Category Archives: Tuning

Tuning

Mansory Turns the Audi RS6 into a 1,100-HP End-of-Year Firework

If subtlety is your thing, Mansory has never been your tuning house. The German outfit built its reputation on carbon-fiber excess and visual volume set permanently to eleven. And yet, beneath the loud aesthetics, Mansory has quietly become very good at something else: making already ridiculous performance cars completely unhinged.

To close out 2025, Mansory decided the Audi RS6 still wasn’t enough.

On paper, the current RS6 Performance is already absurd—a 630-hp, twin-turbo V-8 wagon capable of embarrassing supercars while hauling groceries. Mansory’s own catalog pushes that even further, topping out with a Stage 3 package that inflates output to a frankly unnecessary 1,000 horsepower and 1,250 Nm of torque. For most tuners, that would be the mic drop.

Mansory, unsurprisingly, kept talking.

Spotted via the company’s social channels, this latest RS6 build quietly raises the stakes again. There’s no official package name, no neatly branded badge of honor—just a number stamped onto the fender vents: 1,100 hp. Torque remains unchanged from the Stage 3 setup, but the headline figure alone is enough to make Audi engineers wince.

While Mansory hasn’t published a full spec sheet, all signs point to the existing Stage 3 hardware with additional software refinement. That means a reworked ECU, upgraded turbochargers, freer-flowing intake plumbing, air-to-water intercoolers, and exhaust pipes that politely ignore the existence of catalytic converters. The speed limiter is gone, too, with Mansory claiming a top speed of 325 km/h—assuming you can find enough road, courage, and legal flexibility to confirm it.

Visually, this RS6 is pure Mansory, for better or worse. Forged carbon fiber dominates the exterior, covering everything from the hood and splitter to the side skirts, diffuser, wing, and those now-famous vented fenders. The shapes are sharp, angular, and unapologetic, right down to the aggressively pointed exhaust tips. Massive 22-inch forged wheels fill the arches, framing turquoise brake calipers that hint at what awaits inside.

And what awaits inside is… turquoise. Almost entirely. Mansory didn’t just add accent stitching or seat inserts—it went all in. Nearly every surface is wrapped in bright blue-green leather, broken only by carbon trim, glass, and the occasional strip of white hide. It’s the kind of interior that makes you wonder whether subtlety was ever considered, then immediately dismissed. Illuminated door logos and a “starry sky” headliner complete the experience, because of course they do.

Interestingly, despite the visual drama, this particular build still resembles a standard RS6 in its basic body structure. That’s notable, because Mansory has also begun teasing interest in the even rarer RS6 GT. Audi built just 660 examples of that model worldwide—fewer than 100 for the U.S.—and it introduced the 630-hp setup that later became standard. With its unique fenders and more aggressive front fascia, the RS6 GT already looks like a tuner special straight from Ingolstadt.

Mansory hasn’t announced concrete parts or packages for the GT yet, but the implication is clear: nothing with four rings and twin turbos is safe.

In the end, this 1,100-hp RS6 is peak Mansory. Loud, divisive, wildly powerful, and completely unnecessary—and that’s exactly the point. It’s a reminder that even in an era of electrification and efficiency targets, there’s still room for a carbon-clad super wagon that exists purely to shock, awe, and overwhelm.

Taste not included.

Source: Mansory

Tuning

Gunther Werks Gemini Commission: Subtlety, Turned Up to 862 Horsepower

In the restomod world, subtlety is usually the first thing sacrificed on the altar of excess. Widebody kits shout, carbon fiber gleams like a mirror, and horsepower figures are wielded like blunt instruments. Gunther Werks’ latest creation—the Gemini Commission—takes a different approach. It’s proof that an 862-hp Porsche 911 can whisper instead of scream, even while bending the laws of physics in the process.

The Gemini is one of just 75 cars built under Gunther Werks’ Turbo program, which already puts it in rarefied air. But this particular commission pushes exclusivity further, layering bespoke design choices over an already obsessive reengineering of Porsche’s beloved 993-generation 911. Somewhere, a very fortunate owner is about to have the kind of New Year that makes the rest of us question our life choices.

Like every Gunther Werks build, the Gemini starts with the 993 chassis—the last of the air-cooled 911s and, to many purists, the last truly analog one. From there, the Turbo program adds a widened stance and serious aerodynamic upgrades. A vented hood relieves high-pressure air trapped beneath the car to reduce lift, while gills in the front and rear fenders improve cooling and stability. These aren’t styling flourishes; they’re functional necessities when you’re dealing with supercar-level performance wrapped in a ’90s silhouette.

For the Gemini, that aggression is cloaked in restraint. The body is finished in a muted gray selected from four possible hues, and it’s the kind of color that reveals itself slowly, changing character with light and angle. It’s not orange, red, or yellow—and that’s precisely the point. This car doesn’t demand attention; it earns it.

The wheels nod to the original 993 Turbo design but reinterpret it with modern precision and a striking white-gold finish. It’s a bold choice, yet somehow still elegant. Elsewhere, Gunther Werks adds subtle exterior touches, including a stealth-gray wrap on the CNC-machined mirror caps and door handles. The result is a cohesive palette of tones that feels considered rather than conspicuous.

Inside, the Gemini continues its balancing act between craftsmanship and performance. Carbon fiber dominates, as expected, appearing on the upper instrument panel, door panels, center console, and even the racing seat shells. But Gunther Werks knows when to soften the edges. Tangerine orange Italian leather appears in key areas, injecting warmth and contrast without overwhelming the cabin.

This is also the first Gunther Werks build to feature two distinct cockpit motifs. The driver’s seat is trimmed in luxurious Japanese denim with orange stitching and detailing—a material choice that sounds odd until you see how perfectly it works. The passenger seat, meanwhile, is upholstered in fine Italian leather, creating an asymmetry that feels deliberate rather than gimmicky. The center-mounted tachometer, ringed in orange just as Ferdinand Porsche intended, stands out against the other gauges, which wear gray-coated CNC-machined bezels matching the exterior accents.

Lift the rear hatch, and the Gemini stops being subtle altogether—at least mechanically. Nestled beneath is a 4.0-liter flat-six assembled by Rothsport Racing, and it’s mechanical art in the purest sense. Unlike the vertical cooling fan used in standard 911 Turbos, this engine employs a horizontal fan that pushes more air and cools all six cylinders more evenly. It’s a small detail with enormous implications for reliability and performance.

The rest of the engineering reads like a wish list for speed obsessives. Radiators ensure the turbochargers are fed a steady supply of cooled air, while side vents and a ram-air effect at speed sharpen throttle response. Individual throttle bodies on each cylinder add immediacy that modern turbo engines often lack. In normal driving mode, the engine produces a still-absurd 608 horsepower. Switch to Track mode, and that number jumps to 862 hp—enough to make the notion of “restomod” feel hilariously inadequate.

Gunther Werks isn’t revealing the price of the Gemini Commission, citing customer discretion. Fair enough. What we do know is that the Turbo program starts at $850,000, which tells you everything you need to know without saying anything at all.

The Gemini doesn’t exist to shock. It exists to demonstrate restraint at the extreme edge of performance—a rare quality in a world that often confuses loudness with greatness. And that may be its most impressive achievement of all.

Source: Gunther Werks

Tuning

Kuhl Racing Turns the Toyota GR86 into a Rally-Ready Rebel

Sports cars are born knowing exactly where they belong: low, stiff, and glued to asphalt. Anything else is heresy. Or at least it was, until Lamborghini bolted all-terrain tires to a Huracán and Porsche sent a 911 drifting into the desert. Suddenly, the idea of a lifted performance car stopped sounding ridiculous and started sounding… fun. Really fun.

Now Japan is weighing in, and it’s doing so with one of the best possible candidates: the Toyota GR86. The result is the Kuhl Racing GR86 Outroad, a rally-flavored reinterpretation of Toyota’s lightweight rear-drive coupe that looks ready to trade apexes for gravel rooster tails. And somehow, it works.

Kuhl Racing isn’t exactly subtle in its approach. The headline change is ride height. The Outroad sits roughly three inches higher than a standard GR86 thanks to a bespoke suspension setup, instantly transforming the car’s stance and proportions. If that’s not enough clearance for your imaginary WRC stage, there’s also an optional hydraulic lift system that can jack the car up an additional 1.6 inches at the press of a button. When you’re done playing rally hero, it drops back down for normal driving duties.

That lift does more than just add drama—it changes the whole personality of the car. The GR86 has always been about balance and approachability, a modern echo of classic lightweight sports cars. Raising it up and toughening it out taps into a different but equally romantic tradition: the idea that driving fast doesn’t require perfect pavement.

Visually, the Outroad looks like it’s itching to throw rocks at passing supercars. Chunky fender flares widen the body to make room for beefier tires, while redesigned front and rear bumpers improve approach and departure angles. Skid plates and protective cladding hint that Kuhl expects owners to actually leave the pavement behind, not just park aggressively at cars and coffee. Auxiliary lights add full rally cosplay energy, and roof rails finish the transformation, because nothing says “weekend adventure” like mounting gear on a sports coupe.

Despite the rugged makeover, the Outroad doesn’t abandon the GR86’s mechanical simplicity. Under the hood sits the familiar 2.4-liter flat-four, unchanged in its standard form. That means 232 horsepower going to the rear wheels—still modest, still honest, still very much in the spirit of the car.

For those who want a little more punch to match the tougher look, Kuhl offers an optional turbocharger kit. With revised cooling and ECU tuning, the turbo setup bumps output by about 50 horsepower. That’s not supercar territory, but it’s enough to make the Outroad feel properly lively, especially on loose surfaces where traction—not power—is the limiting factor. Buyers can still choose between a manual transmission or an automatic, which means the Outroad remains refreshingly democratic in an era of increasingly rigid configurations.

What really elevates the GR86 Outroad from wild show car to legitimate enthusiast proposition is that it’s not just a one-off. Kuhl plans to sell the Outroad as a full conversion package for existing GR86 owners. Better yet, customers can pick and choose individual components. Want the lifted suspension but not the full rally body kit? Fine. Just the wheels and aero? Also fine. Kuhl will happily let you build your own version, dialing the madness up or down depending on your taste—and courage.

Pricing reflects that modular approach. The full Outroad conversion rings in at ¥4,150,000, or about $26,600, assuming you already own the car. The body kit alone costs ¥1,771,000 ($11,800), the wheels add another ¥440,000 ($2,800), and the turbocharger kit tacks on ¥1,250,000 ($8,300). None of it is cheap, but neither is the idea of doing something genuinely different with a modern sports car.

The GR86 Outroad will make its public debut at the Tokyo Auto Salon next month, with sales in Japan planned for later in 2026. Whether it ever officially reaches other markets is unclear, but that almost doesn’t matter. The point is that someone looked at one of today’s best affordable sports cars and decided the solution wasn’t more grip or more downforce—it was dirt.

In a world where performance cars are increasingly defined by lap times and software updates, the GR86 Outroad is a reminder that driving enthusiasm isn’t limited to smooth tarmac. Sometimes, the best way forward is sideways, slightly lifted, and covered in dust.

Source: Kuhl Racing