There are companies that take cool cars and make them even more awesome, using “aftermarket” parts and accessories.
Below are three of our favourite aftermarket car companies.
ABT Sportsline
ABT Sportline is a family-run business that has been an Audi and VW specialist for over 120 years.
The company takes vehicles such as the already-impressive Audi RS7 Sportback and kicks them up a gear.
For example: its RS7-R pushes out 544kW and 920Nm – 103kW and 120Nm more than the standard model.
ABT gives the cars an imposing presence, too, with body kits that leave almost no part untouched.
ABT also look towards the future, offering all-electric variants of the VW Transporter and Caddy vans, participating in Formula E, and even building a performance-enhancing hybrid version of the RS6 – called the RS6-E.
In South Africa, you can get ABT products from RACE!.
Hennessey Performance
Hennessey Performance celebrated its 30th anniversary of “making fast cars faster” this year, and it has an impressive resume.
For the 30th anniversary, the company built 100 units of The Exorcist, which is a Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 that’s been given 1,000 horsepower (746kW) and 1,130Nm, letting it sprint to 97km/h in 2.1 seconds and finish the quarter-mile in 9.57 seconds.
Hennessey also took the Chevrolet Silverado bakkie and turned it into the Goliath 6×6 by giving it a second rear axle, a custom body, and an engine upgrade to 336kW.
Most impressive, however, are the supercars the company builds under its own name – the Hennessey Venom range.
The latest addition, the Venom F5, sold out in a 24-unit run at R33.44 million each.
The supercar boasts a V8 engine putting out 1,355kW, allowing a 0-97km/h sprint of 2.6 seconds and a top speed of over 483km/h.
RAUH-Welt BEGRIFF
RAUH-Welt BEGRIFF (RWB) is a Japanese Porsche tuner that has a waiting list spanning at least two years.
The company is headed by founder Akira Nakai, who builds each car by himself with only the most basic of tooling.
To get an RWB Porsche, you must have a Porsche 930, 964, 993, or 997, and get in contact with the head offices in Japan or one of its subsidiaries.
Thereafter, you determine the look that you want in partnership with RWB, and pay around R640,000 to secure your body kit.
You can send your vehicle to Japan to be modified or have the kit delivered to you.
“If you must push your build date, then you will have to wait until Nakai’s window opens up for you. This is the process. There is no cutting in line, there is no exception,” said the RWB USA subsidiary’s website.
Each car gets its own name, too, which is given by Nakai and placed on the side skirts. Nakai named his own matte black Porsche 930 Stella Artois – after his favourite beer.
RAUH-Welt Begriff in German translates to Rough World Concepts, after the “Rough World” drift crew Nakai was a part of when he established the company.
RWB Porsches have gained a cult-like following throughout the years, with just over 1,300 models reported to have been built.
Keyword: 3 awesome automotive aftermarket companies