VOLVO is taking things to the extreme - three highly customised Volvo C30 Sports Coupes are going the show rounds, and the Volvo-engined Caresto V8 Speedster has just been unveiled in Los Angeles, too.

Volvo's North American operation has linked up with three specialist tuning firms to produce three highly-modified, high-performance versions of the new Volvo C30 Sports Coupe.

They have been built purely as design concepts and prototypes, each of the tuning companies took a decidedly individual approach to creating an ultimate Volvo C30.

But they are so good, and look so appealing, that it will be hard for Volvo to say no to the customers who will want them to become street legal production machines.

Volvo supplied each specialist tuner with a C30 T5 version, with a six-speed manual transmission, and they came up with cracking coupes.

First up is the IPD C30, a hi-tech, high-style C30 liveried in the colours of the Swedish flag.

Producing 384 horsepower, the IPD C30 interior is full of electronic fun and has a customised interior, with a touch screen in the floating centre stack plus gull-wing style doors. Then there's the Evolve C30 concept, which offers ultimate performance with more than 500 horsepower achieved under the bonnet through the use of sequential twin turbochargers, plus sophisticated race-inspired suspension, gigantic brakes and a loud yellow high gloss paint finish.

Finally, the Heico Sportiv/Burton Snowboard C30 model is a joint collaboration between German tuner Heico Sportiv and Burton Snowboards, and has a bespoke leather interior and storage for a snowboard, helmet and boots.

Fully driveable, with 300 horsepower on tap and electronically controlled all-wheel drive, the Heico C30 has custom-cut Toyo tyres, and a complex six-layer camouflage paint job designed to blend in with mountain environments.

The Caresto V8 Speedster has just had its first outing, too, and it is powered by Volvo's 4.4-litre, V8 engine converted to run on ethanol. The mid-engined Speedster is basically a hot rod created by Swedish specialist car maker Leif Tufvesson, and has an aluminium and carbon fibre body, sports chassis, and a removable hard top.

Tufvesson, a former Volvo employee, plans to build just six of these cars, for a price tag of about £200,000.

Still on the subject of expensive sports cars, Aston Martin has just unveiled one of the most eagerly anticipated convertibles of the year, the V8 Vantage Roadster, at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

The Vantage Roadster can race from 0 to 60mph in 4.9 seconds, and has a maximum speed of 175mph. We will see the V8 Vantage Roadster in Britain next summer, with prices to be confirmed at a later date.

Finally, if you'd like to learn how to handle something as hot as any of the above, then it's worth noting that former British Touring Car Champion Robb Gravett has just launched his Ultimate Car Control driver training programme.

Ultimate Car Control is an exciting hands-on experience, well away from the public highway, and courses are held at venues across the length and breadth of the UK.

For more detail, go online to www.ultimatecarcontrol.com