A Suzuki that sizzles

There comes a moment in every young man's life when he awakes one morning and quite reasonably says to himself, "I am going to modify my car."

I'm speaking from experience here because back when I acquired my first set of wheels - a Golf GTI with the famous 16v head - I suddenly found the need to fit it with all manner of go-faster bits and pieces.

Unfortunately, being rather naïve despite my enormous levels of enthusiasm, this strange phenomenon of late adolescence didn't end with much success as the process of sourcing reputable performance parts - let alone the right people to install them for me - killed my passion for chasing speed in one fell swoop.

Indeed, after being ripped off by some aging grease monkey in Randburg for an embarrassingly loud and ineffective free-flow exhaust, I solemnly vowed to keep my cars, present and future, original like the factory intended.

Although, had there been a tuning firm like LupiniPower around in those days, well, I think this whole sorry story could have had a rather different ending. Let me explain.

Headed up by a man named Michele Lupini, this Franschhoek-based company is busy developing modular performance kits that simply bolt into your box-fresh pride and joy without affecting its warranty or rubbishing the everyday reliability that their original manufacturers spent eons perfecting.

Basically they're taking away the hassle of modding by offering everything from the parts to final installation under the convenience of one roof.

I'll admit this sounds like a nice idea, but how does it translate in the real world?

Well to find out I requested a drive in what I think could be one of the outfit's most popular conversions: the LupiniPower Suzuki Swift.

Effectively, for the princely sum of R35 850, Lupini and his crew will take your bog-standard Swift 1.5 GLS and screw in the following ingredients for a little added spice: a modified camshaft and cylinder head, a new branch manifold, a less restrictive exhaust system and, finally, a freshly remapped Electronic Control Unit (ECU) that's designed to keep everything in check.

The result? Well, according to the company's independent test figures, the Lupini Suzuki Swift will pump out 100kW and 155Nm.

Not only does this bold claim mean that it'll blow the common or garden GLS into the weeds but supposedly its bigger 1.6 Sport brother too.

Finished off with a lower and stiffer suspension system for better handling, let's just say that getting behind the wheel of this car stirs up some seriously large expectations.

Unfortunately, despite what those impressive power and torque curves may suggest, Lupini's final efforts just don't feel as urgent as Suzuki's Swift Sport I piloted last year. Yes, it definitely drives a lot faster than the GLS but with my foot flat at full charge it never felt quite as urgent. Still, having said this, I do think the LupiniPower conversion does manage to make a strong case for itself for three reasons.

Firstly, it does make the little hatchback handle a lot better than either of the two factory models. Yes, the ride quality has gone to pot but on twisting back roads the way this thing changes direction is impressive.

Secondly, the sum of all the performance parts do add up to something that stands out in the crowd and gives you a reasonable level of exclusivity.

Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, you can't actually buy a new Suzuki Swift Sport off the showroom floor (only a limited number were brought into SA) so until the second-generation model arrives on our shores in the next year or two, this is the closest you're going to get to garaging a Swift with a shot of extra testosterone.

I wouldn't take it over the prettier, and similarly priced, Renault Twingo RS but for the hardcore Suzuki fan looking for fuss-free performance gains, LupiniPower's affordable package is certainly worth a closer look.

LupiniPower Suzuki Swift 1.5

Engine: 1490cc, four-cylinder petrol

Power: 100kW at 6200rpm

Torque: 155Nm at 4000rpm

0-100 km/h: 8.7-seconds (claimed)

Top Speed: 175km/h (claimed)

Fuel Consumption: 5.9/100km (claimed)

CO2: 141g/km

Price: R199 750 (Optional 17-inch alloy and tyre combo adds R6000)

We like:

Anice alternative for the sold-out Swift SportSharp handling from tweaked suspensionSounds good and is reasonably brisk

We Don't:

Very harsh rideDoesn't feel as fast as the claims suggestThat odd flat spot at around 2500rpm