George Darling's 1988 Porsche Turbo 951
In 1988, three years into production of its 217hp 944 Turbo (951), Porsche released the 951 S with a 250hp engine that later became standard on all '89 951 models. It was easily one of the top 10 fastest cars on sale at the time, netting acceleration numbers close to the likes of the Lamborghini Countach, Ferrari Testarossa, Porsche 911 Turbo, and Lotus Esprit. And thanks to a vast aftermarket industry catering specifically to this model, numerous 951 and 951 S cars on the road are fast even by today's standards. This red one, owned by George Darling, is one of the elite.

Most people don't realize that Earth Day started way back in 1970. Conceived by politician Gaylord Nelson, it was intended to demonstrate concern about rising environmental issues as well as educate people about conservation. Earth Day celebrations have had their ups and downs through the years; 2007, however, was recognized as one of the biggest ever and arguably the most successful.

The current Quattroporte was launched in 2004, the fifth Maserati sports sedan to wear this badge. Designed by Pininfarina, it's not only a fine Maserati, but also a pretty good car by any standards. Striking the balance between formal elegance and a sporty attitude, it makes its German rivals-even the suave Jaguar XJR-look rather staid.

It used to mean something to own a Ferrari or Lamborghini. They were cars for special occasions. Just to see one on the street was a talking point. Now they're everyday, usable machines that prowl certain bonus-riding, city-boy-ridden quarters of our country like rats. An F430 or Gallardo doesn't stand out any more. In the wealth centers of the world, a rusting Miata would grab more gazes. That's why Hamann Motorsport stepped in to give both cars some added plumage and flash, to reinstate the impact that's been lost to the mass market.

The Turbo X is Trollhattan's latest limited-production 9-3 hot-rod. It has a turbocharged, 280hp, 2.8-liter V6 delivering 295 lb-ft of torque between 2150 and 4500 rpm, and it brings Haldex's latest and greatest fourth-generation all-wheel-drive system to the 9-3 range.

Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4

Mythic Cats
According to legend, the Jaguar XJ220 began as a top-secret side project designers and engineers worked on after hours. The original car used a twin-turbo V6 laying down 540 hp. The XJ220 S, pictured, was stripped down to be some 400 pounds lighter overall and its engine overhauled to produce an incredible 680 hp from the same 3.5 liters of displacement. Only five road-going examples are known to exist.

Case Study #1
Jaguar XF
We took an aggressive yet integrated approach to modifying Jaguar's newest sedan. The front fascia (1) maintains a break line at the corners, but it's angled more steeply and runs deeper, terminating at the outside of the large cooling ducts. The grille (2) has a blacked-out mesh treatment, emphasizing the opening and the Jaguar badge. Deeper, sculpted rocker panels and larger side vents (3) finished in polished aluminum enhance the sides, while a rear fascia and deck spoiler round out the external body mods. Wheels are polished aluminum (4) with color-keyed centers that match the leather-and-Alcantara interior trim.

Product Spotlight
PLX Devices DM-100 OLED gauge
Manufacturers generally do a good job of keeping drivers in the dark about what's going on under the hood. And there are some things you really need to know. Aftermarket gauges are plentiful, but you typically need more than one. Finding a gauge pod to install a single gauge cleanly is a challenge and when attempting to install multiples, it often looks tacky. PLX Devices has a solution: the DM-100, a multi-purpose gauge that fits into a 2 1/16-inch (52 mm) mount featuring an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display. It allows up to 32 different sensor modules to be combined into one gauge. By operating the four-button remote, the user can scroll through boost, air/fuel ratio, fluid temperatures and exhaust gas temperature readings-or display multiple readings-all in one gauge interface.

There's no debate about performance potential in the Porsche Cayman's mid-engine layout. The car's enthusiasts argue that the factory has purposely hobbled it, so as not to poach sales from the 911. As with most Porsches, there's a certain amount of conservativism in the design, meaning power left on the table for tuners to exploit. We decided to see what the Cayman S could do with improved breathing and an ECU tune that takes advantage of this potential.

Lean And Hungry
The Carrera Club Sport was Porsche's answer to the 911s growing waistline. Pared down to its essence, the CS was essentially a bare-bones model (no radio, AC, undercoating, and so on) with a more powerful motor and tighter suspension. It was intended for serious drivers, guys more interested in lap times than laptops.

Like everything else in the modern automotive realm, the term 'sports car' seems to have a pretty subjective definition. Ask 10 different people what a real sports car is and you'd probably get 10 different interpretations.

From The Hip
+ Well sorted and well rounded
- Except for the automatic transmission

Any time I drive a Mercedes-Benz SL-Class, I feel I should have a girl named Britney or Paris in the passenger seat and my friends must refer to me as M-Feb for the following week. These cars scream 'wealthy Hollywood diva' or 'Newport Beach trophy wife' as much as a Pomeranian wearing a designer sweater. With six-figure prices, it's no wonder they draw the heady crowd they do.

Case Study #1
BMW 1 Series
Rather than alterating the appearance, these modifications use the coupe's basic styling-but on steroids. The look of the fascia is similar, though deeper, with a full-width adjustable splitter, separate brake cooling scoops in the central opening and a more dynamic appearance to the angled fins (1). The lowered rocker sills make room for a side exhaust exit while a polished fender vent/trim draw the eye to the subtle transitions in this area (2). The rear wing (3) is mounted on a center post and has softly curved endplates that help emphasize the rear roofline. Oversized BBS-style wheels (4) help complete the appearance of a factory hot rod.

Red Sky Morning
Warm up at sunrise as the 12 Hours of Sebring starts the clock. The eventual winner, Porsche RS Spyder #7, leads the way as it did in the race. The big LMP1 guns of Audi and Peugeot had their problems while the Penske team simply drove a flawless race, giving the smaller-displacement LMP2 Porsche both class and overall victories.

There are three distinct schools of car builders. The first is the 'scratch-built' crew, guys who fabricate a vehicle from the ground up. If someone can't find what he needs, he'll simply build it. He follows a blueprint hardwired to his brain. He thinks most cars have too much stuff on them, certainly more than he's going to put on his ride anyway.

*You know the last name. This is the other racer from Scotland's contribution to American motorsport. Marino is young, enthusiastic, driven and, to top it all, has kept a vivid sense of humor. After learning that the second-place Acura had been disqualified, he told me he was going over to their truck to trade his third-place trophy for theirs. Now that's a racer.

Before the Golf, Volkswagen had a line of vehicles based around the rear-engine/rear-drive layout that made the original Beetle so successful. They were fun, economical and defined Volkswagen as a brand. There are still fans that flock to these cars to drive them in stock form, wildly modified, or some stage in between.

June 18, 2000. Audi's R8 racecar crosses the finish line first at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, an accomplishment it will repeat four more times over the next five years. Unbeknownst to the motoring public at large, Audi Sport's success at the world's most famous race spawns the conceptualization and construction of a completely new kind of super sports car.

It should have been bar talk from the lush wearing the beer-stained shirt, talking to imaginary friends. But this is 9ff boss Jan Fatthauer, standing in front of the GT9, which could and should be the fastest production car in the world before these words dry on the page.

Product Spotlight
Logitech Driving Force GT wheel
*The Gran Turismo 5 Prologue driving simulator stands alone when it comes to realism. Polyphony Digital (the game's developer) and Logitech wanted to make sure players felt the same way about the Driving Force GT steering wheel. Like a real F1 wheel, it provides the user with unprecedented control over vehicle functions.

From The Hip
+ Good chassis rigidity, low wind noise
- Top-up blind spot, low-end wheels

Some things just work. They have an inherent 'rightness' about them. And usually that's because someone put an inordinate amount of time and effort into making something work, making it all seem so effortless-that's the paradox/irony/duality. The Mercedes-Benz SL-Class is one of those things.

When upgrading a suspension, there are tough decisions to make: sacrifice comfort for performance? Or vice versa? To make the choice a little easier, Bilstein has developed its B16 Ride Control: a monotube height-adjustable coilover system that allows the user to select between sport and comfort settings with the push of a button and in a fraction of a second. Applications are for BMW (3 and 5 Series), and Mercedes-Benz (E-Class and CLS models).
$3,150
Bilstein
858.386.5900
www.bilstein.com