Magnum Opus: A Masterclass Porsche 911 from Los Angeles

In downtown Los Angeles, just blocks from where photographer Sean Klingelhoefer is standing, resides the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Renowned architect Frank Gehry designed the megalith of curvaceous and angular raw steel to create an expanse described as “near acoustic perfection”.

Down the street it stands, permanent and complacent, a viewing curiosity for passersby, waiting to be filled with sound. Today’s subject for Klingelhoefer, however, is a moving one – one he had doubts of ever seeing finished. Tearing through lower Grand Avenue, it is alive, exuding acoustic bliss to its sidewalk audience; an equally visual experience for those spry enough to catch a glimpse. It is Magnus Walker’s 1972 Porsche 911 ‘STR,’ a masterpiece of sound and design.

By 1972, Porsche had long cemented a place for themselves within the automotive world, largely due to the success of the first Porsche 356 (built in the late ’40s), and in the ‘50s with their race-proven 550 Spyder. But the model that truly defined Porsche as a motorsports icon, both then and today, was the 911. Built in 1964, it was to be the successor to the 356. Carrying over its distinctive, curvaceous lines and air-cooled rear engine design in a more stout and sturdy chassis, the 911 would leave a trail of trophies and accolades in its path for the next five decades.

History lessons aside, it’s undeniable that the specimen before us is a 1972 Porsche 911 by design. But within the subtleties lie the clues to this being something of an anomaly from the standard production model. There are the molded front turn signals from the 911R (a prototype 1967 Porsche limited to a production of just 20), a race-inspired center hood gas filler, retrofitted and drilled early model 911 door handles, and custom stretched and rolled front fender flares inspired by the rally-built 911ST from the early ‘70s.

The rear fenders are a nod to the ST as well, with 911 Turbo arches carefully grafted to the existing body panels. Wrapping around to the molded rear 911R taillights and signals is a louvered rear deck lid, emblazoned in gold with ‘911 STR’, a moniker derived from the elements which inspired this creation.

Klingelhoefer has a particular affinity for seeing this car in its current state.

“When I first visited Magnus back in November, the car was still a work in progress,” says Sean. “I mostly kept to myself and made mental notes about the way these cars are built. I made a promise that day to return to shoot this incredible car once it was all buttoned up. It seemed for a while like that day might never arrive.”

Six months later, the day’s arrival is realized by the sound of the 911 STR permeating through downtown Los Angeles.

The car’s builder has earned a bit of Internet notoriety thanks to the half-hour short film Urban Outlaw, and is often highlighted for his uncharacteristic look as a Porsche builder/owner. As it’s been said, though, “Know the car, know the man.” Spend any amount of time discovering the details and nuances of this 911, and you will learn everything you need to know about Magnus Walker. Today isn’t about him. Today is about his magnum opus.

The original platform for the base model 911T Porsche was factory equipped with a 2.4L flat-six boxer engine. This has been swapped for a Rennwerks custom-built 3.2-liter short-stroke flat-six, increasing the power being delivered to the reinforced Porsche 915 transmission. The upgraded suspension and chassis come in the form of Tarrett front and rear sway bars, quick-change torsion bars, anti-bump steer kit, semi-solid engine and transmission mounts, and Bilstein sport shocks.

If there is a hot rod restomod category for Porsches, this defines it. The car has been streamlined for speed and stability, and a larger displacement power plant readily backs up what the exterior seems to be running its mouth about. There was no bloodletting for the mere sake of speed; every change was carried out with surgical precision. The final product is a beautifully inspired symphony of components from various corners of the maker’s mind – the epitome of performance art in the form of an automobile.

This article first appeared in issue 15 of Iron & Air Magazine, and is reproduced here under license.

Magnus Walker | Instagram | Words by Adam Fitzgerald | Images by Sean Klingelhoefer

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2025 Midwest Luxe Cruiser Review: Where Luxury Hits the Open Road

Not all travel vans are created equal — and the 2025 Midwest Luxe Cruiser proves it. Built for those who expect more from life on the road, the Luxe Cruiser transforms every journey into a five-star experience. It’s not just about getting from point A to B — it’s about how you feel along the way.

Table of Contents

• Designed to Impress
• Comfort and Connectivity
• Performance that Matches the Looks
• Living With the Luxe Cruiser
• Final Verdict

Designed to Impress

Before getting inside the Luxe Cruiser, one gets a good impression of the vehicle. It is constructed atop the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter chassis and represents a sleek, polished, and sexy machine that will provide anyone with a welcome adventure experience. But it is the inside where it really stands out.

Think a handmade wood finish, a captain chair stitched with diamonds, a cushy ambience lighting, and a panel on the ceiling that would not be considered out of place in a luxury jet aircraft. There are two interior palettes of two different moods: dark and dramatic, and round and warm, so you can choose the mood that fits your style the most.

Comfort and Connectivity

Whether it is being driven or ridden in, Luxe Cruiser is not only comfortable, but it is in the DNA and genetic code of this high-tech beauty. Heated and massaging seats, two flat-screen TVs, Apple TV streaming, a high-end Alpine sound system, and an in-built Wi-Fi make the space ideal to work or relax or just to forget about this world, at least, during the trip.

A small yet practical kitchen and bathroom facility lets one take long journeys without having to stop every now and then. Everything is controlled with a smart touchscreen panel — lights, temperature, entertainment — all at your fingertips.

Want to go fully off-grid? Upgrade to the Freedom 600 package, and you’ll get lithium power, solar charging, and a diesel heating system that turns the Luxe Cruiser into a true mobile basecamp.

Performance that Matches the Looks

Underneath all the luxury is a serious travel machine. This is powered by a 9-speed automatic transmission with a 2.0L high-output diesel engine, which means you can be confident when in traffic control in the urban environment, as well as on the road, and you can comfortably stretch your legs in the open highway.

It includes all-wheel drive as a standard, so bad weather or a slightly rugged path is not an issue. And with optional air ride suspension, even the longest drives feel effortless.

Driving the Luxe Cruiser doesn’t feel like piloting an RV. It feels like driving a luxury SUV — just one with more legroom and better snacks.

Living With the Luxe Cruiser

Owners adore the combinations of convenience, fashion, and practicality offered by Luxe Cruiser. It makes a perfect use in weekend get got away, business travel, or even can make it a mobile office. The long-term drivers tend to comment on the quiet ride of the van, its build quality, and how their everyday errands become special with the help of the machine.

The single piece of valid warning? Ensure that you have a dealership that appreciates luxury vans. Ownership will then be a highly stress-free experience because of proper support and service.

Final Verdict

The 2025 Midwest Luxe Cruiser is not only a luxury van but also a lifestyle. It is ideal among tourists, who are in need of the best and cannot afford a compromise in terms of comfort, fashion, and technology. Expensive? Absolutely. Worth it? Without question.

Should adventure to you involve a leather-upholstered executive chair, luxurious entertainment, and the ability to travel anywhere the road goes, the Luxe Cruiser does not disappoint exactly like most other cars.

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Speed Read: The Royal Enfield FT450 flat tracker and more

The Royal Enfield FT450 slides onto our screens in style this week, followed by a spicy BMW K100RS scrambler from Australia. Lastly, the special edition Vespa Officina 8 offers up oodles of Italian flavor.

Royal Enfield FT450 Hosted by professional flat track racer Gary Birtwistle at his UK-based training facility, Dirt Craft, the Royal Enfield Slide School is a way for riders to level up their skills and boost their confidence. No prior flat track experience is necessary, so it doesn’t matter if you’re a seasoned veteran or a total noob.

For 2025, Royal Enfield has come to the party with a new bike designed exclusively for Slide School. Built from the bones of the Guerrilla 450, this is the Royal Enfield FT450. (Yes, ‘FT’ stands for ‘flat track’.)

The Dirt Craft garage is already home to a fleet of Enfield-based flat track bikes, using the Scram 411 as a platform. With the release of the new liquid-cooled 450 cc Sherpa engine (as found in the Guerrilla and Himalayan 450), Royal Enfield and Dirt Craft figured it was time to upgrade the arsenal.

To get a stock Guerrilla ready to sling dirt, the Royal Enfield team started with the most basic of flat track necessities—a set of 19-inch wheels. Custom-made hubs are strung to black rims with stainless steel spokes.

The headlight has been replaced with a flat track number plate, and the handlebars have been swapped out for an appropriately wide set. The front brake system has been removed, leaving the bars blissfully unadorned. The Guerrilla tank has been paired with a specialized flat track body kit for enhanced maneuverability and stance on the dirt oval, and the bike wears a new racing livery.

With the new bodywork, stripped-back aesthetic, and flat track tires, the FT450 looks like a hoot. The Sherpa 450 mill has 40 ponies in its stable, which is more than enough to have fun with on track. To liven things up and to produce a more visceral experience, Royal Enfield has equipped the FT450 with a stainless steel racing exhaust and FuelX ignition and fuel controllers.

If you’d like to give the new Royal Enfield FT450 a try, the easiest (and only) way to do that is to sign up for Slide School (which is what we’d be doing if we lived in the UK). With any luck, Royal Enfield will build a production version of this down the line. [More]

BMW K100RS by Black Cycles When a return customer delivered a tired 1986 BMW K100RS to Black Cycles, shop boss Noel Muller took one look at it and knew he was in for a good time. The customer gave him free rein over the design and direction of the build, which is Noel’s preferred way to work. Landing on a scrambler style, he wheeled the Flying Brick into his Brisbane shop and got to work.

The BMW tank went under the knife in a big way. The scalloped side sections remain, but Noel cut the top off and rotated it 180 degrees, changing the fuel filler location but leaving enough room for the pump and filter. An inch of height was also taken out of the top.

Next, he added a steeply angled section at the rear of the tank, where it meets the custom leather seat (upholstered by Adam at Carman’s Auto Trimming). The side sections were filled in with a pair of ingeniously shaped crash bars, akin to something you’d find on the upper tank section of an adventure bike.

The back was also drastically reshaped. A custom subframe hosts the seat, along with a handmade aluminum tail section that borrows its lines from traditional motocross designs. The license plate bracket has a pair of Kellerman Atto LEDs fitted; three-in-one items that take care of the turn signal, taillight, and brake duties.

Up front is a set of overhauled forks that wear long gaiters and an enduro-style front headlight setup. The headlight itself is from a Husqvarna, which Noel has surrounded with a one-piece aluminum fairing and front fender.

A pair of Kellerman Atto indicators peek out from the side of the headlight, sitting in front of a set of Renthal bars and a digital speedometer. The bars are dressed with switchgear from the Canadian company NWT Cycletronic, who also supplied their X3.P control hub (the bike’s brain), wireless remote key system, starter solenoid, and horn.

The factory BMW wheels were stripped and painted gold, perfectly matching the stunning John Player Special tribute livery, laid down by Justin at Pop Bang Classics. The rear suspension was upgraded with a horizontal shock setup with CNC-machined linkages. The scrambler tires are from Shinko.

The old exhaust was replaced by a new system with a custom collector and a reverse cone muffler. The final dirt-friendly mods were a set of wider, grippier footpegs, and a lightweight sodium-ion battery from Sodion, which is now securely clamped in place in front of the rear tire.

It’s another knock-out build from Noel Muller and Black Cycles, and it almost looks too good to get dirty. Almost. [Source]

New Vespa Officina 8 Special Editions Vespa’s latest limited edition special, the Vespa Officina 8, pays tribute to the experimental department at Piaggio’s Pontedera plant. At the end of World War II, Officina 8 was populated by former aircraft engineers, mechanics, and metalworkers, and it’s where all of Vespa’s greatest innovations were born. The talented people of Officina 8 were the ones behind the design and prototyping of the original Vespa itself, so they’re a group of people worth celebrating.

Officina 8 staff wore a blue and brass pin on the outside of their work overalls, and this coveted badge of honor is the inspiration behind the new Blu Officina 8 color scheme. The Vespa Primavera Officina 8 and Vespa GTV Officina 8 are both imbued with the exclusive Blu Officina 8 color, along with a few other choice finishes. The blue paint is coated with a special matte metallic finish to invoke the feeling and look of the hardy denim overalls worn in the factory.

The narrow-body Vespa Primavera (available in 50, 125, and 150 cc variants) gets the special paint, gold five-spoke wheels, and black bar-end mirrors [above]. The Vespa logo matches the gold wheels, and there isn’t a lick of chrome on the whole bike, which gives it a touch of industrial modernity.

The brushed aluminum accents on the body and headlight surround are particularly nice. The seat is upholstered with a heat-sealed, double-contrast stitch, and there are polished brass rivets around the bottom edge.

The special edition color is also available on the Vespa GTV 310 [above]. The range-topping wide-body Vespa gets the GTV’s typical exposed handlebars and front fender-mounted headlight, but the Officina 8 designation adds a color-matched handlebar fairing, a smart-looking rear seat cover, and different wheels. Like its smaller stablemate, all the chrome has been replaced by brushed aluminum or matte black finishes.

Every Vespa Officina 8 is accompanied by an elegant welcome kit, which includes a tin container (in matching colors) that contains the owner’s manual and copies of the original archive documents. There’s also a range of Offinica 8 accessories available to pair with the special edition, including a top box, matching helmets, and gloves.

Just like the pin worn by those special factory workers, the finishing touch is the Vespa Officina 8 badge, finished in blue and bronze. Officina 8 identified the technicians who worked within the most secret and envied department within the factory, and it’s great for Piaggio to honor their legacy with this beautiful special edition. [More]

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Revealed: The Hyper-Exclusive MV Agusta Superveloce 1000 Ago

First released in 2020, the MV Agusta Superveloce is one of the most spectacular bikes the Varese firm has produced in the last decade. It’s an enchanting blend of retro charm and modern style, and it’s high on the list of exotic machines that would be parked in the mythical Bike EXIF garage (or living room).

MV Agusta has been making subtle upgrades to the Superveloce ever since it launched. Now, they’ve unveiled the most exclusive version of it yet—the 2025 MV Agusta Superveloce 1000 Ago. Just look at it.

MV Agusta and Giacomo Agostini go together like Coke and vanilla ice cream; each is great on its own, but together, they’re unstoppable. Agostini’s motorcycle racing career was legendary. He won 15 World Championship titles, had 123 World Championship race wins, 18 Italian Championship titles, and even achieved 10 Tourist Trophy wins.

To celebrate Ago’s 83rd birthday, MV Agusta is releasing 83 special edition Superveloce 1000s. Beneath the stunning red and silver livery is full carbon bodywork (both woven and forged), accented by Agostini’s number one on a yellow background. Carbon wings protrude from the front of the fairing, with the Öhlins electronic front forks barely visible under all the bling.

The leather tank strap features a gold badge that matches the individually numbered plaque below the ignition barrel. The tail section is as sculpted as the front, with the quad-exhaust exiting below the seat and flanking a gorgeous round tail light.

A steel and aluminum frame supports the 998 cc four-cylinder engine, with the rear end suspended on an Öhlins shock. The braking package is from Brembo, with a radial master cylinder and Stylema calipers squeezing 320 mm front discs. Exquisite tubeless spoked wheels from Kineo add extra panache.

The MV Agusta Superveloce 1000 Ago has the go to match the show, with a titanium valve set screaming to 14,000 RPM while it pumps out 208 horsepower. The connecting rods are made from forged titanium, and the cams feature a diamond-like coating to reduce power-sapping friction. Unsurprisingly, the electronics package is detailed and vast.

Compared to the Superveloce 800 which was first released in 2020, the Superveloce 1000 design has been sharpened in a deliberately sculpted way. Where the 800 features soft, gentle curves, the 1000 is rolling aerodynamic art.

Wings have sprouted from the fairing and the tail section has become even more waspish, but we still adore the design. It’s almost enough for us to ignore that the ‘Ago’ and ‘MV Agusta’ logos are stickers under a clear coat with a clear ridgeline, which looks a bit cheap for such a premium motorcycle.

That’s about where the criticism stops. The Superveloce 1000 is one of the best-looking sports bikes on the market right now, and the Agostini edition elevates it even further.

Each of the 83 bikes on offer also has a very unique addition. Along with being personally signed by Agostini himself, the Superveloce’s CNC aluminum key shell features a brass coin made from one of Giacomo’s race trophies, which he donated to MV Agusta for the project.

Your purchase also gets you the usual special edition frou-frou—including a certificate of authenticity and a special cover for your pride and joy. MV Agusta also includes a leather and Alcantara pillion seat, plus passenger footpegs, brackets, and heel guards. And if you’d like to make further tweaks, you’ll find CNC-machined clutch and brake levers, and height adjustment plates for the swingarm pivot, in the box too.

Owners of the Superveloce 1000 Ago can also request a Dainese Custom Works Demone GP3X kangaroo leather race suit and an AGV Pista GP RR helmet, both featuring designs based on Ago’s personal gear.

The MV Agusta Superveloce 1000 Ago is more than just a hyper-exclusive motorcycle with an if-you-have-to-ask price tag. It’s an omen that signals that the Italian marque’s recent split from its embattled parent company, KTM, hasn’t slowed it down one bit.

MV Agusta

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Don’t Call It a Comeback: Asterisk’s Award-Winning Harley Shovelhead

In Egyptian mythology, Bennu is an ancient deity associated with creation and rebirth. Depicted as a bird, it is believed that he may have been the original inspiration for the legend of the phoenix—which is exactly why the owner of this enchanting 1978 Harley-Davidson Shovelhead named it after him.

Even though the donor bike was almost a half-century old, this story of rebirth has less to do with the bike’s restoration, and more to do with the man behind it. It comes from Hideki Hoshikawa, founder of the Japanese custom shop Asterisk Custom Works. And it’s the first time in six years that he and his team have attempted a build of this scale.

Hoshikawa-san’s last ground-up vintage Harley was an equally majestic hardtail, nicknamed Jenny Lind, which debuted at that year’s Yokohama Hot Rod Custom Show. “At the time, I put all the ideas and techniques I thought I had into producing it—and then I burned out,” he tells us.

“Since then, I’ve built a number of light H-D customs, but they weren’t show-ready bikes. At the time, I was also really into flat trackers, so I only exhibited flat track-style bikes at shows.”

The seed for Bennu was planted when a customer saw the Jenny Lind Harley at Asterisk’s workshop and asked if he could commission a bike in the same vein. “At the time, we weren’t thinking of exhibiting it at the Hot Rod Custom Show,” says Hideki. “I was thinking of just copying what I had done in the past, as a Jenny Lind revival.”

After six months of working on the Shovelhead within those constraints, Hideki started getting excited about the possibility of returning to the HRCS with another all-out Harley. With the owner’s blessing, the plans were torn up as the project took on a life of its own.

It was agreed that key details from Jenny Lind would be carried over, but the overall vision for the build was open for discussion. “I was inspired by the good old American heyday, the 1950s, when H-D’s Panheads were in their prime. At the time, H-D only had the FL in its line-up—so I thought, what if the FX had existed then?”

“Narrow front, sporty style. A bike with the sort of style that, if you looked at old-era H-D catalogs, you would see it listed there. A bike with the cohesiveness and beauty of a stock bike, rather than a custom bike.”

Asterisk specifically picked a 1978 Shovelhead for the project, because the client had requested a model year that matched his birth year. But very little of the donor bike remains.

Asterisk’s first big job was to convert the double down tube frame into a single down tube design. “It would have been easier to build a frame from scratch using an aftermarket single down tube steering head,” says Hideki, “but I wanted to stick to the stock look. The theme of the frame was as if H-D had built a stock single down tube frame back in the day.”

Hideki cut off the original downtubes, fabricated a new single tube to take their place, and added reinforcements in key spots. Next, the OEM steering neck was heavily modified to match the single down tube design, while also maintaining a pseudo-factory vibe. “I thought the shape would add to the elegance of the 1950s, which is when I presumed this bike would have existed,” he adds.

The original frame backbone remains, but the tail end is all new. Hideki trimmed the stock frame, welded on an aftermarket hardtail kit, and modified the axle plates to accommodate the rear brake.

The front end wears a set of vintage-style leaf spring forks from W&W Cycles. Wedged into them is a 22” wheel, featuring a clincher-style rim and a mini drum brake hub from KustomTech. The 19” rear wheel uses a similar combination, with a larger KustomTech hydraulic drum brake hub adding stopping power (and panache, thanks to its contrasting chrome and brass finishes).

Tucked into the chassis is a complete 93 ci Shovelhead engine from S&S Cycle in the USA, with custom rocker covers to give it a more classic look. Using a new engine wasn’t part of the plan—but once Hideki had the donor bike in hand, he realized that its powerplant had been heavily modified for racing, making it an impractical choice for the client’s needs.

The engine is matched to an S&S Cycle Super E carb, fed by a velocity stack. The exhaust system is a work of art; twin headers snake around the left side of the motor, merging into a flared handmade muffler that gracefully defies convention. Hideki wanted the headers to fit as snugly as possible, so he milled some material out of one of the cylinders.

The Shovelhead’s elegant bodywork sports numerous sublime details. The split fuel tanks started out as a pair of regular FX-model units, but the left tank was cut and shut vertically to hold oil up top, and fuel below.

The right-hand side reservoir is adorned with a single stainless steel strip and an Asterisk tank badge, while the twin left-hand side tanks each have their own trim. Matching the stainless steel details to the steel bodywork was hard, since the two metals expand at different rates when heated. Hideki simply kept at it until the fit and finish were flawless.

A handmade aluminum ‘dashboard’ sits atop the split tanks, hosting the ignition barrel and a Motogadget Motoscope Tiny Speedster speedo. Perched further back is a bobbed saddle, upholstered by Jimmy Dope. A modified front fender finishes off the rear end of the bike.

The tank’s stainless steel details are echoed in the rear fender stays, and in a pair of adornments that grace the handmade handlebars. The cockpit is as minimal as it gets, featuring an internal throttle, a custom front brake lever, and a couple of integrated push buttons. Gear changes are handled by the bike’s hand shifter; an ornate piece that sits adjacent to the tank.

A Crime Scene Choppers headlight points the way, while a small taillight sits on a side-mounted license plate bracket, located just behind the open primary.

Bennu is finished in a deep, glossy blue livery, laid down by Yossy (paint) and M&K Custom Signs (pin-striping). Thoughtful accents abound—like the innumerable polished and brass accents, the matching pin-stripe details on the fork legs, and the matching teal hue on the yokes, steering neck, and axle plates.

Asterisk buttoned the Shovelhead up in time for last year’s HRCS, returning to the show with their first competitive custom Harley in six years. And to make this comeback story even sweeter, they came home with the coveted ‘Best of Show’ award.

Asterisk Custom Works | Instagram | Images by Kouki ‘Uribou’ Kato | With thanks to Tadashi Kono

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