Arias Pistons 12.5:1 Compression 82mm Bore Honda B-series on 2040-parts.com

Super modified saloons at SEMA 2013: in pictures

SEMA stands for Specialty Equipment Market Association, and every year it holds a big event in Las Vegas to showcase the very best in weird and wonderful modified car creations. But unlike certain other modified car shows we could mention, the emphasis is very much on premium quality and good taste. Let us guide you through some of the very best super saloons on show at the 2013 SEMA Car Show.

Volvo V40 Cross Country & V40 R-Design: Paris 2012

Volvo has revealed the V40 Cross Country and V40 R-Design at the 2012 Paris Motor Show, and both are convincing. The sporty take on the new V40 is the V40 R-design, a cosmetic update for the already good-looking V40 that manages to bolt on go-faster bits without wrecking the good lines of the normal V40. We would like to have seen the Volvo V40 R-Design get the sports suspension as standard, but Volvo obviously feel that most R-Design buyers want the looks rather than the more dynamic ride the sports suspension offers, so it stays as an option. And as the R-Design option is available across the new V40 range – from the D2 to the T4 – it’s probably the right decision.

Volkswagen XL1: Geneva Motor Show 2013

The VW XL1 is going in to limited production with the promise of 314mpg and a price tag likely to be £100,000. Surprisingly, one of those ‘Super’ cars is a Volkswagen that will cost £100,000 and has all the attributes of a supercar. Except its party trick is extreme performance in economy, rather than performance.