Issue 86 July 2012 AED 25 1 Living in a Rauh world Thanks to our friends and media partners over at Awesome Group, this month we have the opportunity to present to you one of the creations of Akira Nakai, the man behind RAUH-Welt Begriff. Yes, we’re talking about the cool guy, the artist and the visionary man behind the RWB cult, who has teamed up with a local business and travelled down to Dubai to sprinkle his magic on a local 911. Read all about it in our cover story! More unique content is coming your way, this time it’s the first Vesuvius Range Rover by Kahn Design, built in the Middle East. Signature Techniques, the Dubai- based Kahn dealers, premiered the first Vesuvius in Top Performance, fully built on our home turf and looking for a good home. Full details inside! A quick visit to Al Ghandi Customs and their tuning joint G-Force Performance netted us a double header, a colourful tale of two extreme Fiat 500s and the cus- tomizing services offered for the Italian mighty mouse. Power and performance or styling and stance? Al Ghandi deliver both, just pick yours. And for us tuning fans, June concludes on a high note, despite the full-on sum- mer temperatures, courtesy Emirates Motor Sports Federation who organized the largest gathering of modified cars in this part of the world to date. The event also [email protected] came out in support of the International Day Against Drugs. Great initiative there by good old EMSF, read all about it in the August issue of your favourite maga- zine! OUR TEAM CONTACT US INTERNATIONAL MEDIA AGENTS Chief Editor K. M. Khalifa Business address: Europe: MediaTel Werbe-/PR-Agentur GmbH & Co. KG Top Performance Magazine Haldenweg 2, D-72505 Krauchenwies, Germany Editorial Zlatko Mulabegovic Tel: (+49) 7576 9616-12 Fax: (+49) 7576 9616-38 P.O. Box 215783, Dubai, U.A.E., www.mediatel.biz Nitish Ramanujam Tel: +971 4 3585349, Fax: +971 4 3546938 Contributors Stephen Bijoux Advertising & marketing China: Hangzhou JR Exhibition Co, .Ltd Tel: +86-571-28803067, Fax: +86-571-28035956 Dan Mermelstein [email protected] [email protected] www.jrexpo.com Mike Davies Comments and suggestions David Parkins [email protected] Peter De Vido Taiwan: Infotrade Media Co., Ltd. Tel: +886-4-23132189 EXT 203, Fax:+886-4-23133239 Editorial & contents [email protected] Information Systems Ranjith Babu [email protected] Technical Australia: SOON Marketing P/L Business Development Zlatko Mulabegovic [email protected] Po Box 198, Crafers, South Australia, 5152 Australia Tel: +61 417171730 Fax: +61 8 8390 1815 Design & Digital Thishan Dissanayake [email protected] www.soonmarketing.com.au Top Performance Magazine is published by West Side Publishing, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Photography Zlatko Mulabegovic Middle East: Spellbound ME Nitish Ramanujam All efforts are taken to provide accurate information, P.O. Box 12022, Dubai, U.A.E., Tel: +971 4 3412228, Thishan Dissanayake therefore the publisher will not be held responsible for Fax: +971 4 3412229, [email protected] www.spellboundme.com Ahmad Al Shishtawi the accuracy of information supplied by third parties, or the consequences of performing any of the modifications Sameer Arshad contained in the magazine. All vehicle modifications Darren Rycroft should be performed by a qualified automotive technician in compliance with relevant regulations and laws. www.performancemag.net 3 4 Tuning News Hottest tuner cars and gear 16 It's a Rauh World! Hard facts on the region's first RWB Porsche 993 16 24 Jeep, Jeep ! Dubai-based Off Road Zone build a dune-crushing Wrangler Sport 30 Mighty Mice Al Ghandi Customs serves up two spicy Italians 38 Vesuvius Erupts in Dubai Up close with Dubai's first Kahn Design Vesuvius Range Rover Sport 42 The Widow Maker UBB builds an epic, supercar- slaying Ford Mustang 30 46 Automechanika Middle East Celebrating the 10th anniversary with another impressive record 52 Test Drive Track testing the new Toyota 86, plus road tests of the Ferrari 458 Italia and Kia Rio sedan 66 News Latest industry news 76 Racing A regional roundup 52 58 www.performancemag.net 4 top performance tuning news XXX Performance – Audi R8 5.2 FSI quattro Menacing green V10-engined snake This is German tuner XXX Performance's provided by 235/30R20 and 295/25R20 the engine bay gets sufficiently dressed up second take on the R8, the first one being Dunlop SP Sport Maxx high-performance with genuine carbon fibre covers. an orange, V8-engined example. This tyres wrapped around foil-wrapped Oxi- time, the V10 version is slathered with an gin Oxrock rims. The R8's cabin features Alcantara and real acidic green wrap, while the side blades leather in carbon look with white seams. and exterior rear-view mirrors are finished The folks at XXX Performance also left The roof liner, the entire dashboard, the in carbon foil finishing. The Audi badges virtually no stone unturned when it came steering wheel, the seats, the door clad- are shaved off as well, along with a gloss to the 5.2-litre V10 engine. The engine dings and the plastic parts, everything is black-painted front grill and tinted head- software has been optimized and a BMC covered in high-grade leather. Topping lights setting off the exterior look. The su- carbon airbox as well as a high-end it all off is a set of expensive, and slightly percar is equipped with an H&R coilover Capristo sports exhaust system with Blue- tweaked Audi RS seats. kit and massively lowered thanks to a tooth flap control system work together G-Ride Airride setup. Contact patches are to net you around 650 horsepower. Even www.xxx-performance.de ! 5 G-POWER BUILDS A BABY BLUE BEAST! G-POWER recently delivered its 100th significantly help in making all of 830hp Even more contributions to the HURRI- M5 HURRICANE - a Jubilee Model M5 and 780Nm of torque. Belching out waste CANE RRs’s high-speed talents come from HURRICANE RRs with 830hp! After the gases through a G-POWER SPEEDFLOW a height-adjustable G-POWER RS coilover earlier 800hp RR set a high-speed record exhaust system, the M5 gets to 100km/h suspension that is adjustable for both com- with 372km/h in 2010, improving the old in 4.3 seconds, 200km/h in 9.1 seconds pression and rebound in nine settings and G-POWER record from 2008, the demand and a mighty 300km/h in 25,2 seconds. the high-performance G-POWER brake for this insane four-door, complete with its system with up to six brake pistons and supercharged V10 engine, just exploded. Two tons of weight and a top speed of up to 396mm disc diameter for the front more than 370km/h naturally place ex- and 380mm for the rear. The package is This light blue HURRICANE RRs is treme demands on the tyres, being fitted completed by brake pads with a larger equipped with a reworked version of on special G-POWER wheels. Technology pad area, higher friction rate as well as the high-revving V10, along with a pair partner Michelin provided high-perfor- metal-coated brake lines. With this set-up, of bigger ASA T1-316 superchargers and mance Pilot Sport rubber sized 255/35 ZR the G-POWER Braking System always a complicated aluminium casting that 19 at the front and 305/30 ZR 19 at the provides maximum brake force and the replaces the tandard air box. Further rear. For everyday use, the HURRICANE braking point remains precise. goodies include MAHLE forged pistons RRs runs on 20" SILVERSTONE DIA- with lower compression, and an Alpha- MOND wheels with dimensions 255/35 N engine management system, which ZR 20 and 285/30 ZR 20, front and rear. www.g-power.de ! www.performancemag.net 6 top performance tuning news THE REAL ALPHA BEAST! Even though the name Alpha-N may then on, they also took up the mainte- expensive carbon fibre is applied. For not necessarily be a household name, nance of all BT vehicles (Brabham Racing). this reason, the technicians of Alpha-N Alexander Zilliger and Markus Gutjahr are Alpha-N’s main focus was however set fitted the 1 M series with a completely almost real doyens of the tuning sector - on the development of carbon bodywork new carbon clad bodywork comprising a both men established their own company parts as well as the build-up of BT project carbon engine hood with air outlets, one after their previous employer Veritas-VBT vehicles. set of carbon front spoiler corners, a car- Racing resolved to shut down its own bon roof, carbon rear flap with integrated business segment of ‘Tuning & Sports car With the complete reconstruction of a spoiler lip and a carbon rear diffuser. construction’ for reasons of complete BMW 1 M series coupe, Alpha-N has re-orientation. That was to be the birth succeeded in creating a real spectacular The Alpha-N’s 1M RS also has a lot to of Alpha-N which saw both passionate Alpha Beast. As is well known, the reduc- offer from the point of view of driving adherents of tuning picking up seamlessly tion of weight is the uppermost priority dynamics. After a complete reworking of where Veritas-VBT Racing left off. From in racing sport, for which, at best, hugely the stock 3.0-litre inline-six motor, the axle driveshafts are now pummelled with around 410hp. This horsepower capac- ity, an increase of 70hp over the regular figure, was achieved through software optimization, a new air duct as well as a specially developed exhaust system.