The Car Thread

[Nocapszy]

we're going to go test drive one this weekend.
i've heard that they don't give test drives for those cars. i *know* they don't let people test drive STi.
personally... i think it's silly. my car is considerably faster than STi and i drive to prove it every day.

when i roll up in my highly-modded scoob i'll bring so much credibility they'll *have* to let me test drive one!
of course we won't tell them that i have no interest in trading my car for a BRZ.

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

we're going to go test drive one this weekend.
i've heard that they don't give test drives for those cars. i *know* they don't let people test drive STi.
personally... i think it's silly. my car is considerably faster than STi and i drive to prove it every day.

when i roll up in my highly-modded scoob i'll bring so much credibility they'll *have* to let me test drive one!
of course we won't tell them that i have no interest in trading my car for a BRZ.

Let me know how it goes.

One Series to rule them all

One of the first cars that made an impression on me at Gatebil was this 1 Series BMW driven by Daniel “Limmet” Liimatainen and prepared by Schmiedmann, a renowned and well respected BMW tuner and parts specialist in Europe. It’s not as wild as some of the cars that attend the Gatebil events, but it’s more about how the build has been executed.

A ground up build where everything has been clearly considered and well thought out. The welded-in roll cage looks at home in the tidy stripped interior. A digital dash replaces the stock clocks with the fuse board conveniently relocated to the centre of the dashboard.

The styling has been kept subtle – 1M front fenders, bumper and a carbon fibre CSL style trunk retain an almost factory look – akin to something BMW themselves might create.

Under the hood however, things are not so subtle – the 4.9 litre V8 S62 engine, sourced from an E39 BMW M5, has been boosted with a Vortech V-7 YSI supercharger.

As a complete package, this is sublime – responsive power, compact and light weight chassis with good lucks to match. What more could you want?

 

[Nocapszy]

why do i see two blow off valves on that car?
surely boost pressures from a supercharger aren't such that it needs more than one.
symmetry?

it is a gorgeous car...

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

why do i see two blow off valves on that car?
surely boost pressures from a supercharger aren't such that it needs more than one.
symmetry?

it is a gorgeous car...

I popped a half roll of quarters in my pants when I saw it this morning.

Many of the top drift teams run some pretty crazy hp figures, maybe the PSI coming out of that screw is enough.

I don't know.

EDIT: that car makes about 600 horses.

 

[Nocapszy]

EDIT: that car makes about 600 horses.

do they give any specs such as compression? maybe it's high enough [characteristic of bmw afaik] that they don't need high boost to manage that figure.
and yeah... to drift a big heavy beemer like that, it's nice to have a few extra bills under the hood.

edit: apparently, 1 series has the same weight as my mistress, impreza.

 

[jixmixfix]

niiiice that audi e-tron looks wicked, love them audis.

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

do they give any specs such as compression? maybe it's high enough [characteristic of bmw afaik] that they don't need high boost to manage that figure.
and yeah... to drift a big heavy beemer like that, it's nice to have a few extra bills under the hood.

edit: apparently, 1 series has the same weight as my mistress, impreza.

No compression figures. Either way you can tell they put a lot of though into the build.

I wouldn't mind trying to learn to drift one day.

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

CAR FEATURE>>RWB NAKAI PORSCHE 930

As we get closer to the end of the month and our all out on focus on Porsche, it’s time for me to finish up my Rauh Welt car features with the much-anticipated look at Nakai-san’s personal 1985 Porsche 930. This is a car over 12 years in the making, and in its current state it is definitely one of the most unique Porsche 911′s anywhere in the world. From its extensive bodywork to its laps and laps of racing experience, this car has been a testbed for all of RWB’s products, and as you saw in my previous feature, it has inspired Porsche owners all over Japan and more recently all over the world.

RWB is very well known for its bodywork and original parts, but with his personal car Nakai-san has taken things even further. Through its combination of engine/suspension tuning and weight reduction, Nakai-san’s 930 has been transformed into a track-going weapon with all the performance it needs to match its sinister Rauh Welt looks.

While it’s no secret that this car’s main purpose is circuit racing, it is still streetable. Nakai-san said that every once in a while he likes to hop in the car and head out to his favorite restaurant for some ramen. Originally, the car’s main purpose was street driving, but as Nakai got more into track racing, the car’s focus shifted from the streets and touge to race tracks like the nearby Tsukuba Circuit. All through the years, he has used this car to develop the parts which he sells and installs at his shop and to establish himself as magician of car style and race tuning. In this shot you can see Nakai-san cruising by us for a photo opp. I don’t think I will ever forget the sight and sound of this beast rolling down the tight Japanese residential street.

The best place to start on this car is the bodywork, and there is a lot to talk about there. As Nakai-san developed the car, he wanted to be sure that the bodywork would not get in the way of tuning and maintaining the car, and for this reason all of the body modifications are easily removable. This makes for easy access to the car’s undercarriage and suspension during those testing sessions at the track. In the photo you can see the rivets which hold on the RWB-original fenders. The giant rear wing is also a custom RWB piece (with a cool RWB mesh logo cutout) and I know it has to help keep the car stable when running through the final sweeper at Tsukuba. The wing is mounted on a custom FRP decklid.

The entire car has a very strong emphasis on weight savings and it is highly evident when looking at the car’s exterior. The doors, fenders, and even the roof are all constructed out of carbon fiber. Nakai-san also told us that he replaced the stock hood with one from a newer Porsche 993. With all of weight reduction, Nakai says that he has dropped a total of about 400kg (800lbs) from the car’s original weight and that it now hits the scales at just 980kg (2,100lbs)!

After all of the custom bodywork, Nakai sprayed the car in a coat of flat black paint, which as you read in our Rauh Welt shop story was inspired by American custom cars and hot rods seen in Japanese magazines. The Stella Artois logos on the side of the car are an homage to the Belgian beer which is Nakai’s brew of choice.

Here is a better view of the details of the fenders. The vents cut into them also add a nice visual element to a car that is all about the details. I’m sure you also can see the dirt on the car in the photo. As Rod stated in his earlier piece on RWB, Nakai-san isn’t into washing his cars and he feels that they are best left in their natural state of distress. On the same note, when we asked him if one his new projects would be appearing at Tokyo Auto Salon, he quickly replied with, “I don’t like car shows.”

Sitting underneath that huge rear wing is this fully tuned 3.8L engine. As with many other high powered Porsches in Japan, the car’s engine work was done by Promodet in neighboring Saitama Prefecture and the naturally aspirated powerplant breathes through a set of carburetors from PMO in Santa Monica, California. The carbs also dominate the engine bay visually. The American theme continues with a trick MSD ignition system and the lovely song of the flat six is heard through an original RWB exhaust system with a pair of mean-looking tailpipes.

We like to keep things pretty simple as far as technical specs go, and when all is said and done the engine makes 360hp with a redline of 8,500 RPM. 360hp might not like sound much when compared to the newer turbo machines, but considering how light this car is, it is a very potent combination.

As far as the drivetrain goes, Nakai-san is running the 915 model Porsche five-speed transmission, and although it’s not the easiest unit to operate, it helps to save weight and space. The final gear in the differential is another RWB original developed from circuit experience.

As expected, the interior of the car is all about function. There is a custom roll cage in place and for extra weight savings Nakai-san swapped out the stock dashboard for a one-off carbon fiber replacement. Aftermarket gauges have also been added and the cluster is dominated by a big fat Autometer tach which can be seen through the OEM Momo steering wheel. The digital lap timer also fits with the race car nature of this machine. Lastly we have a CD deck but apparently it’s not hooked up to anything…

Rounding out the interior is a pair of original RWB-branded bucket seats, one for Nakai-san and one for any person crazy enough to take a ride with him,…

The car has been equipped with both Work Meister S1′s and SSR Professors, and recently it has been running a set of SSR’s in the same custom RWB specs as the ones on the green car I featured last time. 18″x11J +0 in the front and 18″12J -33 in the rear in case you forgot. The rubber consists of high grip Bridgestone Potenza S-tires with Idlers Club lettering.

Like nearly all of the cars tuned by Rauh Welt, it is sitting on a set of fully adjustable RWB coilovers custom-made by Aragosta. As you can see, the ride height on these things is dialed in quite low. With a mild stretch on the tires and the flushness of the wheels, the stance of this car is just perfect.

Although the car is featherlight, Nakai-san didn’t hold anything back when choosing a brake set-up. You can see the set of gigantic Endless brakes that barely manage to fit behind the spokes of the wheel. When looking at these things up close it creates a sight of mechanical beauty. Nakai certainly gets his money’s worth out of these brakes with all of his trips to Tsukuba Circuit.

When I was shooting the interior of the car I noticed that Nakai-san’s helmet was resting on the seat alongside the fan that keeps him cool while driving, and I couldn’t resist taking a photo of it. While the car has an incredible overall presence, it is also full of details that reflect Nakai’s personal style and it’s those things that help make this car what it is.

Just another shot to showcase the beauty of this car as it basks in the afternoon sunlight beside the Rauh Welt shop.

And finally a view of the car in its natural environment at Tsukuba . During last month’s Idlers meet, Nakai-san took second place in the Super Cup race finishing just behind another Porsche which was also loaded up with his parts. Nakai says that his car’s best lap time on the Tsukuba 2000 course is somehwere in the 58 second range, which is an amazing time for an older non-tubro car like this one.

While the car is a great performer, it also important to note how Nakai-san wanted the car to be fast, but not at the expense of having bad style. “What’s the point of racing a car that doesn’t look cool?”, he says. All in all I’d say he managed to get the perfect balance of both.

In the end, this machine has all the makings of a fantastic car. It’s scary fast, it sounds awesome, it looks amazing, and most importantly it is overflowing with character, style, and an attention to detail that we know can sometimes be lacking in today’s car builds.

It doesn’t get any better than this.

Rauh Welt

-Mike Garrett

 

[Nocapszy]

well... i'll tell you one thing.
it doesn't make me want stella artois. everything else i want more of.

 

[Werewolfen]

I've always loved old custom VW Bugs. There's so much that can be done to them. They can be chopped to give an old vintage look, parts are cheap, easy to work on, economically good on gas considering how old the engine design is. The sky is really the limit on what you can achieve with one in both looks and performance.

I've been looking locally for something like this for quite awhile.

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

I've always loved old custom VW Bugs. There's so much that can be done to them. They can be chopped to give an old vintage look, parts are cheap, easy to work on, economically good on gas considering how old the engine design is. The sky is really the limit on what you can achieve with one in both looks and performance.

I've been looking locally for something like this for quite awhile.

That bug is pretty gnarly lookin.

I hope there is some more motor to go with the visual changes.

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

THE JOURNEY TOWARDS WTAC 2012 BEGINS

It’s been a tough last couple of weeks for the Japanese teams that will be participating at this year’s World Time Attack Challenge (WTAC) down in Australia. With everyone after a win, or at least a podium finish, there has been a ton of fine tuning, testing and developing that needed to be done and after seeing continuous updates being posted on Facebook I thought I’d go and check the cars out for myself this morning.

Today is the day that the five Japanese cars will be loaded into their respective containers and shipped off down under, and it all began early this morning at the Daikoku docks in Yokohama. I was told to rendezvous with the various teams at one of the many warehouses on the wharf, where some of the cars had already been dropped off. After arriving and wandering around for a bit…

…I happened to stumble upon the RE-Amemiya Hurricane 7, the 2011 Tokyo Auto Salon GT300-bodied FD3S that Ama-san built for time attack duty. The car never actually competed in any event in Japan since being put together, so the guys at RE-Amemiya have been working extra hard trying to set it up during a few outings at Fuji.

The racecar-looking FD was hidden away in between some wooden crates and big industrial equipment. It almost looked lonely sitting there all by itself. Aside from the additional M7 graphics and the new Enkei RS05RR concave wheels it looked pretty much the same as when we all saw it last year at TAS, most of the changes done to the suspension set-up and ECU settings.

Not too far away was this pallet with a set of semi-slick Yokohama A050s marked with the RE-Amemiya logos.

Meanwhile outside, Under Suzuki and the Scorch Racing crew had arrived and immediately began to unload the S15.

After revising the front end of the Silvia for this year’s time attack season, it seems the rear end needed some attention. If you recall back in February they discovered there was just not enough rear downforce to balance out the front…

…so Under Suzuki, seen here tailing to Daniel from GCG Turbos…

…designed and created all-new bolt on rear overfenders to help push the rear end to the ground.

You really have to take a look at it from the rear to get the idea of how much wider the S15 is now. When I asked Suzuki-san if he was able to feel any difference after his test sessions at Tsukuba and Fuji, he said that there have been so many small changes to the car it’s hard to pinpoint where the extra stability comes from. He also plans to make a full underbody cover/diffuser for the car next year; there was just not enough time this time round.

Another change is the extended carbon trunk lid, which now sports an integrated lip spoiler.

As the team started to push the lightweight Silvia towards the warehouse it was then that I noticed just how long the rear extractors are! Good thing they wrapped them up as they extend well over the trunkline.

The car was pushed to another side of the warehouse where…

…surprise surprise a couple of other cars were waiting. This year Pan Speed has ditched the FD3S and decided to participate with their completely rebuilt RX-8 time attack car. Since we last saw this crazy machine back at the Roadster and Rotary Meeting in Sendai Hi-Land last fall it has gained another 150HP thanks to a naturally aspirated 3-rotor engine. Pan Speed were concerned the heavier engine (+30 kg over the NA 13B that powered it before) would upset the car’s balance, so shaved 30 kg of weight off thanks to an even more stripped out interior featuring tons of dry carbon.

Top Fuel, in collaboration with Voltex (who have stopped working on the Cyber Evo), had driven all the way up from Osaka to deliver their new and improved S2000 which has been totally reworked with even wilder aero…

…developed in the wind tunnel to deliver the highest amount of downforce possible. The front and rear spoilers had been removed, as well as its suspension raised up, in order to facilitate loading and unloading into and out of the container.

Nobuteru Taniguchi will be the man driving the S2000 at Eastern Creek, the first time he participates at the event.

A little detail of the front headlight intake that helps feed fresh air to the big HKS turbo. Yes that is snake-skin-like vinyl on both the headlights and roof!

Here is a proper rear view of the Scorch S15. It was already the wildest time-attack Silvia in the world, now it’s even more extreme!

Save a few body panels Suzuki-san’s car is almost all dry carbon. Here is a close up shot of the T&E Vertex dry carbon roof the car was fitted with last year.

GCG are partners of Pan Speed so even if the RX-8 has no turbos, it still proudly wares the GCG logos on each side of the carbon hood. Here is Daniel carefully placing the stickers in place.

Outside there was tons of other stuff that teams needed to unload from their trucks. Everything you see above is what Scorch Racing and Under Suzuki are shipping off along with the car. There are lots of spare wheels and tires as well as parts and all the tools they could possibly need. After lots of unexpected problems prematurely ending their outing last year, they aren’t taking any chances this time round!

And in case you are wondering where the all-new, bright orange, Cyber Evo was…well it never showed up. Garage HRS and Tarzan Yamada had a short test session at Fuji this past Sunday where Tarzan realized that some last minute fixes of the new C-West designed body were needed. The car was taken back down to Osaka, the fixes taken care of and then transported back to Garage HRS in Yokohama last night. They were still busy finishing things up this morning, but I am told it arrived safe and sound at the docks later in the afternoon. So I guess we will just have to wait and see it in all its newfound orangey glory down in Sydney!

WTAC 2012 is shaping up to be one hell of an event!



WTAC 2012 official website



-Dino Dalle Carbonare

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

Black Bridge Honda CB400

It was only a matter of time before the nascent custom motorcycle industry started to blossom in China. We already have Bandit9: now here’s another recent start-up, Black Bridge.

Black Bridge is the nom de plume of Beijing-based Adrien Macera. Macera has been tinkering with motorcycles for as long as he can remember, but this Honda CB400 is his first commercial build. “The bike was for a friend who owns a bunch of restaurants in Beijing,” says Adrien. “We normally ride on trackdays with a group of friends. But for this project, he asked if I could build a smaller-capacity cafe racer, for commuting around town.”

It’s a pretty impressive result for a new workshop. After all, there isn’t the parts availability or network of builders that we enjoy in the west. But this CB400 has a squat and purposeful stance that belies its capacity. A lot of that comes from the CBR600RR front end—complete with Tokico brakes fed by a Brembo master cylinder. At the back, the frame was chopped—to fit the custom seat unit—and is suspended by Showa shocks. A beautifully crafted underslung exhaust system completes the aesthetics.

There’s a lot of aluminum fabrication on this machine, not only for weight reasons, but also to reduce corrosion. That includes the tank, seat pan, battery box, headlamp bowl and assorted bracketry.

Keep an eye out for the Black Bridge name. Hopefully we’ll be seeing more from Adrien Macera in the future.

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

TIME ATTACK LOVE: GARAGE KAGOTANI RX-7

When does passion turn into obsession? There is a fine line between doing something for a bit of fun and devoting all your spare time to a particular hobby. When it comes to the Japanese time attack scene it’s hard not to use Under Suzuki as the perfect example of this, a pharmacist by trade but a car builder and dedicated lap-time-hunter every second of free time he gets. Even Suzuki-san himself had no idea where his unrelenting obsession for speed would lead him and what an inspiration to so many enthusiasts out there he would become. He is synonymous with the Battle Evome time attack series, coincidently the same event that led me to come across this Garage Kagotani-built FD3S.

As we gear up for the 7′s Day coverage I thought this amateur time-attack RX-7 would be another perfect rotary to look at, a complete opposite to the Revolution RX-8 we saw earlier on. There are no big budgets here, no prohibitively expensive custom-made dry carbon, only a great deal of passion and need to go faster which as you will see is pretty effective at pushing enthusiasts like Dr. Wada, the owner of this FD, to get closer to their goals. Dr. Wada, a surgeon, has always seen time at the track as a kind of downtime from the operating room, a way to unwind and do what he loves most. However it didn’t take long for the time attack bug to hit and the modifying began. After seeing the FD in action I decided to meet up with Dr. Wada and Kagotani-san at Tsukuba…

…to chat more about this car they have slowly developed over the years. It just so happens that this was also the shakedown test of the newly rebuilt engine, now sporting a bigger and more serious single turbo set up. Aesthetically the FD wears a ton of parts from the Garage Kagotani catalogue…

…starting off up front with the bumper, which features very large intakes to aid cooling. Carbon fiber canards and an underspoiler are much needed additions to help maximize front downforce, while to help shave weight off and give a more streamline look, the pop-up headlights were replaced with fixed RE-Amemiya units. Modifications continue with a Kagotani carbon fiber aero bonnet…

…and wider front fenders, which as we can see here just about manage to contain the Volk Racing CE28Ns.

From the rear the FD rocks the unmistakable RE-Amemiya look, obtained thanks to the addition of the side skirts…

…and riveted-on over fenders. Kagotani added his own carbon aero skirts that are apparently functional at adding stability at higher speeds. More and more time attack cars in Japan are positioning wings as high as possible to boost rear downforce, the Kagotani carbon GT-wing…

…on this FD is no different, set high on its aluminum and adjustable stays.

The Garage Kagotani diffuser helps to stabilize and further push down that rear end, helped along by custom side canards. There is also a transmission oil cooler fitted back there, taking advantage of the air passing in between the diffuser and the car.

The Volk Racing CEE28Ns were chosen for their lightness and for the fact, that despite their age, they still look as cool and as functional as the day they were released! The matte bronze rims measure 9.5J across with an 18-inch diameter and run Yokohama Advan A050 in 265/35R18 all round. Seeing the car has shed substantial weight, the stock Mazda 4-pot front calipers have been able to keep up with the power and overall performance upgrades, but to make sure the braking is resistant to fade Rdd slotted rotors were added along with high-friction PFC pads. At the heart of any serious track car there is always a serious suspension set up, and here Aragosta Type-SS 3-way adjustable dampers take care of that. These top of the line dampers are mated to Hyperco springs, now running a slightly softer rear rate, to allow for more squat under power in order to maximize grip when exiting corners.

Prior to the last round of modifications Dr. Wada’s FD was still running the stock twin turbo set up, perfectly fine for power levels up to and just over the 400 HP mark, but no good for anything substantially over that. With a goal of 500 HP…

…Kagotani-san and Dr. Wada decided to mate the already side-ported 13B to a large single turbo, big enough to flow a suitable level of air for the agreed upon power-level, but still small enough to offer good response. It was decided…

…that the Trust T78-33D would be a perfect choice, taking advantage of the 13B’s strong exhaust pulses and able to flow enough air for 500 HP at just 1.1 bar of boost. The bigger turbo obviously called for more fuel, which is supplied by a pair of Sard 1000 cc/min primary injectors and an additional set of same sprayers for the secondary pair.

An HPI intercooler is plumbed in place thanks to some custom aluminum piping, which then connects onto the GReddy intake elbow, feeding the stock plenum with the cooled and compressed charge. Engine management is handled by an HKS F-Con V Pro piggyback ECU, mapped by Kagotani for optimal mid-range response.

Here is one of the six bracing points of the complex AutoExe strut tower bar, which has been painted blue to sort of match the chassis. The rebound settings on the Aragosta dampers can be adjusted on top of the damper…

…while the low-speed and high-speed compressions via the two dials on the piggyback tank.

Dr. Wada was busy on the day getting used to the extra 100 or so horses that his FD was now generating and gradually dialing in the boost…

…not to mention fine tuning the suspension, that now not only had to cope with more power but different springs.

This FD hits the scales at 1,150 kg and to achieve this weight pretty much everything that wasn’t needed in the interior was relegated to the trash. The 4-point Cusco bolt-in cage may not have the same effect of a dedicated custom-fabricated item, but it does the job, boosting torsional rigidity and in the case of an accident protecting Dr. Wada.

There is only one seat, a lightweight carbon-Kevlar Recaro SPG bucket fitted together with an OMP harnesses. Only the main section of the dashboard has been left in place…

…joined by a set of Apexi gauges mourned in a carbon fiber instrument pod. There are plenty of gadgets to fiddle around with like the HKS lap timer and boost controller, not to mention the NGK A/F meter…

…but it’s the shifter assembly that will instantly grab most people’s attention. Fast and seemingly instant shifts are one of the most effective ways to shave time off a lap, and this is one area of the car that Dr. Wada didn’t want to make any compromises over. That’s way channeling the 500 HP to the rear Cusco RS LSD is a 6-speed Quaife sequential transmission mated to a twin plate Exedy clutch and supplying very reassuring mechanical clunks at each pull of that custom lever. Nothing gets you more respect at a soukoukai event than running a sequential ‘box!

Again from AutoExe is the rather complex looking rear strut tower bar, which doubles up as a chassis brace helping stiffen up that particular area of the shell.

With the car having already dipped under the all-important 1-minute barrier at Tsukuba…

…Dr. Wada, seen here tackling turn one, hopes to eventually make it into the 57-sec, something that will be more than possible once the suspension is set up properly.

I’m sure we will be seeing a lot more of Dr. Wada at the next Battle Evome soukoukai this coming winter, and if he does manage to hit that 57-sec lap you can bet we will be there to see it!

Are we getting pumped for 7′s Day yet? Wanna see more JDM rotary goodness?

The oil cooler in the rear diffuser is fucking sick. Not to mention the crazy strut brace under the hood.

The sequential box seals the deal. I always loved rx7s, but this thing takes it to another level.

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

The Power Plants of Time Attack

To quote the famous advertising tag-line, ‘Power is nothing without control’. This is of course true: be it 2,000bhp or 200, if you cant put the power to use on the tarmac it’s useless.

But on the flip-side, what’s the point of control without a huge pocket-full of power with which to exploit it?

That’s the main interest in Time Attack for me: everyday cars with extraordinary engines and power figures to match. So for my coverage of Time Attack I thought I would take a look at the engines behind the cars.

The Nissan VR38DETT is a pretty astounding piece of engineering as standard.

Pull it to bits, replace all the internals with uprated Cosworth items and throw some uprated turbochargers into the mix, and it becomes a totally different animal. 500 or so BHP soon becomes 950.

It’s a testament to Nissan’s build quality that even with almost double the horsepower this R35 still runs a stock gearbox and diffs. The fact it still has a tax disk and MOT and is totally legal to drive on UK roads just makes it more insane.

The Mitsubishi Evo is the weapon of choice for many. The unassuming four-cylinder turbo motor can take on many guises though.

The engine just seems to be infinitely tuneable.

This is the powerplant of Time Attack’s 2011 champion Gavin Renshaw. A 2.3-litre Mivec engine, stage three head and T04Z turbo all add up to 750bhp.

With such high outputs under the bonnet, heat can be major factor in reliability. Ceramic-coated exhaust manifolds help to keep the heat down.

Nissan’s legendary RB is still well represented in Time Attack.

From the amazing RK Tuning R32…

…to Marcus Webster’s GT4294R huge power monster.

A turbocharged straight-six is still one of my favourite sounds.

Cosworth are well represented in Time Attack, with the YB finding many homes. The Escort…

…and the Sierra is where you would normally expect to find the YB lurking.

But this is one I had not come across before. A YB in a Fiesta!

For me the true home for the YB Turbo will always be the three-door Sierra Cosworth.

The old-school Ford CVH turbo brought back memories of my late teens.

This Eurospec CRX caught my eye walking around the pits…

…with its supercharged fully-forged K20 producing over 400bhp.

Tiny but fierce!

It was great to see the Vauxhall XE still in use.

In its day the XE-powered Astra GTE was the hot-hatch to have. Add that engine with a few tweaks to a lightweight Corsa chassis and you have the perfect ‘my first Time Attack car’.

A Ford Fiesta powered by a Zetec on throttle bodies…

…built by legendary Ford engine builders Burton Power.

Subaru’s EJ engine is not what you would call a ‘looker’…

…but built with Carrillo rods, Cosworth pistons and a GT35/82 turbo packing around 650bhp, looks are irrelevant.

In fact one of the most iconic engines of all time is probably one of the dullest to look at.

Opening the bootlid of a 964 Turbo shows a little of the potential held within.

I’ve been a fan of the Time Attack Metro 6R4 since I did a spotlight feature on it a few years back.

Much has changed since my feature. Gone is the normally aspirated three-litre Jaguar V6, replaced with a genuine 2.8 6R4 V6.

…with of course twin turbos. Power output? Safe running at 500bhp with the potential of 800 when needed. Crazy!

I know they are not really Time Attack entrants, but it’s not everyday you come face to face with a genuine piece of F1 history. I was amazed to see the Cosworth V8 running a pair of distributors rather than coil packs. Still, it was 1990 and 12,500rpm and 650hp is not to be sniffed at.

The Judd 3.5-litre CV V8 powering the Lotus produced similar power at slightly less RPM. Hearing these engines fire up in the garages is something you dont forget.

I’ll sign off with a gratuitous shot of the Lotus in full swing round a rather sodden Brands Hatch.

 

[Nocapszy]

you have excellent taste, biscuit.

a friend posted an image earlier. i fixed it for her.

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

you have excellent taste, biscuit.

a friend posted an image earlier. i fixed it for her.

Thank you for saying so.

The love I have for cars is unnatural, and addicting.

THE QUATTRO OF POWER

It’s quite easy to become desensitized at Gatebil. There is something about every single car present that you can appreciate, but every now and then you stumble upon something that stops you in your tracks. This brilliant red LWB Quattro not only stopped me, but when I heard the figures, I think I died for a brief period due to overexposure to sheer awesome.

We’ll start at the back with a rear radiator setup which helps balance the weight ratio along with freeing up space in the engine bay.

Not that there is much of an engine bay left.

It may look slightly comical, but I’m sure it does serve a purpose. Interestingly, the man responsible for this is the same person who created the famous Gatebil 1000BHP E34 M5 from a couple of years back which has starred in a million different YouTube videos.

Those numbers I was talking about? 2.5 5 cylinder Audi engine with 790BHP & 860KGs in weight. That’s 918BHP per ton power to weight ratio. A Veyron SS is around 627BHP per ton weight for reference.

I think I need a lie down …

 

[Nocapszy]

that's outrageous. 918:1 is absurd.
our new friend, BRZ makes less than 200:1, and that thing is not a slow car.

my scoob will make around 300:1 when i'm done building/tuning [only at 260:1 as of right now] and my car already scares many of my passengers as it is.
i'm curious what the g-force figures on a quarter mile run in that car would be.

i also wonder about the gearing they chose for the trans.
i'll be reading when i get home.

 

[Ism]

I want a bananamobile.

http://www.entrepremusings.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/yellow-car450x338.jpg

 

[entropie]

Toyota Yaris Hybrid

67 mpg or 3,5 l/100km. You can drive about 620 miles and need 9.2 gallons for that.

Acceleration is like a 75 HP Golf. Nothing spectacular. Topspeed is 105 mph, which is too slow for Germany but could suffice in the states.