Caresto

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Caresto is a Swedish car company which was started in 2004 by Leif Tufvesson. It is registered in in Ängelholm in southern Sweden (Vegeå Tegelbruk, Rodervägen, SE 262 94, Ängelholm).

Leif Tufvesson is the founder of Caresto and the creator of 4 (2 different, and 2 of a kind) of its Hot Rod sports car, used by Volvo in different car shows, such as SEMA, as well as a limited edition of a an individualized Volvo C70 hardtop convertible.

Leif Tufvesson previously worked for the Volvo Concept Center and for six years he was responsible for the development department of Koenigsegg, a Swedish Supercar manufacturer. In 2004 he won the prestigious "Hot Rod of the Year" award from Hot Rod Magazine and "Most Innovative Car" in that Mecca of Hot Rods, the USA.

1 2005 Caresto T6 Roadster
2 2006 Caresto V8 Speedster
3 2008 Hot Rod Jakob
4 2007 C70 Caresto Edition
5 External links
6 See also

[edit] 2005 Caresto T6 Roadster

This hand-built hotrod is based on a twin turbocharged inline 6-cylinder engine. The engine is in back, located just behind the supportive leather bucket seats. The gearbox is a 5-speed Geartronic transmission that sends the power to the rear wheels. To help keep the engine cool, the rear decklid automatically lifts when a preset temperature is reached inside the engine compartment. Up front is a small luggage compartment and a location for mechanicals functioning ABS brakes etc.

The custom fabricated tubular steel frame was hand formed. Special fabricated stainless steel A-arms for the fully independent front and rear suspension systems with custom carbon-fibre leaf springs. Around back are special made trailing arms with remote-reservoir Ohlins shock absorbers. The rear coil-over shocks, incidentally, are centrally mounted in the engine compartment. Braking up front is handled via 6-piston Tarox calipers and 330-mm discs while the rear contains ventilated discs incl. a special made parking brake system. The front wheels are some 8.5 inches wide and 20 inches in diameter, the rears are a full 10-inches wide and 22 inches in diameter.

Inside, the T6 Roadster, all panels and seats are dressed in finest Scottish leather. All parts are special made to give the car a sporty and factory look.

This factory looking car is street legal and has been driven 10 000 km in Europe.

[edit] 2006 Caresto V8 Speedster

This hand-built mid-engine Hotrod is one of two parallel built identical cars. They are handcrafted in aluminum and carbon composite. The exterior and interior design is exquisitely austere with a nostalgic retrospective feeling. The ethanol converted Volvo V8 engine sends the power to the rear wheels through the 6-speed Geartronic transmission. To help keep the engine cool, the rear decklid automatically opens when a preset temperature is reached inside the engine compartment. Up front is a small luggage compartment and a location for mechanicals functioning ABS brakes etc.

The custom fabricated tubular steel frame is hand formed, as the special fabricated stainless steel A-arms for the fully independent front and rear suspension systems with Ohlins shock absorbers. The front uprights are milled aluminum and at rear welded high grade sheet metall. Braking up front is handled via 4-piston Brembo calipers and 345-mm discs while the rear contains ventilated discs. Inside, the V8S, all panels and seats are dressed in finest Scottish leather. All parts are special made to give the car a sporty and factory look.

The goal is to produce and sell at least six examples of this particular model. The estimated price is around 2.5 million Swedish kronor (approximately $338,000).

[edit] 2008 Hot Rod Jakob

Hot Rod Jakob is a unique combination of classical car-building craftsmanship allied to modern technology and design. Made in honour of Volvo’s 80th birthday, the Jacob is a retro-penned hotrod inspired by the first series-produced Volvo car, the ÖV4 (the Swedish abbreviation for Open Car, 4 cylinders) that gained the nickname “Jacob”. Parked side by side, the similarities between old and new are remarkable. The curvature of the bonnet has exactly the same radius. The characteristic windscreen attachment pillar that runs down the body side follows the original in detail as regards dimensions, materials and the number of screws used. Equally identical is the radiator grille with its characteristic mesh pattern and diagonal bar that incorporates the classic iron symbol. The body has been built by hand from raw aluminium panels that were bent into their final shape using a hammer and English wheel. Exactly as it was done in the prototype workshop back in the 1920s.

The hand-built aluminum body hotrod is based on a carbon-fiber chassis and it’s equipped with Volvo’s Flexifuel, five-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine that generates 265 Hp. It is a two-seater instead of offering space for four. And it has those typical Hot Rod attributes: large wheels, no wings and a muscular rear axle. And if you get a bit closer it is possible to see differences in terms of materials and details. The chassis is built of lightweight carbon fibre, just like today's most advanced racing cars, not from heavy steel beams as in bygone times. The brake discs are remarkably slim, but their huge diameter (450 mm front, 515 mm rear) guarantee that the braking surface is still going to be more than sufficient. The wheel spokes are made of aluminium instead of wood, but they are exactly the same in number. The massive tyres with their specially milled tread in the form of Volvo's iron symbol give an assertive, modern aura, while the charming luggage compartment at the very front - in actual fact an elegant leather case - instead conjures up images of white suits, straw hats and wide skirts.

The entire build is typical of Leif Tufvesson's style. Lean. Aesthetically elegant. Stylishly minimalist. Largely because most of the components have been hidden away inside the body. For instance the springs and dampers, the electrical components and exhaust system. The result is that the body and axles look like they are floating in the air.

A closer look at the seating compartment reveals deeply rounded backrests instead of a single flat bench, creating a robust and sporty atmosphere. The seats are upholstered in light brown hide. The piping, the upright rifling on the backrest, resembles the original, while the perforated flat upper section behind the seat echoes more modern styling cues. A glance at the instrument panels reveals no conventional gauges. Instead, all the functions are gathered into a single, in-house-developed instrument to the right of the steering wheel. The dial face changes colour and function when pressed. Press once: the ignition comes on and the button glows red. Press the clutch and the button turns purple. Press once more and the engine fires up smoothly at the same time as the button's colour turns Volvo Blue.

[edit] 2007 C70 Caresto Edition

C70 Caresto Edition is an individualized Volvo C70 hardtop convertible with a new front and rear, a new interior and a beautiful two-tone paint job.

Inspired by the Speedster, Leif has put his own personal touch to Volvo's hardtop convertible with a new front and rear, a new interior and a beautiful two-tone blue paint job.

Leif used a BSR PPC tuning system to give the five-cylinder turbo engine a hefty vitamin injection. Power is up from 220 hp to 278 hp and torque has increased from 320 Nm to a massive 441 Nm. The inlet pipes are made of polished aluminum and the engine cover is made of carbon fiber. Leif also used an Optiflow sport air filter.