T R U O TE L L OS U P RP CA
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#433
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DEFINING CAR CULTURE and s p a r een w ot r h g d e o t m a m gN -sla Rockinages, these air rms a n i s r e h t c o roll listic br l a b e r a s e hatch
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Issue 433 June 2021
EDITORIAL Editor: Dan Sherwood Email: dan.sherwood@kelsey.co.uk Art Editor: Graham Morecroft Email: graham.morecroft@kelsey.co.uk Web Editor: Matthew Bell Email: matthew.bell@kelsey.co.uk Contributors: Daniel Bevis, Ollie Wildsmith, Matt Woods, Paddy McGrath, Graham Leigh, Steve Hall, Tom Clarke ADVERTISEMENT SALES & PRODUCTION Director: David Lerpiniere David.lerpiniere@talkmediasales.co.uk Tel: 01732 445326 Sales manager: Russell Bedford russell.bedford@talkmediasales.co.uk Tel: 01732 445328 Ad Production: Talk Media: 01732 445325 MANAGEMENT Chief Executive: Steve Wright Chief Operating Officer: Phil Weeden Subscription Marketing Director: Gill Lambert Retail Director: Steve Brown Print Production Manager: Georgina Harris Print Production Controllers: Kelly Orriss and Hayley Brown Subs Marketing Executives: Dave Sage and Claire Aspinall Affiliate Marketing: Kate Chamberlain SUBSCRIPTIONS 12 issues of Fast Car are published per annum UK annual subscription price: £77.87 Europe annual subscription price: £90.00 USA annual subscription price: £90.00 Rest of World annual subscription price: £96.00 CONTACT US UK subscription and back issue orderline: 0845 241 5159 Overseas subscription orderline: 0044 (0) 1959 543 747 Toll free USA subscription orderline: 1-888-777-0275 UK customer service team: 01959 543 747 For customer service support, please visit: help.kelsey.co.uk Customer service and subscription postal address: Fast Car Customer Service Team Kelsey Media 5 Yalding Hill, Downs Court, Yalding, Maidstone,Kent ME18 6AL United Kingdom WEBSITE Find current subscription offers on our website: shop.kelsey.co.uk/FTC ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER? Manage your subscription online at shop.kelsey.co.uk/myaccount DISTRIBUTION Distribution in Great Britain Marketforce (UK) Ltd, 3rd Floor, 161 Marsh Wall, London, E14 9AP Tel: 0330 3906555
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FEATURE OF THE MONTH FC’s Essential Detailing Guide We’ve been locked down for what seems like an eternity, but with the go ahead to mingle with our modified rides on the horizon, you need to ensure your four-wheeled friend is looking at its best. So, to help you out, we’ve quizzed five industry experts on what are the 25 best products you can buy to detail your car. We’ve also integorated them to reveal the insider detailing tips usually reserved for the pros.
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DEFIN ING CAR CULT UR E CK CHE
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#423
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KELS EY
Fast Car Magazine Kelsey Media The Granary, Downs Court, Yalding Hill, Yalding, Maidstone, Kent, ME18 6AL
It’s officially summer and, apart from the hail, snow, arctic wind and rain, we can all enjoy the few minutes of glorious sunshine that we get in between. Just remember to slap on the sunscreen though, even if it’s only for the sweet-smelling cream to remind you of holidays spent sipping cocktails by the pool. Remember those? Holidays? Yeah, me neither. But one thing is for certain, we will get some sunshine sooner or later and when we do, you’ll be kicking yourself if you haven’t taken advantage of the winter months to bag yourself a drop top bargain. There’s a load of cool convertibles out there to choose from and not all of them cost a fortune. To prove it, we’ve selected our top 10 cabriolets for you to choose from. Five of which can be bagged for below £10k and five that are over £10k, so, whatever your budget, there should be something for you to get excited about. Check it out on page 61. But if the thought of the wind messing up your beautifully coiffured barnet is simply too much to bear, then there’s still plenty more in this issue that you can enjoy, such as our essential detailing guide where we look at 25 top cleaning products to stock your garage with; our 10 minute tech feature to reveal eveything you need to know about Samco Sport silicone hoses; and that’s not even touching on the cool mix of features cars we have lined up for you... Just have a gander to the right to see the mental machines we’ve selected; from military inspired hot hatches, to lockdown built Japanese supercars, engine-swapped drift machines, restored and modified retro rotaries and an air slammed Bavarian beauty. What a mix! We really are too good to you.
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s
Contents
012
FEATURE CARS
Evil Twins 012 NATO green Astra VXR and Polo are armed to the teeth and ready for the track
061
052
030 025 Silver Linings 030 NSX fan uses the Coronavirus lockdown to build his dream Honda in his garage
036
WILD CARD
Fire Wood 052 Slammed on air ride with a modern motor, this classic Mercedes is fire!
075
REGULAR FEATURES
Turning Japanese 036 E92 BMW drift machine shuns German mechanicals for a motor with a Far East twist
044 PRODUCTS
The hottest gear this month. Love Triangle 044 It takes a lot of love and devotion to pour 10 years into restoring an FC RX-7
Keep up to date with Team FC on…www.fastcar.co.uk, Facebook, Twitter & Instagram
075
Front End 008 Bentley and FastR head to Pikes Peak, Nissan make a McGT-R, plus monster SUVs Top 10 convertibles 061 10 of the best drop tops you can buy and tune whatever your budget Fast Mods 070 The best modifications for the awesome Audi S1 pocket rocket Staff Rides 085 More modified shenanigans with the motors from the Fast Car fleet. Subscriptions 094 Check out how you can get your favourite mag delivered directly to your door. Next Month 098 Check out what we have in store for you in the next awesome edition.
defining car culture 007
UP FRONT New Car News
KING OF THE HILL FASTR’S BONKERS BENTLEY IS SET TO TAKE ON ONE OF THE WORLD’S TOUGHEST TRACKS AT THE PIKES PEAK INTERNATIONAL HILLCLIMB
Bentley has racing in the blood and has been bludgeoning its competitors into submission on the track for the last century, but did you know the British luxury marque also holds the records for the fastest SUV and fastest production car at the Pikes Peak International Hillclimb? Well, now you do. And it seems they’re not satisfied with that, as they are now hoping to snatch the ‘Time Attack 1’ record, a category for ‘modified and specialised production-based two and four-wheel drive vehicles’, too! To take on the 12.42-mile, 4,800ft, 156-corner accent to the clouds, Bentley has joined forces with customer team, FastR and is using their modified Continental GT3 as the base for this ballistic hillclimb machine, a car that we featured in these pages in its previous
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circuit-slaying Time Attack guise back in the March issue. The Conti has been modified from its GT3 spec with a wild aero package including the biggest wing ever to be fitted to a Bentley. This is complemented by a large rear diffuser and an aggressive front splitter with canards, which are necessary to work in the thin air at the top of the mountain. The 4.0-litre twinturbocharged engine remains the same as in circuit-spec, but is converted to run on biofuel, has shortened side-exit exhausts and has been remapped to retain as much power as possible at high altitude. The current record stands at 9 minutes 36 seconds, achieved last year by David Donner in a 691bhp Porsche GT2 RS Clubsport, so the Bentley will need to average over 78mph on the hill to take
the crown. To give themselves the best chance of securing success, Pikes Peak legend Rhys Millen, who also drove Bentley’s two other record breaking runs, has been drafted into the driver’s seat once again. The attempt will take place at the 99th running of Colorado’s most iconic racing event in late June. Will they take the title? Watch this space to find out…
MCGT-R NISMO A new MY2022 version of the all-conquering R35 GT-R NISMO was unveiled in Japan recently and as usual it looks set to be even more ridiculously fast than the last one. More carbon-fibre, less weight, bigger brakes and a more responsive 600bhp engine are all in the mix as well as a unique ‘Stealth Gray’ paint job, which is said to be inspired by the tarmac of the various tracks that the GT-R has set records and competed on. But more exciting than all that, was when Nissan revealed it would be taking part in McDonald’s Japan’s Tomica Happy Set (Japan’s Happy Meal) where, not only will the GT-R NISMO be offered up in die-cast toy form, but a special ‘Golden Arches’ version will be available as well. To celebrate the announcement, a life-size GT-R NISMO wrapped in gold with red pinstriping was driven out of a giant Happy Meal box on stage! Sources say the engine has been modified to run on discarded gherkin slices and that Hamburglar is set to replace Vin Diesel in the next instalment of the Fast and Furious franchise... Probably.
TOMMI MAK TOPS £100K
A Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI Tommi Makinen has set a world record price at auction. When the hammer fell the final winning bid was a whopping £100,100, which beat the previous record price for an Evo (a delivery-mileage Evo IX set in the US in 2017) by just over a grand. The car was part of 15 vehicles, various models and cherished numberplates put up for auction by Mitsubishi Motors UK Heritage fleet, which generated £627,100 across all 51 lots. Hot on the heels of the TME was a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX MR FQ-360 by HKS which eventually sold for £68,900, likely to be the third highest-value Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution ever sold at auction. The Lancer Evolution X, number 40 of 40 of the final batch of FQ-440 MR special editions, the last official “Evo” sold in the UK, went under the hammer for £58,100, while a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX Group N Works Rally Car sold for £61,700. Big bucks indeed!
defining car culture 009
UP FRONT Power packed SUVs
HOT AND HEAVY IT SEEMS THERE’S NO SLOWING THE APPETITE FOR PERFORMANCE SUVS AS TWO NEW MODELS THROW THEIR HATS INTO THE RING
HYUNDAI KONA N
Hyundai are really making a name for themselves in the performance car arena, with the i30N a true hot hatch hero capable of taking on the established top guns. So when the firm announces a new model to wear the N badge, you can be sure it’ll be something to get excited about, even if it’s an SUV. The Kona N will be the first ‘hot’ SUV to join the N family and is set to deliver the same driving thrills as its hatchbacked sibling but with the added practicality of a Chelsea tractor. Equipped with a 280bhp 2.0-litre T-GDi engine, forged 19in wheels and an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission complete with launch control, the Kona N can sprint from a standstill to 60mph in just 5.5 seconds. But if you think that’s fast, you ain’t seen nothing yet…
HENNESSEY MAMMOTH 1000
Hot on the heels of the mind-boggling 311mph Venom F5 hypercar, the Houston-based hoonigans at Hennessey Performance have unveiled another monstrous motor, except this time it’s not a svelte sportster, but a whopping great seven seat SUV! The Hennessey Mammoth 1000 SUV is a complete turnkey vehicle that boasts 1,012bhp from its supercharged 6.2-litre V8 and is capable of 0-60mph in a supercar-slaying 3.2 seconds. What other seven seater car can do that?! And it even comes with a three-year warranty! Limited to just 20 models, the Mammoth 1000 is based on the new Dodge Ram TRX but with the addition of bespoke bodywork to extend the roofline to meet a new
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C-pillar that sits above the rear taillights plus an upgraded supercharger system and custom HPE engine calibration. This sees power output jump from 310bhp to 1,012bhp while torque is boosted by 319lb ft to 969lb ft. The car also benefits from Hennessey’s Mammoth Off Road package, which includes a 2.5in lift, custom front bumper with LED lights, 20in 10-spoke wheels with 35in off-road tyres plus a front suspension levelling kit. Coming with a base price of $375,000 before taxes and shipping, it ain’t cheap, but if you like your cars big, brash and ballistic, there’s nothing that comes close! ■
HOT RIDE
They may not be directly related, but this angry Polo and deranged Astra sure do share a lot of DNA… Words Daniel Bevis Photography Ed Keating
012 www.fastcar.co.uk
VW POLO R & ASTRA VXR
Identical twins are more common than you might think. Around 1-in-250 births spawns a matching pair, and as fans of questionable 1980s movies will no doubt attest, twins can be entertaining things - and if the Schwarzenegger/DeVito axis Twins is anything to go by, they don’t always have to look a lot like one another either. Of all the types of twins, identical ones are the variant that people generally call to mind when they hear the term (invariably making crap jokes about ‘which one is the evil one?’, which identical twins don’t find amusing at all, trust us), simply because we all love the element of mischief that’s inherent in their very being – clone brothers or lookylikey sisters can have endless fun pretending to be one another to freak out their mates, or scaring local elderly folk into thinking they’re suffering from chronic déjà vu, or simply screwing their siblings over by signing for parcels that arrive in their name or remortgaging their houses without them knowing. So much potential for comedy. But equally melontwisting are the zygotically-split womb-buddies who don’t look exactly like each other; the ones who share so much DNA and character and
yet are unable to unlock one another’s phones with Face ID. It’s the same story with the cars you see here. They both wear the same warpaint, both make unseemly snorting noises from their sodding great turbos and air out with panache when they park, both rock the sort of aero that could stabilise an A380. And yet one’s a Vauxhall, and the other’s a Volkswagen. Brothers from other mothers, and yet at the same time twins. Confusing? Relax, just sit back and let the science of it wash over you… It’s a tale of two mates, you see, arriving at the same point from very different directions and deciding to synthesise. We’ll let Sam Eaton, owner of the Polo, get the party started. “I’ve always considered buying something else as a project, but this Polo always seems to draw me back in,” he laughs, “and it will probably be a car that sticks with me for a very long time.” Polos are very much in Sam’s DNA; his first car was a 6R Polo 1.2 five-door, and he’s also had a 9N3 GTI before the 2013 6R three-door we see here today. “I bought this one in July 2013, when it only had
Defining car culture 013
HOT RIDE about four miles on the clock,” he recalls. “Volkswagen Motorsport had just released the 2013 WRC car, which looked unbelievable, and I’ve always wanted to build something similar for myself!” Yeah, it’s obvious from the outset that this brand-new hatch was never destined to stay stock for long. However, it’s interesting to note that Sam’s initial plan was to build a show car rather than the track monster it’s evolved into: “That was the idea, but after a while I lost interest in attending shows and discovered track days, which led me down a different route for modifications,” he explains. “I owe a lot of this to my parents too, they had loads of interesting cars and always made them their own – In fact, I’d say that they are probably the biggest influence behind this build.” Sam started out in casual style, easing in with a set of coilovers, some Extreme Offset steel wheels and a few audio upgrades. By Christmas 2014 he was installing his own air-ride setup and crafting a custom boot build, then bolting on some 8.5in-wide Rotiforms and savaging the arches to make them fit. Interior upgrades at this time included Recaro CS seats, an Alcantara Audi steering wheel and a custom gearstick Sam made using some old skate wheels he had lying around in his garage. With a custom Longlife exhaust making the 1.2-litre engine loud and slow, the Polo cycled through various other wheel choices, and it was around this time that Sam met Simon, the Astra’s owner. “Simon had completed courses in wrapping cars, and we decided to wrap the Polo in 3M’s Perfect Satin Blue,” he says. With the aesthetics ever-evolving, Sam’s proclivities were moving more and more toward the track; a custom half-cage was welded in, and the decision was made to upgrade the air-ride to something a bit more hardcore. A call to Intermotiv sealed the deal, the company opting to use Sam’s car to develop a fresh Polo 6R setup. Corbeau Revolutions followed, plus the almighty rear wing from BYC, before Sam turned his attention to the chassis: upgraded anti-roll bars were joined by a rear disc conversion and a thorough polybushing. With the car being so much more performance focused, Sam was becoming increasingly aware of the limitations of the 1.2-litre engine. Simon had suggested that both cars be wrapped in matching NATO Green, and with this achieved and the Astra being so powerful, Sam was itching to get more urgency under the bonnet.
Polo GTi engine swap with hybrid turbo packs a 220bhp punch
“I bought a 9N3 Polo GTI for an engine swap,” he says. “After the first day I’d ripped everything out of my Polo to prep for the new engine, on the second day I started stripping the 9N3, then by day three I’d replaced the wiring loom with the 9N3 one. I had to change the ignition barrel, and I swapped the hubs to 9N3 hubs and exchanged the steering racks too. I changed the straight-through exhaust for a Milltek one with a custom backbox, swapped brake booster and pedals along with gear linkage, then fitted a custom intercooler with pipework from the turbo all the way to the intake!” Opting to remove the secondary air pump and the entire vacuum system from the top of the engine, Sam fitted silicone intake and inlet hoses, but unfortunately the turbo then decided to blow up… but every cloud and all that; he had a billet compressor fitted inside the K03S and had the turbo machined for better flow. Bit of a result, and the upshot of all the engine mods, having fitted an LD Performance boost controller and had the thing mapped, is a solid 220bhp.
“After a while I lost interest in attending shows and discovered track days”
014 www.fastcar.co.uk
VW POLO R & ASTRA VXR
Fifteen52 Tarmac wheels in satin black feature perfect fitment The ensuing Porsche 986 caliper upgrade was as much necessity as showpiece – which, of course, really sums up how the project’s turned out. The steep trajectory of Sam’s Polo learning curve is mirrored by that of Simon and his Astra – for you see, this is really the first car he’s modified. Done a pretty bloody stonking job, hasn’t he? And the VXR has been rapidly evolving over the last few years or so; you’ve no doubt seen it at shows, and each time it will have been a little bit different. Readers of our now-defunct sister mag Performance Vauxhall may remember it being featured back in 2019, but it was very different then. For starters, it was putting out 294bhp at the time. Now? Call it 412bhp. That’s some decent lockdown progress. “When I was 17, my first car was a Renault Clio and I just did some audio stuff to it,” he explains. “After that I had a Mk5 Astra SXi for a
Custom rollcage and air tank is all that’s left in the rear of Sam’s Polo Skateboard wheel gearknob is a unique touch
Wraparound bucket seats show that Sam’s Polo is tailored for the track
Porsche calipers provide the stop to the 220bhp engine swap’s go
Defining car culture 015
HOT RIDE The huge rear wing mount is hinged to allow access to the boot. Clever stuff.
couple of years, and I didn’t do a lot to that beyond putting an exhaust on. I really liked the SXi and how it looked, but I just wanted something with a bit more power – so I did some research, and found the VXR was the one for me!” This particular VXR was found on Auto Trader in 2012; 16,000 miles on the clock, crazy cheap price, job done. “I had never planned to go this crazy with the build,” he says, echoing Sam’s earlier sentiments, “but the car kept putting a smile on my face so I kept going deeper with the build. “I got into vehicle wrapping, and started to wrap the odd bit here and there on the car,” he continues, “before ultimately deciding to wrap the whole car in purple, as it was a first on an Astra at the time. It all really kicked off from there, and I just started to get really involved in modifying it.” He certainly didn’t hold back either – those early mods to the Z20LEH motor released the aforementioned 294bhp, thanks in large part to a Rabbid remap and an insane full-custom 3in exhaust system by Thorney Motorsport, with the tail exiting from the side of the bumper. Impressive bespoke work, and Simon was evidently getting a taste for the one-of-one mods, as that zany rear wing followed soon after. “Jonathan from Intermotiv helped me out with the design of the spoiler,” he explains. “I originally had a boot-mounted wing, but started to see more and more people doing them so I spoke to Jonathan about the idea of a chassis-mount as it’d never been done.”
Beefy TarOx 10-pot brakes lurk behind the slimspoked OZ wheels
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A carbon blade from Driftworks is fixed to a custom set of mounts to get the wing perfectly in line with the airflow from the roof, and the cleverest part is that the mount hinges at the bottom so that the boot is still fully accessible. Much like its Polo twin, the Astra has a track-focused interior, sporting a full GDF Steelworks rollcage, OMP Champ-R seats and myriad gauges… and yes, massively upgraded audio and a custom boot build for the air-ride hardware. The chassis is serious as hell too, with colossal Tarox 10-pots up front, custom ARBs and drop-links, and
WRAP STAR Simon loves a wrap, and he’s not shy about changing up the Astra’s aesthetic as and when the fancy takes him. It’s been Royal Purple, halfwrapped in white with the standard blue paint exposed on the other half, then Royal Blue with graphics, plus some camo along the way, and black with reflective strips, and half-and-half orange and black… “It doesn’t stay the same for that long as I’m always changing how it looks,” he says. “And yes, I have got a few more plans up my sleeve… there will be a new wrap coming soon, I’m just currently deciding what its 10th wrap will be. Yes, I did say 10th!”
TECH SPEC: VW POLO 6R
ENGINE: BJX 1.8-litre 20v turbo, K03S turbo with billet compressor - machined for better airflow, uprated intercooler with 3in inlets and custom aluminium pipes, oversized intake pipe, RamAir cone filter, Milltek 2.5in downpipe, 2.5in straight centre pipe and custom rear box with 3in Downshooter exit, Polo 9N3 radiator and fans, secondary air system removed with Forge blanking plate POWER: 220bhp TRANSMISSION: 9N3 GTI 5-speed manual, 9N3 GTI gear selector, 9N3 GTI driveshafts SUSPENSION: Intermotiv Polo 6R air-ride with adjustable damping, Air Lift 3P management, Polo 9N3 GTI front and rear hubs, Polo 6R subframe with Polo 9N3 GTI steering rack, Powerflex bushes throughout, front anti-roll bar, Whiteline rear anti-roll bar, chassis notch BRAKES: Porsche 986 (Boxster) 4-pot front calipers with 312mm Vagbremtechnic J-hook discs and Ferodo DS1.11 front pads, Audi A1 rear calipers with Polo 9N3 GTI rear discs and EBC YellowStuff rear pads, Porsche 986-to-Polo 9N3 braided front brake hoses, EBC rear braided brake hoses, Polo 9N3 GTI brake booster WHEELS: 7.5x17in ET30 Fifteen52 Tarmac wheels – plasti-dipped black, 215/40/17 Zestino Gredge softcompound semi-slicks, 5mm spacers all round INTERIOR: Corbeau Revolution bucket seats, Schroth 4-point harnesses, custom 4-point rollcage, fire extinguisher mounted to passenger exhaust tunnel, all carpet and headlining stripped, deleted rear plastic panels, custom aluminium and carpet floor plates, LD Performance boost controller, custom skate wheel gearstick, Momo Mod.74 steering wheel, Brown & Geeson quick-release, Polo 9N3 clocks, Polo 9N3 GTI pedals, custom boot build for air-ride, 4-gallon brushed air tank, Viair compressor, Pioneer TS-A173CI front speakers, Pioneer TS-A1733I rear speakers, Pioneer AVICF88DAB head unit
There was a time when the Polo was a smaller car than the Astra, doesn’t seem that way now though...
EXTERIOR: Custom wrap in 3M NATO Olive Green, smoothed Polo 6R R-Line front bumper, Polo 6R R-Line sideskirts with extensions, Polo 6C GTI rear bumper, BYC rear wing, 8mm ply front splitter, front and rear arches widened by 10mm, Polo 6R clear Euro taillights, carbon fibre mirror covers, custom bumper ties, bonnet latches, gloss black painted grilles THANKS: “Thanks to my parents for getting me into cars and keeping me motivated to stick with the project to how you see it today. I would also like to thank all my friends (they know who they are) who have helped me in many ways along this project, whether it was working on the car, helping find parts, or suggesting new ideas. I’d also like to thank Intermotiv for all my suspension setup, and NBA Sports Cars for the remap and turbo work.”
Defining car culture 017
HOT RIDE
TECH SPEC: VAUXHALL ASTRA VXR
ENGINE: Z20LEH 2.0-litre turbo, Wiseco forged pistons, ZRP I-beam steel rods, ARP head bolts, Garrett GTX2867R Gen-1 turbo, Nortec tubular manifold, Turbosmart Hypergate45 external wastegate with bonnet-exit screamer pipe, EDS inlet manifold, Airtec Stage 3 Gobstopper intercooler, uprated internal fuel pump, 1,000cc injectors, MTC yellow coolant hoses, AEM 80mm air filter, air-con delete, full custom 3in exhaust system by Thorney Motorsport – with side-exit from rear bumper POWER: 412bhp, 400lb ft TRANSMISSION: M32 6-speed manual, stock diff
Full orange GDF Steelworks cage certainly stands out against the NATO Green wrap all manner of polybushing throughout. Which is just as well, because just before the Coronavirus pandemic snuck in, a whole lot more horsepower arrived… “Near the end of 2019, I got offered a fully forged engine from a friend,” Simon says. “It was an offer I couldn’t really say no to! So over the course of a weekend, a few friends and I ripped the old engine out and put the new one in. It got mapped the following Monday!” With oodles more grunt on tap and a new set of lightweight OZ wheels fitted, he hit the track and was amazed with the transformation – and, naturally, it inspired him to go yet further. The big lockdown project was to strip the car down and remove all the sound deadening and insulation, as well as relocating all the audio into hidden places so that only the air tank is showing. And with this ever-present sense of focus and quest for purity, the Astra and the Polo make for very appropriate stablemates. Sam’s champing at the bit to get out and enjoy his 1.8T-swapped Polo on track as much as possible, and he’ll have to exploit every micron of those soft-compound semi-slicks once Simon’s fitted an LSD and dropped in some race cams. More than anything, we just know that there’s going to be a whole lot of playful mischief involved; with so much shared DNA, these non-identical twins were developed purely for hijinks. ■
The same, but different, these brothers from other mothers and both born to be wild!
018 www.fastcar.co.uk
SUSPENSION: Intermotiv Stealth air-ride with BC Racing (f) and Bilstein (r) dampers, Air Lift V2 management, custom adjustable front anti-roll bar, front Powerflex purple lower arm bushes, Whiteline rear anti-roll bar with Powerflex purple bushes, custom front drop-links BRAKES: Tarox B34 GT 10-pot front calipers with 330mm grooved Tarox discs and Strada pads (road) or Competizione pads (track), stock rear calipers with Ferodo C-hook discs and Ferodo pads, Hel braided lines WHEELS: 8.5x18in OZ Superleggera wheels with 225/45/18 Toyo R888R tyres INTERIOR: OMP Champ-R seats, Sabelt blue 3in 4-point harnesses, OMP Kubic steering wheel with Brown & Geeson quick-release, full GDF Steelworks rollcage, 3-gauge pillar pod with Dragon gauges, false floor with air tank and amps, front Track Car Door Cards and matching rear side panels with orange bolts, Pioneer AVIC-Z920DAB head unit, Pioneer GM-D9701 Mono Block 2400w amp with Pioneer TS-D10D2 12in Dual 2-Ohm subwoofer, Pioneer GM-D8704 Class-D 1200w 4-channel amp for TS-D65C 6.5in 2-way component front speakers, Pioneer TS-D65F 6.5in mid-range coaxial rear speakers EXTERIOR: Custom wrap in Oracal matte NATO green with matte black roof, front bumper smoothed with Regal Dap R splitter smoothed in, custom splitter and canards, lowline sideskirts, rear diffuser cut out, custom chassismount Driftworks carbon wing, polycarbonate front windows with sliders, CM Composites louvres in rear windows – wrapped in body colour, rolled and widened front arches, Opel front grille, tinted angel-eye LED headlights and taillights, functional roof scoop THANKS: “Thank you to Jonathan from Intermov for the great work on the build of the air suspension, and with the design for the rear wing. Thanks to the guys at Tarox Brakes for helping me with supplying a great deal on the front replacement discs and pads; Toyo Tyres UK for supplying the amazing Toyo R888Rs; Pioneer UK for all of the audio in the car; Track Car Door Cards for the well-designed door cards; and Jay from Juicy Details for all the cleaning products.”
ROAD | OFF ROAD | TRACK | LUXURY For more information go to www.wolfrace.com | Contact us on: sales@wolfrace.co.uk | +44 (0) 845 330 9896 | Or visit your nearest dealer
ASSASSIN GT2
ASSASSIN
Gloss Black & Gloss Black / Polished, 7.0x16” 7.0x17” 8.0x18” 8.5x19” 8.5x20”
AERO
Gloss Black / Polished & Gloss Black 8.5x18” 8.5x20”
Gloss Black / Polished 8.5x18” 8.5x20”
Gloss Black / Polished Lip & Gunmetal 9.0x20” 9.5x21” 8.0x18” 8.0x19” 8.5x20”
TORINO
Gloss Black / Polished, Gloss Black & Polar Silver 6.5x16” 6.5x17” 7.5x17” 8.0x18” 8.0x19” 8.0x20”
Gloss Black, Gunmetal / Polished, Matt Bronze, Matt Black & Gloss Black / Polished 8.5x18” 8.5x19” 8.5x20”
Matt Bronze (20” only), Gloss Black & Gloss Black / Polished 8.5x18” 8.5x20”
KIBO
Gloss Black / Polished 9.0x20” 9.5x22”
LUCCA
DORTMUND
MUNICH
GTP
Gloss Black / Polished 6.5x16” 7.5x17” 8.0x18” 8.0x19”
KODIAK
Polar Silver, Gunmetal 5.0x14” 5.5x14” 5.5x15” 6.0x15” 6.0x16” 6.5x16” 7.0x16” 7.0x17” 7.5x17” 7.5x18” 8.0x18” 8x19”
WOLFSBURG
PROLITE
Wolfrace TrackReady Gloss Black 7.5x17” 8.0x18” 9.0x17”
MILANO
Gloss Black / Polished, Gloss Black 8.0x18” 8.5x19” 8.5x20” Gunmetal / Polished 8.0x18” 8.5x20”
Titanium 5.5x14” 6.0x15” 6.5x15” 6.5x16” 7.0x17” 7.5x18”
VISIT YOUR NEAREST DEALER TUV CERTIFICATION German TUV certification on selected wheels
GO ONLINE Please visit your nearest dealer to view or purchase Wolfrace wheels or go online at www.wolfrace.com
MADE IN EUROPE All TUV certificated wheels are made in Europe.
UP TO 5 YEAR WARRANTY On selected wheels when you register online
HUGE RANGE AVAILABLE Huge range of wheels available, see www.wolfrace.com for the full range
INTERACTIVE GUIDE Use our interactive fitment guide at www.wolfrace.com
gtechniq.com
APPLY CERAMIC
PROTECTION WITH EASE
LEADING THE WAY IN AUTOMOTIVE DETAILING TECHNOLOGY Easy Coat is the fast and simple way to protect your vehicles painted surfaces. This product has been formulated to be applied using the Easy Coat attachment. This optically clear, UV repelling coating crosslinks to your vehicles paint, leaving a durable water repelling barrier.
FC DETAILING GUIDE
A CLEAN GETAWAY
You need to really love your detailing to enjoy cleaning a set of wire wheels
We’re all itching to get back out there after the government imposed lockdown, so to make sure your car looks as good as it possibly can, we’ve compiled this essential guide to the top cleaning products to help you get your shine on Words Dan Sherwood Photography Various
Everyone likes a spotlessly clean car, but not everyone has the skill, patience and products to achieve the kind of show-quality shine we all dream about. So, to give you a hand, we’ve spoken to some of the top detailing experts to compile a list of the must-have products that will be perfect to tackle each of the areas of your car, and get them looking at their best. And not only that, but we’ve also strapped them to a water board and interrogated them – using the two bucket method, of course – to reveal their top insider tips to achieving the kind of results usually only reserved for the pros. So, don the marigolds, dig out the wash mitts and prepare to take out Last month we concentrated on the chassis modifications your shades, because things are about to get shiny! that will take your project to the next level. This month we’re going to focus on what’s on the inside by taking a look at the finest interior and engine bay modifications. We’re also going to tackle that all-important subject of colour.
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FC DETAILING GUIDE
BODYWORK 3 SHAMPOO AUTOGYLM
Ultra High Definition Shampoo - £19.10
Next up its time to get your hands’ dirty, or at least wet, as we delve into the contact wash. Autoglym’s Ultra High Definition Shampoo produces a dense foam that lifts dirt from the bodywork and its tropical fragrance smells amazing! It has a pH neutral formulation, which means it’s kinder to skin, but hard on dirt. Best of all, it provides awesome cleaning performance without stripping any wax and polish from the bodywork. When washing with a mitt, always work from the cleanest areas to the dirtiest and remember to use the two bucket method and never double dip, that way you’ll only be putting clean soapy water onto your car’s paintwork and keeping the grime safely in the rinse bucket.
1 PRE-WASH AUTO FINESSE
Dynamite Traffic Film Remover - £9.95
Even the best snow foams will have a hard time shifting built-up road grime, so it’s best to remove it with a dedicated traffic film remover (TFR) first. Auto Finesse’s Dynamite TFR is a concentrated citrus pre-wash solution developed to break down dirt from all exterior surfaces whilst maintaining the delicate wax and sealant layers. Simply dilute at a ratio from 1:1 to 1:10 depending on the cleaning intensity required, apply and rinse. Or, for added bite, agitate with a soft bristle detailing brush before wiping away.
TOP TIP When it comes to hand washing, don’t use a sponge! Sponges can cause swirling. By using a microfibre or lamb’s wool wash mitt with a deep pile, you can minimise the chance of inflicting swirls and scratches into the paint.
2 SNOW FOAM & LANCE MEGUIAR’S
Ultimate Snow Foam Cannon Kit - £55.00
Snow foams offer a touchless wash option for mildly soiled cars and an excellent way to rid the worst of the grime on dirtier cars before getting stuck in with the suds. But you can’t just buy the foam on its own, you also need a dedicated snow foam lance to apply it. Meguiar’s Ultimate Snow Foam Cannon Kit includes a bottle of their Ultimate Snow Foam Xtreme Cling and a premium quality lance too. Used together, the duo produce a thick, wax-safe foam that gently lifts contaminants from the paint’s surface to be safely blasted away with your pressure washer. To use, start at the bottom and work your way up until the whole car is covered. Then leave to dwell for a few minutes before powering off with your pressure washer.
022 www.fastcar.co.uk
TOP TIP A clay bar is an invaluable tool in removing contaminants from your car’s paintwork. Unlike a polish, which strips away a layer of the top coat, a clay bar is non-destructive as it uses the stickiness of the clay to pull the offending particles from the paint to provide a glass-like finish ready for polishing
4 POLISH SONAX Premium Class Saphir Power Polish - £35.99
TOP TIP We don’t want to be washing our cars every day, so a product such as quick detailer can be a great way to maintain your car’s shine between washes. Simply spray on and wipe off to keep your car looking mint for longer.
Once the car is clean it’s time to work on perfecting the paint, and for that we’d recommend Sonax’s Premium Class Saphir Power Polish. A polish works by removing an fine layer of the top coat to reveal a clearer, blemish free layer underneath. Sonax’s Saphir Power Polish uses nano sapphires to remove even the finest scratches and holograms and vibrantly enhance dull colour. In addition, it also contains Carnauba wax, which provides protection to the treated paintwork surface. The polish comes with a special Sonax P-Ball applicator with sponge and a high quality microfibre cloth to buff to a mirror shine.
5 CERAMIC COATING GTECHNIQ
Crystal Serum Light - FROM £55.00
Ceramic coating seems to be the detailing buzzword at present, with many products claiming to utilise ceramic technology, but failing to truly deliver on what a professionally applied ceramic coating should provide. However, if you want to try your hand at home, then get yourself some Gtechniq Crystal Serum Light. This is the consumer version of Gtechniq’s Accredited Detailer Crystal Serum Ultra. It offers 80% of the professional product’s performance but, if applied incorrectly, can be machine polished from your vehicle’s paintwork – the professional version cannot. When it comes to adding gloss, resisting swirls, contaminant and dirt repellency, Gtechniq Crystal Serum Light is the pinnacle in consumer paint protection.
FC DETAILING GUIDE
WHEELS & TYRES 1 WHEEL CLEANER MEGUIAR’S
Ultimate All Wheel Cleaner - £17.50
Wheels are one of the dirtiest areas of your car, so they need a product that packs a punch. Meguiar’s Ultimate All Wheel Cleaner uses advanced chemistry to blend road grime attacking surfactants with active brake dust dissolving agents. The deepcleaning gel formula turns brake dust purple and road grime brown as it gently loosens stubborn contaminants. And since it’s acidfree and pH balanced it’s safe and effective for all wheel finishes and painted brake components. Simply spray on, wait for the colour to change and rinse off.
TOP TIP Choose your wheel cleaners carefully. Many wheel cleaners are acidic in nature and can damage your rims. Choose one that is pH neutral so it is safe to use on all wheel types.
4 WHEEL BRUSH
AUTO FINESSE Mini Barrel Brush - £12.95
While it seems small, the Mini Barrel Brush can accomplish big things when it comes to wheel cleaning. Featuring soft, scratchless bristles it’s tough on dirt but gentle on your wheels at the same time. It can also be easily bent and shaped to scrub around brake calipers with ease, as well as the inner wheel rim and behind wheel spokes. It even has a soft grip handle making it easy to guide around the wheel.
2 TYRE DRESSING AUTOGLYM
High Performance Tyre Gel - £9.99
Perfectly-prepared tyres – or otherwise – can make or break the look of any car, so to make the wash-day routine as easy as possible, Autoglym’s High Performance Tyre Gel paired up with the Perfect Polish Applicator, gives perfectly even coverage across every type and style of tyre and won’t fling from the surface as it rotates at speed. It can be either applied and left on for a ‘high gloss’ finish, or wiped down with a cloth to an OEM satin sheen. Much better than those messy sprays!
3 WHEEL SEALANT
GTECHNIQ C5 Wheel Armour - £22.50
C5 Wheel Armour offers the best protection for wheels, repelling brake dust and contaminants and making them easier to maintain. Because of C5’s unique, exceptionally fine surface rheology and chemical bonding mechanism, coating has excellent stain and contaminant resistance, and the chemical bond formed between the wheel surface and C5 makes the coating extremely durable. C5 will retain its integrity up to temperatures of 600oC making it suitable for all parts of your vehicle’s rims and brake calipers.
TOP TIP Make sure you clean your tyres thoroughly with an all purpose cleaner and a soft bristled tyre brush before you apply any tyre finishing treatments. This will help the dressing to bond better and last longer.
5 WHEEL COATING SONAX
Xtreme Wheel Rim Coating - £12.99
Sonax Extreme Wheel Rim Coating is a longlasting, transparent coating that protects your wheel against renewed soiling making future cleaning of your rims quicker and easier. After application, contaminants such as salt, water and brake just run off in droplets. Just spray on and distribute – that’s all. Suitable for steel, aluminium and chromed rims.
TOP TIP Apply a sealant to both your wheels and painted brake calipers to protect the finish and make them easier to clean.
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FC DETAILING GUIDE
INTERIOR 3 AIR-CON BOMB AUTOGLYM
Air-Con Sanitiser - £16.00
1 INTERIOR KIT AUTO FINESSE
Interior Cleaning Kit - £31.95
If you’re looking for an all-in-one solution to interior cleanliness, then this is it. The Auto Finesse Interior Cleaning Kit includes a bottle of Spritz interior detail spray, as well as a bottle of Total Interior Cleaner that is tough on stains but easy on your car’s fabrics and plastics. Combined with a soft bristled detailing brush, a Work microfibre cloth and a microfibre applicator pad, it has everything you need to gives your car’s cockpit a refresh. They even throw in a sweet smelling air freshener to finish off the job.
TOP TIP When applying products in your interior, apply the product onto a cloth not directly onto the surface, especially if the product is a spray, as it will reduce the mess of overspray getting on to other unwanted areas.
To keep your air-con system fresh and free from micro-organisms lurking deep inside your dash, Autoglym Air-Con Sanitiser is an aerosol product that is designed to fill every nook of the air conditioning system with a highly effective sanitising spray that kills 99.999% of harmful micro-organisms and viruses. Simply set off the canister inside your car while where it will be drawn into and around the air conditioning system. In little more than 20 minutes it will have deep-cleaned and refreshed the entire network of pipes.
4 DASHBOARD
CLEANER GTECHNIQ C6 Matte Dash - £7.25
Avoid using silicone cleaners when cleaning your dash as they are greasy and attract dirt and dust. Instead try Gtechniq C6 Matte Dash which is specifically designed to protect dashboard and door card materials including vinyl, plastics and rubberised finishes with added abrasion resistance, UV protection and Biocote® antimicrobial technology, thrown into the mix. This product should not be used to protect suede, nubuck or any fibrous finishes.
TOP TIP Skin oils from your hands can transfer to steering wheels leaving them with a shiny finish. Use an all purpose cleaner to remove these oils and restore the matt finish.
2 LEATHER CLEANER SONAX
Premium Class Leather Cleaner £16.99
For safe, effective cleaning of all types of smooth leather, Sonax Premium Class Leather Cleaner is a fast acting, effective cleaner safe on many surfaces. It removes even the most stubborn dirt such as grease and staining of jeans without leaching out or attacking the leather. Use a foam applicator to apply accurately and with the correct dosing. After cleaning with Sonax Premium Class Leather Cleaner, we recommend using using a leather care cream to protect, maintain and seal the treated surfaces.
TOP TIP Alcantara and suede need a light touch to clean, as the pile of the fibres is so short it will absorb less product. This means less is more when it comes to using cleaning product on these more exotic fabrics.
024 www.fastcar.co.uk
5 CARPET CLEANER
MEGUIAR’S Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner - £13.00
Don’t forget your carpets! Whether you are looking to clean one stain or freshen the whole carpet, Meguiar’s Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner is the tool for the job. Active foam penetrates and dissolves stains from the bottom up for deep down cleaning to restore a like-new appearance on car carpets and upholstery. The canister also comes with a carpet scrubber top that helps deliver improved cleaning ability while the effective formula also contains odour-eliminating Re-Fresher technology to remove odours while leaving behind a refreshing new car scent.
Detail like a Pro If you would like to be able to learn how to detail your car or even become a professional detailer, the Sonax UK Detailing Academy is the right place to start. Chris Channon, Sonax International Master Trainer, will guide you through the different courses available to ensure that you Detail like a Pro. For more information, and to book, call Chris on 0117 4526240.
BASIC SEMINAR
1
You will learn all the fundamental knowledge and techniques for vehicle valeting, and the correct handling of our professional products. Module 1 - Vehicle Check - Diagnosis - Exterior cleaning MODULE 2 - Interior cleaning - Application of SONAX Power Air Clean MODULE 3 - Fundamental knowledge paintwork structure - Determining paintwork conditions - Polishing techniques - and more . . .
EXPERT SEMINAR
2
The Expert Seminar is tailored to your requirements, using special work procedures, teaching you how to optimise them, and to expand your fundamental knowledge. Module 1 - Diagnosis - Determine focus areas MODULE 2 - Exterior cleaning - Paintwork structure - Polishing & Sanding techniques - and more . . . MODULE 3 - Special applications - Final check
COATINGS SEMINAR You will learn all the necessary techniques for preparing the paintwork for subsequent sealing of the vehicle. All SONAX sealing products will be explained and applied, with a focus on the PROFILINE Ceramic Coating CC36 products. Module 1 - Diagnosis - Exterior cleaning MODULE 2 - Paintwork preparation MODULE 3 - Basic knowledge of wax, polymer & ceramic sealants - Application of all sealants - Final check
Anglo American Oil Company is the exclusive UK importer for SONAX Car Care products. For more information, or for trade inquiries, visit aaoil.co.uk or call +44 (0) 1929 551557
FC DETAILING GUIDE
ENGINE BAY 1 ENGINE DEGREASER
SONAX Engine + Cold Cleaner - £9.99
Sonax Engine + Cold Cleaner quickly and reliably cleans all oil and grease from your engine leaving it clean and oil and grease free. The phosphate-free and solvent-free product has an outstanding infiltration ability, enabling it to reach even the most inaccessible places to ensure no area is left untreated.
TOP TIP When cleaning your engine bay, make sure you cover any sensitive electrical connectors or wiring with cling film, this will help to keep them dry whilst you are degreasing, steam cleaning or pressure washing.
2 ENGINE DRESSING
MEGUIAR’S Engine Dressing - £13.00
4 ENGINE BAY KIT AUTO FINESSE
Engine Bay Kit - £33.95
The Auto Finesse Engine Bay Kit is the perfect way to degrease, cleanse and dress your engine bay, all in a couple of super easy steps. The kit includes a litre of Eradicate high-foaming, multi-surface safe engine degreaser, a trio of soft bristle detailing brushes, two 300GSM microfibre Work cloths and a 500ml bottle of Dressle allpurpose trim dressing. Job done!
Meguiar’s Engine Dressing uses a specialised formula that prevents cracking, fading and hardening of plastics and rubbers to keeps everything under the bonnet looking like new. It provides long-lasting protection in a nongreasy, skin safe, solvent free dressing that you simply spray on and wipe off to keep your under bonnet plastics and rubber looking on point.
TOP TIP Don’t forget the underside of your bonnet. This is an often overlooked area that can get really dirty, so a bit of attention here can go a long way.
5 TRIM RESTORER FOR
3 PAINT AUTOGLYM
Satin Black Paint - £4.92
This is a pro-detailing trick that can make a whole world of difference when cleaning your engine bay, as some parts of your bay are likely to be beyond salvaging with even the most sophisticated of cleaning products. So rather than admit defeat, simply give them a rub down and then spray on a coat of satin black paint to give them a fresh OEM look. Simplistic, but genius!
TOP TIP Don’t be afraid to dwell on it. Engines can be dirty and oily things, so any degreaser you use will work better if you leave it to work its magic for a few minutes before rinsing off. You can also agitate with a brush for extra grime removal.
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PLASTICS GTECHNIQ C4 Permanent Trim Restorer - £22.50
If you’re looking for a longer lasting option to keep your trims tip top, then GTechniq’s C4 is just the stuff. Utilising a chemical bond to become an extension of the plastic molecule it is protecting, the coating swaps part of its molecular structure with the surface molecules of your car’s trim. This means that you have a protective coating of unparalleled durability. Unlike many trim products it will not add an unattractive gloss finish to the surface. Instead, it restores all but the most faded trim to an ‘as new’ condition. It’s also ideal for new trim, to prevent fading.
WWW.AUTOFINESSE.CO.UK
FC DETAILING GUIDE
METAL, GLASS & PLASTICS 1 GLASS CLEANER SONAX
Glass Cleaning Wipes - £2.99
Sometimes you want a quick fix to a smeared or dirty windscreen. Be that when in the middle of a road trip or just when you’re in a rush. To save the day, you can’t beat the convenience of Sonax’s Glass Cleaning Wipes. These moist cloths are perfect for cleaning windscreens and other glass surfaces, such as mirrors and side windows without leaving streaks. TOP TIP For exhausts that are very dirty and covered in soot, use some wire wool to give your metal polish some extra bite to help cut through the grime.
4 TRIM RESTORER MEGUIAR’S
Ultimate Black - £14.00
Few things make a car look worse than tired and faded plastic trim, with many trim restorers only lasting a few days. Utilising break-through UV clear coat technology, Meguiar’s superior UV protection and shine significantly outlasts conventional protectants. This powerful protectant creates rich shine and darkness on interior surfaces such as dashboard and door panels and brings new life to exterior trim and mouldings.
2 METAL POLISH AUTOGLYM
Metal Polish - £12.00
Your car’s shiny metal parts, such as its exhaust tips, can easily become tarnished, but a quality metal polish, like the one from Autoglym, restores surfaces to their original finish and protects them with a layer of wax. Suitable for brass, copper, stainless steel, chrome, aluminium and unlacquered aluminium. However, do not use on chromed plastic, lacquered alloy wheels, mirror finished metals or chrome plate in new condition. For any of these surfaces use a bodywork polish instead and then protect with a wax or sealant.
5 GLASS KIT GTECHNIQ
Automotive Glass Care Kit - £29.95
To achieve the ultimate in squeaky clean, optically perfect glass, this kit contains everything in the Gtechniq range needed to clean, polish and protect automotive glass to make driving in difficult conditions easier and safer. The Automotive Glass Care Kit offers a 12% saving when compared to buying the contents individually, so what’s not to like?
3 GLASS POLISH AUTO FINESSE
Vision Glass Polish - £11.95
Vision is a blend of light abrasives and deep cleaning agents designed to cleanse, degrease and restore clarity to your interior and exterior glass. Specially formulated to provide a double hit of mechanical and chemical stain removal, the abrasive qualities of this thick, viscous liquid physically scrubs and polishes surfaces on a microscopic level to not just eradicate ingrained contaminants, but to remove light scratches and water marks, too. Never has it been easier to transform tired windows and give your glass a new lease of life. TOP TIP Using a specific glass cloth rather than a microfibre will ensure a streak-free, fibre-fee finish. Microfibres not designed for glass cleaner can streak and leave lint behind as well as being very grabby on the surface.
028 www.fastcar.co.uk
TOP TIP When cleaning your car’s glass, remember to wind the window down slightly to clean the edge where it enters the door seal. This is an area that often gets missed, but rears its head as soon as you drop the window.
CONTACTS
www.autofinesse.com www.autoglym.com www.gtechniq.co.uk www.meguiars.co.uk www.sonax.com
HOT RIDE Words & Photography Josh Mackey
When Covid measures put a halt to life as we know it, Tam Le looked on the bright side and dedicated his enforced lockdown to making his dream NSX a reality
030 www.fastcar.co.uk
HONDA NSX
There are a lot of firsts here; from this being my first ever pandemic shoot, to getting a ticket for hanging out of a car, to taking photos in downtown Seattle at happy hour with absolutely no one in sight. There is something a bit unnerving and surreal about being in a major metropolitan city on a completely dead and quiet summer’s night, but, due to government orders to limit the transmission of the dreaded Coronavirus, it was exactly that. However, the highly unusual situation aside, the one thing that was absolutely normal was a camera lens being pointed at this stunning Honda NSX. Owned by mechanic and owner of DailyDriven.com, Tam Le, this wide-arched wonder is no stranger to having its photograph taken, as it understandably attracts onlookers to frantically whip out their smartphone cameras wherever it goes. But before we get into the nitty gritty of what’s been done to it, let’s take a moment to jump in the nearest time machine and travel back to 1990 to see how it came to be in the owner’s possession in the first place. Tam was just 16-years-old when he saw his first NSX. Already a dedicated petrol head with a strong affinity for the Honda brand, seeing the firm’s flagship sports car blew his young hormone-flooded mind. Of course, we all know the feeling… that undeniable love at first sight when you see your first supercar. It’s not just a mode of transport; it’s a work of art, to be appreciated, adored and desired. Sure, the
speed and handling performance will be out of this world, but when you’re just a spotty teenager, just being able to look at the thing is a pant-wettingly exciting experience all on its own. We tell ourselves that ‘one day’ we’ll own one of these amazing machines, but the truth is, for most of us mere mortals, that ‘one day’ unfortunately never comes. Our dreams remain dreams and our garages stay filled with the junk that has over-spilled from the house rather than a rip-snorting slice of automotive exotica. But then there are those lucky few who get to make their dreams a reality, and Tam Le is one of them. It was a dream that took him nearly 30-years to achieve, but achieve it he did. Honda’s hottest model had been out of reach for him for some time, at first it was a lack of finances that hampered his buying potential, then later, when his bank balance was looking decidedly healthier, his priorities changed as he was busy raising a family – but the desire for the NSX stayed strong and it was a bitter sweet position to be in, with the chance to own the car he always wanted at his fingertips, but just that bit too far out of reach to grasp it. By the time Tam could afford to buy himself a first generation NSX, the rumors had begun to swirl in the car world about Honda releasing a brand new NSX, that was set to take the fight to the supercar elite once again. Logic dictates that when a newer model is announced, the older generations will drop in price. You can see the error in this logic as, by the time the new car was finally released in 2016, the prices and
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HOT RIDE
Iconic V6 engine has been fully rebuilt and tuned
values for good condition ‘90s JDM cars were skyrocketing in price. The rarity of the Acura / Honda JDM cars has seen auctions in the USA hit over $150,000 USD for decent NSXs and up to $80,000 USD for an Integra Type R, and that’s just the start! All ‘90s JDM models, whether in good condition or not, are starting to fetch premium prices all over the world. But not being one to let go of his dreams easily, Tam didn’t give up, in fact he was spurred on to secure his dream car and modify it to his own taste before the rising prices once again pushed the model out of reach. But the timing and circumstances had to be right. He started his search in early 2019 and it was exhausting – with little to no cars for private sale in the Pacific Northwest and everything going to auction, Tam was running out of time and patience. However, there was light at the end of the tunnel when he received a message from an owner down in Texas. In this day and age, with the market extremely hot, buying a car out of state is almost a necessity, but it will forever be stress and anxiety inducing. This is because the United States is bloody vast. Unlike back in the UK where, the worst you can expect
Rays TE37’s are always a strong look
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is travelling from Land’s End to John O’Groats to look at a car – some 874 miles – a trip from Seattle to Texas – which is only half way across the US by the way – comes in at just under 2000 miles. So you can see the issue Tam was facing. Does he risk traveling a 4000 mile round trip for a car he’s never seen in the metal, or take a punt and hope he picks up a minter? Well, after talking extensively with the owner and reviewing countless photos and negotiating the price – Tam, with the help of his wife, finally took the plunge and booked a trip to Texas. Now, Tam had done his research, but even so, when he got to the owner’s house in Texas and had a proper look at the NSX, he could see that it was rough. While the exterior seemed fine, the motor, transmission and suspension needed a lot of work. Tam had to carefully decide if he wanted to continue his search – or if this was the car for him. As a lifetime technician and lover of Hondas, if there’s one thing he can do, it’s fix, build and finish the NSX. Tam has been a Honda gearhead, builder and technician for nearly half his life and currently owns a 500bhp EG Civic, a Phoenix Yellow Type R with a custom-built turbo and an S2000. It doesn’t stop there though, as he also dailies a Ridgeline pick-up truck, an Odyssey minivan and has also owned a magazine featured, fully-built Prelude. Bringing the NSX back to greatness was always well in his wheelhouse, he just needed to convince himself that the search was over, and this was the NSX. After much deliberation, the deal was done, and Tam flew back to Seattle with the NSX on the next transport up. By this time Covid had hit and Tam’s job was put on pause by government mandates. In what seemed like a stroke of fate, this allowed him plenty of time to invest in the project to build the NSX of his dreams. So, with nothing else to do, he spent nearly a month straight, working 10 to 12-hour days taking apart the motor, transmission, suspension and interior. The engine was disassembled on the floor of his garage, parts lined out like a blueprint ready to be fixed, fitted or upgraded. The culmination of 30-years of waiting, plus one long additional month of labour, and his dream car was nearly complete. But this was far from just a refresh or restoration, as Tam had a much grander vison for the NSX and he knew exactly how to achieve it. The NSX has an iconic look, a racecar born and bred for the streets. How do you top or enhance that? By going widebody and giving it an undeniable GT supercar look, that’s how! And one of the most unique and instantly eye-catching features of Tam’s NSX is the exterior widebody kit, which consists a pair of Downforce GTS vented
HONDA NSX
“I spent nearly a month straight, working on the car 10 to 12-hours a day”
Stance Parts air cups and BC Racing coilovers give Tam’s NSX the show lows and but he can still navigate Seattle’s potholed streets The interior features a host of trick carbon touches
front arches, Taitec rear quarter panels, a Type R bonnet, Shine Auto front bumper, Pride Marga Hills-style side skirts and Route KS carbon side scoops. But there’s much more to going widebody than simply slapping on some bulging body panels, you also need to go wide with the wheels too! Being no stranger to the art of modifying Tam had things covered and upgraded the sleek Honda’s rolling stock with a set of Rays TE37SL (super light) graphite wheels. Measuring a girthy 9x17in at the front and 10.5x18in at the rear, and wrapped in Federal SS595 street tyres, the new hoops have all the style and grip that Tam could ever need for daily driving. Unfortunately, the Seattle streets are often far from forgiving, so Tam has wisely installed a custom-made suspension cup kit featuring parts from Stance Parts and BC Racing coilovers. This adjustable setup gives him the most flexibility and control to raise at lower the car at the flick of a switch, without sacrificing the comfort and performance of a dedicated quality coilover system.
Tam has a vision for every car he builds and makes sure the theme carries over into the interior and the NSX was no different with a twotone leather seat and interior panel restoration. Genuine carbon-fibre overlays, shift knob, and other accessories complement the sumptuous hide and help set the interior apart from stock. However, the biggest upgrade comes in the form of an S2000 cluster swap with a QUBE LED upgrade and carbon bezel trim. This new cluster brings a muchneeded dose of high-tech into the late ‘90s icon – and is a defining modification to this high-end build. But Tam didn’t stop at the aesthetics, as the NSX’s iconic V6 motor was by far the biggest project on the car that not only needed to be fixed but upgraded too. So after completing an entire re-build of the engine to ensure the best base for tuning, Tam could get stuck into fitting the fun stuff including a pair of Top Speed Pro 1 exhaust manifolds, a fully custom-built exhaust including Vibrant Resonators
S2000 digital clocks add a modern twist to the ‘90s cockpit
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HOT RIDE Now that’s what you call a sexy rear end!
TECH SPEC: HONDA NSX
ENGINE 3.0-litre, 6-cyl, 32v V6, Downforce intake scoop, Top Speed Pro 1 exhaust manifolds, custom exhaust with 2 Magnaflow mufflers and 2 Vibrant resonators and X-pipe, M-style exhaust tips with carbonfibre sleeves, Prospeed stage 3 chip with RDX injector kit, Dali Racing intake pipe with K&N filter, billet engine dress up kit, Science of Speed billet reservoir, cap, and fuse cover, Mishimoto radiator, Venair red silicone radiators hoses, fuel pressure gauge with adapter to fuel filter, Cometic head gaskets, VHT gold painted valve covers with auto body clear coat TRANSMISSION Five speed manual gearbox, Science of Speed Sport 275 clutch kit with aluminum flywheel, Science of Speed stainless steel clutch line SUSPENSION BC Coilovers with 10k Swift springs, Stance Parts air cup kit x4 with pressure gauge, custom made air cup pump and tank mount
and twin centre-exit tailpipes, a Prospeed Stage 3 ECU chip, a Dali Racing intake and Science of Speed clutch kit to name a few. All said and done, Tam expects the NSX to be have an estimated 270bhp and 215lb ft of torque. That might not seem much compared to even modern hot hatch standards, but with the NSX’s sublime handling, it’s still plenty to be entertaining. Besides, Tam has an eye on more power in the future, and has purposely left out doing too many major engine modifications as he’s waiting for the new Science of Speed supercharger kit to be released, which will bring a major boost to the car’s power and give it the kind of performance to match its aggressive look. The cockpit of a first-generation Acura NSX is nothing short of perfection but even with Tam’s awesome interior upgrades, listening to your favorite tunes on a 30-year-old audio system isn’t exactly ideal, which is why Tam has given it a modern makeover with a full suite of audio and entertainment modifications including a new Pioneer head unit and speakers, a Kicker stealth subwoofer and a Rockford Fosgate amp to make this NSX a dream of a driving machine. The idea of chasing our dreams surrounds us every day from our favorite books, shows and movies. But maybe the very fact that so few people do actually achieve them, is what makes them so special. After all, anything that’s worth having never comes easy. However, in Tam’s case, with patience, dedication and an otherworldly skill with the spanners, his dream did become a reality and he now owns a truly unique vehicle. When our new Covid-imposed reality finally ends and life can hopefully return to what we used to call normal, if you’re in the Seattle area, you might see Tam driving around and frequenting some social events – but until then he’s keeping a low profile. Lockdown is starting to ease now, so until it does and life and work gets back in the way, he’s getting busy in his garage building his next dream project… every cloud eh? ■
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BRAKES R1 GeoMet slotted rotors and ceramic pads all round, Science of Speed stainless steel brake lines WHEELS & TYRES 9x17in and 10.5x18in +22 TE37SL Graphite with 235/40/17 and 285/35/18 Federal SS595 tyres, Rays locking lug nuts EXTERIOR Full repaint in Formula Red with black roof, Simoniz Glass Coat Nano-ceramic coating, Taitec Type R hood, Shine Auto front bumper with carbon-fibre splitters, Downforce GTS wide vented front arches (+25 mm), Pride Marga hills-style side skirts, Taitec rear quarter panels (+25 mm), Route KS carbon-fibre side scoops, Taitec GT500 carbon-fibre wing with powder-coated wing stands, Downforce carbonfibre centre-exit exhaust diffuser, JDM NSX-R ‘H’ badges, New OEM signal lens, 6000k HID Low beams, F1-style third brake light and strobe module INTERIOR S2000 cluster swap with Qube LED upgrade and carbonfibre bezel trim, Zanardi floor mats, NRG short hub, Works Bell Rapfix quick release – Yoshioka Special Edition, Momo Race 320mm steering wheel, carbon-fibre shift knob, Integra Type R shift boot, real carbonfibre overlay on factory trim pieces, dash cam rear view mirror backup cam, Science of Speed billet window and door lever upgrade, Ridies leather seat covers, door cards/arm rest, center console, and sub enclosure, LED dome, door, courtesy lighting upgrade, Pioneer head unit, Pioneer 6.5in 3-way speakers and Boom mats for doors, Kilmat sound deadening on the doors, Kicker 8in sub in custom carbon-fibre center console enclosure, Rockford Fosgate Punch 4-channel amplifier, Rockford Fosgate upgraded audio wiring THANKS My beautiful wife and kids, Ian M, Justin H, Chris K, Peter L, Brian L, Marcos C, Jay W, Scott A, Jason L, Thanh at Stage Collison, Matt at All City Convertibles, Tim at Muffler King, Josh at Mackeydesigns, with special thanks to, Joe Hork at IMC, Johnny C. NY, Stephen Designer, JC Chhim, PacNW NSX, David at Carbon Fiber Creations, Chase Holyoak, Chris at Science of Speed, Peace at R1 Concepts, Team Kamakaze, Jeremiah Derek, Johan at Sjoeberg Design & Prototyping SE and Ridies Leather Interior
HOT RIDE
Words Dan Bevis Photography Ade Brannan
TURNING JAPANESE Purists be damned – this hardcore BMW drift car is bubbling over with Eastern promise…
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E92 BMW
Defining car culture 037
HOT RIDE Engine swaps can often be polarising things. Some folks prefer to keep this stuff model-correct; swapping a brawny 2.5-litre M20 into an E30 316i is a good way of throwing a few welcome gee-gees into the mix, but what happens if you choose to go with an M50 from an E36? Or if you’re feeling saucy, an M70 V12? Some people will love the idea of updating and refreshing the car with a newer or more laterally peculiar engine, while others may feel that it’s anathema to swap engines in this manner, like names in a Secret Santa box. And if you’re in the latter category, you’re going to hate this one. See, there’s nothing remotely Bavarian about the beating heart of this E92. It’s one thing to swap engines around in-house, but taking powerplants from entirely different manufacturers – indeed, different continents – is sure to rub some people up the wrong way. Engineered to go sideways and make inroads into diminishing the vast surplus tyre mountain that may or may not exist in Western Europe, every single one of the rampaging horses under this car’s hood comes complete with a banzai attitude and a Mr Miyagi headscarf. What you’re seeing there, nestling malevolently between the inner wings, is a 2JZ. And those of you who know your JDM engines will be aware that this is a revered Toyota straight-six. So why do such a thing, when there are so many proven BMW sixes to choose from? Well, part of it is to thumb a nose at the drift scene. Dominated by S-body Nissans and GT86s, the ingrained public perception of drifting as a sport is still of something with an inherently Eastern flavour. This makes sense, of course – it was something that grew from the winding mountain roads of Japan, a way for enthusiasts, racers and independent tuners to prove that motorsport could be balletic and
WHAT’S THIS GOT TO DO WITH JAY-Z? Er, no, Jay-Z isn’t involved. Let’s be British and pronounce it ‘two-jay-zed’… this is a legendary motor that Toyota first unveiled in the later Mk3 Supras, the 1JZ-GTE 2.5-litre twinturbo signalling to the world that the firm might have one or two mischievous things planned… and when the covers finally came off the Mk4 Supra, the top-of-the-range model revealed its startling 2JZ-GTE, a 3.0-litre variant, again with twin-turbos, running a six-speed manual gearbox and offering up a gentlemen’s-agreement 276bhp; actually more like 300bhp, and a real-world 326bhp in UK-spec. Which made quite a strong point. The 2JZ went on to feature in numerous cars – in naturally-aspirated 2JZ-GE guise it could be found in the Toyota Altezza/Lexus IS300 and Toyota Aristo/Lexus GS300, the Crown, Origin and Soarer/SC300, while the twin-turbo 2JZ-GTE also appeared in the JDM-only Aristo models. So what’s the attraction of putting an old 1990s engine in a more modern car? Quite simply because the 2JZ has become a legend – it’ll happily produce 500bhp+ on stock internals, and countless tuners in the drift scene have cranked them up beyond 1,000bhp. It’s not just an engine, it’s an icon.
So wrong, yet oh so right. The Toyota 2JZ isn’t for the purists but it looks right at home in Chris’s E92
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E92 BMW
The cut away rear end of the car has a tubular cradle to hold the radiator and fuel cell stylistic as well as ballistic. The aim is not to get from start to finish as quickly as possible, but with as much style, finesse, accuracy and technical competence. And Chrissy Nailen’s E92 3 Series turns all of that Eastern dominance on its head: ‘I’m using one of your engines,’ he seems to be saying, ‘and I’m doing it better than you. In a German car.’ Yes, the cheekiness is deliberate, and the logic impeccable. The pieces of the puzzle all slotted themselves into place surprisingly neatly too; Chrissy had previously been campaigning an E36 four-door, and the E92 coupe presented itself at just the right time. “I wanted a new chassis for the 2021 drift season, and I really liked the shape of the E92,” he says. “This one was the perfect donor, it was in great condition when I got it, and the fact that it had a blown engine meant that I got the car for free!” The expired powerplant was no great hardship, as this BMW originally left the factory as a 330d. And while the M57 3.0-litre turbo-diesel straight-six is a great engine in its own right, for the purposes of drifting you really want something that’s a bit more revvy and a bit less, well, diesel. And Chrissy had a clear idea for replacement right from the start. “The engine I fitted was a nat-asp 2JZ-GE, which came from a 33,000-mile Lexus GS300,” he explains. “It’s totally stock inside, I just gave it a strip check and rebuild with a turbo head gasket.” The internals of the JZ-series are notoriously strong and capable of coping with substantial power increases, so Chrissy’s decision to remain OEM inside the motor makes good sense, while massively upgrading everything outside. The straight-six is now running a Garrett GT35RS turbo on an eBay manifold with external wastegate, and the
Dep dish five-spoke wheels fit the drift look perfectly
Defining car culture 039
HOT RIDE Scoop in the rear screen feeds cold air to the rear-mounted radiator
fuelling has been substantially beefed up with 1,000cc Bosch injectors and twin 044 pumps. Obviously some custom fabrication was required, including the engine mounts and the exhaust system, as you’d expect when you’re shoehorning totally the wrong engine into an unsuspecting car from a foreign land. And there was a lot of further customisation needed to make it all driftappropriate; for example, since drifting involves going sideways most of the time, it’s not the most efficient method to keep the radiator in its stock front-mounted position, given that it doesn’t have a lot of air flowing over it in that spot, so the rad (an upgraded Supra unit from Japspeed) has been mounted in the rear of the car. The engine’s lubrication system now runs full-race specs, the wiring is pared right down to the bare minimum of what’s required, and Chrissy’s ingenuity has seen him stirring a whole load of unexpected Vauxhall into the freaky BMW/Toyota mashup – griffin branding can be found on the coil packs and various sensors, further underlining the point that this is a true one-off created for purity of function. As owner of NHP Motorsport, Chrissy’s skills and this keen sense of lateral thinking are hard-won in the smoky everyday of ontrack competition, and the results are as reliable as they are surprising. The upshot of all of these engine mods, which are knocked into shape by an Ecumaster EMU Classic ECU with data-logger? At 1.4 bar of boost, we
The E92 wears a full fibreglass Liberty Walk wide arch kit
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Wisefab knuckles give added steering lock to hold slides at rad angles
can call it 550bhp and 500lb ft. Impressive stuff. Naturally the transmission has been comprehensively reimagined to suit. The E92 still runs its native BMW/ZF gearbox, using a PMC adaptor plate to mate it to the 2JZ motor, a CG Motorsport twin-plate clutch sandwiched in between. The howling fury of it all runs through a custom prop to an LSD pinched from a manual E92 M3; the car was already running its factory 330d M-Sport brakes, and this setup has been augmented with an OBP bias valve and LRP hydraulic handbrake. Drift cars are, by their very nature, quite harsh and uncompromising things; there doesn’t need to be any concession to comfort, and Chrissy has tightened
E92 BMW
Xx xxfuel x xx xxisx protected x xx x x x The cell xx xthe x xxxx xx steel x x xxx by tubular cage
it all up by rose-jointing everything he possibly could throughout the suspension rather than mucking about with bushes. The chassis packs BC Racing coilovers and Wisefab front arms and hubs, all serious gear for serious sideways angles. Speaking of ‘serious’, that’s a state of mind which has informed this project from the start. As soon as Chrissy took delivery of the E92, job one was to totally strip it down to a bare shell, weld in a custom rollcage, and set about scything out absolutely every bit of steel from the frame that wasn’t specifically required to make the car function. The whole back end was chopped away, replaced by a bespoke tube frame upon which to hang
LEFT: Wraparound Cobra bucket seat holds Chris in place BELOW: Tablet dash displays the engine parameters
Only the dashboard itself remains as BMW intended
Defining car culture 041
HOT RIDE the exterior panels (so that it still, y’know, looks like a car) while also cradling the rear radiator setup and fuel cell. The BMW was then built back up with a fibreglass Liberty Walk widebody kit – no point going for full carbon-fibre when there’s a decent chance of bouncing it off a wall – and then painted in a Fiat shade of blue and slathered in custom graphics by Cube Wraps. “The Lexan windows went in, then I started on the fuel system and body wiring,” he says, making it all sound far easier than it actually is. “I carried on to completely build up the inside and the running gear, and once all that was done the 2JZ-GE engine went in, followed by the custom wiring harness and exhaust system. We got it on the dyno, then sent the car away for graphics!” Simple as that, eh? And the interior that he’s breezed over there is particularly worthy of note, as it hasn’t simply been stripped but properly prepped and painted too, with the minimalist additions making it a place of focused racer purpose: a wraparound Cobra seat (along with a Sparco bucket for scaring passengers), hardcore harnesses, that all-important hydro handbrake, plus a custom switch panel, proper FIA plumbed-in fire suppression system, and a tablet dash display to relay everything the Ecumaster brains are overseeing. It’s a perfect fusion of form and function, with absolutely zero compromise. And that’s all very fitting, as a no-nonsense approach is very much what characterises this unusual and surprising E92. “As far as I’m aware, it’s the first Pro-spec 2JZ-powered E92 in Scotland, and only the second in the UK,” says Chrissy. And his plans? They’re clearly mapped out: “I’m going to compete in the UK Drift Championship as a Pro driver, and also run a full season of the British Drift Championship as Pro 2.” So you can expect to see a lot more of this hedonistic coupe in the coming months, particularly if you find yourself standing in the sort of venues that tend to be enveloped in atomised rubber. Polarising it may be, but this JZ-swapped Beemer won’t be compromising for anybody.
TECH SPEC: E92 BMW
ENGINE: Toyota 2JZ-GE (non-VVTi) 3.0-litre straightsix, Garrett GT35RS turbo on eBay manifold and external wastegate, Bosch 1,000cc injectors on custom inlet manifold, 90mm throttle body, Vauxhall C20XE throttle position sensor, Vauxhall Calibra C25XE coil packs with custom plug leads, Vauxhall C20LET intake air temperature sensor, Vauxhall C20XE crank trigger wheel – custom-mounted to crank pulley with Ford Transit crankshaft sensor, oil filter relocation and cooler setup, custom downpipe and exhaust system, custom oil catch tank with braided hoses, AN fittings throughout, Turbosmart fuel pressure regulator with AN10 feed and AN8 return lines, Group D fuel cell, twin Bosch 044 fuel pumps, Ecumaster EMU Classic ECU with data-logger, custom wiring harness, BMW 320d 180amp alternator, rear-mounted Japspeed Supra radiator with stock JZ water pump, GReddy front-mount intercooler with blue silicone hoses, silicone water hoses, custom engine mounts POWER: 550bhp / 500lb ft (at 1.4 bar) TRANSMISSION: BMW ZF gearbox, PMC 2JZ-toBMW adaptor plate, CG Motorsport twin-plate clutch, custom propshaft, LRP V3 shifter, E92 M3 (manual) LSD SUSPENSION: BC Racing coilovers, Wisefab front arms and hubs, rose-jointed throughout, modified strut tops BRAKES: E92 330d M-Sport front and rear brakes, OBP bias valve, LRP hydraulic handbrake WHEELS: 9.5x18in 59° North D-004 wheels with 225/45/18 Maxxsport RB6 (front) and 265/35/18 Zestino Acrova 07A (rear) tyres EXTERIOR: Liberty Walk fibreglass widebody kit, all unnecessary steel removed (including full rear end and quarters), fibreglass M3 bonnet and bootlid, ducktail spoiler, cut-down M-Sport rear bumper, Lexan windows - with rear cut for radiator vent, removable rear quarter windows for access, tube-framed rear end holding fuel cell and radiator, shell painted Fiat blue with custom graphics by Cube Wraps, front and rear brake lights INTERIOR: Fully stripped and painted, custom rollcage, rear end fitted with custom firewall, custom throttle pedal for cable throttle, LRP shifter and hydro handle, custom switch panel, FIA plumbed-in fire suppression system, tablet dash display through Ecumaster EMU ECU, AEM wideband gauge and boost gauge, T7 Design heater box, Cobra wraparound driver’s seat, Sparco passenger seat, STR 6-point HANS-compatible FIA driver harness, STR 5-point passenger harness THANKS: “Massive thanks go to my son Bobby Coyle for pushing me to get the car built, and all his help and putting up with my moods. Danny Herald, Kenny Robertson, Daryn Reid, Colin and Myles Moir for all their help in getting the car to look and perform the way it does. Thanks to my sponsors NHP Motorsport, Nuts Off, HJS Garage Equipment, Mack Motorsport, Spray and Bake, Beasy Media, CG Motorsport, SOS Motorsport, and Cube Wraps. And last but not least my missus, Tracy, who lets me do whatever I need to get the car the way it is and listens to me moaning about it!”
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HOT RIDE
Words Dan Sherwood Photography Ollie Wildsmith
LOVE TRIANGLE
After getting hooked on rotaries at 21, Sim Harratt has dabbled in all manner of modified motors, but when the chance to buy another FC RX-7 arose, he couldn’t resist rekindling his passion for this wankel-engined wonder Nostalgia is a fickle thing. As time passes and memories fade from crystal clarity into a hazy dreamlike blur, it’s hard to remember the true feelings you had around certain subjects. It’s like your brain has compressed the memory into a cerebrally-stored JPEG, selecting certain parts of events and deeming them surplus to requirements and only keeping what it thinks is the important stuff. This can lead to the whole rosetinted spectacles phenomenon, where the way you remember events can be through a very distorted lens of how they actually felt at the time. It happens with everything we experience, from our first job, our first loves, or even our first cars. With intense scrutiny, we can see they actually weren’t the best of times. Like maybe you were working for peanuts and were treated like a dog’s body, or your other half broke your heart, or the first car you owed was really a rust-riddled, gutless old banger. But yet we often look back on those times with fondness nonetheless. And it’s this retrospective optimism that, left unchecked, can often lead us into making poor decisions later in life. 36-year-old engineering and contracts manager Sim Harratt knows only too well the trouble that nostalgia can land you in, especially when it comes to cars, as it was his own mind that tricked him into making a potentially unwise buy, as he viewed a prospective purchase with his heart instead of his head. “I had an FC RX-7 back when I was 21-years-old and it was my first experience of a turbocharged Japanese car,” he recalls with a smile. “I loved it and it gave me a real soft spot for rotary-engined cars.” But as much as he ‘thinks’ he loved that car, there was obviously a reason that he moved on from it and his next two cars, a Fiesta RS Turbo and a UK300 Subaru Impreza, were both piston powered. “Now I think about it, the FC did have its problems,”
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he muses. “Obviously, being a rotary it was pretty thirsty, both for unleaded and 10W30, but it did run really sweetly and I had no problems with it… until it blew up!” Being just a young whippersnapper at the time, Sim’s engine knowledge was scant at best, yet he decided to get stuck in and enter the dark art of rotary engine rebuilding. “I barely knew anything about piston engines, and had practically no idea about rotaries, but I thought: ‘how hard can it be?’ Turns out I had bitten off more than I could chew.” With conventional garages unwilling, or unable, to help or even offer advice, and wankel specialists few and far between, Sim struggled with the rebuild and soon found himself needing another car to get himself to work and back while the rebuild continued to drag on ever longer. “I bought a Fiesta with a 2.1-litre ZVH engine swap as a daily while I fixed the RX-7,” he says. “Unfortunately, that didn’t fare much better and broke down on me, with what was later diagnosed as a cracked cylinder head. I wasn’t having much luck.” Needing to get at least one car working in order to get himself to work, Sim was at a crossroads: either blindly plough on with the RX-7 rebuild, or sell the Mazda to fund fixing the Fiesta. And when a replacement ZVH cylinder head came up for sale, Sim’s choice was made for him. “For the next few years I stayed away from rotaries as I just wanted to stick to something that I knew I could fix if things went wrong, and there’s such a wealth of fast piston-powered cars out there I was spoilt for choice,” Sim says. “After the Fiesta I got the Subaru, which was another good car, but eventually the bad memories of the FC faded away and all I could remember was how
MAZDA FC RX-7
Defining car culture 045
HOT RIDE
9.5x18in Cosmis Racing rims suit the 7's lines good and unique it felt to drive. The smooth, linear power delivery and the awesome distinctive exhaust note. I started to get an itch for another one.” So when he saw an FC Turbo 2 pop up for sale for the bargain price of £600, he was only too eager to take another punt at RX-ownership. “I purchased the car on a bit of a whim,” he shrugs. “When it came up for sale I hadn’t seen one for such a long time I jumped straight in. The advert stated that it was a runner but was overheating and its MOT had just expired, so the plan was to get it back on the road as soon as possible and just enjoy it.” With the seven safely on his driveway, Sim’s first port of call was to sort the overheating issue, which was found to be a simple air lock in the cooling system. Once this was purged, she purred like a kitten. All was well in Sim’s world at the time. It seemed he had bagged himself a bit of a steal and he booked the car in for some pre-MOT checks and was feeling optimistic. But this is where things started to go downhill. “It turned out that the floor was a rusty mess!” he says regretfully. “The car was very low when I went to look at it and I was so blinded by the nostalgia of rekindling my love affair with an FC RX-7 that I forgot to do some of
People rave about FD RX-7s but we reckon a well sorted FC is just as sexy
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The carbon racing mirrors are fitted to homemade mounts the most basic checks. I felt like a right mug!” Once again, Sim had a decision to make, as there was no way the car would pass an MOT without some serious work. However, now a little older and hopefully wiser, he chose to stick with the seven and pull out all the stops in the process! Confident that his skills were now up to the task Sim removed the engine and set about welding any areas of red rot, however, the patches he could see were only the tip of the iceberg and, like a decaying onion, as each layer was removed it revealed yet more rust. “I’d never seen anything like it!” he exclaims. “The car had previously had patch after patch and it was horrific. I was overwhelmed, so the wheels went back on and that’s how it stayed for the next two years.” But even that feeling of despondent disappointment soon started to evaporate and, as the months passed, Sim found a new enthusiasm for the car and rented a unit with a friend where the mammoth task of restoring the rusty RX could begin. “The first job on the list was the floor and sills,” he remembers. “They were so bad that there was nothing I could salvage for reference as to what they even looked like, so I rang a Mazda main dealer and was shocked to find they could get the sill repair panel, so I ordered one straight away.” As it turns out, it wasn’t quite as simple as that though, as the sills are in three sections: front, middle and rear, and Sim had only bought the middle section. “I needed help, there was no chance I could replace all of these parts on my own, so I passed my middle sill section over to a close friend who works at a classic car restorer specialising in E-Type Jags, and he bent me two new sills using the Mazda part as a template.” Sim carried on welding and grinding over and over until one side was complete, where it was then onto the other side, to do the laborious job all over again! “I got to a point where I’d removed a tonne of filler from the rear quarter panel and found that it was in
MAZDA FC RX-7
“I was blinded by the nostalgia of rekindling my love affair with an FC RX-7”
Tinted rear lights and numberplate finish off the murderous look
Rebuilt engine and uprated turbo should be good for around 400bhp
too bad a shape to be repaired properly, especially as I didn’t want to add loads of filler back onto the panel and I felt that overfenders where a short cut, so I continued on with other works while searching for a donor car that could get me the all of replacement parts I needed.” Eventually, a whole shell turned up for next to no money so Sim snapped it up and got cracking again. Luckily the donor car had other parts he could use too, including two rust-free front wings a second set of window glass and that all-important rear quarter.
Defining car culture 047
HOT RIDE
Prosport gauges and Fuel tech digi dash provide essential info
“With the help of my buddy Rob Bailey, we unstitched the old panel welds and swapped them over with the mint donor panels,” Sim explains. “It was one of my favourite jobs in the end, as it looks so daunting, but it’s actually much easier in the long run than flinging filler at the problem.” And from seeing the finished product, you’d never guess, as the panel gaps and alignment is better than factory. “The engine bay was next, so I welded up all the unneeded holes – and some that I later found I did need! – and gave it the smoothed and tucked look while still retaining some original features,” Sim says. “It was then on to preparing everything for paint.” Over the next few years Sim spent the odd weekend stuck in the unit with a sander taking the whole shell back to bare metal before coating it in etch primer and high build and sanding again. It was an backbreaking job, but as they say: fail to prepare; prepare to fail, and Sim was adamant that there be no more setbacks with the build so committed to doing things right. “Just before it was ready for paint, I moved into a new house with a double garage, so after Rob and I laid down the paint, I moved the car back to my garage to refresh the engine,” Sim says. “It had been running fine previously, but when I took it apart the housings were badly scored and dented, even though the apex and side seals looked fine – almost like someone had built it like that.” Now, rotaries have moved on so much in recent years, but when Sim searched for information on rotary tuning back then, he drew a blank. So, never one to
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shy away from a challenge, he bought a full Bridgeport template and had a bash at porting the housings and rebuilding the motor himself. “At this stage things seemed to be going well and I thought I was the boy!” he laughs. “However, it wasn’t until later that I realised just how crucial some of the porting measurements really are and a momentary of lapse of concentration had me clearance my side seals all wrong and the motor never really built compression, it would start cold, but struggle anywhere else.” But rather than admit defeat, Sim was given the number of Colum at Garage Reg who kindly helped him through all of the engine building and modifying process so the latest engine is built well and is performing strong. “I’ve just started to put some boost into it after the run-in period, so after an oil change it’ll be off to the
Sim's crammed some uprated audio in there too with 8in Sony speakers
TECH SPEC: MAZDA FC RX-7
mappers to push the performance to its full potential, I can’t wait!” Sim grins with lust in his eyes. And so the cycle will begin again. Sim’s cyclical love/ hate relationship with second generation RX-7’s is set to go for a spin on the modified merry-go-round again. We just hope that this time, his love for those spinning triangles stays rosy and he won’t need the selective spectacles to look back on this time with a smile.
MAZDA FC RX-7
ENGINE 13B REW from ‘99 FD RX-7, fully balanced rotating assembly by Garage Reg, half bridge ported, Garage Reg 10mm stud kit, all new rotor and stationary gear bearings, Rotary Aviation two-piece apex seals and Atkins solid corner seals, Garage Reg refinished housings, Full Function Engineering hall-effect trigger kit, FD lower and upper intake manifolds, Grams 4x1000cc injectors, DM Motorsports fuel rail kit, AEM fuel pressure regulator, all-new 6an fuel lines fed by a Walbro 455 fuel pump, 4x AEM ignition 1A coils and MSD plug leads, Davies Craig water pump and controller, custom water pipes, DM Motorsport water pump delete, alloy radiator with single electric fan controlled by the Davies Craig controller, custom relocated alternator bracket, stainless tubular manifold with Turbosmart 50mm Progate wastegate, Holset HX50 turbo with 25mm rear housing, custom 3in downpipe and exhaust system, intercooler with modified pipework, two 14-row oil coolers and 10an lines, Fueltech FT450 with WB-02 nano, power steering, ABS and aircon deleted, smoothed and painted engine bay PERFORMANCE Specced for 400bhp (estimate) TRANSMISSION Standard Turbo 2 gearbox and diff, 4 paddle Stage 4 Competition Clutch SUSPENSION HSD coilovers, uprated anti-roll bar and bushes BRAKES Standard Turbo 2 calipers with uprated discs and pads, braided hoses WHEELS & TYRES 9.5x18in ET10 Cosmis Racing XT006R wheels in black with machined lip EXTERIOR Standard Turbo 2 sideskirts, smoothed out tailgate holes and standard spoiler removed, Ebay rear diffuser, S2000-FD side skirt extensions, S13 pig nose front lip, carbon-fibre wing mirrors with custom mounts, rear hatch spoiler, carbon-fibre bumper/exhaust guards, LED side lights INTERIOR Standard Turbo 2 seats, Prosport gauges for oil temp, oil pressure and boost, Prosport boost controller, Fueltech FT450 dash and WB-02 nano, Momo steering wheel and carbon gear knob, Sony head unit and 8in speakers
Stock seats look great with the green X-brace
THANKS My mates Martin Bugg and Rob Bailey for helping with the bodywork and paint, Colum at Garage Reg for all the engine work and info whenever I needed it
“After an oil change, it will be off to the mappers to push the performance to its full potential”
Defining car culture 049
P hotography : Josh M a cke y C a r : Ho nd a NSX O wne r : Tam Le
HOT RIDE Words & photography: Chuff Media
FIRE WOOD When a blazing inferno incinerated his prize BMWs, Ian ‘Woody’ Woodridge looked to Stuttgart to replace his Munich-made mile munchers, and the result is pure fire! Acrid black smoke and the heat from searing flames fills the atmosphere. The smell of burning oil, rubber and leather penetrates Ian Woodridge’s nostrils and carves the moment further into his subconscious memory. Unfortunately, for Ian, or ‘Woody’ to his mates, this wasn’t a moment that he cared to remember, as this was the instant that he lost his four-wheeled pride and joy to the relentless destruction of a blazing inferno. “My garage had caught fire with my beloved E36 M3 Evo and E21 316 still inside,” he remembers with a sigh. “I’d had the cars for quite a while and had a lot of fun in them over the years, so it was heartbreaking to lose them in that way.” As a die-hard BMW-fan, these were just the tip of the iceberg of Munich-made motors that Ian had owned over the years, and a betting man would’ve stuck the house on the fact that he’d replace
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1969 MERCEDES W114 250
Defining car culture 053
HOT RIDE 2.4-litre M104 engine was far from a simple swap, but makes Ian’s Merc much more reliable
his incinerated steeds with another from the revered German manufacturer. But they would’ve lost… “I love my BMWs, but I’ve owned loads over the years and decided that it was time to try something different,” says the Cornwall-based car-nut. “A friend of mine had acquired a Mercedes W114 as a project and it just looked so cool. I knew there and then that I wanted to go down a similar route with my next build.” After the tyre-shredding M3, an old-school Mercedes barge would place less emphasis on performance, but with the right stance and mods, it would surely be more than capable of turning some heads. This particular car popped up on Facebook and Ian soon discovered it was actually only a few miles down the road from him. “It was like it was meant to be!” he chuckles. “A few more messages later I’d arranged a viewing and it only took me a few minutes of seeing it and the car was mine. It was not on the road at the time, so the first thing was to drop it off at a local classic car garage to have the basics rectified and make her road worthy.” A stream of ideas was already tumbling through Ian’s brain at this point and, whilst waiting for the car to be made roadworthy again, he found and ordered the wheels. Wanting to keep it OEM, but with a modern twist, he found a set of one-piece Mercedes Barock wheels
Barock wheels with extended lips are the perfect choice for a retro Mercedes
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(also known as Mexican Hats) that had been converted to three-piece split rims from a seller in Budapest. Reasoning that these unique hoops would fit the bill perfectly, he completed the order and the wheels were soon winging their way to sunny Cornwall. Whilst various car parts were travelling the globe on their way to Ian’s house, the man himself was lining up the next phase of the project. He got in touch with Carl Shakespeare at Hampshire-based car-audio experts Studio Incar and they discussed his ideas regarding a custom air ride install, complete with boot build and a few other unique tweaks. “Studio Incar came up with a plan for the Mercedes install,” Ian says. “So as soon as the wheels arrived and the tyres were fitted, they were bolted to the car and it was driven to their unit for the fancy upgrades to begin.” The custom air-ride kit comprises custom mounts, Air Lift Performance bags with Accuair management and a custom boot build with copper hard lines and a polished tank. Wood facades complete the look, while a period Becker headunit and cassette player was also installed in the dash. With the car now sounding great on the inside and looking the part with adjustable lows at the flick of a switch, next up was the
Genuine Autoplas rear window louvre is rare as you like
Reinterpreting the most iconic wheel ever made...
Samples shown: neuBarock® Monoblock Forged Sport Klassik 7.5x17 in mirror-polished finish. RRP €6000 set of 4 wheels. IN SEPTEMBER 1969, MERCEDES-BENZ PRESENTED THE FIRST LIGHT-ALLOY WHEEL, WHICH WAS FORGED. IT IS KNOWN AS “BAROCK”. THIS TIMELESS DESIGN BECAME AN ICON. NEUBAROCK® IS A 21ST-CENTURY PREMIUM PRODUCT MADE IN THE EU THAT COMBINES THE ULTIMATE WHEEL MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY WITH TRADITION BY DEVELOPING DESIGN SOLUTIONS FOR BAROQUE-STYLE WHEELS TO ADAPT SIZES, OFFSETS AND FINISHES TO THE TECHNICAL AND AESTHETIC REQUIREMENTS DESIRED BY THE CLIENT.
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HOT RIDE
“Fate had stepped in once again. It was like the universe want me to build this car!”
There’s just something about a retro barge on air ride... bodywork, which was in dire need of some attention, as the car had been sat around for some time and it showed. To fix the lackluster paintwork, the car was stripped down and the shell delivered to BPA Bodyshop in Launceston, Cornwall for a full respray, whilst the chrome trim was sent off to Doug Taylor Polishing in Weston Super Mare to be overhauled. The bootlid, bonnet and doors were all media blasted to find the best surface to start from and the rest of the car was taken back to bare metal too – apart from the engine bay, which we’ll come to shortly… The car was originally white with a black roof but, with the respray underway, Ian reasoned that it was the perfect time to mix-up the colour scheme. “After what seemed like an eternity flicking through Mercedes colour palettes, I eventually found Havana Brown, which seemed to fit much better with my retro-style vision, and so I had the roof and accents painted in this colour.” Once the car’s new top coat was complete, all of the refreshed chrome trim was re-installed and from the outside the car was better than new! For a while, at least, Ian reveled in the car’s fresh new look and took the opportunity to just get out and enjoy it, attending a few shows like Retro Rides at Shelsey Walsh and, on one occasion, even
Custom air ride install look the nuts with the walnut veneers giving a period look
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stopping on his way to get a custom exhaust fitted by Infinity Exhausts in Bristol, which tucked the system out of the way and allowed the car to sit much lower when aired out. With a few more shows under his belt – and a few awards won – Ian’s confidence in the car was growing, which was timed nicely with an invitation to attend the 100% Tuning Show in Ahoy Arena Rotterdam. His friend Rory Hamilton was going in his W115 so the pair decided to make a road trip out of it. Before such a long trip it’s wise to ensure your vehicle is in tip top mechanical condition and, despite having already attended numerous shows in the UK, the car was still running on its LPG conversion, as it didn’t run terribly well on petrol. With the 100% Tuning event looming, Ian decided to bite the bullet, get a new set of carbs and have it all setup correctly. Excited for their European road trip the guys set off for Rotterdam, however, just several miles away on the M4 the car decided it didn’t like the new setup Ian had spent all his hard earned cash on, and refused to run correctly. After fiddling with it a bit, Ian switched the vehicle back to LPG and it ran all the way to Holland and back without fault. The only issues they were left with was how to ask for LPG in garages across Europe by using hand gestures, and an unfortunate mishap with a car-wide pothole somewhere in Belgium that wrote off two of Ian’s split rims. Nevertheless, she still got him home. Back in Cornwall, with the memories of all the beautiful show vehicles he had seen at the 100% Tuning event fresh in his memory, Ian decided that over the following winter he would remove the engine and gearbox and smooth the engine bay. “This was easier said than done,” he laughs. “The first hurdle being to ‘persuade’ the rusty, 45-year-old bolts that held the engine mounts and gearbox to the car, to kindly release. Eventually I won that battle though, and the engine and ‘box came free.” It was at this moment Ian decided that, given the fueling issue, the original engine was not going to go back in. So he enlisted RHM Bodyshop to paint the bay with a semi-OEM/smooth look. “The bodyshop media-blasted the whole front end and engine bay which literally opened up a can of worms,” Ian remembers. “There were holes everywhere due to corrosion. This meant that new panels
1969 MERCEDES W114 250
were needed, which I eventually located in Germany and the USA, as there were none in the UK for this model.” One hurdle complete, it was on to the new engine. An engine swap was actually never part of Ian’s initial plans for the car, but these things happen for a reason and he’s glad they did. Wanting to keep the powerplant Mercedes, he initially flirted with the idea of fitting a Mercedes Cosworth engine, but he couldn’t find one. Then, after seeing a few euro guys running the Mercedes M104 engine in similar cars, Ian started considering it as a possible swap, before one randomly presented itself for sale locally. “Fate had stepped in once again,” he laughs. “It was like the universe wanted me to build this car!” But although the engine was from the same manufacturer, this was far from a straightforward swap, as it required custom mounts to be made and the subframe to be modified to accommodate the extra depth of the new engine. With the new parts mocked up, everything started to take shape. To tidy things further Ian moved the battery to the boot, and tucked all the wires neatly into the wings. The horn and washer bottle were
Accuair control panel artfully frenched into the tweed-trimmed centre console
also relocated to inside the wings and the fusebox moved under the dashboard. To give the bulkhead that really clean look, the brake servo was also deleted and a pedal box was fitted, with the pedal box reservoirs hidden in the glove box. The heater matrix was also removed to complete the smooth look. With the engine bay smoothed, plus everything tucked away or relocated, it was certainly looking a lot cleaner under the bonnet, so all that was left was to strip and repaint the engine and the manual Cosworth five-speed dogleg gearbox Ian had sourced to mate to it. The engine bay and the front end were then fully repainted too and the whole lot refitted, completing the car’s front end refresh. With the car at the bodyshop, having more facial work than a footballer’s wife, Ian was busy making calls and doing deals to rebuild his damaged wheels. Two of the lips were ruined beyond repair so he decided to go for a wider set and colour-code them, so got in contact with OnlyChargedDubs about supplying some lips and then spoke to Dan at Wheel Unique about stripping them down, changing the colour of the centres and rebuilding them with new gold bolts, a
Period Becker headunit complete with Cuban cigar and mini German police car
Defining car culture 057
HOT RIDE
TECH SPEC 1969 MERCEDES W114 250
ENGINE: 2.8-litre M104 engine swap, custom wiring loom, DTA S80 standalone ECU, custom polished manifold, fully tucked custom exhaust system, K&N air filter, full engine overhaul and recondition, custom hidden wiring loom, brake servo removed, horn and washer bottle hidden in wings along with other wiring, battery relocated to the boot TRANSMISSION: Mercedes Cosworth dog-leg 5-speed gearbox, Cosworth clutch, Cosworth gear linkages and gear shift
combo that looks great in our opinion. Taking stock, Ian had now done the exterior refresh, custom air ride, smoothed and tucked the engine-swapped bay and even revamped the wheels, but there remained one area that was letting the overall build down - the interior. “The interior didn’t look great, so I stripped it out and sent it to Studio Incar for a revamp,” Ian says. “Carl suggested a red tweed retrim to complement the retro look and, I have to say , I reckon it fits with the colour scheme perfectly.” The interior makeover complete and LPG tank removed – as it was no longer needed – Ian could see that there was finally light at the end of the tunnel, with just a custom manifold and loom needed to get the ‘90s engine working properly in this 1969 classic. “I was booked in to show the car at Retro Rides, but unfortunately it wasn’t quite ready to be driven,” he recounts. “But, not wanting to miss out, I trailered it there and even did a windscreen retrofit at the show with many bemused onlookers. The weekend went well and I received a lot of positive comments and praise about the car, which made all of the stress and running around to get things finished more than worth it.” The whole look was then completed when Ian received a phone call from a friend in France that runs Classiqueautoworks. He had stumbled across a genuine rear window louvre made by Autoplas. It was specifically a W114 louvre, so fitted Ian’s car perfectly and, before he knew it, the louvre was on its way and on his car. “I was initially apprehensive about making the switch from BMW to Mercedes, but this old girl has been absolutely awesome,” Ian beams. “Not only has it scooped me silverware at various shows, but it also got me invited to join Auto Finesse’s ambassador program too, which is a real honour.” Which just goes to prove that, with modified cars, it’s not just the badge on the bonnet that counts, but the skill, effort and ingenuity to make something stand out from the crowd – elements that Ian’s smoking hot Mercedes has in spades.
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SUSPENSION: Custom Air-ride setup using Air Lift bags and Accuair management, custom mounts, all designed and fitted by Studio Incar BRAKES: Standard WHEELS & TYRES: Original 15in Mercedes Barock centres painted in Mercedes Havana Brown converted into 3-piece custom split rims, 2in front and 2.5in rear lips, all new gold hardware, supplied and made by Wheel Unique, 215/40/15 white wall Falken tyres, polished centre caps EXTERIOR: Full bare metal respray in two tone off white and Havana brown, smoothed bay with new inner wings and custom bulkhead, new strut mounts, custom subframe painted Havana brown with all reconditioned suspension parts, all chrome trims re-refreshed, new black grille inserts, very rare rear window louvre INTERIOR: Full retrim in red tweed, Air-ride controller frenched into centre console, all new carpets, new sound deadening, new brown seat belts, rear window blind, custom boot build to fit around the original spare wheel in wood trim to match the original dash, period Becker headunit and cassette player THANKS: Everyone that has been involved in the build
over the last 6 long years. Shakey at Studio Incar, Ben at BPA Bodyshop, John at RHM Bodyshop, Dan at Wheel Unique, James at Southwest Lotus Centre, and a massive thanks to my better half, Emma, for putting up with me through it all
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TOP 10 CONVERTIBLES
Convertibles Top Ten
Words: Daniel Bevis photography: Various
There’s something pure and elemental about driving a convertible. On the right day, in the right scenery, you can feel truly at one with the machine beneath you while the multi-sensory whooshing of nature itself serves to amplify the hedonistic experience. The roar of the engine, the artful rearrangement of your barnet, there’s nothing quite like it. Now, summer is just around the corner, and you know what that means: the roof goes down, the tunes go up, life is sweet. We know it may seem hard to imagine right now – at the time of writing, the weather is pinballing undecidedly between glorious sunshine and random unexpected snow – but the sun
will come, we promise. Remember how ludicrously tropical the summer of 2020 was? Get ready for that again, we’re offering you a bulletproof Fast Car meteorological guarantee. And if you want to grab yourself a desirable rag-top to see you through the season, now’s the time to strike – after all, when the roof comes down, the price goes up! So crack out the factor 50 and maybe invest in some manner of hat – we’ve split our top-ten into five affordable cars (sub-£10k) and five aspirational ones (£10k+) so there’s something for everyone… and there’s not a sniff of scuttle shake in the bunch, every single one is a proper roofless icon.
defining car culture 061
TOP 10 CONVERTIBLES Honda S2000
One of the best things about a convertible is that you can hear the engine better. And when you’ve got an engine as sweet as the F20C, you may never want to put the roof up again. It’s an absolute screamer of a motor, a VTEC fourpot serving up 237bhp at a howling 8,300rpm, redlining at 9,200rpm, and featuring clever cam timing, forged pistons with ultra-low-friction skirts, and all sorts of other clever race-car tech. It sounds utterly glorious. Honda’s iconic S2000 enjoyed a ten-year production run; designed from the off to be a drop-top with strong sporting credentials, the company developed a chassis that was superlight and incredibly stiff, and the cleverness of the engine is complemented by a fancy digital dash, allowing you to observe the rapid building of revs in a colourful streak. And while the body is crisply styled in a way that really hasn’t aged too badly at all, the relatively sober lines mean that it flies under the radar of the average motorist, which is good news for the likes of us. It’s basically a race car underneath, and no-one suspects a thing. There were two generations: the AP1, from 1999-2003, featured that revered layout of F20C engine, six-speed manual gearbox and Torsen LSD; there was a minor facelift in 2002. The AP2 was built from 2004-09, with a variety of significant alterations; it had revised suspension to reduce oversteer as well as 17in wheels (replacing the old sixteens); spring and shock rates were altered and toe-in reduced along with the addition of a
Porsche 997 Carrera 2
The so-called lesser 997s are looking like tremendous value at the moment. ‘Lesser’ is a loaded term, of course; it’s easy to get caught up in the lunacy of the GT3, the laser-guided terror of the Turbo, or even the everyday mischief of the C4S, but the Carrera 2 is still a formidable machine that most of its peers would struggle to keep up with on the right roads. Indeed, many prefer the base model for its relative simplicity and uncluttered purity – it’s the classic 911 formula: that swoopy, generation-spanning profile, with a perky engine sitting over the only driven wheels, no fuss, no messing. And the fact that you can find really attractive-looking examples for a smidge under £30k makes them a viable and entertaining alternative to that shiny new SUV you may have been eyeing up. The days are gone when you can pick up a 997 C2 for £20k (well, unless you fancy the gamble of netting one that “needs work”), but that value trajectory merely reinforces the fact that now is the time to strike. They won’t be this inexpensive again.
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softer rear ARB, the steering ratio was reduced, and the subframe was strengthened. A number of exterior changes signified the reworked model: oval tailpipes, redesigned bumpers, new headlights and LED taillights. But all S2000s are cool, you really can’t go wrong. Price today: £9,000 Top mods: The chassis leans a little more toward the GT spectrum in stock form, but you can sharpen this up with a set of anti-roll bars from Eibach. The stock brakes are good but the pedal feel could be better, so a set of Goodridge
braided lines is your friend here. There are a lot of induction options, with K&N’s FIPK being regarded as offering decent gains for the S2000; this can be paired with a Milltek cat-back to help the F20C find its voice. And for those rare (ahem) days when it’s drizzly and bleak, why not grab yourself a Seibon carbon-fibre hard-top? It’s a pricey move, but the quality speaks for itself. Top contacts: Eibach (eibachshop.co.uk), Goodridge (goodridge.co.uk), K&N (knfilters. co.uk), Milltek (millteksport.com), Seibon (seiboncarbon.co.uk)
CUT PRICE
The 997 (built from 2004-13) is unusual in that it was the first generation of 911 to be designed as a convertible first, with the coupe design following – the thinking being that it’s harder to engineer a drop-top to be stiff, so they might as well do the tricky job first. In Carrera guise, you get a 3.6-litre flat-six serving up 325bhp, a really sweet gearbox, rear-wheel drive and a chassis to die for. Bit of a looker too, isn’t it? Price today: £30,000 Top mods: Stock brakes don’t last long, which is all the excuse you need to upgrade – get yourself
a set of grooved discs and YellowStuff pads from EBC for that all-important extra bite. BC Racing offers a set of quality coilovers for the 997 at a surprisingly affordable price, and that tech is hardy and proven. A lightweight flywheel is a good idea, as the stock item is needlessly heavy – the guys at Porsche Shop can help you here. GT3 seats occasionally pop up on eBay too, and they’re well worth a punt. Top contacts: EBC (ebcbrakeshop.co.uk), BC Racing (bc-racing.co.uk) Porsche Shop (porscheshop.co.uk)
TOP 10 CONVERTIBLES Mazda MX-5 2.0 (NC)
Through all generations of MX-5 development, Mazda followed the concept of ‘jinba ittai’, a term that loosely translates as ‘rider and horse as one’. Like the NA and NB, the new-for-2005 NC had to follow five specific criteria: to be as compact and light as possible, to comfortably accommodate two people with no wasted space, to have a front-mid engine layout and RWD for a 50:50 weight distribution, to have wishbone or multi-link suspension at each corner, and to have an engine frame that provided a solid connection to the diff for sharp throttle response. The NC’s body offered a radical new look, with bulging arches and an up-and-at-’em stance. And whereas the NA/NB had a canvas roof as standard with the option of a removable hardtop, the NC could be had with either canvas or an integrated folding hardtop – which added 36kg to the weight, but impressively didn’t intrude upon boot space. The NC was a clean-sheet design, sharing nothing with its NB predecessor. Suspension was revised from a four-wheel double wishbone setup to the RX-8’s front wishbone/ rear multilink arrangement, and the engine was the new MZR 16-valve four-pot (sourced from Ford) – 1.8-litres for 126bhp, 2.0-litres for 160bhp. It’s the latter we’d go for, and the sixspeed manual version came with an optional LSD for maximum awesomeness. Mazda released the folding hardtop variant in mid-2006, naming it
BMW M3 (E46)
The E46 M3 is a desirable option, being recent enough to be solid and dependable, yet old enough to provide a classic and (relatively) analogue driving experience. It’s the archetypal M formula – brawny straight-six up front, drive to the rear, sublime handling and plenty of readily exploitable power. When the model broke cover in late-2000, it boasted an engine of such aweinspiring firepower, it provided the highest specific output of any mainstream BMW engine thus far. A robust 343bhp from its 3.2-litre six meant that it went like stink and had muscle in spades, adding a whole lot of adrenalised, pumpedup aggression to the standard coupé’s sober lines. For moneyed purists, the Coupé Sport Leichtbau, or CSL, of 2004 is the dream-garage car - limited to just 1,400 examples, it enjoyed race-derived suspension, a tighter steering ratio, E39 M5 brakes, a 110kg weight reduction thanks to copious use of carbon-fibre reinforced plastic and the junking of anything unnecessarily heavy (sound deadening, seat motors, sat-nav, etc), thinner glass, racy bucket seats, a simplified steering wheel that lost all of the stereo and phone controls and had just one button for ‘M Track Mode’, and a handful of extra horses under the bonnet. Externally, you’ll find the single eyecatching addition that most E46 owners crave: that ducktail spoiler. But as collectors start to shell out silly money on CSLs (£40k is the entry point, low-mileage examples are creeping towards six figures), the ‘mainstream’ E46 M3s are
‘Roadster Coupé’ (commonly referred to as ‘RC’). A facelift arrived in 2008, known as the NC2; the rev limit was raised slightly, and the front rollcentre was lowered to improve turn-in. A larger grille and restyled headlights brought the design in line with the rest of the model range, and power increased to 167bhp. A further facelift, the NC3, came in 2013, again redesigning the nose. So there’s a lot of choice out there, and the used market is flooded with ’em. Price today: £7,000 Top mods: Power is easy to find with the 2.0 – BBR’s Super 180 package will give you an easy 24bhp gain, with just a 4-into-1 manifold and a
remap. Milltek are the go-to guys for a fusion of power and noise from the pipework, and the suspension is an important area to address: the OEM dampers wear out surprisingly quickly, and the stock ride height is comically high anyway, so you want to get it on quality coilovers – talk to Skunk2 about their Pro ST option. And how about a bit of forced induction? BBR’s turbo kit for the NC will give you an extra 104bhp and 85lb ft – it includes a Garrett GT turbo, manifold, Starchip, intercooler, bigger injectors, and everything else you need. Top contacts: BBR (bbrgti.com), Milltek (millteksport.com), Skunk2 (skunk2.com)
starting to look like remarkable value. Available as either two-door coupé or cabriolet, buyers had the option of a six-speed manual or SMGII transmission to go with their hugely powerful S54; standard kit included 18in M wheels, leather upholstery, xenon headlights (bi-xenons on post2001 cars), sports seats, sports suspension, Dynamic Throttle Control, cruise control, titanium interior trim, Cornering Brake Control, ISOFIX points and a trip computer. Well-appointed, practical and sumptuously comfortable, yet also able to lap the Nordschleife in 8:22, all available today for the price of a new base-model Fiesta. What’s not to like? Price today: £13,000
Top mods: Got the brass neck to fit a CSL ducktail to a cabrio? If so, SSDD Motorsport can sell you the requisite bootlid. The E46 M3 came with ITBs as standard, so you’d be crazy not to fit a set of velocity stacks, right? Status Gruppe can help you bring the noise there. (Ignore the naysayers complaining about heat soak, the sound will make you grin like a loon.) HSD coilovers are a proven choice to sharpen up the handling, and you’ll probably want to be getting a set of Rotiform BRU wheels on there won’t you? Go on, shake things up a bit. Top contacts: SSDD (ssdd-motorsport.com), Status Gruppe (statusgruppe.com), HSD (hsdcoilovers.com), Rotiform (rotiform.com)
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TOP 10 CONVERTIBLES BMW Z4 (E85)
The Z4, it has to be said, is quite a weird little car. These roadsters generally pass reasonably unnoticed today, thanks to the inherent cushioning system of Father Time’s mighty pendulum – the fact that they’ve been around a few years means that we’re used to them, we’ve accepted them. Radically designed cars don’t stay radical for long – the Ford Ka, the Peugeot 206, the Fiat Multipla, they seemed outlandish and alien and daft-as-abrush at launch, but now they’re just other cars to blend into the mish-mash of day-to-day traffic. The E85 Z4 very much belongs in that list too. As a replacement for the Z3, it was a pretty bold step; the Z3 had the classic roadster profile – long bonnet, rearward cabin, stubby tail – and the Z4 built on these design touchpoints, but added in a whole heap of strangeness. Look at it side-on, for example, and try to work out what the thinking was behind the front wings; there’s quite a wide variety of lines and angles vying for attention there, isn’t there? The rear bumper appears to be wearing a droopy moustache like a pantomime Mexican villain, while the front end looks remarkably like Marvin the Paranoid Android from the 2005 movie adaptation of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. This, of course, is all very good. Life’s too short to drive boring cars, after all, and BMW’s decision to infuse a whole bunch of weirdness into a model they knew would be a volume-seller ought to be robustly applauded. The roadster launched in 2002 with either 2.5or 3.0-litre engines, but the ones we’d steer you
toward would be the post-2006 models. The LCI facelift replaced the six-cylinder M54 engine with the newer N52, and there were a few tasty styling tweaks; find yourself a 3.0si and you get 261bhp! Price today: £7,000 Top mods: Job one is to get it remapped – AmD Tuning are your guys for this, their easy and affordable map whacks a 3.0si straight up to 284bhp. Eibach Pro-Kit springs are well regarded for sharpening up the handling without radically
altering anything. There are a lot of exhaust options, but connoisseurs often gravitate toward Eisenmann – their stainless performance systems really liven up the already perky N52. And scouring your favourite online auction site could net you a set of multispoke Alpina Classics, which will look boss under your rag-top. Top contacts: AmD Tuning (amdtuning. com), Eibach (eibachshop.co.uk), Eisenmann (eisenmann.co.uk)
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Vauxhall VX220
One of the coolest Vauxhalls ever built? Most definitely. And don’t panic if griffins aren’t necessarily your bag, because the VX220 is essentially a Lotus Elise under the skin, to the extent that it was even built at the Lotus Cars plant in Norfolk… although very few parts are actually interchangeable between the two and, crucially, the VX220 has the right engine: whereas the Elise of this era used a Toyota motor, the VX is packing a full-fat Z22SE 2.2-litre Ecotec or, in VX220 Turbo form, the Z20LET 2.0-litre turbo. The reason this car came to exist in the first place is that crash legislation had killed off the first-gen Elise, and Lotus couldn’t afford to develop its replacement without the cash injection of a big corporation; enter General Motors from stage left, offering to bankroll the project in return for receiving their own Opel- and Vauxhall-badged variants on the same platform. So the VX220 (badged as the Opel Speedster in Europe) came to exist, featuring a lightweight aluminium chassis tub, GRP body, and all-aluminium 2.2-litre motor.
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It weighed 875kg and had 145bhp, which made it a riot to drive – but there were calls for more power, hence the addition of the VX220 turbo to the line-up. This was slightly heavier at 930kg, but it had 200bhp and went like it had a missile up its backside. Second-hand prices today start at around £12k, which is markedly cheaper than the Lotus equivalent. Pop out that roof panel and go and have some fun! Price today: £12,000 Top mods: The single greatest addition to a Z22SE-engined VX220 is a Larini exhaust system – these supercar-spec pipes are of impeccable
quality and sound truly apocalyptic; you can grab them from elise-shop.com. If you’ve got a VX220 Turbo, that Z20LET can be easily remapped by Courtenay Sport to liberate a juicy 237bhp, which will give a startling power-to-weight ratio. The stock seats are light, but carbon fibre Tillett seats will be even lighter. And since the front wheels are skinny, a lot of owners swap them for 7.5-inchwide rims which can run wider tyres. The PCD is 5x110 so you have a lot of options – how about a set of Speedline Type 2110 five-spokes? Top contacts: Elise Shop (elise-shop.com), Courtenay Sport (courtenaysport.co.uk), Tillett (tillett.co.uk), Speedline (speedlinecorse.net)
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TOP 10 CONVERTIBLES
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VW Beetle TSI (A5) You could call it the New New Beetle, but people might look at you funny. Launched in 2011, the fresh Bug for the 2010s was internally designated ‘A5’, so that’s the name we stick with despite it also confusingly being the name of an Audi. What was different about the A5 Beetle? Well, while retaining a basic silhouette that called to mind the original classic Beetle, this one was lower and sleeker and meaner; whereas the New Beetle of 1998 was cute, the A5 was angry. Which was kind of a confusing position to take, but somehow it worked brilliantly.
now that the Beetle has gone out of production after all these years with no replacement in sight, there’s no better way to celebrate those decades of heritage. Price today: £7,000 Top mods: Induction sound is a key area to address with TSI engines, and Forge do some lovely carbon-fibre items to pretty up the bay while also providing some useful gains. You’ll be wanting to get a remap too – a Stage 1 map from Revo will take the 2.0 TSI up to a thoroughly amusing 250-270bhp (and hey, they can even get the 1.2 up to 140bhp). Convertible Bugs look great when they’re bagged, and there’s plenty of Air Lift kits available to get the thing down on the ground. And people are going to see that interior when you’ve got the roof down, aren’t they? Retrim that drab VW cloth with a tasty custom redesign by Plush Automotive. Top contacts: Forge Motorsport (forgemotorsport. co.uk), Revo (onlyrevo.com), Air Lift (air-lift. co.uk), Plush (plush-automotive.com)
Sharing its basic A5 platform (hence the code) with the Jetta and the Golf estate, it was a bigger and more imposing thing – and interestingly, rather than coming out of Wolfsburg like your neighbour’s Golf, A5 Beetles were all built in Mexico. So the German efficiency has a frisson of Latin flair baked right in. A variety of petrol and diesel engines were offered, but you don’t really want a derv in your cabrio do you? So TSI is the way to go; 1.2, 1.4 and 2.0 options were available, the latter packing a handy 197bhp, and we all know how tuneable those motors are. And
MINI JCW (F57)
This is the only brand new car in our round up. Naturally the benefit of picking up a shiny new motor is that you’re able to spec it however you want it, and you’ll be the first pair of hands (near enough) to grip that steering wheel. And as long as you’re not too worried about tearing up your warranty, it’s game on for mods as modern MINIs are extremely well served by the aftermarket. The third-generation MINI hatch/cabrio platform, designated F57 in drop-top guise, has been with us since 2013, and has seen a few detail revisions over the years. The cabrio you really want is the John Cooper Works, or JCW, as this has the truly exciting engine and chassis package. The 2.0-litre turbo four-pot brings a vivid 231bhp to the party, with 0-62mph despatched in a brisk 6.6-seconds, and your hair can get really amusingly messed up at 150mph. As has been MINI’s modus operandi for some time now, the exhaust comes factory-fresh with raucous pops and bangs on the overrun. The Intelligent Adaptive Suspension ensures an entertaining steer through the twisties, and the seats are just brilliant.
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Having buggered about with the configurator for probably slightly too long, we’d be tempted to have one painted Island Blue, with the 18in twotone wheels… although Rebel Green with red mirrors is making a strong case for itself too. Price today: £32,000 Top mods: Naturally the first thing you’ll want to be doing with your brand new car is to start unbolting bits of it. Start with a Quaife ATB diff,
then talk to Airtec about a front-mount intercooler and induction kit. The B48 engine will respond very happily to a Burger Motorsports JB4, the plug-and-play kit throwing an extra 40bhp to the wheels – you can get this from Orranje. A Forge short-shifter is a great addition as well. Top contacts: Quaife (quaife.co.uk), Airtec (airtecmotorsport.com), Orranje (orranje.co.uk), Forge (forgemotorsport.co.uk)
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TOP 10 CONVERTIBLES
Audi TT 2.0 TFSI (Mk2) Launched in 1998, the Audi TT quickly grew into a bona fide modern classic. It’s not just a beautifully engineered and engaging sports car, it’s a style icon with a bulletproof drivetrain, gorgeous appointments, and a genuinely entertaining driving experience. Throughout its evolving generations, there has always been a variety of spec options to choose from, ranging from the modestly-powered seafront cruiser to the hairy track-monster, meaning that there’s bound to be something in the range for you, whatever your motoring proclivities. The
VAG model strategy through the 1990s and into the new millennium really was inspired; their generous platform-sharing and parts-swapping meant they were able to offer a staggering array of cars which were all fundamentally the same underneath, so if the oil pump went on your Golf and your mechanic didn’t have one on the shelf, they could just grab one labelled ‘Octavia’ or ‘Léon’ or ‘A3’ instead. And that versatile A4 (PQ34) platform also spawned the TT, a slinky little roadster and coupé that immediately became a hero, able to harness proven engines
from across the VAG-o-sphere. In 2006, the Mk2 (8J) TT arrived, and it moved the game on by introducing lightweight aluminium front body panels, fully independent multi-link rear suspension (with Magnetic Ride as an option), an active rear spoiler and optional DSG transmission. A number of engine choices were offered, and we reckon the 2.0 TFSI is the sweet spot in today’s used market – 200bhp is enough to keep you entertained for starters, and there’s oodles of them about so you can be fussy. Price today: £5,000 Top mods: As with any VAG product, remapping it is your first port of call to beef up the numbers. A Stage 1 Revo remap can get you comfortably over 250bhp, which is much more like it. Suspension options are plentiful; we’d go with a set of KW V2s. A RamAir induction kit is an affordable way to help the TFSI sound tough, and a Cobra Sport exhaust system will ensure that the other end’s sounding cool too. Top contacts: Revo (onlyrevo.com), KW (kwsuspensions.co.uk) RamAir (ramair-filters. co.uk) Cobra Sport (cobrasport.com)
Ford Mustang GT V8 (S550)
The world’s best-selling sports car of all time, the Mustang has been an integral part of the motoring landscape since its big reveal at the New York World’s Fair in 1964. Various attempts have been made to Europeanise the ’Stang over the years, but the S550 generation is the first to really do it properly – it follows the traditional Mustang format of being a big, brawny coupé with a rumbling V8, but the S550 also comes in right-hand drive for the UK market, so there’s no need to compromise. It’s interesting to note that you can choose a four-cylinder Mustang these days, and it’s a really good one – there’s Focus RS DNA wrapped up in the 2.3-litre EcoBoost engine, and with 310bhp on offer it’s not exactly shy. However, purists will always zero in on the model that’s packing the 5.0-litre Coyote V8, as this engine format has always been a central part of the Mustang story, and this is the one we’re gently angling you towards today. In the UK market, the earlier cars (from 2015-17) offered 415bhp; from 2018 the displacement increased slightly from 4,951 to 5,038cc, with a resultant power hike to 444bhp for the current showroom model. And yes, they’re all
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receptive to tuning. Very receptive. In fact, given the legacy and heritage of the decades-old cult of the Mustang, it would most likely be a federal crime to buy a Mustang and not modify it. Price today: £25,000 Top mods: Start with a chassis bracing pack from Steeda that includes jacking rails, a G-Trac brace and a strut tower brace, these really help stiffen things up and improve the ride and handling. Next up, the CP640 package from Collins
Engineering is a superb setup, comprising a Steeda exhaust and induction, plus the CP iflash ECU programming tool with level 1 software, all of which has been honed on Collins’ in-house rolling road. And if you want to go really mental (why wouldn’t you?) how about a Stage 2 Whipple supercharger kit? That’ll give you a raucous 825bhp and endless hero points. Top contacts: Steeda (steeda.co.uk), Collins Performance (collinsperformance.com)
Breathe & Stop
Designed and manufactured in Italy. Tel +44 1706 222 872 / www.tarox.com / sales@tarox.com
Fast AUDI S1 Mods Like a hyped-up Golf GTi that’s been shrunk in the wash, the Audi S1 is a proper little weapon straight out of the box but, with a light licking from the tuning stick, it can compete with the biggest and best hot hatches in the business. And you know what they say… the best things come in small packages.
Everyone knows that S and RS badged Audis are supremely competent machines. But what is also true is that they’re sometimes so well balanced that their Germanic efficiency can feel a little numb. The antithesis to the fast Audi norm, however, came about when the S1 entered the scene. Here was a hot hatch that not only did the serious stuff well, but also had a cheeky and playful side that makes every journey go with a grin. Featuring the same 2.0-litre turbocharged engine as in the Golf GTI, but with an additional 27bhp on top, plus a smaller wheelbase and considerably less weight to lug around, it’s no wonder the S1 is a hoot to drive, and you even get a slick shifting six-speed manual gearbox thrown into the mix too! Combine all this with a sure-footed four-wheeldrive system that’s able to pull you out of trouble if you have a little too much fun with the loud pedal and you’ve got a recipe for hot hatch heaven. Like all hot Audis, the S1 is a tuner’s dream, meaning there is a tonne of top notch products out there for the model that will turn up the heat even further. So, to give you an idea of where to put your hard-earned readies, here’s our pick of the bunch to transform your S1 into a proper little fire-starter!
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AIR LIFT AIR RIDE PRICE: From £2679.99 CONTACT: caraudiosecurity.com
Audi’s are born to be slammed and the S1 is no different, but don’t go throwing away your hot hatche’s nimble ride and practicality just for show lows, as you can have the best of both with an Air Lift Performance air-ride kit. An off the shelf solution is available for the S1 starting at £2679.99 for a pressurebased 3P system using Slam front struts and Stealth rear bags. This base level kit will allow you to lay frame or go off-roader style at the press of a button. For those that want a little more control, you can opt for the £3749.99 3H system, which offers both pressure and height based control, which will automatically adjust to keep your car level and at the prescribed height. Clever stuff!
GOODRIDGE BRAIDED HOSES PRICE: from £35.83 CONTACT: goodridge.com
If you’re looking for a cheap modification that can make a big difference then we’d suggest a set of Goodridge braided hoses. The PTFE-lined stainless steel hoses resist the ‘ballooning’ that can happen with stock rubber hoses and ensure a much firmer and more direct and predictable feel when you stomp on the middle pedal. And their stainless steel fittings offer increased corrosion protection too. Coming in a wide variety of colours you can even mix or match them to your car’s colour scheme. All for well under a nifty fifty.
ROTIFORM DTM WHEELS PRICE: From £1309 CONTACT: wheelpros.com
Nothing transforms a car like a new set of rims, and Rotiform are killing it in the wheel game at the moment with a load of fresh new looks for 2021 including our top pic for the S1, the DTM. Coming in a 8.5x19in, the sharply styled cast monoblock multispoke rim is inspired by the racers in the German DTM touring car series, so will be right at home at the four corners of your Bavarian box of tricks. You can choose from either a bright silver finish or a moody satin black.
ITG AIR FILTER PRICE: from £69.60 CONTACT: itgairfilters.com
With the stopping and steering sorted, you’ll want to liberate some extra ponies from the 2.0-litre turbocharged engine, not to mention add a bit more meat to the soundtrack. Luckily filtration experts ITG have got you covered with their Maxogen pleated cotton gauze cone filters. The pleated shape provides an increased surface air to draw in the maximum amount of filtered air into the engine, while doing away with your car’s airbox will allow the engine’s natural induction noise to really sing. There is also an optional reticulated foam over-sock that can be easily removed to be cleaned and refitted to help improve the filtration ability still further, while also extending the service life of the filter itself.
TAROX ‘SPORT COMPACT’ BIG BRAKE KIT PRICE: £1500 CONTACT: tarox.com
Coming with 227bhp straight out of the box, the S1 is a real pocket powerhouse and with that much power on tap, plus the traction control system trying to do its best to reign it all in, it means it’s really hard on the car’s standard stoppers. The solution is a simple one, however, and one that will not only radically improve your car’s stopping power, but look the business too. The Sport Compact big brake kit from retardation gurus TarOx replaces the S1’s weedy brake setup with a pair of hulking great six-piston calipers and 325mm drilled or grooved discs. A set of ‘Corsa’ track day pads and a braided hose kit finishes off this comprehensive upgrade and means, for a really reasonable outlay, you’ll have everything you need to stand your S1 on its nose included in the kit.
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10 MINUTE TECH:
10 MINUTE TECH
SILICONE HOSES
Each month we quiz a specialist with 10 quickfire questions about a product to give you the knowledge you need to not only make the right decisions when it comes time to upgrade, but also to have the ammunition to impress your mates at your next meet. This month we speak to Samco Sport
1 WHAT IS A SILICONE HOSE AND WHAT DOES IT DO? Silicone is an inorganic polymer comprising of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Silicone hoses are stronger and more reliable than traditional OEM rubber-style hoses. They have several advantages over conventional rubber hoses with their ability to run at much higher temperature ranges and pressures. They will also have a much longer lifespan thanks to them not hardening and cracking like rubber hoses.
2 ARE THEY ALL THE SAME? All silicone hoses are not equal and Samco Sport pride themselves on manufacturing their hoses in the UK for over two decades and on being the original brand of high-performance silicone aftermarket hoses. We have always maintained our testing and development with the world’s best race teams and professionals. Some hoses just offer a cosmetic finish to engine bays but often fail once put under pressure. Samco Sport are the tried, tested, and trusted brand and offer that lifetime guarantee.
3 WHAT ARE THEY MADE OF? The entire range of Samco Sport hoses are manufactured using only the highest quality European automotive silicones and fabrics which are then compounded in-house to produce varying thicknesses of fabric reinforced silicone sheet used in the construction process of each hose. Each hose is hand built in the UK and we can add additional reinforcement, liners for use with fuel or oil or even fabric to work with extreme temperatures to the design process. All our tooling and development is also based in-house. You can check out the Samco Sport YouTube channel for videos of the process.
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4 HOW DO AFTERMARKET HOSES DIFFER TO OEM ONES? OEM hoses are widely manufactured using EPDM rubber which is cheaper and easier to produce than silicone but is also significantly inferior with a maximum temperature range of 130°c over that of a silicone hose that can cope with much higher temperatures (250°c) and pressures due to the multi layered reinforced silicone fabrics. The Samco Sport hoses offer a much longer lifetime and increased reliability over the OEM hoses. You’ll also tend to find plastic joiners or parts within an OEM part which we would remove and build in one piece to make a much more reliable and often better performing product.
5 WHY, OR WHEN, WOULD YOU NEED TO UPGRADE YOUR HOSES? OEM rubber hoses should be inspected routinely due to the risks associated through heat cycling, cracking or even stress from increased boost pressure or increased coolant temperatures. Should boost pressures be increased through re-mapping an engine then upgrading to silicone hoses will certainly lower the chances of a potential catastrophic failure.
SILICONE HOSES 6 HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO GET THE RIGHT TYPE OF HOSES? It is very important to choose a good quality hose that has been engineered with the correct materials to enable it to deliver and exceed OEM requirements. If the hoses are not the correct diameter this can cause the hose to slip off the mating part when pressurised or if too small can tear the fabric inside the hose leading to a premature failure. It is also important that the hose is the correct shape to avoid contact with other components or moving parts. We do a test fit of all our new releases to ensure 100% correct fitment.
We also see factory hoses coming with plastic inserts or joints which can easily crack and cause a failure. Time also caused OEM rubber hoses to fail, they harden and crack with time. Good quality silicone hoses won’t suffer from the same fate.
8 WHAT OTHER MODS SHOULD YOU CONSIDER WHEN UPRATING YOUR HOSES? After extensive testing of clamps, Samco Sport recommend using a marine grade stainless steel hose clamp which should have a smooth band with rounded edges and not have exposed
invalidate the Samco Sport lifetime warranty. We also recommend using a good quality antifreeze such as an ethylene glycol in a 50/50 water mix. Checking the condition of the thermostat and pressure cap is also advisable on older vehicles if you are overhauling the cooling system.
9 ARE THERE ANY DOWNSIDES TO UPRATED HOSES? There are no downsides to using uprated hose apart from making your mind up on the colour due to the vast range of colours that Samco Sport offer. The only other issue we can think of is the skimmed knuckles you’ll inevitably get when working in your engine bay!
10 OTHER THAN ENSURING YOU GET THE RIGHT ONE FOR YOUR APPLICATION, WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR WHEN BUYING UPRATED HOSES? You should always ensure that you look for a reputable Samco Sport distributor and these are listed on our website or just drop us a line and we will be happy to point you in the right direction. Be very careful buying Samco Sport products from auction sites listing the
7 WHAT CAUSES FACTORY HOSES TO FAIL, OR NOT BE SUITABLE FOR THE TASK? DO AFTERMARKET HOSES SUFFER THE SAME FATE? One of the main causes of failure of factory hoses is oil degradation. Although both silicone and rubber hoses are prone to swelling when exposed to oil or oil mist from breather systems, silicone has the better resistance to oil and Samco Sport offers a range of hoses with a flurosilicone inner liner to prevent the oil from affecting the core silicone of the hose.
drive slots. Exposed drive slot clamps should always be avoided with silicone as they allow it to be squeezed through when the clamp is being tightened and then tear the outer layers of silicone and fabric which can then lead to a premature failure of the hose and
shipping address as Asia, these can be counterfeit with no guarantee or technical backup! Look for the brand that is tried, tested and trusted by the world’s best manufacturers and race teams and always fit Samco Sport.
defining car culture 073
Introducing EBC Brakes Racing’s Apollo Big Brake Kit for the VW-Group MQB Platform. ■ Complete with stunning, British-engineered four-piston front calipers, fully floating 2-piece front discs, Yellowstuff front pads, braided front lines, brake fluid and mounting hardware kit. ■ Offering a firmer and more responsive brake pedal feel, allowing you to drive harder and further without the onset of brake fade. ■ Representing the ultimate upgrade in braking performance, offering significant reductions in stopping distances whether used on road or on track. Available for the majority of MQB Platform vehicles (2012-2020) – see website for full application listings.
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EBC BRAKES RACING APOLLO BIG BRAKE KITS FOR VAG-GROUP With modern vehicles becoming increasingly heavy, coupled with ever-higher power outputs, the demand placed on car braking systems today is higher than ever. Add in the surge in popularity of the burgeoning trackday market and it’s clear to see that a set of super stoppers should be a must-have item on the modification list for any serious petrolhead. Engineered exclusively in the UK, EBC Brakes Racing’s Apollo Big Brake Kits offer a substantial performance increase over standard setups, and come as a package with all the hardware you need to completely replace all the equivalent components of your vehicle’s front braking system. Designed to give a firmer and more responsive brake pedal feel and allow you to drive much longer and harder without the onset of brake fade, they are the perfect upgrade for both fast road and track driving. Each kit contains a pair of lightweight-yet-strong aluminium four-piston brake calipers, two fully floating, two-piece front discs, uprated YellowStuff pads, stainless steel braided hoses and 1-litre of Super DOT 4 high-temperature brake fluid. Up until recently it was mainly Japanese machinery that enjoyed the benefits of EBC’s flagship stopping system, but now a kit to fit various MQB platform vehicles (2012-2020) has been released too, so high performance VAG-models such as the Mk7 and Mk7.5 VW Golf (including GTI), the Mk3 (8V) Audi A3, Mk3 (5E) Skoda Octavia and the Mk3 (5F) SEAT Leon can also get in on the action. With two size options available, owners can opt for either a 330x28mm disc or 355x32mm disc to suit their needs, though
some vehicles may require spacers depending on the wheel clearances. These kits are not compatible with vehicles fitted with 50mm front hubs, so ensure you check your specifications and do you measurements prior to purchasing.
Price: from £1495 Contact: www.ebcbrakesdirect.com
FLOATING DISCS
Fully-floating two-piece discs have a separate outer rotor and inner bell connected by drive bobbins. They are a feature of many high-end braking systems and are designed to allow the outer rotor to expand freely in response to heat (which reduces stress that in turn extends disc life and reduces the tendency for disc cracking during extreme use). If you are serious about your car’s braking performance, they are definitely a feature worth looking out for.
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SEALEY WELDING HELMET, RESPIRATOR AND MIGHTYMIG100 WELDER Quality welding is an art form, and the best artists always use the best equipment, so if you want to up your welding skills why not invest in Sealey’s PWH616 Welding Helmet with PAPR (Powered Air Purifying Respirator)? Coming with an auto-darkening visor it’s the perfect protection for your peepers while the Lithium battery-powered respirator provides a constant filtered stream of air to the head and face for up to eight hours. Suitable for MIG, TIG and arc welding, the PWH616 features adjustable shade control from 9-13 and 5-8 and has fully automatic switching from light to dark on striking arc @ 1/25,000s. Combine this with a top welder like the MightyMIG100 and there’ll be no excuse for shoddy welding. The MightyMIG100 is Sealey’s compact no-gas welder, which offers excellent performance and is supplied with a comfort grip, non-live torch, 1.8m earth cable, 0.45kg flux-cored wire and 1mm contact tip and comes set-up and ready to go! And Sealey are offering you a chance to win this wicked welding setup. Simply click on their website and register to be in with a chance to win this fantastic prize – It’s got to be worth a try! But don’t hang about, entries close 31st July 2021. Price: £395.94 (PWH616 helmet) £173.94 (MightyMIG100 welder) Contact: Sealey.co.uk/competitions
NEUBAROCK ALLOY WHEELS
TUPF TOUCH UP PAINT No matter how careful we are with our cars, there comes a point where we will need to make a scratch or stonechip repair. But you don’t need to spend out big bucks at a bodyshop, because The Touch Up Paint Factory (TUPF) now offers ‘All in One’ colour matched touch up paints from just £12.95. They combine a custom colour base pigment with a UV-stable clear coat additive to get a premium finish to your repair. Professional grade, twostage aerosol paints are also available for bigger jobs which feature ‘Pro Jet Spray Technology’ which allows the aerosol to spray like a paint gun for a flawless finish. To order, simply visit the website and enter a registration number or colour code – alternatively, select the make, model and year of the vehicle. And the best bit is TUPF offers a 100% colour match guarantee. Price: from £12.95 Contact: www.touchuppaintfactory.com
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If you want to customise the wheels of your Mercedes-Benz, while respecting the essence of the brand, then Spanish company neuBarock® has the answer. Not only does it reinterpret and improve the iconic baroque wheel, but it also offers different designs, sizes, offsets, maximum-load ranges and finishes. neuBarock® produces high-end forged wheels for Mercedes-Benz cars that used to be fitted with baroque wheels, as well as specific solutions for youngtimers and even contemporaries. Using a premium forged aluminium alloy, the wheels have maximum rigidity and light weight. In addition, CNC machining allows them to have highly detailed design elements and to adapt to the customer’s wishes. Under the guidance of Daniel Garrido, the company’s CEO, a car designer and Mercedes enthusiast and collector, the company meticulously designs its wheels, respecting the essence but taking into account what type of car each product is aimed at and what the new dimensions are. In short, neuBarock® wheels feature careful and studied designs, maximum quality of materials and manufacture, and a high degree of customisation, to place them at the forefront of the baroque wheels universe. Price: from €5000 per set (plus shipping) Contact: www.neubarock.com
BMW BOOK BMW M3 & M4 – The complete history of these Ultimate Driving Machines, explores all aspects of the M3’s history, including the race and rally successes worldwide, supported by full and detailed specifications for each generation of the model produced right up to the present day, including the new M4. Developed in the 1980s, the BMW M3 was intended to be the world’s most successful racing saloon car. Not only did it achieve that in its very first season of motorsport, but went on to achieve lasting commercial success as a high performance road car. Price: £40 Contact: www.veloce.co.uk
ITG MAXOGEN COTTON GAUZE CONE FILTERS Just as crinkle-cut crisps have the capacity to hold more flavour, the zigzag shape of the elements of ITG’s Maxogen pleated cotton gauze cone filters provides an increased surface area to allow the greatest volume of filtered air into the vehicle’s inlet system. The fine cotton gauze also has superb dust-capturing ability to ensure maximum engine longevity too. The filter element itself is mounted to a matt black, spun aluminum trumpet to funnel air more smoothly into the intake system, although a flexible rubber neck is also available. Further increasing the durability of the new filter is an optional reticulated foam over-sock designed to be easily cleaned therefore extending the service life of the filter even further. Price: from £69.60 Contact: www.itgairfilters.com
FRESH KIT
APPAREL RED BULL MAD MIKE T-SHIRT To celebrate a decade of his epic partnership with energy drink and extreme sports supremos RedBull, Kiwi-tyre shredder Mad Mike Whiddett has released a 10th anniversary special edition T-shirt. This cool cotton tee features Mike’s trademark MM logo and a smoldering tyre across the chest and is available in sizes S to 5XL. Price: $60.00 NZD Contact: www.prowear.co.nz BOOST MOTHERFUSSSHHHTA HOODIE Even though we’re heading into summer, you know the British weather likes to throw us a curve ball now and again, so a quality hoodie is always a worthy wardrobe staple, especially for attending an car show or evening meet. This hunky hoodie is designed for those with a fetish for forced induction and comes in six cool colours and sizes from S to 5XL. Price: £25.99 Contact: www.fruugo.co.uk PUMA SPEEDCAT SPARCO TRAINERS The Puma SpeedCat trainer is a motorsport-inspired leisure trainer that is the result of a joint effort between two giants in their respective fields, Puma and Sparco. They’re super comfy, so can be worn as everyday shoes, with the benefit of having a sole design mimicking a race boot so they are great for performance drivers looking to partake in some heel and toe action. Price: £85.56 Contact: www.demon-tweeks.com
GOODRIDGE PERFORMANCE BRAKE LINE KIT FOR AUDI A1, A4 AND A5 Goodridge has been manufacturing hose assemblies for performance, OEM and motorsport applications for over 50 years now; and now you can have all that braking know how on your Audi A1, A4 or A5. The PTFE-lined stainless steel braided hoses offer Audi owners improved braking characteristics as well as increased corrosion protection thanks to their stainless-steel fittings. Whether you’re on a spirited Sunday drive or giving it death on a trackday, notable benefits include a confidence inspiring solidity to the brake pedal, coupled with improved and predictable braking ‘feel’. The kits are direct replacements for OEM hoses and come in a choice of 13 colours, so there’s sure to be a shade to either complement of contrast your project. Price: from £35.83 Contact: www.goodridge.com
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FRESH KIT
AUDIO & TECH
Indulge your inner geek with the best audio, visual and gadget tech around DRIVER’S TORCH WITH PERSONAL ALARM We modify our cars to attract attention, unfortunately it’s not always the kind we would like. So, to ensure you don’t fall foul to some scummy tea-leaf trying to mug you for your keys, why not invest in some protection – and we’re not talking about some brass knuckles… The Impact Personal Alarm Torch combines a powerful, rechargeable LED torch with an extreme personal alarm and strobe, designed to protect the user from a hostile encounter. Used in normal mode, it is a handy illumination device with three brightness settings, but press the alarm button and you’ll unleash an ear-piercing 130-decibel siren with a dazzling 400 lumen 20Hz strobe to shock and disorientate a would-be attacker into backing down and fleeing the scene. The torch comes fully charged but also has a USB charger to power up the torch again and again. With a tough, anodised aluminium casing, the Impact Personal Alarm Torch is available in two handy sizes, is easy to carry and comes with a wrist strap for security and a black nylon carry belt holster. Price: £17.95 (regular size), £24.95 (XL size) Contact: www.amazon.co.uk or www.redlinesecurity.co.uk
CVNDSH FLI OVER HEADPHONES A good pair of headphones is essential if you like to listen to your tunes when you’re out and about and not in your car, so it’s worth investing in a pair that not only provide the sonic goodness that you require, but also the style. These cracking cans from Vibe Audio are an over ear design and come with Bluetooth connectivity, so no messy cables to get tangled up. Their ergonomic design means they are super comfy too, even if listening for long periods. And if you’re wondering about the name, we didn’t just sneeze on our keyboard, it’s because these awesome headphones are endorsed by top cycling legend Mark Cavendish MBE, and if they’re good enough for an Olympian, they’re good enough for us. Price: £59.99 Contact: www.vibeaudio.co.uk
AMAZON ECHO AUTO Amazon’s Echo technology comes to UK cars for the first time with the Amazon Echo Auto. Ask Alexa to play your favourite music, answer questions, stream podcasts and radio stations, provide directions, find nearby businesses and make calls with the power of your voice alone. Slim and lightweight, the Echo Auto connects to Alexa through your smartphone’s Alexa app and plays through your car’s speakers via auxiliary input or your phone’s Bluetooth connection. The eight in-built microphones will capture your voice even over the noise of a busy road, music or a screaming K20 on VTEC… probably – while the hands-free operation allows you to focus on driving. The Echo Auto comes with a variety of options to protect your privacy, such as the ability to turn off the microphones and delete recordings. An air vent mount is also included in the box, which allows your Echo Auto to be easily secured inside your car. Price: £49.99 Contact: www.halfords.com
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MOTORSPORT
DRIVER INTERVIEW:
DAN LLOYD
We get the lowdown on Power Maxed Racing’s latest driver who will be taking the challenge to the BTCCs top guns in 2021
How did you get into motorsport? My Dad suffered a severe brain tumour when I was a kid, it was a scary time, though thankfully he made a full recovery. When he got his health back, we wanted to do something together to make up for lost time, so we decided to start indoor karting. I soon became pretty good and progressed quickly. He’s regretted it ever since though, and I think he wishes that he had bought me some football boots instead! He’s my number one supporter though, and it’s been a crazy journey that we wouldn’t change for the world!
What has been your career highlight so far? Definitely winning my first BTCC race back in 2019 at my local circuit, Croft. I had only driven that car at one previous race weekend, and with no testing I was on the back foot, but managed to salvage my first win! Getting out of the car on live TV in front of thousands of people in the crowd was something I’ll never forget! I’m sure someone was cutting some onions when I got out of the car - that’s my excuse anyway! You’ve raced in the BTCC before, how excited are you to get back into it? I’m very excited to get back into BTCC! I don’t
think I’ve ever been so focused in my life on the challenge ahead! I have been in and out of the championship over the years, so to get the opportunity at a full season in a top team is something I need to grab by the scruff of the neck. It does take over your life, but I couldn’t live without it. The BTCC is a super competitive series. What’s your take on that? Absolutely! There are people that have raced in the championship for many years, with tons of experience. They know the cars and circuits inside out. And to top it off, the way
CIRCUIT PROFILE: BRANDS HATCH
Each month, we’ll dissect one of the country’s top tracks to give you the edge on your next trackday Established in 1926, Kent’s twisty, rolling countryside thriller has evolved into one – or rather, two – of the most famous race tracks in the world, hosting everything from F1 to British and World Touring Cars. Famous for its changes in elevation and steep cambers, Brands is an extremely technical circuit, with each bend flowing into the next, making your choice of line crucial. Regular resurfacing makes grip levels superb and reasonable run-off areas in many sections allow for the odd off-track excursion. Holding such status, trackdays can cost a little more, but they’re well worth it – expect to pay anywhere from £139 for a evening on the Indy circuit, up to £325 for the full GP experience. Although sharing several corners with the shorter, more often used, Indy circuit, the full GP circuit is surprisingly different in character with faster lines
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are more wooded sections. Due to the cost of the respective days, we’re going to focus on the Indy circuit here. The key highlights are the fast ascending sweeper Clark Curve, which leads onto the undulating flat-out Brabham start/finish straight, and the sweeping Paddock Hill Bend at the other end, that allows excellent overtaking opportunities for the brave. From there you have a steep climb to the Druids hairpin before dropping steeply into the off-camber left of Graham Hill Bend. Getting your entry to this one right is important as you can maximise your corner exit for the Cooper straight before Surtees and the long McLaren right-hander that leads into Clark Curve. Brands Hatch is easy to reach from the M25, being less than five miles from J3 on the A20.
CIRCUIT ESSENTIALS
LIMITED SLIP DIFFERENTIAL
we race in the BTCC is what you could call a little “different” to other championships. Your elbows are well and truly out, and if you’re not getting stuck in then you’re getting stuck in the barriers! This is why it’s so exciting to watch and has such an amazing fanbase! Sponsorship plays a huge part in any motorsport, how has Covid affected that? Sponsorship is tough no matter what situation the world is in. One issue I’ve had recently is getting the time with people to actually sit down to pitch my presentation. It’s tough, but I think I have great packages to offer businesses to not only have branding on the car but to benefit financially by doing business to business with other partners. I think Power Maxed Racing making an Amazon Prime documentary, which will air at the end of the season, helps a lot. I’m doing ok, but always looking for more partners. How do you prepare yourself for race day in the BTCC? Mainly making sure I have everything done prior to the weekend. Study data and footage, do some simulator work, and keep well hydrated,
eating right and keeping a good sleep pattern. It’s a fine balance of chilling out and getting your head in the game! Also answering Fast Car questions! How excited are you for this season with Power Maxed Racing? Mega excited! I’m working my nuts off and I’m really happy on and off the track! A happy driver is a quick driver! Fingers crossed anyway. I want to say a big thank you to Adam Weaver (my team boss) for the opportunity! Hopefully I can re-pay him with some great results this season and maybe a win or two!
Aftermarket limited-slip differentials (LSD) from the likes of Mfactory, Quaife and Wavetrack are almost vital on any hard driven performance car, but are practically essential when on track, even with standard power levels. A limited-slip differential prevents excessive power from being allocated to one wheel, and so keeps power to both wheels ensuring that the traction will not be limited to the wheel which can handle the minimum amount of power. From the factory, cars tend to have either an open diff, or a very mild and ineffective LSD, and fitting a more aggressive aftermarket one, not only drastically increases your traction under acceleration and braking, but most effectively when cornering. We’ve seen otherwise standard hot hatches knock seconds off their lap times simply by fitting an LSD – that’s far quicker than you’d go with the same money spent on engine mods. For use away from the track too, an Auto Torque Biasing Helical LSD, such as those from Quaife, provide not only excellent performance on the limit, but also have excellent road manners too. Price: from £735.30 Contact: www.demon-tweeks.com
FAST FACTS
Track length: 1.2 miles (Indy), 2.3 miles (GP) Corners: 6 (Indy), 11 (GP) Highlights: Long Clark Curve and ballsout straight that leads into the descending Paddock Hill Bend – one the best sections on any race track in the world! Price: From £139 www.brandshatch.co.uk
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FAST PROJECTS
TOM’S 1967 VOLVO AMAZON COUPE
Panel gaps sorted, weather sealed and wheels refreshed. Is it finshed yet? START
P086 NEVER FINISHED
MODS: RIDE SUSPENSION • COBRA SEATS RETRIM • DETROIT STEEL WHEELS MAINMAIN MODS: MOREAIR FABRICATION WORK THAN YOU CAN SHAKE A STICK AT • AIR LIFT PERFORMANCE AIR RIDE
DAN’S EP3 TYPE R
Two nails in two tyres mean shelling out for a fresh set of track-ready rubber START
P088 NEVER FINISHED
MAIN MODS: TTS SUPERCHARGER, FORGED ENGINE, FK2 SEATS, BC COILOVERS, MFACTORY LSD
OLLIE’S VW UP! GTI
Ollie’s Up! gets groovy with a set of Tarox F2000 discs and Corsa pads START
P090 ALMOST FINISHED
MAIN MODS: COBRA NOGARO SEATS, FORGE INDUCTION KIT, MILLTEK EXHAUST AND MORE
DAN B’S HONDA FN2 TYPE R
Dan get’s the Civic’s slow sorted before moving on to the go START
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MAIN MODS: GOODYEAR TYRES, EBC BRAKES, MILLTEK EXHAUST, HKS INDUCTION KIT
MISSING IN ACTION
DAN’S MAZDA RX-8
Awaiting some sexy new rear stoppers START
NEVER FINISHED
MAIN MODS: RESPRAY IN BMW AUSTIN YELLOW, TAROX BBK, OHLINS COILOVERS, ROTA WHEELS
defining car culture 085
FAST PROJECTS
Tom
Dale
After last year’s epic battle, the UK’s most famous detailing duo are back for round two… Last season Tom’s R5 GTT build just pipped Dale’s awesome W114 build. In our eyes they were both winners, but this hasn’t stopped Dale wanting his revenge, so they’re both back with their new projects, and, of course, we’re here to document the builds. Bring it on… Wheels are getting spilt and refreshed with Nankang rubber
TOM’S ’67 VOLVO AMAZON COUPE The Amazon is finally weather tight with perfect panel gaps, while the wheels are in for a refresh - it’s getting closer... Name: Tom Clarke Job Role: Marketer who oversees the UK marketing office, advert placement and key account marketing fulfilment So, a lot of work has been completed this month, as I have been cracking the whip and keeping Reflex busy! For starters the alloy artisans fabricated a cool cover for the new rear subframe. This has been fully built in-house and ensures that the Amazon is now structurally complete and the design and finish is so good, it looks like it was always supposed to be there. Most importantly, though, now that it has been welded in and primed, it means that the chassis is finally weather tight and Matt can then start lining
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everything. The wings were next on the list as, being aftermarket fibreglass options that were installed in Sweden by the previous owner, they never really fitted correctly. On further investigation, this was because the fibreglass holes had elongated and made the wings sit out of line. To rectify the problem the wings have come off and new, metal mounts installed which should see them now mounted straight and for a long time to come too! If anyone has ever done any alignment work, they’ll know the familiar scenario where, you adjust one panel to be perfect, only to realise that everything else looks like it has moved! So it’s a case of continually making small adjustments and going around
the car until everything looks as good as it can. It has certainly took some time for the wings, doors and bonnet to get straight, but we are ‘winging’ the battle. Ha ha! In the meantime, the wheels have been dropped off at The Wheel Specialist, Fareham to be stripped. The boys will work their magic on the barrels and the lips then we will get the faces painted and built back up and dressed with the some fresh Nankang rubber. As you can see, there is still some way to go as yet, and with the date of the car’s launch at the Player’s Classic show looming large on the calender, I’m starting to sweat just a little bit that things are getting tight. When exactly is Players again? Eek! ■
Subframe cover is now complete
Before...
Panel holes were elongated and making the panels wonky
After...
THANKS TO Still looks pretty far off to us, Tom... (Ed.)
Meguiar’s UK DeutschTech Reflex AutoDesign Cobra Seats
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FAST PROJECTS The Yokohama A052s have a great wet grip rating and are obviously awesome in the dry
Puncture number one...
The red dot on the tyre indicates that side of the tyre should face outwards
Puncture number two...
DAN’S EP3 CIVIC TYPE R
When Project Type R managed to get two punctures at once, it meant a fresh set of boots was required, and sharpish! Who would’ve thought that punctures and buses had so much in common? I mean, I’ve been lucky enough to say that I haven’t had a puncture on the Civic for years, but the other week I managed to get two come along at once! The first one was in the front driver’s side. I saw that the tyre looked a little under inflated when the car was parked on my driveway and when I checked the pressure it was down some 10psi. And while not impossible, it was a little unlikely that a tyre would lose that much pressure since the last top up a few weeks previously. So, just to be on the safe side, I gave the tyre tread a quick visual inspection to see if anything was amiss. It didn’t take me long to reveal the worst. A small cross head screw was imbedded into
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the tread towards the outside edge. Luckily, it was still holding pressure pretty well, so I knew I had some time to find a suitable replacement or get it fixed without resorting to either fitting my winter wheels, or trying to squeeze a space-saver over the monstrous EBC Apollo brake kit – something that I feel would’ve been a futile task at best. The placement of the screw meant that a plug repair could probably be done, but the remaining tread depth on the tyre was indicating that it would soon be due for replacement anyway, and the same could be said for at least the other front tyre, with the rears not that far behind but still good for a few more months at least. So I started to look into acquiring a new pair of Yokohama AD08Rs for the front, as they
had been my go-to tyre on the Civic for years. But before I could even get the two fronts ordered, I noticed a clicking sound from the rear when I was driving. I pulled over expecting to find a stone lodged in the rear tread, but to my horror is was another screw! Only this time twice the size! Again, the pressure didn’t seem too bad, but to have two tyres on the brink of blow out was too much to risk so I got on the blower to Yokohama straight away. The Japanese tyre giants advised me that as good as the AD08s are, they had another tyre that was even more performance orientated that would suit the Civic down to a tee. The Advan A052 is the ultimate street sport tyre with a semi-slick tread pattern that improves cornering and grip by way
Punctures sorted and ready to rock 'n' roll of its specially designed rib and groove structure. It’s certainly a more purposeful looking tyre than the AD08 and lacks the rim protector beading, meaning its much closer to a motorsport tyre in both its look and performance. Luckily it still has an excellent wet weather rating too, so should be good to use all year round. At around £260 per tyre, for the 215/40/17 A052s are roughly twice the price of the AD08Rs, so over the coming
months we’ll see if they offer twice the performance. To get the new rubber fitted, I went down to my local Just Tyres fitting centre, where the tops guys George and George made short work of whipping the worn and punctured AD08Rs off and wrapping the Rotas in the new sticky A052s. Out on the road, first impressions are good, and they seem to offer tremendous grip straight out of the box. We hope to get some
more miles on these in the coming weeks and really push them to see if they really are the ultimate street sport rubber. Watch this space ot find out. ■
CONTACTS Yokohama tyres www.Yokohama.com Just Tyres St.Neots 01480 802129 www.justtyres.co.uk
defining car culture 089
FAST PROJECTS The new F2000 discs and Corsa pads are a very effective upgrade
OLLIE’S VW UP! GTI
Brake time! Ollie’s UP GTI gets all groovy baby with a new set of Tarox discs and pads It’s come to that point in new car ownership where we’re having to refresh all the used wear and tear components. So after just over 18,000 miles, both on and off the track, it’s about time we paid some attention to the UP!’s braking system. The OEM brake setup is pretty decent straight out of the box to be honest, but then they’re not exactly having to stop the heaviest of vehicles. For those that don’t know, the UP! GTI runs brake drums at the rear, while at the front has big red painted calipers, which we suspect are from something like a Mk7 Golf GTD. So, to put some perspective on the available stopping power that you can enjoy in the UP!, that’s almost 500kg less weight for these brakes to deal with – no wonder they feel strong! But as we know, anything that comes as OEM can be upgraded with an aftermarket alternative and braking gurus Tarox were quick on the mark to develop an uprated disc and pad setup for the diminutive VeeDub. We started off with a set of Tarox Corsa brake pads as we found that the OEM
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items were fading more and more after each track day we completed, so the need for a pad that could cope with the pace was essential. To achieve maximum performance the Corsa pads require a little warming up, but once up to temperature the stopping power was sharp and consistent with zero fade. We ran this pad with the OEM discs (on and off track) for just under two-years but felt like now was the time to take things to the next level with a set of uprated discs too. Once again we looked to Tarox with their ‘track focused’ F2000 discs. These hand-crafted 256mm discs have been designed to improve braking performance and increase longevity. The curvy grooves on the disc face help dissipate heat build-up allowing them to both run cooler and reduce the possibility of warping or cracking. They also help to deglaze the pad and dispel gases to reduce brake fade. To install the new discs, we visited Midlands-based VAG specialists Dubunit, however, if you’re handy with the spanners it’s a simple enough job
to complete on your driveway. After undoing a few bolts the original discs and used brake pads were out and the calipers given a quick clean up. It was then just a case of reassembling with the new discs and pads and we were ready to rock. Once everything was properly bedded-in and was working properly, the performance is seriously impressive. At first they feel soft, but this is why beddingin a fresh brake setup is essential. For a track focused setup, the F2000 discs and Corsa pads are still extremely progressive for road use. There’s no sharp bite when initiating the brakes, just the harder you push the more you stop. We’re yet to try them on track, but when we do we’re sure they’ll be working a treat.
THIS MONTH
Tarox F2000 Discs: ..................................£234 Tarox Corsa Brake Pads: .................£189.60 Total ....................................................... £248.75
CONTACTS Tarox: www.tarox.co.uk Dub Unit: www.dubunit.co.uk
FAST PROJECTS The Corsa pads material is nearly as thick as the disc!
The old OEM disc and pads had certainly seen better days...
The grooves in the disc help to deglaze the pads to reduce fade
All sorted and ready to be bedded in
defining car culture 091
FAST PROJECTS
DAN B’S FN2 CIVIC TYPE R
The FN2 is making all sorts of excellent noises this month LOUD NOISES! Well, loud-ish noises. They’re good, aren’t they? And if there’s one area that the FN2 sorely needs addressing, it’s the quietness of the thing. In standard form, the spaceship Type R is whisper-quiet, scything across the countryside like some manner of stealth missile, and to be honest I require a little more raucousness than that. I didn’t want to go too loud, however. On my old EP3 I was running an extremely naughty M2 Side-kicker exhaust which didn’t really have much silencing to speak of, and while I loved the absurd shoutiness of it (which was loud enough to set off people’s car alarms when cruising down the high street), it was kind of boomy and annoying on the motorway. So what I
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was looking at for the FN2 was a sort of mid-point between the two. Now, in the course of my research I have to admit that I was pretty taken with the idea of getting a Martelius system. This rally-spec noisemaker makes the K20 sound like it’s being mercilessly wrung out through a Scandinavian forest… but it didn’t really fit in with my ‘everyday usability’ criteria. So after a lot of YouTube videos, forum threads and general asking around, I concluded that a non-resonated Milltek cat-back was the system to go for. A lot of owners describe the sound as being ‘very Honda’, which is pretty much what you want from a Honda. It’s got a crisp rasp that rises to a bark, and it sounds awesome; I’m very happy with
the choice, and of course with the renowned Milltek quality it went on the car like a dream too – the guys at Autotest in West Ewell had no trouble swapping it in for me. I ordered the exhaust from AmD Tuning down in Grays and their service was, as ever, impeccable. Now, given that an internal combustion engine is basically a big air pump, it makes sense to address the air going in if you’re fiddling with the air going out, so I needed to choose an induction kit too. I’ve run RamAir induction on my last few cars and been very happy with it, and my EP3 had an excellent ITG carbon airbox. However, there’s one name that kept coming up time and time again in the FN2 community, and that’s the RSK
FAST PROJECTS
The HKS Racing Suction Kit is a popular choice with the FN2 fraternity
Milltek cat-back produces a crisp rasp and bark without the unwanted drone
intake from fabled Japanese tuning superheroes HKS. The initialism ‘RSK’ stands for ‘Racing Suction Kit’, which is hilarious in itself, but what’s even more hilarious is the extraordinary noise this thing makes. When the K20 gets into VTEC, it genuinely does sound like a frickin’ race car. Yes, the HKS option is eye-wateringly expensive compared to other induction kits, but the sound it makes is absolutely priceless. Buying from Tegiwa means that you get a quality heat-shield thrown into the price too, which softens the blow. No doubt a few extra horses will have made an appearance thanks to
THIS MONTH Milltek non-res cat-back: ........................£742 HKS RSK: ...................................................£504
CONTACT
the exhaust and induction upgrades, but the aim of the game here was really to make the FN2 sound better. And on that front, we can safely say it’s mission accomplished. ■
Amd Tuning amdtuning.com / 01708 861827 Milltek millteksport.com / 01332 227280 Tegiwa tegiwaimports.com / 01782 334440 Autotest autotest.co.uk / 0208 974 1246
NEXT MONTH Coilovers
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defining car culture 095
ASTON MARTIN V8 VANTAGE
FERRARI 328 GTS
FORD MUSTANG
2016, 13500 miles, £27,995. Finished in Magnetic 2009, 37000 miles, £42,500. Presented in Mariana Blue with Sandstorm over Caspian Blue leather and Sandstorm Alcantara headlining. 4.7
litre, 420 horsepower V* with 5-speed semi-auto “SportShift” transmission. Maintained to a high standard with regular servicing and maintenance. Please call 01728 830935, South East. (T)
1986, 46000 miles, £74,995. 3185cc, petrol, manual. Finished in immaculate Ferrari Rosso with unmarked cream hide and red carpets. Full and extensive Ferrari history and every MoT certificate. Please call 01485 541526, East of England. 106983
FERRARI 400
Grey with Ivory and Black two-tone upholstery, this six speed manual Mustang was supplied new by Stoneacre Ford in York who carried out the cars pre delivery inspection at 16 miles. Showroom condition.
Please call 01944 758000, Yorkshire and the Humber. 106858
JAGUAR XJ8
107306
BENTLEY FLYING SPUR
2005, 47000 miles, £23,950. Finished in Sapphire Blue with 20 inch Mulliner alloys and electric sunroof. The interior is finished in Magnolia with secondary hide in French Navy. This car is also the luxury 4 seater version, with reclining rear seats and centre console. Please call 02085 679729, Greater London. 106065
107420
LOTUS EXIGE
107271
BMW Z3
FERRARI MONDIAL
2000, 38000 miles, £7,495. 2.0, Roadster, two door, petrol, manual, titanium silver, one owner from new. Please call 0161 476 5915, North West. 107291
POA. Superb original unmolested car. Low mileage, has been in a museum for many years, just been recommissioned ready for the road. Please call 01763262263, South East.
2005, 48000 miles, £18,350. 4.25 Coupe. First registered on 30/12/05. Final Edition bay blue with ivory leather interior. Service history, sold with 12 month’s MoT. New front discs and pads. In beautiful condition. Please call 07598 328025, Yorkshire and the Humber.
1985, 17000 miles, £43,500. Re-imported from the USA this is a cat-free car. Originally a Euro car sold in Germany and exported to California after just a few months by it’s original owner as he relocated there. The service/history/books/literature etc. are all available. Please email dcx2012@yahoo.co.uk, South East. 107469
2017, 8962 miles, £58,500. Sport 380. This Lotus is fitted with a 3.5 litre 24 valve V6 with 6 speed manual gearbox. Only 2 owners, 2 keys. Full Lotus service history and the car will be supplied with Lotus’ new Certificate of Provenance pack. Please call 01234750205, East of England. (T) 106845
MERCEDES-BENZ C-CLASS
PORSCHE 911
2018, 18000 miles, £21,495. 2.0 C 200 Sport, 5 door, automatic. Estate selenite grey metallic exterior. Please call 0161 476 5915, North West. 107287
MG TF
2002, 42000 miles, £48,999. Finished in Basalt Black, with Black extended stitched leather interior, top tint windscreen, electric sunroof, Porsche crested wheel centre caps, heated front and rear screens, rear parking sensors, aluminium gear selector and handbrake, CDC-3 CD 6 disc auto-changer, PCM (Sat Nav), carpet over-mats, rear wiper, and more. Please call 02085 679729, Greater London. 106067
PORSCHE 968
TVR CHIMAERA
1997, 78000 miles, £13,000. Very attractive car which draws attention wherever it goes. Halcyon Midas Gold body with Anthracite alloy wheels. Blue leather seats and carpets. Original speedo changed out at 60,000 miles, replaced with a speedo reading 41,000 miles. This puts the car at around 78,000 miles (current speedo reading 59,876). Large ring binder history file. The car is on SORN over the winter and will have a new MOT on sale. The car benefits from power steering,aluminium radiator, aluminium indicator and wiper stalks, new front brake calipers, adjustable shock absorbers, a Cat 1 alarm and immobliser, remote boot unlocking on the key fob . TVR Tuscan front wingletts (splitters) are available. Part service history, £13,000. , Scotland. 106021
VOLKSWAGEN AAC
2005, 37000 miles, £6,295. Rare 80th Heritage Ltd edition 160vvc. Finished in Goodwin Green with a tan cockpit, wood finishes with black Alcantara sport seats. CAT D back in 2007, had slight damage to O/S rear wing which has since been repaired. Recently featured in the MG Enthusiast magazine. Please call 01932 241843, South East. (T) 106969
PORSCHE 911
1994, £22,995. Sport LUX. Finished in Speed Yellow with Black Interior, Colour Coded 5 Spoke 17” Alloys, Extensive Service History, 22 Service Stamps – All main Dealer or Porsche Specialists, includes 6 Speed Gearbox, Front Splitter, Koni Sport Adjustable Dampers, PAS, Electric Windows and Mirrors, Removeable Sunroof, Central Locking Etc. Please call 01636812700, East Midlands. 106841
PORSCHE 993
2016, 37000 miles, £23,995. AMAROK. Stunning 2016 2.0 180BHP Volkswagen Amarok finished in Pure Black with matching Black Leather Interior. Covered a low 37k from new and just serviced by ourselves. Please call 02879633011, Ireland. 107194
VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN
1995, £199,995. This truly unique Porsche 911 is 2013, 26000 miles, £84,995. White with full black leather, 20” RS Spyder centre lock alloys, adaptive sports heated electric memory seats, cruise control, Bose, carbon interior pack, panoramic sliding roof system, plus more. Please call 01189714333, South East. 106017
the result of a Porsche enthusiast’s desire to create the ultimate air cooled 911 variant providing extreme performance and capability in all conditions, further enhanced on its arrival in the UK by Harry Metcalfe, British Motoring journalist and creator of Evo Magazine. Please call 01944 758000, Yorkshire and
the Humber.
2016, 38000 miles, £21,495. Beautiful Pure White Tiguan R-Line 150bhp DSG with contrasting two tone interior. Comes with all paperwork and spare key present. Please call 02879633011, Ireland. 107192
106854
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