Skip to main content

Mild to wild: Extreme European tuner cars

2011 Brabus CLS Rocket 800There’s a reason why America invented tail fins and chrome trim. Like certain stereotypical characterizations of the people who inhabit this great country, American automotive design has been bold and brash since the term “styling” was first coined. Things are different in Europe, though.

It’s hard to believe that the businessman’s sedan bodywork of a BMW M5 conceals a 560 horsepower V8, or that many modern Range Rovers are packing supercharged Jaguar engines. That’s because, Italy aside, subtlety and performance go hand in hand in European cars.

Recommended Videos

Enter the tuners. These aftermarket companies, some of which are recognized as vehicle manufacturers by their respective countries’ governments, push the limits of performance and (in some cases) taste. They build cars the OEMs don’t by dialing up the performance and styling, or making something that’s  just plain different.

Ruf CTR 3Ruf

Ruf Automobile started out as a gas station, but by the 1980s it was building Porsche-based cars like the CTR, the “Yellowbird” of Gran Turismo fame. Ruf still manages the near-impossible task of improving on the factory’s work (the current 911-based RT 12 R has 730 hp) but it also builds Porsches that Porsche doesn’t want to build.

Fancy a V8 911? Ruf has you covered with the RGT-8. How about a modern 911 with a retro 1970s targa roof? The Ruf Roadster is the car for you. RUF even beat Porsche to the punch by turbocharging the new 991 911; the Rt 35th Anniversary is the only 991 turbo buyers will have for a while.

Ruf also used its car building skills to make its own supercar. Granted, the CTR 3 uses a lot of Porsche components (including a 3.8-liter flat-six), and looks a bit like a Porsche Chimera. Still, it does 0 to 60 mph in 3.2 seconds, and can reach a top speed of 236 mph.

Brabus Bullit CoupeBrabus

Mercedes-Benz already has an in-house tuner, AMG, but Brabus makes those tire-smoking monsters seem normal by comparison. AMG takes stock Mercedes cars and drops in big engines. Brabus does the same thing, but with bigger engines.

Mercedes sells the C63 AMG with a 6.3-liter V8, but Brabus has the Bullit, a C-Class with a 720 hp, 6.3-liter twin-turbocharged V12. There’s also the Rocket, a CLS with 789 hp that can do 0 to 62 mph (0 to 100 kph) in 3.7 seconds.

In fact, Brabus can add a bit of spice to any Mercedes dish, from the SLS AMG coupe to the seven-passenger GL. That includes (discontinued) Maybach and Smart: the fortwo-based ultimate 120 has 118 hp, a major improvement over the stock Smart fortwo’s 70 hp.

Alpina B3 GT3Alpina

While most tuners try to make cars more extreme, Alpina does the opposite. Its mission is to build cars that are every bit as sporty as BMW’s M models, but with a more civilized character.

Until recently, turbochargers and automatic transmissions were forbidden at M, so Alpina found a niche using these parts to make more refined performance cars.

The difference is apparent in the B3 GT3. This souped-up 3 Series went around the Nürburgring as quickly (7:49) as the BMW M3 GTS, but it does speed in a completely different way.

The M3 GTS has a 4.0-liter V8 and an aggressive bodykit, but the B3 GT3 has a turbocharged 3.0-liter straight-six and a basic automatic. Its bodywork and Alpina-specific wheels are also a bit more subtle.

That’s why Alpina is best known for the B7, the performance version of the 7 Series that BMW sells in lieu of an M7. M is for Motorsport, after all, not luxury.

Gemballa Mirage GTGemballa

Restraint is good, but it’s not for everyone. Gemballa prefers to make its cars’ styling match their extreme performance. In fact, everything about Gemballa is extreme.

Most people wouldn’t think of a supercar like the Porsche Carrera GT as a candidate for tuning, but Gemballa thought it could improve Porsche’s finest. The Mirage GT sports 650 hp (up from the stock Carrera GT’s 612 hp) and a body kit that will definitely attract attention.

Whether that attention will be positive or negative depends on people’s tastes. The same is true of the Panamera-based Mistrale, although it’s hard to argue with a twin-turbocharged V8 that produces 721 hp in Stage 2 tune.

Overfinch GTS-XOverfinch

This British tuner was building high performance SUVs before anyone at Porsche uttered the word “Cayenne.” Overfinch’s weapon of choice is the Range Rover, and over the years it has stuffed everything from an Australian Leyland V8 to a Jaguar V12 under the Landy’s bonnet.

Today, Overfinch can improve the big Range Rover, as well as the Range Rover Sport, Evoque, and Land Rover Defender. The new Sport-based GTS-X has a 5.0-liter supercharged V8 and 575 hp.

In 2009, Overfinch also collaborated with gunmaker Holland & Holland to make a very unique vehicle. This modified Range Rover included a gun and liquor cabinet, with a custom shotgun and free refills on the drinks for the first year of ownership.

Bowler EXR S front three quarterBowler

For a completely different take on Land Rover performance, there’s also Bowler. Land Rovers are known for their off-road prowess, so why not make them go off-road, but faster?

It’s hard to tell that the Bowler Wildcat and Nemesis are based on the Land Rover Defender and Range Rover Sport, respectively, and that shows the extent of the modifications.

Bowler’s current lineup includes the EXR and the EXR S, features the Range Rover Sport’s 5.0-liter supercharged V8, with a massive 550 hp. Sixty-two miles per hour happens in 4.2 seconds, and fully independent suspension with 285 mm of travel ensures the EXR S can keep going on any terrain. It’s the perfect vehicle for tackling the Dakar Rally.

Volvo C30 Polestar concept urban backgroundPolestar

Polestar’s souped-up Volvos defy all expectations. Painted bright blue and based on years of experience in Swedish Touring Car racing, these cars are the opposite of staid, safety-obsessed Volvo’s stock products.

It started with the C30 Polestar, an all-wheel drive version of Volvo’s compact hatchback boasting 415 hp. Earlier this year, Polestar applied the same treatment to an S60, and created quite a monster.

The S60 Polestar’s turbocharged inline-six produces 508 hp, more than a BMW M3’s V8, and can reach a top speed of over 180 mph. A modified version of the stock S60’s Haldex all-wheel drive system and performance suspension bits from Öhlins help keep things under control.

Both Polestar Volvos are officially considered “concepts” and, despite the hordes of car enthusiasts clamoring to buy them, they probably won’t get built. The closest most will ever get to a street-legal Swedish Touring Car is the limited-edition, 250 hp C30 Polestar released in 2012. The company also sells performance parts for the C70 and XC60 through Volvo dealers.

Stephen Edelstein
Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…
Topics
This week in EV tech: Audi exemplifies auto industry’s EV holding pattern
Close-up of 2025 Audi SQ5 grille, headlight, and badge.

The road to the future runs through the present, and it’s not a straight line. This week, we’re focusing on how Audi is negotiating the twists and turns on the way to an electrified future. EVs are here to stay at Audi, but a gasoline crossover SUV is still the automaker’s bestselling model, and it’s not ready to risk those sales just yet. That’s why the 2025 Audi Q5 received a top-to-bottom overhaul for this model year, bringing its tech features and styling up to date without altering the what has proven to be a very popular package. By maintaining parallel lineups of electric and internal-combustion cars, Audi hopes to give customers more choices. But that doesn’t completely level the playing field. The new Q5 may have yesterday’s powertrain, but Audi isn’t holding back on tech. It features the same electrical architecture, operating system, and three-screen dashboard display as the latest Audi EVs, like the Q6 e-tron. So aside from a little engine noise, there’s little difference in what you can see and interact with from the driver’s seat. It’s not just the infotainment systems. The Q5 and Q6 e-tron are close in size, with similar space for passengers across their two rows of seats. The Q6 e-tron has a bit more cargo space, but not as much as you’d think given the lack of a bulky engine, transmission, and driveshafts. The two SUVs also have similar styling but, having now driven both, we can say that the Q5 is the more pleasant of the two.

More than a difference of powertrain tech

Read more
Take a peek inside the factory making tomorrow’s ride
A Zoox robotaxi.

Amazon-owned Zoox has opened its first facility producing fully autonomous robotaxis. 

A video (above) released by the California-based company offers a peek inside the factory, which, when it reaches full capacity, could roll out as many as 10,000 autonomous vehicles per year.

Read more
The week in EV tech: 900 miles, 12 minutes—EV charging just hit warp speed
byd 900 miles 12 minutes seal

Welcome to Digital Trends’ weekly recap of the revolutionary technology powering, connecting, and now driving next-gen electric vehicles. 
If you’re hesitant about electric vehicles (EV), it’s likely that your top concerns include how far you can drive in a single charge, how long it takes to charge the battery, and how much this advanced tech will cost you. And you're not alone.
According to Deloitte’s 2025 Global Automotive Consumer Study, nearly half of U.S. consumers (49%) still say that available battery driving range is their biggest worry about EVs. That’s followed closely by the time required to charge (46%) and the lingering cost premium (44%) associated with battery electric vehicles.
But that narrative may finally be flipping. Just this past week, two developments showcase how much EV technology has evolved over the past decade: China’s BYD is breaking new grounds on just how far you can drive an EV on a single 12-minute charge. Meanwhile, the Nissan Leaf, seen as the first mass-market EV in 2010, is getting an impressive upgrade even as it remains one of the most affordable options on the market.

BYD’s bold battery bet
Chinese auto giant BYD, already the world’s top-selling EV manufacturer, may have just redrawn the limits of battery performance. According to Chinese media, and other reports, the company is testing a new solid-state battery that can add 900 miles of range in just 12 minutes of charging.
Let that sink in. That’s nearly four times the range of many current EVs—enough to drive from New York to Chicago —and charging that’s as fast as a coffee stop.

Read more