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autoevolution's Tuning Month

Vehicles to move us to and fro have been around for more than a century, and have been made in such huge numbers that it’s literally impossible to know how many of them, cars or motorcycles, came and went since the first one rolled under its own power.

Now, take that huge, yet unknown number, and multiply it several times. It’s a pointless exercise, we know, but one that gives us a sense of the endless reservoir of customized, bettered, or transformed machines that has been building up over the decades.

Because yes, humans being what they are, they are never satisfied with something stock. Vehicles felt the full force of this reality, especially given how they’ve come to be perceived as an extension of the self.

Inspired by SEMA kicking off in November, we've decided to dedicate this month to vehicle tuning and everything it stands for. We’ll have a small army of writers going at it for 30 straight days, trying to bring to light the worthwhile, or wild, or failed projects from across the globe and ages.

We’ll of course fail in covering them all, given their incomprehensible number, but if you plan to treat yourself this November to custom, tuned or otherwise modified cars and motorcycles, this is the place to be.

Editor's note: This special feature by autoevolution was not sponsored or supported by a third-party.
One-Off Carey Hart Indian Challenger Is the Cool Spec of Blue in the Driveway
One-Off Carey Hart Indian Challenger Is the Cool Spec of Blue in the Driveway

4 Nov 2021, 12:32 UTC · By: Daniel Patrascu / A one-off Indian Challenger customized by Carey Hart is at the center of an Omaze campaign meant to support the Good Ride charity

 
Hennessey Venom 650R: The Viper That Terrorized Supercars Back in the Late ’90s
Hennessey Venom 650R: The Viper That Terrorized Supercars Back in the Late ’90s

4 Nov 2021, 12:27 UTC · By: Vlad Radu / In the 1990s, the automotive industry produced some mind-blowingly fast supercars, but there was also a Hennessey-tuned Viper that was faster than most of them

 
Mansory Sprinkles Its Ugly Dust on the Aston Martin DBX, Looks Like a Confused Hyper Hatch
Mansory Sprinkles Its Ugly Dust on the Aston Martin DBX, Looks Like a Confused Hyper Hatch

4 Nov 2021, 09:13 UTC · By: Cristian Gnaticov / Mansory has come up with a complete tuning package for the Aston Martin DBX, comprising a wide body kit, interior updates, and lots of power

 
Victory Hammer Ocean Feels Wonderfully Blue in All the Right Places
Victory Hammer Ocean Feels Wonderfully Blue in All the Right Places

4 Nov 2021, 08:25 UTC · By: Daniel Patrascu / This Victory Hammer customized by a German shop called Hollister’s Motorcycles goes for a color not usually seen on a motorcycle

 
LL Cool J Restores Original 1987 BAD Audi 5000, His First Car, and Donates It
LL Cool J Restores Original 1987 BAD Audi 5000, His First Car, and Donates It

4 Nov 2021, 07:43 UTC · By: Elena Gorgan / To mark his induction in the Hall of Fame, the rapper brought out his first car, the Audi from the cover of the BAD album, restored and donated it to the museum

 
Insane Lamborghini JUMPACAN Finished Before Official Reveal at SEMA
Insane Lamborghini JUMPACAN Finished Before Official Reveal at SEMA

4 Nov 2021, 05:33 UTC · By: Stephen Rivers / Chris Steinbacher has battled through multiple design changes, parts delays, and massive health problems but he's still finished his Lamborghini JUMPACAN

 
Back From the Dead and Up on the Stage, This 500 HP DeLorean Is Up for Grabs
Back From the Dead and Up on the Stage, This 500 HP DeLorean Is Up for Grabs

4 Nov 2021, 00:20 UTC · By: Tudor Serban / The DMC12 was a car that looked very fast, but it turned out to be very slow, actually, but this is no longer the case with this modified DeLorean

 
Exotics on Las Olas To Feature Lamborghini Rat Rod, SCG 003 This Weekend
Exotics on Las Olas To Feature Lamborghini Rat Rod, SCG 003 This Weekend

3 Nov 2021, 21:50 UTC · By: Stephen Rivers / While SEMA might be getting all the attention, there's a whole other car show called Exotics on Las Olas and one wicked Lambo Rat Rod is going to be there

 
Road to Track: Tuning the Kawasaki Ninja 400
Road to Track: Tuning the Kawasaki Ninja 400

3 Nov 2021, 21:42 UTC · By: Dragos Chitulescu / Building a race-spec motorcycle can be a highly complex process, but the rewards of riding it will make everything feel worthy of the effort

 
1970 Plymouth Cuda Is Hemi Orange Perfection, Packs a Big Surprise Under the Hood
1970 Plymouth Cuda Is Hemi Orange Perfection, Packs a Big Surprise Under the Hood

3 Nov 2021, 21:18 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / This restomod packs a Hemi V8 under the hood, but it's not a classic 426. Bored and stroked to 528 cubic inches, the mill cranks out 700 horsepower

 
1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS with 1,200 Horsepower Duramax Diesel at SEMA
1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS with 1,200 Horsepower Duramax Diesel at SEMA

3 Nov 2021, 19:21 UTC · By: Stephen Rivers / SEMA has given us a lot of cool tuner cars and trucks this year but few can claim to be as unique as the PPE Chevelle SS 1,200 diesel horsepower on tap

 
Keith Urban Unveils Restored One-of-a-Kind 1969 Ford Mustang, Looks Incredible
Keith Urban Unveils Restored One-of-a-Kind 1969 Ford Mustang, Looks Incredible

3 Nov 2021, 15:23 UTC · By: Monica Coman / Jay Leno and Keith Urban kicked off the SEMA 2021, and, for this occasion, unveiled a one-of-a-kind project that was Urban’s 1969 Ford Mustang

 
Tuning 101: Complete the Exterior Package, Gain Some Aesthetic Bonus Points at a Car Meet
Tuning 101: Complete the Exterior Package, Gain Some Aesthetic Bonus Points at a Car Meet

3 Nov 2021, 15:06 UTC · By: Tudor Serban / While the previous steps were general rules of engagement into tuning territory, you have to decide the path of your project from now on: racing, or street

 
1971 Plymouth Road Runner Flaunts 467 Stroker V8, Is an Old-School Tuner's Dream
1971 Plymouth Road Runner Flaunts 467 Stroker V8, Is an Old-School Tuner's Dream

3 Nov 2021, 14:15 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / It's no longer a numbers-matching classic, but this 1971 Road Runner has something way better under the hood: a 650-horsepower, all-motor V8

 
The 2019 Frontier Desert Runner Was Nissan’s Most Outrageous Pickup Truck Concept
The 2019 Frontier Desert Runner Was Nissan’s Most Outrageous Pickup Truck Concept

3 Nov 2021, 13:38 UTC · By: Vlad Radu / For the 2019 SEMA show, Nissan commissioned MA Motorsports to create a unique Frontier concept and the result is one of the coolest D40 we ever saw

 
GM’s 2021 SEMA Showcase Features Stunning Tahoe, Colorado, Silverado and Suburban Concepts
GM’s 2021 SEMA Showcase Features Stunning Tahoe, Colorado, Silverado and Suburban Concepts

3 Nov 2021, 12:49 UTC · By: Sergiu Tudose / General Motors brought its own army of custom off-roaders to SEMA, in a bid to keep up with the likes of Ford, Mopar and Toyota

 
Bugatti La Voiture Noire Designer Pens Striking Defender Beach Cruiser for Arkonik
Bugatti La Voiture Noire Designer Pens Striking Defender Beach Cruiser for Arkonik

3 Nov 2021, 12:31 UTC · By: Elena Gorgan / It’s always summer somewhere, and this custom shop has the perfect beach ride for you. Only five such units will be made, each selling for $240,000

 
Check Out Gas Monkey Urban Assault Slingshot, the One-of-a-Kind Custom Unveiled at SEMA
Check Out Gas Monkey Urban Assault Slingshot, the One-of-a-Kind Custom Unveiled at SEMA

3 Nov 2021, 12:19 UTC · By: Monica Coman / The time has come to finally see what Richard Rawlings has been up to when it comes to his Polaris Slingshot, and the result is impressive

 
Altered-Wheelbase 1965 Plymouth Belvedere Was Born to Drag Race, Heritage Still Shows
Altered-Wheelbase 1965 Plymouth Belvedere Was Born to Drag Race, Heritage Still Shows

3 Nov 2021, 09:48 UTC · By: Daniel Patrascu / This altered-wheelbase 1965 Plymouth Belvedere is one of two known to exist, sells next January with tons of documents and a racing pedigree

 
Tacozilla Is Toyota’s Off-Road-Ready Version of a Micro-House, a Real Build
Tacozilla Is Toyota’s Off-Road-Ready Version of a Micro-House, a Real Build

3 Nov 2021, 09:45 UTC · By: Elena Gorgan / Toyota brings the Tacozilla overlanding tiny “house” to SEMA in Las Vegas: a fully-custom rig with retro inspiration and all the modern comforts you’d want