A Collection of Automotive Passion
The Beast is Back
Roush Stage 2: Now with 5.0!
Caterham’s
SUPERLIGHT 0-60 in 3.8 sec!
R
SUPERLIGH
Written and photographed by: Morgan Segal
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hile in High School I came across an article about the band Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler, and his Caterham 7, it told of the cars amazing performance and how he sold his Ferrari because it didn’t come close to being as exciting as the Seven. It was from that point that I lusted for a Seven and all things Lotus. Unfortunately, I was held back by a lack of money. About ten years later, my father and I were offered a 1967 Lotus Elan that was in need of rejuvenation. We spent three years doing a ground up restoration and upon completion, my Lotus fixation was satisfied, or so I thought. Upon moving to Los Angeles in 2005, I discovered the amazing local canyon roads that were surely created in homage to Colin Chapman and his creations. Craving a bit more power and handling, I proceeded to dump a whole bunch of money into the Elan’s engine and suspension, but the performance didn’t live up to my expectations.Then after yet another big bill, I came to my senses and started thinking about what I could replace the car with that would be unusual and as much fun, but with cheaper running costs. A Caterham! I started poking around the Internet figuring I could get a reasonably inexpensive Seven for less than what I could sell the Elan for, that was until I saw “Orange”.
“THE THING IS BEYOND FAST”
“Orange”, as the owner affectionately called it, was a 2004 Caterham 7 Superlight R, 205hp Ford Zetec engine, 1240lbs, 6speed ultra close ratio gearbox, carbon fiber and aluminum body parts, wide track, “big” brakes, composite race-shell seats, fuel cell, the works… drool! After staring at the picture for a week, bummed that the car was outside the budget, my wife said, “just do it, sell the Elan, you only live once...” she didn’t have to say that twice. An offer was made and in a few weeks the car arrived.
As an automotive photographer, I’ve had the good fortune of driving all kinds of sports cars and exotics and I have to say that nothing is as fun to drive or as visceral as the Caterham. From the moment you get in, it is like slipping into a formula car; you lower yourself into the very narrow hard plastic seat that is tightly flanked by the center tunnel and side panel of the car, strap on the 6-point harness, then go through the start up procedure.
With no power assist, the steering is quick and direct, you practically think the front end around corners while drifting the back of the car around “with your hips”. It is very much a go kart for the road. The Seven has not been all roses though and I had to spend some time sorting the car out. Fortunately, there is a great club of SoCal Caterham owners (about 15) and they were incredibly helpful in teaching me about the car, it has proved a lot easier and cheaper to work on than the Elan.
“The Seven is certainly not for everyone, it is tight, impractical, hot, loud and windy, but that is all part of the fun for me, it is a fantastic toy for a big kid like myself.� Caterham Superlight R Engine 2.0-litre Ford Zetec Max Power 205bhp @7800 Max Torque 152lbsft @ 5750 0-60mph 3.8 secs Top Speed 140mph Weight 1240lbs
Considered by most, the best driver in the history of motorsďż˝ ports, Brazilian born Ayrton Senna da Silva would have turned 50 this year. Story: Daniel Scamporlino
-matic racing drivers in the history of the sport. His season with the unstoppable McLaren-Honda team was incredible, wining 8 races and giving him his first Formula One World Championship. His career would come to a tragic end, at the San Marino Grand Prix at Imola on May 1st, 1994. The weekend had already been a troubled one, seeing Rubens Barrichelo crash on friday's practice, and continued with the fatal accident of Roland Ratzenberger on Saturday. Ayrton was visibly worried that weekend and sensed that something was wrong, but nevertheless he decided to compete in compliance with his contract
He started in pole position, and after an accident that led to a restart on the seventh lap, Ayrton Senna crashed on the famous Tamburello turn at over 180mph, where he lost his life. Much has been discussed about the cause of the accident and the cause of his death. National Geographic conducted a research which found the cause of the accident to be the wheel detaching and impacting with his head producing irreversible damage after an unsuspected loss of traction on mid corner, which led him to lose control of his car, contrary to the theory that a piece from the steering had broken off and pierced his helmet.
His coffin was carried through the streets of S達o Paulo, followed by more than two million people. He was buried with honors of Head of State, in the Morumbi cemetery on the outskirts of the Brazilian city. His funeral was attended by many of the great Formula One drivers of all time like Jackie Stewart, Emerson Fittipaldi and Alain Prost. Ayrton Senna accumulated 41 victories, 65 pole positions, and 19 fastest lap records over his Formula One career. Yet these are only mere statistics that made him great. He showed his greatness on the track, as well as his characteristic sensitivity and compassion.
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he current puppy dog cute Mazda MX5 is a great handling sports car right from the factory, but what happens when Brian Goodwin, a hardcore racer and owner of Goodwin Racing, takes it to the extreme? An insane supercharged wide-bodied Werewolf of a convertible. Amazingly this animal is still street legal, which is incredible considering the amount of modifications made to this track machine.
This 2007 MX5 started life as a stock sport package with the 5 speed transmission, but quickly went under the knife to improve times on the autocross course. This car features Ohlins coilover suspension that have been custom valved to handle 13 kg front and 8 kg rear springs. A combination of a Speedway RX8 front and Hotchkiss RX8 rear sway bars finish off the suspension. In order to accommodate the 18x9.5 front and 18x10 rear wheels the body has been swollen with wide fenders developed by Goodwin racing. The flares look a little like Popeye after he has had a healthy dose of spinach. Another unique feature is the flat panels that cover the entire under body of the car. Like an F1 car the flat panels are used to direct air underneath the car and channel it out of the rear diffuser to increase down force. In order to slow this rabid little beast down 4 piston RX8 brakes are used up front with stock RX8 rear brakes. So now I am sure all of you are wondering why does a MX5 which only has 166hp need 10 inch wide rear wheels and 4 piston front brakes? Well the reason lies under the hood in the form of a Cosworth Supercharger. Of course this is not the only power modification Cosworth has done some more massaging of the 2 liter inline 4 with cams, pistons, and bearings. The exhaust is handled through a RoadsterSport header, midpipe, and exhaust. As a final cherry on the cake an AEM water/methanol injection kit was added.
This allows Brian to have over 220hp at the rear wheels, which explains the need for the added rubber and brakes. The Goodwin Racing silver bullet is a multi-time auto cross and road race winner, but is still driven in the street on a regular basis. it may seem like the most insane work of a mad scientist, but this is not the fastest or craziest MX5 in the Goodwin garage. Stay tuned for a peak at a little creation Brian calls the “NC Light�.
GENESIS COUPE 3.8 R-SPEC Story: Patrick Stevenson
Amazing! This is my one
word description of the Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8 R-Spec. Why you may ask, well let’s start with the fun stuff. Brembo brakes, 19 inch wheels, sticky high performance summer tires, 306hp V6 motor, 6 speed transmission, sport tuned suspension, and a Torsen limited slip differential all bolted to a sleek and sexy two door sports car for under $27,000. The R-Spec is the driver’s choice of the Genesis Coupe lineup offering all of the performance options that are available on the fully loaded Track model without the extra weight of added luxuries like a sunroof or HID headlights. Of course that all sounds good on paper, but how does the Genesis Coupe work in the real world? Hyundai has handed us the keys to find out just that answer.
The rst impressions of the exterior in person are pretty stunning. The design is sharp and oers an interesting swoop to the bodylines right behind the doors. The rear of the car is neat and tidy with touches of Innniti G37 in the
style. At the front, the car’s sweeping headlights give the car a purposeful and determined look. The 19-inch wheels ll the wheel wells nicely and the split ve-spoke design hints to the cars muscular power plant under the bonnet.
Upon opening the door, the R-Spec’s interior greets you with a pair of black leather and bright red cloth, heavily bolstered sport seats. The controls are perfectly laid out for spirited driving and the seating position is low with
the dash wrapping around you like the cockpit of an Apache attack helicopter. The sport seats are very supportive and comfortable which is quite impressive considering some other manufacturers still can’t gure out how
to install proper sport seats (see Corvette). The rear seats can t adults, but the headroom is pretty minimal due to the sloping roooine. We all know the back seat will most likely not see much use anyways because you don’t buy a sports car to haul four adults. The interior is a real comfortable place to be on a daily basis and standard features like Bluetooth and satellite radio really help pass the time inching along in LA traffic.
While heading up our favorite canyon roads the Genesis chassis really shines. Although there is a small amount of body roll, once the suspension sets, the car remains at through the corners. Power comes from the 3.8 liter V6 in our 2011 R-Spec model and pumps out a healthy 306 hp that drive the rear wheels. Although this is Hyundai’s rst attempt at a rear-wheel drive sports car the Genesis handles like a seasoned veteran, making you wonder why they didn’t get into the sports car market earlier.
The turn in is sharp and the car rotates nicely through the corners. The Brembo brakes are fantastic and strip the car of speed like a fat kid unwrapping a Hostess cupcake. The three-spoke steering wheel is wrapped in nice leather that offers an upscale feel. Although the price of the R-Spec Genesis Coupe puts it in direct competition with the V6 American pony cars from Ford, Chevy, and Dodge the handling and sports car feel put the Innniti G37S Coupe (base price $40k) in the Hyundai’s crosshairs. We recently had an opportunity to drive the G37S coupe on the same canyon roads and I can honestly say from a handling perspective the Innniti is not worth the extra $13,000 price difference. We are proud to say “the Genesis Coupe Spec R is the best bang for you buck sports car available for sale today under $28,000”. Although some of you might say, “thats too much money” and in that case you can look at the 2.0 Turbo R-Spec as it offers all the same performance options of the 3.8 including the 19s, the Brembos, and the Torsen LSD for only $23,750. This of course leaves you $4,000 for modiications and with a factory turbo charged car means 400hp is easily reached with a bolt on turbo kit. The best bargain on the market today if you ask me. AE
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t all started with a goat and by goat I mean GTO. In 2002 while working for Clyde Revord Motors a small Buick Pontiac GMC dealership in Everett Washington, I fell in love with the newly announced 2004 Pontiac GTO. I mean a V8 rear wheel drive American coupe, what is not to love? Since there were very few details on the car I began to scour the Internet for relevant information. I was stunned to find out that GTO was in fact a Holden Monaro built in Australia. I loved the Holden Monaro and set a goal to have one in my driveway, but being a newlywed, pursuing the completion of my Bachelors degree, and laying the foundation for starting my own company all kept me from owning a GTO. Flash-forward to 2009, I have a new baby at home, and the thought of trying to put a car seat in the back of a coupe just didn't appeal to me at all. So with a 4 door in mind I looked at the Pontiac G8. In researching I found much like my beloved GTO the G8 was based on the Australian Commodore.
I have always been a car fanatic, and always dreamed of owning something truly unique. My interest in Australian cars had since exploded having met Jeff, a neighbor of mine who owned three amazing Right Hand Drive Aussie cars, the only Holden Monaro LE outside of Australia, and 2 Ford Falcon Cobra's! So I hunted down my Pontiac G8 and my goal was clear: To create a modified Holden Commodore SSV conversion that would draw attention even if it were at a show in Australia. Within a month I found a MagMag netic Grey Metallic 2008 Pontiac G8 GT with a Sunroof. It was a GM Executive car and had 10K miles on it. Coincidentally, it was for sale at the Dealership where I used to work. It hadn't even been through the Service DepartDepart ment and I put on offer in on the car.
A few months into owning the car, while driving back from Canada a large piece of wood kicked out from under a truck and hit the lower front fascia cracking it. That is where it all began. With the insurance covering part of the cost, the Holden front-end conversion was underway. Nick and his crew at Aldercrest Auto Rebuild stepped up and were willing to take on the conver sion challenge, even though there were a lot of questions about fit and finish. While it was in the shop, Nick's crew tinted my taillights, markers, and rear reflectors. Everything was converted from the front end to the rear wing and even the key has been converted to Holden. To this date it is the most complete Commodore conversion in the country.
2008 Evoke Grey Holden SS-V Exterior SV6 Spoiler, Holden Rebadge, GXP Diffuser: Gloss Black, Sharkfin Antenna, Tinted Windows, and Tails Holden Splitter, Orange Halo's, Calais Trim, and Roof Interior Sport Steering Wheel, Holden Shifter, Sport Pedals, Holden Rubber Mats & Trunk Lip Protector. JL Audio Sound System. Spare w/Jack Kit, Suspension/Brakes/Wheels Pedders Coil Overs, Brembo Front Brakes, Vossen VVS-082 Staggered 20's Performance Vector Motorsports Tune, Kooks LT Headers, Corsa Catback, Roto-Fab CAI w/radiator cover 351rwhp and 353lbs on the dyno
A BLISSFUL MELODY ERUPTS AS I HEEL TOE INTO 3RD
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throaty bark and the aggressive look of the Roush Mustang may make you think it is just a junk yard dog waiting to rip you head o, but behind the large open jaw and the menacing eyes it is just a big lovable Saint Bernard ready to play and boy does it love to play. Ripping up our local canyon I am thoroughly impressed by how composed and surefooted the Mustang feels. For a car that uses a hugely outdated solid rear axel we were shocked to be hunting down Japanese sports cars through the corners all day, a true testament to the well-sorted Roush
suspension package. It oers a compliant ride on the street and improved handling in the corners. A combination of tuned shocks and springs with front and rear anti-roll bars complete the upgraded suspension package. Our test car was also equipped with the optional big front brake upgrade featuring 4-piston front brakes on 14-inch rotors. The rear brakes had optional slotted rotors as well. The upgraded brakes oered great feel and did not fade at all while thrashing up and down the canyons all day.
Now on to my favorite part of the Roush Stage 2, the Noise: A blissful melody erupts as I heel toe into 3rd the song owing from the Roush exhaust sounds like it was taken right out the Bullitt soundtrack, so intoxicating that it has me downshifting through ever gear just to hear it again and again. The whale it produces under full throttle is just as beautiful.
Around town the aggressive look and sound of the Roush draws smiles and thumbs up from passing pedestrians and fellow motorist. I personally love the styling of the car with the exception of the wheels. I am not a fan of chrome, but the same wheels in a matte black or gunmetal would look amazing especially matched to the matte black striping featured on our silver test car.
Through all of our testing with our week long visit with the Roush Mustang we have developed a scientiic method for the perfect enjoyment of the Stage 2, just in case you are able to get your hands on the keys to one. THE 5 STEPS TO ENJOYING THE 2011 ROUSH STAGE 2 MUSTANG: STEP ONE: ROLL WINDOWS DOWN, STEP TWO: TURN ALL ELECTRONICS OFF INCLUDING YOUR CELL PHONE AND STEREO, STEP THREE: FIND A NICE WINDY ROAD STEP FOUR: LISTEN TO THE WONDERFUL 5.0 V8 AS YOU ACCELERATE AND DECELERATE WHILE HAMMERING THE CURVY ROAD SO HARD IT BECOMES A STRAIGHT. STEP FIVE: REPEAT UNTIL YOU ARE OUT OF CURVY ROADS
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ROUSH STAGE 2 MUSTANG
R-SPEC HYUNDAI GENESIS
At first glance the Genesis Coupe R-spec 3.8L is impressive...It looks fast, stylish and best of all not cheap. It has nice 19in wheels with Bridgestone tires, huge Brembo brakes and very sporty front seats. Overall the body of the GC R-Spec reminds me of a baby brother version of the G37. This keeps it familiar and keeps it in the family of great bang for your buck sporty coupes. Where the Genesis Coupe shines is out on the track, after the first lap the Genesis just feels at home. Between the sticky Bridgstones, grabbing Brembos and stiff chassis the GC R-Spec becomes more fun after each lap. One of the nicest 'track' features on this car is that with the push of one button the traction control will actually deactivate, allowing you to really let the backend hang out. After doing a few hot laps and getting the hang of when, where and how the rear-end likes to come out it becomes quiet obvious, this car was built to drift. The nice big V6 up front helps keep the front end planted, while making all kinds of noise doing it and the ridged chassis allows for minimal slosh after doing a sweet long slide. Quick, tight and responsive steering allows you to make minor inputs and receive long early to after apex slides. A few laps later your extra wide smile starts to narrow as you think of how many tires you could burn through and how much those big bridgestones must cost...so you start to focus of keeping the backend in line through the corner. Even trying to play nice is fun in this thing, here at CVR you could almost leave the car it forth gear and just keep going till you run out of fuel. All in all when you think of who this car is made by (and remember its their first time) and how much it costs your extra wide smile returns as you imagine what they'll come up with next and or how much better it might get...
Ah the Mustang, one of Americas most favorite two-door's, well except the Camaro which had a few years off trying to rethink itself and the Supra which doesn’t count 'cause it just ain't American’ (but deserves honorable mention). Instantly you start to think big powerful V8, lots of loud noise and go, go, going gone, straight-line speed, well your spot on. The 2011 Mustang 5.0(oh yeah, its back) Roush stg.2 with its 425hp V8, Big Brake kit, wide 5spoke wheels, interior & aero package and track suspension kit makes for a good olde fashioned Ho down! You can’t stop mashing down the gas and hearing this thunderous noise and every time you do you thank the big brakes upfront. Hop on track, well after a few minutes of playing Gameboy trying to get the traction control to get to the optimal setting, you start to feel so happy that there’s an American muscle car ready to hit the track. Although I must admit after driving the GC I was ready for another “track car” which sadly the mustang is not. After doing a few laps you start to realize the track was not the focus, the suspension rolls over too easy like a yellow lab itching for a belly rub. The balance and the necessary track feel are missing. The back end although happy to step out feels like it just never quiet makes up its mind about doing so and God forbid you do get it to 'drift' out for a few seconds the whiplash recoil will make you reconsider next time through the corner. It is however a great all around power house, with its massive sound, mean looks and true to Mustang feel it really hits the spot and will hold the torch high until the next edition comes around.
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Story: Patrick Stevenson
n original 1965 Mustang Fastback is a classic example of 1960’s American muscle car technology by this I mean it makes a good noise, but it can’t go around a corner and the brakes work as well as using a spoon to dig your own grave. Sure you can use it but you may be dead before it finishes the job. So if you are a muscle car guy who wants modern muscle car performance in a classic body you must take a detour from a true showroom restoration. In the case of this black beauty the process was an unlimited budget build. The owner having driven a 1965 Mustang as a young man knew that the performance of the factory original car would not meet his standards.
So for starters let’s take a look at the exterior of the car. The majority of the chrome has been replaced with gloss black including the front, rear, and side window surrounds. All of the badges have been removed including the rear logo on the fuel filler cap. The chrome front bumper has been replaced by a sleeker modern piece and the rear bumper has had all of the bumper bolts welded into the bumper for a cleaner look. The front and rear fender wells have been stretched a bit to accommodate wider and larger wheels.
Under the hood sits a 575hp Roush 427R motor with individual throttle bodies and fuel injection. The motor sends 480 HP to the wheels through a 5-speed transmission. Wilwood disc brakes sit at all four corners with two-piece rotors. So we have established the car has the power to be very fast and has the brakes to slow it down, but what about the curves? This car’s party piece is a NASCAR style rocker arm suspension hidden under the vintage shell. This fancy suspension allows this Stang to slice around the curves with the deadly precision of a skilled sushi chef cutting out the only non-poisonous piece of a blowfish.
Sitting in the interior you are enveloped by over eighty cowhides and a double French stitched leather wrapped dash. A custom-built roll cage adds much needed safety and is matched to a set of racing buckets equipped with 4 point racing harnesses. With the addition of the cage the rear seats were eliminated and replaced with a carpet lined storage shelf. Power windows, air conditioning, and a large amount of sound deadening make this muscle car as comfortable as a Vegas hotel bed after a long night of heavy drinking and gambling. The attention to detail is incredible with unique door panels and even a custom suede headliner. So what has been created is the ultimate high performance street Mustang. A sleek black monster that flies under the radar in an ocean of restored brightly colored and striped muscle cars that have become so common these days. A true Mustang guy could spend hours noticing the subtle touches that have been added to make this car a true one off restoration. AE
NOVEMBER VEGAS OR BUST? ....IN A DIESEL