Rhys Millen Racing has taken a break from building bespoke hill climb cars and Accent-based rally cars to do up an Equus for Hyundai's booth at the 2010 SEMA show. The rendering above is little more than a painting, but once the big sedan is under SEMA's billion fluorescent lights, it will have a two-tone exterior with carbon fiber and BASF-sourced Red Bull Racing blue satin paint.
Performance upgrades are mild on the Rhys Millen Equus, as a different intake and exhaust take its 4.6-liter V8 from a stock 385 horsepower to a claimed 415 hp. Millen's team has also added a big brake kit (evidently featuring 14-inch front rotors) and 21-inch forged HRE P40 wheels (presumably a plus 2 upgrade over the stock 19s).
Inside the tuned flagship, restraint is not the word. The seats will be upholstered in a combination of ostrich leather hide and suede. We had no idea ostriches were even a source of leather.
coolb944 says:
04:29 PM, 10/12/10
Ostrich was actually used in a lot of cars in the 1930s, especially in Europe, such as this 1930 Bugatti Type 49:
http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z15675/Bugatti-Type-49.aspx
There was also a very Italian-esque custom hot rod a few years ago that used a Ferrari 550 or 575 engine that also used an ostrich interior. Can't remember the name of it off hand or who built it.
The leather is very knobby looking, quite distinctive and pretty.
eriches says:
05:33 PM, 10/12/10
@coolb944: How right you are -- the leather in this photo is indeed distinctive: http://www.conceptcarz.com/view/photo/292483,15675/1930-Bugatti-Type-49_photo.aspx
feloniousmonk says:
07:22 PM, 10/12/10
I've a pair of ostrich boots, inherited from my grandfather, that I never wear. Swanky! That said, even with the mods, that's a helluva generic car.
nickwilcox says:
08:30 PM, 10/12/10
that is one crappy rendering .... for one crappy looking car
lostboyz says:
04:22 AM, 10/13/10
Only a 30hp boost for SEMA? Needs to be at least 600hp for that kind of a show.