1937 Mercedes Benz 540K Cabriolet "A"

       The automotive factories of today utilize computers and robots in order to produce different combinations of cars in short order. The buyer is able to choose different options, colors, and accessories that can all be changed at a moment’s notice on the assembly line. Some may consider this customization, but having a specially ordered car in the 1930s was a much different scenario.

          In 1936, Mercedes Benz introduced its new 540K model at the Paris Motor Show. Subsequent years would see this car be called on as the most striking Mercedes model ever built. When it came out, this car was not simply sitting on dealers lots to be test driven and sold to the first person with enough money. It was specially ordered and built once the customer had made payment. Recently, one of the rarest models came to auction at RM’s Villa d’Este event.

             The Cabriolet A model was built for the 14th Maharajah of Indore whom was an avid car collector. More recently, the car was fully restored and has won its fare share of concours events across the country. The rare and beautiful 540K Cabriolet was auctioned for the price of $2,013,000 to one lucky bidder that will undoubtedly be satisfied with his purchase.

The engineer responsible for these cars was Hans Nibel and came from the older Type 380. The straight-eight pushrod OHV engine displaced 3,823 cc in its original form. It made 90hp, but that was not enough to make the large vehicle perform at the level Mercedes wanted. Eventually Nibel developed a 5-liter version of the engine with a supercharger. This “K” or Kompressor model made 160hp which was much more competitive versus the competition. The latter models used a further enhanced version displacing 5,401ccs and used the same Roots type supercharger. The Maharajah’s 540K had this engine and it made 180hp which was perfect for his love of fast automobiles.

2012 Honda BRIO City Car

In it’s attempt to introduce new models to both the Indian and Thai market, Honda has gone ahead and introduced its new city car prototype at the Thailand International Motor Show. The car, which is being tagged as the Brio, is scheduled to hit the two aforementioned markets beginning in 2011.

With the Asian market becoming a hot spot for fuel-efficient city cars, Honda is looking to get a piece of the pie with the Brio. Reports on the Brio’s performance numbers indicate that it will come with a very frugal 1.2-liter four-cylinder engine.

The Brio will also come in two variants for both the Indian and Thai market, with the latter being given a more performance-oriented variant whereas the latter will be a little more on the fuel-efficient side. Despite the increasing demand for small city cars, the Brio won’t be lacking competitors from a number of brands and their models, including the Hyundai i10, the Toyota iQ, and the Suzuki Swift.

2011 Ferrari 340 Mexico Berlinetta by GWA-Tuning

The Ferrari 340 Mexico Berlineta is one of the most unique cars on the market, fetching an astounding $4.3 million at the RM Auctions in March 2011. That princely sum is justified considering the 340 Mexico only consists of three different chassis, each built exclusively for the 1952 Carrera Panamericana race in Mexico. One of these units, chassis number 0224 AT driven by Luigi Chinetti, was successful in crossing the finish lane in third place behind two Mercedes 300SL Gullwing models and this is the car GWA Tuning has chosen to celebrate with a tributary model.

Using a Ferrari 456 platform as a base, GWA Tuning was able to bring the classic 340 Mexico Berlinetta to modern times. This 456 platform was re-bodied by Coach Building master, Mark Nungent, from Australia. The body was then fixed up with a new diffuser, rear spoiler, side vents, and front splitters, all from newer Ferraris. The body was also stretched by about 15 inches (mostly in the middle) to fit the new platform, but the wheelbase remained the same. As far as power goes, the original 340 Mexico Berlinetta was powered by a 280 HP 4.1 liter V12 engine, but modern times call for modern measures so the tuner switched it up for a 5.4 liter V12 engine with an output of 476 HP at 6300 rpm. GWA Tuning then added a new exhaust system with special free flow air filters, but kept the original six speed manual transmission. The brake calipers, rotors, and other such components were also changed, but replaced with original Ferrari parts from newer models.

2011 Zenvo ST1 50S

     Denmark’s Zenvo ST1 is not the most popular or most well-known supercar of the lot, but make no mistake, the people over at Zenvo are hell-bent on changing that perception.

The Danish supercar maker is getting ready to roll out three special edition ST1 models for the North American market, called the ’ST1 50S’. Despite the ultra limited number of this model, Zenvo has made sure that they’re worth every penny prospective customers will have to shell out for the chance to own one of these three hypercars.

     Aesthetic changes done to the car are limited, but they still stand out from the rest of the supercars running roughshod over America’s highways these days. The ST1 50S comes in three different colors - Intense Red, Crystal White, and Mediterranean Blue - with a powertrain that has been improved from the standard ST1 model. The part about the engine is pretty huge considering that the ’base’ model already has a 7.0-liter supercharged V8 engine that produces 1,104 horsepower and 1,050 lb/ft of torque.

      The Zenvo ST1 50S carries the same aggressive design language as a standard ST1, albeit with a number of aesthetic improvements to warrant its special edition designation. Among the new goodies that come with the Danish supercar include a special color scheme for each of the three available models that includes Intense Red, Crystal White, and Mediterranean Blue.

2012 SSC Tuatara

The American supercar. We’re so proud of the SSC Tuatara that there was no way we could possibly leave it off of this list. Scheduled to take on Bugatti once again in the war for the title of “World’s Fastest Production car,” SSC went to work to produce this powerful and beautifully designed work of art.

Speaking of design, the Tuatara was penned by none other than Italian American designer Jason Castriota, who has designed cars for the very best in the industry: Ferrari, Pininfarina, Rolls Royce, and Bertone to name but a few. What he ended up with was a car with a classic but pivotal shape and a stunning contrast of power and beauty with a very low drag co-efficient.

The proposed record breaker is powered by a quad-cam, twin-turbo V8 displacing 6.8 liters. The engine, like all the other mechanical parts, are all developed in-house by SSC themselves and is joined by a four-valves-per-cylinder overhead cam (OHC) setup as opposed to push rods and new SSC spec turbochargers. The new setup is good for a colossal 1350HP and will rev to 9000RPM! Zero to 62mph will arrive in around 2.8 seconds and SSC claims a top speed of, wait for it, 275mph!.

2011 Hummer H1 by Cam-Shaft

         It’s been over a year since the last Hummer rolled out of GM’s production facility, but Cam-Shaft was able to snag one of the remaining off-road monsters for a little virtual makeover. The premium wrapping team in Steinbach were hired by the owner of this H1 to turn the vehicle into a rolling tribute to Call of Duty, a popular first-person and third-person shooter video game series.

     This special Hummer H1 was created with the help of co-operation and joint efforts which discussed the project thoroughly before coming up with various sketches (some accepted, some rejected). The final goal was to create a perfect combination illustrating their love for cars and video games.

2012 Ford Focus ST

After a very long wait, Ford has finally unveiled the production version of the dramatic new Focus ST at the Frankfurt Motor Show, and they’ve also announced that, next to the standard five-door model, Europeans will also be getting a station wagon version. The Focus ST is Ford’s first truly global performance car and Ford promises it will combine power with fuel efficiency and an impressive handling characteristic.

For the new model, Ford has tuned the 2.0-liter Ford EcoBoost engine with a redesigned intake and a new exhaust system with a unique engine calibration for a total output of 250 HP. The engine was combined with a 6-speed manual transmission which has also been specially revised for the ST.

Ford has also announced that many of the design elements seen in the Focus ST will also be used in all the future ST models. These elements include the aggressively enhanced front and rear bumpers and the addition of a rear spoiler and sideskirts, plus a unique signature color.

Under the hood of the new Focus ST, Ford has placed a revised version of the 2.0-liter Ford EcoBoost engine delivering 250 HP. It gets redesigned intakes and a new exhaust system with unique engine calibration.

The engine will be mated to a 6-speed manual transmission, which has specially revised gearing to produce the maximum punch from each throw of the gear shift. There will also be a tuned suspension setup that will lower the ST chassis by 10mm for a more aggressive stance while the center of gravity is brought closer to the road, which aids in precise cornering.