slip differential, a multi-plate clutch, and a short-shifter.

Depending on what the customer wants, the flat-six is offered in 3.6, 3.8, and 4.0 displacements with anywhere from 300 to 400 horsepower. The regular SportTouren version is offered alongside a beefier Sportwagen, with both available as either a coupe or as a targa with a deployable acrylic-glass roof. Then there’s Project Rennen as a track-focused, rev-happy derivative inspired by the classic 1967 911 R.

Although the 911 restomod scene is already crowded, Lab Eleven is confident it can carve out a niche with its unique blend of Italian and German know-how. All in, nearly 4,000 hours are invested in each car, so the outcome should be nothing short of spectacular.

The Dodge Challenger and Dodge Charger as we know them are dead, as is the Hellcat line. Soon, the new Dodge Charger Daytona EV and Sixpack gas model will be on the street, reminding us of what we lost. But it’s not all bad news.

If you do a quick search on Dodge’s car inventory tool on its website, you’ll see that there are nearly 5,000 new 2023 Dodge Challenger and Dodge Charger models still sitting on dealer lots, just waiting for new homes. As Jalopnik points out, there are 2,855 examples of the Charger and 2,599 examples of the Challenger at the time of writing, with virtually every trim and configuration to choose from.

Options range from the base six-cylinder SXT and GT trims (of which there are plenty) to Scat Pack and even Hellcat models. Lesser trims like the SXT and Scat Pack make up the majority of the group, but there are a surprising number of Hellcat models still out there.

There are 520 examples of the Challenger Hellcat and Hellcat Redeye still sitting on dealer lots—which offer 717 and 797 horsepower, respectively. They range from about $75,000 to as high as $162,000 depending on the trim (some with massive markups). There are only 152 Charger Hellcat and Hellcat Redeyes by comparison, and they range in price from $84,000 to $100,000.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, the cheapest Challenger is a base SXT model that costs just $34,455. The cheapest Charger is a $40,520 SXT model with all-wheel drive. And there are plenty of Scat Pack models at around the $50,000 mark.

We’re sad to see the Challenger and Charger go. Thankfully, there’s still plenty of time to pick up a pristine example of one of these V-8 muscle cars before it’s too late.

• Modellista built a rugged Toyota Land Cruiser for this year’s SEMA Show.
• The aftermarket specialist previews possible new products it plans to bring to the United States.
• The Land Cruiser has body armor, a roof rack, and green LED accents.

Modellista, Toyota’s in-house customization brand in Japan, is at this year’s SEMA Show in Las Vegas to test out possible new products for the American market. And boy does it have something… special. The company dressed up a new Toyota Land Cruiser in an assortment of futuristic off-road goodies, turning the SUV into a Cyberpunk-looking overlander from the future.

The Land Cruiser—called the Modellista Overland Vision Concept—has external body armor and brush wires to protect against dings, dents, and scratches, as well as a roof rack, headlight protection, and blackout elements. Along the sides, Modellista installed polygonal side carriers shaped to fit the rear windows.

Photo by: Modellista

The aftermarket specialist also uses LEDs to accentuate the SUV’s styling. It has a full-width light bar along the hood above the bold Toyota grille. It also has green LED accents on the bumper, the brand’s hallmark color, new fascias, and a ladder to reach the roof. 

The company says the rugged Land Cruiser explores what’s possible with the Modellista products in the United States as it focuses on the needs of US customers and the off-road customization trends. It plans to incorporate these designs into its future lineup here, and it’ll depend on how people react to the build at SEMA.

We hope people like it. More rugged goodies for the new Land Cruiser will always be welcomed.

Brabus makes truly outrageous vehicles. Recently the German tuner introduced a carbon-bodied SL shooting brake, and prior to that, the shop shoved 930 horsepower under the hood of a Mercedes-Benz S-Class. But this might be the wildest Brabus build we’ve ever seen.

It’s called the Big Boy 1200. That’s right, the Big Boy. And as you can probably tell, this is no supercar. Built alongside Belgium’s STX Motorhomes, Brabus transformed a run-of-the-mill Mercedes Actros RV into a mansion on wheels.

Photo by: Brabus

At a daunting 39.4 feet long and 8.2 feet wide, the Brabus Big Boy (fun to say) has tons of room for activities. It features 323.0 square feet of luxurious living space and comes with dual electrically extendable slide-outs on either side that expand the bedroom to 14.8 feet wide.

The all-black exterior gives the Big Boy a “murdered-out” look, complete with a massive Brabus roundel on the front grille. Even more Brabus logos and stickers litter the side and rear of the RV—just so everyone knows what you’re driving.

Step onto the electronic power folding staircase, and the interior, as you’d expect, is properly posh. The front driver and passenger get perforated leather seats with triangle stitching. A 63.0-inch wide bed folds down just above them. The living room has two sofas upholstered in the same quilted leather as the front seats, and the floor features a premium carpet. Brabus also added matte wood and Alcantara accents throughout the cabin.

Photo by: Brabus

Photo by: Brabus

And there’s plenty of tech to go around. Brabus added a Starlink satellite dish with a Wi-Fi router to keep the Big Boy connected while on the road, as well as two 43-inch 4K TVs, a PS5 gaming console, and a premium audio system.

The kitchen comes with a dual sink, an oven, a dishwasher, and a full-size fridge. There’s a second smaller fridge—for wine, of course—and a built-in coffee machine. There’s even a fancy marble-lined toilet room with an adjacent shower.

Photo by: Brabus

The Brabus Big Boy 1200 is powered by a beefy 12.8-liter six-cylinder turbodiesel engine. It makes 530 hp and 1,918 pound-feet of torque, more than enough to move this massive RV. That said, it does have a limited top speed of just 56 miles per hour.

All this extravagance doesn’t come cheap. Brabus asks €1.3 million (approximately $1.4 million) for its Big Boy 1200 RV, and we expect it will be limited to just a handful of examples.

• The Toyota Supra “Suprabird” pays homage to the 1970 Plymouth Superbird raced by Richard Petty in NASCAR.
• The changes are largely aesthetic, with upgraded suspension being the only notable mechanical difference.
• It’s on display at the 2024 SEMA Show, running November 5-8 in Las Vegas.

NASCAR has existed in the US for over 75 years, but only a few drivers—and their cars—have attained legendary status. Richard Petty is arguably at the very top of the list, and though he drove several cars throughout his long career, the 1970 Plymouth Superbird is the one people remember. It was the winged wonder of superspeedways, so dominating that NASCAR made rule changes in 1971 effectively banning the aerodynamic ‘bird.

Now, Toyota and Rutledge Wood are paying homage to the classic Superbird with a modern interpretation based on another winged car, the Supra. Say hello to the Suprabird, complete with a classic blue paint job and festooned with Petty’s number 43 on the doors.

Photo by: Chris Rosales / Motor1

This isn’t just a random act of nostalgia on the part of Wood and Toyota. Legacy Motor Club is the modern iteration of what used to be the Petty GMS NASCAR race team. They’re partnered with Toyota and field several drivers in NASCAR, including Erik Jones who carries the no. 43 legacy with his Camry XSE. Wood, who’s long had a friendship with the Petty family, thought a Toyota-themed tribute to the classic Superbird would be neat.

“I wanted to welcome Petty to the Toyota Gazoo Racing Family, celebrate his affiliation with Legacy Motor Club, and pay homage to the 75th Anniversary of the Petty Family in Racing,” said Wood. “The vision was to recreate the aesthetic of the iconic Superbird in the form of a modern-day GR Supra, and thus the Suprabird was born!”

To make the Suprabird happen, Wood pulled a stock Supra from his own collection and set to work on modifications. The Petty Blue paint job is obviously what grabs attention, and yes, it’s actual paint, not a wrap. It rides on 19-inch wheels painted dark blue like those on the original race car. The Supra’s stock suspension is swapped for coilovers, and a mild body kit—including a big honkin’ wing at the back—completes the aesthetic changes.

Sadly, there isn’t a 426 Hemi V-8 under the hood. The Supra’s twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six is left alone, though a cold air intake and upgraded exhaust might add a few ponies to the existing 382 horsepower.

“Today, Toyota not only plays a significant role in NASCAR, but is also honored to be associated with the most legendary name in the sport,” said Toyota North America Marketing Vice President Mike Tripp. “The Suprabird represents the incredible journey of both Richard Petty and Toyota.”

The Suprabird is one of several custom vehicles Toyota has at this year’s SEMA Show. It runs now through November 8 in Las Vegas.