The modified car scene goes way back to the original hot-rod scene of the ’30s, only in recent years have owners of trucks, SUVs, and 4×4 gotten in on the act.
It makes perfect sense, as big, chunky 4×4 vehicles are ripe for modding, and we’re not just talking lift kits either. Custom bodywork and engine upgrades are transforming workhorses into seriously quick all-terrain rides that look and perform equally well on or off-road. However, the modding community wasn’t going to stop there, SUVs, easily the fastest-growing market, brings with it a host of custom modification packages promising bespoke styling and stupidly powerful engine upgrades knocking on the door of supercar performances.
9 Brabus B63S-700 6×6
Subtlety isn’t high on the priority list for German tuner Brabus, their B63S-700 takes the Mercedes G-class to new levels of size, power, and in-your-face styling. Dispensing with anything remotely aerodynamic or streamlined, this 6×6 monster relies on brute force to haul its immense Hummer-shaming 8,325 lb curb weight to a limited 99 mph top speed.
Shifting something this big and heavy requires a serious motor, using with AMG’s 5.5-liter Bi-turbo unit as a starting point, adding Brabus own turbos with larger compressors to raise output, leaping to an insane 700 hp.
8 Hennessey Goliath 6×6 800
Anything those crazy Germans can do, Hennessey does better, more powerful, and cheaper, too, the Goliath 6×6 coming in at a much more reasonable $375,000. The question you have to ask yourself is, do I need six wheels? If you have to think about that one for more than a few seconds, it’s time to walk away.
Hennessey, no stranger to stupendously powerful cars, trucks, and pretty much anything else gasoline-powered, gives the Silverado its customary engine make-over. Retaining the standard GM 6.2-liter V8 topped off with a 2.9-liter blower boosts output to a potential 800 hp, suddenly that third axel begins to make sense.
7 Lumma Design CLR 8 RS
Move over Lamborghini, German-based Lumma Design has taken the poor(er)-man’s Urus relative, the Audi RS Q8, and given it a fire-breathing engine upgrade wrapped up in a more aggressive aero package. Starting under the hood, requiring little more than a custom engine map, boosting Audi’s twin-turbocharged V8 to 700 hp with 672 lb-ft of torque.
Externally, custom-made carbon fiber skirts, splitter, and wings add a touch more aggression to the RSQ8, complemented nicely with a drop in ride height and Lumma’s 23-inch alloys. What’s more, the upgrades only cost $43,000, transforming the Audi into a serious rival for Urus owners.
6 Mansory Cayenne Turbo
Mansory’s take on the oversized Porsche 911-look-a-like SUV/soft-roader is how we think the Cayenne should have appeared from launch. Bolting on a body kit is easy, Mansory, however, turns the process into an art form. Identifying where the Porsche starts and ends from the upgrades is all part of the German tuner’s reputation.
The hood, front splitter side skirts, and rear splitters are a little less subtle, if it’s black it’s certain to be carbon-fiber, reducing weight and improving the Cayenne’s power to weight ratio. Fresh from Porsches factory, the Cayenne isn’t slow, however more power is always welcome, Mansory obliging with a custom ECU to unlock 700 hp and 0-60 mph time of 3.2-seconds.
5 Lister Stealth
The Lister name has long been associated with making Jaguars go faster, in recent times working their magic on Jaguar’s F-type-R adding more power, taking away some weight, and turning the volume dial up a few notches. Everything that made the Lister LFT-666 bonkers has now been applied to the F-Pace, or as Lister calls it, the Stealth.
Black everything seems appropriate here, the F-Pace boasting the same 666 hp Lister tuned Jaguar supercharged V8, nail the throttle and two things happen. Firstly, the horizon gets a lot closer, very quickly, the Stealth blitzing past 60 mph in 3.6-seconds going onto a maximum speed of 195 mph. Secondly, the noise, think of a supercar then turn the volume up. Stealth by name, but not by nature.
4 Overfinch Supersport
This one is all about appearances, Overfinch takes standard Range Rover SVR’s, throws in a custom interior and exterior makeover, leaving the engine largely untouched. In this company, no power upgrades might come across as a bit cheap, but bear in mind the SVR has a 567 hp supercharged V8 under the hood to begin with.
Added to which this upgrade package is strictly numbered limited, only 25 Super Sports will be commissioned, for $260,000 each. For that money, you get a fully custom leather-trimmed interior, bigger wheels, and a smattering of carbon panels aimed at reducing weight.
3 Shelby F-150
America’s long-running best-selling truck is now among the fastest 4x4s anywhere on the planet, thanks to those clever performance gearheads down at Shelby American. We’re not sure why anyone needs 700+ hp in a pick-up truck, at the same time we desperately want one of these if only to upset a few supercar owners.
At the heart of this missile-like truck, Ford’s 5-liter Coyote V8 topped off with a Whipple supercharger raises output to 775 hp, delivering unbeatable performance for your bucks with 60 mph coming up in 3.4-seconds.
2 Manhart MHX5 800
Five seats, decent off-road ability, and German engineering, surely everything any gearhead could want from a mid-sized SUV/crossover? Not according to Manhart, who thinks the M5 has room for improvement. Firstly addressing the looks, deeper skirts, lower ride height, and bigger wheels all add to BMW’s finest.
All of which pales into insignificance compared to what lays under the hood, a BMW M-sport designed 4.4-liter V8 mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission with drive going to all four corners. However, thanks to Manhart’s performance ECU upgrade, the X5 no longer produces 600 hp, but rather a more potent 823 hp promising 60 mph in 3.5-seconds.
1 Bowler Wild Cat
The Land Rover Defender, all-terrain mud-plugger, military vehicle, and farmer’s friend were built to overcome every obstacle in its path. And then Bowler came along, threw away the light-weight aluminum body in favor of fiberglass and shoe-horned a more powerful motor under the hood. So successful are the upgrades that Bowler is now part of Jaguar Land Rover’s special vehicles operation.
The first Wildcat/Tomcats kept much of the Defender’s chassis, equipped with beefier fully adjustable suspension all-round, Bowler later moving to a space frame-style set-up. Under the hood, Land Rover/TVR 5-liter V8 engines kicking out 300 hp power, getting the Wild Cat to 60 mph in 4.8-seconds.
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