Bling Bling Rhinestone Crystal License Plate Frame (zebra) on 2040-parts.com

AC Schnitzer upgrades the Mini Cooper coupe

The Mini Cooper coupe is still fresh--it hasn't been out for more than a year. Now, German tuner AC Schnitzer has taken it into the shop for some upgrades. The company is working on performance upgrades for both the diesel- and gasoline-powered cars, starting with a front limited-slip differential.

Twizy Renault Sport F1 concept is a completely bonkers EV

Based on the  strange little Renault Twizy EV commuter golf buggy, the Twizy Renaultsport F1 concept gets a mad body kit to make it look like something out of a Star Wars film, with huge wings, side pods, a rear diffuser and a yellow paint job that evokes Renault’s sporting heritage. But it’s under the skin where the interesting stuff lurks. Renault has fitted the Twizy with an F1 inspired KERS system that fits where the back seat used to be (yes, the F1 Twizy is a toy just for one) which chucks an extra 79bhp at the Twizy’s existing electric motor when fully charged, enough to scoot the F1 Twizy to 62mph in just 6 seconds.

Hyundai to launch N high-performance brand in partnership with WRC team

Microsoft Hyundai today announced it will launch a new high-performance N brand to rival go-faster versions from German manufacturers. Future Hyundai N models will be low-volume sporting derivatives, inspired by the new i20 WRC rally car which will launch at the Monte Carlo race in January 2014. The N badge is designed to cement the link with Hyundai's Namyang R&D centre in Korea, which helped develop the i20 WRC in record time - the team was only founded 12 months ago.