Category Archives: Tuning

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

Tuning

Mansory Wraps the Electric Rolls-Royce Spectre in Gold

Mansory has never been a brand for the faint-hearted, and its latest creation proves once again that subtlety is not part of the brief. Based on the Rolls-Royce Spectre, the German tuner’s newest project is called Equista Linea d’Oro, a name that hints strongly at what defines this car more than anything else: an unapologetic celebration of gold.

At first glance, the front end sets the tone. The Spectre’s fascia has been completely reworked and finished entirely in gold, transforming the already imposing Rolls-Royce presence into something closer to rolling jewelry. Even the iconic Spirit of Ecstasy has not escaped Mansory’s attention, now reimagined as a transparent gold figurine that glows with an almost surreal sense of excess.

The hood is new as well, crafted from forged carbon fiber and distinguished by large, golf ball-like flakes embedded in the material. This forged carbon and “golf” theme continues along the flanks of the car, where oversized carbon panels dominate the front side sections and a matching visual line stretches elegantly from nose to tail. Gold accents punctuate the design throughout, with door handles and window surrounds shimmering like precious metal in a display case.

Lower down, the drama intensifies rather than fades. Gold and carbon elements are layered onto the side sills, wrapped around the taillights, integrated into the rear diffuser, and even applied to the spoiler. Completing the exterior statement are massive 24-inch forged wheels, finished in gold to ensure nothing about the Equista Linea d’Oro goes unnoticed.

Inside, Mansory has treated the Spectre’s cabin with the same philosophy. Every seat is trimmed in plush white leather, offset by gold piping and stitching that reinforce the car’s ultra-luxury theme. White seat belts add another visual contrast, while carbon fiber and gold dominate the dashboard, center tunnel, and steering wheel. The attention to detail borders on theatrical: gold speaker grilles, gold switches and buttons, and even door umbrellas fitted with gold handles underline the extent of the transformation.

Mechanically, the Spectre remains true to its original identity. As an all-electric Rolls-Royce, its battery and motors are left untouched, preserving the serene, silent performance that defines the model. However, Mansory could not resist adding one final, unconventional twist. Mounted beneath the rear bumper is a set of external speakers designed to emit artificial petrol engine sounds, a provocative nod to combustion theatrics in an otherwise whisper-quiet electric grand tourer.

The Mansory Rolls-Royce Spectre Equista Linea d’Oro is not about restraint or tradition. It is a bold statement piece, engineered to divide opinion and command attention wherever it goes. For some, it will be the ultimate expression of bespoke luxury; for others, a step too far. Either way, Mansory has once again ensured that looking away is not an option.

Source: Mansory