The cat and mouse game between the law enforcement community and those of us who stretch the boundaries of speed limits is a constantly escalating battle. Most of the heavy artillery is in the hands of the police but drivers are not totally defenseless.

Duct tape or duck tape? The two are more or less interchangeable these days, but the tool kit that comes in a roll started life as duck tape. There are two reasons for this.

Neuspeed Air Filters

The introduction of our Project 996TT (“Introducing the Budget Supercar,” Aug. ’11) created a good deal of interest and questions from our readers. Many encouraged and cheered the initiation of such a project, admitting that this was just what they were waiting for. While others disputed the ultra-low purchase price of our project car. Well, we got what we paid for, because at the track event where we planned to collect the baseline data for our “cheap” $32,000 ’01 Porsche 911 Turbo it began billowing huge plumes of white smoke. Yee-freakin-ha!

The Audi S4 has done a rare thing in the automotive world; it has gone from being a highly sought after, often unobtainable sports sedan to one that dealers can barely give away. I remember a time when the B5 S4 was all enthusiasts could talk about, and even after being out of production for over a decade the B5 is still the most desired. So why did the S4 fall from grace? Was it Audi’s bad engine choices? Elimination of an amazing color palette? Addition of expensive packaging options or non-distinctive styling? In my opinion, the B5 S4 2.7T was successful because it was tunable. Even though subsequent models had more power and advanced technology, they lost their tunablity and zest that defined the S4. The engineers at GIAC hope to rekindle the relationship that enthusiasts had with the S4 product line with their latest software solution for the B8 S4 3.0T (supercharged).

Driving along in my automobile, my baby beside me at the wheel… BEEP! What? A low oil light appears and creates an unexpected interruption of my cruising down the freeway. When driving a modified car, you can usually expect an array of lights or a cacophony of warning beeps, but in a stock car?

Wilwood E46 M3 Brakes

I remember the good old days of dark limo tint. No matter how cold the temperature, I’d have to lower all the windows whenever a cop came by. It didn’t always work. Got one fix-it ticket, and then a second and a third, all the while the fines increased. Sigh. Memories. As I got older, I gave up limo tint simply because it wasn’t worth the hassle or the cost. I learned to live with the scorching hot black leather seats in the summer, my left arm being more tan than the right and a few more age spots and wrinkles on my face.

After you’ve done everything you can to enhance the engine performance and handling of your favorite driving machine, what more could you want to do? Answer: Enhance your driving experience and vehicle control with great performance seats. Typically when you change over to performance seats you have to choose between functionality and comfort, which are typically on opposite ends of the scale when it comes to seat characteristics. Furthermore, can you really improve your seating position and control without going with a full-on race seat? The guys at European Auto Source (EAS) have a great option for BMWs: Recaro Sportster CS seats and Macht Schnell floor mount adaptors.

At 16 I had the pleasure of watching my first car come crashing to the ground as the piston seal in the jack failed, resulting in extensive body and suspension damage. I don’t even want to think what would have happened if I was changing the oil and not the brakes. I have owned the same pair of GMG Racing has introduced a true 4.0-liter engine upgrade for multiple late-model 911 applications, including 996 GT3, RS, Cup and Turbo, as well as 3.6-liter 997 Turbo, GT2, GT3, RS, Cup, and 3.8 GT3, RS and Cup. This is a comprehensively engineered upgrade that includes a lighter and stronger billet 4.0-liter crankshaft with updated oiling. Mahle pistons forged to GMG’s specs are available in various compression ratios depending on your application. There are custom forged rods for Turbo apps and custom titanium rods for naturally aspirated setups. GMG claims NA engines are capable of producing up to 550 hp, and turbocharged units are capable of up to 950 hp depending on configuration.

If it were not for the Fanatec Forza Motorsport CSR Wheel and CSR Elite Pedals I would not be as high up the Forza Motorsport 4 leader boards as I currently find myself. That’s not to say I’m in the top 1 percent, or even the top 5 percent, on any one track/car class, but I’m in the top 15 percent or better in many of the track/classes I’ve raced in. A proper wheel and pedal set is the best way to improve your times. There’s no two ways about it. For hard-core racing sim gamers you would be hard-pressed to find a better setup than the Elites from Fanatec.

Over the years I have found the quickest and most effective way to squeeze power out of any turbocharged engine is to simply reprogram the ECU. So when John, a colleague from our IT department, was looking to juice up his 2011 MINI Countryman Cooper S, equipped with the 181-hp 1.6L (N18) turbocharged engine, we jumped at the opportunity and had the perfect company in mind. Though NM Engineering is fairly new to the MINI tuning world, they are dominant in the Audi and VW tuning scene. The engineers behind their products have been developing and perfecting engine software for the last 22 years and tuning engines and suspensions for 37 plus. This vast knowledge was extremely important, especially since MINI has begun using the latest Bosch MEVD 17.2.2 software to control its turbocharged engines. I told John I would take his MINI to get it chipped, in exchange for an honest review—good or bad—and lunch.

Like many financially challenged tool turners, we’ve often found ourselves at Harbor Freight. The stuff is inexpensive and they’ve got virtually every tool known to man. We figured even if they were of lesser quality we could buy three for the price of one name brand. Over time though, we’ve found the HF product lasted just as long the name brand, and in some instances even longer. We must have got a lucky batch or something.

It’s a question of some import: How do you improve upon the most bad-ass 911 the Porsche factory has ever produced? A car that carries the marketing tagline “Respect required” and has earned the ominous nickname of “Widowmaker.”

After attending my share of tire launches, I’ve become accustomed to the routine. Wake up early, sit through a presentation highlighting the latest and greatest technology, then get handed the keys to a car for a test drive. While these presentations are informative, I’m often left wondering if it’s all just a case of a placebo effect. Did I really experience a novel and innovative technology when I drove the car, or did it seem more fantastic since they told me it would be?

According to the company, Pioneer’s AppRadio is the first in-vehicle product designed to utilize the processing power, storage capacity, network connectivity and applications of Apple’s iPhone and iPod Touch. It also features a capacitive touchscreen that enables control of most functions using similar touch and motion gestures as many of today’s most popular smartphones, but in a larger 6.1-inch screen designed for safe in-vehicle operation. AppRadio also has a built-in Bluetooth capability for hands-free calling and an input for an optional rear-facing backup camera. $399

Years ago I had the pleasure of spending a day with the Forza Motorsport development team at Microsoft Game Studios—now Turn 10 Studios—before the sequel was released. I learned that not only were Dan Greenawalt and his team very talented programmers and designers, but that many were actively involved in the enthusiast lifestyle and had extensive experience in various motorsport disciplines.

Designed to work in conjunction with the company’s Stage II+ ECU upgrade, APR’s 3.0 TFSI supercharger pulley allows the factory Eaton supercharger to spin faster, increasing boost levels throughout the rpm range all the way to redline. When combined with APR’s RSC exhaust and APR/Carbonio intake, the result is a claimed power increase of 80 lb-ft of torque and 108 hp at the wheels on 93 octane fuel. The kit includes a properly sized supercharger belt, e-coated black pulley for a factory look and a free software upgrade for existing Stage I ECU customers. $549

Taming the torque

With its new Azenis PT722 A/S, Falken Tire claims it intends to set the stage for a new category in ultra-high-performance (UHP) rubber. Since the company believes emphasis on tread life has been overlooked in the UHP category, the PT722 touring tire is targeted at drivers looking for a smooth and quiet ride without sacrificing either performance or tread life. To back it up the claims, Falken backs the tire with one of the best warranties available in UHP tires—60,000 miles in sizes featuring a 600-A-A UTQG rating and 40,000 miles for sizes with a 440-A-A UTQG rating. The Azenis PT722 A/S is available in 44 sizes encompassing series 30 to 60, and wheel fitment diameters from 16 to 20 inches, as either an original equipment replacement or a plus-sized aftermarket alternative.

The N55 engine was released in 2011 and labeled by BMW as the next generation of the 3.0-liter turbocharged inline six. The new-generation powerplant replaced the dual-turbo setup with a single, twin-scroll turbocharger. In spite of the change from twins to a single turbo, horsepower and torque figures were the same as on the outgoing N54 twin-turbo engine (300 hp, 300 lb-ft). The engine redesign brought forth a whole slew of challenges for tuners and raised a lot of questions—like can the same types of modifications create the same performance increases?

Designed to eliminate the restrictions found in the factory VW 2.0 TDI airbox, AWE Tuning’s TDI C|C|B intake is designed to provide a smooth, unobstructed path for air entering the engine to increase efficiency and power. This intake system comes with a large washable cone filter that’s surrounded by a carbon-fiber box engineered to shuttle fresh, cool air from the factory grille directly into the combustion process.

Ultimo coilovers from Raceland are designed for drivers seeking better suspension performance over stock while retaining the ability to lower their vehicle to their desired ride height. According to the company, they have been improved over the standard kit to allow a better ride quality at lowered ride heights. The larger and shortened shock pistons, along with stiffer spring rates and stronger shock valving, ensure you get the stance you seek without sacrificing ride quality. Powdercoated shock bodies and gold-anodized spring perches add an extra level of corrosion resistance to extend the life of the coilover.

It isn’t often that I go completely gaga over a given product, but when the product blows my expectations out of the water and does something almost magical, it’s time to tell all.

With nothing less than a twin-turbocharged V12 shoehorned into this engine bay, the Mercedes S600 is an iconic car to modify. This was going to be a fun test, and our friends at Renntech knew it.