Onyx Concept to feature Range Rover Aspen Ultimate Series at SEMA

Irish tuning firm Onyx Concept will be taking its lineup of cars to SEMA, and we have a feeling the company's Range Rover Aspen Ultimate Series will fit right in in Las Vegas. Onyx Concept is not as old as the old as some of the other European tuning houses, but they've already made waves with their the tuning programs for the cars that they have offered.

The Range Rover Aspen Ultimate Series is not going to be all show and no go, even though we have to admit that we didn't think it was going to be easy to improve upon the supercharged Range Rover's stock output of 505 hp. But Onyx Concept has managed to bump the horsepower by an impressive 115 hp, up to 625 hp. That's enough to give their Range Rover a 0 to 60 sprint time of 4.7 seconds, up to a top speed of 170 mph.

Even though we tend to be skeptical of overpowered SUVs, especially when they happen to be tall SUVs, Onyx Concept has taken care to tweak the wheelbase and ride height without going overboard. Onyx has given the Range Rover a one inch wider wheelbase, and has lowered the SUV by about an inch. On the outside, the Range Rover Aspen Ultimate Series has received Onyx's own diffusers, front air dams, aero fins, pillars, and mirrors. Carbon fiber was used liberally in creating the body kit for this truck, and it all works together rather effectively, even if the aesthetics are a bit brutal. And the Aspen Ultimate Series, of course, will be available with Onyx Concept's own wheels.

Onyx reports that they've already received 250 orders for various versions of its tuned Range Rovers, and is hoping to reach a target of 1,000 modified vehicles in 2014. Onyx Concept will also be exhibiting the Onyx Sport San Marino Edition at SEMA this year, a diesel version of the Range Rover Sport.

About the SEMA Show

SEMA — short for Specialty Equipment Marketing Association — is the biggest aftermarket auto event in the world, held in Las Vegas each fall. The show fills multiple convention halls and shows off everything from high-performance OEM specials to custom wheels and graphics from local shops. Get the full rundown on what automakers and suppliers are up to at the industry's biggest trade show at our SEMA Show home page.

By Jay Ramey