Volvo C30 gets SEMA treatment in Vegas

If you want pizzazz, what better place to go than Las Vegas. And that’s exactly what Volvo did to pull the wraps off three Volvo C30s which were handed over to a trio of after-market tuning companies for automotive makeovers.

Using the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) tradeshow as a backdrop, the three extensively modified C30s were put on display after Evolve Cars, Heico Sportiv and Burton Snowboards, and IPD let their design imaginations cut loose to come up with what could be the ultimate dream cars for C30 enthusiasts around the world.

Volvo’s C30 was introduced to the world at the 2006 Paris Motor Show in September. Volvo Car Corporation gave the three design teams free rein to build pure design concepts and prototypes and the only stipulation was that all safety features built into the car had to remain functional. The vehicles were C30 T5 models with a six-speed transmission.

The results were:

The Evolve C30 is the ultimate street performer with motorsports technology throughout. Dominating horsepower comes from 507 stampeding ponies thundering through four massive tires. Sophisticated race-inspired suspension, gigantic brakes and a screaming yellow high gloss paint scheme over wild body lines highlight the Evolve C30. Sequential twin turbos, exotic exhaust plumbing and an advanced heat exchanger promise eye-popping performance. Inside are highly bolstered seats, a safety structure and custom leather touches.

A joint collaboration between German tuner Heico Sportiv and Burton Snowboards, this C30 caters to the active lifestyle set. Fully drivable with 300 horsepower and electronically controlled all-wheel drive, this dream C30 features a height adjustable suspension, custom cut Toyo tires and an incredibly complex six layer camouflage paint job that will let the car blend in with the mountain environment while still turning heads on the road. There’s a portable GPS system and gleaming 2008 Burton snowboards and boots inside.

High tech and high style come through in the International Product Development (IPD) SEMA C30. Decked in the colours of the Swedish flag, it produces 384 hp. With its factory front-drive layout intact, it puts its best foot forward by offering plenty of electronic fun and a thoroughly custom fabricated interior, highlighted by a touch screen in the floating center stack and a heads-up instrument display. But the icing on the cake is the fully functioning gull-wing style doors.