2 Mercruiser Alpha 1 Rams on 2040-parts.com

Brabus tunes Mercedes-Benz CLA 45 AMG to 394 hp

It was only a matter of time before German tuning house Brabus looked at the Mercedes-Benz CLA 45 AMG and said: nahh, it's just not powerful enough. Recall that the base CLA 45 AMG already produces 355-hp and 332 lb-ft of torque courtesy of its modestly sized 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four (an impressive feat by itself, yielding the highest output of any production four-cylinder engine), which gives it the ability to get to 60 mph in just 4.4 seconds. Given its $48,375 price tag for stateside 4Matic all-wheel drive version, many would call that a bargain for the performance stats provided.

Renault Fluence launched

The new Renault Fluence is being built for the Turkish, Russian and Romanian markets Renault are aiming to make the Fluence the most attractive car in its class (their words), and say that beneath its ‘Strong, sporty interior’ it features a ‘comfortable cabin with loads of technology’. So there. The Fluence comes in at the top of the C segment in terms of size – it’s just over 15′ long – and comes pretty well equipped.

Stillen contest calls for production SEMA Scion FR-S bodykit designs

Tuning company Stillen has launched a competition to design a bodykit for the Scion FR-S to be put into production. As well as having their design made, the winner also win entry to the Specialty Equipment Marketing Association (SEMA) Show and be put up during the show for two days in Las Vegas, where the car will be displayed The contest calls for designers to submit renders of a lip/body kit consisting of a front lip spoiler, side rockers and rear valances by downloading the design templates from the contest website and submitting their own designs by email along with name and contact information. The Stillen design team will choose the top five designs three days after the submission deadline and upload them to its Facebook page, with the winner chosen by the public on Facebook after two weeks of voting.