Evoque some emotion
Roman tyre manufacturers Marangoni entrust Blokesincars with the keys to their pimped up Range Rover Evoque… and this time we didn’t kerb the very expensive alloy wheels. Every year infamous wheel shodders Marangoni strip down a fancy motor, slap it under the surgeon’s knife, beef up the engine and unleash it to the general public at various motorshows around the world. Last year saw us clambering inside a lime green Alfa Romeo (and kerbing the alloys!) but this year things have got bigger, more ambitious and er, pinker!
The Marangoni HFI-R is the latest project and not only has it had a rather Essex-y makeover, it has also been fitted with Hybrid Fuel Injection technology that boosts performance by 59bhp. That means the Evoque now kicks out a lip-smacking 300bhp with little in the way of air-polluting emissions. The thing drives like a beast possessed with the raised driving position making it pull, corner and cruise like a hyper-hatchback on stilts.
But it’s the styling tweaks that will really draw the crowds with this one.
The Titanium Fluid Metal paintjob is completely bespoke; door panels, bumpers and even the bonnet have been replaced and the interior is decked out in plush, quilted fabrics that have been crafted by Italian sartorial masters Conti. Oh, and it’s not pink, it’s ‘Ruby Red’ so there’s no way it can be labeled as ‘girly’.
The drive this time was just as simple as last year’s Alfa disaster. A quick rip out of central London to the outskirts of Bow and Bethnal Green. First impressions revealed that the Evoque is a lot wider than it gives off. Plenty of London drives not giving us enough room to pass, leading to the odd close shave with the carbon fibre wing mirrors. The slightly tweaked engine was a joy to drive though: plant the right foot and the heavy SUV really picks up pace as well as kicking out an enjoyable noise.
Check it out for yourself in the rather lovely slideshow below. I don’t know who the random lady is by the way…
