Not only is this a Prius, but it's also the Prius α, which is the Japanese version of the wagon. Being seen in one of these cars should be really embarrassing. But it's not, after local tuner Rowen International changed pretty much everything.
We'll be sorely disappointed if this bad boy doesn't come to the SEMA show. It's the perfect emissary of the Japanese tuning industry, which likes to take the unlikeliest of candidates and turn them into boy racers' dreams.
Under the cover of an onyx white paintjob, Rowen has installed a complete body kit, including new bumpers, fenders, wings and vents.
Even though this is a hybrid, the vented hood somehow makes sense, given that some of the aero kit's components are made from carbon fiber. It's almost as if we're dealing with a green family vehicle made by the Mercedes-AMG people.
Like a Mercedes model, the tuned Prius is not cheap. The rear wing alone costs 140,000 yen ($1,166) when done in wet carbon. A lowered suspension system with 50mm less clearance was only the next logical step, giving the Prius α the right alloy-hugging stance.
Not every hybrid needs a diffuser, but the GT300 race car has one, and so does this. On each side, we find the trademark Heat Blue exhaust system that Rowen is famous for. It's made from titanium and makes the 1.8-liter naturally aspirated engine sound like a Subaru WRX or an old MINI JCW. If all Prius models looked this good and sounded like that, the kids of the iPhone generation would probably go green.
From a cold start, the Prius sounds like a supercharged vacuum cleaner. It would be really interesting to hear it on the road and check out what happens when the CVT "changes" gears. Alas, that's not going to happen.
If you're a penny pincher, you're definitely not going to like the fact that the Heat Blue titanium exhaust costs 248,000 yen ($2,067). You can have it with two or four pipes, but only Japanese Prius fanatics will be able to justify paying that much.
Under the cover of an onyx white paintjob, Rowen has installed a complete body kit, including new bumpers, fenders, wings and vents.
Even though this is a hybrid, the vented hood somehow makes sense, given that some of the aero kit's components are made from carbon fiber. It's almost as if we're dealing with a green family vehicle made by the Mercedes-AMG people.
Like a Mercedes model, the tuned Prius is not cheap. The rear wing alone costs 140,000 yen ($1,166) when done in wet carbon. A lowered suspension system with 50mm less clearance was only the next logical step, giving the Prius α the right alloy-hugging stance.
Not every hybrid needs a diffuser, but the GT300 race car has one, and so does this. On each side, we find the trademark Heat Blue exhaust system that Rowen is famous for. It's made from titanium and makes the 1.8-liter naturally aspirated engine sound like a Subaru WRX or an old MINI JCW. If all Prius models looked this good and sounded like that, the kids of the iPhone generation would probably go green.
From a cold start, the Prius sounds like a supercharged vacuum cleaner. It would be really interesting to hear it on the road and check out what happens when the CVT "changes" gears. Alas, that's not going to happen.
If you're a penny pincher, you're definitely not going to like the fact that the Heat Blue titanium exhaust costs 248,000 yen ($2,067). You can have it with two or four pipes, but only Japanese Prius fanatics will be able to justify paying that much.