2012 Chevrolet Camaro "King Camaro" by 813 Customs

Actually, "excessive" even feels like an understatement, especially when you’ve had the time to process exactly what you’re looking at.

In this case, what you’re looking at is supposed to be a 2012 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible SS. It still looks like a Camaro SS, at least for the most part, but what we can’t wrap our heads around is just how far 813 Customs took to giving this muscle car one of the most insane programs we’ve ever seen. For starters, the chrome wrap isn’t all that bad, as is the custom front grille, the red racing stripes, the LED strips on the hood opening, and the red headlights. We can live with those components and actually like them to a certain extent. But after that, things get a little hairy.

The standard-sized wheels have been taken off in favor of a new set of 32" versions. 32 inches, people. From there, the interior of the Camaro was dressed in a combination of red leather, red chrome, and other red what-have-yous to create a visual eyesore. Then, there are the speakers, which all look like planted mushrooms on a small field and probably have enough bass to make your ears bleed even if the volume’s at mute.

The finishing touch for this true one-of-a-kind Camaro? A double-sided LCD flat screen whose purpose in this whole cacophony of absurdity we still can’t seem to understand.

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2013 Subaru BRZ "Zero" Rally Race Car

So, Toyota is ready to present their GT-86 endurance race car? Subaru isn’t sweating that one out because they themselves have a racer up their sleeves.

The Subaru BRZ, the GT 86’s sister from another mister, is getting a race-spec version, except that instead of it hitting the endurance block, it’s being primed for the rally scene.

The car, which is being called the BRZ "Zero Car" or "Opening Car," actually made its debut at the 2012 Japan Rally Championship on July 28th and 29th as a race-livered sports car that has been customized for rally use. It has a number of new features, including a front chin spoiler and a rear wing, as well as a new set of white-finished alloy wheels.

Further details about the car are expected to be revealed by the Japanese automaker in the coming days. What we do know is that, judging by the photo Subaru dropped on us over the weekend, the BRZ "Zero" is looking like it has a future in the rally scene, not just in Japan, but everywhere else as well.

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2014 Porsche 911 Targa may not happen after all

A few months ago, there was a Porsche prototype caught testing that looked to be a Targa model disguised by a convertible top. At that point, we all though that Porsche was bringing back the famous fixed Targa roof option for the new generation 911. However, according to Autoevolution, this may not be the case after all. They are quoting a Porsche insider saying that "the car maker is considering selling the new glass roof model as a special Carrera rather than a Targa."

More than likely, Porsche took the public’s level of interest into account and decided that the Targa would be better off as an option as opposed to a full blown model. That would mean that this version would still get both rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive configurations and the engines from both standard 911 Carrera and Carrera S models.

Previous rumors suggested that the 991 generation Targa would arrive in 2013 as a 2014 model, so we expect the new Targa option to have the same timeline.

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2013 Hyundai Veloster Turbo R-Spec

Hyundai’s sporty little coupe - the Veloster - was an ace in the hole in terms of design, but its power left much to be desired, so the South Korean manufacturer took it a step further by offering the new Veloster Turbo. The new Turbo comes with a 201 HP 1.6-liter turbocharged-gasoline direct injection engine, but this may only be a starting point for future power boosts.

According to MotorAuthority, a Hyundai insider revealed that the company is considering an even more powerful Veloster. This future model will feature a stiffer chassis and a revised suspension with mechanically adjustable dampers, components that many thought would have been added to the Veloster Turbo. The insider let it be known that the lack of changes to the chassis and suspension for the Turbo model were a part of a grand scheme to offer up a more powerful Veloster variant. If produced, this hotter Veloster will more than likely end up with an updated version of the current 1.6-liter turbo.

There is not an official name for the future Veloster as of right now, but taking inspiration from its bigger brother - the Hyundai Coupe - it is believed that the new model will be named the Hyundai Veloster Turbo R-Spec.

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Volkswagen’s Sole Ownership of Porsche Could Spawn the Baby Boxster

Last week, we gave you a nice little rundown on what Porsche has in store for us in the coming years. One of those cars included Project 551, which we have all nicknamed the “Baby Boxster.” This compact, entry-level roadster looked to be a certainty in Porsche’s lineup, when suddenly the plan was axed, as Porsche’s CEO basically said it doesn’t fit the Porsche mold and they want to retain their customer exclusivity.

Well, now that the recent automotive giant, Volkswagen AG, has bought out the remaining shares of Porsche, err, “restructured” their corporate design, we may see this all change. You see, VW could give two cents about customer exclusivity. It wants to sell units and that’s that. VW will likely keep the 200,000-unit goal that Porsche had set before the “restructuring” and the way that VW may do this is to release a lower-priced roadster.

Think about it, fresh college graduates can’t typically afford a $50,000 base-level Boxster, but a $23,000 Miata is not an issue. Well, if Porsche slides a smaller, less feature-packed version of the Boxster right between the two, say at about $32,000, it could suck these young professionals into the Porsche brand early. With these premium brands, once they get in, they are typically customers for life.

In addition, the excuse that Porsche CEO, Matthias Mueller, made regarding a Baby Boxster not fitting the Porsche mold is complete hogwash. Porsche released an SUV and a sedan in the last decade, plus it is about to release a smaller version of its SUV, so how in the world could a smaller, more wallet-friendly roadster not fit in with a sports car company? Yeah, we don’t get it either.

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2015 MG Roadster

When MG released the Icon concept car in Beijing, we were all a little shocked, as it had been ages since we had heard from the U.K.-based, Chinese-owned automaker. We also were impressed and disgusted with the concept all at the same time, as its overall styling was pretty sleek, but the Mini-like appearance and strange protruding fog lights killed it for us.

At the time, we knew that the Icon would make it to production, though the dates were a little fuzzy still, but we didn’t realize that this compact crossover may spawn the resurrection of a legend. Well, now we do know that the Icon will also be the basis that a new MG Roadster will be based on.

It sounds a little awkward when you think about it, but this Roadster will be a 4-seater crossover convertible. Calling it a Roadster is a pretty big stretch of the term, as a roadster typically has only two doors and two seats (see: Mazda Miata, BMW Z4 and Toyota MR2).

Regardless of the stretching of its name, the new MG Roadster will likely be a blast to drive, given its compact size and roughly 130 horsepower. We also don’t have to wait too awful long to see a production model, as reports are pointing to a 2015 release of the Roadster. The Roadster also earns brownie points for being relatively affordable at a reported ₤14,000 ($21,800 at the current rates).

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2013 Mercedes C63 Black Series by Domanig

Not pleased with the standard 510 HP offered by the Mercedes C63 AMG Black Series, German tuner Domanig put together their own little power update that increases the output to an amazing 600 HP. This boost in power also increases the top speed from the standard 155 mph to an exhilarating 198 mph.

In order to obtain the extra power, the tuner installed an a-header, sport catalysts, and a modified engine control unit to the already impressive 6.3 liter V8 engine of the C63 AMG. The modifications were then moved to the exterior where the tuner added a new set of 20" Domanig High Quality Wheels painted in a very cool black gloss with polished outer edges and wrapped around Dunlop Sport Maxx GT 265/30 and 305/25 tires. The wheels are combined with a new KW 3 suspension system that lowers the car’s ride by 30 mm.

These changes, combined with the red exterior paint finish and that huge rear wing, make the C63 AMG Black Series a force to be reckoned with.

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