Autos

Another day, another tuned Land Rover Defender.  This time we focus, once again, on Startech, the company that brought us the very popular Land Rover Defender Yachting.  Startech’s latest creation is the Land Rover Defender Series 3.1 Concept, a retro tune on the Defender to make it look like the Land Rover Series 3, produced between 1971 and 1984.

The Startech Defender Series 3.1 does have that classic look from the front, the tuners put in a new grill that’s inspired by the classic Series 3 trucks and the front features modern-day LED day-time running lights.  Other retro visual upgrades includes a set of heavy duty steel wheels that would feel right at home on a 70’s and 80’s trucks.

When it comes to vehicles and girls, I feel that Europeans get access to all the good ones and North Americans are given the left overs. North Americans are only recently started to enjoy tiny, pocket rocket cars while Europe has had them for decades. For example, this cool looking Citroen DS3 manufactured by the French. The company just revealed a special edition version of the DS3 for the UK market and are simply calling it “Red”.

The all-new Citroen DS3 Red is based on the DSport and DStyle trim levels but feature custom styling cues and additional equipment which is not available on the standard models. Believe it or not, the DS3 Red is only available in Polar White paint or an optional Perla Nera Black paint job. All the DS3 Red models feature red accents inside and outside of the vehicle such as the front grille, side view mirrors, roof, and dashboard just to name a few.

We’re fans of the Audi RS5 Cabriolet and the A5 in general but it’s a real shame that North Americans don’t have access to the Audi A5 Sportback sedan which was released in Europe in the summer of 2011. I love the lines on the car and the performance can be great depending on the engine you go with. But with tuning companies like ABT Sportsline, they can never be satisfied with ‘stock’ and have come up with an upgrade package that enhances cosmetics, handling, and the engine.

For the entry-level engine, ABT’s kit increases the A5’s 1.8-liter TFSI engine from 168hp to a respectable 208hp. The 2.0-liter petrol engine goes from 208hp to 266 which is more than plenty for most and chances are, will never even put it to good use. The massive gains occur with the 3.0-liter TSFI with an increase from 268hp to an impressive 375hp. That should be plenty of power to get you to the grocery store and back before the commercial break is over during your favorite TV show.

Regular readers of Unfinished Man know how much I love the Land Rover Defender and how much I wish it was available in North America.  Even though it’s an outdated car and behaves like a pig on the road, it’s its off-road capabilities that make it world-famous.  The Defender was available here for a few years but only with gasoline engines, which were incredibly bad on gas (and therefore, the wallet); and that’s why Land Rover is experimenting with the Defender Electric model.

Those of you that watch Formula 1 racing, probably notice Infiniti logos on the Red Bull Racing team’s cars, the team that has won the drivers’ and constructors’ championship the last three seasons.  And the driver behind the wheel of these winning cars has been Sebastian Vettel; to celebrate his success and the two companies’ partnership, Infiniti is producing a limited production (150 units) FX50 Sebastian Vettel Edition.