SEMA 07: Heico Sportiv Volvo S80 concept

One of the most attractive tuner concept cars on display at SEMA is this Volvo S80 T6 HPC from German Volvo tuner Heico Sportiv. The most notcible modification to the car is its 7-layer "aluminum effect" paint job that looks absolutely stunning. The 7 layer paint job took 2 weeks to complete. The paint process is so precise, that it does not allow for any re-shoots or touch up. Heico redesigned and improved the body of the S80 as well. The entire front clip was replaced to give the car a more aggressive look along with enlarged wheel arches. The rear bumper was also treated to the styling treatment to allow for rectangular exhaust cutouts and carbon fiber accents.

Powered by a specialy tuned inline 6 cylinder, with 350 horsepower, is a fuel effiecient hot rod. Heico Sportiv designed the motor to run on E85 ethanol. The engine produces 405 ft. lbs. of torque. Heico also converted the front wheel drive S80 to all wheel drive. Other engine upgrades include, a larger intercooler, ECU upgrades, and a stainless steel racing exhaust. 0-60 times have been calculaetd a 5.8 seconds.

A lowered suspension, a 14 inch big brake upgrade with 6 piston calipers, 20 inch lightweight forged wheels by Volution X, and 255/30R20 Continental performance tires wrap up the exterior.

The interior has been treated to rear bucket seats, a full leather upgrade(including the headliner and door pannels), and sport front seats. The dash and center console have also been lined with aluminum carbon fiber. The car's aluminum exterior is accentuated by the mystic blue leather on the interior.

About Heico:

Heico Sportiv was founded outside of Frankfurt, Germany in 1995. It has grown to become Europe's leading Volvo tuning firm. Heico has the longest running history of endurance racing featuring Volvo cars spanning 13 years. This serves as the engineering basis for offering high-quality components for Volvo road cars. Please refer to http://www.heicosportivna.com/ for more information.

Source: Autoblog.com

By: Austin On 08:22

Continue Reading

SEMA 07: More GM E85 performance madness

Following hot on the heels of the C6RS Corvette, is the 1934 Chevy Coupe E85 FlexFuel Hotrod. This time around it's a 2.0 liter Ecotec Turbo, with Stage III tuning from GM Performance Parts. In total the engine makes a very impressive 500 Horsepower! The body is a reproduction that has been channeled and chopped. The suspension has been custom fabricated with power hitting the ground through a 8 3/8 quick change rear end with 5.20 gears. The wheels are 18 & 20 inch Budnik wheels with 29 & 35 inch tall Excelsior tires front and rear respectively. Full press details available below.

FLEXFUEL CHEVY HOT ROD DEMONSTRATES VINTAGE STYLE AND MODERN ALTERNATIVE-FUEL PERFORMANCE

With a 500-horsepower engine, a channeled body and a chopped top, GM's custom street rod looks right at home on the salt flats of Bonneville. But instead of a traditional gasoline V-8, this '34 Chevy replica rod sports a turbocharged 2.0L Ecotec engine that runs on E85 ethanol. Appropriately, it has been dubbed the FlexFuel Chevy Hot Rod.

"Since the 1930's, hot rods have embodied American ingenuity, aesthetic flair and the quest for performance," said Bryan Nesbitt, vice-president of General Motors North American Design. "The ethanol Hot Rod is a modern statement that today's hot rodder can address energy concerns about the consumption of petroleum without sacrificing performance or style.

"The car's low-slung stance and stripped-down essence suggests track cars and speed racers of the late 1940s and early 1950s. Open hood sides reveal the high-powered Ecotec engine, which has been pumped up with the help of GM Performance Parts' Stage III performance kit and a larger turbo. The higher octane of E85 enabled engineers to tune the engine for more power. It is backed by a GM Powertrain 5L40 five-speed automatic transmission.

"The engine was built using the basic recipe that is available in the Ecotec performance book available from GM Performance Parts," said Al Oppenheiser, GM Performance Division director of concept and vehicle integration. "Also, the E85 conversion is based on a kit that GM is exploring for regular production engines."

True hot rod aesthetic:

Like hot rods built for the last 60 years, the FlexFuel Hot Rod is built from an assemblage of factory and aftermarket parts. The frame and body are based on the 1934 Chevy, but both were fabricated by the craftsmen at the GM Performance Division (GMPD). The body has been sectioned and channeled to give the car its true hot rod aesthetic, while the frame is a one-off piece designed, engineered and built by GMPD. The slanted grille – with a unique chrome mesh pattern – and hood are integrated for a smoother look, which includes a sun visor characteristic of period hot rod racers.

Like any good rod worth its salt, there are no fenders or running boards; the 10-inch headlamps are mounted to the core support. The front suspension is all custom-built, complete with period-perfect lightening holes drilled in it.

A sturdy 8-3/8-inch Winters Quick-change rearend is suspended by a parallel four-link suspension. It is filled with 5.20 gears, which are used to generate brisk acceleration with 35-inch-tall, racing-type Excelsior rear tires and 29-inch-tall front tires. The tires are mounted on custom 18-inch front and 20-inch rear "kidney bean"-style wheels from Budnik.

Steering comes from a custom-fabricated linkage that is connected to a reversed Corvair steering box. The linkage is mounted to the outside of the frame rail.

Hand-crafted cabin:

Inside, the FlexFuel Hot Rod maintains its racing-inspired minimalist theme, but with contemporary feel. Hand-formed sheet metal and earth-friendly materials were used to trim the cabin, as well as the racing-style aluminum seats. The dashboard was hand-finished, too, and filled with traditional-looking Stewart-Warner gauges.

One of the interior's central points of interest is the racing-style driveshaft tube, which covers the custom driveshaft. It is a prominent fixture in the cabin because the body has been lowered around the chassis to achieve the streamlined appearance that was characteristic of old-school hot rods.

Road ready:

More than just a conceptualized vision of an alternative-fuel street rod, the FlexFuel Hot Rod is a driver that GM Performance Division will press into service for a number of road events and tests.

"This thing is going to rack up a lot of miles," said Oppenheiser. "With the FlexFuel conversion, it can run purely on E85, gasoline or any combination of the two. That means it can be refueled anywhere the road takes it."

By: Austin On 13:56

Continue Reading