The Toyota iQ is far from a track-ready sports car. As a matter of fact, the mere thought of seeing a car like the iQ on track conjures up images of turtles participating in a quarter-mile race. But even if the iQ isn’t what you’d associate as a rocket-on-wheels, it doesn’t mean that it can’t look the part of one. That’s where the Toyota iQ City Racer comes in.
Limited only to a little over 300 units while being exclusively marketed in France, the iQ City Racer is being introduced as a sexier and far more aesthetically pleasing dress-up on the iQ. It’s got numerous color options to choose from - Orange Tabasco, Red, Pearl White, or Gray Aluminum - and can also get dressed up with two current black bands on the hood and the roof. There are also new mirror covers, some faux carbon elements on the flanks, a rear apron with a black chrome exhaust, dark tinted windows, and a new set of 16" black alloy wheels.
Output on the Toyota iQ City Car’s 1.33-liter Dual VVT-i petrol engine remains at 98 horsepower, which was expected considering that the whole point of the iQ City Racer was to make the car look more like a sporty racer, but not necessarily perform like one.
As it stands, Toyota has priced the car at €19,950, which is around $26,000 based on current exchange rates. It’s a pretty steep price for a car that only comes with aesthetic improvements, but hey, some people will love its new looks, even if they won’t get any performance enhancements.
Earlier this year, we chanced upon a dressed up Ferrari F430 Scuderia that was turned into a proverbial art car by digital artist Laurence Gartel, the same dude that pretty much taught Andy Warhol the ropes.
Recently, another 430 Scuderia-based Art Car was seen being developed, only this time, it’s the work of one Philippe Pasqua. The French artist took the task of wrapping up the Italian super car’s body in treated cowhide leather before putting his artistic skills to good use, designing the 430 Scuderia’s body in what can only be described as a comprehensive ode to something you’d see from Ed Hardy.
We doubt that Pasqua’s design had anything to do with the American clothing brand, but the intricate detail of Japanese motifs, sea creatures, and frightening skulls certainly speaks to the language of Hardy’s work. What we can take away from Pasqua’s design on the 430 Scuderia is that the man is a hell of an artist. What’s especially impressive is the fact that he was able to work around all of the edges and tiny crevices on the Italian supercar to enhance the beauty of his project.
We’ll give props where they’re due, and in Pasqua’s case, it’s all very much warranted. Now, if you happen to be in Paris next month, be sure to stop by at the Galerie Laurent Strouk to check out the Pasqua’s Ferrari F430 Scuderia Art Car hanging on a wall as an exhibit.
We kid you not.
The Porsche Cayman hasn’t been getting a lot of love from tuning companies recently so the work done by French tuner Delavilla not only gives the Cayman some due recognition, but it also succeeded in blowing us away. We didn’t know that the Cayman R could be this sexy, so a lot of props go out to the small French tuning house for making it work. Saucy, indeed!
Putting aside our bulging eyes and salivating mouths, the Porsche-exclusive tuning company outfitted the Cayman R with a comprehensive exterior make-over, to go with a number of performance upgrades customers can choose from.
First off, the wide bodykit that was added to the Cayman R has turned the Porsche sports car into a real head-turner. The front and rear bumpers added some dimension to the sports car, as did the new fenders and side panels. In addition to that, LED daytime running lights were also installed to keep it up to the times, while a new set of multi-spoke wheels and bespoke quad tail pipes were fitted to provide some extra steam to what is already looking like a smokin’ hot ride. As for the interior, Delavilla added a new pair of sport bucket seats and plenty of Alcantara trim on both the steering wheel and the gear lever.
And then there’s the power upgrades. Not content with just one program for the Cayman R, Delavilla is offering three different power kits that can spike up the output of the Cayman R’s 3.4-liter flat-six engine from its standard 330-horsepower output to either 340 horsepower, 385 horsepower, or 420 horsepower.
Raise your hand if you ever thought you’d see a Bugatti Veyron in a supermarket. Of all the places you can find one of the fastest cars on the planet, it sitting idly between the dairy and the fruits and vegetable sections of a French supermarket isn’t really one of them.
But there it was, glistening ever so brightly for all the supermarket goers to drool over. The photos come courtesy of Bugatticars.Over-Blog.com, who somehow found themselves at the CORA mall in Mundolsheim, France in the presence of a Bugatti Veyron in attendance as part of a marketing stunt to allow everyday folks to get up close and personal with the supercar.
Let’s just hope nobody spilled a carton of milk on the car after walking past it.
Check out more photos of the Bugatti Veyron posing ever so proudly in the supermarket bu clicking on the link provided.
