The Twilight Saga: The Official Illustrated Guide (69 page)

Rosalie’s choice of car is limited by the necessity to seat her siblings. Though her personality is best captured by a Lambor-ghini Murcielago, the M3 represents the most extreme sports car that can fit her constraints. The BMW M3 is recognized as one of the best all-around sports cars in the world. While Edward’s S60R has an all-wheel-drive advantage, and certain offerings from Mercedes-Benz outpower the bimmer, the M3 is recognized as a purist sports car, providing greater driving feel than nearly anything on the road.

With a front-biased weight distribution, rear-wheel drive, and aggressive dry-weather treaded tires, the M3 is not an ideal choice for wet-weather, high-speed driving. These factors, however, are outweighed by its dry-weather performance. And, of course, how good it looks in red.

E
MMETT’S
J
EEP
W
RANGLER

“T
HERE, BEHIND MY TRUCK, WAS A MONSTER
J
EEP
. I
TS TIRES WERE HIGHER THAN MY WAIST
.”

—Bella (
Twilight
, Chapter 17)

Emmett’s Jeep started life as a 4.0-liter inline 6-powered Wrangler Rubicon. That quickly changed in Rosalie’s hands, as the brand-new engine was tossed in favor of a heavily modified Chevrolet small-block V8. Every piece of the already new and capable suspension was replaced to provide several inches of lift and enough strength to take anything the Washington terrain can throw at it.

The bulletproof power train features a five-speed manual transmission, a 4:1 low-range transfer case, 4.10 differential gears, and Dana 44 axles front and rear. Coupled with the high-torque small block, this setup allows Emmett to scale
slopes that send other four-wheel-drive vehicles looking for friendlier routes.

Not satisfied with mechanical superiority, Rosalie added everything from massive KC lights to aggressively treaded all-terrain tires to safety harnesses. All of these modifications create a Jeep that is not only the most capable off-road vehicle money can buy, but one that looks equally menacing, acting as the automotive equivalent to the character whose immense strength is easily seen.

A
LICE’S
P
ORSCHE
911 T
URBO

“A
BRIGHT YELLOW
P
ORSCHE SCREAMED TO A STOP A FEW FEET IN FRONT OF WHERE
I
PACED, THE WORD TURBO SCRAWLED IN SILVER CURSIVE ACROSS ITS BACK
. E
VERYONE BESIDE ME ON THE CROWDED AIRPORT SIDEWALK STARED
.”

—Bella (
New Moon
, Chapter 19)

When a fast car is needed to negotiate the tight and often twisting roads of the Italian countryside, Alice turns to, or rather steals, the Porsche 911 turbo. While beautiful, the 911 turbo bears a striking resemblance to its siblings, the base 911 Carreras. Should onlookers miss the large side scoop air intake or the wider body stance over the rear wheels, the turbo could be mistaken for a car not nearly as capable. The 911 turbo is nimble and balanced, making the most of its turbocharged engine by sending power to all four wheels through a complicated all-wheel-drive system. Performing better than even its numbers would suggest, this high-performance 911 variant was engineered on the racetrack, and every piece was purpose-built to allow it to pass much more powerful and expensive cars. Porsche engineers focused on the entire package, ensuring that the engine, suspension, brakes, tires, and every other piece of the puzzle fit together seamlessly.

It is fitting that Alice would fall in love with this car, which offers the same characteristics that she possesses. The Porsche is generally the smallest in the exotic race, offering fewer cylinders and less power in a package that is seemingly less race inspired, yet its subsequent agility allows it to beat its flashier competitors.

J
ASPER’S
D
UCATI
848

“T
O CALL THIS OTHER VEHICLE A MOTORCYCLE HARDLY SEEMED FAIR
…. I
T WAS BIG AND SLEEK AND SILVER AND
—
EVEN TOTALLY MOTIONLESS
—
IT LOOKED FAST
.”

—Bella (
Eclipse
, Chapter 10)

Edward’s motorcycle of choice, which he gave to Jasper, is a stark contrast to those belonging to Bella and Jacob. The Ducati 848 is a lightweight, high-powered street bike designed to out-accelerate and outmaneuver all things automotive. This sport bike is the lighter Ducati, offering increased agility compared to its heavier, higher-powered siblings.

Easily going beyond most drivers’ capabilities, this bike is ideally suited for a vampire’s quickened reflexes, as it requires constant attention to minute angles and positions. This is one of the very few vehicles in the novels that can perform to the level vampires demand, acting as an extension of their natural faculties.