Gearboxes with a serious need for speed have been around since the inception of cars. While improving aesthetics and performance was initially reserved for coachbuilders and car manufacturers, things would change around the 1930s. In the United States, Hot Rods were all the rage among car fans before the Second World War breaks out. Things changed quite rapidly in the decades following the war.
These days, the tuner scene is flooded with stores of varying sizes and skill levels. Some of the most prominent stores have built projects that have cemented their reputation in the field. What these well-established tuners offer trumps the coolest builds car fans have seen on West Coast Customs. Their vehicles are most often focused on performance rather than looks.
ten Crazy performances
Founded in 1995 by Jack Roush, Roush Performance has transformed Ford’s most interesting vehicles into powerful beasts. Having worked for Ford straight out of college, Roush has always been involved in the automotive industry. Although Roush never drove in professional racing, he had a huge impact on domestic professional racing.
There are several things piston heads don’t know about Roush Mustangs, like the fact that the latest Jack Roush Edition is a more powerful beast than the Shelby GT500 of the same year. While the Jack Roush Mustang is a rare collectible, the more accessible Roush Mustang Stage 3 is one of Roush’s greatest creations. The supercharged 5.0L Coyote Stage 2 develops a staggering 750 hp and 670 lb-ft of torque.
9 Singer Vehicle Design
When it comes to modifying a classic Porsche 911, the first company that comes to mind is Singer Vehicle Design. Created in 2009 by Rob Dickinson, a former member of the rock band Catherine Wheels, Singer is known among gearheads as the shop that builds understated but very unique resto-moded 911s. Based in Los Angeles, the store has previously featured a variety of tastefully modified 911s.
Singer Porsches are some of the coolest restomod car tuners ever made. Well known for his restomod builds, Singer has enhanced the potential of classic 911s. Whether it’s the sports-oriented DLS project or the artwork Mulholland Drive, the Los Angeles-based tuner has made a name for itself through a succession of mechanical and marketing victories.
8 Mansory
The Mansory name is very familiar among fans of high-end custom cars. Working exclusively on the most luxurious vehicles on the market, the German tuner has been making gearheads dream since 1989. At one point, the Mansory SeaDoo GTX Limited 300, an inflated jet ski, was even offered. Mansory’s work on motorcycles and jet skis has always been overshadowed by his work on exclusive cars.
Mansory’s portfolio includes Ferraris, Porsches, Lamborghinis and McLarens. This list goes on and on. Two vehicles that stand out from the rest are the 2022 Mansory Rolls-Royce Ghost V12 and the 2021 Lamborghini Urus Venatus. Both vehicles not only look great, but they are also much more powerful than their stock counterparts. The Ghost sees its power increase from 571 hp to 720 hp. The Venatus suffered a similar fate. Its power has increased from 641 hp to 810 hp.
seven Callaway Cars
Gearheads of the late 70s and early 80s should remember when Callaway Cars released their first modified Corvette. Nicknamed “The Sledgehammer”, the car featured a twin-turbocharged LT5 V8 capable of producing 898 hp and 772 lb-ft of torque. John Lingenfelter pushed the Sledgehammer to a staggering 254.76 mph. It was crazy in the 80s.
Callaway Cars has hit the nail on the head several times. However, one Callaways car that has really caught the eye of piston heads nationwide is the Corvette Aerowagen. After turning Chevrolet’s flagship vehicle into a sport wagon, Callaway did what no one thought of at the time. Upgraded to the SC757 package, the Corvette ends up producing 757 horsepower and 777 lb-ft of torque.
6 Fabulous design
Not all tuners want to turn $400,000 cars into one-off race machines ready to rip Laguna Seca apart. Companies like Fab Design mainly specialize in aesthetics and aerodynamics. Not all premium car owners want more power, because those cars are already twitchy as is. For those looking to add another layer of uniqueness to their exotic rides, Fab Design is here.
Fab Design is known in the custom car industry as the go-to company for packages that will transform high-end sports-focused vehicles into singular, exclusive beasts. The vast majority of vehicles modified by Fab Design already produce more than 500 hp. Therefore, the company ensures that the power delivered by these vehicles is fully utilized through skillfully crafted body kits.
5 Brabus
When it comes to Mercedes-Benz cars modified to an extreme level, the first name that comes to mind is Brabus. Present since 1977, the German tuner has produced a plethora of packages for Mercedes vehicles. In fact, the company even offered packages for vehicles released before its inception. Although Brabus is exploring new avenues of expansion, the company remains loyal to Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
Anyone who loves super-SUVs knows that the 2022 Brabus Rocket G 900 is an absolute monster. Equipped with a twin-turbocharged 4.5-liter V8 producing 900 hp, the G Wagon received the ultimate treatment. That said, Brabus has several other rockets on wheels in its portfolio. The G Wagon may not be the best vehicle in urban environments. Fortunately, Brabus offers the same package for the GT 63 S.
4 RAUH-Welt Begriff
Modified Porsche cars, whether classic or modern, are sure to turn a few heads. Whether it’s an average oldie from Emory Motorsports or a very German restomod built by RUF, modified Porsche cars tend to come mostly from Europe and North America. RAUH-Welt Begriff, also known as RWB, is one of the most relevant stores specializing in Porsche cars that are neither from Europe nor North America.
RAUH-Welt Begriff was founded by Akira Nakai, a Japanese piston head with a passion for classic Porsche cars. Completely specialized in the physical appearance of cars, RWB manufactures body kits that perfectly match the modified Porsche engines. These Porsches may trigger tantrums among purists, but the Japanese-built RWB Porsche cars are nothing short of gorgeous.
3 Hennessey Performance Engineering
The number of notable American tuners is quite high. While most of them have made a name for themselves using more traditional methods, Hennessey Performance Engineering has taken advantage of social media. Made nationally popular with his insanely pumped up Viper, Hennessey would eventually take the world by storm when videos of his very first Venom GT hit YouTube.
The Texas tuner received a lot of attention when announcing the Velociraptor 6X6. At that time, the Raptor was already perceived as the ultimate pickup truck. Hennessey didn’t stop there. While the modified vehicles were attracting everyone’s attention, the workshop was preparing something truly breathtaking. The Venom F5, the jewel in Hennessey’s crown, comes with a twin-turbocharged 6.6-liter V8 producing a blistering 1,817 horsepower and 1,193 lb-ft of torque.
2 Shelby American Inc.
Founded by legendary racing driver Carroll Shelby, Shelby American Inc. is one of the oldest car tuners in the world. In 1962, Shelby released its very first creation. The 260 Cobra CSX2000 was an ultimate success based on British AC bodywork and a Ford engine. The car sold at auction in 2016 for a whopping $13,750,000. Over time, Shelby improved several other Ford vehicles. Some of them suffered a fate similar to that of the Cobra CSX2000.
Shelby has worked extensively with Ford Motors for over 60 years. The collaboration has led to the creation of some of the most interesting Ford-based street machines. In recent years, Shelby has supercharged the F-150’s 5.0L Coyote and extracted 775 hp from it. As for the GT500 KR, the supercharged 5.2L V8 Predator was pushed to nearly 900 hp. Buying a Shelby vehicle is essentially ordering a hot, stock machine ready to tear up the track.
1 ABT sports line
German car enthusiasts must have realized that most cars produced by major domestic automakers were not fully utilized. Like other German car tuners, ABT Sportsline was founded in the 1970s. Around the same time, BMW, Porsche, Mercedes-Benz and Audi were making one great sports car after another. Therefore, it has become mandatory for skilled and resourceful reducers to supply the right packages to the other piston heads.
ABT Sportsline understood what companies like Audi and Volkswagen were trying to achieve. To provide owners with the ultimate machine, ABT has developed several packages for several European car brands. The RSQ8-R prepared by ABT develops 740 hp. The RS7-R is one of the modified Audis that will make you want to ditch your Hellcat. With 690 crankshaft hp, the RS7-R will turn heads wherever it goes.
