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TIME TO CHILL HOW COOLING UPGRADES CAN SAVE YOUR MOTOR & IMPROVE PERFORMANCE

PLUS: 10 minute tech: BOVs ■ Audi RS3 Buying Guide ■ News and reviews

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Issue 435 August 2021

Part of the Fast Car Entertainment Family

www.fastcar.co.uk Fast Car Magazine Kelsey Media The Granary, Downs Court, Yalding Hill, Yalding, Maidstone, Kent, ME18 6AL

EDITORIAL Editor: Dan Sherwood Email: dan.sherwood@kelsey.co.uk Art Editor: Graham Morecroft Email: graham.morecroft@kelsey.co.uk Web Editor: Matthew Bell Email: matthew.bell@kelsey.co.uk Contributors: Daniel Bevis, Ollie Wildsmith, Matt Woods, Paddy McGrath, Graham Leigh, Steve Hall, Tom Clarke ADVERTISEMENT SALES & PRODUCTION Director: David Lerpiniere David.lerpiniere@talkmediasales.co.uk Tel: 01732 445326 Sales manager: Russell Bedford russell.bedford@talkmediasales.co.uk Tel: 01732 445328 Ad Production: Talk Media: 01732 445325 MANAGEMENT Chief Executive: Steve Wright Chief Operating Officer: Phil Weeden Subscription Marketing Director: Gill Lambert Retail Director: Steve Brown Print Production Manager: Georgina Harris Print Production Controllers: Kelly Orriss and Hayley Brown Subs Marketing Executives: Dave Sage and Claire Aspinall Affiliate Marketing: Kate Chamberlain SUBSCRIPTIONS 12 issues of Fast Car are published per annum UK annual subscription price: £77.87 Europe annual subscription price: £90.00 USA annual subscription price: £90.00 Rest of World annual subscription price: £96.00 CONTACT US UK subscription and back issue orderline: 0845 241 5159 Overseas subscription orderline: 0044 (0) 1959 543 747 Toll free USA subscription orderline: 1-888-777-0275 UK customer service team: 01959 543 747 For customer service support, please visit: help.kelsey.co.uk Customer service and subscription postal address: Fast Car Customer Service Team Kelsey Media 5 Yalding Hill, Downs Court, Yalding, Maidstone,Kent ME18 6AL United Kingdom WEBSITE Find current subscription offers on our website: shop.kelsey.co.uk/FTC ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER? Manage your subscription online at shop.kelsey.co.uk/myaccount DISTRIBUTION Distribution in Great Britain Marketforce (UK) Ltd, 3rd Floor, 161 Marsh Wall, London, E14 9AP Tel: 0330 3906555 Distribution in Northern Ireland and the Republic Of Ireland Newspread: Tel: +353 23 886 3850 PRINTING William Gibbons & Sons Ltd 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 offeredby third parties.

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If you’re a true car nut - and, let’s face it, we all are, you’re reading this mag for starters - then you’ll no doubt get a marvellously moist feeling when you think about forced induction. Be it through a shrieking turbo or a whining supercharger, cramming a shedload of extra air into your engine’s cylinders is the easiest way to boost your car’s bhp – and add a whole new dimension to its sonic symphony to boot. But it’s not just the preserve of the petrolhead, as motor manufacturers have recently re-embraced the noble art of forced induction too, adding turbos to anything and everything with the view that the humble blower can not only increase performance, but also efficiency, allowing smaller engines to be used that still pack a big punch. And while we’re less concerned with mpg figures, what we can all relate to is the tyre-shredding gains, which is why we’ve dedicated this issue to the house of boost!

Kicking things off in style is Simon Cottingham’s carbon clad Mitsubishi Evo IX. Featuring not just a huge turbo, but a supercharger too, its lag-free 790bhp is enough to radically re-arrange your face! Check it out on page 12.

Elsewhere in the issue is a host of other forced induction fancies including a Fiesta ST with a supercharged Honda K20, a 400bhp Golf R with a spicy Wasabi green wrap and Meguiar’s own turbo terror that is Tom Clarke’s Volvo Amazon. In fact, the only car in the issue that’s not ‘on the charge’ (geddit?), is the slammed Porsche Boxster on page 38. But what it lacks in boost, it makes up for with juice, as it packs a full USA-spec Pro Hopper hydraulic system that can really make the car dance!

But you can’t talk about bigger boost, without addressing the issue of cooling, so we’ve got a whole feature explaining the hows, whys and whens of uprating your car’s cooling systems to ensure peak performance and unburstable reliability.

Add in our buying guide on the Audi RS3, our tuning guide on the Hyundai i30N and a feature on the fresh new event, T and that’s one hell of a issue!

Until next month, enjoy!

Dan Subscription Offers:

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ARE KILLING YOURYOUTURBO? Words Dan Sherwood Photography Various

FEATURE OF THE MONTH Are you killing your turbo?

Turbos are great, aren’t they? Strap one to your engine and you can instantly double the horsepower.

But it’s not all fun and games, as turbos come with their own set of requirements to keep them happy, and you will ignore these at your peril. So, in order to ensure your metallic snail remains in its happy place, we’ve highlighted 13 ways you could be killing your turbo and how to avoid them. See page 53 for more!

Next Issue 436 on sale 13• 08• 2021

FC TECH: 13 REASONS FOR TURBO FAILURE

We speak to top forced induction experts to find out 13 reasons why turbos fail and how you can prevent it

Turbos are the magical power adders that put huge smiles on our faces, but treat them badly and they’ll throw a hissy fit of diva-like proportions. However, is it all the turbo’s fault?

Or are there other factors at work that are leading to their untimely demise? Speaking to a host of top turbocharging experts it appears that, far from being the prissy prima donnas that many people mistake them for, turbochargers

are extremely tough pieces of hardware that endure some of the harshest conditions your engine dishes out. Looked after properly, they can last the lifetime of your car, even when tuned, but they’re not indestructible and they rely on other parts of your engine being in tip top condition too, so read on to see the top 13 reasons you could be killing your turbo and what you can do to prevent it.

How to prevent it

Similar to before, a good quality oil and filter, changed well before the prescribed intervals is essential, although adding an inline turbo prefilter could also help catch any errant particles hell bent on waging war on your turbo.

3 IMPACT DAMAGE

The air filter isn’t just there to protect the reading directly from the oil feed union to the engine itself from ingesting harmful debris such turbo – as any drop in pressure can destroy a as dust particles, small stones, dirt and leaves, it’s also there to protect the turbocharger’s turbo very quickly. compressor wheel and its delicate blades, because almost any object that gets sucked in is going to do major damage. Just a small chip in Many people assume that if they run their one of the compressor wheel blades will cause engine on dirty or contaminated oil, the oil an imbalance that will cause the bearings to fail filter will remove any foreign matter before at some point, while greater impacts can snap the oil reaches the engine or the turbocharger. off portions of the blades or and even shatter However, this can be a very costly mistake. Just the compressor wheel. Although more like having not enough oil is seriously bad news likely,entire and easier to prevent, impact damage for your car’s blower, running with contaminated isn’t limited to the turbo’s compressor wheel, oil is also a sure fire way to kill off your turbo. as it can also happen to the turbine wheel by This is because any particles of debris floating combustion chamber. around in the oil system, from the products of debris from inside the from lumps of carbon, fuel combustion such as ash, soot, the un-burnt This couldtipsbeoranything broken valve parts, to bits of heavy ends of the fuel and water, to tiny metal injector particles produced by the general wear and tear weld or rust from the manifold. But whatever it of the engine, will eventually get past the oil is, anything hitting the turbine wheel will cause filter and end up at the turbo causing damage considerable amounts of damage. to the usually smooth surfaces of the bearings How to prevent it and shaft. But it’s not just particles getting past Always invest in a good quality air filter with the oil filter that can cause damage, as other good filtration properties as well as air flow engine problems that allow water or fuel to mix and make sure you clean it regularly as per with the oil, even in small quantities – such as the manufacturer’s instructions. Also, be How to prevent it Use a good quality oil and filter and change head gasket failure – will prevent the oil from sure to check the turbo for loose connections them sooner than your manufacturer working as it should, reducing the supportive, and debris, especially if fitting a turbo after recommended intervals. Keep an eye on your oil cooling and lubricating functions of the oil. And a previous failure. If possible, check exhaust pressure too – through either the factory gauge when this happens, it is always the turbo the manifolds for signs of internal rust or loose weld or preferably a more accurate aftermarket item fails first. spots too. endlessly, but only when they are lubricated as they were designed to be. To work effectively, a turbo needs a constant flow and pressure of clean, good quality oil. This not only works to lubricate the thrust and journal bearings, but also helps stabilise the rotating shaft and journal bearings, as well as acting as a coolant. This requirement is intensified as the turbocharger speed and engine load increases. Even a small reduction in oil pressure can be enough to kill your turbo in seconds and can be identified by either blueing on the turbo shaft or seized bearings. The main causes of oil starvation range from oil pump failure, low oil levels and old dirty oil, to broken or blocked oil feed pipes, which can be obstructing the flow of the oil to the turbo, even if your oil pressure gauge is registering that all is fine at the engine itself.

Be warned.

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FEATURE CARS

Charge Of The Light Brigade 012 Carbon clad Evo packs a 790bhp twincharged engine for maximum carnage!

REGULAR FEATURES

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Front End 008 BMW gets its drift on, Fast and the Furious Supra sells for $550,000!

030

067

East Meets West 024 With a supercharged Honda K20 engine under the bonnet, this Fiesta ST is on fire!

Amazon Fresh 058 The build is now complete, so here’s the 025 inside scoop on Meguiar’s Volvo Amazon

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Audi RS3 8V Buying Guide 067 How to get your hands on the king of the hot hatch crowd

030 OUT THERE

Tuckin’ In 021 We check out the sun scorched rides at the brand new Tucked On The Green show It’s Not Easy Being Green 030 400bhp engine, air ride and a Kermit green wrap mean this Golf R’s no muppet

038 PRODUCTS

The hottest gear this month Birthday Bumps 038 Celebrating 25 years of Porsche’s drop top, this hydro-slammed Boxster is nuts!

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

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Hyundai i30N Tuning Guide 072 Courtenay Sport reveal how to modify your i30N to heat up your Hyundai Staff Rides 089 More modified shenanigans with the motors from the Fast Car fleet 094 075 Subscriptions 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

BMW GETS ITS DRIFT ON!

THE MUNICH MOTOR MAKER HAS ENTERED ITS OWN FACTORY-BACKED TEAM INTO THE DRIFT MASTERS EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP BMW’s M-division, the in-house builders of its line of bonkers road-going ‘bahnstormers and the firm’s factorybacked racing entrants, has finally jumped on the drifting bandwagon by supporting two BMW M4 Competition models set to compete in the Drift Masters European Championship this year.

Driven and prepared by the Red Bull sponsored Driftbrothers, Elias and Johannes Hountondji, the pair of highly modified M4s will take to the grid for the first time on the 10th and 11th July for the opening round of the season in Greinbach, Austria.

“BMW M has always stood for motorsports at the highest level and in all of its diversity, whereby we are also open to disciplines such as drift sports,” says Markus Flasch, CEO of the BMW M GmbH. “The Red Bull Driftbrothers belong to the absolute top group of the scene in

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terms of driving skills and technology. The BMW M4 Competition is an ideal new competition vehicle for both of them to achieve success during the 2021 season.”

But even with such an awesome machine at their disposal, the seasoned sliders have still had their way with the cars to make them even more competitive for drifting. For starters, the performance of the straight-six engines has been doubled to an insane 1050bhp and 958lb ft of torque, while the unique aero parts such as the carbon rear spoiler gurney, the rear diffuser side plates, and front and rear winglets, were designed in collaboration with and manufactured by BMW M Prototype Construction.

“I am deeply impressed with what the Red Bull Driftbrothers have managed to coax out of our vehicles and wish both of them every success for the start of the season,” says Flasch. “The race-

ready builds also show how good a basis the BMW M4 Competition provides for motorsport use. From the start of its development, we had designed the production vehicle to also form the basis for the BMW M4 GT3, which we officially presented during the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring earlier in the year.”

The Driftbrothers will contest the series as two of the best 45 drivers from Europe, the USA and the Middle East that have been invited to participate in the Championship that sees the sideways sliders face-off and burn rubber at circuits in Austria, Norway, Poland, Latvia and Georgia. In addition to the five racing weekends, demo appearances are also scheduled for 2021 at the MotoGP races at the Sachsenring and the Red Bull Ring, the Austrian Formula 1 Grand Prix – also at the Red Bull Ring – as well as the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring. Smokin!

FAST AND THE FURIOUS SUPRA SELLS FOR $550,000

If Brian O’Conner knew that his lurid orange Supra would one day fetch a whopping $550,000 (£393,000), we don’t think he would’ve been so keen to give it away to his fellow petrolhead Dom Toretto at the end of the original Fast and the Furious flick, even if he did owe him a 10 second car! But this is not a movie, this is real life and that was the actual price paid for the car when it went to auction in Las Vegas recently. Eddie Paul at The Shark Shop in El Segundo, California, built the vehicle which was used in the film for the interior and exterior shots and driving sequences with Paul Walker behind the wheel, but admits that, unlike its portrayal on-screen, this is no fire breathing modified monster, but a standard 2JZ GTE with a four-speed automatic gearbox.

We know that prices of JDM cars have been going a bit wild recently – we saw a factory fresh EK9 Civic reach £71k and a genuine Kenmeri GT-R make a staggering £388k – but this is just insane!

defining car culture 009

UP FRONT Get ready for a show season to remember!

SHOWS ARE A GO!

RELAXING COVID RESTRICTIONS MEANS THE SHOW SEASON’S BIG THREE ARE SET TO BE STORMERS! While we’d take the first six months of circuit in Northamptonshire is the venue for all 2021 over the same period last year, for fans of car shows it’s been a time of confusing and often conflicting information. Can we attend a car show? Will it be going ahead? Will we need to be vaccinated? Well, it appears that, as the country has done such a good job of culling the dreaded Covid, through all the measures that have been in place, we can finally enjoy a summer of car shows the way they always used to be, and just in the nick of time too. To celebrate our new found petrol-fuelled freedom, why not get yourself to one of the show season’s big three events and really get your show on. Silverstone

three of the biggest and best shows of the year, starting off with one for the Blue Oval boys.

Ford Fair is on the 8th August and promises to be an event packed to the gills with Ford’s finest. Next up on the calendar is Japfest on the 4th September. This has long been Europe’s biggest and best celebration of cars from the Far East and is set to continue that trend this year too. Finally, there’s one for everyone, in Trax, which is set to see out the bulk of the show season with a bang on the 3rd October. Check out www.fastcar.co.uk for more info on each show and to book your ticket.

AIRLIFT LAUNCHES NEW BLOG SERIES

The air ride gurus at Air Lift Performance have launched a brand new blog series that will run on their website. Dubbed the “Around the World” series, this online bi-weekly update is slated to feature 10 of the brand’s shops, dealers and installers from, cunningly… all around the world. The series has already featured bagged rides from as far afield as China, Indonesia and Australia, so head over to the website www.airliftperformance.com to have a gander and keep up to date with what’s going on in the wilder world of air-slammed rides. ■

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HOT RIDE

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MITSUBISHI EVO IX

CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE Simon Cottingham’s superleggera Evo is packing a militaristic arsenal within that brutalist carbon profile: not just a massive turbo, but a massive supercharger too…

Words Daniel Bevis Photography Adrian Brannan

Defining car culture 013

HOT RIDE

There’s a certain appropriateness to the way Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution models evolve at the hands of tuners and modifiers. After all, the very nature of natural selection and genetic variation are baked right in to the formula – it says it right there on the bootlid, the car’s all about evolution. And this is something the brand has been proudly displaying for over 150 years.

One of the oldest and most diverse manufacturing outfits in Japan, Mitsubishi was founded in 1870 as a shipping firm; the name translates as ‘three diamonds’, hence the iconic badge. The firm rapidly diversified – shipping requires coal, so company founder Yataro Iwasaki made inroads into the coal-mining business, then setup an iron mill to provide the requisite raw materials, before starting a marine insurance business. The aim was to cover all angles in-house, and that’s a philosophy which has continued throughout Mitsubishi’s history: today the company deals in cars, aerospace technology, nuclear energy, home electronics, machine tools, space launch vehicles, financial services, even missiles.

It’s the cars we’re most interested in, obviously (otherwise you’d be holding a copy of Fast Missile or Fast Television in your hands), and in particular the remarkable Lancer Evolution series. This firebrand hellion spilled out of the WRC and onto the road, selling insane fourdoor saloons by the bucketload – cars that you could justify as practical to the other half, thanks to having a full complement of doors and a usable boot, but there really wasn’t anything sensible about these machines. With engine and chassis tech developed in motorsport, there weren’t many ways to get from point-to-point quicker on open ground. On winding B-roads, Ferrari owners wouldn’t have any idea

The Eton supercharger is bespoke to the kit and offers zero lag performance

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which way you went.

The car we have with us today has, it’s fair to say, evolved way beyond even the wildest dreams of Mitsubishi’s own product developers and engineers – a carbon-clad powerhouse with a truly innovative engine setup designed for colossal and usable power. Built by revered

EVIL TWINS

The developers at Norris Designs have been working on twin-charging for some time. The basis of the setup you see here was originally developed in 2010, and they’ve been refining it ever since. It’s a bolt-on system with a bespoke Eaton supercharger which, unlike other twincharging systems you might have seen, works in a true OEM style: that is to say, rather than running as a full compound at all times, it keeps the supercharger and the turbocharger separate. As is the nature of a blower, it spools up rapidly at lower revs, and as engine speeds increase the clutched mechanism de-couples the supercharger and lets the turbo take over. This essentially means that there’s no lag, just relentless thrust: huge torque throughout the rev range, and extremely usable power. What’s more, the bolt-on nature means that it works happily with the OEM power steering and air-con, along with pretty much any stock or aftermarket turbo you care to name.

The Version 3 supercharger kit comprises everything required for installation, including a custom inlet manifold, 4-injector fuel rail, all of the pipework for the supercharger and turbo, a rocker cover breather, and all the necessary bolts and belts. A supremely clever offering, and a very hardcore way to magnify and amplify the performance of an Evo.

The supercharger and turbo combine to produce a brutal 790bhp of instant face-rearranging power

MITSUBISHI EVO IX

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HOT RIDE marque specialist Norris Designs for its owner, Simon Cottingham, it’s quite possibly the most highly developed and advanced Evo IX in the UK today.

So what is an Evo IX? Well, the Evolution line ran from 1992-2016, and can broadly be lumped into four distinct groups: the Evo, Evo II and III were closely related; so were the IV, V and VI; the VII, VIII and IX were the last of the ‘true’ Evos, and the Evo X remixed the formula with a different engine (all of the previous generations having run the iconic 4G63 motor). The ninth-generation Evo was available in a variety of spec levels in different markets, all with their own unique figures and features. Ignoring the numerous special-edition variations and all the hopped-up MR- and FQ-branded nutters, the three fundamental specs were RS, GT, and GSR. The RS was the lightweight one, the GSR was the one with the 6-speed ’box and Bilsteins, and the GT was somewhere in between. For truly hardcore enthusiasts – like Simon – the RS is the one to have. “I fell in love with the spec after buying my Evo VI RS,” he explains. “The RS variant is totally different to the GSRs and the like, it’s so much more pure and focused – and it’s very well suited to the amazing roads I have on my doorstep.”

Situated in picturesque South Wales, Simon has a wealth of scenic vistas to hustle through in his fully dialled-in street weapons. And since we’ve presented him as a ‘truly hardcore enthusiast’, let’s lay out some credentials: his back-catalogue of cars started in typically gentle style (as it is for most teenagers) with a Renault 5 followed by a Daewoo Nexia, but things rapidly spiralled as he got a taste for power. Simon has trouble remembering all of the high-performance machines he’s owned as there have been so many, but the list includes three Nissan Pulsars, a Toyota MR-2 T-bar, an Audi Quattro, and a Ford Focus that previously featured within these pages… plus a bunch of Lancers including an Evo II RS, Evo VIII GSR and Evo X RS. A strong list, and today his collection makes for equally robust viewing: as well as this astonishing Evo IX, he has not one but two shiny new Toyota GR Yarises to play with (both with the Circuit Pack, natch), a new GR Supra, one of only twenty Evo V RS to be built in red, and an Evo VI RS with a full Varis kit and 625bhp.

Phew. A man who knows his Japanese onions, then. And what’s particularly impressive to note is that when Simon imported this Evo

Bride GIAS 2 seats with Scroth harnesses hold Simon in place when pushing to the limit

How Simon has the ability to keep an eye on these when all hell’s breaking loose, we’ll never know!

IX RS, it was totally factory-standard. It cost £18,500 back in 2016, which could have turned into a canny investment since this soughtafter model is floating around the £40k mark now… but this was never intended to be a speculative purchase. Simon knows when to keep things stock and when to go all-in with the mods, and he had a clear idea in mind with this one: show-winning looks backed up by a serious chassis and some devastating firepower.

“All my cars are set up for fast-road, as I live in the best area in Wales for roads,” he says, “and my tuner Simon Norris has made specific handling packages to achieve this.” The IX isn’t exactly soggy in stock form, but the chassis has been upgraded here with mighty AP Racing brakes along with Öhlins Road & Track coilovers, a full Superpro bush kit, and all manner of bracing and stiffening. This creates the perfect environment for the powerplant which, as you’ll have noted if you’ve glanced over the spec list, is pretty bloody serious.

Taking the revered 4G63 as a base, Norris Designs has reimagined the formula and taken it to hysterical new places. Dry-sumped in motorsport style, the belt-and-braces have been taken care of by strengthening the internals and running a Stage 2 cylinder head with wire-rung gasket. The fuelling is massively uprated with ID 1300 injectors, a Magnus regulator and inlet manifold, and high-flow Magnus fuel rail, and the throttle body, oil cooler and intercooler are all usefully enlarged. The real fireworks begin with the supercharger that you see nestling proudly at the top of the bay [see boxout], working hand-in-hand not with the standard turbo, but with a Norris Designs 8R billet turbocharger and 66mm external wastegate, going into a full 3.5in exhaust system.

Twin-charging is a technology with an interesting history. Lancia was the first manufacturer to pioneer the concept in 1985, on the Group B Delta S4 rally car. (As is the nature of homologation, there was a road-going counterpart, making the Delta S4 Stradale the first twincharged production road car.) Japanese manufacturers were quick to harness the idea for efficiency as much as performance, with perhaps

Tiny boot-mounted battery keeps the weight down and frees up crucial space in the bay 016 www.fastcar.co.uk

“All my cars are set up for fast-road and my tuner has made specific handling packages to achieve this”

the most iconic manifestation being the Nissan March Super Turbo of 1988; nowadays the idea is a little more mainstream, with Volvo selling twin-charged T6s and T8s, and the Volkswagen group bolting 1.4-litre twin-charged units into everything from Golfs and Passats to the SEAT Alhambra, Audi A1 and Skoda Fabia. But much of this is for economy – if you want twin-charging for out-and-out power, you need to look to the aftermarket (kits are available from various sources, for example, for the MINI Cooper S, Toyota MR-2 and Subaru Impreza WRX) and, if it’s an Evo you’re looking at, then Norris Designs are the go-to guys.

With the astonishing technology under Simon’s bonnet, day-to-day usability and OEM-like reliability fuse with eye-watering power: his 4G63 is now running a colossal 790bhp, with a Link G4 ECU calling the shots and offering anti-lag and launch control. And what’s even more impressive is that, with so much obsessive weight-saving going on throughout the car, this Evo IX boasts a power-to-weight ratio of 695bhp-per-tonne.

How so? You’ve probably spotted that there’s something of a carbon-fibre theme here. And whereas some people like to fit spurious carbon trim pieces simply for the look, or carbon-dip their stock panels, Simon’s carbon upgrades have all been done for function.

You see, carbon-fibre-reinforced polymer has a very high tensile strength, low weight, high stiffness, high temperature tolerance, low thermal expansion, and high chemical resistance. The benefits are obvious – parts are simultaneously stronger and lighter, making the car faster and safer. Of course, it’s also quite pricey – making CFRP

MITSUBISHI EVO IX

No need for a gearstick when the shifting duties are taken care of by the steering wheel paddles Defining car culture 017

HOT RIDE

Carbon boot floor houses a neat subwoofer install is a fiddly process – which is part of the reason why you often see people running unpainted carbon-fibre bonnets and what-have-you.

It’s a badge of honour. And it’s keenly in evidence here. Simon’s Evo sports carbon doors, bonnet, bootlid, front wings and headlight intake all from the craftsmen at Seibon. Further carbon bits came from Rexpeed, including the splitter, diffuser, J-panels, sideskirt extensions, spats, canards, window vents and wing mirrors. All of this works with the brutal majesty of a Voltex Street widebody kit, and topped off by a Varis carbon roof. This thing’s so featherweight it near-enough has to be tethered down to stop it floating away. But at the same time, it’s a road car in regular use, so the creature comforts haven’t been ignored – there’s a high-end audio setup in here, and the Bride seats were chosen as much for comfort as function.

Being such a technological powerhouse, we have to give the last word to the transmission. Because while this is a road car, Simon wanted the gearbox to be something perfectly suited to the twincharged fury of the motor, and this meant swapping in a Drenth sequential dog ’box, with straight-cut gears and flat-shifting capability.

You’ll have spied the redundant gearstick hole, and the carbon shift paddles behind the steering wheel – this is an air-shift system, the paddles operating solenoids that actuate a high-pressure air supply to bang in shifts with staggering quickness.

“The car is absolutely spot-on now, and flat-shifting with the air paddles is the best fun ever,” Simon grins. “And of course my favourite part is that it’s twin-charged, so I have zero lag. A massive supercharger handing over to an equally massive turbo is just sublime.” He’s not wrong. The way this Evo has evolved is breath-taking. With so many interesting chapters of history behind it, telling stories of pioneering technology, Simon’s IX is pushing the Mitsubishi spirit into the future with devastating force. 

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TECH SPEC: MITSUBISHI EVO IX

ENGINE: 2.0-litre, 4-cyl, 16v 4G63, Norris Designs Version 3 supercharger, Norris Designs 8R billet turbo, 66mm external wastegate, boost control solenoid and 3-position switch, Norris Designs 3.5in exhaust system, replacement MIVEC solenoid, CAN, lambda and Bosch knock sensors, Norris Designs purple rocker cover, Norris Designs forged long rod ‘drop-in’ I-beam upgrade, Norris Designs Stage 2 cylinder head and wire-rung head gasket, dry sump kit, tank, lines, breather tank and HD oil cooler, Norris Designs 25-row oil cooler, Iridium HKS spark plugs, Piper MIVEC cams, Norris Designs springs, Norris Designs single pulley, 525l inline fuel pump, ID 1300 injectors, Magnus regulator, Magnus inlet manifold, Magnus fuel rail, hoses and fittings, S90 throttle body, Norris Designs CDI ignition kit, Norris Designs intercooler, Mishimoto black silicone hose kit, air temp sensor and boss oil pressure sensor kit for 3D cut-off, K&N air filter, alloy radiator, Norris Designs breather system with sump return, Zaklee clear cam cover, Link G4 ECU, anti-lag on switch with launch control, always-on battery in boot, Spec R fuse cover, purple Spec R expansion vessel, purplelid Spec R power steering tank, purple-lid Spec R radiator brackets, purple Rexpeed carbon bonnet dampers, Carbing carbon fibre slam panel TRANSMISSION: Drenth sequential dog ’box, air paddle setup with carbon paddles, Exedy twin-plate clutch, Motec MDC diff controller, Mitsubishi RS rear diff, Quaife replacement ACD diff SUSPENSION: Öhlins Road & Track coilovers, full Superpro bush kit, Cusco anti-roll bar, uprated front drop-links, Norris Designs supercharger under-bonnet strut, Carbing rear strut brace, one-off Cusco power brace, powder-coated purple Momentum rear subframe, roll centre kit BRAKES: AP Racing 355 front brake kit, Carbotech purple XP12 front pads, standard Brembo rear calipers with uprated discs and pads, uprated hoses WHEELS & TYRES: 18in WORK M1-3P 3-piece wheels with Nankang Sportnex AR-1 tyres, purple WORK open nuts EXTERIOR: Seibon OEM-style carbon bonnet, Seibon carbon bootlid, Rexpeed carbon boot lip, Seibon carbon doors, Seibon carbon headlight duct, Seibon carbon front wings, Xtreme Carbon rear diffuser, Rexpeed carbon sideskirt extensions, Rexpeed Varis-style diffuser, Rexpeed carbon J panels, Rexpeed carbon side spats, Rexpeed carbon filler cap, Rexpeed carbon splitter, Rexpeed canards x4, Rexpeed carbon window vents, Rexpeed carbon Ganador wing mirrors, Rexpeed carbon boot badge, Rexpeed carbon number plate bracket, Varis carbon roof, Voltex Street wing, Voltex Street sideskirts, Voltex Street front bumper, Voltex Street under-diffuser, Voltex Street brake ducts, Voltex Street wide-body rear arches, USDM rear lights INTERIOR: Bride GIAS 2 carbon-backed seats, Bride seat belt covers and backrests, Bride seat rails, custom harness bar, Schroth 4-point harnesses, Momo Tuner steering wheel, snap-off boss, Defi boost gauge, Defi oil temp gauge, Defi pressure gauge, dash gauge pod, 3-position boost switch, anti-lag on intercooler button, launch control switch, Cusco rollcage, Rexpeed polarised mirror glass, Varis dry carbon gearknob, carbon doorcards, Smart Track tracker, Clifford 650C alarm, Clifford Shock setup, custom Evo boot build with carbon Alpine 9in screen, iPhone compatibility, X-Fire amp X-Fire sub, X-Fire front speakers and tweeters, THANKS: “Thanks to Norris Designs for their legendary support and professionalism, Torque GT for importing my amazing cars, Jaz Oakley at Endless Road for his genius bodywork, RossSport for their help in supply of parts, Coconut Flamingo Photography for his on-board shoots, and Gethin Beva Jones and Ben Sage for their input and help.”

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TUCKED ON THE GREEN

! n i ’ n i k c Tu

After the Covid-induced famine of automotive events came to an end, we gorged ourselves on the feast of metal on display at the brand new show, Tucked On The Green Words & Photography Dan Sherwood

They say that ‘fortune favours the brave’. But if, at the start of the year, you were considering launching a brand new automotive event onto the calendar, most people would’ve thought you less brave and more foolish. This was a time that restrictions on social gatherings were still rife.

Yes, the vaccine was being rolled out

and there was talk of relaxed rules on the horizon, but at this point in time making any plans for a car show in the near future was like spinning the roulette wheel and slapping your house on black. No one knew for certain just how, or even if, the tide would change.

Add in the wildly changeable weather we were having back then, and the chances of a successful outdoor event must’ve seemed slim. But then there are people out there that love living life on the edge. That like taking risks in the hope that, just maybe, they’ll pay off. One such optimist is 24-yearold Lee Shaw, who not only dared to dream about putting on a show in this most uncertain of times, but his first ever show. Big risks, big rewards?

“I’d done a few small meets under

the Tucked Automotive banner up at The Sharnbrook Hotel in Bedfordshire that had proved really popular,” Lee explains. “I called them Meet & Eats, as your ticket price included entry and you got some pizza from the hotel as a snack. It went down really well and soon we were turning people away as they started to get too big.”

defining car culture 021

OUT THERE

Skoda Fabia gets the harlequin treatment

Which was what gave Lee the idea to move to a larger venue and put on a fully fledged show.

“I’d been speaking with Ciro Ciampi, who is the owner of the Sharnbrook Hotel and also Petrolheadonism events, about working together to expand the meets into a one-off show,” Lee says.

“We initially found a venue, which was just a village green in Finedon, Northamptonshire, that if the stars aligned and the whole Covid situation didn’t throw a spanner in the works, we thought might work. However, when the tickets went on sale for the new event, which we called Tucked On The Green, the restrictions had lifted, and people were obviously very keen to get back to shows and the event sold out in just four hours.”

Seeing the incredible demand, Lee

Eye-popping R8 and R35 GT-R

Immaculate Audi RS2

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TUCKED ON THE GREEN

Stunning Audi 100 Coupe was a star of the show

TUCKED AUTOMOTIVE

Lee’s up front about how the whole Tucked Automotive brand was created, and it was more luck than judgement in the beginning, having started with just a random sticker that he created for his slammed – and tucked – Mk5 Golf. “People just liked the sticker and asked me do make some for them and it just grew from there really,” he says. “I then started doing some more branded merchandise, such as lanyards, caps and clothing and eventually setup my own small meets. I can’t believe how big it has grown in such a short time.”

Stanced R32 GT-R had bags of style and Ciro decided a new, bigger and better venue was necessary to do the event justice. Having liked the vibe of shows such as Players Classic and the Bicester Heritage meets, they started looking at decommissioned Ministry Of Defence bases and Duxford seemed to tick all the boxes.

“Most people know Duxford for the Imperial War Museum, but there’s a whole other side to the place which is where the old barracks were situated that, when we went to view it, we just knew would make a great venue for a car show.”

A bigger venue, costing more money with more complicated logistics and more to go wrong was a big gamble to take, especially as it was Lee’s first attempt at putting on show. But the show gods were obviously smiling on Lee, as scorching sunshine bathed the

venue all day on Sunday 13th June, and stunning show cars packed the place with everything from stanced German whips to lurid-coloured Lambos on display, and even an immaculate replica Ford GT40!

“I was really shocked by the amazing support from the show cars, the traders, sponsors and general visitors who attended the show,” beams Lee. “It turned out even better than I ever imagined and I was so happy with how everyone respected the beautiful venue.”

And with this success now under his belt, Lee’s looking to the future to see what will be next for his burgeoning brand. But whatever he decides, one thing’s for sure: this won’t be the last we see of Tucked Automotive, as with bravery like this pushing it forward, this is surely just the beginning.  defining car culture 023

HOT RIDE

EAST MEETS WEST Words & Photography Dan Sherwood

Powered by one of the Far East’s most potent powerplants, Jason West’s Fiesta ST150 is a mental mashup of truly transcontinental proportions When it comes to truly legendary engines, there’s a strong case to say that few can match the motors hailing from the Far East. Over-engineered to almost bulletproof levels means that the likes of the 3.0-litre, twin turbo 2JZ-GTE, as found in the MkIV Toyota Supra, can, with a little fettling, comfortably produce around four-times its quoted stock output. OK, it’s a fair bit of fettling, but any engine capable of a four-figure output is still something to be admired. But the 2JZ wasn’t the only freak of engineering excellence, as there are countless other weird and wonderful Japanesedesigned powerplants that have stamped their nomenclature in the history books. The RB26 from the Nissan Skyline range for example, or the bonkers wankel-based wonder from the Mazda RX-7. But when it comes to a Japanese engine that has truly defined legendary status, you need look no further than Honda’s K20.

Equipped with the schizophrenic VTEC system, the naturally aspirated 2.0-litre lump is capable of 197bhp straight out of the box and can push over twice that with the addition of forced induction, even while retaining the stock internals. And it’s this hard-as-nails reputation, combined with a love of living life at the redline, that has made it the weapon of choice for many engine swaps over the years, and not just into similarly Far Eastern machinery. Everything from Minis to Porsches have been K20-equipped over the years and they are even used in the bonkers British rollcage on wheels that is the Aerial Atom! So it’s of little surprise that it soon came to the attention of engine-swap supremo Jason West.

“I’ve owned my fair share of hot hatches over the years, including numerous Astra VXRs and Focus RSs, which are great as road cars, but just seemed to lack the raw adrenaline rush you get from a more trackorientated machine,” explains 30-year-old Jason. “And it was seeking that visceral thrill that lead me into the often murky world of engine conversions.”

Having previous experience with GM-branded machinery, Jason dabbled for a while in the increasingly-common practice of Saab-powered conversions, where he fitted a host of turbocharged 2.3-litre B234 engines into various Griffin-badged motors.

“The B234 is a decent engine. It’s powerful, cheap and strong, and – at the time – you could get your hands on them pretty easily,” Jason explains.

“But being a cast iron block, they was no getting away from the weight, which wasn’t such a problem in the bigger cars I swapped them into, such as Vectras and Cavaliers, but when I decided to do a crazy Corsa swap, the

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K20 SUPERCHARGED FIESTA ST

Defining car culture 025

HOT RIDE

While not as potent as a Rotrex ‘charger, the Jackson Racing unit adds a healthy 100bhp to the K20’s output

Saab-sourced lump just didn’t fit the bill.”

Having tried the 2.3-litre unit in the cramped confines of a Corsa B shell, Jason knew instantly that it was just too much weight for the curvy Corsa to bear, so started looking into other options.

“If you’re into cars, then you’ll no doubt know that the VTEC engine from Honda’s EP3 Civic Type R has a reputation for being able to handle abuse. What you might not know is that it has an aluminium block, which makes it pretty light for a powerful 2.0-litre engine that produces nearly 200bhp from the factory,” Jason highlights. “It’s a much more expensive engine than the Saab unit, but it’s in a different league when it comes to reliability and tuning potential, so it seemed the perfect fit.”

Jason bagged an example of Honda’s K20a2 engine from a friend who had recently backed his EP3 Type R into a barrier at the Nurburgring.

“The car was a write off, but the front end – and most importantly the engine – was in perfect working order, so a jumped at the chance,” he smiles. “I then tracked down a six-speed Type R gearbox which was for sale on a forum, and it came already fitted with a Quaife auto-torque biasing limited-slip differential, which was a big bonus.”

Two years of tinkering in his unit later and Jason’s Corsa B had been

Jason had custom engine mounts made 026 www.fastcar.co.uk

equipped with the high-revving Honda engine and he’d even given it a forced induction kick with a Jackson Racing supercharger too!

“The JR ‘charger is a popular modification to the K20, but it’s getting rarer now due to Jackson Racing not making them anymore and most people looking to Rotrex for supercharging solutions,” Jason says. “So when a friend of mine said he had a secondhand JR unit up for sale for a bargain price, I didn’t hesitate to snap it up.”

After a base map was added to the Honda ECU via a Hondata KPro unit, the ‘charged Corsa was making around 300bhp, however, it was far from the experience Jason had been hoping for…

“It just didn’t feel right at all,” sighs Jason. “The Corsa B chassis is getting on in age now and just wasn’t stiff enough to utilise the power of the K20. Just keeping it in a straight line was a mission, and it wasn’t much better in the corners! I knew in the first few miles of driving it that this really wasn’t what I wanted. I was gutted.”

But, not one to let all his hard graft go to waste, Jason decided he would rectify the situation by re-shelling the monstrous motor into a more suitable chassis.

“I knew the Renault Clio was a small car with a good chassis as I’d owned one before, but I just fancied trying something different, so began looking at Fords,” Jason remembers. “Keeping it a similar size to the Corsa meant that I was searching for Fiestas and I originally considered a Zetec S, but then this ST150 came up for a good price and seemed to tick all the boxes.”

The Fiesta came with a TRC front splitter already fitted and much of the interior was stripped out, so it was the perfect base for Jason’s transplant surgery to take place.

“I started by removing and selling the stock 2.0-litre Duratec engine which paid for my custom engine mounts to be made by fabrication experts ARC Autosport in Doncaster,” says Jason. “I also had a pair of custom drive shafts constructed by DRD Racing and a custom exhaust manifold and full de-cat system built.”

With the engine and gearbox in place and connected to the soon-to-betortured front wheels, Jason focused on uprating the Fiesta’s suspension

K20 SUPERCHARGED FIESTA ST

“I had the 15in Team Dynamics Pro Race 1.2 alloys powder-coated in Porsche Acid Green”

Wrap-around Cobra bucket seats are a super lightweight option

and braking, the former with a set of KW coilovers, a Whiteline rear antiroll bar and a full complement of Powerflex bushes, and the latter with a pair of front discs and calipers from a Focus ST170 equipped with EBC YellowStuff pads.

“I wanted a motorsport-inspired wheel for the Fiesta – or Fonda as I now call it – so sourced a set of 15in Team Dynamics Pro Race 1.2 alloys and had them powder-coated in Porsche Acid Green and shod with 190/580R15 Yokohama Advan AO48 semi-slick tyres,” Jason points out. “They’re a really lightweight wheel and the AO48s give immense grip, especially in the dry.”

Coming with the interior already partially stripped by the previous owner, Jason made short work of installing a pair of racing bucket seats and harnesses into the Fiesta’s cockpit along with a billet shifter and Momo steering wheel on an extended boss kit, to allow the perfect driving position.

“I managed to fit a set of Type R dials into the factory binnacle,” he beams. “I owe a lot of that to Paul at Racing Circuits, who made me a custom wiring loom for the car which allowed everything to work exactly as it should.”

Defining car culture 027

HOT RIDE

The final icing on the cake was a trip to TDi Thurrock, where the ‘Fonda’ was strapped to the firm’s hub dyno and mapped by K20 tuning legend Jesse Halford.

“Equipped with a Cooling Mist water/methanol injection kit, it made 275bhp at the wheels, which equates to 316bhp at the flywheel,” grins Jason. “It’s certainly a flyer, and is so much better than the Corsa in every respect.”

All that’s left now is for Jason to test out his latest creation on a circuit.

“I reckon it’ll be even better on track,” he says. “The way the supercharged engine delivers the power in a very linear fashion, combined with the huge amount of revs you have to play with, means it’ll be a perfect track toy. Add in the kart-like handling and sticky rubber and it should easily put more expensive machinery to shame, especially when I fit a rollcage so I can really push the boundaries!”

So the next time you’re considering your car’s future, don’t feel limited by the engine and tuning options available to you within the bubble of its make and model. Instead, why not take a leaf out of Jason West’s book and go for something with more than a hint of Eastern promise! 

TECH SPEC: K20 SUPERCHARGED FIESTA ST

ENGINE: 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder, 16v Honda K20a2 VTEC engine from EP3 Civic Type R, Jackson Racing supercharger, 550cc RC fuel injectors, 3in intake, methanol injection, Hondata KPro ECU, alloy radiator, alloy coolant overflow tank, custom engine mounts, custom exhaust manifold, decat stainless steel exhaust system POWER: 275whp / 316bhp (dyno proven) TRANSMISSION: Civic Type R 6-speed manual gearbox with Quaife ATB limited slip differential, lightweight flywheel, Stage 4 Exedy clutch SUSPENSION: KW coilovers, Whiteline rear anti-roll bar with adjustable drop links, rose jointed track rod ends, OMP strut braces, Powerflex Black series polyurethane bushes all round BRAKES: Focus ST170 calipers with 300mm discs and EBC YellowStuff pads (front), standard ST150 discs and pads (rear) WHEELS & TYRES: 15in Team Dynamics Pro Race 1.2 alloys powdercoated Porsche Acid Green with 190/580R15 Yokohama Advan AO48 semi-slick tyres EXTERIOR: Standard white 3-door Fiesta ST bodyshell, TRC front splitter and bonnet guard, gloss black roof, grilles, rear spoiler and fog-light surrounds, flush bonnet pins, Porsche Acid Green wing mirrors, front racing tow eye INTERIOR: Fully stripped interior, Cobra Evolution drivers’ bucket seat with 3in TRS harnesses, OMP passenger bucket seat with 3in TRS harnesses, Momo steering wheel on extended boss kit, billet shifter, Civic Type R clocks, Cooling Mist stage 1 water methanol injection kit, AEM AFR gauge THANKS: Paul at Racing Circuits, Jesse Halford at J.Cal ECU calibrations for the mapping and The Wife for letting me build another toy!

With 316bhp on tap the ‘Fonda’ should be able to shame much more exotic machinery on track

028 www.fastcar.co.uk

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HOT RIDE

After a slew of problems with his Golf R, Steve Nurden has finally found the right formula and with that gorgeous green wrap snapping necks wherever he goes, he’s certainly no muppet Words: Dan Sherwood Photography: Untypical Media

030 www.fastcar.co.uk

VOLKSWAGEN GOLF R MK7 A lot of car manufacturers are pushing their models’ ‘green’ credentials these days. Of course, by this we mean their environmental impact, not the colour of their paint jobs. And while the world is going crazy for these squeaky clean electric and hybrid powered models, there still seems to be a big stigma attached to cars that actually rock the polarising hue as a colourway. In fact, if you do some research into the most popular new car colours, you’ll see that green sits pretty much at the bottom of the pile. Not only that, but it actually tops the list for the colours that attract the highest amount of depreciation. Double whammy. And for these reasons, it doesn’t take a genius to work out that green cars have become an increasingly rare sight on our roads. And while this may be bad news for anyone trying to flog an avocado green Fiat Multipla, for a modifier looking to select a cool hue that’s going to make his car stand out from the crowd, it’s actually a pretty shrewd choice. One man who knows the benefits of going green is 34-year old Steve Nurden, who has used this very logic to his advantage on his eye-poppingly perfect Golf R.

“The wrap certainly divides opinion,” he laughs. “But to be honest, I get more positive reactions than negative ones and most people love the way it stands out among all the ‘safer’ colours. It’s actually what’s given the car its identity and even its nickname: Kermit.”

In fact, it’s done much more than that, as Steve credits the emerald wrap with completely altering the course of the build, and in turn his life as a whole, as it opened up a new world of shows, meets and friendships that he has made as a result of the car’s fresh look.

But, this fairy tale ending was far from part of the plan, as in the beginning Steve was simply smitten with the car in standard form, a love which blossomed from his first drive in the car when his dad bought it from new.

“I’d had a bit of a thing for French cars in the past, having owned a host of Peugeot, Citroen and Renault hot hatches,” recalls the Wiltshire-based can nut. “But when my dad bought this Mk7 Golf R in 2015, it just blew everything else into the weeds.”

Having never driven a brand spanking new, top-level hot hatch before, Steve was addicted to the way the

Defining car culture 031

HOT RIDE

turbocharged 2.0-litre E888 engine delivered its power and, combined with the lightning fast gearchanges of the DSG dual clutch gearbox, he couldn’t believe just how potent a machine the Golf R is straight out of the box.

“You just plant your foot and the car does the rest!” he beams. ‘It really is an easy car to drive very, very fast – and that’s when it’s standard!”

After that initial test drive in his dad’s car, Steve knew that this was the way forward for his automotive CV and asked his dad for first refusal on the car when he eventually came to sell it.

Three excruciating years later, admiring the ballistic Bavarian beauty from afar, Steve’s dad finally relented and decided to try a Mercedes A45 for size, meaning Steve could finally purchase the Golf and start making it his own. But even with visions of adding his own personal touches swirling in his cerebral cortex, Steve had no idea just how far this particular snowball would go when it started to roll…

“I started off just wanting to lower it, tint the windows and have a remap,” he says. “But that’s when the problems started…”

A Racing Line R600 induction kit, resonator delete and stage one map should’ve transformed how the car drove for the better, unfortunately, issues with the map left Steve with a juddery, hesitant car that was struggling

to get more than 15mpg, even in Eco mode. Something wasn’t right and he soon decided to remove the map and focus on the car’s styling instead.

To get the look he was after a set of Vogtland lowering springs were fitted to drop the Golf’s freshly Maxtonbeefed bodywork over a set of MSW wheels, while the head and tail lights received the tint treatment.

“The new look was great, but after a while I started to crave that hit of speed again and looked into other tuning options,” he remembers. “So after my mate Chris fitted an uprated Airtec intercooler I took the car to R-Tech in Nuneaton to get the ECU mapped.”

This time the stage one brainwash of the car’s factory ECU went without hitch and Steve rolled out of the workshop with 383bhp and the car running great. But just like when that first hit of class A worms its way into your system, the craving to go back for more becomes almost too much to bear, and soon Steve was back for a more potent stage two map.

Unfortunately, going back for more would turn out to be a mistake, as the second map threw up a host of engine problems again and, similar to the first map that was removed, the car’s erratic fueling and running soon made the car practically undriveable.

“I’d had the stage two map just before the Covid lockdown, so R-tech had to close and I couldn’t get the

“The new look was great, but after a while I started to crave that hit of speed again”

032 www.fastcar.co.uk

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HOT RIDE car fixed,” sighs Steve. “So I just had to battle through as best I could until I could get the issues sorted.”

Once again, Steve turned to the styling side of the equation to keep his spirits up during this torrid time and reasoned a fresh new look would be just thing to keep his passion for the project alive.

“The original black paint had started to show signs of stone-chipping and it looked like a full respray was on the cards, which I considered, but then started looking into what was possible with a vinyl wrap.” Steve says.

Having heard good things about Bristol-based Shades Wraps, Steve was keen to see what they could offer to make his ride stand out among the rest of the modified Golf Rs on the scene.

“The huge variety of wrap colours was just mindblowing,” he chuckles. “I must’ve looked through hundreds of different colours, but then this one seemed to jump out at me. Not only is green my favourite colour, but the fact that it’s also quite a rare colour in the car scene just added to its appeal.”

The hue that Steve selected is actually called Wasabi green, which is quite apt really, as the super spicy Japanese paste is also something that divides opinion,

034 www.fastcar.co.uk

with people either loving or hating it with equal passion, much like the whole phenomena of green cars…

“The Wasabi wrap totally transformed the car,” Steve beams. “And it really set the tone for the rest of the project, as I started building it as more of a show worthy car than just a cool daily driver.”

The attention and notoriety stirred up by the wrap meant Steve had to step things up, and soon a host of carbon touches were lavished on the interior along with a custom carbon-fibre steering wheel from Lister Auto, matching green painted trims and a swap of rolling stock to a set of Bola wheels.

“I was loving the new look, but the running problems were still there and R-tech were now so snowed under with backed up work, that it would be months before they could book it in again.” Steve explains. “But I just couldn’t wait any longer so, with the help of my mate Chris, I installed a Cobra decat pipe, APR coilpacks, and a Remus non-resonated exhaust system and booked the car into MRC Tuning for a remap.”

This time, a stage two map went without a hitch and the car was not only smooth to drive again, but had a cool 408bhp to boot.

VOLKSWAGEN GOLF R MK7 Kermit coloured theme even extends to the air tank install

The custom carbon steering wheel is a neat touch

Defining car culture 035

HOT RIDE

“It was night and day!” he grins. “I was so happy to have it running right again that I decided to celebrate by bagging it with a secondhand Air Lift kit I acquired.”

Unfortunately, not really knowing much about air suspension, the kit Steve bought was far from road ready, with various components either worn out, broken or plain missing. To add insult to injury, the firm tasked with installing the kit, did exactly that, and didn’t even attempt to correct the issues or even bring them to Steve’s attention.

“The ride was awful, to the point that I was actually driving around with huge paving slabs in the boot to try and weigh it down to stop it bouncing!” he winces. “It was also constantly leaking air.”

The last straw occurred when he smashed his front splitter because the ride height had dropped. It was time to get things sorted.

“I’d heard of a company called Airtek Automotive in Cannock who were air ride specialists so sent them some pictures of the install. They could tell straight away there were big problems with the kit, so booked me in the next week.”

Luckily for Steve, Airtek were able to sort his lacklustre install and even tweaked the settings to sort out the ride quality too. No more slabs needed, just a silky smooth ride that Steve reckons is even better than factory!

“The car is amazing now,” he smiles. “Since the air ride got fixed, I changed the Bolas for a set of 19in MB Design Turbo S wheels, fitted a BAF Motorsport rear brace and my mate Clive created a proper boot build for the air ride, which has really finished things off. I can’t wait to get out to some shows now and enjoy it.”

It’s great to hear when an owner has triumphed over adversity, especially when they have gone their own way to achieve their dream car and had the resilience to not give up when the going got tough. Steve’s stunning Wasabi-styled Golf is a true show stopper that snaps necks wherever it goes, but no ever said it was easy being green, and now Steve knows it! 

036 www.fastcar.co.uk

TECH SPEC: VOLKSWAGEN GOLF R MK7

ENGINE 2.0-litre, 4-cyl, turbo, Cobra decat pipe, NGK spark plugs, Remus non-resonated exhaust, MRC Tuning stage 2 remap, APR coilpacks, Racing Line R600 air filter, Racing Line silicone hoses, Racing Line turbo elbow, Racing Line muffler delete, Airtek intercooler PERFORMANCE 408bhp 405lb ft TRANSMISSION 6-speed semi auto DSG gearbox, Haldex 4-wheel-drive SUSPENSION Air Lift Performance series struts, Air Lift Performance 3P management, full boot install, hidden controller mount, KW DDC electronic damping cancellers, uprated rear anti-roll bar BRAKES Uprated Clubsport front discs with Ferodo DS2500 pads all round, braided brake hoses all round WHEELS & TYRES 8.5x19in MB Design Turbo S wheels with champagne centres and 235/35/19 Goodyear Eagle F1 tyres EXTERIOR Carbon-fibre fuel cap and wing mirrors, Chameleon front windscreen tint, windows tinted, carbonfibre front grille, TRC front splitter, carbon-fibre rear spoiler, Maxton Design side skirts and rear diffuser, carbon-fibre vents, Magna plates, full car wrap, tinted head an taillights, carbon-fibre badges, 4D private plate INTERIOR Carbon-fibre steering wheel, gear knob, door handle trims and window button surrounds, steering wheel surround an uprated paddle shifters painted green, green speedo needles, carbon-pack leather seats, full boot build, fire extinguisher, BAF Motorsport rear brace THANKS I would like to say a big thanks to my mate Chris Brookes for all the engine mods and fitting parts for me.

Shade Wraps for doing the wrap and sorting all my other wrap bits out. MRC Tuning in Banbury for the stage 2 remap. Clive at Identity Autoworx for the boot build and helping me out with problems and work they have done to the car. AirTek Automotive for fixing and rebuilding my air ride the car is better than standard now thanks to them. And finally to my sponsors EZ Care Car and Lister Auto custom steering wheels

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HOT RIDE

Even though the Porsche Boxster is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, this juiced and liveried first-gen example looks fresher than ever.

But with a fire, two engine failures and multiple breakdowns along the way, it’s a miracle it’s still here to blow out the birthday candles…

Words Graham Leigh Photography Dan Sherwood

25-years. A quarter of a century. That’s how long the Porsche Boxster has been around. It’s a length of time that seems practically impossible, as even the earliest examples still look fresh today. But then, that’s probably because Porsche hit he nail of the head with the Boxster. In the early nineties, Porsche was on the ropes due to the recent recession, cheaper competition and an antiquated, over-complicated, manual production process. The company knew that its 968 replacement entry-level car had to be something special. And when the covers were pulled off at the 1993 North American International Auto Show, it was an instant hit. It won the hearts of the press and, importantly, the buying public, who now had an agonising wait until it went into production three-years later. Sure, the production car had grown a few inches to accommodate a reasonable cabin space and roll hoops were added for safety, but it was very close to the concept that inspired it, including retaining those ‘fried egg’ lights, sloping rear quarters and signature centre-exit exhaust. Porsche had managed to pull off a production car that looked up-to-the-minute whilst simultaneously doffing a respectful cap to the company’s design language of yesteryear.

And it was this timeless style that had a big impact on this Porsche’s St. Neots-based keeper, 39-year-old Ben Ancliff. He’s the owner of renowned car detailing firm, Smart Clean Valeting and Detailing. His love of cars was inherited from his Ford-loving father and this influence was clear when the then 17-year-old bought his first car back in 1999, a Mk3 Escort XR3i. This was traded in

Dice valve caps are a cool custom touch

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for a Mk4 RS Turbo on the same day. The Ford phase saw Ben and a friend running the infamous Ford Freaks club before moving on to a range of different marques.

Never one to leave things stock, he has owned no less than eight modified magazine feature cars including a Renault 5 GT Turbo, R53 Mini JCW, an E36 M3 cabriolet, and a long list of Fords including a Fiesta ST on Cossie wheels that appeared in these hallowed pages.

Ben and fiancée Teri’s current fleet consists of this Porsche, a chassis-notched Nissan Juke Nismo RS which is also on hydraulics, a VW Caddy on Rotiform Six wheels, a T4 camper van and a BMW 1 series that has just been drafted in for wet weather duties. Even son, Archie (now 10) gets in on the action and his rodded Cosy Coupe was one of the cars that started the trend of stanced toddler whips way back when. So it’s fair to say that this is a family with petrol in their veins.

Ben takes us back to 2017 when he purchased the Porsche: “I’d literally just finished one of my Mini projects. I’d driven back from a show with a mate in convoy behind his slammed 911. We had a stop-off halfway and I put the Mini up for sale. By the time we arrived home somebody had bought it sight unseen.

I knew that I wanted a Boxster and I thought a white example with tan interior would be my ideal base car.

A few days later I spotted a car in that very spec, so I followed the driver up the A1 and then eventually into his street where he jumped out and was about to call the Police. I made him an offer of £4.5k, he accepted, put his shopping in a bag and walked off home. He even

The Pro Hopper system was imported from the USA

PORSCHE BOXSTER 986

The Apple race graphics are inspired by a 1979 935 Porsche race car Defining car culture 039

HOT RIDE

left me to pay the balance when I got home. The car was meant to be!”

The Boxster was completely stock apart from a pair of black indicators which were promptly thrown in the bin.

The vision of having a decked Porsche was quickly acted upon and a set of coilovers were bolted up. However, Ben explained that he couldn’t get the desired look and the back of the car was sitting much higher than he had envisaged. He was leaning towards going down the BBS and air route but a chance meeting with a passer-by to his business started a conversation that was to change the direction of this build dramatically. “I met a chap who said he could fit a hydraulic system and we agreed on what I thought was a bargain price. As ever, there’s no such thing as a free lunch and what I actually ended up with was a mismatch of parts and some were well past their best.”

A catalogue of other issues such as multiple engine failures, electrical issues and the rare rolling stock being wrecked by another so-called specialist, had the normally-chipper Ben on the ropes. A chance encounter with the guys at Lay n’ Play (these chaps are the authority on UK lowriding. Check them out at www.laynplay. co.uk) at a show led Ben to feel inspired and that famous lowrider community spirit came to the fore. They helped him source the necessary parts and eventually he was flicking switches. Finally, the car was not only low but could lay frame and bounce.

Whilst the saga of getting the car on a working hydraulic system ensued, Ben had pounced upon a set of ultra-rare rims. “I saw a set of RH Turbo Ps that had been run on a show Golf come up for sale. I don’t think the lad knew the rarity of them. These are a split rim with the Porsche style ‘twist’ design as opposed to the RH Cups or Eta Betas that mimic the Cup style Porsche centre.” Originally these wheels were sent to a rebuilder who let Ben down. The sanding and polishing process used was too harsh leaving abrasive marks on the outers and a general poor finish that just wasn’t up to the high-end detailer’s standards. Ben had received a recommendation to approach Rusty Rimz and this was

The hydraulic setup allows Ben to dump the Boxster’s body onto its sills

040 www.fastcar.co.uk

the start of a great relationship where they rebuilt the hoops with the attention to detail that they deserve. The wheels have been through a few iterations over the years: “I like to mix things up a bit and thankfully the team at Rusty Rimz have been patient enough to persevere with my ever-changing tastes. The wheels have gone from candy apple red to Porsche 964 Peppermint Green to the current guise of white with metal flake.”

With the Boxster now looking so aggressive, the standard exhaust was not fitting the vibe. A trip to EMP Performance was the order of the day where a custom design was fabricated which fitted the brief of “dickhead loud”, according to Ben. On the subject of aural amusement, Ben has gone all out on high-end audio. A Pioneer DEH 6500 head unit takes the helm and feeds the crystal clear signal through to a pair of Ground Zero amps which power no less than 10 PA speakers that were sourced through Ian Pinder (AKA The Iceman). Phoenix Gold wiring is a further sign that Ben takes sound quality seriously. The original tan interior was swapped out for an OEM black version, the simplicity of which works well with the rainbow of colours on the livery, while a custom Royal steering wheel and gear knob add some scene

PORSCHE BOXSTER 986

“I like to mix things up a bit and thankfully the team at Rusty Rimz have been patient enough to persevere with my ever-changing tastes”

TRU RIDERZ

Ben is a member of Tru Riderz lowrider car club. This organisation started in Lubbock, Texas, so, as you would expect, most of their members are US-based. Ben is one of the few recruits from overseas territories. Despite his car not being their normal fare, word was out that Ben was keenly attending shows and demonstrations such as Modified Nationals in the UK and 100% Tuning in Rotterdam; clocking up the miles and cruising with a smile. It became apparent that the build was well-engineered and capable and Ben’s enthusiasm was infectious and Ben was invited to provisionally join Tru Riderz. This wasn’t a sticker and a newsletter affair: “I spent six months as a prospect. During this time you can’t display a plaque or any stickers in your car as you’re under assessment, making sure that you are not the sort of character that could bring the organisation into disrepute. At the end of this period, the handful of UK members liaised with the US headquarters and they elected to make me a full member. This was huge for me and I’m truly honoured,” he beams proudly. sparkle to the Germanic cockpit.

Just when things seemed to be coming together, a boot fire wiped out the rear of the hydraulic system.

For many, this would have signalled the end for what seemed like a jinxed build, but Ben came back fighting.

Lay n’ Play sourced a Pro Hopper system which was imported from the mean streets of L.A. As Ben became ever more immersed in the lowrider scene and using his car for demonstrations, he wanted the ability to perform more radical tricks and manoeuvres. The combination of dual 24v motors, four pump setup, 10 switches, custom rams and Rayvern custom top mounts are the result of a lot of hard work and expert knowledge. The Pro Hopper kits typically end up in what the Americans refer to as full-sized cars. Models such as the fabled ’64 Chevrolet

Custom mahoganny rimmed steering wheel Defining car culture 041

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Impala, Cadilac Coupe De Ville and many others that won’t fit in your average UK lock up. The fact that all of this hardware now lives in a small European two-seater roadster is a feat of engineering genuis.

But even with such a complex chassis setup, it was the visuals that had Ben’s brain in a twist, and he thought long and hard about giving the pukka Porker a properly eye-catching look. He knew that he wanted to utilise the base white of the car and then apply some kind of racing-inspired livery on top. “I’d seen other people use the more popular Martini and Rothmans schemes on modified Porsches, so they were off-limits,” he remembers. “I then came across the Apple design, which featured on a 1979 935 Porsche race car. This looked great and suited the Boxster perfectly, but I wanted to put my stamp on it so the 26 numbers are a nod to the date that Teri and I met – the 26th December.” Gelato Studios nailed the design of the livery and expertly applied the colourful graphics. Ben explains that the car runs a US-spec rear bumper with bumperettes and for show-use even runs US-style number plates. This leads a lot of people online to believe that the car is actually American, including the Apple marketing department, who made contact wanting to use the car for a business promotion in Ohio. When they realised that the car was built and based in Cambridgeshire, they had to rescind their request. But it’s not only caught the eye of the tech giant, as it’s also been head-hunted by some huge music stars, being featured in the video for both ‘London Town’

by Mr Eazi featuring Giggs, and ‘Ting Dun’ by Ocean Wisdom featuring Method Man. So what’s next for the plucky Porsche? “Maybe a different front bumper. I already have GT3 side skirts that are awaiting paint. Maybe a change of wheels…”

Something tells us this isn’t the last we’ll see of Ben. Long may his unique blend of modifying madness continue and we’ll check in on his bonkers Boxster on its 50th birthday in another 25-years. 

TECH SPEC: PORSCHE BOXSTER 986

ENGINE 2.5-litre, 6-cyl naturally aspirated flat six, K&N air filter, EMP Performance custom exhaust and manifolds, uprated alternator TRANSMISSION Standard 5-speed gearbox SUSPENSION Pro Hopper hydraulics, two 24v motors, four pump set up, 10 switches, custom rams, Rayvern custom top mounts, anti-roll bars removed BRAKES 986 Boxster S calipers painted body colour WHEELS & TYRES 9x18in ET45 (front) and 11x18in ABOVE: Shrunken heads are a good luck ET55 (rear) RH Turbo P 3-piece split rims with white with metal flake centres custom painted by Rusty charm in low rider Rimz and gold hardware, 30mm spacers (front), 20mm circles spacers (rear), Nankang tyres EXTERIOR US-spec bumper with bumperettes, all badges removed, 1979 935 Apple race livery, inner arches removed, US-style number plates INTERIOR Black Boxster interior including carpet and all trims, custom door cards housing ICE, custom Royal steering wheel and gear knob, quick-release steering wheel hub, full ICE install including Pioneer DEH 6500 head unit, 2x Ground Zero amps, 2x 8in PA speakers, 4x 6in PA speakers, 2x PA 4in coaxials, 2x PA 2.5in tweeters, Phoenix Gold wiring THANKS My fiancee, teri_juicedjuke, is the most supportive person who puts up with all the car troubles, Smart Clean Detailing, Lay n’ Play for advice and parts, Rusty Rimz for bearing with my constant colour changes, Iceman for the audio, EMP performance for my dickhead loud exhaust, Tucked, Fitment Junkies, Petrolheadism, Bedsmodified, Fenstance, Anti Scene and last but not least, your mum #jackmoorcroft

Ben’s party piece is making the Boxster dance using the remote switch box

042 www.fastcar.co.uk

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TIME TO CHILL

FC’S ULTIMATE GUIDE TO KEEPING COOL

Cooling is crucial for optimum performance, especially where forced induction is concerned, so let’s take a closer look at what’s involved with keeping those temperatures under control…

Internal combustion engines aren’t very efficient. They’re basically big air pumps that turn fuel into kinetic energy, via a controlled explosion in the cylinder. During this process they create heat, lots of heat, which isn’t ideal for two reasons. Firstly, it wastes

a fair chunk of that potential energy.

More importantly, too much heat can cause serious damage. Unfortunately, we can’t avoid the creation of this heat but we can manage it. That’s why every engine is fitted with cooling devices, such as radiators, oil coolers,

intercoolers or chargecoolers, and sometimes even brake cooling ducts too. When we tune our engines, either by naturally aspirated tuning or adding boost into the mix, we have to beef up these cooling parts to keep up with the extra heat that’s created.

WHY DO TUNED ENGINES IS A COOLER AND NEED BETTER COOLING? WHAT HOW DOES IT WORK?

Engines produce power by mixing air with fuel. In a petrol engine the mixture is ignited by the spark plugs, in a diesel engine it’s simply squeezed together. Both methods force the pistons down the cylinder bores, and it’s these forces that turn the crankshaft and eventually the wheels. To increase the power output of an engine, we have to add more fuel and air. The ratio has to stay roughly the same, so we just stuff more of both into the engine. The direct result of this is a bigger explosion and even more heat. As such, we need better cooling systems to keep these higher temperatures within the same safe working limits.

TYPICAL DAMAGE CAUSED BY EXCESS HEAT

If temperatures get too high – oil, water, inlet air, and brakes – it can lead to some pretty catastrophic results. The most common issues resulting from excessive temperatures include:

ENGINE OIL BREAKS DOWN

It gets thinner and doesn’t lubricate the vital moving parts of the engine properly, bearings run dry causing wear and eventually failure.

Intercoolers, radiators and oil coolers all work in a very similar way. They pass air, coolant or oil through a main core. These cores are mounted where there is a lot of airflow, typically at the front of the car. Hence the term ‘front-mounted intercooler’.

As the car moves forward, it forces air through the front and lets it leave out the back.

As the air passes through, it absorbs some of the heat from whatever is inside the chambers of the cooler. The

amount of heat absorbed is down to many factors such as the internal design of the core, its size, where it is placed, etc.

How well the cooler lowers temperatures is often referred to as the efficiency of the cooler; all things being equal, the more heat it reduces, the more efficient a cooler is. The principle is fairly simple but there are several things you can do to maximise the ability of your various coolers to keep temperatures in check.

Working fluid exits after being cooled to a reduced temperature As vehicles move forward airflow passes through the core. Heat energy within the core is transferred to this airflow which cools the working fluid within the core

GASKETS FAIL

Causing both oil and coolant to escape from where they should be, leading to further overheating/lubrication problems.

PISTONS GET VERY HOT

They then expand and scrape on the cylinder bores, potentially causing contact damage to the rings or piston skirt, resulting in lower compression and damage to the bores.

TURBOS CAN FAIL

Excess heat build-up can cause carbon deposits to block the tiny oil ways within the turbo, leading to bearing failure. Or, in extreme cases, really excessive heat can even cause the turbine shaft to bend if not allowed to cool gradually.

BRAKES CAN FAIL

Too much heat build-up will quickly cause brake pads to overheat (especially OE ‘road’ pads) and braking efficiency will deteriorate. In extreme cases the brake fluid can even boil, allowing air to enter the system, rendering the brakes useless.

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Working fluid enters the core at a high temperature ready to be cooled

’S ULTIMATE GUIDE TO KEEPING COOL Most performance radiators are made from aluminium to ensure lightness and good thermal performance

Some race cars move the radiator to the rear of the car

DIATORS

ter-cooled engine has a radiator, whether it’s naturally-aspirated, upercharged. The point of a radiator is to keep the engine n check. Coolant is pushed around the engine by the water pump, nnel that runs through the engine known as the water jacket. engine is cold, coolant stays inside the engine’s water jacket t warm up faster. However, when the coolant reaches a certain ture, the thermostat opens and allows the fluid to flow through ator to cool it down. are two main radiator core designs; crossflow and downflow. odern cars use crossflow designs, where the coolant enters in one and exits in the opposing corner, so the coolant flows diagonally he core. This means they’re typically the most effective design, kes longer for the coolant to make it across than it would on a ow design, where coolant enters right at the top, in the middle, and t the bottom. Gravity has more of an effect in a downflow design. vantage of this style is the core is narrow, so it can help packaging pace is tight. You typically see a downflow design on older cars , as more modern designs utilise a crossflow radiator. ndard radiators used to be made from brass-copper, because that’s d conductor, and more recently from plastic because they’re cheap o produce. However, modern aftermarket rads are generally larger and thicker than the items they replace, and usually made from aluminium. Not only do they work well, they’re relatively light too. If you want to maximise your coolant circuit, you should consider fitting electric fans on th your radiator, consider switching to a wate additive to improve

d header

INTERCOOL

Turbos and superchargers both he entering the engine. You need s of reducing that heat, otherwise y with a host of problems. At best, th do everything it can to reduce powe the engine, which usually means pulli of ignition timing. At worst, if the eng in hot air then it will send temperature inside the combustion chamber, lea detonation and melted components.

Intercoolers are air-to-air coolers, meaning they simply rely on air passing through them to draw heat away from the air inside. There are two main types of core used in air-to-air intercoolers; bar-and-plate and tube-and-fin.

Both have their advantages; tube and fin is significantly lighter than bar-and-plate (which is good when you consider where it’s mounted – right out at the front of the car where you really don’t want any excess weight), and they are usually cheaper to produce. However, barand-plate cores are said to offer better cooling properties and are generally more robust due to their heavier construction. So, it depends on the specific application as to which type is preferred.

across the egates any negative effect e larger core may pose, and in many cases boost levels actually increase because the new intercooler poses less of a restriction than the OE item, regardless of its increased size.

As with any cooler core, more rows mean more potential airflow. A larger surface area will give you a better chance of reducing temps but can be hard to fit in the engine bay. Also, they need to be mounted in such an area where they will receive a constant stream of cooling airflow across them, there’s little point in having a huge intercooler that only receives airflow across part of the core because the rest is obstructed by crash structures, headlights, or whatever. This is why some intercoolers are very deep but not much taller than the OE part they replace. These

, ow will always east resistance. So, if we make it more difficult for the air to pass through the core than it would be to simply go around it, then we massively reduce the efficiency of the cooler.

To help overcome this, many performance intercoolers incorporate ducting to help guide the cooling airflow through the core, not allowing it to ‘escape’ around the sides.

Larger intercoolers offer a larger surface area to better cool the charge air

defining car culture 045

FC’S ULTIMATE GUIDE TO KEEPING COOL It may say ‘intercooler’, but the Mk1 Focus RS uses a chargecooler system as standard

CHARGECOOLER

A chargecooler is an interesting alternative to an intercooler. Unlike an intercooler, which is an air-to-air radiator, a chargecooler uses water to cool the charge air. Essentially, it consists of a water-filled tank with a tube running through the middle, carrying the compressed air on its way into the engine. As the charge air passes through the tube, the heat is transferred from the air inside to the surrounding water. The water is then pumped back into the engine cooling system and cooled by the radiator. Chargecoolers are a good option when you haven’t got much space, or more specifically limited airflow. It’s obviously important that the radiator is up to the task of cooling the fluid from the reservoir inside the chargecooler. Otherwise you’re just giving that already heated charge air a warm bath.

SILICONE HOSES

Silicone hoses won’t degrade or bulge and flex like OE rubber items can

These can be extremely helpful for both the radiator and intercooler circuits. OE hoses are made from rubber and have plenty of issues, such as bulging and flexing under increased pressures and temperatures. In contrast, performance hoses made from silicone are more resistant to heat and pressure, maintain they’re shape better, and will last a lot longer before they degrade – they generally look smarter too. Most silicone hose manufacturers make offthe-shelf hose kits for both coolant and boost hoses, so you can replace all the OE hoses in one hit. Aluminium hard pipes can also be useful, especially for a customised installation.

Custom ducting ensures maximum airflow through the cooler core

Oil coolers don’t need to be as large as other coolers, so can be discretely mounted behind the front bumper Oil coolers are great additions for cars that get used hard for prolonged periods, such as track and race cars

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OIL COOLERS

Engine oil coolers play a crucial part in controlling engine temperature. Many people think that the engine oil’s job is purely to lubricate the moving parts within an engine, but it also plays a huge part in controlling engine temperature too. If the oil gets too hot, it thins, and it loses its ability to lubricate the moving parts effectively. This in turn causes more friction and more heat, which can quickly spiral out of control until something breaks.

Nearly all production cars have some way of keeping the oil temperature under control, whether that’s simply using airflow to cool things or a more complicated setup using the engine’s coolant system and a heat exchanger to remove excess heat from the oil system. But, as with most things, these are only designed to do a certain job, and once we exceed the limits of what the OE oil cooler is capable of we can start to see oil temperatures rise. This is where an additional oil cooler is added. Effectively, it’s a mini radiator purely for the oil system. Hot oil flows through the core, which is then cooled by air passing over it. There are many different sizes of oil cooler available, so it’s easy to find one that will suit your application and intended use.

FC’S ULTIMATE GUIDE TO KEEPING COOL

A turbo cooler cools the coolant exiting a super-hot turbocharger before it enters the rest of the cooling system

TURBO COOLERS

A turbo cooler is basically a small mini-radiator that assists the rest of the cooling system with keeping the turbo temperatures under control. When the water exits the super-hot turbo it then goes back into the header tank and the rest of the coolant system, potentially causing the entire coolant system to heat up. A turbo cooler, is an additional cooler that cools the water after it exits the turbo and before it returns to the header tank. This helps lower the overall temperature of the entire cooling system, and can be a simple solution for applications suffering from high water temps caused by the turbo.

A transmission cooler requires an external pump to circulate the fluid through the cooler

Transmission coolers are designed to keep the oil inside gearboxes and differentials within optimum working temperatures

TRANSMISSION COOLERS

It’s surprising how many people overlook the oil in their gearbox and differential(s).

Regular gearbox oil changes are particularly important for anyone who does regular trackdays in a big-boost turbo (or supercharged) car, as the combination of engine torque plus lots of grip from sticky tyres, puts huge strain on the transmission and it gets very hot, very quickly.

Transmission oil coolers can be a lifesaver on this type of car too. Without one, the oil inside can get very hot and degrade very quickly, causing wear to bearings and other moving parts. In fact, in some cases, simply re-directing more airflow across the transmission with enlarged ducting can significantly reduce the operating temperatures of gearboxes and differentials.

Many race cars utilise differential and transmission coolers

SIZE MATTERS

Some performance intercoolers are so large they require a modified crash structure to allow air to flow through

The size of the cooler has a massive effect on its cooling properties, but it is not always a case of ‘bigger is better’. The cooler needs to be correctly sized for its application. It is more to do with volume of the cooler and mass of the working fluid (oil, air, water) than the actual size of the cooler itself.

For example, an intercooler the size of an oil cooler wouldn’t be any good, and by the same token nor would an oil cooler the size of an intercooler. This is where things start to get a bit scientific. It’s all about the specific heat capacity of the working fluid, which relates to the amount of heat energy a kg of that working fluid can transfer. The specific heat capacity of air is 1.01 kilojoules per kg. This means that every kg of air can transfer 1.01kj of heat energy. Whereas oil has a specific heat capacity of 2.13kj per kg. Therefore, oil is twice as good at transferring heat than air, but it doesn’t stop there. These calculations are based on mass (kg) not volume (litres). So by the time you allow for the fact that 1kg of oil is just 1.14 litres, but 1kg of air is 1114 litres, you can see why an intercooler needs to be much larger than an oil cooler! Furthermore, engine oil or transmission fluid generally only needs to be cooled by around 10-20ºC to remain at the optimum operating temperature, whereas charge air typically needs to be cooled by as much as 50ºC. The optimum size of a cooler is a compromise between different factors, the most common being space available in the engine bay. Intercoolers also have to consider the fact that the more volume there is, the more turbo lag is increased because there is a larger volume to fill before any of the charge air enters the engine.

defining car culture 047

ING COOL

End tank design is crucial to the pressure drop across the cooler

DROP THE PRESSURE There will almost always be a pressure drop across a cooler; the physical restriction of working its way through the cooler will mean the pressure of the fluid coming out will always be less than the pressure going in. And this effect gets worse with larger volumes, so a bigger cooler will have more of a pressure drop across the cooler.

However, many standard OE coolers are compromised (either by price, materials, design, available space, and so on) and a performance-orientated cooler can actually reduce the pressure drop across the cooler, while increasing its size. The same principles apply to all coolers, but to understand pressure drop its easiest to look at intercoolers. The theory would suggest that if you increased the size of an intercooler it would have a greater pressure drop across the core, meaning the boost level going to the engine is lower than before. However,

as a well-designed intercooler will pose less restriction to that airflow, it can negate the negative effect of the larger volume. In fact, it’s not uncommon to see performance intercoolers actually result in a boost increase at the engine (because the flow is so much less restrictive) rather than a boost drop, and this is despite having a larger volume to fill.

A lower pressure drop is good news all round, especially for a turbo, as it means the turbo doesn’t have to work as hard to produce the same boost pressure entering the engine. Water radiators and oil coolers also suffer from pressure drop and while the end result may not be as noticeable to the driver as increased turbo lag and lower boost pressures, it can be even more detrimental.

The oil/water pump will have to work harder to force the fluid through the cooler, which can lead to cavitation with potentially fatal consequences for an engine.

WATERLESS COOLANTS AND WATER ADDITIVES

Water absorbs heat extremely well, but it does have some downsides. At normal operating temperature, small air bubbles form on the outside of the cylinder bores that understandably get very hot. If the engine overheats, water in the coolant channel boils and those bubbles implode under great pressure. This is called Cavitation and damages the metal, eroding it away and eventually leading to a catastrophic failure. One way you can get around this problem is to use a waterless coolant or coolant additive, such as Evans Power Cool 180°, Red Line Water Wetter or Mishimoto Liquid Chill. They all work in a similar way, by reducing or completely eliminating the water content in the coolant and raising the boiling point way above 100℃. Some claim to absorb heat better than plain water, resulting in power gains with the right tuning. One definite advantage of these products is they last an extremely long time, although most require you to use some kind of preparatory liquid first, which does increase the price. Using one of these products means you shouldn’t get any sludge build up in the bottom of your radiator either.

BRAKE COOLING

Brakes are another part of a car that get very hot, and failure to control this heat can result in poor performance – in the worst cases no brakes at all! By their very nature, brake pads biting onto a brake disc will cause friction, and friction causes heat. In many road applications the factory setup will be fine, but if we then start to use those brakes harder and more frequently, that heat build up can’t dissipate quickly enough and things start to overheat. This will cause brake fade, and in really bad cases can actually cause the brake fluid to boil and result in no brakes at all!

Complex water-cooled brake calipers are certainly an option, but they’re incredibly expensive and complex to install, so are only really used in top-end motorsport applications.

For most enthusiastic drivers and track day fans, simple ducting to improve airflow to the brakes is sufficient to keep everything under control.

Many modern cars have similar brake ducting as standard, but it’s relatively cheap and easy to install to cars that don’t.

048 www.fastcar.co.uk

CONTACTS PRO ALLOY The traditional way to keep brakes cool is to use ducting from the front of the car...

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ARE YOU KILLING YOUR TURBO? Words Dan Sherwood Photography Various

FC TECH: 13 REASONS FOR TURBO FAILURE

We speak to top forced induction experts to find out 13 reasons why turbos fail and how you can prevent it

Turbos are the magical power adders that put huge smiles on our faces, but treat them badly and they’ll throw a hissy fit of diva-like proportions. However, is it all the turbo’s fault?

Or are there other factors at work that are leading to their untimely demise? Speaking to a host of top turbocharging experts it appears that, far from being the prissy prima donnas that many people mistake them for, turbochargers

are extremely tough pieces of hardware that endure some of the harshest conditions your engine dishes out. Looked after properly, they can last the lifetime of your car, even when tuned, but they’re not indestructible and they rely on other parts of your engine being in tip top condition too, so read on to see the top 13 reasons you could be killing your turbo and what you can do to prevent it.

How to prevent it

Similar to before, a good quality oil and filter, changed well before the prescribed intervals is essential, although adding an inline turbo prefilter could also help catch any errant particles hell bent on waging war on your turbo.

3 IMPACT DAMAGE

reading directly from the oil feed union to the turbo – as any drop in pressure can destroy a turbo very quickly. excee n , an a o so a mos endlessly, but only when they are lubricated as they were designed to be. To work effectively, a turbo needs a constant flow and pressure of clean, good quality oil. This not only works to lubricate the thrust and journal bearings, but also helps stabilise the rotating shaft and journal bearings, as well as acting as a coolant. This requirement is intensified as the turbocharger speed and engine load increases. Even a small reduction in oil pressure can be enough to kill your turbo in seconds and can be identified by either blueing on the turbo shaft or seized bearings. The main causes of oil starvation range from oil pump failure, low oil levels and old dirty oil, to broken or blocked oil feed pipes, which can be obstructing the flow of the oil to the turbo, even if your oil pressure gauge is registering that all is fine at the engine itself.

Be warned.

How to prevent it

Use a good quality oil and filter and change them sooner than your manufacturer recommended intervals. Keep an eye on your oil pressure too – through either the factory gauge or preferably a more accurate aftermarket item

Many people assume that if they run their engine on dirty or contaminated oil, the oil filter will remove any foreign matter before the oil reaches the engine or the turbocharger.

However, this can be a very costly mistake. Just like having not enough oil is seriously bad news for your car’s blower, running with contaminated oil is also a sure fire way to kill off your turbo.

This is because any particles of debris floating around in the oil system, from the products of fuel combustion such as ash, soot, the un-burnt heavy ends of the fuel and water, to tiny metal particles produced by the general wear and tear of the engine, will eventually get past the oil filter and end up at the turbo causing damage to the usually smooth surfaces of the bearings and shaft. But it’s not just particles getting past the oil filter that can cause damage, as other engine problems that allow water or fuel to mix with the oil, even in small quantities – such as head gasket failure – will prevent the oil from working as it should, reducing the supportive, cooling and lubricating functions of the oil. And when this happens, it is always the turbo the fails first.

The air filter isn’t just there to protect the engine itself from ingesting harmful debris such as dust particles, small stones, dirt and leaves, it’s also there to protect the turbocharger’s compressor wheel and its delicate blades, because almost any object that gets sucked in is going to do major damage. Just a small chip in one of the compressor wheel blades will cause an imbalance that will cause the bearings to fail at some point, while greater impacts can snap off portions of the blades or and even shatter the entire compressor wheel. Although more likely, and easier to prevent, impact damage isn’t limited to the turbo’s compressor wheel, as it can also happen to the turbine wheel by debris from inside the combustion chamber.

This could be anything from lumps of carbon, injector tips or broken valve parts, to bits of weld or rust from the manifold. But whatever it is, anything hitting the turbine wheel will cause considerable amounts of damage.

How to prevent it

Always invest in a good quality air filter with good filtration properties as well as air flow and make sure you clean it regularly as per the manufacturer’s instructions. Also, be sure to check the turbo for loose connections and debris, especially if fitting a turbo after a previous failure. If possible, check exhaust manifolds for signs of internal rust or loose weld spots too.

defining car culture 053

FC TECH: 13 REASONS FOR TURBO FAILURE Make sure if you have your turbo rebuilt that you entrust the job to a reputable professional

THE WARNING SIGNS

There are several ways that your vehicle will let you know that its turbo is in need of maintenance or repairs:

CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHTS

On most modern cars, the computer diagnostics will pick up turbo faults and the check engine light will come on. Of course, the check engine light doesn’t just cover turbo failure, and you will need to do some further checks to see what kind of engine problem you have.

THE BOOST GAUGE

Some turbocharged vehicles are fitted with a boost gauge, which lets you know how much boost your turbo is producing (you can also fit one to your car if desired). If your boost gauge isn’t going up as much as it used to, then there is a good chance your turbo is in need of repair.

POWER LOSS

If you notice that your turbocharged vehicle is accelerating more slowly than usual, or isn’t capable of reaching the speeds it once could, this may be a sign that your turbo is failing.

A SMOKING EXHAUST

If the turbo housing has cracked, or the internal seals have blown, oil will start to leak into your exhaust system. As this burns off, it produces a distinctive blue/ grey smoke, which will probably become more apparent as the engine revs increase just following an idle situation.

A LOUD WHINING NOISE

Often, a failing turbocharger will make a loud, distinctive noise when under boost - a bit like a dentist’s drill or police siren - if the compressor wheel is damaged. If you start to hear this noise from your engine, it’s definitely time to have it checked out!

054 www.fastcar.co.uk

4 BUILD QUALITY

The thrust bearing is a cruical part of your turbo and could need upgrading if you want to run more boost

To meet the stringent OE specifications for any part of your car, only quality assured materials are used, and this applies to the turbocharger too. Add in the constant quality checks on both the materials and workmanship and you can see why original equipment parts can be expensive.

A high quality aftermarket turbo, built by a reputable specialist, will also have strict quality control, testing and development procedures to ensure your turbocharger is fit for purpose. Like with the OE parts, this also adds to the cost. The problems can arise when you try and cut costs by purchasing cheap turbos. These turbos are cheap for a reason and it is often down to a lack of quality control when it comes to the materials and workmanship when the turbo is being built.

This can mean that, although they may seem fine for a short period of time, their usable lifespan is often radically reduced, meaning that the savings you make on the purchase price are How to prevent it lost through having to buy twice.

If you’re car’s turbo is looking past its best, it’s a good idea to have it checked over before How to prevent it Always do your research into the turbo you you ask it to work harder than it was designed are considering buying and the company that to. This could involve getting it refreshed by you are buying from to ensure you are getting a turbo specialist with new bearings or even a quality product that has been tested and uprated bearings if you are planning on pushing developed to deliver the results you need. Also things further. that the company can provide the backup in the case of any problems and technical queries.

The same applies to reconditioned turbos. 6 Make sure you are buying from an experienced A turbo spinning at up to 100,000rpm creates specialist like Turbo Zentrum, that knows what a lot of heat in the shaft and bearings, much they are doing and has repaired the turbo of which is dissipated by the flow of oil. properly to the right specifications.

When allowed to slow down and cool over a reasonable period of time it isn’t a problem.

However, by shutting off an engine immediately after being on boost the flow of oil is halted and 5 heat is trapped inside the turbo. This heat As the compressor wheel spins, it is effectively that cause damage including a warped shaft – trying to pull the shaft out of the front of the can due turbine droop – as well as carbonising turbo. It is prevented from doing so by the the oilto and the bearings too. At this turbo’s thrust bearing which holds the shaft stage it’s alldamaging over and turbo failure is imminent. in place and resists this axial force. When the turbocharger is designed the thrust bearing How to prevent it is selected to deal with the standard boost It’s recommended that you end your journey at pressure that the turbo is going to see, often a more sedate pace or, once at your destination, using a 270° bearing. Start increasing the boost simply leave the engine ticking over for a few by way of a remap for example, and the thrust minutes to allow the turbo to cool down before bearing will start to struggle to contain it. This shutting it off. A turbo timer is a device that can lead to a reduction in lubrication and a rapid can be used to do just that and will allow the increase in wear of the thrust bearing, which can engine to run on for a set period of time after be identified by in-and-out play in the shaft and the ignition has been turned off and the key smoke from the exhaust. removed.

HOT STOPPING

THRUST BEARING FAILURE

FC TECH: 13 REASONS FOR TURBO FAILURE 7 CLOGGED ENGINE BREATHER

The engine breather system is an important An oil catch tank can be used to vent excess part of the engine, it’s a one way valve that pressure and collect any oil vapour allows high pressure blow-by gasses from the crankcase to pass through without causing excessive pressure in the oil system. If this gets clogged it will allow excessive pressure to build up in the engine which will then pressurise the turbo system, causing oil to force its way past the bearings, causing both damage to the bearings themselves and blue smoke to be emitted from the exhaust.

How to prevent it

For most moderate stages of engine tune, the standard PCV system should cope with the increase in engine power whilst continuing to control the emissions from the crankcase.

However, even on a fairly new car, the system should be thoroughly checked and any suspect valves and hoses replaced. For motorsport applications or more radical stages of tune a remote catch tank is advised to both vent excess pressure and collect any oil vapour.

How to prevent it

Ensure that all the turbocharger pipework, as well as the intercooler is sound with no splits, cracks or leaking joints. If you are increasing boost on a car with old rubber hoses, consider uprating to silicone hoses which will not perish over time and are capable of holding greater pressure. Also, ensure that the wastegate and actuator are operating correctly and that they are rated to suitably vent enough air flow to maintain the desired level of boost.

Carbon build up in your turbo can cause big problems. A product like Cataclean or Revive Turbo Cleaner can help by breaking down carbon deposits before they cause damage

CHECK YO’SELF BEFORE YOU WRECK YO’SELF

8 CARBON BUILD UP

Not only can running your turbocharged car on old, dirty oil cause damage and wear to the bearings and shaft of the turbo, but it can also lead to a gradual build-up of sludge, not just in the sump and the engine’s oil galleries, but in the turbo’s oil feed pipework and inner oil ways too. Just like arteries in your body, these crucial pathways for the flow of oil – some of the narrowest being as small as 1mm in diameter – are essential to keep your engine and turbocharger in top condition, so any restrictions or blockages due to carbon sludge deposits can prove fatal for your turbo. Some cars seem to suffer from carbon build up and excess sludge more than others and as this is an inherent design flaw, there is not much you can do about it other than keeping an eye on your oil condition when checking levels – thick black oil needs changing fast – and carrying out regular servicing.

How to prevent it

The use of good quality oil and fuel will help limit potential build up, as will regular oil and filter changes. Also, make sure to inspect the waste oil and filter for signs of build up when you replace them to get an insight into what’s going on inside the engine.

9 OVER-BOOSTING

Also known as ‘over-speeding’, over-boosting is where the turbocharger is operating well above its normal limits, and, like any component that is working harder than it was ever designed to do, this causes excess wear and eventually damage. This damage can effect everything from the bearings to the shaft and even the turbine and compressor wheels themselves, which can actually expand and rub on the turbo housing, causing damage to the blades, or even burst apart completely due to the huge rotational forces. Over-boosting can occur for various reasons from incorrect ECU mapping to a faulty or undersized wastegate or actuator, but is more commonly down to a simple air leak in the turbo system. There are numerous places that air can leak from the turbo system including broken gaskets, split hoses or punctured intercoolers, all of which force the turbo to work harder and harder to try to reach the required boost pressure. This cycle continues until the turbo exceeds its manufactured limit and fails, often with dramatic results.

If you notice any of the warning signs, then get your turbo checked as soon as possible. Your turbocharger isn’t going to repair itself, and the longer you leave it, the worse (and more expensive) the problem will get! Essentially, you are looking for signs of oil, excessive movement, impact damage and contact between the compressor wheel and housing. Before you start the process, we recommend checking the air filter, exhaust system, breather system and fuel system on your vehicle are all working properly, as these can cause similar symptoms to turbo failure. Once you’ve done that, you’ll need to remove the air filter to gain access to the turbo.

First, examine the exterior, checking for any signs of oil or loose connections.

Then, check the compressor wheel – it should be clean, without any dings, chips, or signs corrosive pitting. Look out for evidence of excessive movement, ensuring that the wheel can’t touch the housing, and check to see whether the turbocharger is able to rotate freely. If you are feeling particularly ambitious; you can also check the exhaust side of the turbo. First, remove the exhaust pipe all the way to the turbo, so you can see the turbine wheel. This should look clean, with no carbon build up, scale or oil along the surface, and the blades should be free from cracks, wear and damage.

Finally, you can check the turbo housing at the exhaust end for any cracks or leaks, which will also affect performance.

defining car culture 055

FC TECH: 13 REASONS FOR TURBO FAILURE 10 BAD RE-MAPS

Remapping is a procedure where the fueling, timing and boost parameters of your car’s ECU are altered to provide more power from the engine. It is usually very safe when done by a professional, especially one who examines the engine for faults before they begin the process of updating the car’s ECU with an uprated map that keeps the turbo within its tolerances. Unfortunately, as well as there being many unscrupulous and poor quality mappers out there, there are also many cheap remaps available that achieve more power by simply upping the boost levels and nothing more, causing over-boosting among other potentially damaging issues to both your turbo and engine as a whole.

How to prevent it

Eliminating compressor surge can be achieved by fitting a blow-off valve suited to the amount of additional boost that needs to be released.

However, if you are still experiencing surge when you are at wide open throttle – when any BOV would be shut and not flowing any air anyway – you need to look at other areas such as turbo sizing, wastegate and actuator function and mapping.

13 EXCESSIVE EXHAUST GAS

TEMPERATURES

Whilst turbochargers are built to withstand the high temperatures generated during normal operation, if the temperature of the exhaust gases is too high, then it can cause catastrophic damage. Typically, this damage is located around the turbocharger’s turbine, cracking the housing, causing excessive erosion and corrosion, whilst causing collateral damage to other components, like the wastegate.

Make sure you do your research and select a reputable tuner

How to prevent it

When selecting a tuner to remap your car, make sure you have done your research and checked feedback from previous customers. Also try and speak with the tuner first to see if they suggest any other supporting modification that will be required to get the best results. And remember, as well as a way to gain more power, a remap is also fundamental to how your car drives and how reliable it is, so don’t just go for whoever offers the most gains for the least money. It’s also worth checking your own car over before you book it in for a remap, as any faults will need to be fixed first before a safe and suitable remap can be applied, so don’t waste time and money if your car isn’t up to scratch.

11 COMPRESSOR SURGE

Turbo cars make some great noises, especially when they are tuned, and that’s all part of the fun. But some noises can signal problems that, unless sorted, can lead to premature turbocharger failure. One such sound that you don’t want your car to be making is the ‘flutter’ or ‘turkey gobble’ sound sometimes wrongly referred to as ‘wastegate chatter’. This noise is the sound of compressor surge, which happens when the turbo is delivering more air than the engine can take in, which then backs up in the system and eventually tries to force its way back through the turbo the wrong way, hitting the still spinning compressor wheel blades. This may sound pretty cool, but the added pressure on your turbo will cause accelerated bearing wear.

056 www.fastcar.co.uk

12 FITTING A DRY TURBO

If you’ve had your turbo serviced or have bought a replacement or upgraded turbo, don’t fit it unless you have primed it with oil first. From the moment the engine fires up, the turbo will begin to spin very fast. If the oil feed pipe is empty and the turbo un-primed it could take several How to prevent it seconds for the vital lubrication to reach the Excessive exhaust gas temperature (EGT) can turbo, which could easily cause damage to both be caused by various things including poor the bearings and the shaft. quality oil, faults in the oil cooling system, incorrect mapping or engine modifications and poor maintenance. To ensure your car is staying within a safe range, fit an EGT sensor, ideally one that feeds back to the ECU. That way, if the temperatures go up it can shut down the engine before any damage is done.

CONTACTS www.turbozentrum.co.uk How to prevent it

Simply pouring some oil through a straw into the turbo’s oil inlet hole will get you going but, ideally, once fitted, you want to stop the engine from firing up by unplugging the ECU or similar and turning it over until the oil light goes out on your dashboard. You can then start the car normally, however it’s recommended you leave it idling for around five minutes to allow the oil to warm up before going on a test drive.

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AMAZON FRESH

HOT RIDE

For the latest showcase of Meguiar’s detailing prowess, Tom Clarke wanted to build a low-slung cruiser. But, as we all know, it’s never that simple…

Words Dan Bevis Photography Simon Miskelly

Surprise reveals are quite tricky these days, aren’t they? What you’re seeing here is a world-first exclusive magazine debut. Of course, regular readers will be very familiar with this car because we’ve been running monthly updates in the back of the mag for ages, the Meguiar’s face-off between Tom and Dale growing into a social entity way bigger than the sum of its parts.

And those of you who were at the Players Classic at Goodwood in June will have pored over the Volvo in all its glory as the covers came off… and no doubt heard it a mile away, as Tom revved the nuts off that magnificently shouty engine. Screamer pipes are for winners, that’s just a fact of life.

Quite a curveball choice for a project though, isn’t it?

In the last Tom vs Dale Meguiar’s head-to-head that ran in Fast Car, Tom opted to build a Renault 5 GT Turbo – a balls-to-the-wall wide-arch goliath, offering nineties vibes in spades with his own unique modern twist. So we weren’t really expecting him to size up an old Volvo for the next round – but as we can now see with some clarity, subverting expectation and refracting it into magnificence is just what this dude does.

“I basically wanted to do old-and-fast, and my first thoughts went to a BMW with a big engine; say, an E30 or 2002 with the M5 V10,” Tom grins. “But they’re

expensive options and our budgets for Tom vs Dale are modest and strict to keep the competition fair. My thoughts then turned to something we don’t really see much here in the UK, and I’ve seen a couple of really nicely-built Volvo Amazons, so the search began.”

As project bases go, this is pretty far removed from a nimble hot hatch. But goddamn, it’s a sturdy one. The statesmanlike Amazon is one of those ineffably solid creations that seems to survive everything the universe can throw at it and never falter or erode, like Uluru or Gary Lineker, or a refrigerated Twix. Interestingly, this seriously-styled three-box was the first car to have seatbelts fitted as standard and was very heavily treated with underseal and anti-corrosion oils, meaning that it was both rugged enough and safe enough to uphold the values we now accept as being traditionally Swedish.

Bury an Amazon in a snowdrift and it’ll just shrug it off.

Before we dive in, we need first to sort out the name issue. (And you’ll have to forgive us a bit of geekiness here. If it starts to get a bit too wiry-beards-and-real-ale for you, feel free to skip to the next paragraph.) You see, when Volvo introduced the model in 1956, they called it ‘Amason’. But German motorcycle firm Kreidler had already called dibs on that name, so an agreement was reached that Volvo would alter the spelling to

The 133 badge denotes Tom’s Amazon is a later-spec car 058 www.fastcar.co.uk

VOLVO AMAZON

Defining car culture 059

HOT RIDE

Bonnet-vented screamer pipe and exhaust spits flames ‘Amazon’ for the Swedish market, and change the name completely to ‘120 Series’ everywhere else. This, unhelpfully, has caused no end of confusion, but in a nutshell it works like this: the model designation for the four-door saloon is P120, two-door saloons are P130 and estates are P220. However, it’s the actual badges you need to pay attention to because, for example, a P120 could be badged as a 121 or a 122 or… well, there are a number of options, it all gets bloody complicated. Later cars are sometimes known as 131, 132 or 133, although we should probably stop digging through the numbers now in case Stephen Hawking comes round to tell us off.

We’re in over our heads here, this isn’t Classics Monthly.

The point of all this is that Tom is a man for whom details are hugely important; he’d found himself a P130, and the theme from the off was what he calls ‘OEM++’ – keeping it as sympathetic as possible while also radically altering everything. “There are plenty of Amazons in the UK but they vary in price and condition,” he reasons.

“You can buy a four-door for not a lot of money, but

There’s been a lot of work done to the Amazon’s chassis to get it this low

060 www.fastcar.co.uk

I was scarred from the Renault 5 when we bought an absolute dog of a car! So one that ‘needed work’ was not an option. On the flipside, you can get a really clean example for £10k and I knew we wanted to chop it up, so I didn’t want to spend a chunk of my budget on a strong car. My searches showed that Volvos in Europe were reasonably priced – but with the obvious hurdle of them being in Europe. I reached out to my colleagues in Meguiar’s Sweden, who helped with the search and located a really clean, honest car. The only problem was getting it home, so we did the only thing you should do… road trip! My colleague Patrick and I flew over to Stockholm and, after a few failed starts, we drove it the 1,681 miles back to Daventry.”

Such an epic journey is a brilliant way to get to know a car, but the growing emotional connection didn’t put Tom and the Meguiar’s guys off the idea of cutting the thing up. “I’m an idiot,” he shrugs. “I’d seen super-low American cars throwing up sparks, and that’s what I wanted.” It’s a simple concept, but this little acorn of an

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HOT RIDE idea is where the mighty oak of the project grew from – and job one was to tear apart the chassis; because throwing a load of extra power into a venerable classic can get a bit terrifying otherwise.

The first move was to bolt in a Volvo 240 rear axle, with the twin benefits of being stronger and having disc brakes, although this wasn’t simple as it had to be narrowed and adapted. Indeed, ‘this wasn’t simple’ could be the motto of the build, as every single element of the car has fought back to some degree. A custom tunnel was required to allow the car to run low, with GM Bodycraft on the fabrication; they chopped out, raised and strengthened the chassis rails, four-linked the rear, and then the shell went over to Phil at The Install Company for the suspension graft. This involved spaceframing the back, fabricating a Watt’s linkage, boxing and strengthening everything and integrating it all into the existing chassis. The front and rear is all customengineered to let the car drive as low as possible – Bilstein manufactured bespoke dampers to provide the required travel and lift, and Phil mated this to Air Lift Performance hardware throughout.

“There were so many hurdles throughout the project, and the whole build was hampered by Covid,” says Tom. “It went to Phil in March 2020, and then we just couldn’t get the parts we needed. What should’ve been six weeks turned into five months – it wasn’t anybody’s fault, that’s just what we had to battle with last year.”

When the car was finally ready to go over to Deutsch Tech, the Meguiar’s team were beside themselves with excitement to see the next steps being made. Raptor Coatings came out to cover the entire underside in black tough-coat, and then it was time to get the engine build underway. Tom was keen to run a single-cam B-series [see boxout], but it’s fair to say it’s evolved a bit throughout the build: having bought a cheap B230FK (always keeping the Meguiar’s budget in mind!) and had

“There were so many hurdles throughout the project, the whole build being hampered by Covid”

KEEPING IT IN THE FAMILY

The default engine choice for a lot of Volvo modifiers is simply to throw a T5 in it, but Tom was thinking a bit more laterally. In line with his OEM++ theme, he wanted a larger version of the singlecam B-series to provide a tasteful element of continuity. So the engine you see here is a B230FK, the 2.3-litre four-pot pinched from the Volvo 940 Turbo. Rather than push for silly numbers, Tom simply wanted something that would pop and bang and give a bit of poke, so it’s still running stock internals but has been fully rebuilt by Deutsch Tech. However, with the Owen Developments turbo (related to the units they supply to the BTCC), a plethora of custom parts from Forge Motorsport, and that Deutsch Tech bonnet-exit exhaust and screamer pipe, it’s a long way from stock. Call it 300-320bhp, along with a whole lot of fireworks. And brilliantly, the ECUmaster management has a Bluetooth sender allowing Tom to use his phone for readouts, so he was able to keep the original dials in the dash. It’s all about the details.

The 16in SSR Performance Reverse Mesh wheels with colour-coded centres suit the Amazon to a tee

062 www.fastcar.co.uk

The cool race pedal box contrasts with the period steering wheel

Deutsch Tech check it over, the figurative kitchen sink was thrown at it. Making things hard on themselves as always, the guys stood the engine up instead of canting it over 45-degrees like it would in its native environment, a Classic Swede plenum was added, and then the intake trumpets needing 100mm trimming off because, with the engine in the wrong place, everything else was in the wrong place too. The wiring was all torn out, with Tom’s mate Bobby building a bespoke race-spec setup from scratch, with overkill military-spec connectors. Forge Motorsport custom-made a huge amount of parts in situ specifically for this car, including the radiator (with header tank integrated for tidiness), intercooler, dump valve, FPR, and clean and tidy lines. One of Deutsch Tech’s strengths is custom exhausts and manifolds, and they played a blinder with the bonnet-exit screamer package working with the Owen Developments turbo.

Transmission-wise it’s a BMW ZF manual, for which conversions kits are readily available in Sweden – a significant chunk of the project budget, but well worth it for the dependability.

Original shifter swaps the cogs of a BMW ZF 5-speed manual gearbox

VOLVO AMAZON

“We wouldn’t have been able to do the next step without OBP Motorsport’s support,” says Tom. “They supplied a pedal box as well as a hydro handbrake, line-lock, battery box and fuel cell.” This race-derived equipment works hand-in-hand with a clever braking setup; the stock front calipers are three-pots (with one of the pistons being absolutely huge) and obviously it now had 240 calipers on the back, so these were all rebuilt and fitted with EBC discs and pads.

This level of attention carried over to the interior too: “I was adamant that the rear seats would go back in, so the bench needed a lot of modding,” Tom explains.

“The fronts were custom-built by Cobra Seats, based on the Nogaro but with the headrests removed. I wanted to use some of the material from the original seats, so that’s where the stripe of green came from – I removed

Custom seats are based on modified Cobra Nogaro buckets Defining car culture 063

HOT RIDE

it so it could be reused!”

When it came to the exterior, the car made the decision for itself. Tom was sure he was buying a cream car, but when he saw his new acquisition was actually Volvo Light Green it was love at first sight. And once the build-up was complete at Deutsch Tech, it was all stripped down and the shell sent to Reflex Auto Design.

All the little age-related dings and dents were perfected so the original panels could be saved, and every trim hole was welded up so the chrome trim could be reaffixed perfectly straight. Even though there’s a fuel cell, the filler cap has been retained for the OEM++ vibe, and the body received a full respray in its factory colour. With the Players Classic reveal date rapidly approaching, the Amazon made it back to Deutsch Tech for the rebuild just a couple of days before the unveiling.

No stress then! “The reaction at Players was incredible,” Tom beams. “A lot of people said it was their car of the show.” Testament indeed to a job well done, and you’ll no doubt be seeing it at all sorts of shows across the summer, as the Meguiar’s team will be getting the Amazon out and about as much as possible… but don’t go thinking it’s a pure show pony. Tom’s insistent that it’s a driver’s car: there’s a Morgan Motors-spec Kenwood system living behind the dash and 6x9s hidden under the rear bench, and he’s deliberately retained the original steering wheel and gearstick for the old-school feel. There may be a lot of snorting power to exploit, but this OEM++ P130 is an out-and-out cruiser. And he’s got the sparking titanium scrape plates to prove it. 

It’s been a hard slog to get the Amazon complete, but the results are well worth it!

064 www.fastcar.co.uk

TECH SPEC: VOLVO AMAZON

ENGINE: B230FK 2.3-litre four-cylinder, Owen Developments turbo, Forge Motorsport intercooler, Forge Motorsport radiator, Forge Motorsport boost pipes, Forge Motorsport dump valve, Forge Motorsport boost compensation valve, Forge Motorsport turbo blanket, Forge Motorsport turbo trumpet, ECUmaster EMU Black ECU, Deutsch Tech custom exhaust manifold, Deutsch Tech 4in teardrop exhaust with integrated screamer pipe, custom intake plenum, ST180 coil pack, Brise alternator, Mocal fuel lines and connectors, adjustable cam gear, VX cam upgrade, OBP fuel cell, Bosch fuel pump, custom wiring - DR harness with military-spec plugs TRANSMISSION: BMW ZF 5-speed manual with custom bellhousing, Sachs 6-paddle clutch, lightened flywheel, custom propshaft, narrowed Volvo 240 rear axle SUSPENSION: Custom fabricated front suspension and rear axle with 4-link and Watt’s linkage – by The Install Company, GM Bodycraft raised subframe (75mm), Air Lift Performance 3P management, Air Lift Performance compressors, Air Lift Performance tank, Air Lift Performance bags, custom Bilstein dampers BRAKES: Rebuilt standard 3-pot front calipers, Volvo 240 rear disc setup, EBC discs and pads all round WHEELS & TYRES: 8x16in (front) and 9x16in (rear) SSR Performance Reverse Mesh wheels with colour-coded centres, 195/40/16 Nankang tyres INTERIOR: Custom-built and reshaped Cobra Nogaro seats with deleted headrests, Schroth Racing harnesses, modified original rear bench, OBP Track-Pro V2 floor-mounted pedal box, OBP Pro-Drift V3 hydraulic handbrake, OBP battery cage (battery relocated inside car), custom tunnel to allow for prop, Kenwood / Morgan Cars factory-option hideaway Bluetooth audio system, Kenwood speakers EXTERIOR: Reflex Auto Design full body paint in original colour – Volvo Light Green, all panels removed, aligned, and refitted, original metalwork straightened and perfected, early-style grille, rear reflector delete, US-spec taillights, redundant fuel filler cap permanently fixed, entire underside Raptor painted THANKS: “Thanks to Deutsch Tech, The Install Company, Bilstein UK, Air Lift Performance, Car Audio Security, Reflex Auto Design, Nankang, The Wheel Specialist Fareham, Forge Motorsport, OBP Motorsport, EBC Brakes, Owen Developments, Kenwood UK, Cobra Seats, ECUmaster, Mana Performance, Raptor Paints, and GM Bodycraft.”

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AUDI RS3 (2015-2021)

Words Rich Gooding Photography Audi

AUDI RS3

2015 -2021

The RS3 was Audi’s first crack at a mega-hatch. Firing an opening salvo that highlighted Audi’s ambitions to take a slice of the performance hatch pie, the second-gen ‘8V’ model saw the RS3 get even brawnier. Eminently tunable as well as a good secondhand buy, what should you look for if you fancy one?

The Ur-Quattro’s legendary status is assured, but we bet Audi didn’t even dare to consider that its allconquering rally weapon would spawn whole families of all-wheel drive sporting machines. Yet that’s exactly what it’s done. The 1990s S2 coupé started the ball rolling, the 311bhp Porsche-fettled RS2 (RS = Racing Sport) laying the foundations for the super-

swift estate car. The first Audi hot hatchback, the S3 arrived in 1999, and has been followed by megapowerful saloons, estates, and SUVs. Currently numbering 15 S and RS-badged cars, that sporting lineage has ultimately resulted in the R8 supercar, a very long way from those first snowbank-sliding UrQuattros, but a descendant none the less.

Defining car culture 067

FC BUYING GUIDE

When you see the twin oval pipes and iconic RS badge, you know it means business

Tech specs

Model..........................................RS3 (8V, 2017) Engine .....................................................2,480cc Max power ...................... 394bhp @ 7,000rpm Max torque ......................354lb ft @ 5,850rpm Transmission ............... 7-speed DSG dual-clutch Max speed .............................................155mph 0-60mph...........................................4.1 seconds

History

The first RS3 came to the UK in April 2011.

Packing a 335bhp turbocharged five-cylinder engine from the TT RS sports coupé, the RS3 turned up the wick on the 261bhp S3 quite considerably. Its 332lb ft of torque saw it scamper to 60mph in just 4.6 seconds – no doubt helped by its standard launch control system – and an S-Tronic double-clutch gearbox and permanent ‘quattro’ all-wheel drive system (actually a Volkswagen 4Motionderived Haldex system with Audi fettling) helped it grip the roads like a limpet. Only available as a five-door Sportback, the RS3 ‘8P’ signalled that Audi had serious hot hatch ambitions, building a car with more firepower than the all-wheel drive Golf R. Initially only 500 RS3s were UK-bound, but so popular was it, that another 250 of the £39,930 cars soon followed.

The RS3 ‘8V’ hit the streets in 2015. The ingredients were very similar – a warbly and deliciously sounding five-pot engine, allwheel drive, Sportback body – but a power bump to 362bhp that eclipsed that of the hardcore Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG. This time, 343lb ft of torque helped 0-62 times tumble to 4.3 seconds before the new pocket rocket romped onto a top speed of 155mph. Owners could ask for the limiter to be removed, liberating a truly Top Trumpsbeating 174mph where conditions allowed – in a five-door hatch! Optional weaponry included magnetic dampers and wider 255/30 front rubber. More driving fun was

068 www.fastcar.co.uk

also guaranteed this time around, with the Quattro system dialled to push upto 100% of the engine’s torque to the rear wheels.

A wide-reaching update in 2017 heralded the arrival of the handsome £45,250 threebox RS3 Saloon, as well as a hike in power to 394bhp. Now firmly under the Audi Sport umbrella, the updated 8V RS3s gained enhanced tech including a 12.3in fully digital Audi Virtual Cockpit driver’s display. Audi Sport Edition versions arrived in 2019, the £50,285 RS3 Sportback and £51,285 RS3 Saloon featuring a black styling pack and gloss anthracite 19in alloy wheels. Inside,

8V RS3s can have the limiter removed for a 174mph top speed

carbon inlays and a panoramic glass sunroof signified the special edition.

A brand-new ‘8Y’ version of the RS3 looks set to debut later in 2021. Although it packs the same 394bhp under its more muscular body, torque is now 369lb ft, promising a scorching 0-62mph pace of just 3.8 seconds.

The biggest talking point is the new RS Torque Splitter, though, which makes its debut. Distributing drive torque between the rear wheels in a fully variable manner, it’s got mega-hatch aficionados and performance Audi fans very hot under the collar. The big question is: will it drift?

AUDI RS3 (2015-2021)

What to look out for

The RS3’s potent powerplant has won the Engine Of The Year award for eight years running

Based on sorted Audi and Volkswagen Group mechanicals with a proven pedigree, RS3s offer little to catch out the unwary. As with most used cars, a complete service history is worth its weight in gold. Regular maintenance by a specialist is a must, though, especially when it comes to the Haldex allwheel drive systems and DQ500 S-Tronic gearboxes. Interiors and body work present no notable issues and the engines can cope with huge power outputs, so there are plenty of reasons to get out there and get yourself an all-wheel drive mega-hatch!

Bodywork & Trim

Audis come with a 12-year anti-perforation warranty as standard as well as a three-year paint guarantee and issues are generally few and far between. The flared wheel arches can attract stone chips and, as with any used car, it’s sensible to check for any uneven panel gaps as well as obvious inconsistencies in the paintwork, which might point to hidden accident damage. Overall though, the RS3’s body seems to invite very few issues.

“We’re not really in the body work game, but we’ve not really seen any notable issues on these models that we’d have any cause for concern on,” says Al Brown, product and trade manager at Volkswagen and Audi part specialists Awesome GTI Ltd.

Engine & Transmission The RS3’s 2,480cc engine is generally tough and can deal with massive mileages. Winner of the Engine of The Year award for the 2.0-litre-2.5-litre category for a massive eight years running, the 362bhp ‘CZGB’ unit first appeared in 2015-2017 RS3s, based on the ‘CEPA’ engine installed in the 2009-2014

‘8J’ TT RS. These can suffer from a build-up of carbon in the cast aluminium-silicon alloy cylinder head, especially around the valves.

The 394bhp ‘DAZA’ arrived in 2017, but both have an almost unburstable reputation as long as they are regularly serviced and maintained.

“Having built a number of customer vehicles now running the TTE700 turbochargers, the ‘DAZA’ motor in the later 2017-2018 (67-68 plate) cars is an absolute gem of an engine,” confirms Brown. “Providing they see regular maintenance, they should last well.”

Some cars may have seen an update for the fuel pump module carried out by an Audi retailer, which replaces the lift pump module under the rear seat. If this hasn’t been done, constant cutting out at low speeds or when idling, or a refusal to start for around 10 minutes will be the tell-tale signs, along with a low fuel pressure error code.

The quattro permanent all-wheel drive

system installed on smaller Audis is in fact a Haldex multi-plate clutch arrangement which sends power to the rear wheels. The seven-speed DQ500 dual-clutch gearbox was designed for high performance engine outputs with up to 443lb ft, so it should very easily handle the RS3’s gobfuls of torque. Check that all gears engage cleanly, and watch for other common issues that include faulty Haldex clutch system pumps.

These give the game away by repeatedly illuminating the traction control light. Leaks around the bevel boxes or drive shafts should be replaced under warranty on later cars.

However, whatever you do, don’t skimp on servicing and maintenance as it’s a false economy. “The DQ500 gearbox is a good, strong unit; however it does require the S-Tronic oil and filter services to be done routinely,” states Brown. “Picking up a car that has had these forgotten or omitted

The RS3’s dual clutch gearbox and transmission can cope with big power increases

Defining car culture 069

FC BUYING GUIDE

could be costly. However, in general, as long as they’ve been well serviced and driven with a moderate amount of mechanical sympathy, we don’t see many major issues with them.

The prop shaft coupling bolts can be a weak spot for people who partake in regular ‘launches’ – for which we offer an upgraded ARP prop bolt kit.”

Chassis

The standard suspension is reasonable and not particularly problematic, according to Brown. “Many RS3 owners opt for a thicker rear anti-roll bar to dial out a little bit of the understeer that these cars can see,” he says. If you plan to regularly venture on track with your fast Audi, you may choose to consider more comprehensive suspension upgrades. “A complete coilover kit would be a welcome addition for fast road use and beyond,” Brown states. If the rear of the car sounds noisy, check that the rear shock absorber mounts have been changed, as early cars were fitted with the incorrect items

Servicing & Maintenance With any high performance car, regular

during the build stages.

“The cars come with a decent set of calipers from the factory,” Brown reports.

“However they are fitted up front with non-handed discs, which often result in them overheating one side on the front discs when used on the track.” This can be sorted by fitting upgraded discs. As with other performance machines, check the alloys for signs of corrosion or damage. The inside edge of the front tyres can wear very badly and is a known fault. Mismatched rubber and tyres from the more budget end of the scale should also raise eyebrows.

Interior & Electrics

Being an Audi, the RS3 is built to a very high standard and this is readily confirmed

by Brown, who reports no major issues with the interiors of the all-wheel drive hot hatch.

“There really is nothing to report. As with most VW/Audi Group cars, they are fairly well put together with very few reports of electrical gremlins or ‘fit and finish’ issues.”

Cool, classy and well built interiors are an Audi trademark

serving and maintenance not only protects the life of the vehicle, but also ensures it holds its value. A minor service every six months for cars that put on the miles costs around £179 from an Audi or VW specialist such as PSC. An annual service which includes oil and filter changes can cost £260, with a comprehensive 24-month inspection around £375.

Brown points out some specifics that will need their condition to be maintained to be in tip-top order. “The Haldex all-wheel drive system needs regular care. Removal of the Haldex pump and cleaning the pump strainer is necessary as the fifth-generation Haldex system used on these cars does not have a replaceable filter like the earlier generations do. Also keep on top of regular oil changes and the DQ500 S-Tronic gearbox; it’s heavily recommended to keep this in order to keep the car in good condition.”

If you should find the RS3’s stoppingpower wanting – and we very much doubt that you will – a complete Tarox front and rear disc upgrade with Ferodo DS Performance pads will cost in the region of £1,834 from a specialist such as Awesome GTI.

Top Mods

 Forge Motorsport turbo inlet pipe  Intercooler upgrade (APR/Forge/Wagner)  Milltek or Scorpion secondary exhaust catalyst deletes  Vagbremtechnic 362mm brake disc set with upgraded pads  034Motorsport rear anti-roll bar

Conclusion

Even the earliest 8V RS3s aren’t cheap but it’s a lot of car for the money. The hot Audi’s rarity doesn’t help to lower prices but there are plenty of cars around at lowish mileages to be enjoyed as a potentially appreciating modern classic. The raft of available modifications – those five-pot engines can be tuned to over 700bhp! – and unburstable mechanicals make for an enticing combination. Get out and bag yourself a warbling hot hatch wonder! 

Contacts

www.audirs3oc.com www.audi-sport.net www.club-audi.co.uk www.audiownersclub.com www.audiclub.co.uk

Prices

2015 Sportback:...........£25k (60,000 miles) 2018 Sportback:...........£42k (30,000 miles) 2020 Sportback:.............£52k (4,000 miles)

070 www.fastcar.co.uk

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.

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TUNING GUIDE

HYUNDAI I30N TUNING GUIDE

The Hyundai i30N is the underestimated gem of the hot hatch crowd, but it’ll more than hold its own against the usual suspects, especially when tuned.

We speak to expert tuners Courtenay Sport to give you a quick fire guide to hot up your Hyundai.

In 2017, the Hyundai i30N hit the hot hatch world with a bang.

Seemingly out of nowhere, the Korean manufacturer had pulled out a car that could take on the segment’s top guns and not only that, but beat them at their own game. Much of the hot Hyundai’s success came from the firm drafting in engineer Albert Biermann, who was previously the head of BMW’s revered M Division, and honed and developed the car at the legendary Nurburgring.

Packing either 250bhp in the N, or 271bhp in the N Performance model, straight out of the box, with braking, handling and build quality to rival the best in the game, the i30N should be overlooked at your peril, especially the N Performance model, which would be our pick of the bunch. And with top tuners such as Courtenay Sport now offering a host of upgrades to make the car even hotter, there’s no doubt that the i30N is the thinking man’s choice of hot hatch hero.

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It may not be the first name you thnk of when it comes to hot hatches, but the i30N can mix it with the best

The i30N was developed at the Nurburgring by ex-BMW engineer Albert Biermann

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

ENGINE

The Hyundai i30N uses a 2.0-litre, 16v turbo G4KH Theta engine, which comes with either 250bhp in the N, or 271bhp in the N Performance. The block itself is essentially the same unit as found in the Mitsubishi Evo X, but has been strengthened by being of a closed deck design, which means it’s also a great base for tuning.

First up is an option for those not wanting to get their hands dirty, and that’s a remap. A stage one map from Courtenay

Sport is a simple plug and play affair that boosts power to around 305bhp and 332lb ft. But if that’s not enough for you, then there are hardware upgrades you can make too. The stock inlet is superb, featuring big bore pipe work and a cone filter in the stock airbox, so gains in this area are hard won, with an induction kit making more of an aural improvement that any noticeable power increase. To this end, a simple uprated filter for the stock air box is recommended, which allows

HYUNDAI I30N

you to save your money for the exhaust system. The OEM exhaust is a roarty unit with pop and bangs aplenty, but it is quite restrictive, especially in the flexipipe, so a bigger bore replacement here does reap around 10bhp alone for around £170.

Combine this with a GPF delete or catback system from the likes of Milltek and you get a nice torque gain low down, plus an even better aural experience.

An uprated tube and fin intercooler from Wagner will also be worthwhile, as it flows better and has improved cooling properties, allowing more boost to be run. Combine these with a stage two map and you’ll be seeing around 325bhp and 350lb ft. Finally, any more will require a hybrid turbo and uprated fuel pump, but combined with a stage three map, outputs of up to 400bhp and 385lb ft are to be expected, making for a seriously rapid hatch.

SUSPENSION

The stock suspension is a properly sorted set up, with an excellent e-differential and electronic damper control via the steering wheel modes. If you want to retain this functionality, then simple lowering spring kits are available from Eibach and ST, but the ride does tend to suffer. A better, if pricier, option would be to upgrade to a full coilover system from the likes of KW. Their V3 kit with damper cancellation offers an excellent choice for lowered road driving, with superb handling and ride comfort, but you do lose the ability to adjust the damper settings from the driver’s seat. For those who want a more hardcore option or that want to do a lot of track work, the KW Clubsport kit is what Courtenay Sport recommends, along with adjustable camber bolts from Powerflex.

BRAKES

Unlike many other hot hatches, the i30N doesn’t use a swanky Brembo setup or similar and just makes do with its own braking system, lifted from a heavier model in the range. But far from a poor option, the stock brakes are immense, with excellent feel that gives plenty of confidence and power. Due to this, it’s worth limiting upgrades to a set of uprated pads from EBC for the road or some Pagid RS29s for the track, with a set of Tarox S2000 two piece discs a good option simply due to their lighter weight. Teamed up with some Goodridge braided hoses and your brake setup will be stunning! defining car culture 073

TUNING GUIDE

HYUNDAI I30N

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

The stock suspension is sublime, but coilovers are recommended for serious track work much functionality, but you could always get the stock wheel customised with wither a flat bottom, some carbon-fibre, or retrimmed to your taste by companies such as Royal Steering Wheels or Control Customs who can tailor the wheel to your own spec.

STYLE INTERIOR

The i30N’s interior is simple and stylish with supportive sports seats, a multifunction steering wheel and a multimedia screen dominating the centre of the dash. To be honest, there’s not a lot we’d change, but if you were looking to track your Hyundai, then Recaro do their excellent Pole Position bucket seats with i30N specific mounts and you can get a bolt-in rollcage from either Rollcages UK or JP Cages. It’s not recommended to fit an aftermarket steering wheel, as you would lose too

When it comes to styling the i30N, you’re pretty much limited to low-line kits including splitters, side skirts and diffusers from either Maxton Design or Zaero Design, but that’s no bad thing, as these make just enough impact to help the car stand out. Wheel wise, the N comes with 18in wheels from the factory, while the N Performance has 19in, so either size will fit no problem. Just ensure to select a lightweight option if you want to retain the car’s excellent handling, and it’s said that an 18in wheel with a quality 235/40/18 is the sweet spot for performance and ride, although the 19inchers definitely win in the looks department.

Large infotainment screen dominates the dashboard 074 www.fastcar.co.uk

CONCLUSION

It may lack the kudos and brand heritage of the likes of Honda’s Type R, VW’s GTi or RenaultSport and Ford’s RS monikers, but the i30N relies on much more than its badge and is a better car as a result.

In stock form it’s a belter, but with the potential to add 50% more power into the mix, plus make the already excellent handling and braking more focussed and potent and you’ve got a seriously impressive hot hatch for very reasonable money. So if you want to fly fast and under the radar, or you’re just not that bothered about the badge, you can pick up a three year old i30N for around £20k and have one of the finest hot hatches around.

CONTACT:

Courtenay Sport www.courtenaysport.co.uk 01692 404313

WWW.AUTOFINESSE.CO.UK

10 MINUTE TECH:

10 MINUTE TECH

BLOW OFF VALVES

Each month we quiz a specialist with 10 quickfire questions about a product to give you the knowledge you need to not only make the right decisions when it comes time to upgrade, but also to have the ammunition to impress your mates at your next meet. This month we speak to Turbosmart to get the lowdown on blow-off valves…

However, some more recent 1 WHAT ARE BLOW-OFF VALVES sound.

ECU systems require an element of 4 HOW DO AFTERMARKET AND WHAT DO THEY DO? this expelled air to be fed back into BLOW-OFF VALVES DIFFER TO A blow-off valve or dump valve – more the intake tract to keep the ECU OEM ONES? commonly known as a diverter valve or recirculating valve in recent years – is a valve built into the compressed boost side of the turbocharger or pipe work to allow the expulsion of excess boost pressure from the turbo system when coming off the throttle. Most blow-off valves (BOVs) work via a vacuum line, which allows the piston to open when the throttle is closed and release the pressurised air – however many modern cars now come with electronically actuated BOVs. This elevates pressure on the turbo itself and stops any excessive surge whilst allowing the turbine blades to continue spinning, resulting in greater longevity for the blades, shaft and bearings and allowing marginally quicker spool up between gear changes and throttle application.

2 ARE THEY ALL THE SAME?

In short, no. While they all effectively do the same job of allowing excess boost to escape from the turbo system, the way they go about this can vary.

Fully atmospheric BOVs vent all of this excess boost straight out into the air, which gives the trademark whoosh-tish

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happy (and prevent over-fueling due to a reduction in metered air volume by venting to atmosphere), which is where recirculating valves are used which plumb the vented air back into the inlet. Unfortunately, for some, the lack of noise with recirculating valves is a downside, so there is a third option called a dual port BOV, which gives an awesome atmospheric noise whilst still retaining enough air in the system to keep the ECU happy. The best of both worlds! Finally the latest range are direct electronic replacements that are often found on the latest generation of cars, however, they are usually (certainly in the case of Turbosmart’s EM range) billet aluminium casings, brass pistons and considerably faster electronics to operate the valve.

Quite often the stock dump valve is made of a plastic injection moulded material comprising a plunger with a rubber diaphragm that over time can fatigue and begin to leak, especially with increased boost pressure and heat.

Stock valves are also often smaller, which means they cannot flow enough air to fully depressurise the system, especially when boost levels have been increased. This in turn can cause compressor surge as the boost pressure struggles to escape and ends up trying to exit back through the turbo itself – which can be heard as a fluttering or ‘turkey gobble’ noise, as the air hits the still-rotating blades of the turbo.

3 WHAT ARE THEY MADE OF?

Generally speaking aftermarket blowoff valves consist of an aluminium body, a brass piston and a spring for the piston to work against. Depending on whether it is pneumatic operation or electric, they will either have a plug or banjo bolt vacuum take off.

Aftermarket BOVs do away with the rubber diaphragm and are often much larger, meaning no leaks and much higher flow rates.

5 WHY, OR WHEN, WOULD YOU NEED TO UPGRADE YOUR BLOW-OFF VALVE?

Many people upgrade their blow-off valve simply to gain the noise, which, even on a completely stock car is quite easy to achieve. However, the main reason to upgrade your BOV would be to improve performance and increase reliability. If your car is over 10-yearsold or is running higher than standard boost pressure, there is a good chance that your stock BOV could be either leaking – meaning you are losing power through reduced boost levels – or isn’t capable of flowing enough air – leading to potential turbo problems further down the line. For this reason, we suggest that an uprated BOV be one of the first considerations for upgrading when tuning a turbocharged car.

6 HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO GET THE RIGHT TYPE OF BOV?

Like most tuning parts getting the right blow-off valve can depend on what your goals are for the car. Are you just looking to add a cool whoosh-tish on your gearchange? Are you wanting to replace a leaking OEM valve on a standard engine? Or are you looking for the ultimate in performance to help reduce your lap times? Then there’s your specific application to think about.

What type of BOV you may need could depend largely on your ECU requirements and whether it needs to add some recirculation or can simply vent to atmosphere. Finally you need to consider space, as there’s no point in buying a big BOV that can flow loads of air if you can’t physically fit it in your engine bay. But whatever your needs there is something suitable in the Turbosmart range, from stock power, right up to big boost race applications and even the latest electronically controlled versions.

7 WHAT CAUSES FACTORY BOVS TO FAIL, OR NOT BE SUITABLE FOR THE TASK? DO AFTERMARKET BOVS SUFFER THE SAME FATE?

are mass manufactured and ultimately built to a budget for a specific power level and to ensure a good shelf life.

Once things are pushed, and you start running more boost and higher engine temperatures, the natural shelf life of the OEM product is shortened due to the cheaper materials and manufacturing process. By fitting an aftermarket valve, such as those from Turbosmart, you will eliminate these issues and have a more effective valve that will also last much longer.

8 WHAT OTHER MODS SHOULD YOU CONSIDER WHEN UPRATING YOUR BOV?

that the only downside is your fuel bill is likely to increase, as you will find yourself using boost all the time to hear that awesome blow-off noise!

10 OTHER THAN ENSURING YOU GET THE RIGHT ONE FOR YOUR APPLICATION, WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR WHEN BUYING AN UPRATED BOV?

It’s all about the R&D and testing!

Don’t buy the fiddly little kits that are available on the market or the cheap eBay junk, it will only fail and you will spend twice. Follow a brand that you know has strong technical facilities, partners and development platforms, such as Turbosmart, and you will love every second of ownership.

That could be a long list but one of the most useful is a boost gauge, as this way you can see if there are any boost related issues should the car feel like it’s down on power. It’s also great to check that you are hitting optimal requested Contact boost pressure. Another modification www.turbosmart.com that you could make while you are fitting a BOV would be to replace your factory rubber hoses with some silicone alternatives, as this will ensure the system remains in optimum condition with no air leaks.

The main reason for blow-off valve failure is usually fatigue in the plastic 9 ARE THERE ANY DOWNSIDES body itself, or of the rubber diagphram TO UPRATED BOVS? as a direct result of boost pressure and Some models can require a small heat. The valves present in most cars amount of maintenance, but other than

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NEW PRODUCTS

FRESH KIT

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

R

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TTS PERFORMANCE SUPERCHARGER KIT FOR FN2 HONDA CIVIC

The FN2 Civic Type R may not have the same following as its iconic forebear the EP3, but peel back that polarizing angular styling and you’ll find the same over-engineered K20 engine that is just begging to be tuned to the hilt. What the screaming 2.0-litre VTEC unit has in abundance is revs, but it does lack torque and that’s where naturally aspirated tuning struggles to really add gains, as it often relies on raising the stratospheric rev-limit even higher with peaky cams. No, the best solution to add meat to the K20’s power curve is boost, and the supercharger conversions from Silverstonebased TTS-Performance are some of the best in the business.

Using a range of Rotrex centrifugal superchargers, capable of boost pressures of up to 20psi, plus all the necessary ancillaries, associated belts, pipes, hoses, clips and even an intercooler, oil cooler and new filter needed to ready the installation for mapping, your FN2 can flex its new muscles to the tune of up to 600bhp! Kits are available in a range of supercharger sizes depending on your pocket and desired level of performance, and the best part of all is that on many of the kits you can keep your air con intact, making this conversion just as handy on your daily driver as it would be on a track weapon.

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THE ROTREX CONNECTION

TTS Performance has long been hailed as a respected specialist in the field of supercharging thanks to a colourful history of car, motorbike, jet ski and industrial generator forced induction conversions that it has carried out using Rotrex superchargers. The Silverstone-based company’s choice of blower is largely down to the fact that Rotrex units are almost silent in operation,even though they can be run at much higher speeds than superchargers from rival manufacturers.An ability for even the smallest of Rotrex units to run at 250,000rpm means that characteristics including increased boost levels, totally linear power delivery and instantaneous throttle response are achieved – features that will boost your car into hypercar levels of performance! defining car culture 079

QRC CARBON PARTS FOR MK3 FOCUS RS These new carbon-fibre upgrades from Polish composite experts QRC are taking the UK market by storm. Made from high-quality, pre-preg carbon-fibre finished in high-gloss, these lightweight parts are made the exact same dimensions as the OE plastic parts they replace, making fitting them a breeze. QRC’s first venture into the Ford market is for the Mk3 Focus RS, with the products available including a front splitter, front number-plate panel, front fog light surrounds, rear diffuser, engine cover and door mirror covers; prices start at £148 for the door mirror covers ranging to £2600 for the full kit. For more details head to the QRC website.

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REVIVE TURBO CLEANER Revive turbo cleaner is a range of safe, water-based, non toxic, non corrosive and non flammable fluids that can help restore your engine’s power and economy, reduce emissions and keep your turbo healthy. The treatment is simply sprayed into the vehicle’s intake system before the turbo inlet whilst the engine is running.

Revive’s patented formula then breaks down surface layers of soot and carbon deposits that can build up within your turbo and around your valve stems and seats. These tiny particles, which are no larger than the soot particles the engine naturally generates, then simply exit through your car’s exhaust system, making it safe to use on vehicles fitted with catalysts and particulant filters.

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AUTOGLYM UHD POLISHING COMPOUND UHD Polishing Compound is Autoglym’s ultimate paint renovation blend – an easy-to-work cream that is designed to get rid of swirl marks and other paint defects to rejuvenate your car’s bodywork.

The kit comes with 500ml of the polishing compound, 160mm soft and medium foam polisher pads, and a super soft finishing cloth.

As a paint renovator, it’s best used with a dual-action polisher, and as such requires experience and expertise to achieve best results.

However, careful use will provide the perfect base for the application of finishing products such as Ultra High Definition Ceramic Coating and Ultra High Definition Wax to give your car a show-ready shine.

Price: £54.99 www.autoglym.com

GOODRIDGE BRAKE LINE KIT FOR SEAT AND CUPRA PTFE-lined braided brake lines are an excellent addition to any tuned car as they firm up the pedal and offer a more direct feel and stronger stopping power. Goodridge, the global automotive performance fluid transfer systems manufacturer, has announced a new line of brake hose kits for Seat and Cupra applications; including the latest Seat Arona, Ateca, Ibiza, Leon, Tarraco and Cupra Ateca and Formentor models. Goodridge has been manufacturing hose assemblies for performance, OEM and motorsport applications for over 50 years now, working with some of the most well know race teams and top marque original equipment manufacturers in the world, and these latest kits benefit from all that knowhow. Each kit is a direct replacement for the OEM hoses, ready to fit as a costeffective braking upgrade to your OEM braking system or as the perfect addition to a ‘big brake’ upgrade. And with thirteen distinct colours to pick from, there’s no danger of any colour clashes!

Price: From £35.83 www.goodridge.com

080 www.fastcar.co.uk

FRESH KIT STATUS ER BOMB BAC This ultra funk but also an e essentials. T of the art DT

ABT EXHAUST AND WHEELS FOR AUDI S3 At the end of last year, ABT Sportsline began to supply the ABT Power performance upgrade for the current Audi S3 with the designation 8Y. Thanks to ABT Engine Control, the sporty compact delivers a hefty 370bhp.

In order to acoustically accentuate the increased power of the 2.0 TFSI, a new stainless steel ABT exhaust system has been developed for the S3 featuring 102mm quad tailpipes in a stylish matt black finish.

But that’s not all, as the world’s largest automotive aftermarket and performance parts specialist for Audi and VW also has three new rim designs for the S3 in its range. On the one hand, there are the 20in SPORT GR rims in both gloss and matt black, while on the other is the 20in classic 5-spoke design SPORT FR in mystic black. The 19in five-spoke ER-C Sports rim also perfectly emphasises the powerful appearance of the S3 and is available in matt black. The latter colour scheme is perfectly complemented by the matt black tail pipes of the ABT exhaust system.

Price: Various www.abt-sportsline.com

GAZ GOLD COILOVERS FOR VW GOLF MK7 The Mk7 Golf is a capable tool straight out of the box, but we all know that both handling and looks can be radically improved with uprated suspension and the Golf is no exception. The Gaz Gold coilover kit for the Mk7 Golf is suitable for street, track day and even outright competition vehicles especially those that have been subject to extensive power upgrades. The kit contains a pair of full coilover units for the front, with GAZ adjustable dampers, lowered springs and height adjustable spring seats for the rear.

Coming with 60mm of height adjustment means you have plenty of scope to get your car’s fitment on point, while the multi-grade high viscosity index fluid inside the dampers helps resist fade under extreme conditions. As well as height adjustment, the GAZ Gold units also feature bump and rebound damping adjustment that can be altered while on the vehicle by means of an easily accessible adjuster knob. All units are individually tested before leaving the factory and are covered by a two year warranty.

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HOONIGAN ‘TIRE SLAYER’ T-SHIRT Everyone loves a black tee, and this slick monochromatic item from Hoonigan fits the bill to a… tee. Known for their association with driving legends Ken Block and Travis Pastrana, Hoonigan knows all about burning rubber and this Tire Slayer t-shirt with chequered flag strip is a nice nod to the thousands of rubber bands destroyed by the petrol-loving pair.

Price: £24.99 www.amazon.co.uk STRICTLY STATIC OG CAP Keeping things simple with a classic camper shape and an adjustable clip back closure, this rad red cap from Strictly Static is just the thing to keep your bonse cool and covered when the sun is blazing.

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defining car culture 081

AUDIO & TECH

FRESH KIT

Indulge your inner geek with the best audio, visual and gadget tech around PIONEER SDA-11DAB DIGITAL RADIO ADAPTER Fed up with the limited choice of tunes on analogue radio? Then you need to get into the digital age and get yourself a DAB radio. And with Pioneer’s SDA11DAB adapter, you don’t even need to change your existing headunit. For a bargain £110, this nifty piece of kit can be installed into any existing factory stereo either wirelessly or hard-wired and also features Bluetooth technology to allow you to safely and legally answer your phone on the move. With great DAB performance opening up a whole new world of digital stations, you’ll be spoilt for choice, and its easy to use interface and menu system means it’s a cinch to set up and use, even while keeping your eyes on the road.

Price: £110 www.pioneer-car.eu

JL AUDIO ACTIVE MICROSUB ENCLOSURE

MEGUIAR’S MT320 DUAL ACTION POLISHER

Getting big bass in your ride doesn’t necessarily mean you need to cram your boot full of mammoth subwoofers, as there are a host of more modestly sized options out there that will happily produce prodigious bass at a fraction of the size. The JL Audio active MicroSub system is just 47cm long, 28.3cm high and 13cm deep and houses a single 8in W3v3-0.4 subwoofer. This mini air mover is powered by a similarly dinky 250W Class D amplifier which is built into one end of the rigid MDF enclosure, while a clever port design is located at the other. This combination may lack physical size, but the bass that it produces is far from small, offering an output usually only seen in far larger systems. The MicroSub is compatible with a large range of OEM and aftermarket headunits and can be easily disconnected if you ever did need to free up its tiny footprint.

Price: £580 www.celsusice.co.uk

Everyone likes a clean car,but few go to the lengths of compounding, polishing and waxing their four wheeled friend with a dedicated machine polisher. And while to many it would seem like a job best left to the professionals, with the right tools you can achieve that pro shine right on your driveway. The MT320 is a dual action polisher from detailing gurus Meguiar’s which allows users of all skill levels to get better results than by hand and deliver those results safely without damaging your paint or leaving behind any swirls marks. A thumb-adjustable speed dial and outer casing have been designed for a more ergonomic feel, and provides a speed adjustment between 3000-7500 opm for faster compounding, superior final polishing and easier waxing and to ensure you get the best possible finish every single time.

Price: £280 www.meguiars.co.uk

082 www.fastcar.co.uk

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By Matt James Azerbaijan Grand Prix winner Sergio Perez feared that his Red Bull-Honda would fail on the final lap of the restarted race as an hydraulic problem struck his Honda-powered car.

The Mexican inherited the lead when team-mate Max Verstappen, who had led the event from lap 18 and was steering a course to victory, suffered a tyre failure, which pitched him into the wall.

Perez fended off Lewis Hamilton during a two-lap restart dash to the flag as the Mercedes man slithered off the circuit at Turn 1. Hamilton recovered to 15th.

Perez said he was fearful that his machine would have ground to a halt before the end.

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“You thought that we could only lose when they got the restart, but thankfully it all worked out tremendously well, and Sergio did a great, great job.”

Report,page 4

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MOTORSPORT

DRIVER INTERVIEW:

HUBERT “TRUPO“ TRUNKENPOLZ

How did you get into motorsport?

I actually started my racing career on two wheels, not four, when I raced motorcycles in the National MotoCross Championship and later in the Superbike National Championship.

I started car racing very late in 2009 in the KTM X-BOW battle series.

What other series have you raced in?

I have also raced in the Creventic 24-hour endurance series.

What has been your racing career highlight so far?

I’d say that would have to be my 3rd place finish in the SPX Class in the 24 hours of Brno and the 24 hours of Barcelona. They were great races that I really enjoyed. It was a hard fought battle over such a long race, but to end up on the podium was an amazing achievement. Of course, my first ever victory with a KTM GT4 at

the Red Bull Ring in Austria, at its debut race, was also a big highlight of my racing career.

Which is your favourite circuit to race on and why?

That’s easy: Mugello in Italy. It’s such an intense circuit to drive with a fast long straight and some very technical corners. There’s a good reason that many F1 teams use it for testing. It’s a lot of fun to drive.

You currently race the new KTM X-Box GT2, what is that like?

The GT2s are really amazing cars! Whereas the standard X-Bow road car (which is a blisteringly fast open-top two seater) uses a 2.0-litre, fourcylinder turbocharged Audi engine producing 300bhp, the GT2 cars run a 2.5-litre engine and are tuned to 620bhp and only weigh 1050kg, with a more aerodynamic carbon-fibre cockpit and bodywork, so you can guess from the

CIRCUIT PROFILE: OULTON PARK

Each month, we’ll dissect one of the country’s top tracks to give you the edge on your next trackday Set in the beautiful rolling hills of Cheshire, Oulton is a spectacular (and long) circuit, and a very rewarding one for the driver. What makes it so great for the crowds is your proximity to the track, so you can almost feel the heat of the exhausts and smell the tortured rubber.

However, this comes at the price of less prevalent runoff areas, meaning caution should be advised – especially as Oulton is one of those tracks that just makes you want to push harder each lap.

From the awesome first Old Hall right-hander, through the almost blind downhill entry to Cascades, keeping your lines is key. As the track drops away and the camber works against

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you, this is easier said than done.

You can tackle Island Bend carrying a lot of speed from the straight and just back off the throttle rather than brake hard, making this a furious entry into the Shell Oils hairpin. Shell Oils is a rare beast, a fast hairpin, but it has a fairly steep camber, most pronounced at the base of the incline.

Try and smooth out the kink of Foulstons as much as possible for the drag up to Knickerbrook and the deceptively fast Druids over the double apex. After that you just have to watch the dip after Lodge and you’re on for a quick time.

Oulton Park is around 20 minutes from Chester and is easily reached from the A54 and A59.

CIRCUIT ESSENTIALS

ELECTRONIC WASTEGATE

power-to-weight ratio what they are like to drive. The acceleration and handling is simply mind-blowing, yet they are still fun to drive, as they are not so scary or difficult to handle like the GT3 cars.

How does it compare to other race cars/ series you’ve driven in?

It is very early days for this new series, as it only started in 2020, but I think it has a great future as there are amazing cars from many of the top manufacturers in the hands of experienced amateur drivers on the grid! So far it’s been really good fun and I am looking forward to the next races!

If you could race in any car or series, what would it be?

I would defiantly do endurance races and maybe some GT3 amateur series.

How do you prepare yourself for race day?

I tend to do some easy exercise in the morning with a short run and stretching, followed by

some light food and hopefully a good night’s sleep the night before.

What advice would you give to anyone wanting to get into racing?

You can make it if you really want it - try to connect to teams and other drivers to get a foot in the door and don’t give up!

If you drive a turbocharged car and are serious about performance, you need to ensure that your car’s boost control is on point, as it will not only maximise the potential of your car’s turbo, but also ensure optimum reliability and engine longevity too. And when it comes to boost control, Australian firm Turbosmart are the experts.

Their latest range of electronically controlled external wastegates are state of the art and are the go-to wastegates used in the KTM X-Bow GT2 series, allowing precision control from a compatible programmable ECU without the need for springs, hoses or boost reference signal, meaning much faster and more accurate opening and closing as a result. Add in class leading flow capacity and heat handling characteristics and you’ve got a potent combination for the ultimate in boost control.

Price: from £791.99 Contact: www.turbosmart.com

FAST FACTS

Track length: 2.69 miles (full circuit) Corners: 8 Highlight: The entry into last corner Lodge, a favourite for last ditch overtaking manoeuvres, and the stomach-lifting dip on the exit Price: From £139 Website: oultonpark.co.uk

defining car culture 085

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FAST PROJECTS

TOM’S 1967 VOLVO AMAZON COUPE It’s only bloody finished! And it made it to Player’s Classic in one piece! Hooray!

P090

DAN’S MAZDA RX-8 Lubrication breakdown sorted. Beefier brakes in place. What’s next?

P092

START FINISHED!!!!!

MAIN MODS: MORE FABRICATION WORK THAN YOU CAN SHAKE A STICK AT • AIR LIFT PERFORMANCE AIR RIDE

START NEVER FINISHED MAIN MODS: RESPRAY IN BMW AUSTIN YELLOW, TAROX BBK, OHLINS COILOVERS, ROTA WHEELS

MISSING IN ACTION

P000 OLLIE’S VW UP! GTI Ollie’s Up! gets some new rolling stock with OZ Super Turismo wheels and Nankang tyres START ALMOST FINISHED MAIN MODS: COBRA NOGARO SEATS, FORGE INDUCTION KIT, MILLTEK EXHAUST AND MORE

The FN2 gets its geometry sorted, while Dan gets his own skills topped up with a trackday

DAN B’S HONDA FN2 TYPE R

P000

DAN’S EP3 TYPE R

P000

START NEVER FINISHED MAIN MODS: GOODYEAR TYRES, EBC BRAKES, MILLTEK EXHAUST, HKS INDUCTION KIT

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

T

The refurbed SSR splits look the nuts

ale

After last year’s epic battle, the UK’s most famous detailing duo are back for round two…

Last season Tom’s R5 GTT build just pipped Dale’s awesome W114 build. In our eyes they were both winners, but this hasn’t stopped Dale wanting his revenge, so they’re both back with their new projects, and, of course, we’re here to document the builds. Bring it on…

Twitchy bum time doing the last few tweaks before firing up the Amazon

TOM’S ’67 VOLVO AMAZON COUPE Blood, sweat, tears and a bucketload of determination in the face of adversity has seen Tom’s Amazon cross the finish line to make its debut at Players Classic back on the gas again! But this time it’s not in a blind panic to get the car ready, but to enjoy driving it!

The final week leading up to the show was a tense time as Reflex Auto Design We made it! Bleary-eyed and running completed the flawless Volvo Light on little more than quadruple espressos Green paintwork and the Amazon was and Monster Energy, it was a relief moved back over to Deutsch Tech in when the Amazon finally rolled into Milton Keynes for the final assembly to Goodwood circuit, under its own steam, be completed. to take pride of place for the reveal at Once back at the MK HQ, the the Players Classic show on Saturday Amazon’s split rims, which now have 19th June. body-coloured centres, polished lips Throughout the build there has been and black barrels, could be reassembled countless issues to overcome and and the tyres fitted, taking extra care problems to solve, not least the whole not to damage the luscious lips!

Covid pandemic throwing a sizeable It was then on to the interior for the spanner in the works, but we can now new custom-made Cobra seats to be take our foot off the gas, and put it… fitted. These unique posterior perches Name: Tom Clarke Job Role: Marketer who oversees the UK marketing office, advert placement and key account marketing fulfilment

090 www.fastcar.co.uk

are based on the firm’s popular Nogaro design but with deleted headrests and retrimmed in black leather with a stripe of the original green vinyl running down the centres. Combined with the Scroth harnesses, they look awesome!

The final pieces of the puzzle were then to simply bleed the pedal box, fit the front bumper and get a base map onto the car’s ECU so we could start the wild turbocharged engine for the very first time.

This was another tense moment as, by this time, we had practically ran out of time, and if the engine didn’t play ball, we wouldn’t have the hours left to fix it. To say we were biting our nails at this point is an understatement. But we needn’t have worried, as the engine

All that’s left now is to give the old girl a good wash... anyone know a decent detailer?

Looking fresh in its Light Green paint the Amazon was a star of the show fired to life and the base map allowed it to idle smoothly and we could finally get the car moving and onto the trailer to make the trip down to Goodwood.

I had a little fun the night before the show, in that I posted on Instagram that the car wasn’t ready and we weren’t going to make it, which got a lot of tongues wagging. But the next day, we rolled into Goodwood and had an awesome weekend. All that’s left to do now is put a final power map onto the car and she’s good to go! To read more about the build, check out the full feature on page 58! Adios Amigos! ■ defining car culture 091

FAST PROJECTS

DAN’S MAZDA RX-8 After flying through the MOT, an oil pump issue called

The RX-8 in for some minor surgery at Knight Racer HQ

halt to the RX-8’s return, but not for long…

We were all smiles when the RX-8 sailed through its MOT last month.

After more than a year sat idle, we were worried that something might rear its ugly head and cause a problem, but after that 12 month ticket was issued we breathed a sigh of relief. But just a mile after leaving Knight Racer’s MOT station, we found the car was not able to rev past around 2500-3000 revs. We looked at the dash to see the check engine light was illuminated and knew something was not right. Luckily, we were still close by to Knight Racer, so we turned around and limped back to the garage for further diagnosis.

At first, we thought it may simply be a glitch that required disconnecting the battery to reset the ECU, but plugging in a code reader flagged an issue with the oil metering pump. A quick call to rotary specialists, Rotary Revs, confirmed it, with the advice to get a secondhand replacement, as new ones 092 www.fastcar.co.uk

from Mazda cost around the £700 mark!

We managed to source one from Mazda breakers Boston Rotary for just £65 delivered, so we were glad to not have to go to a main dealer to have our pants pulled down.

Unfortunately, being just before the bank holiday, we would have to wait a few days until the replacement part would arrive, so we had to leave the RX-8 in Knight Racer’s care, while we borrowed a friend’s awesome FD2 Type R for the weekend – big thanks Chris Presley, we owe you one!

When the part finally did arrive, we were surprised at how small it was, but it’s obviously essential, as it’s what pumps the oil to the squirters in the housings that lubricate the rotor tips.

Fitting the part was a case of removing the battery and tray and the driver’s side front wheel for access, but then it was just a few hose connectors and bolts to undo and it was removed

and replaced with our new secondhand part. Voila! Problem solved!

While we had the Mazda on the lift, it seemed rude not to add in an upgrade too, so we fitted a set of TarOx F2000 grooved rear discs and TarOx Strada pads. We’d been running a TarOx sixpot big brake kit at the front for years with excellent results, so thought it was high time the rears received similar treatment. We’ve yet to give the brakes a good work out since they were fitted, so can’t tell yet if they've radically improved stopping power, but they certainly look prettier!

Until next month! ■

THANKS TO:

Knight Racer www.knightracer.com Boston Rotary www.facebook.com/BostonRotary/

The RX-8's rotary engine is a mystery to some

The battery and tray had to be removed...

...to gain access to the faulty oil metering pump

Working pump ready for install

The new rear discs certainly look the part!

New TarOx F2000 discs and Strada pads

The Knight Racer guys gave the RX-8 a quick underbody check too defining car culture 093

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

ASTON MARTIN DB7

FERRARI MONDIAL

1985, 17000 miles, £43,500. Re-imported from the USA this is a cat-free car. Originally a Euro car sold in Germany and exported to California after just a few months by it’s original owner as he relocated there.

Please email dcx2012@yahoo.co.uk, South East.

107469

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

BMW Z3

FERRARI TRIBUTE

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.

108472

JAGUAR XJ8 2000, 19584 miles, £14,995. 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.

108738

FERRARI 308

2005, 48000 miles, £18,350. 4.25 Coupe. First registered on 30/12/05. Final Edition bay blue with ivory leather interior. Service history, sold with 12 month’s MoT. New front discs and pads. In beautiful condition. Please call 07598 328025, Yorkshire and the Humber.

107420

JAGUAR XK

JAGUAR XK8

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

LAMBORGHINI COUNTACH

1990, 4784 miles, £367,500. 25th anniversary, 5.2L. One of just 57 right hand drive cars. Recently subjected to a full mechanical recommission along with full paint enhancement and 5 year ceramic coating. Please call 01623 411476, East Midlands.

107912

MERCEDES-BENZ C-CLASS

2018, 18000 miles, £21,495. 2.0 C 200 Sport, 5 door, automatic. Estate selenite grey metallic exterior. Please call 0161 476 5915, North West.

107287

MERCEDES-BENZ SLK

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

2012, 10531 miles, £28,000. 5.0 Portfolio Coupe auto. Mint condition. Full Jaguar main dealers

service records, all documented (hard copy and electronic Jaguar service). Stratus grey metallic, cream full leather pack. Last service Jaguar car full inspection video showing excellence of this vehicle.

Please call 07963 349422, West Midlands.

107729

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

 

MG TF

PORSCHE 968

2005, 37000 miles, £6,295. Rare 80th Heritage Ltd edition 160vvc. Finished in Goodwin Green with a tan cockpit, wood finishes with black Alcantara sport seats. CAT D back in 2007, had slight damage to O/S rear wing which has since been repaired.

Recently featured in the MG Enthusiast magazine.

Please call 01932 241843, South East. (T)

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.

the Humber.

PORSCHE 968

VOLKSWAGEN GOLF

106969

108734

PORSCHE 911

1982, £43,996. 911 Targa (930). Full professional restoration over five years. Original factory colour, full nut and bolt engine rebuild. Less then 3k miles covered over last 11 years. Right hand drive, manual. Lots of paperwork and invoices. More pictures available on request. Please call 07721 539904, South West.

108822

PORSCHE 991

PORSCHE 993

1995, £199,995. This truly unique Porsche 911 is

the result of a Porsche enthusiast’s desire to create the ultimate air cooled 911 variant providing extreme performance and capability in all conditions, further enhanced on its arrival in the UK by Harry Metcalfe, British Motoring journalist and creator of Evo Magazine. Please call 01944 758000, Yorkshire and

106854

2013, 115000 miles, £6,200. Golf 1.6 TDI. Full service history, MoT till 25th November. Great first car, low insurance. 20” 3SDM. Bilstein Coilovers, Maxton spoiler tip. Water pump and timing belt, Dec 2019. Heater matrix replaced, Dec 2019.

New shocks all round, Feb 2020. Mechatronic unit replaced by VW, Feb 2020. Please call 07377 359860, South East.

1994, £22,995. Sport LUX. Finished in Speed Yellow with Black Interior, Colour Coded 5 Spoke 17” Alloys, Extensive Service History, 22 Service Stamps – All main Dealer or Porsche Specialists, includes 6 Speed Gearbox, Front Splitter, Koni Sport Adjustable Dampers, PAS, Electric Windows and 107834 Mirrors, Removeable Sunroof, Central Locking Etc. VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN Please call 01636812700, East Midlands.

106841

PORSCHE 944

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

1986, 120538 miles, £3,000. Porsche 944 Lux .Belts and water pump replaced, 4 new tyres, new 2016, 38000 miles, £21,495. Beautiful Pure White battery, brakes refurbished, immobiliser fitted, dry Tiguan R-Line 150bhp DSG with contrasting two tone garaged for the last 15 years. Please call 07411 interior. Comes with all paperwork and spare key 509039, Wales.

107859

present. Please call 02879633011, Ireland.

107192



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