This New Rezvani Shows Why Modesty Is For The Birds

Let us welcome, fellow gearheads and speed freaks, the latest debutant to the world boutique supercars: The Rezvani Beast Alpha  X “Blackbird.” Yes, that’s it’s real name. No, it has nothing to do with insufferable Michael Bay movies (yet) nor is it a kid’s toy (yet). But it most definitely is part of the retinue of boutique supercars like Koenigsegg and Gumpert and Scuderia Glickenhaus.

Select Slices

For those of you not clued in, boutique supercars aim for a particular niche of an already niche market. Say you’re really rich. And say you want a car that both feeds your enormous ego and shows other people how rich and special you are. Buy a Ferrari or a Lambo or a McLaren? Are you daft?! No, no, no. You need something as unique and special as you are. Unfortunately, that also means you could wind up with something that’s as fly-by-night and structurally flawed as you are, but hey, you gotta be you, y’know?

Photo: Rezvani Motors.

Less Than Subtle

So you go out and get something like a Koenigsegg or a Gumpert or a Scuderia Glickenhaus, or Rezvani hopes, something like the Beast Alpha  X “Blackbird.” What the Beast Alpha  X “Blackbird” is, in many ways, is a rather “normal” example of what a modern supercar is. It’s smaller than you’d expect, mid-engined, and a two seater with a removable targa roof panel. Styling-wise it looks like what would happen if a Lotus Evora and any of this year’s Lambos had a baby. There are curves, but they’re largely mishandled, and there are, as one would expect, huge aero bits and pieces chopping off hunks of air here and cleaving it over there. The car has the subtlety of a 15-year-old’s drawing on his high school notebook. Then again, how subtle would you expect something named the Beast Alpha  X “Blackbird” to look?

Curiously, the Rezvani is an American-made boutique supercar. Orange County, California, to be exact. Rezvani even goes the whole way and builds their own engines. To my way of thinking, rolling out your own bespoke supercar and having it powered by something off the rack like a small block Chevy means you’ve just made a kit car with pretensions.

Photo: Rezvani Motors.

Power & Performance

In the case of the Beast Alpha X “Blackbird,” said lump is an in-house designed and built . . . four cylinder. Wait, what? Yup, it’s motivated by a four-banger, albeit one that cranks out serious power. Rezvani says it’s a “reliable and powerful” 2.5-liter, 700 horsepower four-pot with a forced aspiration system driven by twin turbochargers. Apparently. Rezvani only mentions “turbocharger,” singular, but the engine pics on their website show two of them screwed onto the block. Whatever. Rezvani also says the turbo setup is “innovative and efficient” but does not give any details about how that is.

They do say the powerplants are built from the ground up using new Carillo racing forged pistons, rods, cams, valves, springs, and a Cosworth sourced ECU. Again, that’s kind of off the rack. Rezvani also states the engine “allows for a low cost of ownership and service,” which implies the thing won’t explode like a hand grenade, but still, 700 ponies from only 2.5 quarts and only four pistons seems like it’s asking a lot. Coupled to that plant is a close ratio 6-speed manual transmission or an optional sequential automatic box.

Also worryingly, Rezvani says it was designed with one thing in mind: brutal power. Brutal doesn’t sound like something that would go along with drivability does it?

Photo: Rezvani Motors.

Open Sesame

Since this is a boutique supercar, of course the doors are goofy and complex. Rezvani calls them SideWinder doors, and has even gone so far as to trademark the SideWinder name. They say the doors “provide a unique experience unlike any other,” but I’m not sure how they mean that. None of the pictures I see show how the things work. The seats are designed and built in-house, however, so that’s a nice touch.

The instrument cluster is a programmable dash display setup, with shift lights and shift points pre-programmed to tell the driver when to shift for maximum horsepower and torque. Unfortunately, the instrument cluster looks like they got it from a 1985 Corvette. That was cool when Cyndi Lauper was new, but less so now.

Photo: Rezvani Motors.

Pricing & Availability

All this carbon fiber bodywork, wrung 2.5 four-banger, and 2,150 lbs. of all-up weight equal one performance claim: zero to 60 in 2.9 Seconds. Which is impressive. They don’t say when you can get one but pricing starts at $225,000. That is before you begin adding stuff using the cute little configuration thing on their website.

Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He is the author of Bricks & Bones: The Endearing Legacy and Nitty-Gritty Phenomenon of The Indy 500, available in paperback or Kindle format. 

Rezvani Beast Alpha  X “Blackbird” Gallery

Photos & Source: Rezvani Motors.

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2017 Jeep Renegade Trailhawk 4X4 Review

If you are looking for a cute urban commuter that’s still capable for weekend excursions to the high country, the Jeep Renegade Trailhawk 4×4 could be the ticket. Renegade is unmistakably a Jeep with its tall, vertical sides, round headlights, and signature grille. What sets it apart is its compact size and wide stance.

Our tester came with the Trailhawk 4×4 package. It just wouldn’t be a Jeep without it, right? This week, we drove the 2017 Jeep Renegade Trailhawk 4×4. One thing is for sure: it’s ready to take you away from civilization.

What’s New For 2017 & 2018

The 2017 and 2018 Jeep Renegade essentially carried over from 2016 with the Trailhawk as the top trim. Xenon headlights, automatic high beams, and keyless ignition and entry are new features. 

Features & Options

The 2017 Jeep Renegade Trailhawk 4×4 ($26,895) gets the full off-road package that includes hill descent control, a raised suspension, tow hooks, and underbody skid plates. It features 17-inch alloy wheels wrapped in all-terrain tires, unique exterior accents, a full-size spare, an upgraded driver information display, and a 115-volt power outlet. Our tester came complete with premium cloth upholstery, red interior stitching, a leather-wrapped shift knob, and a removable cargo floor panel.

We also had the optional navigation ($1,245) featuring a 6.5-inch touchscreen, HD radio, and Uconnect (includes extra safety features, a WiFi hotspot, and voice texting). A Cold Weather package ($545) included heated front seats, windshield wiper deicer, and a heated steering wheel. The Safety group ($645) included blind spot/cross path detection, a security alarm, and rear tonneau cover. It also came with remote start ($205).

Total MSRP including destination: $30,630.

Interior Highlights

The cabin of the Renegade is surprisingly roomy and comes with plenty of head, shoulder, and legroom. The shape of the Renegade helps give it an open feeling with good outward visibility for a compact vehicle. The front seats are comfortable and nicely bolstered. Renegade is wider than many small SUVs too.

The interior of the Trailhawk features some unique nods to Jeep’s past. This includes things like a Jeep grille on the speaker housing, a mud splash for the redline on the tach, and a Moab topography map on the storage tray ahead of the gearshift. The heated seats and steering wheel will be especially welcomed on cold winter mornings or when hitting the trails in the back country on a ski trip. There is some hard plastic inside but many surfaces are soft-touch vinyl.

The back seats leave a little to be desired when it comes to room for adults, but this is a compact vehicle and not a full-size SUV. Storage capacity measures 18.5 cubic feet and cargo room is sizable behind the rear seat, which folds flat.

Engine & Fuel Mileage Specs

The 2017 Jeep Renegade Trailhawk features a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine, two-speed transfer case, and off-road equipment. The 2.4-liter plant produces 180 horsepower and 175 lb-ft. of torque. It comes mated to a 9-speed automatic transmission driving all four wheels. The Renegade Trailhawk 4×4 comes in at 21/29 city/highway and 24 combined mpg according to EPA estimates.

Fuel economy rates middle of the pack for a compact SUV.

Driving Dynamics

In the city, Renegade drives like a small SUV and is particularly easy to maneuver in traffic or when navigating tight parking lots. Take it out on the highway and it offers a smooth ride with enough power for most driving situations. We tested the Trailhawk at high altitudes, going up steep mountain roads, and felt the small Jeep was underpowered when we needed it most. The 2.4-liter could use a bit more torque for pulling up steep inclines – it has to rev high to achieve its peak torque.

For city driving, most commuters will have sufficient power to get around urban streets and highways, however. The nine-speed transmission is better than a CVT, but wanted to hunt for the right gear as we pushed it hard up I-70 at altitude. The small SUV handled the two-lane mountain roads comfortably, coping with the curves as we went. There was some body lean due to the higher profile, however. 

The Trailhawk is designed for rugged terrain, and it can go off-road easily with its 8.7-inches of ground clearance. Though mostly quiet on paved roads, the off-road tires do contribute to a noisier ride at higher speeds. Heavy snow hit the Denver area this week but with a flip of the switch to 4-wheel high, we plowed through 8-inches of snow without issue. We felt confident in the vehicle’s ability to get us anywhere we need to go.

Conclusion

Those wanting a capable urban commuter, with ample cargo room, flexibility, and off-road capability, will find the Renegade Trailhawk is good entry-level Jeep. It’s sufficiently refined as well as pleasantly capable for urban living. For the occasional weekend warrior, the Trailhawk offers plenty to keep you comfortable and warm in the back country.

Denis Flierl has invested over 25 years in the automotive industry in a variety of roles. Follow his work on Twitter: @CarReviewGuy

Jeep Renegade Trailhawk Gallery

Jeep Renegade Official Site.

Photos: FCA US LLC. (2018 models also shown).

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Road tested: Gear from Arai, Alpinestars and REV’IT!

Today I’m going to spill the beans on three new items of riding gear I’ve been getting friendly with. Each piece is pretty stylish and stealthy, in my humble opinion, but it’s the integrated safety tech that stands out with these.

Arai DT-X/Chaser-X Constructed using their ubiquitous, egg-shaped R75 shell shape, the DT-X (or Chaser-X for the Euro set) is Arai’s freshest take on the Swiss army helmet. They claim the DownTown-X excels at commuter duty, works well for extended trips, and can even tackle a track day or two. But is it worth your dosh?

Out of the box and squishing my cheeks, there is little not to like about the fit and finish. The interior padding is soft and supple, and while it isn’t coated in hides from the Rolls-Royce warehouse, the fabric is antimicrobial.

As an added bonus there are peel-away layers integrated into the liner and cheek pads to tailor the fit to your liking. And much like every Arai, there are notched areas to accommodate eyewear—a revelation if you roll with shades.

If you’re like me and enjoy tunes when you ride, the DT-X also has cutouts to allow optimal speaker placement without any fuss. And despite not having a large chin curtain, the noise levels at speed, even on a naked bike, are pretty impressive. I’d still (and will always) recommend earplugs but you can tell the DT-X wasn’t cobbled together by drunks in the dark.

The viewport is wide enough to keep tabs on all manner of woodland creatures plotting your demise in the twisties, and the ‘Variable Axis Shield’ system clears fog quickly with a nifty lever that activates a demisting position.

I’ll admit the first few times my gloved hand fumbled with the device, and I probably looked like a newb ready to rip things apart at a few stop lights. But once I got the hang of it, things have been easy-breezy ever since. As a bonus, the VAS system is also a cinch for swapping shields.

Once in motion though, you really won’t need to fiddle with the visor. With 10 vents, including two right in the upper portion of the shield itself, airflow is incredibly good. I’ve worn the DT-X in the sweltering heat of California as well through the onset of a Canadian winter and have been extremely impressed by how well this helmet can micromanage temperature.

Instead of running all holes wide open, like I usually do, tailoring vents to deliver cool air exactly where you want it is a possibility. Sophisticated stuff, this.

And that’s the level of quality you get from Arai. They hand build these things and have two separate lab coats inspect every step of construction. If you’ve got an intermediate-oval shaped melon like mine, and you’re looking for a reliable, comfortable lid to see you through everything over the next five years, the $540 Arai DT-X is well worth a test fit. [Buy]

Alpinestars Oscar Charlie Looking for a stylish leather riding jacket? Great news! You’re spoiled for choice. Every brand under the sun has cottoned on to the fact that not everyone wants to look like a Power Ranger when they stroll into the office, so they offer ‘urban’ styled gear to suit. But only Alpinestars, so far, has added cutting edge protection to bolster that style.

Developed for the retro Oscar line, the Charlie Jacket is the first of its breed to make use of Alpinestars’ ‘Tech-Air’ airbag technology. Tech-Air is a system developed to keep phenoms like Marc Marquez fighting for championships, instead of being laid up in recovery. It’s an accelerometer-actuated, zip-in airbag system that puffs you up like the Michelin Man at the onset of a spill or accident.

I’ve had some first hand-experience with the system (during a demo, not whilst breaking a bike, thankfully) and it works incredibly quick. An incident takes 8-12 milliseconds to be detected and, once fired, the airbag inflates in 40 milliseconds surrounding your shoulders, neck, kidneys and chest.

The superhero physique sticks around for five full seconds before beginning to deflate and allows movement (to get towards safer areas) even under full pressure. It’s a marvel of engineering and it (and systems like it) are the future for us riders.

Fitted in the Charlie jacket, nobody would know you’re packing MotoGP levels of innovation. It looks like a fairly standard yet stylish leather motorcycle jacket. The red accent stripes break up the subdued cafe aesthetic and, aside from some glowing LEDs on your left arm (that indicate the system is armed and working) everything has a vintage look and feel to it.

The cut on the Charlie Jacket is on the slender side, so if you’re still working off that holiday weight it may be best to size up. At six feet tall and hovering around 200 pounds, an XL fitted me with enough wiggle room for a second layer underneath. The sleeves are well articulated and even without any kind of break-in, movement isn’t hindered at all.

For the Z900RS launch I actually wore the $550 non-TechAir model, to see what the differences were. I found that the lack of textile expansion panels—integrated to allow deployment—delivered a more stylish cut. And I also thought the vintage brown colorway (below) was slightly more attractive, at least while straddling my rootbeer float.

That being said, even if I weren’t looking to spend $1,150 on the airbag vest right away, I’d still opt for the $650 Tech-Air compatible version. The expansion panels allow for some extra venting on warmer days—as well as a cheeseburger or two. And since it works with the Tech-Air Race system, I know that I could add the vest and have it serve double duty in my Tech-Air onesie for track days which, for me, is win-win. [Buy]

REV’IT! Alpha Chinos Both Wes and I are big fans of the urban line of gear from REV’IT! The entire catalog offers CE levels of protection in garments that totally fly under the radar. And recently I’ve been wearing the Alpha RF Chinos—just about everywhere, on the bike and off.

Available in either black or sand, the Alpha Chinos are as rough and tumble and versatile as a young Al Pacino. Their strength is thanks to the interweaving of 10oz Cordura denim and REV’IT!’s in-house PWR Shield abrasion resistant fabric. We’re told this combo offers bacon-saving levels of protection, and they certainly feel up to the task.

There are internal pockets at the knees that come loaded with CE Level 1 padding that is so thin you barely notice it’s there. There are also a two slots at the hips to accommodate the same style of padding but those will set you back some extra cash.

In the looks department the Alphas are easily the stealthiest set of armored riding pants I’ve ever seen. In the sand colorway they look like the sort of strides you could pick up at the local J. Crew before heading down to clink Cape Codders with Buffy and Ellis at the harbor. Or, you can ride to work protected and stroll into the office, blending in seamlessly. That choice is yours.

Most importantly, the Alphas were designed with guys like us in mind. Where every pair of chinos I’ve ever owned have a slash pocket, REV’IT!’s designers have modified the bottom stitch on theirs to include a flat, horizontal joinery flap.

What that tiny triangle of fabric does is enable you to stow your pocket knife (or tire pressure gauge) where it belongs without its tip pointing awkwardly when you sit down. It’s a small thing, I know. But man, what a difference it makes in terms of comfort for us Boy Scout types.

There’s also an extra panel that’s been sewed into the crotch area that REV’IT! calls a ‘comfort seat.’ Well, it lives up to its name. In the saddle, you have that extra bit of room you always seem to be looking for with normal trousers.

Technically it’s supposed to keep your pant legs from rising, too. Which it does, provided you order your set in the proper length. Unlike me. [Buy]

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