Performance tuners everywhere create some of the most powerful road-legal cars we have ever seen, but these are all too often based on the same range of cars.
How about something a little bit different from the usual tuned American muscle cars or Japanese sports cars? There are endless choices of suitable engines that lend themselves well to a bit of tinkering, and with most carmakers turning to smaller forced induction units, the possibilities are not only vast but results are much easier to achieve.
Puling up at the lights next to an otherwise plain-looking car could produce a few surprises, these otherwise weird choices could be tuned to produce crazy horsepower figures.
10 Volkswagen Beetle LSR - Yes, That's A Land Speed Record
Land Speed Record attempts usually conjure imagers of jet or rocket-powered custom-built machines, but there are dozens of classes of records for all types of cars.
The Volkswagen Beetle is not an obvious choice for the LSR attempt, but this is no ordinary car. Fitted with a modified version of VW's EA888 TSi unit equipped with larger turbochargers, modified camshaft, and forged internals raises power output to a more impressive 543 HP. How fast? In 2016 the creators of the fastest Volkswagen Beetle set an average speed of 205mph.
9 DDM Works Ariel Atom - Less Weight, Much More Power
Causing a sensation when first launched in 2000, the Atom looked like nothing else on the market with its tubular chassis devoid of any bodywork also raised a few eyebrows due to its performance. Since its introduction, Ariel has produced a number of more powerful specials, making the Atom one of the fastest accelerating cars on the road.
Recently announced, the DDM Works 700 conversion takes the Atom's performance to another level, twin-charging the 2-liter Ecotec engine produces an incredible 700 HP. For the time being, gearheads will have to dream of the DDM's abilities, there are no official performance figures available.
8 RRM M1 Turbo Tallini Competizione - Small Car Big Power
Following the lead of other carmakers that produce retro-styled models, Fiat launched their all-new 500. The company has won awards for the small gasoline engine-range based on the twin-air design. Small gas engine designs utilize forced induction to produce up to 160 HP with lower emissions.
Currently, the Abarth 595 sets the performance benchmark claiming a 7-second 0-60mph time. However, Road Race Motorsports not content with the 500's performance produces a retuned version of Fiat's 1.4-liter engine raising output to 250 HP.
7 Bisimoto Engineering Honda Odyssey - Minivan Manners, Drag Strip Power
Imagine the surprise of pulling up alongside Bisimoto Engineering's infamous Honda Odyssey, and being blown away at the lights when it rockets to 60 mph in 3.4-seconds.
Outwardly sporting nothing more than a set of aftermarket alloys, Bisimoto's Odyssey is the fastest and most powerful minivan to hit the streets. Under the hood, Honda's J35 unit received a complete makeover with a host of custom parts, twin-turbos, and, ECU delivering an incredible 1029 HP.
6 Spoon S660 - Pushing Kei Car Limits
Despite the numerous Kei car regulations, the niche remains a popular choice among Japanese owners, with various tax incentives applied to encourage smaller less polluting cars on the otherwise crowded Japanese streets.
Until Honda eventually (if ever) produces a more powerful export model, gearheads craving more power from the tiny S660 Kei car can head on over to Spoon. The Japanese tuner pushes the 0.66-liter engine to the limits with a heady 97 HP upgrade, a handy 67% increase over stock specifications.
5 HKS GR Yaris Stage 1 - Plenty Of Performance Headroom In Reserve
Already one of the best hot hatches on the market, the Gazoo Racing specification Yaris boasted 257 HP, making it one of the most powerful 3-cylinder engine ever fitted to a production car, second only to Koenigsegg's efforts, and can hit 60mph in 5.5-seconds.
Need or want more power? No problem, the GR Yaris on the receiving end of serious upgrades can produce a lot more. Famed aftermarket tuner HKS used Toyota's stock G16E engine for their Stage 1 package combining a modified ECU, custom turbocharger, and Nitros Oxide to produce 475 HP.
4 JA Motorsports Super Nano - Curious Choice For A Tuner Car
The Tata is never going to win any prizes for beauty or performance, designed to be a cheap and easy to maintain city car with a tiny 0.6-liter gas engine. First produced in 2008, the Nano, with a measly 38 HP, isn't exactly fast with a governed top speed of 65mph.
We have to admit choosing the Nano for a tuner car makes an odd choice, but JA Motorsports have at least done a proper job. Clearly, the factory fit engine wouldn't be up to the task, in its place a turbocharged 2.4-liter unit produces 230 HP, helping the pocket rocket to reach a top speed of 124mph.
3 Wimmer RST 8 - Unfortunately Only For The Track
Firstly the bad news, in the US, KTM's track-styled X-Bow racer is not street legal, lacking ABS and airbags, it falls foul of safety regulations. However, as a track car, the Audi-powered X-Bow with 237 HP is perfect for gearheads with racing driver aspirations.
Chip tuning is not a new process, Wimmer RST offers a simple plug-in upgrade for Audi's 2-liter TFSi engine, boosting output to 478 HP. As a result, the X-Bow RST 8 storms to 60mph in 2.97-seconds, passing 124mh in 10-seconds.
2 Milltek Sport Up! - The Best Current City Car Conversion
Small city cars are never going to be exciting performance drives, featuring a tiny 1-liter three-cylinder engine, Volkswagen's Up at least appears like a serious attempt at a small urban commuter car.
Normally it would be the Golf that attracts the attention of tuners, but UK-based Milltek Sport uses their extensive skills has managed to unlock more power from VW's city car. The Up! now produces 145 HP which might not seem like a huge gain, but in a chassis weighing 2048 lbs, performance is brisk at around 8-seconds to 60mph.
1 Evolve C30 - Evolving Volvo's Image
Swedish carmaker Volvo's longstanding reputation for building safe and reliable cars dates back to the early 1970s, when they introduced the first car fitted as standard with seat belts. In fact, Volvo is one brand gearheads traditionally would have ignored for performance cars.
Aiming to attract younger owners, the C30 concept is a huge step in the right direction. Beginning with the quirky C30 coupe, Evolve created a custom wide body kit adding a generous six inches at the rear covering fatter tires. The Evolve, now looking the part, needed some grunt, so Volvo's 2.5-liter engine received a second sequential turbo, boosting output to 507 HP.