Based off the tuner friendly design of the Volvo C30 Heico Sportiv has applied their products and badging to the new hatchback in preparation for the upcoming Sema show in Las Vegas this October. The Heico touch can be seen inside and out on the C30 and despite the soft surfer stickering they do well to add some aggression to the already sporty design. With the addition of the Heico product line-up to tune the new Volvo the opportunities to customize what is already a Made-to-Order product from the manufacturer the C30 is made further an expression of its owners tastes and budget. Ofcourse Heico Sportiv’s best add-on will be found beneath the bonnet.
The graphics, ground-effects and orange leather treatment found inside the Heico Sportiv C30 are all window dressing to what is really the heart of the matter. The surfer decals are mere distraction to the upgraded T5 engine that does not seem to be receiving the proper accolades. The Heico upgrade transforms the average T5 turbo-charged engine and its 220-hp into a 300-hp hellion hatchback. The details for this transformation were not available in the press release, but an 80-hp increase would seem a significant leap for such a cozy compact.
Riding on 19-in wheels and with upgrades to the suspension and brake calibers the 300-hp Heico Sprotiv C30 is said to run a zero-to-sixty in 5.4 seconds. With its quad-exhaust and lowered road posture the real test for the Heico C30, beyond Sema, would be a winding hillside drive.
While the appearance of the Heico Sportiv’s C30 is not exactly to my own taste it is the promise of some weighty performance out of the unique design of the Volvo hatchback that has me fixated. A 300-hp Volvo C30 just seems to build on the promise of excitement that the style of the car invokes on its own. And 300-hp far better represents that excitement than 220-hp. The next question then is how much more will it cost in Heico upgrades to customize a C30 that is already pushing the price limits of its class? And then the follow up question will be how much will any of it matter when a Heico decked C30 is stacked up next to a $35,000 BMW 1-series and its factory aspirated 300-hp?
Source[CarScoop]