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all_ BALLISTIC TOMMY MAKINEN EDITION EVO VI! new_ look!_
NEED FOR
SPEED
IRISH DRIFTER BUILDS THE MOST EXTREME AE86 EVER - AND IT’S STRAIGHT OUT OF A COMPUTER GAME!
500BHP ROTARY POWER
+
+
TUNER GARAGE SHOW & EVENT DIARY THE HOTTEST JAP GEAR GTROC HIT THE ROLLERS THE FAST SHOW AT THE POD MAZDA3 MPS VS CIVIC TYPE R
forced induction special BIG BLOWERS = BIG BHP
825BHP RACEBRED GT-R • SHOW-STEALING IMPREZA STI SUPERCHARGED HONDA S2000 • UPRATED IGNITION TECH
EXCLUSIVE! JP GOES BEHIND THE SCENES AND UNDER THE SKIN OF MAZDA’S 275BHP GT RACER
£4.35
No.125
JUN ’11
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INSPIRED BY A VIDEO GAME, DARREN ‘D-MAC’ MCNAMARA SET OUT TO REBUILD HIS AE86 TRUENO INTO A WIDE ARCHED, LIGHTWEIGHT, ROTARY-POWERED MONSTER. AND HE SUCCEEDED… by Words & Photos Speedhunters / h at Gr Mc y Padd
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monster
mash
AS THE FOUNDER OF SCOTTISH CAR CLUB, MONSTER UNIT, VINEY CHAN IS LEADING THE WAY WITH HIS TARMAC-TEARING TOMMY MAKINEN EDITION EVO VI Sherwood Words: Fraser Gordon & Dan on Gord er Fras Photos:
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hat’s that coming over the hill? Is it a monster? If you’re in Glasgow and a blur of black and white is surging towards you at high speed, then yes – it probably is a monster. But this is not your usual boltsthrough-the-neck or fang-wielding demon from the undead, this is Viney Chan, the founder of Scottish modified car collective, Monster Unit, in his ballistic Evo VI. It may sound like a funny name for a car club, but the members of Monster Unit are causing quite a stir north of the border. With no fees or rules about what is acceptable either on the website or on the street, it is as much about car culture and fashion as it is about the cars themselves. Made up of a select group of like-minded members, all with a passion for performance cars, the club started much like any other, with a small group of mates just hanging out together and enjoying their increasingly modified rides. ‘We started the club around seven years ago now,’ says Glaswegian modifier Viney. ‘We started out doing a lot of street racing and drifting, but we ended up getting too much heat from the police, so decided to save our cars – and our licenses – for shows and the track.’ With highly modified Skylines, Evos, RX-7s and Integras, to name but a few of the models that make up the Monster Unit line up, it’s clear that the members are all extremely passionate about performance, and none more so than original founding member Viney. Viney got into modified cars at a young age. Countless trips over to Hong Kong with his parents when he was in his teens got his automotive juices flowing and he’s never looked back.
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furious five
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MAZDA IS TAKING ON THE BIG BOYS OF GT ENDURANCE RACING AND IS PUTTING A RACE-PREPARED MX-5 INTO BATTLE. JP PEELS BACK THE PAINTWORK TO SEE WHAT HAS GONE INTO TURNING THE NIMBLE ROADSTER INTO A TRUE TRACK TERROR Words: Dan Sherwood Pics: james lipman
E
verybody knows that the diminutive MX-5 is a hoot to drive. Come rain or roof-down shine, Mazda’s nimble roadster has just the right balance of power, weight, grip and playful handling to make it one of the truly great drivers’ cars that can be enjoyed on any occasion. And it’s these same noble attributes that have led it to become the all-time best-selling two-seat sports car ever. But does that translate to being a good basis for a balls-out track car? Especially considering that, to compete in the MSA British Endurance Championship, it will need to take on the likes of true track heavyweights such as Porsche, Ferrari, Lamborghini and Mosler. Well, Mazda certainly think so, as they’ve enlisted the help of Kent-based racecar preparation experts Jota Sport to build them an MX-5-based GT car to take on the sport’s long-standing top guns. Will it be a success? Only time will tell, as, at the time of writing, it has only one full race under its lightweight belt. But things are looking promising, so we decided to take a peek under the paintwork to see what has gone on under the MX-5’s lime green skin to turn a riotous roadster into a real GT contender. JP
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