At CAR we have already been exposed to two of LupiniPower’s tuned cars. These include the Lupini Chevrolet SuperUte, based on the Chevrolet Lumina Ute SS, and the Lupini Suzuki Swift 1,5, based on the standard Suzuki Swift.
The latest addition to the Lupini stable is the LupiniPower Ford Fiesta 1,6, a car that is based on the standard Ford Fiesta 1,6-litre.
Black, top to toe
As can be seen on these pictures, the LupiniPower Fiesta clearly looks the part. To start off with, it is draped in matte black. This finish, together with the black wheels, not only provides the car with a Goth-like, mean look, but also protects the original paint underneath. How the matte finish will stand the test of time… our guess is as good as anyone else’s.
A special wheel and tyre combination has also been added, while upgraded progressive rate coil springs also feature. The car now sits closer to the road while the wheels also fill the arches in a way that gives the overall stance even more purpose. Needless to say, it did attract the necessary attention from certain members of public.
Performance
The changes don’t stop there though. LupiniPower claims that the engine has received some serious tweaks. These include improvements to the camshaft and the cylinder head, while the engine now exhales better through the branch manifold and the free-flow exhaust system.
Claimed power is up from 88 to 110 kW and torque from 152 to 175 N.m. Question is, does it feel that much different to the standard Fiesta?
The first thing you notice once the car is started, idling, or when you drive off slowly, is the exhaust note. It is VERY vocal. The experience is further enhanced by the way the engine runs with a higher level of enthusiasm to the red line. It feels quicker and more rev-hungry compared to the standard Fiesta. You can sense that the mapping has been changed, but on this specific car, there was a serious flat spot between 1 800 and 2 200 r/min. If you put your foot down below this mark in first gear it revs cleanly, but in every other gear the car will stutter in this rev range. It is probably only down to a mapping problem, but needs attention.
The claimed power and torque figures are further points of discussion. When we had the LupiniPower Suzuki and the Chevrolet models on test, we put both on a dyno, and they were both down on their respective claimed power figures.
This time round, we didn’t put the Fiesta on a dyno, but during our performance testing, the LupiniPower Fiesta was only 0,2 seconds faster to 100 km/h than the claimed 9,9 seconds of the standard Fiesta, never mind LupiniPower’s 8,5 second claim.
In traffic through town, as well as on the highway, the LupiniPower Fiesta was remarkably comfortable. With both the SuperUte and Suzuki the ride quality was quite abysmal. The Fiesta, however, and even though it is lowered and rides on low-profile tyres, offered a surprisingly good ride, and also handled very well.
At R233 950, the LupiniPower Fiesta costs (excluding the R6 000 for the tyre and wheel combination) a significant amount more than the standard Fiesta, with its R198 040 retail price. The price does include a three-year unlimited kilometre LupiniPlan, though.
For R240 000 we would rather suggest you wait for the real deal, as next year you should be able to buy the new Fiesta ST from your local Ford showroom.
*When CAR tested the LupiniPower SuperUte last year, we complained about the brakes. During our performance testing, one of the discs cracked, not only because of our testing, but also because of track testing at another magazine beforehand. After the bakkie went back to LupiniPower, the brakes were updated by Zwartkops-based Powerbrake and we recorded excellent braking times of around 2,8 seconds in our 100 km/h to zero emergency stopping test routine, and this time with no fading or cracking.
