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 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).
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.
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.
The 2011 Camaro-based special was originally created as a one-off movie car for Exxodus Pictures' new sci-fi flick, Jinn, but the company decided to build a limited series for sale. And now, the order book has opened with the maker planning to manufacturer a total of 50 exact replicas of the FireBreather, priced at $60,000 a piece.
Like the original car used in the Knight Rider series during the '80s, this here replica is based on a 1982 Pontiac Trans Am and comes with all the cosmetic bells and whistles of the TV car including the cool to look at, but far from practical, cut steering wheel and electronic displays on the dashboard that lights up like a Christmas tree.
Think of the Hidalgo as something like the European equivalent of Japan's Mitsuoka Himiko Classic which is based off the MX-5. The Swiss replica is powered by the SLK AMG's 5.5-liter V8 engine producing 355HP and 376 lb-ft of peak torque, good enough to get the Hidalgo from zero to 100km/h (62mph) in a claimed 3.4 seconds and an electronically limited top speed of 250km/h (155mph).
"I was told that I was not allowed to enter my car into an 'All Ford' Car Show so I made this up," says Grenon. Basically, all he did is swap the 'H' logos with blue ovals and add some RS, SVT and Capri decals. And oh, he also came up with an amusing vehicle history sheet that he post on the "Carpi Concept's" window (read it after the jump).
"Some people were fooled, some were confused, some were downright angry," Grenon said. "The main guy that was sponsoring the show was pissed off [wonder why..]. I heard him say "we are not giving this car a f'ng award!"
Not only is this example of the 1990s Batmobile nice-looking, it's also street legal - at least in the State of Ohio where the seller is based. The Bat-winged replica was built by a company named "Putsch Racing" and it makes use of a tube frame chassis with a Corvette drive-train and an independent suspension.
It comes equipped with a canopy that opens and is fitted with various gizmos including retractable machine guns that fire blanks. Hit the jump for more photos and videos of the car in motion.
Read more »
