Beetle Styling by Volkswagen

JE DESIGN  and the VW Beetle - Shameless Plug

When the "New Beetle" made its comeback in 1998, it was at the top of a nostalgia chain and an absolute hit for the generation that had driven air-cooled "bugs" across all geographies and through all seasons. It was easy on gas, super-reliable and could be painted with flowers to look really cool. What?


The "New Beetle" found a willing consumer heavily skewed towards women - intentional or not. Can't say it was meant to be cute because the very first iteration (circa 1949 - 2 were sold that year) in North America was considered downright ugly and sounded like a large lawnmower.  Besides, American cars were big and powerful and the VW bug was small and had as much horsepower as a giant lawnmower.   However it went from scorn to cultural icon in the 1970s, and it does retain special status as the best-selling car of all time. The 2011 "Beetle" was totally made over inside and out. See an interview with VW designers Marco Pavone & Jan Haacke here.



This version of the Beetle has a 2 litre turbo under the hood (oh yeah - the engine used to be in the rear.)  Find a do-it-yourself plug and play chip tuning upgrade that will pump the horsepower up from 200 to 250 on the same page as what LLTeK offers from the mind of designer Jochen Eckelt -  see pictures and pricing of simple body kit styling for the 2012 Beetle here.

Audi A4 B7 badgeless grille

No Rings, No Badge, No Problem

quantum B7 ninja grille

Brian sent these images of his Audi A4 with a spanking new Quantum B7 grille installed and we want to say thanks because it's one thing to see an image of a grille on a website and something completely different to see the same thing (in context) on a car.

He tells us the stealthy look was a bit of a glitch and not completely by choice. Apparently,  the whereabouts of the ring mount went AWOL at the installers; but  "aesthetics" are subjective unless one posseses master of the universe wisdom and powers. Adding insult to injury, after Brian posted the install pix at an Audi forum (which shall remain anonymous) a forum commentator suggested that a grille without the rings is a faux pas of galactic dimensions. I don't think the presence or absence of rings is anything anyone should get their shorts in a knot about - but I do know another ring mount is on its way; and if Brian puts the rings on we'd be happy to get a photo of that too.

We've never hung out at the forums, not because it's annoying to have someone frequently jump out of the closet at you, but because as Karl Popper once said, "No rational argument will have a rational effect on a man who does not want to adopt a rational attitude."

Sabre Bumper for the Facelift Audi A8 D3

Take Your 2006 - 2010 Audi A8 S8 D3 Downtown

This 2007 A8 D3 (SWB) looking good after installation - black RS grilles available also

Busy as bees last week with the completion of the Sabre ii facelift prototype and fitment trial - it went well. We have posted a 16-photo slideshow featuring both the black and silver 2012 "square shoulder"  grilles. The car lost 5 years as soon as the bumper / grille upgrade went on and it is exclusive to LLTeK.

The lower lip was painted in a flat racing silver and LED's were included in some of the photos - the LED's come with each and every bumper - installation is your option. To see the slideshow and get more info on this outstanding replacement bumper - click here now!

E15 Did you know about this?

Eyes on the Road and Hands on the Wheel

  1 year later: e-15 ethanol fuel & warranties

Last month in Maine, legislators approved a bill by more than a 3-to-1 margin that would ban ethanol blends in Maine – as long as two other nearby states do the same. A year ago in June (2012) the EPA officially approved the sale of E15. Robert L. Darbelnet - president and CEO of AAA says the Environmental Protection Agency and gasoline retailers should halt the sale of E15, a new ethanol blend that could damage millions of vehicles and void car warranties.

The warning was issued in November of 2012 and says just 12 million of more than 240 million cars, trucks and SUVs now in use have manufacturers’ approval for E15. Flex-fuel vehicles, 2012 and newer General Motors vehicles, 2013 Fords and 2001 and later model Porsches are the exceptions, according to AAA, the nation’s largest motorist group, with 53.5 million members.
 

“It is clear that millions of Americans are unfamiliar with E15, which means there is a strong possibility that many may improperly fill up using this gasoline and damage their vehicle... bringing E15 to the market without adequate safeguards does not responsibly meet the needs of consumers.”

BMW, Chrysler, Nissan, Toyota and VW said their warranties will not cover fuel-related claims caused by E15. Ford, Honda, Kia, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo said E15 use will void warranties, says, citing potential corrosive damage to fuel lines, gaskets and other engine components.

Audi A8 D3 "saloon" Project Completed in NY

Cruising Time in Upper State NY

The project (and the man behind it) that started more that a year ago - in top shape.

Stanley sent a ton of pictures taken recently of his long wheelbase A8 D3 (it's a pre-facelift) in Albany. We have posted them in an album at the LLTeK facebook page. If you have an FB account, click the link and leave a thumbs-up or encouraging comment.

The change from OEM to big-time street styling took long-term dedication & persistence. At a time when most of our clients were going for the large grille conversion, Stanley stayed with the OEM grill style - it's probably the only thing he didn't change. The package is German from JE DESIGN - but it should be mentioned that the vented quarter panels up front (also German) come from Hofele. Altogether outstanding and well done. LLTeK likes.

You can see the project in its early stages here.

Quantum RS Grille for 2013 A4 S4 B8

 

 

 

Aftermarket styling grille upgrades just in from Quantum.

After some minor paperwork hurdles in the port, the new Quantum grilles for the facelifted A4 B8 are finally in and set to go. This much-anticipated tuning option for A4 S4 enthusiasts is an eye-popper - the quality of manufacture is 10 for 10 and will fit well in the LLTeK lineup.

Available in 2 finishes - glossy piano black and matte silver - Audi owners can contrast it up: i.e. matte silver on a black car or alternatively, glossy black grille on a white machine. Less dramatic, but equally appealing - owners can opt for the complimentary color scheme.

Either way is OK for us - LLTeK is not in the business of dictating how or when clients should do something - LLTeK provides choice so that clients' feel good about their cars. Go stealthy or go big, but don't miss out on the limited numbers here now. Find links to pricing and details at this press release.

There's Stuff Everywhere!

Finding a Reliable Source is Everything...

Wolfgang Seidel (Cooper-Climax T43) leading a Ferrari Dino 246 at the Nürburgring, 1958 German Grand Prix

Yahoo just dropped $1 billion acquiring Tumblr - an interesting intertoobz concept in the sharing department.  Don't know if it's worth that much money but I visit Damian Penny on Tumblr as often as i can (that's where i stoled this picture). Click on the link and get over to a treasure chest of stuff - LLTeK recommends it  because it's decent stuff and he seems to be a car guy in the bargain.