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What these well-established tuners come up with trumps the coolest builds car fans have seen on West Coast Customs.
Gearheads with a serious need for speed have been around since cars were created. While improving looks and performance was initially reserved for coach-builders and automakers, things would change around the 1930s. In the United States, Hot Rods were all the rage among car fans before World War 2 broke out. Things evolved rather rapidly in the decades following the war.
Nowadays, the tuner scene is flooded with shops of various sizes and competence levels. Some of the most prominent shops have built projects that cemented their reputation in the field. What these well-established tuners come up with trumps the coolest builds car fans have seen on West Coast Customs. Their vehicles are more often than not focused on performance rather than looks.
Founded in 1995 by Jack Roush, Roush Performance has turned the most interesting Ford vehicles into powerful beasts. Having worked for Ford right out of college, Roush was always involved in the automotive industry. Though Roush never got behind the wheel in professional racing, he had a tremendous impact on domestic professional racing.
There are several things piston heads do not know about Roush Mustangs, such as the fact the latest Jack Roush Edition is a beast more powerful than the Shelby GT500 of the same year. While the Jack Roush Mustang is a rare collectible, the more attainable Roush Mustang Stage 3 is one of Roush's greatest creations. The Phase 2 supercharged 5.0L Coyote pumps out a staggering 750 hp and 670 lb-ft of torque.
When it comes to modifying a classic Porsche 911, the first company that comes to mind is Singer Vehicle Design. Established in 2009 by Rob Dickinson, a former member of rock band Catherine Wheels, Singer is known among gearheads as the shop that builds sober yet very singular restomodded 911s. Based in Los Angeles, the shop has already showcased a variety of tastefully modified 911s.
Singer Porsches are among the coolest restomods car tuners ever made. Well-known for its restomod builds, Singer enhanced the potential of classic 911s. Whether it is the sport-oriented DLS Project or the Mulholland Drive piece of art, the Los Angeles-based tuner has made a name for itself thanks to a succession of mechanical and marketing victories.
The name Mansory is very familiar among custom high-end car fans. Working exclusively on the most luxurious vehicles on the market, the German tuner has had gearheads daydream since 1989. At some point, the Mansory SeaDoo GTX Limited 300, a souped-up jet-ski, was even offered. Mansory's work on motorcycles and jet-skis has always been overshadowed by its work on exclusive cars.
Mansory's portfolio includes Ferraris, Porsches, Lamborghini, and McLarens. This list goes on and on. Two vehicles that stand out from the rest are the 2022 Mansory Rolls-Royce Ghost V12 and the 2021 Lamborghini Urus Venatus. The two vehicles not only look stunning, but they are also far more powerful than their stock counterparts. The Ghost saw its power increase from 571 hp to 720 hp. The Venatus faced a similar fate. Its power output increased to 810 hp from 641 hp.
Gearheads from the late '70s and early '80s must remember when Callaway Cars released its first modified Corvette. Dubbed "The Sledgehammer," the car came with a twin-turbocharged LT5 V8 capable of producing 898 hp and 772 lb-ft of torque. John Lingenfelter pushed the Sledgehammer to a staggering 254.76 mph. This was absolutely insane back in the '80s.
Callaway Cars hit the nail on the head numerous times. However, one Callaways car that truly caught the attention of piston heads nationwide is the Corvette Aerowagen. Having turned Chevy's flagship vehicle into a sports wagon, Callaway did what no one thought of back then. Upgraded to the SC757 package, the Corvette ends up pumping out 757 hp and 777 lb-ft of torque.
Not every tuner wants to turn $400,000 cars into unique race machines ready to tear up Laguna Seca. Companies like Fab Design specialize essentially in aesthetics and aerodynamics. Not every high-end car owner wants more power as these cars are already nervous as is. For those looking to add another layer of singularity to their exotic rides, Fab Design is there.
Fab Design is known in the custom car industry as the go-to company for packages that will turn high-end sports-oriented vehicles into singular and exclusive beasts. The vast majority of vehicles modified by Fab Design already produce over 500 hp. Consequently, the company makes sure that the power delivered by those vehicles is fully utilized thanks to skillfully engineered body kits.
When it comes to Mercedes-Benz cars modified to an extreme level, the first name that comes to mind is Brabus. Having been around since 1977, the German tuner has produced a plethora of packages for Mercedes vehicles. In fact, the company even came up with packages for vehicles released before its creation. Although Brabus is exploring new ways to expand, the company remains loyal to Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
Anybody with a love for super-SUVs knows that the 2022 Brabus Rocket G 900 is an absolute monster. Fitted with a twin-turbocharged 4.5L V8 rated at 900 hp, the G Wagon earned the ultimate treatment. With that said, Brabus has several other rockets on wheels in its portfolio. The G Wagon may not be the best vehicle in an urban environment. Fortunately, Brabus offers the same package for the GT 63 S.
Modified Porsche cars, whether classic or modern, will not fail to turn some heads. Whether it is a mean oldie from Emory Motorsports or a very German restomod built by RUF, modified Porsche cars tend to originate essentially from Europe and North America. RAUH-Welt Begriff, also known as RWB, is one of the most relevant shops specialized in Porsche cars that come neither from Europe nor North America.
RAUH-Welt Begriff was founded by Akira Nakai, a Japanese piston head with a deep love for classic Porsche cars. Specializing entirely on the physical aspect of the cars, RWB manufactures body kits that go perfectly with modified Porsche engines. These Porsche may trigger seizures among purists, but the Japanese-built RWB Porsche cars are simply gorgeous.
The number of remarkable American tuners is quite high. While most of them have made a name for themselves using more traditional ways, Hennessey Performance Engineering took advantage of social media. Made popular domestically with its insane souped-up Viper, Hennessey would eventually conquer the world when videos of its very first Venom GT were posted on YouTube.
The Texan tuner garnered a lot of attention when the Velociraptor 6X6 was announced. Around that time, the Raptor was already perceived as the ultimate pickup truck. Hennessey did not stop there. While modified vehicles were getting everyone's attention, the shop was preparing something truly jaw-dropping. The Venom F5, Hennessey's crown jewel, comes with a twin-turbocharged 6.6L V8 developing a staggering 1,817 hp and 1,193 lb-ft of torque.
Founded by legendary race car driver Carroll Shelby, Shelby American Inc. is one of the oldest car tuners in the world. In 1962, Shelby released its very first creation. The 260 Cobra CSX2000 was an ultimate success based on a British A.C. body and a Ford engine. The car was auctioned off in 2016 for a whopping $13,750,000. As time went on, Shelby enhanced several other Ford vehicles. Some of them faced a similar fate as the Cobra CSX2000.
Shelby has worked extensively with Ford Motors for over 60 years. The collaboration has led to the creation of some of the most interesting Ford-based street machines. In recent years, Shelby supercharged the 5.0L Coyote found on the F-150 and extracted 775 hp out of it. When it comes to the GT500 KR, the supercharged 5.2L Predator V8 was pushed to nearly 900 hp. Buying a Shelby vehicle is basically ordering a souped-up mass-produced machine that is ready to tear up the track.
German car aficionados must have realized that most of the cars produced by major domestic carmakers were not fully utilized. Like other German car tuners, ABT Sportsline was founded in the 1970s. Around the same time, BMW, Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, and Audi were manufacturing one great sports car after the other. Consequently, it became mandatory for skilled and resourceful gearheads to provide the right packages to other fellow piston heads.
ABT Sportsline understood what companies like Audi and Volkswagen were trying to achieve. To provide owners with the ultimate machine, ABT developed several packages for several European car brands. The RSQ8-R prepared by ABT churns out a whopping 740 hp. The RS7-R is among the modified Audis that will make you want to ditch your Hellcat. With 690 hp at the crankshaft, the RS7-R will turn heads wherever it goes.
Max Veron is an avid fan of anything equipped with a powerful engine. Spending time between Southeast Asia, Europe and the US, Max is travel bug with a great taste for cars.