f56u t by helenadinasel

T R U O TE L L OS U P RP CA

LIKE FATHER GIRL

LIKE SON

POWER

LINC WHIDDETT’S MX-5 YB-SWAP FOCUS

#436

www.fastcar.co.uk

DEFINING CAR CULTURE

L U O S

R E Y O R T DES

RED L U O S D N A T PANDEM-KKI ILLER COMBO PAINT IS A R-SLAMMED ON THIS AI R E46 BEEME

PLA CLA YERS SSIC

BERG CUP TRIBUTE GOLF WITH 246BHP 1.8T

PLUS: 10 Minute Tech: Oil ■ Renault Megane Buying Guide ■ News and reviews

KELSEYmedia

MK1 HILL RAISER!

#436 September 2021 £5.99

ALL TH E FROM HOTTEST FASH THE UK’S TRENDS ION F M ORWA OST SHOW RD

BMW E9X M3 | Front Kit #78511 | Rear Kit #78611 | FLO Airride Billet Tank #15224

For those who think a little lower

Legendary Air Lift Performance Air Suspension and state-of-the-art Performance 3 control, now with FLO Airride billet air tanks. Visit: airliftperformance.com to build your perfect system

ED START

Issue 436 September 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, Rich Gooding, Graham Leigh, Rob Schaverien, Josh Edward, Davy Lewis 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

Until then, enjoy!

Dan

Subscription Offers:

No1 ZINE UKNG’sMAGA

Kelsey Media 2021 © all rights reserved. Kelsey Media is a trading name of Kelsey Publishing Ltd. Reproduction in whole or in part is forbidden except with permission in writing from the publishers. Note to contributors: articles submitted for consideration by the editor must be the original work of the author and not previously published. Where photographs are included, which are not the property of the contributor, permission to reproduce them must have been obtained from the owner of the copyright. The editor cannot guarantee a personal response to all letters and emails received. The views expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of the Editor or the Publisher. Kelsey Publishing Ltd accepts no liability for products and services offered by third parties. Kelsey Media takes your personal data very seriously. For more information of our privacy policy, please visit Kelsey Media takes your personal data very seriously. For more information of our privacy policy, please visit https://www. kelsey.co.uk/privacy-policy/ . If at any point you have any queries regarding Kelsey’s data policy you can email our Data Protection Officer at dpo@kelsey.co.uk.

www.kelsey.co.uk

006 www.fastcar.co.uk

ED VOLVITSO SW V50EFAES SE ST RO NTIA

AD MO L DS

Print version

DE FIN

Subscriptions are available from – https://shop.kelsey.co.uk/subscription/FTC Back issues are available from – https://shop.kelsey.co.uk/issue/FTC £9.99 one-off offer https://shop.kelsey.co.uk/subOffer/kpiftc/source/kpiftc

IN G

CA R

Turbo’d

Celica

GT ■ Mad

Merc A35 AMG

■ MAD

E Show

UR E

40 ED R32 6BHP MAD GOLF BA MA MK1GGEDZDA MX5

#424

BRIG IDE HT A

OUT PULL-E POSTER PORSCH

DEFIN ING CAR CULT UR E CK CHE

T S HE

OF UPERTOP ALL CAR10 TIM S WMON ID E S

TE MIT E-ARCH SI G EDR TO

#423

MY TA OUT TTS!

The super that’s had -wide Honda NSX more bodyw than its owner ork

D EF

The Mk2 built for RS that ’s lacking go but isn’ been t the sho w

FORCE

, 105 PLUS ERTY ING 0BHP : Lexus V8 WALK LAM BO

CU LT

DIY rest head or lig guid atio ht e n

The built not bought epic-demic that’s infected this insane 551bhp Nissan S15

ME-SP LIB ITT

-OUT PULLPOSTER NSX

‘CHA RG

#422

HURAC ÁN FLA

uk/FT C

OFF

TUNI

PUR PLE REIG N

Dubai

s■ Re vi ew

s■ Pr oj ec

Pr od

uc ts

–

SHO CKIN EL G 6 EC PO E STUF 36HPTRIC-P RSC F: Mu BISIM OWERHE stang OTO ED have s

935

■ Ma

d BM

■ Ne

ws an

d pro

duct

review

You can purchase a digital copy or subscription from – https://pocketmags.com/fast-car-magazine OUT THERE

FEATURE OF THE MONTH FESTIVAL OF SCENE Shows are the catwalks of the modified car scene, where new looks and trends are set and unique styles put to the test, and nowhere is more fashion forward than Goodwood’s Players Classic. We head down to motorsport’s historical homeland to check out what’s hot and what’s not for the 2021 show scene.

Next Issue 437 on sale 24 • 09• 2021

NE FESTIVAL OF SCE

scene. We popped Fashion Week for our ced become the London ite the lockdown enfor Players Classic has ted to find that, desp hot and were deligh Schaverien Photography Rob along to see what’s z… pazaz Words Graham Leigh its of none lost hiatus of last year, it’s

As the blurb on the Players’ website says, this is the weekend where modified cars can be found “disrupting the manicured lawns and tranquillity of Goodwood Motor Circuit”. Hard to believe that the first Players Classic was way back in 2013. It quickly became a must-attend fixture on our calendars. 20-years ago in the good old days, we all revelled in the burnouts and bad behaviour of the illegal cruise movement. It was a good laugh whilst it lasted but the damage it caused to the image of modified cars was longlasting. If you’d have predicted at the time that tuner cars would be welcome

020 www.fastcar.co.uk

at Britain’s premier historic motor racing venue you’d have been laughed out of town. Slowly but surely public perception of our scene is changing. The creativity, style, ingenuity, and above all else, atmosphere that is evident in Lord March’s back yard over the now two-day event has done wonders for the gravitas and changing face of our movement and that is in no small part due to the careful selection, liaison and hard work of the Players team. We salute you. The formula for the event is now well established with Saturday providing track action and drift demonstrations

LT U

MOR

must-

Es Ch sen Moass tial ds is

ts an d

GC AR

En FI ST gin V eM E od s

TEFC CH

• • •

SCEN

660BE-LEADIN

PLUHP GT-RG S: N ew

IN IN

Digital version

Distribution in Northern Ireland and the Republic Of Ireland Newspread: Tel: +353 23 886 3850 PRINTING William Gibbons & Sons Ltd

SUBS TO FA CRIBE S shop .kelse T CAR y.co.

KELS EY

Fast Car Magazine Kelsey Media The Granary, Downs Court, Yalding Hill, Yalding, Maidstone, Kent, ME18 6AL

1981 was a great year. If you weren’t around back then – and I was only just – here’s some of the things you missed: Nintendo released its first smash hit game, Donkey Kong; the UK actually got more than nill point at the Eurovision Song Contest when Buck’s Fizz took the title; we witnessed the birth of the music video, as MTV was launched for the very first time; and the first ever episode of comedy classic Only Fools And Horses was aired. And while these are all perfectly good reasons to regard 1981 as a year to remember, for us car fans, there was another reason, and that was the rise of the fast Fiesta. Ford’s frugal little hatch was finally given some oomph, with the pokey 1.6-litre CVH engine from the recently released XR3. Known as the XR2, it was Ford’s first truly sporty Fiesta. But while the Escort name has since been lost to history, Ford has continued to bang out increasingly fast Fiestas for the next 40 years, and they’re still going strong. And so to mark this motoring milestone we’ve compiled a list of the Top 10 Fast Fiestas, explaining why they are such cool cars, the likely purchase prices and our top tuning tips. Check it out on page 27. But this issue isn’t just about the anniversary of an icon, as its positively bursting with a whole host of other eye-wateringly good features too, including our Renault Megane RS250 buying guide, Subaru Impreza tuning guide, a detailing FAQ from clean freaks Meguiar’s, a 10 Minute Tech feature about oil and our track guide to lapping the Norfolk-based speed arena, Snetterton. And all that’s before you’ve even delved into this month’s batch of bonkers feature cars. We’ve got a Pandem-kitted E46, a Berg Cup inspired Mk1 Golf, a Cosworth engine’d 4x4 Focus (in pink!), an RB26-swapped Hakosuka Skyline and 12-year-old Lincoln Whiddett’s mental MX-5 drift car – we guess it runs in the family! And if you get through that lot, well... there’s always next month!

KELSEY

www.fastcar.co.uk

KELSEY

Part of the Fast Car Entertainment Family

with a backdrop of show cars. Sunday is a more chilled-out affair where the track is used for displaying yet more draw-dropping rides. This year saw restrictions on numbers due to the ongoing pandemic-related rules and it was testament to the popularity of the show that it rapidly sold out. Whilst the crowds were noticeably smaller and social distancing and hygiene measures were rightly enforced, the Players’ magic was still there and the broad church of automotive styles, ages and marques helped to create the ‘anything goes’ relaxed vibe that we have come to expect and love. ■

Contents

012

FEATURE CARS

Body And Soul 012 Air-slammed BMW E46 blends Pandem bodywork with cool Soul Red paint

REGULAR FEATURES

052

Front End 008 Retro Renault 5 Turbo; life-size Lego Lambo; Nissan Juke rally concept

027 Girl Power 052 Pink Focus RS track car with a Cosworth 025 heart proves girls can take on the big boys Top 10 Fast Fiestas 027 With 2021 the Fiesta XR2’s 40th birthday we look back at the best of the breed

058

065 Renault Megane RS Buying Guide 065 The top tips and buying advice to bag yourself a fantastic French flyer!

036 Brave Heart 058 It takes balls of steel to swap an RB26 engine into a Hakosuka Skyline...

070

Minor Threat 036 Lincoln Whiddett’s mental MX-5 proves he’s just as mad as his tyre-shredding Dad!

042 PRODUCTS

The hottest gear this month Hill Raiser 042 1.8T engined Mk1 Golf is an insane tribute to the Berg Cup hillclimb monsters

Keep up to date with Team FC on…www.fastcar.co.uk, Facebook, Twitter & Instagram

079

Subaru Impreza Tuning Guide 070 Fast Car’s essential guide to tuning your Classic Impreza Staff Rides 089 More modified shenanigans with the motors from the Fast Car fleet Subscriptions 094 Here’s how to 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 Tuning news from around the world

RETRO RENAULT WE’RE LOVING THIS RETRO-REVOLUTION AT THE MOMENT, AND THIS COULD BE THE COOLEST REVIVAL OF A CULT CLASSIC YET, AS LOS ANGELES-BASED LEGENDE AUTOMOBILES REVEALS THEIR TAKE ON A GALLIC HOT HATCH ICON

Who doesn’t love a Renault 5 turbo? The boxy French hatch was a true ‘80s hot hatch hero. Its basic premise of a big boosted, small displacement engine in a chassis that weighed little more than an empty crisp packet (with about the same crash-protection too), was an intoxicating mix that couldn’t fail to slap grins on the faces of all that got behind the wheel. But with many meeting their ends through unplanned diversions into hedges, or simply succumbing to the dreaded red rot, it means good examples are hard to come by these days, so anyone wanting to rekindle their love-affairs with one of these French fancies will pay dearly for it, as prices have gone through the roof. But if you do have pockets deep enough to relive your past, there is now another option that you might want to consider; one that mixes the best of the old school but brings it bang up to date.

008 www.fastcar.co.uk

Built by a trio of French custom car builders, now based in Los Angeles USA and known as Legende Automotive, the Turbo 3 is a modern day interpretation of the legendary R5 Turbo. Much like the way that Singer works its magic with aging Porkers, the Turbo 3 will be picking up where the Turbo 2 left off, but using the latest engineering tech to make it lighter and more potent than ever. The bodywork, although reminiscent of the Turbo 2 with its iconic wide arches, has ditched the use of heavy steel and has been made almost entirely from lightweight carbon-ﬁbre. It’s also much wider than the original, which has allowed the ﬁtment of 8x16in wheels at the front and gargantuan 11x17in rims at the rear – the original had tiny 14in rims all round! A larger rear wing and a two-piece diffuser grace the rear end, along with

a twin exhaust system and LED light clusters. There’s more LEDs at the front too, combined with a deep front bumper and one-piece front grille. Inside the restomod theme continues, with the square-edged dash getting a modern makeover with an multifunction digital screen replacing the speedo clocks and a sequential shifter replacing the H-pattern gear stick. A pair of slimline bucket seats with harnesses complete the minimalist interior with a full rollcage adding the ﬁnal ﬂourish. There’s no word on what will be powering the Turbo 3, but it will certainly remain mid-mounted, as per the Turbo 2, and rear-wheel drive. Speculation hints that it will likely be a turbocharged fourcylinder of some sort pushing around 400bhp, which in such a wild lightweight machine such as this, should prove suitably hilarious! We love it!

“The Turbo 3 will pick up where the Turbo 2 left off but using the latest engineering tech”

LEGO BUILD FULL-SIZE LAMBO!

We all dream of one day owning a supercar and, for many, Lamborghini is the cream of the crop. The outrageous styling, ear-splitting noise and utter ridiculousness is everything a supercar should be. Unfortunately, few of us will ever be lucky enough to achieve that dream, especially if the Lambo in question is the limited edition Sian. At a cool £3 million, it’s a car that is out of reach to all but the most minted of petrolheads, however, there may be hope for us yet, and it comes from a rather unlikely place… Danish toy giant LEGO has collaborated with the Italian car guru to build a

life-size Sian out of the company’s iconic plastic bricks. Using over 400,000 bricks and weighing 2,200kg (more than the real car!), the model took 15 people 8660 hours to develop and construct. The ﬁnal model is built to the exact proportions of the real thing with the body panels comprised of an intricate fabric of bespoke interlocking hexagonal LEGO Technic elements. There’s even a full interior made of LEGO too! With no plans to offer the life-size car as a kit for sale, we’ll just have to take inspiration from it and build our own – now where did I put that LEGO set?

defining car culture 009

UP FRONT Tuning news from around the world

PUT YOUR

JUKES UP To commemorate the 50th anniversary of Nissan’s victory in the East Africa Rally in the iconic 240Z, Nissan has released sketches which show what a contemporary Nissan rally car based on the Juke crossover might look like. The road-going Juke has always been a bit of an odd-ball for petrolheads, falling into a bit of a no-mans’ land where it wasn’t butch enough to worry the traditional SUV brigade, or fast and sexy enough to lure people away from their hot hatches and coupes. But this new concept adds bags of aggression to the Juke and transforms it into a hard-hitting mug-plugger! With enlarged wheels with knobbly tailor-made off-road tyres, bolt-on arch extensions and additional LED spotlights mounted to the roof and bonnet it looks every inch the rally challenger. Powered by an electric

010 www.fastcar.co.uk

hybrid powertrain allowing greater efficiency as well as offering additional instant torque to enhance its performance in all conditions, it would be a serious machine. “The Juke Rally Tribute Concept celebrates an iconic moment in Nissan’s heritage, with the participation and victory of the legendary 240Z in the East African Rally in 1971,” says Nissan’s Vice President Brand and Customer Experience, Coralie Musy. “As well as celebrating that victory, it reflects Nissan’s pioneering history in crossovers, striking design and electrified powertrains. We’re delighted to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the victory of that remarkable achievement with these striking images.” We’d love to see this concept become a reality to see if it could repeat the success of its 240Z ancestor!

Juke rally raider meets its grandfather: the East Africa Rally winning 240Z

ASSASSIN

Gloss Black & Gloss Black / Polished, 7.0x16” 7.0x17” 8.0x18” 8.5x19” 8.5x20”

MUNICH

Matt Bronze (20” only), Gloss Black & Gloss Black / Polished 8.5x18” 8.5x20”

PROLITE

Wolfrace TrackReady Gloss Black 7.5x17” 8.0x18” 9.0x17”

TORINO

Gloss Black 6.5x16” 7.5x17” 8.0x18” 8.0x19”

ASSASSIN GT2

Gloss Black / Polished 8.5x18” 8.5x20”

GTP

Gloss Black / Polished 9.0x20” 9.5x22”

AERO

Gloss Black / Polished & Gloss Black 8.5x18” 8.5x19” 8.5x20”

KIBO

Gloss Black / Polished Lip & Gunmetal 8.0x18” 8.0x19” 8.5x20” 9.0x20” 9.5x21”

DORTMUND

Gloss Black, Gunmetal / Polished, Matt Bronze, Matt Black & Gloss Black / Polished 8.5x18” 8.5x19” 8.5x20”

WOLFSBURG

MILANO

Gloss Black / Polished, Gloss Black 8.0x18” 8.5x19” 8.5x20” Gunmetal / Polished 8.0x18” 8.5x20” Matt Bronze 8.5x20”

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” 8.0x19”

Titanium 5.5x14” 6.0x15” 6.5x15” 6.5x16” 7.0x17” 7.5x18”

LUCCA

Gloss Black / Polished, Gloss Black & Polar Silver 6.5x16” 6.5x17” 7.5x17” 8.0x18” 8.0x19” 8.0x20”

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

HOT RIDE

Words Daniel Bevis Photography Dan Sherwood

Phil Moore may be ‘just an average dude who likes cars’ but, as this Soul Red widebody E46 demonstrates, his modifying prowess is anything but average…

BODY &

012 www.fastcar.co.uk

BMW E46

& SOUL

Defining car culture 013

HOT RIDE

Phil’s BBS RS 16 rims have been stepped up to 18in with custom lips There’s a lot of posturing and peacocking on the show car scene. It’s natural, it goes with the territory – after all, every one of us approaches this hobby from different directions, and we all have different hopes, styles, methods and aspirations; some are interested in out-and-out speed, others prefer a pristine finish, some chase the latest fashion-forward mods, and there will always be people who root the whole thing in nostalgia and sepia-tinted yearning. It stands to reason that a certain percentage of those who build cars specifically to be show-stoppers will have an extrovert nature to their character, it’s all part of the recipe. But it truly is refreshing to speak to somebody like Phil Moore, who’s fortunate enough to own the startlingly excellent Pandem E46 you see before you. He’s not concerned with being Insta-famous or winning all the trophies, he’s simply a fella with a perfectionist eye who knows what he likes. “I’m just an average dude who likes cars – fast ones, slow ones, wide ones, low ones,” he says. And we can all appreciate that. When he embarked upon this project, then, it wasn’t with one eye on a mag feature or an inner-circle slot at any show you care to mention – it was all based on the fact that he liked E46s, he liked wide cars, and he felt like smooshing those two ideas together. “I had the vision in my head from the start, and this has come out pretty much exactly like I imagined,” he says. Which is just the sort of pleasing result you can hope for when you take your time and follow a methodical line, as he has done. It helps, of course, that Phil has a little form in this area. Indeed, he’s been modding from day one: his first car was a Renault Clio, which ended up decked on coilovers with some green neons providing that eerie Hulk upskirt, before moving on to a Mk5 Golf that he shod with OZ Futura splits, kitted out with a Mk7 GTD interior, and dropped into the weeds on Air Lift Performance suspension. From this point onward, bags became something of a theme; Phil’s next beau

014 www.fastcar.co.uk

12.5in wide rear wheels wear 295-section tyres was an E36 328i cabriolet which he also bagged with Air Lift hardware, and treated to so many piquant custom mods that it earned a feature in our sister mag Performance BMW back in 2019. The E36 certainly gave him a taste for BMWs; nowadays he’s dailydriving an F80 M3, but he was itching for another project to get his teeth into, and this particular Beemer came up at just the right time. Underneath the glitz and glamour, this car actually started life as a

BMW E46

“I’m just an average dude who likes cars – fast ones, slow ones, wide ones, low ones”

TAKUMINURI We just love the colour choice on Phil’s car. Soul Red Crystal is a truly beautiful OEM shade by Mazda that’s totally wasted on the likes of the CX-7 SUV, and we’ve been waiting to see when someone will apply it to a proper modded project. Soul Red has been doing the rounds on various mainstream Mazdas for a few years now, but this new Crystal variant is an evolution of the formula – a 3-stage pearl paint, the base layer contains two different types of aluminium flakes: one that reflects light like a regular metallic, and another which absorbs light, thus giving the shade an unparalleled depth. The middle coat is translucent and the top coat is clear, creating the impression of an almost liquid-like appearance. Mazda calls this approach ‘takuminuri’ – this translates as ‘paint by master craftsman’, the aim being to make production cars look like hand-painted masterpieces. And given that Phil’s BMW actually is a hand-painted masterpiece, the effect has all the more impact.

Defining car culture 015

HOT RIDE 325Ci, and that 2.5-litre M54 is still lurking beneath the bonnet today. “Unlike a lot of people in the scene, I don’t really build cars to go fast,” he shrugs, “and on the occasions I do get to drive them, I like to cruise around and relax. I always like to look back at a car and have the thought in my head of, ‘Yeah, that looks awesome’. Obviously it needs to run well, but I’ve never been too concerned about going really fast everywhere.” Perhaps an unusual statement for an F80 M3 owner to come out with, but it’s an approach that actually makes a lot of sense. If the daily-driver is the hysterical horsepower freak, then the project car can have more of a focus on the details, and that’s precisely the path he’s followed here. And as we’ve already learned, Phil knew where he was headed with this one, right from the get-go. “I’d always liked the idea of building a widebody car, and when this particular E46 came up for sale in October 2019, I just had to have it,” he recalls. “Especially as I knew the previous owner and the car’s life beforehand. I was a big fan of the Pandem kits on the E46s and was really keen to build one. This 325Ci had previously been a show car, although when I bought it, it came completely standard other than the air-ride. I think I paid around £2,500 for it.” A great little blank canvas then, and the plans were bubbling up rapidly for how to progress through the project. Keen to get cracking right away, Phil ordered the Pandem widebody kit in the blink of an eye; while he was waiting for that magnificent jigsaw puzzle of parts to be squeezed through the letterbox by his baffled postie, he grabbed himself some Recaro Sportster CS seats, and these were the first of the upgrades to be fitted. Not a bad starting point, right? When the collection of Rocket Bunny-branded boxes arrived, the car was handed to Frank at The Drop Shop to have the wideboy kit expertly fitted, and of course those massive arches needed something fat to fill them. “I actually bought these BBS wheels from Frank, when I was about five seconds away from ordering a set from Norway,” Phil says. “These then went off to Dan at Wheel Unique to be refinished, so we could get them back and fitted to ensure everything would fit and the kit was OK before final welding.” The finish of the wheels is supremely detailed, with the RS 16s being stepped up to 18in in staggered widths (10.5in-wide at the front, a girthsome 12.5in out back), and they’re packing custom bubble lips as well as centres that are powder-coated in metallic silver with a smoked clearcoat, genuine BBS Design Line caps, polished hex centres, polished hardware, and polished valve caps. Fair to say that Phil’s into his wheels – and he’s also a details man. The brief he gave to Dan mirrors the obsession with detail found throughout the build. And with the E46 sitting pretty over its new rolling stock, the mods started

There’s even a coating of Soul Red on the Recaro seat backs

016 www.fastcar.co.uk

Recaro Sportster CS seats were the first mods to be fitted to Phil’s Beemer coming thick and fast. “After the car was back on the ground, along came the custom exhaust, rollcage, rear lights, steering wheel, carbon sideskirt extensions… all the ﬂuffy stuff,” says Phil. “This was all done at the start of 2020 and was ﬁnished just as Covid hit.” Yep, it’s a story we’re hearing time and time again from people across the scene – we were all blindsided by the sudden rush of the virus, and it took a little while to tiptoe our way through. But soon enough Phil found his path again and, fast-forwarding to June 2021, the Pandem E46 was down at Busted Knuckle Customs for a full repaint. The colour choice

The wheel to arch ratio is spot on when the BM is fully aired out

BMW E46 The door cards have been custom made in carbon

Ghettowxrkz steering wheel gives serious scene points

It’s safe to say that Phil’s not a fan of back seat drivers...

is absolutely killer, with Phil opting for Mazda’s Soul Red Crystal [see boxout on previous spread], and the fresh new look has fully revivified the BMW for the 2021 show season. Don’t go thinking it’s finished, though. For someone with Phil’s eye for perfection, there’s always something else on the to-do list. “There’s one thing that bugs me, and that’s the fact the arch line of the Pandem kit is higher than the standard arch line,” he muses. “Therefore, when I originally had the idea of doing the car I wanted a really flush archto-lip fitment; however, the wheels bottom out on the tubs so it would

Defining car culture 017

HOT RIDE

TECH SPEC: BMW E46 325CI

ENGINE: 2.5-litre, M54B25 straight-six, K&N panel filter, custom cat-back exhaust system with quad tails TRANSMISSION: ZF 5-speed manual SUSPENSION: Air Lift Performance suspension with 3P management, Air Lift adjustable top mounts, fully adjustable rear camber arms, custom-made rear toe adjustment plates, Powerflex polybushed front and rear arms BRAKES: E46 M-Sport brakes – calipers powder-coated black WHEELS & TYRES: 10.5x18in (front) and 12.5x18in (rear) BBS RS 16 with custom bubble lips – stepped up and finished by Dan at Wheel Unique, centres powder-coated in metallic silver with smoked clearcoat, genuine BBS Design Line caps, polished hex centres, polished hardware, polished valve caps, 245/30/18 (f) and 295/30/18 (r) Bridgestone Potenza tyres

take a brave man with an angle grinder to get it much lower! But that doesn’t mean it won’t eventually happen…” Well yes, he doesn’t strike us as a chap who shies away from tasks simply because they look a bit tricky. He’s probably out there with the grinder as we speak. And as for all that stuff about cruising around slowly and relaxing – yeah, we reckon things are about to get a whole lot more hectic. The M54B25 straight-six may be largely stock right now, aside from a K&N panel ﬁlter and that raucous custom quad-tail exhaust, but there’s more coming here too. “It’s a really reliable, solid engine that I’ve found no need to play with… yet,” he says, with a malevolent smirk. “And yes, despite saying before that I’m not overly bothered about going everywhere really fast, I am very tempted to turbo the car. Make it a bit of an animal.” You know what they say – if there’s any doubt, there is no doubt. Once the seed of an idea like that has been sown, it can’t help but grow and blossom. And Phil’s not out to impress anyone here, he’s simply doing all of this to please himself, which is a very satisfying way to live. Just an average dude who likes cars, and happens to be pretty bloody great at making really, really good ones. 

EXTERIOR: Rocket Bunny Pandem widebody kit, Rocket Bunny ducktail spoiler, Mazda Soul Red Crystal paint (3-stage pearl), SSDD M3 CS-style front bumper with carbon-fibre spoiler, SSDD Motorsport carbon M3-style rear diffuser, SSDD carbon sideskirt extensions, E46 M3 mirrors, facelift LED taillights, projector lens headlights with LED bulb upgrade INTERIOR: Recaro Sportster CS seats with body-colour shells, black nappa leather, carbon airbag covers, handles and bases, half-cage powder-coated matte black, one-off carbon doorcards, carbon handbrake handle and C6 carbon dash trims, retrimmed gaiters and armrest with M colour stitching, Ghettowxrkz steering wheel, upgraded LED interior lighting, M Sport gear knob, Dynavin 7in-screen head unit with sat-nav and Bluetooth, upgraded door speakers THANKS: “Thanks to Frankie Wright at The Drop Shop for the unbelievable hard work on the Pandem kit: cutting, welding, fitting and painting. Thanks also to Dan at Wheel Unique for the flawless job on the wheels, Kiran Halsey, Joel Kendall and all the guys at Busted Knuckle Customs for the amazing work on the respray, Josh and Laura at JJ Detailing for always making sure the car looked spotless for any show or meet it actually got to go to during 2020 and the start of 2021 and lastly my girlfriend Lauren for putting up with me.”

Will we see a turbo lurking under the bonnet in the near future? Watch this space...

018 www.fastcar.co.uk

TELFORD TURBOS RECONDITIONED TURBOS STARTING FROM £225+VAT HYBRID TURBOS ALSO AVAILABLE *

CALL US TO DISCUSS YOUR TURBO NEEDS AND POSTAL OPTIONS 01952 585555 /01952 585454

TELFORDTURBOS.CO.UK

Specialists In Premium Car Detailing

*DEPENDANT ON MODEL OF TURBO

High Quality Service

Next Level Premium Detailing

detailing studio / mobile valeting

Only The Finest Products

The Latest Equipment

Our Services VALETING I PROTECTION PACKAGE I PAINT PROTECTION FILM I DETAILING OPTIONS I NEW CAR PROTECTION I ENHANCEMENT DETAIL I MINOR I PAINT CORRECTION I MAJOR PAINT CORRECTION

A Truly Bespoke Experience Get in Touch 01733 590141/07341 819762 Josh@jjdetailing.co.uk

www.jjdetailing.co.uk

OUT THERE

E N E C S F O L A V I FEST

e popped W . e n e c s r u o r fo k Fashion Wee n o d n enforced o L n e w o th d e k c m o lo c e e b th s e a it h p s find that, de to Players Classic d te h lig e d re e w d hot an Rob Schaverien igh Photography Le m … along to see what’s z ha z ra a G z ds a or p W st none of its lo ’s it r, a e y t s la f o hiatus

020 www.fastcar.co.uk

PLAYERS CLASSIC KYZA CHIEF Talk of the town was the extreme rear-engined, wide arched Mk2 Golf built by German tuners JP Performance. The concept was originally penned by render artist extraordinaire and owner of Live To Offend, Khyzyl Saleem (AKA the_kyza). It was a huge weekend for Khyzyl, the angry-looking Dub was joined by the first UK LTOkitted E30 BMW owned by Parm Panesar of The Tuning Store, as well as Khyzyl’s own tuned, dropped and Rotiformed RX-7.

‘OW FAST MISTER? A cage, buckets, and a pair of harnesses has been a staple approach forever. It looks great, saves weight, and keeps you in place as you press on. A lot of builds are starting to go way beyond that though. Both Andy Devine’s ‘Mexorcist’ Escort and Dave Carpenter’s Mk1 Fiesta both sported Quaife sequential gearboxes, race-spec engines, and centre-lock wheels. Bonkers!

defining car culture 021

OUT THERE

WHEELY GOOD SHOW: It wouldn’t be a Players event without a smattering of killer rolling stock. Aerodiscs were out in force more than ever before. Joining the Carrerra Bodyshop Mk4 Escorts in the look, were Dave Carpenter with his peppermint green Mk1 Fiesta, many of the old school Golfs and Lancias rocking the ‘80s motorsport vibe, and of course the aforementioned LTO x JPPerformance Mk2. Wheel whores of a retro persuasion were treated to the normal mix of BBS, Ronal, Compomotive, and Gotti period split-rims, whilst the trusty old BBS RS was still well represented, and the number of E-Series magnesium motorsport rims seems to grow by the year. Two stand out examples of this aficionado approach were Andrew Carter’s Gorgeous Red 16v Mk2 Golf that took pride of place on JTech’s stand with its gold E26 BBS wheels and the fabled ‘Mexorcist’ Mk2 Escort belonging to Andy Devine with its 16in E48 centre-lock exSierra Touring Car hoops.

The practice of stepping up rims through fitting larger outers continued, as did utilising OEM wheels to create custom splits. Liam O’Brien sported both techniques with his CR Customs 3-piece Style 32 based beauts. Rotiform continued with their bid for world domination and the wheels were well represented from the modern-looking 18in OZRs on Sean Reilly’s Clio RS 200, the flamboyant fluorescent pink USFs on Liberty Walk EU’s new Supra to the retro forged IGS model on Jay Mac’s Mk2 Golf.

LIVERY-TASTIC! Motorsport-inspired liveries are still big news as you can see in some of the pics. Andy Cowley’s BTCC-inspired Skoda Octavia Estate had it nailed with full Tic-Tac livery and 8.5x19in Team Dynamic 1.3 square setup tucked right up there. (see right)

022 www.fastcar.co.uk

PLAYERS CLASSIC

FAST CAR TEN OF THE BEST

These are in no way in any order of preference but they caught our eye for all the right reasons:

OWNER AND CAR: Andy Devine’s Ford Mk2 Escort (AKA The Mexorcist) SPEC AT A GLANCE: Julian Godfrey aluminium Cosworth YB producing 550bhp, 6-speed sequential Quaife gearbox with air shift, genuine carbon fibre roof, bonnet and 3D printed carbon fibre dash, 16in BBS E48 centrelock wheels from a Touring Car Sierra

OWNER AND CAR: Sean Reilly’s Renault Clio RS 200 SPEC AT A GLANCE: Mossy Green wrap, 18in Rotiform OZRs, Airlift 3P, Recaro CS seats trimmed in leather and Alcantara with yellow OEM style stitching, steering wheel reupholstered in Alcantara with matching yellow stitching

OWNER AND CAR: Liam O’Brien’s BMW F22 235I SPEC AT A GLANCE: Gloss Hunter Green wrap by Autowrap, Manchester, NVM Motorsport remap, 3 piece CR custom wheels based on BMW Style 32s, Airlift 3P, half cage, Recaro Pole Position seats

OWNER AND CAR: JP Performance, Germany’s LTO X JP Performance Mk2 Golf SPEC AT A GLANCE: Rear-mounted VR6 engine and RWD, Rotiform splits, exposed shifter, Kirkley seats

OWNER AND CAR: Andy Cowley’s Skoda Octavia Estate SPEC AT A GLANCE: Corbeau Carbon Revenge seats, half cage, Airlift V2, Team Dynamics 1.3 8.5x19in wheels, Tic-Tac livery, 1.8T with WRC inlet, side-exit exhaust

OWNER AND CAR: Phil Morrison’s GT1 inspired Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 (AKA The Slambo) SPEC AT A GLANCE: 6.5 V12, custom ITBs, 6-speed manual conversion, RWD, 10.5x19in and 13x20in custom 3SDM wheels

OWNER AND CAR: Dave Carpenter’s Ford Fiesta Mk1 SPEC AT A GLANCE: Peppermint green, Advanced Engine Research all-steel Zetec ST170, 5-speed Quaife sequential gearbox, AP Racing brakes, AP Racing pedal box, 15in Image centrelock wheels, front aerodiscs

OWNER AND CAR: Reece Parr’s BMW 700 SPEC AT A GLANCE: VW Beetle floor pan and 1300 air-cooled engine, Airlift 3P, 15in Centreline style wheels, 2002 Webasto full-length sunroof

OWNER AND CAR: Millie Robinson’s VW Beetle Convertible SPEC AT A GLANCE: Tan leather retrim, BBS RS, air, R-Line custom front bumper, ABT eyebrow spoilers

OWNER AND CAR: Amber O’Connor’s VW Lupo 1.4 Sport SPEC AT A GLANCE: Airlift 3P, Neptune green leather, MTI 2 3 piece 16in split rims

defining car culture 023

OUT THERE

A BIT OF POSH Millie Robinson’s new Beetle fell into this classy category. With its moody dark grey metallic paint contrasting with the copper coloured splits and quality tan leather it looked more like a factory concept car than a modded example. Similarly, Amber O’Connor’s Lupo 1.4 Sport was an exercise in subtlety; decked on 16in MTI 2s, its crisp white paintwork contrasted nicely with the Neptune green leather. Nice!

PANDEM MANDEM From one extreme to the other, aggressive body kits are still popular. The LTO cars have certainly done their bit to perpetuate this style and all manner of marques could be found sporting the look. Many of the Japanese cars wore them well including Liberty Walk’s Supra and a stunning pair of Rocket Bunny equipped GT86s. Flying the European flag, Phil Moore’s Pandem kitted E46 325i mixed it up with a classy Soul Red metallic and BBS RS splits proving that sometimes you can combine a couple of looks and strike gold. SWEEDISH HORSEPOWER MAFIA The other marque that seems to have gone crazy in recent years is Volvo and looking at the examples on display at Players over the weekend, we can see why. Tom Clarke’s bagged and red-topped Amazon looked better than ever following a recent refresh, while the Amber LS-powered 242 Coupe was a gorgeous addition to the show and a worthy prize winner. Eslewhere a decked 240, 850 and 940 were all worthy of their hallowed paddock space.

024 www.fastcar.co.uk

WWW.AUTOFINESSE.CO.UK

TOP 10 FAST FIESTAS

Fast Fiestas Top Ten

The cult of the hot hatch just wouldn’t be the same without fast Fords. Even if you’re a die-hard follower of the Golf, the 205 or the Civic (or any number of other options), it can’t be denied that Ford has always put incredible effort into making performance affordable for the person on the street, and the Fiesta sits in the centre of this game-plan. Whether it’s feisty XR2s skulking in your local drive-thru or your grandma pootling to the shops in a Popular Plus, memories of the Ford

Fiesta will be inextricably intertwined with your past, which is unsurprising given that the model popped into the topten bestseller list back in 1977 and has pretty much stayed there ever since – it’s an enduring love affair, we just can’t get enough. And given that this year marks the 40th anniversary of the XR2’s launch, we wanted to pull together a greatest-hits of fast Fiestas, from those halcyon days of 1981 right up to the present moment. Enjoy the ride.

defining car culture 027

TOP 10 FAST FIESTAS Mk1 XR2 The 1973 oil crisis did a lot to shake up the global car market. But even before then, Ford had been looking into the development of a small, frugal model to tap into a shifting consumer mindset – and they were going in hard, with the brief to create ‘the most outstanding small car the world had ever seen’. Project Bobcat was the result; a pint-sized hatchback with a new version of the ‘Kent’ crossflow engine, named ‘Valencia’ in honour of the shiny new Spanish factory Ford

built to produce the Fiesta. The public lapped it up, with over a million being sold by 1980. As was Ford’s style, a whole range of specifications were available, from the spartan base model to the slightly-less-grim Popular, the L, GL and S, Ghia (which had velour seats and simulated walnut burr trim!), and the peppy Supersport. But the real fun started with the XR2, with its 1.6-litre engine, rakish graphics and pepperpot alloys. A whole generation of XR-obsessed boy racers

was born. The Supersport had tested the water to see if buyers would be keen on the idea of a sporting variant – although with its lukewarm 1.3-litre engine, it was never as exciting to drive as it was to look at. But with the XR2, Ford struck gold: as well as round headlights pinched from US-market Fiestas and a stylish bodykit, it promised 0-60mph in 9.3s and 105mph. Which mightn’t sound all that thrilling today, but this was very heady stuff in the Thatcher era. Price today: £12,000 Top mods: There aren’t a lot of early Fiestas left, because they all got driven to death or wrapped around lampposts. So today the formula is to accentuate and enhance rather than radically alter, because these are appreciating classics after all. We’d go with a set of twin 40 Weber DCOE carbs, a Kent 224 cam and a Stage 2 head, along with some GAZ adjustable dampers. Top contacts: Burton Power (burtonpower.com), Webcon (webcon.co.uk), GAZ (gazshocks.com)

Top mods: These engines have a pretty strong bottom end, so if you muck about with the top a bit you can find surprising gains: adding a Stage 2 head, Kent CVH 22 cams and twin 40s should find you an extra 25bhp, which is a massive percentage increase. Or you could do

what everyone did in the nineties and drop an RS Turbo engine in there! (If you can find one, that is…) Top contacts: Kent Cams (kentcams.com), Burton Power (burtonpower.com), Webcon (webcon.co.uk)

Mk2 XR2 The second-generation Fiesta didn’t really shake up the formula too much. If it ain’t broke… etc. Sales were strong, so the plan was to evolve rather than, er, revolve. Cosmetically, the Mk2 had a more roundy face and a sharpened-up interior, but shared its predecessor’s dimensions and was still only offered as a three-door. Different engines appeared, including the first Fiesta diesel, and a constantly-variable automatic gearbox arrived too. This generation will probably be remembered most fondly for the bewildering array of special editions that were offered – Firefly, Dash, Finesse, Festival, Holiday, Bonus, Olympus Sport… whatever your preference in terms of random words written on your car, there was a Mk2 Fiesta for you. And yes, the XR2 evolved too – with 96bhp on tap from its CVH engine (pinched from the Escort XR3) and a 5-speed gearbox, it was at once grown-up and sophisticated, and youthful and silly. The bodykit was much chunkier too, because Ford knew what played well on Southend seafront. Price today: £6,000

028 www.fastcar.co.uk

TOP 10 FAST FIESTAS XR2i The Mk3 was based on a whole new platform – bigger, able to offer a five-door variant, revised engines, better suspension, the works. Ford shifted over a million of these in the first two years of production alone, and again there were plenty of comically-named specials: Azura, Quartz, Sapphire, Cabaret, Louisiana… Ford experimented with Australian two-stroke engines for the Mk3, but ultimately decided that the unit-shifting small-capacity four-cylinder

motors were sufficiently frugal, while also having proven reliability. (Shame, really – imagine a 1990s Fiesta with a 1960s Fiat soundtrack, that’d be ace.) Excitingly, there were also three – count ’em! – sporty variants: the XR2i, the RS Turbo, and finally the RS1800, which cemented the credentials of the new family of Zetec engines. The addition of the ‘i’ badge was significant. The XR2i wasn’t just about fuel injection, it was about proving the new Zetec motors could

be entertaining as well as sensible. So there were actually two versions: the earlier 8v XR2i came with the old CVH installed, fitted with fuel injection and tweaked cams. But this was then replaced by the far superior XR2i 16v, which had a 1.8-litre Zetec – and this is the one you probably want, as the 8v wasn’t any quicker than the Mk1. That said, Mk3 Fiestas have gone from being everywhere to nowhere, so you might struggle to find one at all! Price today: £7,000 Top mods: The first thing you notice about the XR2i is that it sits way too high, so you’ll be wanting a set of Spax adjustables to sort that out. A set of braided brake lines will make a surprising difference to everyday usability. And Mk3 Fiestas really suit 3-spoke alloys (you’ll find out why when we get to the RS Turbo), so why not modernise the look with a set of Rotiform BRU rims? Top contacts: Spax (spaxperformance.com), Goodridge (goodridge.co.uk), Rotiform (rotiform. com)

2,400rpm with a nice flat curve, and a genuinely achievable 130mph. And on the outside it had green pinstripes, bonnet vents and three-spoke wheels – which was so on-trend for the nineties – while Recaro seats adorned the interior. Price today: £15,000 Top mods: It would take a brave person to heavily modify an RS Turbo today, given that there’s only about a hundred or so left on the UK’s roads.

We’d start with sharpening up the chassis: the RS Turbo came with weak XR2i brakes, so it makes sense to swap in a set of Wilwood 4-pots. GAZ can sell you a set of coilovers, and Powerflex have a full suite of polybushes to tighten everything up. Top contacts: Powerflex (powerflex.co.uk), Wilwood (wildwood.com), GAZ (gazshocks.com)

RS Turbo

With the early CVH-engined XR2i being roundly panned by the press, Ford’s Special Vehicle Engineering division was deployed to right a few wrongs. The aim was to make a true driver’s car, and the runaway success of the Series 2 Escort RS Turbo was the inspiration and the template. And it wasn’t simply a case of yoinking the Escort motor and shoehorning it into the Fiesta; while the block, crank and compression ratio are shared between the two, the Fiesta’s engine enjoyed a lot of further development. A smaller Garrett G2 turbo was fitted (Ford would tell you that it spooled up faster for more eager acceleration; a cynic might suggest that the bigger turbo from the Escort simply wouldn’t fit in the Fiesta’s engine bay…), and the cylinder head from the XR2i’s fuel-injected CVH was also swapped across. Ford’s proprietary EECIV engine management system was drafted in, complete with the map sensor, wastegate solenoid valve and boost control module from the Sapphire RS Cosworth. What resulted from all of this was a whole bunch of exciting numbers – 133bhp, 135lb ft of torque from as low down as

defining car culture 029

TOP 10 FAST FIESTAS RS1800

The RS Turbo was a short-lived proposition. Insurance and emissions regs saw it consigned to the dustbin after just two years, but Ford had an ace up its sleeve in the form of the boxfresh Zetec engine. Reprising the iconic RS1800 nameplate, the new hot Fiesta looked basically the same as the RS Turbo, and the power figures were near-enough identical too. OK, the top speed was slightly lower and it was half-a-second slower to 60mph, but fuel economy was far better and emissions were markedly reduced. This was no stock 1800 Zetec either: the RS1800 used the cams, throttle body and ECU from the just-launched 2.0-litre variant. The car also had a thicker front anti-roll bar to reduce understeer, and slightly lowered suspension. Inside were the winged seats shared with the 16v XR2i and the Si,

and the Mk3 Fiesta was ageing a bit by this point so the modernisation was welcome. It all felt very similar to the RS Turbo on the move, but the obvious difference was that next-generation engine: whereas the boosted CVH was choppy and intermittent, the nat-asp Zetec was buttery smooth. While it may have been a few bhp shy at peak, you weren’t waiting for a turbo to spool so the power was available more freely, more of the time. The RS Turbo had the cruise-king badge, but the RS1800 was the true

enthusiast’s choice. Price today: £12,000 Top mods: There’s only about fifty RS1800s left, so any mods you carry out should probably be reversible. Why not harness that old school vibe and convert it to carbs? DanST Engineering sell a manifold to run R6 bike carbs, or IK Engineering have a setup for twin 45s. Top contacts: DanST Engineering (danstengineering. co.uk), IK Engineering (ikengineering.co.uk)

obscure Mazda 121, fact fans. There was a fresh new range of Zetec-SE engines, and the Mk4 donated its chassis to the slinky Puma too – which, as many an aftermarket tuner deduced, means you can squeeze the Puma’s 1.7-litre engine into a Mk4 Fiesta and rectify the lack of a sporty model in the range. So, the Mk5: it was actually just a facelifted Mk4 rather than being a whole new car, and the UK is

one of the few markets to actually call it a Mk5, which can cause a bit of confusion with all the ones that came after it. But never mind all that – it looked a lot crisper than the uninspiring Mk4, taking on the New Edge styling of the recentlylaunched Focus, and Ford also addressed the ‘oops, we forgot about hot hatches’ issue with the frisky Zetec-S. The 1.6-litre 16v Sigma engine was borrowed from elsewhere in the range, its 101bhp working with stiffer and lower suspension, thicker anti-roll bars and Puma brakes. Performance was warm rather than hot, but the Zetec-S was all about the handling – a proper spiritual successor to the XR2, that’s properly affordable these days. Price today: £1,500 Top mods: Tuners have been spannering on these cars for years, so there’s a lot of options. Dropping a 1.7 Puma engine in is the obvious move, but there’s a lot more to do without shelling out for a full transplant. Start with a Pipercross Viper induction kit and a Milltek exhaust, add in some AP coilovers, and you’ll have a sorted back-road weapon for not a lot of outlay. Top contacts: Pipercross (thepipercrossshop. co.uk), Milltek (millteksport.com), AP (apsportsuspensions.com)

Mk5 Zetec-S This is the generation of Fiesta in which the numbers go a bit awry. Owing to the increasingly iffy insurance situation for hatchbacks in the 1990s, there wasn’t a sporting variant of the Mk4 (which is the model sold from 1994-99). That was Britain’s bestselling car from 199698, and while it shared some of the Mk3 bits, it was very heavily revised throughout – and also shared a production line with the rather more

030 www.fastcar.co.uk

mongooseexhausts.com

#TunersChoice

Unit 6, Newman Close, Congleton, Cheshire CW12 4TR Prices INCLUDE VAT unless otherwise stated. E. & O. E.

TOP 10 FAST FIESTAS Mk6 ST

Ford announced the Mk6 Fiesta on April Fool’s Day 2002, but it was no joke – it had ABS and airbags as standard across the range, and was really quite grown-up. They aggressively marketed it as a world car, selling it as far afield as Japan, Australia, India, and all across South America; it was at the time the best-selling generation of Fiesta to date. Hot hatch fans were catered for by a new Zetec-S and the peppier ST, while at the cheaper end of the spectrum even the base models were quick-ish as well as being thoroughly sensible. Leather, air-con, Bluetooth – none of this modern stuff seemed out of place

Mk7 Zetec-S

Comparing the Mk7 Fiesta to the Mk1 throws into sharp focus just how far the automotive world advanced over the course of those decades. While the original sold its charms on the minimalist virtues of a compact footprint and cheap-to-produce plastics, the new-for-2008 Fiesta proudly boasted such baubles as ambient lighting, keyless entry, electric power steering,

032 www.fastcar.co.uk

in the Mk6. The Fiesta had come of age. In ST spec (commonly known to enthusiasts as the ST150), there was a lot to offer. Power came from a 2.0-litre Duratec, peaking at 150bhp but capable of a lot more, as the aftermarket was quickly keen to explore. With its smart bodykit and pretty 17in wheels it cut a dash (but maybe avoid the viper stripes if you can), and there was a decent options list which included heated leather seats. A real hoot to drive, and one of the most affordable ways into fast Ford ownership today. Price today: £2,500

Top mods: There’s a lot of potential for chassis tweaks here, and plenty of power options too. Job one is to get on the phone to Mountune and order up their cold air induction system, shortshift, and roll restrictor. A Scorpion cat-back system is a great choice, as is a set of BC Racing coilovers. Top contacts: Mountune (mountunestore.com), Scorpion (scorpion-exhausts.com), BC Racing (bc-racing.co.uk)

USB ports, and a radiator grille that could have been crowbarred off the nose of an Aston Martin. The entire genre had shifted upmarket, and Ford were deftly moving with the times in order to maintain top-seller status. It didn’t exactly hurt the Mk7’s reputation that Ken Block built one into an absolute monster for Gymkhana 5, and of course Ford were wise to the hot hatch market

potential. We’ll come onto the ST in due course, but first let’s consider the reprise of the Zetec-S nameplate. This essentially packaged the ST looks with more affordable insurance and running costs, with younger buyers in mind; you could have it with a 94bhp 1.6 TDCi, but obviously the correct answer is the 123bhp 1.0 EcoBoost petrol turbo motor. A one-litre three-cylinder may not sound all that exciting, but these engines are insanely tuneable – we’ve seen them wound up to 170bhp on stock internals. The thinking person’s ST? It might just be. Price today: £4,000 Top mods: As unbelievable as it may sound, you can find yourself with 160-170bhp (or more) from these teeny-tiny engines, and you don’t even have to crack the thing open. Stir in an Airtec front-mount intercooler, full 3in exhaust system (which might have to be a custom job – talk to Powerflow), AutoSpecialists Stage 2 induction and a Revo remap, and you’re laughing. Literally. Top contacts: Airtec (airtecmotorsport. com), Powerflow (powerflowexhausts.co.uk) AutoSpecialists (autospecialists.co.uk), Revo (onlyrevo.com)

WATER/ METHANOL INJECTION COLOUR MATCH GUARANTEE

Specialist solutions for vehicle body repairs Professional grade paint from The Touch Up Paint Factory. Colour Coat aerosols with a Pro Jet Spray nozzle. Plus, ‘All in One’ combined colour and clear coat touch up paint and paint pens – NEW to the UK! Mixed to order from registration number. 100% colour match guaranteed from 250,000+ colours available. Fast UK delivery.

10% DISCOUNT OFFER CODE: FC10% www.touchuppaintfactory.com

WWW.COOLINGMIST.CO.UK 07851 600828

www.sealey.co.uk

PROMOTION 2021 VALID FROM 1ST JULY TO 31ST OCTOBER 2021

6pc Mini Pliers Set

Power Speed Ratchets

Model No. SPR001

• Model No. AK8381 • List Price £41.95

Exc. £26.95 VAT Inc. £32.34 VAT

8pc Impact Socket Adaptor Set • Model No. AK5900B • List Price £46.95

Model No. SPR002

OFFERS WILL BE WITHDRAWN WHEN STOCK IS SOLD. PRICES EXCLUDE VAT UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED. WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO CHANGE PRODUCTS AND PRICING AT ANY TIME, E & OE. *PLEASE REFER TO WWW. SEALEY.CO.UK/GUARANTEE FOR MORE INFORMATION ON GUARANTEES.

SPR001

Maximum Torque

List Price

244Nm (Manual), £219.95 1Nm (Electric) 610Nm (Manual) SPR002 £229.95 1Nm (Electric)

Exc. VAT

Inc. VAT

£164.95 £197.94 £169.95 £203.94

OUT NOW!

Visit our website to enter our latest competitions.

Model No.

Exc. £29.95 VAT Inc. £35.94 VAT

NEW CATALOGUE

Even bigger and better than ever, our 2021/22 edition includes over 11,900 products designed for use in the trade - including over 2,800 brand new products! Don’t miss out and order your FREE copy on our website now.

TOP 10 FAST FIESTAS Mk7 ST200

The Mk7 Fiesta ST is generally considered by anyone with even a vague idea of what they’re talking about to be one of the certified all-time greats. During its time in production it won pretty much every accolade going, the trophy cabinet at Ford HQ positively groaning under the sheer weight of silverware – and, as every reader must surely already be aware, it’s a damned tuneable car. Roundly celebrated by pretty much every motoring outlet across the globe as a supremely entertaining machine to drive, and something

Mk8 ST

With such a long and rich heritage of hatchback success behind it, the Mk8 was all about empirebuilding. At launch in 2017, it offered a bigger and safer proposition than the outgoing Mk7, with impeccable eco credentials and a real focus on quality. This last point was extended to a further degree by the swanky Vignale spec level (Ford once again buying up a revered design house and gluing it onto their specced-up models, just like they

034 www.fastcar.co.uk

which Ford got thoroughly right, the next logical step was to follow a more-is-more line. And the ST200 was the ultimate warrantied evolution of the breed. Hitting the showrooms in 2016, this special edition took all the best bits of the ST and made it slightly better: identifiable by its unique Storm Grey paint, it served up a nice round 200bhp (215bhp on overboost), and the gear ratios and final drive were shortened to aid frisky acceleration. The chassis was cunningly optimised, with the front anti-roll bar and rear torsion beam each being 33% stiffer while,

interestingly, the springs were actually a little softer – this package proved to be so effective that it was later rolled out to all STs. And of course, just like the regular ST, buyers enjoyed those excellent seats, the stellar brakes, and beautifully playful chassis. A special edition that made every mainstream model a bit more special too. Price today: £14,000 Top mods: You can get crazy numbers out of these engines on stock internals. How does 350bhp sound? You’ll be needing a Pumaspeed X-47R turbo for starters, and match it to ITG induction, a Peron downpipe and Milltek exhaust, Airtec Stage 3 intercooler, and Pumaspeed’s Stage 4 map. Voila. You’ll be bothering supercars on the back roads. Top contacts: Pumaspeed (pumaspeed.co.uk), ITG (itgairfilters.com), Peron (peron-automotive.co.uk)

did with Ghia), and in 2018 the Mk8 ST arrived… with a few tricks up its sleeve. Under the bonnet lay a turbocharged 1.5-litre three-cylinder engine; think of it as three-quarters of a 2.0-litre, but this motor is by no means a compromise. It serves up a punchy 200bhp, and also boasts clever cylinder deactivation technology, so you can trundle around town on two cylinders like an old pop-popping Fiat 500.

The specs of the chassis and oily bits were impressive too – buyers who ticked the Performance Pack box got a Quaife LSD, shift lights and launch control, and every ST came with driver modes encompassing ‘Normal’, ‘Sport’ and ‘Track’, a first for a Fiesta. The performance figures beat those of the Mk7 ST200, it’s got huggy Recaros and a proper manual ’box, with a supremely planted ride and oodles of grip. The perfect hot hatch for 2021? It very well might be. The spirit of the original XR2 has filtered through some pretty colourful strata over the decades, but the essence is the same: affordable and practical, with a level of fun that always has you grinning from ear to ear. Price today: from £24,580 (new ST-3) Top mods: Much like the Mk7, the tuning aftermarket is all over the Mk8 ST. If you were to swap in the Pumaspeed X37 hybrid turbo, and add Pro Alloy Stage 3 induction and intercooler, CoolingMist water/meth injection and a Mongoose decat, GPF delete and GPF-back exhaust system, a MAXD Out Stage 3 tune will have you knocking on the door of 300bhp. From a three-cylinder motor. Pretty cool living in the future, isn’t it? Top contacts: Pumaspeed (pumaspeed.co.uk), Pro Alloy (proalloy.co.uk), CoolingMist (coolingmist. co.uk), Mongoose (collinsperformance.com)

Breathe & Stop

Designed and manufactured in Italy. Tel +44 1706 222 872 / www.tarox.com / sales@tarox.com

HOT RIDE Words Daniel Bevis Photography Graeme Murray

Lincoln Whiddett may be only 12 years old, but he’s driving one of the coolest MX-5s on the scene. This bridge-ported drift weapon represents the ultimate father-and-son lockdown bonding experience.

036 www.fastcar.co.uk

MAZDA MX-5

It’s a story we hear time and time again from feature car owners, that their motoring influences have filtered down directly from their parents or guardians. It’s such a common origin tale, we’ve waxed lyrical for years about how the cars our folks were interested in so often inform those that we drive today. A psychologist might argue that, for many, this represents an impassioned yearning to return to the carefree innocence of youth, buying the car that your mum had when you were a nipper so that you can be, in part, a child once more. But sometimes it’s not that deep; sometimes it’s just an excuse for a bit of good old family bonding. Father-and-son teams who rebuild old wrecks they happen across on eBay, girls taking on their grandmas’ bone-stock old shopping runabouts and turning them into flamespitting retro track monsters, we see this happening all over the scene. It’s all about – as Dom Torretto would say - family. That innocent and unassuming little word represents so much to so many, in an infinite number of ways; fans of EastEnders will see it as a word with a lot of vowels, ‘faaaaaaamily,’ that means giving your cousins an alibi when they’ve done over a bookie’s or set fire to a pub. Family Fortunes offers a more light-hearted outlook, relying on one another’s ability to recall simple facts about everyday life under the intense pressure of studio lighting. And then there’s Sly and the Family Stone, demonstrating that there’s no brotherhood quite like that of dropping psychedelic mischief to a backing track of funky bass licks. You can choose your

friends, as the old saying goes, but you can’t choose your family. They’re yours whether you like it or not, so you might as well have a few adventures together. What we’re seeing here, however, is taking things to a frankly silly extreme. You see, the owner of this rambunctious little MX-5, Lincoln Whiddett, is just 12 years old. Astonishing, no? For most of us, our ﬁrst cars were cheap and slightly knackered shopper-spec hatchbacks rather than bespoke-built drift cars, and it’s not exactly commonplace to own such a thing at an age when you can barely see over the bar at your local hostelry, let alone even trying to blag an illicit pint. But the story here, as you’d probably guessed, is far from ordinary. Some of you will have spotted the surname and had a lightbulb illuminate in your brain – yes, Lincoln is the son of Mad Mike Whiddett. And for those of you who are unfamiliar with the name, let’s just say that Mad Mike is a living legend in the arena of tyre-slaying. Born in New Zealand, Mike’s been doing risky things with petrol since he was six-years old, and for some time he’s been an ofﬁcially sponsored drift competitor under the Red Bull umbrella. His recent past of bespoke motorsport builds is mightily impressive, with a particular fan favourite being MADBUL, a 26B-engined quad-rotor FD RX-7 (basically two 13B rotaries nailed together and cranked up to eleven) which ultimately evolved to run an old-school RX-3 nose. There was also BADBUL, an RX-8 packing a triple-rotor 20B, RADBUL, which was an NC MX-5 again boasting a

Defining car culture 037

HOT RIDE Bridge-ported 12a rotary engine packs 180bhp

hardcore 26B, and RUMBUL, a Mazda B2000 stadium truck with a natasp 13B. You may well have noted a pattern here, with Mazdas being a firm favourite and Wankel rotary engines the favoured weapon of choice… although let’s not omit the surprising existence of NIMBUL, the Liberty Walk-kitted Lamborghini Huracán drift car. But of course. In short, it’s fair to say that Mad Mike is a man who knows what he likes, has the skills to deploy his eye-watering machinery, and is no stranger to uncompromising one-off builds with howling rotary engines. The apple evidently doesn’t fall far from the tree either, as Lincoln is very much following in his old man’s wheel tracks with this astonishing roadster. It all came about because of the Covid-19 pandemic; Mike’s bread-and-butter comes from travelling the world to compete in drift series, attend shows for demos, and generally indulge in paid gigs destroying tyres. But with travel in and out of New Zealand curtailed in 2020, he found himself with some pretty large gaps in his schedule. This seemed like the perfect opportunity for some real bonding time with his young son, and between them they started thinking about building him his first drift car. Now, obviously this has always been in Lincoln’s blood; he’s grown up seeing his dad’s legendary driving prowess both on screen and first-hand, and from a

Willwood brakes give serious stopping power

038 www.fastcar.co.uk

teeny-tiny age he was driving about in an imported remote control sit-and-ride Cadillac Escalade. As he transitions towards his teen years, daddy Mike wanted Lincoln to learn some real motoring chops, and a drift car seemed the logical choice. Initially the plan was simple – build something lightweight and racy, and throw a rotary in it because that’s the way they do things. The scope of the project at that point was pretty modest, but as was probably inevitable, the father-and-son team got more than a little carried away. Lincoln’s social media following is partly to blame, as it only took one innocuous post saying that he was going to build a drift car to get all the big-name brands coming a-knocking – Rotiform, Rocket Bunny, ST Suspension, Toyo, they all wanted to be involved, and the project just spiralled from there. The design and concept is really special too. Naturally Lincoln has taken inspiration from Mike’s various builds, but the ethos is very much his own; he was instrumental in designing the wheels and the bodykit, so the ﬁnished product – named NO KIDN – is uniquely of his own style. Under the bonnet, we ﬁnd a sweet spot of power levels; around 180bhp may not sound massive in the realm of tuned rotaries, but it’s a hell of a lot to chuck about when you’re learning the ropes, particularly

MAZDA MX-5

“180bhp may not sound like much, but it’s a hell of a lot to chuck about when you’re learning the ropes”

The pedals have been moved forward so Lincoln can reach them in a car as light as this. In addition, this is no ordinary 12A Wankel – it’s been bridge-ported, which basically involves opening out the standard ports and then adding an additional eyebrow port above; this will have your peak power arriving somewhere around 8,000rpm while making that characteristic BRAP-BRAP-BRAP sound. Pretty tasty stuff. And for the transmission, Lincoln was able to cherry-pick the best bits from around the garage – the FD RX-7 5-speed manual from MADBUL, the Exedy clutch and ﬂywheel from ICEBUL, and the Winters quick-change diff from BADBUL. Don’t go thinking this is in any way a beginner’s car, this thing is damn serious. With ST coilovers, massive Wilwood brakes and a pedal box and bias adjuster, along with a hydro handbrake and fresh stiff bushes, the chassis is tough as hell – and it’s impossible not to

We wish we were this cool when we were 12...

ALL ABOUT PERSPECTIVE Let’s trace a line back, shall we? At the age of 12, Lincoln’s driving a car that’s 30-years old. To older readers, the MX-5 may be bracketed within the loose realm of ‘modern cars’, but it’s all about perspective. If you were 12 years old in, say, 2001, and found yourself being presented with a car of the same relative age, you could have been sliding about the place in an early Mk1 Escort or a Leyland-era MGB. In 1991? It might be a Frogeye Sprite or a PA Vauxhall Cresta with all the chrome and tailfins. Make no mistake: to Lincoln, this hardcore drift weapon is very much a classic car!

Defining car culture 039

HOT RIDE

TECH SPEC: MAZDA MX-5

ENGINE: 12A Wankel rotary, bridge-ported, 48mm Weber IDA carburettor, twin 2.5in exhaust system, Carter fuel pump, Aeroflow braided lines and fittings, alloy radiator, electric water pump, fully stripped factory loom and complete re-wire, K&N filters, NGK plugs, electric power steering TRANSMISSION: FD RX-7 5-speed manual (from MADBUL), Exedy carbon triple clutch (from ICEBUL), Exedy flywheel (from ICEBUL), Winters quick-change differential (from BADBUL), Driveshaft Shop axles and prop SUSPENSION: ST Suspension coilovers, Destroy or Die / MM arms and knuckles, tubbed firewall, anti-roll bars deleted, Destroy or Die Purple bushes throughout

love those one-of-one Rotiform wheels that Lincoln helped to design, in an aggressive square setup of 10x15in and packing some seriously chunky rubber. The gold flake rainbow glitter makes a strong statement for the interior, slathering the shells of the custom NRG buckets with disco flair, and it’s all proper competition-spec in here: we’re talking homologated rollcage, Takata harnesses, 3D-printed switch box, Harris Race Radios kit, the works. It’s all wrapped up in a glorious Lincolnenhanced interpretation of the iconic Rocket Bunny vibe: seambusting arches, perky ducktail, aero skirts, all working together with an awesome livery that takes inspiration from the busy drift graphics of yore and refracting them through a modern digital filter. It’s got Mad Mike’s DNA running through it, but this car is pure Lincoln Whiddett, and with the glittering driving career he undoubtedly has ahead of him, you’ll be able to look back over these pages in future years and say: yes, you heard it here first. Lincoln may be half-a-decade or so shy of being able to buy his old man a pint to say thanks for the inspiration, but the respect is clear. This is more than just father-and-son bonding, this is petrolhead DNA in action. 

“It’s got Mad Mike’s DNA running through it, but this car is pure Lincoln Whiddett”

040 www.fastcar.co.uk

BRAKES: Wilwood Dynapro front calipers, twin Wilwood Dynalite rear calipers, V8roadsters billet hats, ASD hydraulic handbrake, rear bias adjuster, custom braided lines throughout, Wilwood cylinders and bottles WHEELS & TYRES: Custom 10x15in Rotiform SCR wheels, 195/50/15 Toyo R888R tyres (front), 205/50/15 Toyo R1-R tyres (rear) EXTERIOR: GT Refinishers Fridge White, MM digital camo and graphics in Avery wrap film, Rocket Bunny widebody kit, Rocket Bunny ducktail, RGB strobe light kit, KC HiLites with winky-eye INTERIOR: Custom NRG gold flake rainbow glitter-backed FIA seats, Takata harnesses, custom NRG ‘Deal Whidd-ett’ steering wheel with quick-release, custom SMC 3D-printed switch box, SMC wiring panels, SMC alloy battery bracket kit, alloy folded dash, Harris Race Radios kit, custom doorcards, SMC homologated rollcage, Wilwood floormounted pedal box

Lincoln is keen to follow in his dad’s foortsteps

HOT RIDE

042 www.fastcar.co.uk

1983 VW GOLF

HILL RAISER A mild-mannered shopper-spec hatchback, reimagined as a raucous retro hill-climber. Welcome to the frantic reality of Lee Walmsley’s Berg Cup Golf tribute… Words Daniel Bevis Photography Josh Edward

It’s very easy to go fast in modern cars. Well, that’s a ﬂippant generalisation; it’s easy to go fast in a lot of old cars too, and many new cars are slow; what we’re getting at is that the relentless march of consumer-pleasing in terms of soundprooﬁng, lightness of touch and the anaesthetising of the driver experience means that the modern motorist has lost a certain sense of wonder. If it’s easily achievable for any old humdrum hatchback to crack 70mph and onwards without the driver having to hang onto the wheel for dear life and try to make their peace with the almighty as they weave between the catseyes, then where’s the sense of achievement? There have, of course, always been people keen to tap into the inherent adrenaline of the act of going fast, who appreciate that speed thrills and it should be a visceral experience. Since the dawn of the motor-car itself, frazzled hedonists have been trying to make them

go as fast as possible, and these white-knuckled lunatics have been taking to race tracks, dragstrips, salt ﬂats and banked ovals for well over a hundred years in search of those mythical, intangible speeds. Lee Walmsley is one such lunatic. The car you see here began life as an unassuming 1.0-litre Golf C back in 1983, a lowly trim level sitting at pretty much the furthest end of the spectrum from its GTI stablemates. But as you can see, there’s nothing lowly about it now. This isn’t just a rebuild, it’s a full-on rebirth. “I’d always wanted a Mk1 Golf, ever since my dad had one when I was a child,” Lee explains. “After all those years of dreaming, my partner bought me this car for my 30th birthday! At the time it was running a Mk2 KR 16v engine, with Dell’Orto twin 45 carbs and high-lift rally cams.” The evolution had evidently already begun, as is so often the case with old Golfs, but it’s safe

Defining car culture 043

HOT RIDE

1.8T may not be period correct, but boy, does it pack a punch! to say that simply enjoying the fruits of someone else’s labours wasn’t going to be enough for Lee. It wasn’t just the lifelong desire for a Mk1 Golf that was feeding his momentum monster; the need for speed was deeply interwoven with his frontal lobes, and there was no way this Golf wasn’t going to end up going faster. Although perhaps he didn’t imagine things going quite this far… “My plan was to give it some modern reliability,” he says, “and there was the added beneﬁt that a modern engine would be easier to tune.” He’s not wrong, and once you plunge down that particular rabbit-hole there’s no telling how deep it’ll go. ‘Very deep indeed’ appears to be the answer in this case, and it all unfolded for Lee as he was peeling apart a Mk4 Golf donor car. Said Mk4 was running an AUM 1.8T in 150bhp guise, but this was merely the starting point. Lee knows whereof he speaks when it comes to mucking about with VAGs, as his car history is positively dripping with the stuff: having learnt to drive in a breadvan Polo at 16, he then graduated to a

“My plan was to give it some modern reliability”

044 www.fastcar.co.uk

couple of ABF-powered Mk3 Golf GTIs, a Mk3 VR6, and a Mk2 GTI 8v. He’s also had an Audi A4 DTM, a Skoda Octavia vRS, and co-owns with his partner a Corrado VR6 that’s been fully rebuilt by JMR Racing. Long story short, he knows how to play the VeeDub game. So this was never going to be a case of simply dropping a stock 1.8T into the Mk1 and seeing what happened. The AUM was treated to a K03S turbo along with a custom air intake, a bespoke 2.5in downpipe, and a straight-through stainless steel exhaust system. Naturally a little ingenuity is required when you’re fitting an engine somewhere that it ought not to be, and sparkles of this lateral thinking can be found liberally sprinkled throughout the engine bay. The intercooler was originally designed for a Mercedes Sprinter van, while the radiator that’s neatly wedged into its compact slot is a Mk2 Golf item with twin fans. With a Stage 2 remap, peak power is up to a hysterical but still eminently usable 246bhp. And it follows that further magpie parts liberation would be necessary throughout the install – after all, throwing that sort of grunt through the stock Golf C’s transmission and driveshafts would most likely have everything melting like chocolate in no time, so Lee has sensibly upgraded things a bit… the gearbox is an 02J five-speed unit from a Mk4, while the driveshafts are stronger Mk2 items. Indeed, he’s completed a comprehensive beefing-up throughout the chassis, with the front brakes having been liberated from a G60, and the suspension being totally reworked with KW coilovers, polybushes everywhere, and a whole bunch of bracing to get everything stiffer than a Pfizer test facility. The most noticeable chassis alteration from outside is that the Golf’s running extremely wide wheels – 7in at the front, and a sodding great 9in out back – although you’d be forgiven if your eye wasn’t immediately drawn to those, as it’s the brawny Berg Cup bodykit that’s doing the figurative heavy lifting here. Wide as hell with aggressive race-bred aero to augment the de-bumpered

1983 VW GOLF look, it creates a massive visual impact – and the artful livery makes clever use of the original Mars Red paint. “I wanted to have this livery because it really ﬁts in with the Berg Cup racers of the 1980s era,” Lee explains. “The Marlboro livery was ﬁrst seen on Mk1s in 1980, so this is all period-correct – but I also love Formula One, so I decided to replicate the ’80s style decals and dedicate the whole look to Ayrton Senna.” It’s an awesome look that suits the old-school racer vibe so well, and as we’ve seen from the specs, this perky little Golf is more than paying lip service to motorsport pretensions. This thing is serious.

Flat bottomed suede steering wheel is dripping with race car chic

Bucket seats, harnesses and rollcage complete the racing vibe

CLIMB DANCE The roots of the Berg Cup stretch back to 1987, as motorsport authorities sought to find a home for all the Group 2 and 5 cars that had recently been outlawed. After much head-scratching, there was a groundswell of enthusiasm for the Berg Cup series – held across a dozen hillclimb venues in Germany (‘berg’ translating as ‘mountain’), the Cup was embraced by fans and entrants alike, and has been running ever since. There are various different classes in which entrants can compete; for example, Group H is a pretty extreme set of regs in which cars such as Mk1 Golfs and Polos run bespoke 1,300cc engines with ITBs, bike heads, high compression and lairy cams, kicking out 200bhp or more. You also see a lot of 2.0-litre 8v and 16v builds, and all manner of drivetrain layouts. It’s not just VAG either, you see Opels, BMWs, Porsches and all sorts competing. But the aesthetic is unmistakable across the classes: extreme aero, wide footprint, massive contact patch – everything required to get up the mountain as quickly as possible. We approve! Marlboro livery is a tribute to F1 icon Ayrton Senna

Defining car culture 045

HOT RIDE

TECH SPEC: 1983 VW GOLF

ENGINE: 1.8-litre four-cylinder 20v DOHC AUM, K03S turbo, custom air intake, 2.5in custom downpipe, stainless steel straight-through exhaust system, Mk2 twin-fan radiator, Mercedes Sprinter intercooler, Stage 2 remap, 246bhp TRANSMISSION: 02J (Mk4 Golf) 5-speed manual, Stage 2 clutch, Mk2 driveshafts with 100mm cups SUSPENSION: KW coilovers, fully polybushed, OMP upper strut braces – front and rear, Ultra Racing lower strut braces – front and rear, fully Raptor Sealed undercarriage BRAKES: Mk2 G60 calipers, G60 280x22mm drilled, grooved and vented discs, EBC GreenStuff pads, braided lines, Mk2 servo

“For the sake of maintaining a little originality, the car is still fitted with its factory head unit,” says Lee, “although all of the speakers have been removed to save weight – the sound of the exhaust is music to my ears! “I own the Classic VW Owners Club, and I would like to say a massive thank-you to all our members for their support,” he continues. “We have lots of meets and events coming up soon, all of which can be found on our Facebook group.” It’s a good way to keep up with Lee’s manoeuvres in the Golf, as he’s extremely keen to get out and about and stretch its legs whenever possible. The car has been built to be used, and used hard… and that includes all the entertaining foibles that driving a classic car entails. “I love the seats, but they are hard work to get in and out of,” he laughs. “And the wing mirrors do have a habit of folding themselves in above 50mph.” All just character though, isn’t it? The give-and-take inherent in owning a proper car rather than a generic semi-autonomous box on finance. It’s this physical and emotional connection that ensures Lee’s creativity is never sitting still: future plans include swapping out that 1.8T motor for an eraappropriate 16v ABF on lumpy cams, to fully complete the Berg Cup vibe. But for now, with flames spitting and gravel scattering, Lee is busying himself with that simple and noble pursuit – going fast in old cars. Not always easy, but boy does it feel good. 

046 www.fastcar.co.uk

ABOVE: With all those braces, Lee’s Golf is stiffer than an overdose of viagra

WHEELS & TYRES: 7x15in (front) and 9x15in (rear) ATS Cup wheels with 205/50/15 (f) and 225/50/15 (r) Toyo R888 tyres, 20mm spacers all round EXTERIOR: Mars Red, Berg Cup bodykit, custom Marlboro/ Senna livery, custom front splitter with air intakes, custom rear diffuser, Hella rear spoiler, custom drilled door handles, bumpers removed, drilled front panel, drilled rear lower panel, custom Mk2 front indicators, smoked lights front and rear, wheelarches cut, rolled, welded and protected with Raptor Seal, additional Mk1 grille to protect intercooler, de-wipered rear, custom Berg Cup 20v badges INTERIOR: OMP bucket seats, OMP harnesses and rear harness bar, half-rollcage, rear seats deleted, boarded and carpeted, GTI dash and dials, OMP steering wheel, oil pressure, battery and boost gauges in centre console, original stereo (all speakers deleted), original headlining, helmet netting and ﬁre extinguisher, custom doorcards THANKS: “Thanks to all the members at Classic VW Owners Club for their continued support, and for all being genuinely awesome. You guys make the club what it is today. Thanks also to John Mitchell at JMR Racing with his wealth of knowledge and always being there to offer support; David Vardy at Retro Barne for his support; Chris Eyre for his support and guidance on the historical side of the Mk1 motorsports; Adam Longley at ATC Automotive for his awesome refurbishment of the ATS Cups; Dan Combes at Reﬂection Detailing for the graphic design artwork used for the livery and Senna dedication. I built this at home in my garage, and without their support it wouldn’t be where it is now.”

Iconic cars, illustrated in print.

CHECK OUT

A range of limited edition posters, or commission your own.

www.motiveculture.com

SOME GREAT CONTENT ON OUR WEBSITE

WWW.FASTCAR.CO.UK

motivecultureart

motiveculture

I NEWS I CAR FEATURES I TUNING I

GUIDES

PRODUCTS

I GALLERIES I BUILDS

VIDEOS

I TOP 10S

–

CHAMPIONS

Car of the Year and Fast Car Awards winners revealed WINN ERS

DEFIN ING CAR CULTU RE www.fastcar.co.u k

BAGGED AND BOOSTED! 350BHP TOYOTA IS THE UK’S FINEST

ADVERTISING DOESN’T COST

IT PAYS CALL DAVE

01732 445326 OR EMAIL

DAVID.LERPINIERE@TALKMEDIASALES.CO.UK

350BHP MAZDA RX-7

SLAMMED FC IS ON ANOTHER LEVEL TOP 10 Performance cars for under a grand PHOTO FINISH How to capture

the perfect picture of your

FEATURED: Golf GTI ■ Focus ST

car

■ Ferrari 308 ■

Ultimate Stance

VISIT WWW.FASTCAR.CO.UK NOW

WHAT THE FAQ – DETAILING

WHAT THE FAQ

DETAILING

Do you know the difference between a wax and a polish? Are you familiar with the two-bucket method? Well, read on and you will!

Car detailing has become massive business over the past decade. Gone are the days of grabbing a bucket, sponge, and your mum’s bottle of washing up liquid (whatever you do, don’t do that, it’ll cause more harm than good) and giving your car a quick wipe down. Detailing your car is an art form, but with so many products on the market like clay bars, iron removers, snow foams and ceramic coatings it’s become overwhelming to the everyday enthusiast. That’s why we’ve sat down with industry expert Tom Clarke from Meguiar’s UK, to answer all those frequently asked questions... Q) I often use my local car wash, is this detrimental to my paint finish? A) It can be, yes. Typically, the high volume of cars they are washing means they don’t wash the accessories between washes, and this can have the impact of inflicting swirl marks in the paint work. Also, because they are a business and they are obviously there to make money, they tend to use a product based on its costs, rather than its performance.

Q) What are swirl marks? A) These are superficial marks in the upper surface of your paintwork.

048 www.fastcar.co.uk

Q) We keep hearing about the twobucket method. What’s wrong with using just one bucket? A) 90-percent of swirl marks are inflicted during the washing process. Using two buckets allows you to have one bucket with the shampoo solution in and a separate rinse bucket with a grit guard at the bottom. This means the mitt is clean when it goes into solution and then on to the car, this drastically reduces the chance of swirl marks in the contact washing process. Q) What are the benefits of using snow foam on the car rather than just doing a general pre-wash? A) Snow foam is by far the safest way to pre-wash the car. The cleaners that are built into snow foams will soften up the larger containments ahead of your contact wash. Again, minimising

the risk of swirls marks. Snow foam is the ideal first stage in cleaning your car. Q) Why do people keep talking about iron fallout? What is it, and how’s it harmful to my car? A) Fallout is the tiny iron particles that are found on your car’s bodywork, they can come from anywhere but typically come from your brakes. The small iron particles bond to any surface they meet as they are hot. Because they are a bare metal, they rust and cause orangecoloured staining on the surface. If you are a commuter and use the train station car park, it’s good practice to check your paintwork as the train’s brakes and wheels can cause bad fallout coverage. The good news is a simple spray with a fallout remover will dissolve the particles.

Q) My exterior plastics have faded, are there any tricks to reviving them? A) Sadly, there isn’t a long-term fix to this, as essentially the dye has faded out of the plastic. You can use something like Ultimate Black that will dress them back to a nice finish, but it is a dressing. Q) What is clay barring? Isn’t this something best left to the professionals? A) Claying is probably the best investment in time when it comes to preparing your car’s paintwork. Clay is basically a reset button for the upper surface of your paint. If your car feels rough to the touch after a wash, then clay is for you. It will remove all above-surface contaminants such as overspray, traffic film, wax, everything! Allowing you to assess the surface and then attack those swirls marks!

Q) Apart from making your tyres look like new, are there any other benefits to using tyre shine? A) This is always a hard topic as it’s personal preference. Some people don’t like them dressed, some like a high gloss finish and others are somewhere in the middle. Something like our Endurance Tyre Gel will actually feed oxidants back into the rubber so they stay blacker for longer, rather than a tired brown look.

WHAT THE FAQ – DETAILING Q) I keep hearing about ceramic-based products? What are they, and should I be using them? A) So, unlike a Ceramic Glass Coating, there are now Synthetic Ceramic products that give you the added protection of Sio2 but they are blended with synthetics to make them user friendly at home. In our case, the Hybrid Ceramic Liquid Wax is our longest lasting wax. Q) What’s your best tip for cleaning windows without getting smears? A) Less is more! One good mist of product is enough for a side window, any more than that and the product gets smeared around.

Q) What’s the difference between a wax and a polish? A) Put simply: A polish creates the gloss, and a wax seals it in and protects the surface.

Q) Can you tell us what the difference is between carnauba waxes, synthetic polymer paint sealants and ceramic glass coatings? A) Carnauba is the OG of protection, it was the first thing scientists reached for when talking about coatings. It is used in a lot of everyday things - the shiny coating on Nurofen and Tic Tacs for example, it’s even in Haribo Starburst, check the ingredients. It is a great coating. However, technology has moved on, and scientists have taken all the good things from carnauba and then added things to make it last longer, use less, and create better gloss, these are known as synthetic products. Ceramic coatings are essentially synthetic sealants at the extreme, they are creating a secondary layer of protection, like a lacquer, and most of the time you will find they need to be applied by a professional.

Q) I’ve got a matt wrap on my car, what shampoo and detailer should I use? And are there any products to avoid? A) Matt is a tough one as most products are designed to create a gloss, so stay away from anything that says it will do that. We would suggest our Gold Class Shampoo for washing, followed by our Hybrid Ceramic Liquid Wax to protect.

Q) What is the difference between paint correction, compounding, polishing or buffing? A) Well, these are all terms that get thrown around but factually paint correction is the step after claying, that removes swirl marks and brings clarity back to the surface. Compounding is the same as paint correction. Polishing is the step after paint correction, where you feed polishing oils into the paint to create gloss, but it is not ‘cutting’. And buffing is simply the removal of product. Q) And finally, if there was one tip you’d give a car care novice, what would it be? A) Keep it simple. Find something you like, either a process and/or product, and then build on that. Don’t buy all the gear and have no idea. 

defining car culture 049

THE FC PORTFOLIO

Photography : Da n Sh erw ood Car: Pa ndem BM W E 46 O wne r : Phi l Moore

HOT RIDE

052 www.fastcar.co.uk

GIRL POWER!

FORD FOCUS COSWORTH

Ford fan Hannah Ward has an awesome collection of cars, the latest of which is this stunning, 582bhp FoCos track weapon. Words & Photography Davy Lewis

For many couples, a little friendly rivalry keeps life interesting. It might be a competition to see who can make the best sauce, who can run the fastest 10k, or simply who can drink the most beer. But what if you’re both into fast Fords? Well, then things can get a little out of hand, especially when your other half has built some of the most sensational show cars in the UK. “I’ve always wanted a Cossie-powered Focus track car,” explains 31-year-old Hannah Ward. With an enviable collection of Blue Ovals already in her possession – including her Mk1 Focus RS aka ‘Rozie’, a red Escort RS Turbo, a red Fiesta RS Turbo, a black 3-door Sierra Cosworth, a red Escort Cosworth and another Mk1 Focus RS – it would have to be something rather special to get her excited. The plan was to build a car that could hold its own against her partner, Mark Hudd’s, own track weapon – a green, 580bhp Escort Cossie. The idea was that if the two cars were built to an almost identical spec – both 4WD, both stripped out and both making 580bhp with straight-cut ‘boxes – then Hannah and Mark would be on a level playing field for track days. That way, it would be down to the driver, rather than the car, as to who set the fastest laps. But there was another proviso: it also had to be immaculately finished. As Hannah says: “There’s nothing to say a track car has to be rough and ready. If you look after it, there’s no reason it can’t be a show car too.” And with Mark’s stunning EsCos as a benchmark, the couple had set the bar pretty high. The first step was finding a suitable base for the FoCos project. Mark says, “I saw the car for sale as a rolling shell,

All sweetness and light... until she gets on track that is!

Defining car culture 053

HOT RIDE 582bhp Cosworth YB engine fits in the Focus’s bay like it was there from factory

so I decided I’d buy it for Hannah for Christmas.” Now, if you worry that giving your missus a tatty Focus with no engine or interior would result in a few nights kipping on the sofa, you clearly don’t know Hannah. In fact, she was made up with the gift and couldn’t wait to get started on it. A little digging revealed that the Focus had previously been conceived as an M-Sport demo car, but that it had never really progressed much further than a rolling shell. The WRC kit had been ﬁtted, including blistered arches (ideal for the Cossie’s wider track), plus a roof vent and that huge rear wing. The roll cage had also been welded in and the transmission tunnel fabricated to accept Cossie running gear. There was also suspension, a set of wheels and some motorsport livery. “It was white and a bit tatty in places,” says Mark, but having seen the potential, he knew it could work as Hannah’s track project. Having previously built a Mk1 Escort van and a Series One Escort RST, both with Cossie engines and 4x4 running gear, Mark certainly knows his way around a YB conversion. So getting the motor installed wasn’t the issue; the tricky bit was fafﬁng around to get the shell ready. “The welds on the cage needed tidying and the cradle was too high, which meant the gearbox fouled the

transmission tunnel, plus a few other bits that needed sorting,” recalls Mark. Over the next six months, steady progress was made, with Hannah and Mark (“I call him my spanner monkey!”) working on the car in the evenings. The aim was to get it ready to unveil at RS Combe, where it went down a storm – even eclipsing Mark’s green EsCos for attention – and quickly becoming known as ‘that pink Focus’. “We had a lot of debate about colour choice,” says Mark. “I wanted to paint it the same green as my Escort, but then Hannah saw a Porsche in Rubystone Red and that was it.” Now, it may be painted a girly colour, but there’s nothing soft about this thing. Everything about it has been designed for maximum attack. From the potent, 582bhp engine to the 4x4 drivetrain, beefy AP Racing brakes and that comprehensive roll cage, this Focus is made for one thing: going extremely fast. “I’ve driven Mark’s Escort on a few track days and really liked it,” comments Hannah. So, she knew what to expect from the FoCos. Built as an out-and-out track car, Hannah wanted it to look the part, and its WRC-lineage is clear to see. From the blistered arches and roof scoop to that huge rear

AP Racing brakes are perfect for track work

Custom exhaust system spits flames

054 www.fastcar.co.uk

FORD FOCUS COSWORTH

“I wanted to paint it the same green as my Escort, but then Hannah saw a Porsche in Rubystone Red and that was it”

Digital dash clocks offer all the essential info

wing, it’s every inch a rally-bred weapon. It looks especially menacing from the front with that big cut-out bumper, designed to feed air to the intercooler. Add to this the carbon-effect Morette headlights (the nearside of which has an air feed) plus those Cossie bonnet vents and you have something that screams ‘get out of the way!’ (which is a distinct possibility when Hannah is pedalling it hard on track). Of course, many Focuses have received the WRC treatment over the years, but this one is more than a cosmetic homage to the car made famous by a certain Mr McRae. The engine has been fully built to withstand some serious hammering on track. You can see the full list in the tech spec, but highlights include forged rods and pistons, 1000cc injectors and a mighty Borg Warner twin-scroll turbo mounted on a Nortech manifold. It makes 582bhp and 558lb.ft of torque, which is more than enough for big thrills on a circuit. Power is delivered to all four wheels through a DPE straight-cut gearbox and features Quaife diffs to help get that savage power down. Inside, everything has been built around that

Corbeau Revolution buckets with matching pink harnesses

Defining car culture 055

HOT RIDE

TECH SPEC: FOCUS COSWORTH

ENGINE 2.0-litre, 4-cyl, 16v long-studded 200 block, uprated conrods, Mahle pocketed pistons, ported head with custom cams, Hart inlet, 1000cc injectors, Nortech manifold, Borg Warner 76170 twin-scroll turbo, 40mm Tial wastegate, Airtec intercooler, bigwing sump with WRC bafﬂes, Spec-R breather system, Link ECU, custom exhaust system, custom loom, uprated fuel pump, custom foam-ﬁlled fuel cell POWER 582bhp and 558lb.ft TRANSMISSION Six-speed DPE straight-cut gearbox, six-paddle AP Racing clutch, custom hydraulic clutch conversion, adjustable pedal box, Quaife differentials SUSPENSION Leda coilovers, adjustable TCAs and compression struts, six-degree beam with solid mounts, uprated diff mount, poly bushes

comprehensive roll cage. With fast laps a given and potential for some mighty speeds – especially at the testing Castle Combe circuit – a serious cage was essential. It’s a proper job now that Mark has modified it and looks the part finished in gloss white. A pair of winged Corbeau seats (with pink harnesses, of course) and OMP steering wheel are joined by a digi dash, along with an adjustable pedal box. Of course, the proof of the pudding is in the eating, so what was the first track session like? “Being able to chase Mark around in the Escort was amazing fun, and with a few more track days under my belt and the Focus really dialled in, we’ll really see who is the fastest between us,” smirks Hannah. We can’t wait to see this girl racer giving her stunning FoCos a good kicking on track, so be sure to look out for it at any shows you might attend alongside a certain green EsCos, as this couple of Blue Oval fans try and prove once and for all, who’s got the fastest Ford on track. 

ABOVE: Stripped and caged interior is home to custom fuel cell

BRAKES Front: AP Racing four-pot calipers and 330mm discs; rear: 300mm discs; track pads and braided lines WHEELS & TYRES OZ Superturismo wheels with Federal RSR track tyres EXTERIOR WRC bodykit including front and rear bumpers, wide arches, rear wing and roof scoop, custom bonnet, carbon-dipped bonnet vents, grille surround, mirrors and headlights, polycarbonate windows, paint based on Porsche Rubystone Red but with more pink INTERIOR Fully stripped-out, ﬂocked dash, multipoint roll cage, Corbeau Revolution bucket seats, pink harnesses, digital dash, OMP steering wheel, custom door cards, spare wheel mounted on cage THANKS Pete at Spec-R for the breather, Mark at MA Developments for mapping, Pete at Spec R for custom tanks, Pete Doughty at DPE for the ‘box conversion and, most of all, Mark Hudd Motorsport for making the dream happen!

“With a few more track days under my belt and the Focus really dialled in, we’ll really see who is the fastest between us”

056 www.fastcar.co.uk

HOT RIDE

It takes some serious cojones to swap a modern motor into a bonefide Japanese classic, but when the result is this good, we reckon it’s worth the risk… Words & Photography Dan Sherwood

Classic cars have seen a huge surge in popularity of late, with just about every desirable model from the late sixties to the early nineties attracting a massive increase in value. This has pushed many of the most coveted models out of reach of all but the most wealthy of collectors. However, if you can stretch your cash to get your hands on one, it could turn out to be the most shrewd ﬁnancial investment you could make, with the rates of appreciation vastly outstripping anything you could hope for from your high street bank. But aside from the initial economic reasons why these aging machines are attracting such attention, there’s also the fact that owning and driving one gives us petrolheads the kind of visceral

058 www.fastcar.co.uk

satisfaction that you simply can’t get from a modern car and, for many, this is reason enough to ﬁnd the funds. Serial feature car builder, technician, retro restorer and unique car trader Steve Grove is one such car nut who has took the plunge into classic car ownership, with this glorious plum-coloured creation splashed across these pages. “For fans of Japanese metal, the original KPGC10 Nissan Skyline GT-R is one of the cars that attracts the greatest level of desirability and in-turn the highest prices,” explains 43-year old Steve as we check out the gleaming polished paintwork of his stunning example. “Launched in 1969, it was the

KPGC10 NISSAN SKYLINE GT-R

first car to feature the now legendary three-letter moniker, which has been reserved for the exclusive use on Nissan’s flagship performance models ever since. Not only is the C10, known widely as the Hakosuka – roughly translated to ‘box skyline’ – one of the rarest Japanese classics, but the racing pedigree that comes with it – 50 race wins in its first two years – ensures that it remains a revered favourite for fans of performance cars the world over.” And with prices for genuine GT-R models currently over £200k a piece, you’d guess that Steve must be some kind of lottery winner or stock market trader to have such a valuable classic at his disposal, however, all is

not quite as it seems… “Yes, it does feature the iconic GT-R badge, but in truth it’s actually a less eye-wateringly expensive KGC10 GT-2000 model that I have restored and converted to look like its race-bred sibling,” Steve confesses. “In reality, there isn’t actually that much difference between the two models, with only the engine – GT-Rs feature a twin-cam 2.0-litre S20 engine, whereas the GT-2000s get the single cam L20 – and some minor interior and exterior trim differences separating the two.” And with prices for the GT-2000 models under half of what a genuine GT-R commands, you can see that, while still far from cheap, they are a

Defining car culture 059

HOT RIDE

much more viable option for anyone seeking to gain entry into Hakosuka ownership, a fact that Steve knows only too well. “I could never afford a genuine GT-R, so this is a great alternative. In fact, with a bit of engine tuning and some visual modifications, you can have a car that not only looks exactly like the real thing, but it will far out perform it too!” And it was this tuning-trumps-authenticity way of thinking that led Steve to seeking out a suitable steed to carry out his modified master plan. “I bought the car in a private sale from Japan,” he says. “The idea was to use it as a base to build a Hako project with a naughty engine, but I needed a mint shell for the job, which isn’t always easy to come by. So when I saw this one, it seemed to tick all the boxes.” Previously owned by Japanese tuning legends HKS, the 1970-model had been painstakingly restored with a bare metal respray in R33 Midnight Purple. It featured all the original panels and had once featured a 3.1-litre race engine, however that had since been replaced with a standard L20 running triple Mukuni carbs before being sat in storage for more than a decade without turning a wheel. “I was originally planning on painting it white when I first got it, as I wasn’t sold on the colour, which had dulled badly through all those years without use,” Steve remembers. “But as soon as I got it home and rejuvenated the paintwork, I was stunned at just how good it looked. After

that there was no way I was going to paint this one at all!” He did have to cut and weld the rear arches to ﬁt the GT-R style overfenders, adjustable KYB coilover suspension and a set of 7.5x15in front and 11x15in rear Watanabe RS wheels with fat Toyo R888R tyres, however it was a small price to pay for the visual transformation it gave. “It did seem slightly sacrilegious to cut up the perfectly good original arches, but adding the GT-R extensions, wider wheels and additional exterior trim around the grille and rear lights took the car to another level,” he beams. “They give the car so much more aggression.”

IT’S NOT WHAT YOU KNOW… One of the biggest challenges facing owners of classic cars like Steve’s Hakosuka, is often the availability of parts. After all, you can’t just pop down to your local Halfords and expect to find a rare piece of 70s trim on the shelf. So Steve has had to find his own source of parts direct from the motherland… ‘I’ve been lucky to strike up a good friendship with the guys at Victory 50 in Japan. They don’t speak any English, but I’ve been able to buy a lot of Hako parts from them over the years, so they’ve been invaluable contacts.’ So, as with many aspects of life, when it comes down to it, successfully owning a coveted classic is often a case of not what you know, but who. The bodywork was resprayed in Midnight Purple paint

060 www.fastcar.co.uk

KPGC10 NISSAN SKYLINE GT-R

Polished RB26 twin turbo engine fits like a glove But even though he has essentially created a GT-R replica, Steve is under no illusions as to what the car really is. “The fact is, although it’s an amazing classic car in its own right, it’s not a real GT-R, and will never command those stratospheric prices, so that’s why I’m happy to add my own touches and not worry about retaining 100% originality,” he explains. “For example, I’ve equipped this car with an RB26 twin turbo engine.” And while some may be concerned that such a departure from the OEM parts would somehow devalue the car, Steve is confident that his investment is safe. “I can’t see that the engine swap de-values it at all, and even if it did, I’ve still got the original L20 engine and, the way in which I’ve done the conversion – without modifying or altering any part of the original chassis or body – means I can easily change it back again if a potential buyer wanted it that way, and no one would ever know the difference.” But just one look at the conversion and you’d have to be the most strict of purists to want to go back to the original lump, as this is modifying of the highest order. The fit and finish of the immaculately rebuilt and polished RB26 in the Hako bay is better than factory and means that Steve can enjoy the fruits of his considerable labour and revel in more than double

the power, plus the iconic noise and no-fuss reliability of the more modern motor. Steve sourced the RB engine from a R33 Skyline GT-R which was being broken for parts and set about stripping and rebuilding it so it was in perfect condition for its new Hako-based home. “Whilst I was carrying out the refresh, I added some uprated parts too, such as an N1 oil pump, a modified RX-7 front-mount intercooler and a pair of N1 steel turbochargers,” he says. “I also fitted a modified RB25 sump, which was required to ensure clearance in the Hakosuka engine bay.”

The original vinyl seats have been carefully restored

Defining car culture 061

HOT RIDE As well as the tweaked sump, the six-cylinder lump has been equipped with modified RB20 engine mounts to allow it to drop straight in without making any modifications to the original bay. “It was really important to me that the conversion was as factory as possible, and completely reversible,” Steve says. “That’s why I put a lot of effort into ensuring everything worked exactly as it should without any additional modern parts on show or alterations to the original car.” This included connecting all of the 1970s gauges and dials and getting them to work flawlessly with the RB engine as well as hiding the modern ECU and wiring in the car’s original air conditioning housing. “To anyone looking at this car, other than the engine itself, you’d never know that it wasn’t 100% original,” Steve says proudly. “Of course, pop the bonnet or fire up the ignition and things become clear.” If you are lucky enough to slip into the restored black vinyl seats and savour that unmistakeable classic car aroma you’ll find that, unlike the old carb-fed motor, the RB26 fires the instant you turn the key and the iconic six-cylinder soon settles to idle. Drive is sent to the rear wheels via a five-speed RB25 gearbox and Subaru R160 limited-slip differential and provides a prodigious level of performance that seems slightly at odds with the classic bodywork. “It really does shift,” laughs Steve. “Luckily it came from Japan with a set of uprated MK63 four-pot calipers and big discs at the front, which were originally fitted to the racing Hakosukas. These really help haul you up from the kind of speeds that it’s now capable of with ease, which is probably a lot faster than the racing cars ever went.” And it’s the blend of classic good looks combined with potent modern mechanicals that makes this Hakosuka such an impressive machine. Yes, it takes a certain amount of balls to transplant an RB26 heart into a coveted classic, but Steve has shown that with determination, an eye for detail – and not to mention some god-like spannering skills – the rewards can far outweigh the risks. 

TECH SPEC: KPGC10 NISSAN SKYLINE GT-R

ENGINE 2.6-litre, 6-cyl, 24v, RB26 twin turbo engine from an R33 Skyline GT-R, N1 oil pump, uprated N1 steel turbos, custom exhaust system, modified RB25 sump, modified RX-7 front-mount intercooler, steel RB20 engine mounts, Land rover rubber engine mounts, 3-core race radiator, Holley vane fuel pump and surge tank, Bosch 044 fuel pump, remote oil cooler TRANSMISSION RB25 five-speed gearbox, Subaru STi R160 limited-slip differential SUSPENSION KYB adjustable front dampers, KYB rear dampers, uprated springs, pillowball top mounts BRAKES MK63 four-pot racing calipers and big discs (front), standard drums at the rear WHEELS & TYRES 7.5x15in front and 11x15in rear Watanabe RS wheels with Toyo R888R tyres EXTERIOR Tubbed rear arches, GT-R overfenders, HKS respray in midnight purple 1, Nismo racing rear and chin spoilers, GT-R front grille, GT-R badges, all chrome restored to mirror chrome INTERIOR Nismo racing steering wheel, original black vinyl seats, all period gauges connected and working as factory

What we wouldn’t give to go cruising off into the sunset in this modern engined masterpiece

062 www.fastcar.co.uk

Smoke your tyres, not your engine!

Modified, tuned and race engines need better oils Featuring race developed anti-wear ZDDP additives and a super stable base oil, ensures that your engine lasts longer and produces more power compared to standard oils. Driven Racing Oil ranges from 0W to 10W/60 and many more in between. Buy as a pack and get a half price HKS filter whilst stocks last. Check out the Driven high performance and racing range of oils on our online shop www.drivenracingoil.co.uk

Anglo American Oil Company +44 (0) 1929 551557

www.aaoil.co.uk

RENAULT MEGANE (2010-2012)

RENAULT MEGANE Words Rich Gooding Photography Renault

2010 -2012

The Mégane RS 250 was the difficult second album follow-up to Renault’s first truly sporty Mégane, the RS 225. Packing 247bhp and an optional Cup chassis featuring an LSD, the RS 250 meant business, and with examples now even more affordable than ever, what do you need to keep an eye on if you want one? Hot Renaults can trace their roots back to the Alpines and Gordinis of the 1960s and 1970s, the 5 Alpine/Gordini of 1976 the first proper ‘modern’ La Regie hot hatch. Much more serious performance Renault hatches came in the shape of the 5 Turbo, Clio 16V and Williams, with the first

official Renault Sport model being the Clio 172 of 2000. Pant-wettingly and excitingly available in Cup specification from 2002, the frippery-deleted Clio set the Renault and wider hot hatch standard of the time, as well as the template for future trés-chaud Regies to come.

Defining car culture 065

FC BUYING GUIDE Tech specs

Model....................... RS250 (Mégane III, 2010) Engine .....................................................1,998cc Max power ...................... 247bhp @ 5,500rpm Max torque ...................... 251lb ft @ 3,000rpm Transmission ............................ 6-speed manual Max speed .............................................155mph 0-60mph...........................................6.1 seconds

(History)

The first RS-badged Mégane arrived in 2004, based on the Mégane II. Packing 222bhp with three or five doors, the Renault Sport Mégane 225 (a nod to its 225PS output) sprinted to 60mph in 6.5 seconds, and on to a top speed of 149mph. In 2005, the 225 Cup included the Cup chassis option as standard, adding drilled brake discs with a larger master cylinder and stiffened steering. Lighter by 10kg than the regular 225, it was followed by the 227bhp 230 Renault F1 Team R26 in 2006 – celebrating Renault’s 2005 Constructors’ and Drivers’ Championship Formula 1 titles – and the hardcore R26.R of 2009, which had no rear seats, a polycarbonate tailgate and rear windows, a carbon-fibre bonnet and sixpoint harnesses. The third-generation Mégane appeared in 2009, the £21,995 RS 250 hitting the UK in 2010. With power cranked up to 247bhp, the new machine adopted more coupé-like styling, its 18in alloy wheels, front splitter, extended sills and wheel arches, rear diffuser and central exhaust giving a more aggressive air. Inside, aluminum pedals and a Renault Sport steering wheel with thumb grips marked out the newcomer. The 2.0-litre turbocharged four-pot engine also found its way into a more focused – and cheaper – 250 Cup model. A stiffer chassis, more track focused suspension, and a limited-slip differential aided the Cup’s sharp-handling agility, but confusingly, buyers could spec the standard ‘Sport’ model with the Cup chassis.

066 www.fastcar.co.uk

The limited edition Mégane RS 265 Trophy burst onto the scene in 2011, its increased 261bhp and 266lb ft of torque thanks to a new air intake and higher 2.5 bar turbo pressure. Knocking a tenth of a second off the standard 250’s 6.1s 0-60mph time, the Trophy’s mechanical mods became standard Mégane RS fare in 2012, when the 250 was killed off. The RS 265 adopted the 250’s ‘Sport’ and ‘Cup’ chassis specs, an obvious ‘Red Design Pack’ adding in-yer-face red exterior highlights. Red Bull RB7 and RB8 Editions appeared a little later, again celebrating Renault F1 wins. A refresh in 2014 added a new front grille, headlights, bonnet and front and

rear bumpers. The Mégane RS was now only offered in standard 265 spec with an optional Cup chassis. Power was bumped again to 271bhp for the RS 275 Trophy-R, Renault Sport’s R26.R-like riposte to the SEAT Leon Cupra 280, which set a new front-wheel drive production car record on the Nürburgring. Changes included an Akrapovič titanium exhaust, Öhlins dampers with Allevard composite coil springs and 19in Speedline Turini wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres. All Mégane RS III models ended production in 2017, to make way for the new Mégane RS based on the fourthgeneration model.

250 Cup model came with an LSD as standard

RENAULT MEGANE (2010-2012)

What to look out for

The Mégane RS 250 is a robust French hot hatch, with an almost unburstable engine and mechanicals. Make sure that engine is serviced regularly, though, as issues can soon multiply. Perhaps surprisingly, the interiors hold well for a French car, and switchgear and trim tend not to suffer from misuse. Remaps and exhaust upgrades can easily liberate upwards of 300bhp, so there are plenty of reasons to go and grab a fanciful slice of French hot hatch action!

A few simple tweaks can unleash 300bhp+

Bodywork & Trim

As with any used fast hatch purchase, look for any uneven panel gaps and any imperfections in the paintwork that may point to hidden accident damage. As a rule, the RS Mégane 250’s body tends to survive well. “The front bumper/splitter is commonly split/holed by stones,” says Alex White, director of Renault Sport specialist AW Motorworks. “Check the plastic wheel arch liners are fitted securely, too, as crash damaged cars often have these poorly refitted. It’s also extremely common for the door check straps to click and fail. They are not mega expensive to buy from Renault, but door card removal is required to change them.”

Engine & Transmission

The Mégane RS’s 1,998cc turbocharged four-cylinder ‘F4Rt’ engine is tough. “These units are pretty bulletproof as long as they are serviced regularly, and the auxiliary belts and cambelts are done on age or mileage,” says White. But if you don’t look after them, the problems can easily build up. “Some cars are now suffering piston-ring land failure for various reasons: failing injectors, bad remaps, pressure cast pistons from factory vs those cast in previous generations,” White reports.

“Too much boost or bad remaps on stock engines can cause bent conrods, noticed with a rough idle or flashing EML.” However, Nick Benton, director of Renault Sport parts specialist Pure Motorsport says don’t rule out remaps – and an exhaust upgrade – just make sure that they’re done properly. “Up to 300bhp is achievable on a stock car. A 3in downpipe upgrade gets the turbo spooling much faster, reducing lag and giving excellent throttle response. Stock cars are very quiet and a full 3in exhaust system gives a sporting edge. A remap is necessary to suit the exhaust and really wakes it up from stock. Good 250s normally run circa 260/265bhp stock, but ensure any remap is done by a reputable specialist and tested on a rolling road.” Other issues include thermostat failures. “These are extremely common,” says White, “and are a cheap part, but one that’s not exactly a five-minute fit.” Diff and main shaft bearings are also common failures, the main shaft issue noticeable by a loud whine in sixth gear. “The upper gearbox mount stud can also snap, but it is easily changed to a high-tensile M10 bolt or can be drilled out to M12,” White says. Benton reckons an upgraded limitedslip diff gives the RS an aggressive edge on track. “The plate-type Gripper diff will aid traction on corner exit, improve turn-in and generally make the Mégane so much faster on track days or in competition.”

Chassis

The key to the Mégane RS’s sharp handling and little torque steer is, according to White, their sophisticated twin axis steering system. But, however good it is, it doesn’t mean it’s without fault. “The swivel hub bearings can wear out causing horrible noises while dry steering,” says White. “The wishbone bushes also wear causing a knocking or for the car to pull on/off power. And look for pink-coloured

and overheated discs, which can indicate sticking or seized rear calipers.” Top mounts can also split and anti-roll bars should be looked at for wear. “The stock suspension in standard or Cup chassis set-up is great for our British roads but even the Cup setup is too soft and high for anything other than normal road use,” says Benton, who recommends slight lowering with a good set of upgraded dampers or, for those more serious drivers, quality coilovers for track use. “Bilstein B12 kits (£740 from Pure Motorsport) are great for road use, Bilstein B14s are great for road/trackday, and the Bilstein Clubsport kit is awesome for more serious track day or competition use. Accurate four-wheel alignment is also a must, and rear camber and toe can be adjusted by using bolt-in shims behind the stub axle.” Don’t skimp on tyres either.

Interior & Electrics

Renaults – and Renault Sports – of years gone by haven’t enjoyed the plushest of

Defining car culture 067

FC BUYING GUIDE “although these are much more reliable than on Clio 172/182s!” The hot Mégane’s stoppers shouldn’t leave you feeling short-changed, but if they do, Benton recommends that even a goodquality pad upgrade can help. “The stock setup can struggle with the 1,300kg weight. The standard Brembo four-pot front calipers give a firm pedal but on road cars a Ferodo racing pad upgrade can make a big difference – but ensure you fit a pad with a good bite from cold!” For trackday and competition cars, he reports that a swap to a bigger disc, like the Performance Friction 348mm twopiece disc and rotor, is worthwhile: “These retain the stock Brembo caliper but with a good weight saving and extra rotor size over the stock 340mm discs.”

The RS250 has a quality interior with hip-hugging sports seats cabins, but the RS 250 is surprisingly robust. “Switchgear has an unusually positive and quality feel, and stands up to 100,000 miles without issues, unlike some earlier Renault Sport cars,” White says. “Steering wheels are a step up from the usual Renault quality, too, don’t fall apart, and are great to hold, if a touch large.” When it comes to seats, White reports that the standard pews are often a better bet than the fancier upgraded chairs. “Seat bolster wear is common on the Recaro front seat upgrade, be it the leather in the Lux-packed cars or the fabric on the cloth chairs. Standard seat options don’t suffer half as badly, but expect these cars to be £1,000 cheaper to reflect the value of those Recaros!” Electrical issues aren’t commonplace either. “Beware of ABS warning lights which can be an ABS module full of water and is a costly repair,” says White. “Auxiliary water

068 www.fastcar.co.uk

Top Mods

 Bilstein B12 (road)/B14 (road/track)/ Clubsport (track) coilover suspension kit upgrade  Cooling upgrade  3in exhaust system downpipe and 300bhp remap  Performance Friction 348mm two-piece disc and rotor upgrade with Ferodo racing pads  Gripper limited-slip differential pumps, or at least their plug, can cause issues, but it is easily rectified.” A minor point, White also reports, is the cornering xenon lights on pre-facelift 250 cars are “amazing” for road use, but admits there are less weighty options.

Servicing & Maintenance

As with any high performance machine, it’s essential to regularly service and maintain it. The Mégane RS 250 has 12,000-mile service intervals, with a typical inspection costing around £250, but White warns about skimping. “Pollen filters are often overlooked as the clutch pedal needs to be partially removed, but it’s definitely worthwhile doing on any recently purchased Mégane, despite the service history.” Most cars that have covered 80-100,000 miles will need a clutch, and they have a dual mass flywheel which is recommended to replace while the gearbox is out. “Single mass flywheel conversions can cause the gearbox to rattle due to the vibrations being transmitted from the engine into the gearbox,” White says. He also reports that it’s best to save the single mass flywheel conversions for motorsport use only, but that different gear oils can improve noise. Mégane 250 cambelts need changing every six years or 72,500 miles. Budget for around £500 for the cambelt and auxiliary pump kits, water pump and the coolant. “VVT dephasers are optional,” says White,

Conclusion

While it’s far from residing in banger terrority, a clean Mégane RS 250 can be bagged for less than £7,000, which makes it a very good chunk of performance car for the money. Pampered cars can be twice that, but get a good and well-looked after cheaper model, add a few choice mods, and you’ll have a fantastic value and very capable flying Frenchie. Fantastique! 

Contacts

AW Motorworks: 07936 934406 www.pure-motorsport.co.uk www.rsmegane.com www.renaultsportclub.co.uk www.meganesport.net www.renaultsport.com

Prices

22010 Mégane RS 250: £6.5k; 85,000 miles 2010 Mégane RS 250 Cup: £8k; 96,000 miles 2010 Mégane RS 250: £9.5k; 69,000 miles 2010 Mégane RS 250: £14k; 29,000 miles

Feel, hear and live the power of Scorpion. You only have to hold a Scorpion exhaust to appreciate the premium design and construction qualities, which translate into tangible gains in both performance and reliability. Hand crafted in England and widely regarded as the best exhaust on the market today, Scorpion has become one of the most popular upgrades a driver can make. The real difference is the way a Scorpion feels. No other exhaust is created with our passion, expertise and experiences. Everything that we have put into developing the worlds best car exhausts over the years is designed to be shared, felt and experienced by you.

@SCORPIONEXHAUST SCORPIONEXHAUSTS WWW.SCORPION-EXHAUSTS.COM

SCORPION AUDI RS3 CAT BACK SYSTEM FITTED WITH TWIN ACTIVE EXHAUST VALVES.

/SCORPION SCORPIONEXHAUSTS

THE NUMBER ONE CHOICE FOR RENAULTSPORT MOTORSPORT PARTS

Uprated engine mounts - Throttle body kits - Engine i nternals - Engine parts and ancillaries - Aircon delete kits - Full engine kits - Cooling system upgrades Suspension and brake upgrades Custom Bilstein cooilovers Top mounts and strut braces Wheel alignment products Wheel spacers and stud kits - Antiroll bars Bearing conversion kits - Suspension strengthening products Gearbox parts and upgrades Competiton clutches and flyhweels limited slip differentials - precision gear linkage kits High quality stainless exhaust systems - manifolds and downpipes meglio conversion systems

order online: www.pure-motorsport.co.uk

01841531102

TUNING GUIDE

SUBARU Words & Photography Dan Sherwood

IMPREZA TUNING GUIDE

Not only an icon of the rally stages, the ‘classic’ Subaru Impreza was legendary on the street too as the model that pushed Japanese performance cars to the forefront of the tuning scene. Here’s how to extract the best performance from your Scooby. While the Impreza was a big name in rallying from the very beginning, it took a few years to become a popular road car to tune. But now it is one of the best all-round Japanese cars in the scene. The original shape Impreza, commonly known as the Classic, featured four-wheel-drive and a two-litre turbocharged boxer engine. WRX versions were more performance orientated, while STi versions were built with one eye on motorsport use. Almost every year the STi models were improved upon, with stiffer suspension, stronger engine internals and uprated turbochargers. Beyond conventional STi models are the RA versions, which were speciﬁcally built with rallying in mind, adding upgrades such as close ratio gearboxes, minimal weight, driver controlled centre differentials, and roof vents. The most sought after models are the two-door coupes, namely the STi Type-R, P1, and the uber rare and expensive 2.2-litre, wide-arched WRC-aping 22B. But whichever variant you choose, or how deep your pockets are, all Impreza models have bags of tuning potential to be unleashed.

070 www.fastcar.co.uk

SUBARU IMPREZA The Impreza’s stock internals are good to around 400bhp

ENGINE

With a rally-proven 2.0-litre turbo engine, as well as being one of the most common Japanese performance cars in the UK, tried and tested tuning parts to take the Impreza from mild to wild are plentiful – so unless you’re planning on something very unusual you won’t be stepping into the unknown. The engines are fairly strong and capable of big power increases, and while not the most bulletproof on the market, are plentiful, so replacements aren’t hard to come by, and super strong upgrades are common. However, despite being

highly tunable, Imprezas are far from idiotproof. Engine failures are common from relatively simple mistakes, so a suitably remapped ECU to match any tuning is vital. We’d recommend starting any tuning upgrades with a full turbo-back exhaust system with either a de-cat or sports cat. The standard Impreza downpipe is hugely restrictive and a good 3in system from Milltek or Scorpion will not only drastically improve power, but improve turbo spool too – not to mention give the Impreza that legendary exhaust note. An uprated BOV

SUSPENSION

The Impreza’s suspension was built for the heat of battle on the stages of the World Rally Championship, so can handle even the most challenging back road blasts with ease, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be improved, especially if you have a non-STi model that doesn’t have the factory upgrades. We wouldn’t bother with lowering springs and would suggest a jump straight to a quality coilover setup from the likes of Ohlins, Bilstein, or BC Racing. These would provide excellent alternatives at varying price points and throw in the added bonus of height and damping adjustability to tailor the setup to you own personal preference. While you are at it, it would be worth replacing the bushes, which, if still original, will likely be seriously perished and well past their best. A full set of SuperPro polyurethane items will be a ﬁt and forget upgrade that will sharpen things up a treat.

The Impreza’s stock brakes are more than capable...

from the likes of Turbosmart will ensure no leaking boost pressure, a common problem with older factory items. Up until around 350bhp, the stock airbox is fine with a replacement panel filter, but a high flow fuel pump and colder grade spark plugs will be needed before you can increase boost with a remap via either an ESL board or an A’PEXi Power FC. Above this level, a set of 550cc injectors will be needed along with a front mount intercooler, before finally removing the stock airbox for an induction kit with cone filter – although this is best paired with an aftermarket ECU such as a Syvecs, which means the MAF sensor can be removed and pave the way for a larger turbocharger such as the billet items from Scoobyclinic or Lateral Performance. Expect power outputs around 400bhp at this level, which is ballistic in an Impreza, but much more will require extensive and expensive internal engine work to stay reliable.

...but big brake upgrades are a wise option when power levels increase

BRAKES

Just like the suspension, the brakes are also more than capable at mild levels of tune, but start releasing the engine’s full potential, and the aging setup can soon start to feel underpowered. The brakes themselves are much improved on STi models over their lower-spec’d WRX siblings, but uprated pads from the likes of Ferrodo and EBC and a disc upgrade from TarOx, will give improved stopping power on both. For big power builds we’d recommend a multi-piston big brake kit. Options from K-Sport or EBC are good budget buys, or you can splash out on a set from Alcon or AP Racing.

defining car culture 071

TUNING GUIDE

SUBARU IMPREZA A racing steering wheel is a must for the interior

door to a three-door, for that accurate 22B-look. Throw on some cool motorsport inspired rims and stick to a simple colour scheme without adding graphics and you’ll have one sick Scoob.

INTERIOR

The interior design of the Classic Impreza is over 30-years-old now and looked pretty uninspiring even back in its heyday, with lots of scratchy grey plastic and basic controls. Buy they do seem to wear well, with switchgear and controls standing up to years of abuse, so should provide a decent base to make some tweaks. The stock seats aren’t bad – in either looks, comfort or support – but a pair of bucket seats would emphasise the rally heritage, as would a smaller dished steering wheel. There are plenty of rollcage options if you wanted to go the whole hog, or you could simply add some rally-style black ﬂock to

reinvigorate and de-sheen the dash and rest of the interior trim.

STYLE

There’s not much that hasn’t been done to Classic Imprezas over the years, from wild Fast and the Furious graphics, undercar neons and Lambo-style doors, to wide arch kits and full on rally replicas. If it were our car however, we’d keep things classy with a side of attitude with a either a full WRC-style or 22B-style wide arch kit from ABW Motorsport. They do these cool kits for either three or four door models, and even have one that converts your four-

CONCLUSION

It may be getting on a bit these days, but a well sorted Classic Impreza still draws admiring glances wherever it goes. Add in that unique trademark exhaust burble and the knowledge that there are few other more capable machines across any kind of terrain, and there’s a lot to like about owning a cool tuned Subaru. Like all ‘90s Japanese performance cars, the prices for good examples are rising fast, so if you want to sample the legend that is the original Subaru Impreza, we’d get in there fast, but with the top money going for mint factory standard examples, you may get lucky a bag a pre-modiﬁed bargain that’s already rocking the most sought after mods, saving you the money and grazed knuckles of doing it yourself.

CONTACT:

Impreza’s and wide arches are a match made in heaven

072 www.fastcar.co.uk

Scoobyclinic www.scoobyclinic.com Lateral Performance www.lateralperformance.co.uk ABW Motorsport www.abwmotorsport.co.uk Tarox www.tarox.co.uk Bilstein www.bilstein.com EBC www.ebcbrakes.com Milltek Sport www.millteksport.com Turbosmart www.turbosmart.com BC Racing www.bc-racing.co.uk

PREMIUM PERFORMANCE BRAKE LINE KITS

EVERY KIT

PRESSURE TESTED PRIOR TO DESPATCH

Over 50 years of dedication, fine tuning and development. An extensive range of more than 160,000 variations, currently available from Goodridge. • Greater braking efficiency and firmer pedal feel • Resistance to abrasion and corrosion • Direct replacement for your original brake lines • Available in a choice of thirteen colours

goodridge.com

Buy online at goodridge.co.uk or ﬁnd a dealer at goodridge.com/distributors

Fast MK8 GOLF R Mods The latest generation of Volkswagen’s genre-defining Golf R hot hatch is just as potent as its ancestors, and even though it’s still so new the paint is barely dry, tuning houses have already jumped on it to make it even hotter. Here’s our pick of the best mods to spice up your Golf R. When VW first released its rangetopping Golf R variant in 2010, it proved exactly how capable a hot hatch could be. Fast, classy, comfortable, practical and fun in equal measure, there was nothing it couldn’t do and it soon became one of the country’s most desirable cars. Packing a 267bhp 2.0-litre engine, the option of a DSG twinclutch or manual transmission and the excellent Haldex 4Motion fourwheel drive system as standard, it was a significant step up in class and performance from VW’s previous R-badged Golf the Mk5 R32. Available as either a three or five-door it could be as discreet as you wanted it to be, but also made a cracking base for tuning and modifications. The Mk7 R carried on the trend and raised power to 296bhp, while the very latest Mk8 model ramps things up even further to 316bhp with a meaty 310lb ft of tyreshredding torque. This equates to a claimed – and likely conservative – 0-62mph sprint time of 4.7 seconds and on to an electronically-limited 155mph, although you now only get five doors to choose from and there’s no manual gearbox either. No matter though, because with a few waves of the tuning wand, you won’t care how many doors the car has, or that you’re lacking a third pedal, because a tuned R is truly a serious piece of kit. So, to give you an idea of some of the mods that are already available for this uber-new model, take a gander opposite, as we highlight the upgrades we would make if it were our car, and our cash on the line…

074 www.fastcar.co.uk

GOODRIDGE BRAIDED HOSES PRICE: from £35.83 CONTACT: goodridge.com

If you’re looking for a modification that can make a big difference to your R’s performance, yet not break the bank, then look no further than a set of Goodridge braided hoses. The PTFE-line stainless steel lines resist the ‘ballooning’ that can happen with stock rubber hoses and ensure a much firmer and more direct and predictable feel when you hit the brake pedal. Coming with top quality stainless steel fittings, they offer increased corrosion protection too. Available a wide variety of colours means you can even mix or match them to your car’s colour scheme.

TAROX DISC AND PAD UPGRADE PRICE: £970 (discs), £178 (pads) CONTACT: tarox.com

VW’s R-branded Golfs have always been up there with the hottest of hot hatches, and the Mk8 looks set to continue that trend. It also looks like it will respond just as well as its forebears to tuning, meaning the standard stoppers may soon be left wanting when the power curve begins to skyrocket. With this in mind, Tarox has developed a set of uprated 356mm fully-floating discs and performance pads for the latest R, which combine solid billet construction and grooved faces for maximum stopping power and minimum weight. Used in conjunction with a set of Strada road pads, or Corsa track pads, which provide greater bite and improved endurance, even at elevated temperatures, and you’ve got a Golf that’ll stop like it’s hit a brick wall.

MILLTEK SPORT EXHAUST SYSTEM PRICE: from TBA CONTACT: millteksport.com

The range-topping R may have a more roarty soundtrack than the humble GTi, but it can still be enhanced further with a suitably free-flowing exhaust system such as those from Milltek Sport. The Midlands-based pipework gurus have developed a range of exhaust options for the new Mk8 R that will liberate not only the 2.0-litre engine’s sound potential, but maximise its performance potential too. A range of cool tailpipe options are also available to tailor the look of the system to your car too.

ROTIFORM LAS-R WHEELS PRICE: From £1272.48 CONTACT: rotiform.com

Like most modern hot hatches, the latest Golf R can swallow some sizeable hoops under its cavernous arches and a set of 8.5 x 19in Rotiform LAS-Rs should be no problem to fit. The 18 slim spokes are made using cast monoblock construction and feature an additional bracing ring that runs through them and offers a cool look, plus exceptional strength, meaning these radical rims will not buckle under pressure. Available in either gloss silver or matt black, they are a classy option for any Golf, but would suit the range-topping R to a tee. We just don’t fancy cleaning them much!

AIR LIFT AIR RIDE PRICE: From £3169.99 CONTACT: caraudiosecurity.com

The Golf R has great handling out of the box, but to make the most of the discreet looks, a decent drop is required to ensure your flashy new rims have a suitably snug place to call home. Coilovers are the obvious option, but with today’s potholed and speed bump strewn roads, what you gain in chassis dynamics and good looking lows, you lose in practicality and ride comfort. You can retain the best of both worlds though, with an Air Lift Performance air-ride kit. An off the shelf solution is available for the Mk8 R starting at £3169.99 for a pressure-based 3P system using performance front struts and Slam rear bags. This base level kit will go from laying frame to monster truck at the press of a button. For those that want a more control, you can opt for the £3519.99 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!

defining car culture 075

LIQUI-MOLY ADVERTORIAL - PT1. MOTOR OILS

10 MINUTE TECH

ENGINE OILS

Far more than just a lubricant, modern motor oils are very complex blends that are vital to the overall health of an internal combustion engine. To find out more, we spoke to LIQUI MOLY’S Oliver Kuhn, as he explains just why this versatile fluid is so precious and needs to be considered with utmost care. Q. WHAT DOES ENGINE OIL DO? A. Although the main task of engine oil is

to lubricate things, it also has many more jobs: it cools the engine components; it removes deposits and transports them to the oil ﬁlter; it seals the piston rings; and it protects the metal surfaces from corrosion.

Q. WHAT DO THE DIFFERENT GRADES OF OIL MEAN? A. There are many different grades of

oil available, and the most common measure to differentiate them still is the viscosity (e.g. 5W-30). However, this is a little outdated these days. In the past, viscosity was the deﬁning factor to keep different oils apart, but today the world of oils has become far more complex, and viscosity is just one of many factors to consider. More important in modern engines, are the speciﬁcations issued by associations such as API, ACEA, and ILSAC, or by the manufacturers themselves.

Q. WHY ARE THERE DIFFERENT SPECIFIC MANUFACTURER GRADES OF OIL? A. Because different manufacturers

follow slightly different approaches to engine technology; this results in different requirements for the engine oil. It’s best to think of modern engine oils as spare parts designed to fit specific applications, rather than as general lubricants. A modern engine needs an oil that precisely meets a strict set of requirements. Pouring in the wrong oil is like installing an incorrect replacement part. The crucial difference here is that there is a safety net when trying to fit the wrong physical parts – they just won’t fit. However, when you pour in the wrong oil you won’t notice immediately, so you need to be sure you’ve got a suitable product before you install it.

076 www.fastcar.co.uk

Q. ARE ALL ENGINE OILS THE SAME? A. Are all cars the same? Of course

not. The same applies to engine oils. There are many similarities but there are also many differences. The most obvious one is the different viscosities. Then there are the different ingredients: mineral or synthetic base oils, plus the many different additive packages. Their combination leads to a multitude of different oil properties, adapted to the individual requirements of the different engine technologies. Therefore, you need a speciﬁc oil to suit a speciﬁc engine.

Q. WHAT’S IN AN ENGINE OIL? A. Engine oil consists of two

main ingredients: base oils, and the additive packages. Base oils are what you would typically describe as the actual ‘oil’. There are many different types of base oil, but the true performance of a modern engine oil comes from the additive packages. It is these that protect the engine from wear, keep it clean, protect from corrosion, suppress foaming, and deﬁne the viscosity range.

These additive packages make up to 30 per cent of the total oil volume and are crucial for the engine oil. Without the additive packages, an engine running plain base oil would suffer severe damage after just a few miles.

LIQUI-MOLY ADVERTORIAL - PT1. MOTOR OILS Q. HOW DO QUALITY OILS DIFFER FROM Q. WHAT CAN I DO TO KEEP MY OIL IN CHEAPER ONES? GOOD HEALTH? A. In term of performance and quality. A. The worst thing for engine oil is doing

Premium oils can be used for extended oil change intervals if the car manufacturer allows this – typically this doubles the oil change interval without compromising the engine. Quality oils, like the ones from LIQUI MOLY, are usually approved by the respective car manufacturers; it’s not just us saying the oil meets certain speciﬁcations, but the manufacturer has tested and ofﬁcially approved it for use in their engines too.

Q. I’VE TUNED MY ENGINE, SHOULD I Q. WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN USE A DIFFERENT OIL? MINERAL AND SYNTHETIC OILS? A. This depends on how much you’ve A. Mineral oil is the traditional type modiﬁed things in the engine. Usually,

of oil that’s reﬁned from crude oil; it’s cheap, but it’s made up of various different chemicals. This reduces the performance of the oil itself, as well as the performance of the additive packages too. Synthetic oils, on the other hand, offer much better performance. This is because they are not simply reﬁned from crude oil, but are newly created on a molecular base. Synthetic base oils don’t look like traditional oils (they are clear), and they don’t have that distinctive oily smell either – in fact, they don’t really smell of anything. Almost all new motor oils for cars are made from a synthetic base oil, purely because mineral oils cannot deliver the required performance.

it’s not necessary to change the oil technology, and you are well advised to adhere to the manufacturer’s instructions. If the manufacturer’s specifications allow for multiple viscosity grades, you may want to pick the higher one. Great choices for tuned engines are our Leichtlauf High Tech 5W-40 for older engines, and our Top Tec 4110 5W-40 for newer engines. Both oils cover a wide range of specifications. However, if the modifications have changed things significantly from the factory specs, then a different oil may make more sense – your engine builder will be able to advise.

Q. CAN A DIFFERENT OIL REALLY GAIN ME EXTRA HORSEPOWER? A. An oil can’t physically gain you any

power, but it can certainly help you lose less through frictional losses. Using oil with special wear protection – like our Molygen series – reduces the friction so the engine consumes less power; resulting in more of it being translated to the road.

lots of short-distance trips: cold starts mean increased wear; unburnt fuel gets into the oil; and the oil never reaches its operating temperature, so the fuel in the oil does not evaporate and the problem continues to get worse. In fact, this puts a greater stress on the oil than racing on a track does. So, if you drive lots of short-distance trips, take your car for a longer drive every now and then. Also, when you change oil it’s a good idea to clean the system with LIQUI MOLY Motor Clean ﬁrst; this quickly and effectively dissolves deposits in the oil cycle, which then are drained together with the used oil. The fresh oil gets into a clean system and can deliver its full performance.

WHO IS LIQUI MOLY?

LIQUI MOLY is a German-based company specialising in oils, lubricants and additives. The company’s focus is strongly on quality, because it does not want to be the cheapest but strives to be the best. LIQUI MOLY produces its oils and additives exclusively in Germany, and offers a huge product range: over 4000 items involving automotive chemicals. As well as oils and additives, LIQUI MOLY also offers car care, underbody protection, service products such as brake cleaners and rust solvents, as well as a series of professional tools and cleaners. For details on the full range of products, and for a handy guide to ﬁnd the correct oil for your car, head to the website. www.liqui-moly.com

defining car culture 077

SAVE

% ®

and get a

TENG TOOLS 6pc SCREWDRIVER SET worth £51.48* when you subscribe to CAR MECHANICS

experts of your car problems solved by our es pag 13 PRODUCT TEST

PRESSURE WASHERS

NEW

PROJECT CAR

12 on test

JAGUAR

£3250 auction buy

PAINT

SAVING YOU MONEY SINCE 1958

WIN Jumpstarts

prizes worth over

£263 SEE PAGE

PAGE SPECIAL

CORRECTION & PROTECTION PS TOP TI your car's to making paintwork perfect

CLEANING

FIAT 500C

Just £48.60 for 12 ISSUES**

14%

+ GET A FREE SCREWDRIVER SET

A set of 6 screwdrivers for slotted, Phillips and Pozi drive heads. The screwdrivers feature TT-MV PLUS steel blades and ergonomically designed bi-material handles with hanging hole and T-drive facility for added torque and comfort. The screwdrivers are supplied in a full colour display box with PS tray. Visit: shop.kelsey.co.uk/CMETENG21H Or call: 01959 543 747 and quote CMETENG21H Hotlines open: Monday-Friday 8.30am-5.30pm.

INLET PORT

FOLDING ROOF FIX

SAVE

Calls are charged at your standard network rate

u Touching in u Scratch removal u Using aerosol cans

August 2021

u Plastic & rubber protection

DIAGNOSTICS

Nissan Note

Examining a 1.4

£4.70

KELSEYmedia

BUYING USED

WORKSHOP

997 model 2004-2012

2.0

Porsche Ford Mondeo 911 TDCi service

Full terms and conditions can be found at shop.kelsey.co.uk/terms **Offer applies to UK subscribers only when paying by direct debit. *RRP of Screwdriver Set. Gift is subject to availability. Offer ends December 31st 2021. Please allow 28 days for delivery of gift. You can cancel your subscription at any time and no further payments will be taken. Overseas and other offers available at shop.kelsey.co.uk/CME

FRESH KIT

NEW PRODUCTS The latest products to empty your wallet from the big wide world of car culture...

RED PRO HOT DU CT

ZEROPOINTONE R53 AND R56 SHIFTER KITS The R53 and R56 Minis may be small, but they pack a mighty punch and are a riot to drive on both the road and track. But even the best cars can be improved with some choice tuning upgrades and the Mini is no different, as it can beneﬁt from a faster, more precise gearshift to really keep those ratios on the boil. And this is where a short shifter kit can pay dividends, as it not only allows you to swap cogs at lightning pace, due to its shorter throw, but also adds an air of proper race car chic to your car’s interior. New from ZeroPointOne are these beautiful R53 and R56 ZPO Shifter kits. Made in the UK using a combination of 6082 T6 and 2014 T6 grades of aluminium, the CNC machined components are designed to be lightweight, strong and durable as well as pleasing to the eye. Stainless steel fasteners give the strength and corrosion resistance required to keep the unit intact throughout its lifetime and when the unit is anodised black, give a great contrast between the various pieces of the complete shifter. Tested and developed at a host of UK and European tracks, including Spa and the Nurburgring, this state-of-the-art shifter is proven to give a quicker gear change with a much more positive feel. ZeroPointOne offers fully personalised design options to

match your interior too, so you can create a true statement piece for your car’s interior, or you can even hide it away behind the factory centre console, with a little modiﬁcation, for a more stealth look. The team take great pride in offering help and guidance before and after purchase, so for additional info send them a message on Instagram, Facebook or via their website and they’ll be only too happy to help. Price: from £750

www.zeropointtech.co.uk

defining car culture 079

TAROX BRAKE UPGRADE FOR MK8 GOLF CLUBSPORT AND R Tarox was quick to spot the potential of the Mk8 Golf Clubsport and R, and has developed the world’s ﬁrst braking upgrade for these performance VWs. Available from the Tarox Bespoke Range, these fully-ﬂoating discs are manufactured from a solid billet of steel, then heat treated and cooled for strength and durability. A direct replacement for the OEM discs on the Clubsport and R, they measure 340mm and 356mm respectively and come in range of facings, including the grooved, F2000 design. To complement these high-performance discs, two compounds of pad are available: Strada and Corsa. Both pads offer improved friction resulting in more bite and are able to operate at higher temperatures to deliver consistent, fade-free braking. The Strada pads are ideal for road cars, especially performance variants, while the Corsa pads, although still effective from cold, deliver greatly improved friction with more bite, even at high temperatures, making them ideal for track driving or highly tuned road cars. Rear discs and pads are also available, as well as high-quality braided lines. Price: Golf R 356mm front discs: £970, Clubsport 340mm front discs: £862, front pads: £178 www.tarox.co.uk

FLO AIRRIDE BILLET AIR TANKS The Flo line of modular billet air tanks is specifically designed for the air suspension aficionado and installer seeking the highest quality parts that are completely customisable. Available through air-ride gurus Air Lift Performance, they feature a custom brushed tube finish with machined end caps and each billet end cap offers port configuations suited for the majority of setups, available in 18, 24 and 28in lengths. One of the most unique features is the built-in perimeter end cap mounting options, with 360-degree rotatable billet mounting feet included. Crafted from high-grade 6061-t6 billet aluminium in the USA, these tanks are pretty much bombproof, meaning they’ll probably outlast any car they’re fitted in! Price: from £270 www.airliftperformance .com

AUTOGYLM INTENSIVE TAR REMOVER Autoglym has announced the availability of a product designed to rapidly remove the unsightly ‘pebble-dashing’ of tar spots that usually appear on the lower half of your vehicle’s paintwork in warm weather. Intensive Tar Remover is the effective way to dissolve sticky bitumen ﬂicked up from hot road surfaces, as well as other irritating adherents such as glue, grease, tree sap and fuel stains. Add a bottle to your car care kit and keep your ride looking its best this summer. For more details head to the website. Price: £8.50 www.autoglym.com

080 www.fastcar.co.uk

TURBOZENTRUM FOCUS ST250 STAGE 3 TURBO New for the Mk3 Focus ST(250), TurboZentrum is offering a hybrid turbo upgrade that will support up to 380bhp. Using the latest advanced racing technology, the Stage 3 upgrade retains the same outer dimensions as the original turbo, making it a direct bolt-on replacement but offering signiﬁcant power increases while retaining excellent driving dynamics. The Stage 3 turbocharger uses a bigger compressor wheel with extended tip technology, while the compressor housing is CNC-milled accordingly. Alongside this, TurboZentrum also enlarges the exhaust side of the turbo – once again the housing is CNC-machined to match giving it the ability to ﬂow a much greater volume of air, resulting in that big power hike to 380bhp! For more details check out the website. Price: £1612.97 or £1071.31 (on exchange basis) www.turbozentrum.co.uk

FRESH KIT

APPAREL

MOUNTUNE FIESTA ST & PUMA ST POWER UPGRADES Mountune has released two new power upgrades; the m235 and m260. A first for the Puma ST, the m235 upgrade boosts both power and performance and is easily installed using Mountune’s SMARTflash app. The m235 upgrade delivers increases in both power and torque now boasting a peak power output of 232bhp and 258lb ft of torque. For those looking to extract even more performance from their Puma ST – or Mk8 Fiesta ST, as the upgrade is also compatible – Mountune has also developed the m260 upgrade. Designed to work with the recommended hardware upgrades (induction kit, charge pipe kit, and uprated intercooler), power is increased to between 246-256bhp and 269lb ft. To give ultimate flexibility whilst using the mTune SMARTflash app, the calibration can be easily reverted to the m235 power upgrade, or standard power level, should it be needed. Clever. Price: £575 (m235), £675 (m260) www.mountunestore.com

SHIFT WATERLESS CAR CARE SYSTEM Bringing with it a new approach to the concept of environmentally friendly and economical alternatives to traditional car wash methods, Shift Car Care has introduced a brand-new range of waterless wash solutions. The ﬂagship product, Shift Waterless Wash, is an advanced formula, infused with polymer technology to ensure that cleaning paintwork, vinyl, glass, trim and wheels is completely safe and scratch-free. The unique liquid offers a simple ‘spray-on and wipe-off’ application and, in addition to fully cleansing surfaces, immediately installs a quartz-based ceramic coating to stop water and road grime from sticking. With an average car wash using between 75 and 200-litres of fresh water per vehicle, this innovative zero-water solution is not only kinder to the environment, but it cleans, shines and protects all exterior surfaces with a single application. Priced at £16.99, one 500ml bottle of Shift Waterless Wash contains enough solution to complete up to 20 cars. Bargain!

RNR ARKONIK WATCH Fancy wearing a unique piece of an iconic Land Rover on your wrist? Well, then the limited edition swiss-made RNR Arkonik watch from REC is right up your street. Featuring a chunky dial made from reclaimed door metal from the original Landy of legendary off-road restorers Arkonik, its hand-crafted style takes further cues from the car, including hints of headlights, alloys and front grille as part of the design. Price: €1195 www.recwatches.com 0800-FUCKED-IT HOODIE We all know the feeling when you mess up and take out part of your modiﬁed ride on a particularly savage speed bump, and this hot hoodie pays tribute to that particular rite of passage with a cool design featuring Death on the blower to his parts guy to order yet another oil pan! Available in small to XXXL sizes, this 320-gsm cotton hoodie is a must for all serious modiﬁers who know the pain! Price: £44.95 www.strictly-static.com

Price: £16.99 www.shiftcarcare.com

defining car culture 081

FRESH KIT

AUDIO & TECH

Indulge your inner geek with the best audio, visual and gadget tech around BLACKDEATH M21K-V6 AMPLIFIER Big sounds need big amps to power them and they don’t come bigger and badder than this black beauty from Vibe Audio. Known as the Blackdeath MK21K-V6, this 21,000 watt behemoth is an Ultra Class D competition amplifier powerful enough to (as Michael Caine would say) blow your bloody doors off! It’s a full range unit, which means it can be used to power either a subwoofer or component speaker and includes both high and low pass adjustable filters to precisely tailor the output. Being a mono amplifier however, does mean there is only one output channel, so unless you fancy dropping the wedge on a pair of these bad boys, to allow true stereo sound, you are probably better off using it to power a house-sized subwoofer. Just make sure whatever you connect to it is man enough to take the strain though, because this is one amp that will take no prisoners. Price: £1099.99 www.vibeaudio.co.uk

MEGUIAR’S SUNLIGHT 3+ INSPECTION TORCH Meguiar’s MT103 Sunlight 3+ is the perfect tool for anyone looking to inspect their paint for a myriad of defects, whether they are a professional detailer, an automotive painting technician or simply a detailing enthusiast. This simple-to-use light allows users to identify pre-existing defects, check their paint correction work, verify paint match, or even to inspect after applying a coating for the presence of high spots. This unique inspection light has useful features such as separate stepless dimmer switches for both light output and colour temperature. Additionally, a convenient memory function allows for instant on/off without searching for settings. All of this comes in a rugged, durable aluminum alloy casing that’s designed to both perform and last. So, no matter the detailing dilemma, the MT103 Sunlight 3+ is deﬁnitely a must-have tool for anyone detailing on a regular basis.

GHOST IMMOBILISER If you’re looking for the next level of car security, look no further than the Ghost Immobiliser. While there are lots of antitheft devices on the market today, there are several things that make the Ghost special. It has no key-fobs or LED indications to give away its location; the system uses the buttons that are already in your vehicle (such as those on the steering wheel, door panels or centre console) to allow you to make a unique, changeable PIN code sequence that must be entered before the car can be driven. This means there are no physical locks for a thief to pick, there is no remote control to be scanned and, if a thief takes your car while the engine in running, as soon as its stopped it won’t restart. The Ghost Immobiliser is the perfect extra level of security that is invisible but ensures your car remains safe. Price: £449 including ﬁtting www.mstyle.co.uk

082 www.fastcar.co.uk

Price: £117.82 www.amazon.co.uk

FROM THE PUBLISHERS OF AN EXCITING NEW MOTORING PUBLICATION OFFERING THE VERY BEST ADVICE FOR BUYING ICONIC AND DESIRABLE CARS FROM THE 1990S, 2000S AND TODAY!

SUBSCRIBE FOR JUST £19.99 EVERY SIX MONTHS!

STICK AROUND ALL YE AR ONLY WILL YOU GET 11 AND NOT ISS THE PRICE OF TEN, BUT UES FOR ALSO RECEIVE THIS FA YOU’LL BU 2022 BEST BUYS BOOK LOUS AZ WORTH £8.99 INCLUDEDINE IN THE PRICE*

CAR MECHANICS BARGAIN CARS IS A 52-PAGE MAGAZINE ON SALE EVERY MONTH* OUTLINING THE VERY BEST IN MOTORING FROM THE 1990S, 2000S AND TODAY. WITH ESSENTIAL BUYING ADVICE AND INSPIRATION, COVERING A WIDE RANGE OF MAKES AND MODELS – WE SHOULD YOU HOW TO BUY, OWN AND ENJOY MODERN CLASSIC CARS.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, SIMPLY VISIT SHOP.KELSEY.CO.UK/CMB2020 2 EASY WAYS TO SUBSCRIBE Visit shop.kelsey.co.uk/CMB2020 Or Call: 01959 543 747 and quote cmb2020 Lines open Monday – Friday 8.30am – 5.30pm. Calls are charged at your standard network rate *Full terms and conditions can be found at shop.kelsey.co.uk/terms. Bargain Cars publishes January to November. 2022 Best Buys Bookazine publishes in December 2021. Offer applies to UK subscribers only when paying by direct debit. Your subscription will start with the next available issue with your first 6 issues charged at just £19.99. Payments will continue to be taken at the low rate of £19.99 every months thereafter. You can cancel your subscription at any time and no further payments will be taken. Overseas and other offers available at shop.kelsey.co.uk/CMB

MOTORSPORT

DRIVER INTERVIEW:

JAMIE TONKS

How did you get into motorsport? For the last 15 years I had been a regular track day enthusiast doing as many as 25 a year all over the UK and Europe through the main British organisers. But after a chance meeting with a driver coach and BTCC race engineer in 2019, a conversation of doing something more competitive was discussed. Following this a pre-arranged test with a Civic Cup race team was organised, where I was instantly on what was considered front running pace, so we went about planning to compete in 2020 for the ﬁrst time. Have you raced in any other series? So far only the Civic Cup, which is organised by Maximum Motorsport. What has been your racing career highlight so far? During my ﬁrst event in July 2020, in incredibly

wet conditions, I qualified third. It might not sound much, but we were so happy that in the worst possible conditions with severe rain, in a car with semi-slick tyres, we were instantly able to run towards the front. We finished the race fourth, however I showed that even in your mid 30s you can give something a go and make a good effort of it. Which is your favourite circuit to race on and why? Thruxton. There is only one way to drive Thruxton – flat out! The whole lap is just amazing. Church Corner flat out is something that takes commitment, bravery and amazing skill. 20 Civics bunched up two and three wide through the fast corners at 125mph is why I made the step up to go racing. You currently race an EP3 in the Civic Cup series, what’s that like?

230bhp, 1200kg. Doesn’t sound amazing, however, engineered by some super talented people with some seriously fast drivers and sticky tyres, they are an absolute riot to drive. They reward commitment and are actually quite intimidating the ﬁrst time you drive one, but once you get comfortable with how direct the front is and how loose the rear is, they can deliver super close racing and great lap times. What is the best thing about racing in Civic Cup? The standard is super high with a large proportion of the grid capable of winning. The Championship organisers have a great pyramid system with the Civic Cup, VW Cup, and the TCR TCT trophy all providing natural progression. Due to how competitive the series is, I honestly think if you can win

CIRCUIT PROFILE: SNETTERTON

Each month, we’ll dissect one of the country’s top tracks to give you the edge on your next trackday After a major redevelopment in 2011, the rural East Anglian track was acquired by MotorSport Vision – who already own Oulton Park, Cadwell and Brands Hatch – and offers high speed action and good overtaking opportunities. With three tracks, the longest ‘300’ configuration taking inspiration from iconic sections at Monza, Imola and Montreal, it is in constant use for trackdays all year round. Starting on the Senna Straight, the first corner is a long righthander, Riches, that allows you to run to the edge of the track before entering Montreal hairpin, which was originally modelled on Montreal’s famous Casino Hairpin. This leads to the infield (also used for the short ‘100’ circuit) and the fast left-handers of Palmer, Agostini and Hamilton.

084 www.fastcar.co.uk

After that you’ve got two new wide double-apex corners in Oggies and Williams before joining the awesome Bentley Straight. Be sure to scrub some speed before the tightening left, right through Brundle and Nelson. The trick here is not to overestimate the sharpness of the initial left and leave yourself in the wrong gear for the sharp right that leads you into the legendary Bomb Hole. A gem of UK racing, this fast right-hander demands commitment and swiftly leads into a rapid approach into Coram – a daunting and deceptively long and wide right-hander. From there it’s hard on the brakes and carefully transfer the weight before the 90° left at Murrays. Getting the drive out of here is crucial, as it will give you the advantage as you head back onto

CIRCUIT ESSENTIALS ACTIVE DAMPERS

in Civic Cup you can win in lots of other championships, as previous winners have shown over recent times. How does your race car compare to a standard road version? All the control parts are available for people to put on their road car. However, with no compromise to setup and the cars always in top condition, they are quite a bit faster than a road-going version. If you could race in any car or series, what would it be? I’d really like to race in the TCR championship. As we share the race meeting with them I can’t believe how fast they are and the standard of the front running drivers is impressive. Also, one day I have a huge desire to race at the Nürburgring 24 hour race. How do prepare yourself for race day? Luckily for me I have a great support group around me of my wife Rachel, friends Carl and Rachel and tuners Area Motorsport who look after me and the car, so all I have to do is worry

about driving. I tend to take the day easy. Drink lots of water and keep myself focused on starting the race well. What advice would you give to anyone wanting to get into racing? Just go and do it! I spent about 15 years thinking about doing it and should of given it a go sooner. There are so many series in the UK run by great organisers designed to reﬂect different situations, budgets and levels of commitment, all of which give that thrill and sense of competition from racing a Citroen C1 to a British touring car.

Tweaking the damping settings on your coilovers can be a tricky business as the controls are often tucked away out of reach under the bonnet or in the boot via the strut tops, or attached to the damper body itself, meaning you need to try and get under the wheel arches to adjust them. With TEIN’s EDFC Active and a set of compatible TEIN coilovers however, a dash mounted electronic controller makes it possible to adjust damping force from the driver’s seat by controlling stepping motors installed on each shock absorber. Settings can be stored for race, street and comfort and recalled in an instant plus a built-in G-Sensor also allows G-force actuated automatic adjustment while driving and an additional automatic speed-sensitive adjustment feature is available with the use of an optional GPS kit. Price: From £565.20 (coilovers not included) Contact: www.tein.co.uk

FAST FACTS

Track length: 0.98 miles (100 Circuit), 2 miles (200) 2.99 miles (300 circuit) Corners: 5 (100 Circuit), 8 (200),12 (300) Highlight: The very fast Bentley Straight into Brundle and Nelson Price: From £89 Website: snetterton.co.uk the Senna Straight and the start/ﬁnish line. Ten miles north of Thetford on the A11, Snetterton is easy to ﬁnd and with evening sessions starting at just £89 and full day sessions for £199, it’s a well worth a punt.

defining car culture 085

SUNDAY 3RD OCTOBER SILVERSTONE CIRCUIT DEDICATED CLUB DISPLAY AREAS LIVE ACTION ENTERTAINMENT DRIFT DEMONSTRATIONS ALL DAY TRACK ACTION RETAIL VILLAGE

BOOK

NOW!

BOOK ONLINE NOW WWW.TRAXSHOWS.CO.UK Booking fee applies. Under 18s must be accompanied by an adult. All attractions are subject to change. Advance public tickets sales close Midnight Friday 1st October 2021. Club booking deadline Monday 20th September 2021 or until space sells out. Warning motorsport can be dangerous.

EUROPES BIGGEST JAPANESE CAR SHOW

1 2 0 2 R E B M E T P E S H T 4 Y A D SATUR IT

U C R I C E N O T S R E SILV

D E C N A V AD Y L N O S T TICKE

K O O B

! W O N

ALL DAY TRACK ACTION DEDICATED CLUB DISPLAY AREAS DRIFT DEMONSTRATIONS RETAIL VILLAGE

K U . O C . T S E F P A J . W W W W O N E N I BOOK ONL Booking fee applies. Under 18s must be accompanied by an adult. All attractions are subject to change. Advance public tickets sales close Midnight Thursday 2nd September 2021. Club booking deadline Monday 16th August 2021 or until space sells out. Warning motorsport can be dangerous.

FAST PROJECTS

DAN’S MAZDA RX-8

Battery bites the dust and needs replacing... Yuasa to the rescue! START

P090 NEVER FINISHED

MAIN MODS: RESPRAY IN BMW AUSTIN YELLOW, TAROX BBK, OHLINS COILOVERS, ROTA WHEELS

OLLIE’S VW UP! GTI

The Up! gets down with some new KW Variant 3 coilovers START

P092 ALMOST FINISHED

MAIN MODS: COBRA NOGARO SEATS, FORGE INDUCTION KIT, MILLTEK EXHAUST AND MORE

MISSING IN ACTION

DAN B’S HONDA FN2 TYPE R

P000

The FN2 is aching for some lows, but will Dan get the coilovers sorted before his next b-road blast? START

NEVER FINISHED

MAIN MODS: GOODYEAR TYRES, EBC BRAKES, MILLTEK EXHAUST, HKS INDUCTION KIT

DAN’S EP3 TYPE R

P000

The EP3 gets a well earned rest while the attention focuses on getting the RX-8 up and running START

NEVER FINISHED

MAIN MODS: TTS SUPERCHARGER, FORGED ENGINE, FK2 SEATS, BC COILOVERS, MFACTORY LSD

defining car culture 089

FAST PROJECTS New Yuasa YBX3030 battery kicked the RX-8 back into life

DAN’S MAZDA RX-8

The lockdown has taken another victim as the RX-8’s battery becomes the latest part to succumb to 18-months without use It’s ofﬁcial. Cars don’t like standing idle. They long to be let free to roam the open road and gulp down super unleaded like Gazza on a gin-fuelled bender. Proof of this comes from the RX-8, which has pretty much sat untouched since March 2020, and is now beginning to protest its enforced exile with various gremlins throwing spanners into the works. First it was the oil metering pump which went kaput and needed replacing with a secondhand alternative, and now it’s the battery that has given up the ghost. Drat! We had our doubts about the vitality of the RX-8’s battery for some time, as it ﬁrst showed that it wasn’t feeling at its best way back in the middle of last year, when it refused to start one day. However, we simply put that down to a period without use and slapped on our trusty CTEK charger to get things going again. A few hours later and things were looking good, and we

090 www.fastcar.co.uk

tried to keep on top of periodically starting the car and running it for a while to try and keep the battery happy and alive. Unfortunately, this wouldn’t last long and eventually the periods that the battery would actually hold a decent charge were getting shorter and shorter until even daily use became impossible. This was partly due to the hotter summer temperatures, that actually speeds up the chemical reaction inside the battery causing it to discharge faster. This means that the battery gradually gets weaker, until the winter, where it needs a bigger hit to get the engine started and will likely fail. If you think your battery is not as strong as it usually is, then try a charger that has a reconditioning cycle. If this doesn’t seem to do the job, get it checked out with a free battery check from the likes of Halfords, as its better to get a replacement when the battery is on

its way out, than get stuck when it has completely died. This seemed to be the case for the RX-8, so we got on the blower to battery specialists Yuasa for a new one. A YBX3030 was deemed the way to go and was sent out with next day delivery. The £128.02 battery is good for 30,000 engine starts and 630 cold cranking amps, making it ideal for the RX-8’s Renesis rotary engine. Swapping the batteries over is a piece of cake, simply grab your 10mm spanner and remove the terminals before reversing the process with the new one dropped into place. The RX-8 now has the power to start on the very ﬁrst crank and is back in business. Nice one Yuasa! Until next month! ■

THANKS TO: Yuasa battery www.yuasa.co.uk

The RX-8's battery is hidden under a plastic cover

Changing the battery was a five minute job, but made all the difference

defining car culture 091

FAST PROJECTS The Variant 3 coilovers are fully adjustable and come with a special tool kit

OLLIE’S VW UP! GTI

Ollie’s Up GTi already caught the KW virus, but has now got a new variant, if the form of a set of fully adjustable Variant 3 coilovers If you were to ask me which single modification I would make to any car, my answer would always be coilovers. A good chassis setup is a characteristic I highly value, and I’ve had a history of owning small, nimble and sub-150bhp cars, as I believe the best parties are in the bends! Not only that, but lowering your car and minimising that arch gap makes any car look 10 times better in my opinion. Back in 2018 it was my very own UP GTi that was the first ever to feature a set of KW coilovers. KW began by releasing the street-focused Variant 1 coilover with factory damping settings and ride height adjustment only. Now, almost three-years later, as more and more tuners have been busy developing upgrades for these boxy little belters, KW revealed their upgraded Variant 3 coilovers, which feature height and damping adjustment. And that’s what I will be replacing my existing V1 coilovers with. Is damping adjustment really worth it? To me, yes, but that’s entirely my own personal preference. I’ve always favoured a firmer ride that reduces body roll where I feel more connected to the feedback I’m receiving through the chassis. Without a doubt, I’m a lover of spirited Sunday B-road drives and

092 www.fastcar.co.uk

I also have the intentions of getting the car back on track in the future. Therefore, with a simple twist of the compression and rebound adjusters, I can tailor my suspension setup between road and track. Happy days! To fit the new setup, I find myself back at the trusted Midlands-based VAG-specialists Dubunit, a business run by Matt Roberts who has a wealth of experience for all things VAG. Without a doubt, this job was a walk in the park for Matt. It’s a simple case of removing the necessary nuts and bolts and replacing the original unit with the new KW’s. We set the front and rear ride height to where we wanted it to be and jobs a good’un. However, it’s always recommended getting a professional on the job if you have little knowledge of the process. Once you fit a set of coilovers, it’s extremely important you get your alignment done. But before doing so, it’s highly recommended that you run any new coilover for as long as you can prior to alignment, this will allow the brand new coilovers time to settle to prevent any alterations after the alignment. In my case we’re needing a full geometry setup dialing-in to get the right height, front camber and tracking. Geometry requires the skill and equipment

of a specialist in track/tuner cars, and it isn’t a role which all garages can take on, so I enlisted the help of MG Auto Motorsport in Derbyshire to do the job five-days after installation. It’s been three weeks since the alignment, so how do they feel? Superb! But that’s no surprise. Having both rebound and compression set on the middle setting has significantly improved the chassis’ ability at higher speeds, and the car now takes the bigger bumps far better than it did before. More importantly, it feels and looks like a little low-riding race car. To conclude this review, if you’re looking to treat your pride and joy with some new coilovers then consider your car’s purpose. For daily duties a height adjustable setup like the V1 will significantly improve your car’s performance and appearance. But, if you have the extra budget, then a fully adjustable setup like the V3 will offer another level of wow-factor! If you’re ever in need of extra advice, the guru’s at KW are always more than happy to help!

CONTACTS

www.dubunit.co.uk www.kwsuspensions.co.uk

FAST PROJECTS KW’s Variant 3 has adjustable bump setting on the base

The old Variant 1 coilovers still look in good condition

Rebound settings are adjusted from the top

defining car culture 093

SUBSCRIBE TODAY

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

YOUR LIMITED TIME SUBSCRIPTION OFFER 6 ISSUES JUST £23.99 FREE DELIVERY DIRECT TO YOUR DOOR YOU PAY JUST £4 PER MONTH - UK SHOP PRICE £5.50 EXCLUSIVE SUBSCRIBER OFFERS TRY A DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTION

PAY JUST £23.99 FOR 6 ISSUES TO GO DIGITAL VISIT shop.kelsey.co.uk/PVW2021

SINGLE ISSUE ONLY

£5.50

UK DIRECT DEBIT OFFER!

SAVE 27% TRY A SUBSCRIPTION TODAY

PAY JUST £23.99 FOR 6 ISSUES OR WHY NOT TRY THE DIGITAL AND PRINT TOGETHER FOR JUST £29.99 VIA 6 MONTHLY DIRECT DEBIT *Other UK offers and overseas apply

VISIT SHOP.KELSEY.CO.UK/PVW2021 CALL OUR TEAM ON 01959 543 747 & QUOTE OFFER CODE PVW2021

HOTLINE OPEN: MON - FRI 8.30AM - 5.30PM

MOTORFREE ADS TO ADVERTISE VISIT

WWW.MOTORFREEADS.CO.UK CURRENT LISTINGS ASTON MARTIN DB7

ASTON MARTIN DB7

1997, 52000 miles. Auction 28/29th July. DB7 3.2 Auto, Coupe, Yellow (Cat D), Petrol, Auto, 3239cc. Four previous keepers, current since 2016. Comprehensive history file, predominantly by Chiltern Aston Martin. Subject to an insurance claim in 2006, rendering a category D. MOT until 21 October 2021. More photos on our website and will have fresh photos taken when arrived. Please call 01233506266, South East. (T) 108753

1998, £35,995. DB7 Convertible. On the road the DB7 performs exceptionally well, the 3239cc six cylinder is super smooth, delivers excellent performance and the automatic gearbox shifts perfectly. The car is luxurious, quiet, comfortable and with air-conditioning, working electric hood, it has all the relevant modern comforts ensuring this is an ideal long distance open tourer that is ideal for UK and European trips. Please call 01944 758000, Yorkshire and the Humber.

BMW Z3

2000, 19584 miles, £12,995. Straight Six. Topas Blue with Black trim. Auto. 1 Previous owner. Owned from new and used as a second car. In the last 6 years the car has only covered just over a 1k miles. Drives like new. Please call 01636812700, East Midlands. 109442

BMW Z4

109427

ASTON MARTIN DB7 BENTLEY CONTINENTAL FLYING SPUR

2003, £54,995. DB7 GT. On the road this GT lives up to the hype, it’s feels incredibly advanced in comparison to the early DB7’s with impressive handling and performance from the V12 engine. The 6-speed manual transmission is rare to see and adds positively to the driving experience. This is a very rare car, just 302 examples of the DB7 GT were built, and only 84 came in RHD format. Finished in Black with Black leather, the car looks stunning and will not disappoint. Please call 01944 758000, Yorkshire and the Humber. 109424

2007, 42483 miles. Auto, Saloon 4 Door, Grey, Petrol, Auto, 5998cc. Executors sale, one owner from new but will show 2 registered keepers to remove the cherished number. Will be assigned an 07 age related plate. PDI then 8 service stamps all main dealer bar one specialist. Mulliner driving specification. £112k OTR when new. Loads more photos on the Hobbs Parker website. Please call 01233506266, South East. (T)

2013, 15000 miles, £21,490. Presented in Mineralgrau Metallic paint, it is obvious that this car has been very well cared for. Having only travelled fewer than 15,000 miles in the hands of just three keepers and always maintained on a strict valeting regime it truly is immaculate inside and out. As you’d expect with such low mileage the red leather is still full of colour with no signs of sagging or wear, and the exceptional paintwork has been protected with CarPro ceramic coating which does its job superbly. Please call 07495704434, Yorkshire and the Humber.

109344

109254

FEATURE YOUR MOTOR IN YOUR FAVOURITE MAGS!

OR FIND YOUR NEXT!

FERRARI 308

1983, 77000 miles, £72,500. 308 GTS QV. Full ownership and service history from new. ReConolised interior 2017. Bare metal respray 2019. G-Tehniq Ceramic coated with 9yr warranty 2019. Electronic ignition. Bespoke leather luggage set. Please call 07767498902, Yorkshire and the Humber. 108233

LOTUS ELISE

PORSCHE 968

1998, 52739 miles, £17,500. Elise S1. Metallic Norfolk mustard yellow with blue leather interior. Excellent service history with 13 service stamps, including head gasket in 2010 and serviced by us in April 2021. Please call 01234750205, East of England. (T)

1994, £22,995. 968 Sport ‘Club Sport Lux’. Manual, speed yellow exterior, two door. 1 of only 306 models made. This one has had only 6 previous owners covering just over 119k miles. 6 Speed gearbox, lift out sunroof, 17 Cup wheels, electric mirrors, Cd player, Original Porsche spare wheel and pump. Comes with a very good service history with 35 stamps in the service book. Please call 01636812700, East Midlands.

109415

108734

FERRARI TRIBUTE

MERCEDES-BENZ SLK PORSCHE 996

1971, 72000 miles, £10,500. Tribute Ferrari 250GTO replica based on Jap MX5. Built by Tribute. Car is perfect. Paint immaculate, no problems at all. Lost license due to bad eyesight. Please call 01276 23078, South East.

2003, £12,995. A powerful AMG SLK32 with comprehensive history in stunning order. Please call 07711645465, South East. (T) 108214

108472

PORSCHE 991 JAGUAR XK8

2001, 76326 miles, £20,995. Porsche 996 Carrera 4 Cabriolet. Lapis Blue, with Savannah trim. With factory hardtop. 15 Service stamps with recent service work carried out by Porsche specialists, Zentrum. Upgrades include, IMS Bearing with ceramic upgrade dual row in 2017, Air Con, Cruise Control, Media screen, Twist Cup wheels, etc. Please call 01636812700, East Midlands. 109445

PORSCHE BOXSTER

2004, 94000 miles. Auction 28/29th July. XK8 Zeemax Auto, Coupe, Red, Petrol, Auto, 4196cc. One previous keeper, Zeemax conversion. FURTHER DETAILS TO FOLLOW. Please call 01233506266, South East. (T) 108749

TO ADVERTISE VISIT:

WWW.MOTORFREEADS.CO.UK

2016, 9500 miles, £149,745. 991 GT3RS 4.0. Ultra violet purple with black leather and Alcantara carbon 918 bucket seats. Full Porsche service history. Please call 01296 663824, East of England. (T)

108540

OR EMAIL:

2006, 39000 miles, £15,995. Boxster 987 2.7 manual. Finished in immaculate midnight blue unmarked with metropole blue leather. Only one lady owner from new. Please call 01485 541526, East of England.

CARS@KELSEYCLASSIFIEDS.CO.UK

T R U O TE L L OS U P RP CA

LOW DOWN & LIVERIED

PATINA’D PICK UP

BTCC-INSPIRED SKODA 500BHP FORD F-1

www.fastcar.co.uk

#437

DEFINING CAR CULTURE

W O L YEL OAD L E D WI E H T W O L L FO

PLUS:

Products  Staff Rides  News and Reviews 

D OF R A Z I W E H T T FORGE T ABOUOWN HAS POURED OZ , LEWIS BRAINS & C O U R A G E , BR I S HE ART INTO H 6 TURBO’D GT8

GOLF R

TUNING

GUIDE

TH TO P TIPS AND IE N S I D FOR TU ER INFO NI G V W HOTTN EST ’S HATCH

BUNNY BOILER AUDI PLAYBOY PINK A5 MAKES US HOT UNDER THE COLLAR

On Sale 24/09/2021

SUBSCRIBE: shop.kelsey.co.uk/FTC

Style57 Big brake clearance. Flow formed technology. Available in 18x8.5/9.5/10.5” www.7twenty.co.uk