Extreme Volvo C30 SportsCoupes and a V8 Hot Rod at SEMA Show

Volvo revealed three highly customised Volvo C30 SportsCoupes and the Caresto V8 Speedster at the SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) tradeshow in Las Vegas, USA.

Volvo Cars North America, in conjunction with three aftermarket tuning companies, commissioned three highly modified, high performance versions of the new Volvo C30 SportsCoupe. Built purely as design concepts and prototypes, each tuning company took a decidedly individual approach to creating its ultimate Volvo C30. Volvo supplied them with a C30 T5 with a six speed manual transmission and gave them only one rule to follow: all Volvo safety features must remain functional. Other than that, they were free to let their imaginations run wild. Highlights of the cars, include:

IPD C30

High tech and high style come through in the International Product Development (IPD) C30 draped in the colours of the Swedish flag. Producing 384bhp, the IPD C30 offers plenty of electronic fun and a thoroughly customised interior, with a touch screen in the floating centre stack plus fully functioning gull-wing style doors.

Evolve C30

The Evolve C30 offers ultimate performance with over 500 bhp, sequential twin turbochargers, sophisticated race-inspired suspension, gigantic brakes and a screaming yellow high gloss paint scheme. Inside are highly bolstered seats and custom leather upholstery.

Heico Sportiv/Burton Snowboard C30

A joint collaboration between German tuner Heico Sportiv and Burton Snowboards, this C30 promises to be the ultimate leisure accessory with a bespoke leather interior complete with specially designed storage for a Burton snowboard, helmet and boots. Fully drivable with 300bhp and electronically controlled all-wheel drive, the Heico C30 features height adjustable suspension, custom cut Toyo tyres and an incredibly complex six layer camouflage paint job that will let the car blend in to the mountain environment, while still turning heads on the road.

Caresto V8 Speedster

Another car seen for the first time at the SEMA show was the mid-engined, Caresto V8 Speedster – a hot rod created by a specialist car maker in Sweden, Leif Tufvesson, powered by a Volvo 4.4-litre, V8 engine converted to run on ethanol. Constructed in aluminium and carbon fibre with a sports chassis, the car features exquisite attention to detail with a removable hard top, a temperature controlled hood that opens automatically for additional cooling, three integrated rear view cameras, and a high quality retro leather interior with Volvo instruments, gear lever and steering wheel. Leif, a former Volvo employee, plans to build six of these cars, at a retail price of approximately £200,000.