The Fiat Multipla is widely regarded as one of, if not the ugliest cars ever created. So how could you redeem it in the eyes of enthusiasts? You do what Vilebrequin did, and turn it into a bona fide track weapon. The project, which looks like the product of an outlandish speculative rendering, started off as a Kickstarter campaign four years ago. Now, we finally get to see it on track in its finalized state.
The first thing that jumps out at you right away is the custom wide body kit, which is now adorned in a red, white, and black livery compared to the old blue and yellow scheme. Alongside that wider body comes an aggressive aero kit, which includes such components as a front splitter, massive rear wing, diffuser, and hood-mounted front wing.
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Underneath that bewinged hood lies the engine from a C7 Corvette Z06. Even stock, the 6.2L V8’s 650 hp (659 PS / 485 kW) dwarfs the 102 hp (103PS / 76 kW) made by the car’s original, base 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine, but with all its modifications, the new mill churns out a ludicrous 1,276 hp (1,294 PS / 952 kW), or over 12 times as much power as the Multipla had stock. Mated to that engine is the Corvette’s stock automatic transmission, which sends its power to a set of Work wheel on extra-wide Michelin tires. Rounding off the main dynamic upgrades are a strengthened chassis, coilover suspension setup and a set of beefed-up brakes.
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Inside, while the regular Multipla developed something of a reputation for its surprising practicality, this one is anything but sensible. For starters, it trades the five-door layout for only three doors, and swaps the six-seat setup for just two. The two seats that do remain are both heavily-bolstered racing seats, the one on the driver’s side sitting across from a quick-release GT steering wheel and adjacent to a short-throw shifter. Protecting the occupants of the vehicle is a full roll cage, which also aids in this car’s track toy aesthetics.
Vilebrequin took it to Magny-Cours to put it through its paces, and you can watch it carve up the corners in the video above while its V8 engine roars around it. And who knows, now that the Multipla is old enough to legally import to the U.S., perhaps someone stateside might want to recreate this build.