carscoop: Replica

Showing posts with label Replica. Show all posts

Toyota MR2 Poses as a Lamborghini Murcielago

Over the years, we have seen the Toyota MR2 falling into the hands of numerous kit car makers who have used the Japanese sports model as a base for the creation of all sorts of replicas.

Among other clones, the mid-engine MR2 has been transformed into a Ferrari Enzo, a Ferrari 460 Modena Spider, a Ferrari F430 Spider, a strange looking creation from Japan called the DragStar F1 Dragon, a Gumpert Apollo and believe it or not, even a Ford Mustang Eleanor.

Homemade Lamborghini Reventon Based on a Mitsubishi Eclipse Coupe

Much like Wang Jian, a 28-year old Chinese mechanic that built a Lamborghini Reventon replica from scrap metal and used car parts, Alexander, a 30-year-old car buff from the Ukrainian city of Odessa, had a dream and that was to create a clone of the Italian supercar.

The Ukrainian, however, followed a different path as he decided to base the Reventon on his very own 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse Coupe (third generation) that he had acquired back in 2008.

Chinese Man Builds Himself a $9,500 Lamborghini Reventon Out of Old Car Parts and Iron

Most Lamborghini supercars in a drivable condition are out of reach for most people, even more so if we are talking about one of the most expensive models to come out from Sant'agata, the $2 million Reventon.

Being the son of a humble farmer from a rural area of China's eastern Jiangsu province, doesn’t help either, but when a man has a dream, nothing can stop him, which is the case for Wang Jian.

The 28-year old mechanic built himself a replica of a Lamborghini Reventon using whatever parts and materials he could get his hands on.

Would You Turn Your Nissan 350Z Into a Ferrari California Replica?

Regardless of personal styling preferences, most will agree that the Ferrari California carries a lot more cache than any Nissan model, the older generation 350Z included (just as long as we're talking about a genuine Ferrari).

Still, the first Z coupe of the new millennium has its own special character and a strong following, thanks in part to its handsome styling as well as its sports car performance and handling credentials.

Considering all this, we can safely say that the 350Z isn't exactly a prime candidate as a donor car for a replica build, even if said clone is a Ferrari California.

However, one German company named FGP begs to differ. The replica-car builder and parts supplier has designed a new Ferrari California kit for use on the pre-facelift Nissan 350Z Coupe built from 2002 through 2008.

Warning: This Chrysler-Based Bentley Replica is Not for You if You're Married or Have a Jealous Girlfriend

Surely, there must be something about mid-size Chrysler convertibles and the Bentley Continental GTC that make some owners come up with ways to fuse the two models into one.

In the past, we have shown you Continental GTC clones based on the newer Chrysler Sebring Convertible, but today, we discovered a replica of the British luxury model built on the hardware of a mid-1990s Chrysler LeBaron Convertible.

First Gen Audi TT Desperately Wants to Look Like its R8 Brother

Whether you like or not, you have to admit that, the original Audi TT with its Bauhaus-inspired geometry and arched roofline is a design icon of our time.

That said, it doesn't really make a lot of sense to try to turn such a unique looking vehicle into something else like a replica of its larger sibling, the R8, which is what the owner of this 2001 Audi TT 1.8T that's located in Sweden attempted to do.

Unique Fleetwood V-16s to Highlight Cadillac's Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Display

There is a very interesting story behind the two Cadillac Fleetwood V-16s that you see pictured above and which will make their public appearance at the annual Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in Carmel, California this week.

While both cars feature an original design from top to bottom, they were never actually built by Cadillac.

It Came From eBay: Lamborghini Murcielago Kit Car with Camry V6

Usually, our eBay segments consist of Mercury Cougars covered in Bugatti livery or Peugeot 406's vaguely transformed into Ferrari F430's. This on the other hand, is for lack of a better word, pretty impressive.

This Lamborghini Murcielago clone is as close to the real thing in the looks department as we’ve ever seen from most replica models of the sort. Like any kit car though, there are a few downsides. For example, the performance numbers are not anywhere near close to the real thing.

It Came from eBay Hell: The Peugeot 406 Coupe that Wanted to be a Ferrari F430

Here is the short, bittersweet story of a Peugeot 406 Coupe that was forced to live its life as a Ferrari replica.

Introduced in 1996, the 406 Coupe was the beautiful two-door sibling of the 406 sedan designed and manufactured by Italy's fabled Pininfarina studio. Even today, the coupe remains a stunner and a great example of Pininfarina's incredible taste in styling.

For some incomprehensible reason, one of the owners of a 1998 Peugeot 406 Coupe came up with the not so tasty idea of converting the elegant French GT into a faux Ferrari F430.

As you can see for yourself in the picture gallery, the work that went into the transformation leaves a lot to be desired – from the application of the carbon fiber-like foil wrap to the high riding body and the fixed polycarbonate side windows.

1967 Ford Mustang Eleanor Replicated Out of a Chevrolet Optra / Daewoo Lacetti

The clone-happy tuners of India's BigDaddyCustoms, which we came to know from their efforts to replicate the Range Rover Evoque SUV with a Tata-based model, have struck again.

Their next automotive victim is the 1967 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 'Eleanor' from the 2000 Hollywood blockbuster 'Gone in 60 Seconds' starring Nicolas Cage and Angelina Jolie.

Canadian Chevrolet Aveo wants to be a Jaguar Vanden Plas when it Grows Up

We understand that in the minds of most drivers, some car brands and models are more respected and have a higher cache than others, but trying to pose as something you are clearly not usually doesn't end well.

Like this first generation Chevrolet Aveo, itself a rebadged Daewoo Kalos, which was snagged on camera by Carscoop reader 'MiniMania' in Canada.

Mercedes GL-Faced Ford Excursion will Make Limo Drivers "Twice as Much" as Regular Model

As many premium and wannabe-premium carmakers found out over the years, the BMW roundel and Mercedes-Benz star are highly regarded by consumers, even if their products aren't always the best.

A limousine maker is a firm believer of the power that lies behind the Mercedes-Benz logo, despite the fact that the car has nothing to do with the Stuttgart-based company's models.

China's Shanxi Victory Likes Itself Some Cadillac, Perhaps too Much…

Cadillac's "Art and Science" design language, which was first seen on a production model on the original CTS sedan before it spread to the entire range, has been a success bringing the Detroit company's styling to the 21st century.

In fact, it's so successful that an unknown state-run company from China named Shanxi Victory has decided to borrow the crispy and edgy design forms and apply them to its vehicle lineup.

There's a 0.00001 percent chance we're wrong, but we're willing to take the risk and say that Shanxi Victory did not ask General Motors' permission to use Cadillac's fascia...

And mind you, it's not only the Cadillac Escalade lookalike pickup truck found by the folks from CarNewsChina on Sohu, as we dug a bit further and discovered two more minivans that like what the wreath and crest brand has done to its 21st century models.

Indian Tuner Transforms Tata Safari Into the Moon Rover Evoque Replica

Custom shops from India rarely make headlines, but when they do, they definitely do it in style (or so to speak…).

After last year's Toyota Corolla-based Ferrari F430 supercar clone from ExecutiveModcarTrends, we are now blessed with a Tata Safari that has been converted into a Land Rover Range Rover Evoque.

Coincidentally (or not), Tata Motors is the owner of Land Rover having acquired the British automaker along with Jaguar from the Ford Group in 2008.

Audi-Faced, BMW-Tailed Subaru Impreza WRX is the Definition of Overkill

We understand that some Subaru owners love their cars for what they are and hate them for what they look like and will try anything to improve their styling, but the British owner of 1993 Impreza WRX may have taken things a bit too far.

The modified Japanese sports car's front end is borrowed from a mid-to-late 2000s Audi A4 (B7) while the rear was made out of bits and pieces from the previous generation, Bangle-styled BMW 5-Series (codenamed E60).

The blistered wheel arches, side skirts, black alloy wheels and the shaved doors are bonus parts.

The mix-and-match of German car components is certainly not to everyone's taste, but we are going to agree with the crew from GTSpirit that everything seems to have been crafted on prudently from a styling point of view.

It Came from eBay Hell: Oldsmobile Poses as a 1990s Bentley Continental R

The Continental R coupe built from 1991 to 2003 in just a little over 1,200 units is one of the last old school Bentleys before the Volkswagen Group took over shop and began churning out a contemporary lineup of models like the Continental series.

And as with any other rare and moderately expensive vehicle these days, the Continental R has its own fan club of…doppelgangers.

New Mitsubishi Proudia and Dignity Luxury Sedans Are…Proud Doppelgangers of the Infiniti M

After many years of absence from the luxury car segment, Mitsubishi is going to give it another try with the revival of the Proudia and Dignity nameplates for the Japanese market.

In a strange turn of fate, whereas the original Proudia and Dignity from the late 1990s - early 2000s were designed by Mitsubishi and co-manufactured with Hyundai, which marketed its own versions as the rebadged Centennial and Equus (not to be confused with the current Equus), Mitsubishi is now the one to rebrand the two models.

To explain, the Proudia and the more luxurious, long wheelbase Dignity are the products of an OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) deal with the Nissan Group and are based on the Infiniti M and the China-market Infiniti M35hL LWB (sold as the new Nissan Cima in Japan) respectively.

This Rolls-Royced Nissan Patrol is So Wrong in So Many Levels…

When you think about Dubai and cars, you probably imagine exotic Italian coupes and über-luxurious limousines and crossovers, some of which possibly draped in shiny chrome foil wraps and tuned by some of Europe's most unapologetic tuning brands.

But there's also another side to Dubai's automotive scene, one less ritzy but equally gaudy at times.

After the BMW X1, China's Zhonghua Looks for Inspiration in the Alfa Romeo Giulietta

We cannot keep up with all the production and concept models that are coming out from China and the design of which either bluntly copies or is directly inspired from a Western automaker's model(s).

Just recently, a Chinese website caught hold of some pictures of a new prototype model from Brilliance Auto's Zhonghua brand.

You don't have to live in Milan to see that the design of the unnamed compact crossover takes its inspiration from the Alfa Romeo Giulietta, be that in the shape of the lights, the hidden rear door handles or the sharp lines on the front and rear fenders.

Poor Man's Lamborghini Reventon Filmed Cruising Down the Road…

Unless one of the 20 owners of the real $2 million Lamborghini Reventon had a change of heart regarding the Italian exotic's mid opaque grey color, something we humorously doubt, this is a replica based on an unknown donor car.

Nevertheless, it was special enough for one camera phone equipped by-stander to waste 11 seconds to film it passing by. Feel free to do the same by watching the video right after the jump.