We can sorta, kinda, try to understand the reasoning behind the transformation of a Pontiac Fiero into a supercar replica, but what happens when someone decides to use a Porsche Boxster S as a base to create a... Lamborghini Murcielago Roadster? We'll agree that a 2000 Boxster S is light-years better than any MR2 or Fiero, but who in their right mind would actually turn a Porsche into a replica of any sorts? And talking about 'sanity' -or rather its absence- the asking price for this Italianized Porsche is $45,000. More photos after the jump.
Some replicas are outrageous because they use such unworthy underpinnings in their attempt to clone iconic cars. This here Beetle-based Camaro Z28 replica is a prime example. The all-fiberglass miniature "muscle car" has a Beetle chassis, frame, floor and 1.6-liter engine with dual carbs. The latter was recently freshened up - always according to the seller.
Even though it's a replica, the mini Camaro does have a few original Chevrolet components. These would be the 15x8 rally wheels and 1970 Camaro lights and bumpers.
The car's owner says these replicas were built back in the '70s (and are very rare), which could explain the weird choice of chassis: it was a ver cheap solution. The car is said to look and run good, mainly because it was stored since 1994.
The last time we heard from Heide Performance Products (HPP), the Michigan-based tuner showcased a Daytona conversion for Dodge's Challenger. Keeping with the vintage theme, HPP is now ready to show its next pony car conversion - a Camaro-based Trans-Am kit - at this year's SEMA show in Vegas.
As with all the other Firebird body kits out there (Lingenfelter's, ASC's, etc), HPP's version does its best to bring back the good-ol' days of the screaming chicken. The results, as with any "we're selling you memories" conversion, vary.
Regarding the proposition of selling this conversion (for anything other than the collectability factor), I don't see a point. Pontiac is D-E-A-D, it's not coming back, and that means anyone's "new" Trans-Am will forever be a Chevy wearing a costume. It's similar to having a Plymouth nameplate on a modern Chrysler or Dodge; the vintage naming works for the Daytona, but not for the Superbird.
Let's face it: buying a supercar is hard. They're expensive, they're hard to insure and if you crash one you're bound to see it posted on Carscoop. So what do you do if you crave the supercar looks but can't stomach the supercar hang-ups? You buy an Italian knockoff, that's what.
This here is the Lavazza GTX-R and yes, it does look a lot like a Ferrari Enzo (with a pinch of Pagani) if you squint...and are drunk...and are wearing sunglasses...at night. Ahem.
If you read the Italian version of the site, power comes from a BMW-sourced 5.4-liter V12 producing 489HP that can accelerate the GTX-R from 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62 mph) in just 4.3 seconds. However, the English-language page makes word of the same V12 with 620HP but a 0-100km/h sprint time of 4.6 seconds. Go figure...
This here replica of a Lamborghini Gallardo based on a 1994 Chevrolet Camaro is soooo wrong in soooo many different ways and levels it would probably take a 50-page supplement to explore them all... However, we must admit that the eBay seller's description gave us a hearty good laugh so we'll refrain from making any disparaging comments. Hit the break for the full image gallery.
Proton, Malaysia's national carmaker and owners of Lotus, has taken the wraps of its latest model. No, you aren't looking at a cheesy Photoshop and this isn't an April Fools joke come six months late: this is the firm's new mid-sized Inspira sedan.
For those of you fooled by the *cough* deceptive *cough* restyling Proton has done, the Inspira (from the Bahasa Malaysia word 'Inspirasi' which means 'Inspiration') is based on the current generation Mitsubishi Lancer.
The 1986 Vipervette is exactly what you think it is: part Dodge Viper, part Corvette, all painful. Riding on a 1986 Corvette chassis, the Vipervette is said to have inherited its body (and not much else, apparently) from a 2000 Dodge Viper. Because of this hodge-podge mix of machinery, we have a car with some very awkward proportions.
The car is motivated by the '86 Vette's power train - a 5.7-liter V8 and a 4-speed stick - so don't expect to be going anywhere in too much of a hurry. Inside is more of the 1980's, with the Corvette interior color-coded to line up with the Viper exterior (meaning it's the mighty played-out red and black).
This isn't the first time we've seen a Toyota MR2 dressed up as something else, in this case a Ferrari F430 Spider, but the story here is that the owner of the replica took it to a classic / sports car meeting of some sorts in The Netherlands parking it close to the real Italian deal. Talk about having faith in your creation... See all the pictures after the break.
I really should hate this as much as that '95 Thunderbird with the '50s Ford front end, but I don't.
Maybe it's because this Z30 Toyota Soarer, otherwise known as the first generation Lexus SC in the U.S., with a Mercedes-Benz CLK DTM-esque front end and SL AMG rear end is so well done. Heck, it's a lot more convincing than those Miata-based replicas we see so often.
Like everything in life, there's a right away and a wrong way to customize. The right way could be fitting a modern motor and transmission to a classic car body. That way you get the economy and reliability you want in a daily driver with the looks of a classic.
The wrong way is bolting an Easy Rods '50s Ford lookalike kit to a 1995 Ford Thunderbird. It's the sort of kit you buy when you have a) money for spending and b) no taste.