Lancia Stratos HF Zero: The Future, From The Past – Speedhunters
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Imagine for a moment, we’re living in the year 1970. The Boeing 747 has completed its maiden commercial flight; English rock band The Beatles have just announced their breakup; and NASA’s Apollo 13 has made its way back to earth after major issues. The average family car is a three-box design and enthusiast models generally offer performance by increasing engine capacity over their commuter-based siblings.
When the Lancia Stratos HF Zero concept was revealed at the 1970 Turin Motor Show, it was a a revelation compared to everything else on offer. Walking past this very car at the 2022 NEC Classic Motor Show a couple of weekends back, I almost missed it completely given its diminutive size.
Prior to the Turin event, Italian automotive design houses Bertone and Pininfarina had, for a short while, sought to outdo one another, each revealing their own concept car. The Bertone-designed Lancia and Pininfarina-designed Ferrari 512S Modulo squared up in 1970, but the Lancia was ultimately the more extreme vision of the future. It was also a fully running concept, whereas the Ferrari was not.
The Zero measures a scant 84cm (33in) to its roofline, a challenge that Bertone took on to see how low a car could be built. This had a practical significance as well, aiding aerodynamics. Bertone sought to not only break the predefined rules of what a car should look like, but also give an insight to, and ultimately usher in a new era of automotive design.
The headlights comprise of numerous bulbs along the front edge, with the taillights hidden in the circumference of tinted red plastic around the rear.
Rearward vision is somewhat limited, with an external central mirror and small side mirrors tucked into the back of each wheel arch.
Lifting the triangular engine cover exposes the 1.6L V4 engine good for 115hp. The engine, gearbox and entire subframe assembly along with suspension was taken from a crash-damaged Lancia Fulvia at the Lancia factory. This drivetrain was chosen primarily for its low deck height, being canted over at 45 degrees.
The interior is no less subdued than the exterior with the hinged windscreen connected to the steering wheel by way of a hydraulic linkage, so as one tilts away so does the other, allowing for slightly easier ingress and egress. No, there aren’t any doors as such.
Dashboard dials are tucked away in the panel to the driver’s left, along with toggle controls for the essentials.
Bearing more than passing resemblance to the Lancia Stratos HF is no coincidence. While not a direct forerunner, the Zero generated enough interest for Lancia’s top-floor management to continue the relationship with Bertone and ultimately green-light the Stratos as a production car.
Today, this one-of-one Stratos HF Zero lives with its owner in the USA, who has a penchant for what can best be described as ‘wedge’ cars. The equally outlandish Aston Martin Bulldog also resides in his custodianship. The Zero was in the UK as it had just been given a light restoration here.
I don’t believe we’ll ever live to see another era in which such creative automotive visions for the future take place. While safety understandably takes precedence, most cars nowadays are led by the finance department first and the design department second, which is a shame. This glimpse into what could have been certainly isn’t a bad one.
Meet Your Heroes: The BMW M1 Procar – Speedhunters
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A Throwback To 2010
If there is one car that’s really struck a chord with me over my years as a Speedhunter, it’s the BMW M1 Procar.
My first sighting of an M1 Procar is a little bit fuzzy in my mind to tell you the truth, but I distinctly remember the first time I ever heard one. It’s not a memory I’ll soon forget.
It was 2010, and I was on my first press trip to the Nürburgring 24 Hour with KW Suspensions. KW had arranged a small group of US auto journalists to attend the race, which I somehow became a part of. I’ve learned that in these instances, it’s better to stay quiet, keep your head down and just hope nobody realises that you probably shouldn’t be there…
It was a typical press trip with tours, presentations, introductions and particularly nice food. While some of the assembled media were happy to absorb as much hospitality as possible, I was itching to get trackside and shoot anything on the Nordschleife. I wasn’t alone. Another photographer who had travelled from California was pretty keen as well. We had only previously spoken before via the Dieselstation forums, but it didn’t take long for Mr. Klingelhoefer and I to hatch a plan.
While we had been allowed some time to shoot trackside on the first couple of corners of the GP circuit, you don’t come to the Nürburgring 24 Hour to shoot within the safety and confines of the GP-Strecke. Especially when you know what awaits you just over the hill.
So, when the very kind KW public relations person was looking the other way (sorry), Sean and I jumped into a media shuttle and basically begged the driver to take us anywhere on the Northern Loop. I don’t think I even had roaming enabled on my phone in 2010, so once we left the paddock, we were essentially MIA. Again, sorry KW.
We lucked it with our driver, who went out of his way and drove us through the camps, along muddy pathways and brought us as close to the track as humanly possible. So much so, that this was the sight right in front of us when we stepped out of the van. What a way to be introduced to the Nordschleife for the first time.
We immediately started walking up the hill from Steilstrecke to the world renowned Caracciola-Karussell. What you might not be aware of is how remote the Karussell is. It’s not really near anything of note.
It was while walking up this hill that I heard an M1 Procar at full noise for the first time. Despite there being a full grid of N24 Classic cars on track, all of which were making their own brilliant noises, there was this distinct sound louder than anything else coming towards us.
In retrospect, and based on how long it took for the car to appear every lap, I reckon we could hear it leaving the village of Adenau on its way to the Karussell.
While not particularly fast when compared to the GT3 cars running in the main N24 race, there was nothing competing that weekend which came close to sound this M1 Procar made. In fact, short of V8-era Formula One cars, I don’t think there have been any cars I have photographed since which match the M1 Procar for its aural qualities. I’ve never heard a video or audio clip that can do them justice.
For the next few years covering the event, I always made a point of ensuring I was trackside for the N24 Classic practice and race sessions to take in whatever Procars might have been competing.
But it’s not just the volume of the cars; it’s the quality of the sound. There’s just something about the distinct tone of this naturally aspirated straight-six screaming to 9,000rpm that I just cannot put into words.
It was at this event where the wheels were finally put in motion to arrange an in-depth shoot of one of the cars pictured above, which happens to live around 30 minutes from where I call home.
Unfortunately, scheduling and Covid put a big delay onto this shoot, but earlier this year it actually happened. I finally got to meet one of my heroes.
Just to break the fourth wall here a little bit, despite how often I have been around this particular car, it’s quite something to be left completely alone with. It’s a special moment which I will forever treasure.
This isn’t just any M1 Procar either, if there can even be such a thing. It belongs to the Martin Birrane Collection at Mondello Park, and is the car which Mr. Birrane won the Group B class in 1982 at the Le Mans 24 Hours alongside Edgar Dören and Jean-Paul Libert. They completed 307 laps and managed to split first and second place in the C2 class in the overall standings, while finishing ahead of numerous C1 category cars.
When Mr. Birrane re-acquired the car some years later, he chose to have it repainted in its original BMW Motorsport colours as opposed to the Le Mans-winning #151 MSW livery.
The origins of the M1 Procar Championship have been well documented. Conceived by Jochen Neerpasch, BMW’s then head of motorsport, and Max Moseley over a few gin and tonics, the one-make championship became a support race on the Saturday afternoon of eight F1 weekends in 1979, pitching the top five F1 qualifiers against some of the biggest names in sports and touring car racing.
It was a simple idea which proved to be enormously successful. I suppose the lure of big prize money didn’t do the championship any harm in attracting names like Lauda, Stuck, Regazzoni, Piquet, Winkelhock, Bürger, Fittipaldi, Mass, Reutemann and many more.
That the top five F1 qualifiers would occupy the first five grid spots with the rest of the M1 Procar grid breathing down their necks from the off only added to the spectacle.
While we know of the legend of the M1 Procar now, and its well deserved icon status, it wasn’t actually meant to be this way. It was originally conceived to compete as Group 5 race car, but a complicated development and production process meant that by the time it was finished, the Group 5 homologation rules had evolved and the M1 was ineligible. So, it went racing in the Procar series as a Group 4 car instead.
Eventually, and perhaps a couple of years too late, several Group 4 cars were converted to Group 5 specification, while Sauber built two of the only ground-up Group 5 M1s, which you can read about in detail on Petrolicious.
They weren’t particularly successful in Group 5, although they did enjoy limited success, which is perhaps why the Group 4 specification Procar is the more renowned of the two.
There are a lot of fascinating things about the M1 and its Procar derivative. There were multiple points during the car’s development where had things gone just a little bit differently, it might never have existed, or could have been a completely different car to the one we have come to know.
As BMW’s first mid-engined car, the aforementioned Jochen Neerpasch commissioned Lamborghini to design and assemble the chassis, which was handled by their own Gianpaolo Dallara. While Dallara created what is widely regarded as a great chassis, Lamborghini’s then financial troubles meant that they wouldn’t be able to produce anywhere near the 400 cars required for homologation, which forced BMW to pull the plug on their involvement.
Instead, the same chassis design was produced by then new Italian company called Marchesi, based not far from Sant’Agata, which evidently consisted of ex-Lamborghini staff who were familiar with the M1 project.
It was Giorgetto Giugiaro, considered by many as one of the greatest car designers of all time, who was responsible for the body work which was bonded to the chassis by his company, Italdesign. By the time the cars eventually arrived back at BMW Motorsport, they still required significant work as the previous stages of manufacturer did not meet BMW’s own strict standards.
Hence the delays, and how we ended up with the Procar. An accidentally brilliant outcome, truth be told.
Despite the car’s complicated history, both the resulting road car and race car were a high point in BMW’s history. Hans-Joachim Stuck recently told Automobilsport that driving the M1 Procar was incredibly easy. “The car wasn’t tricky at all. It was a good handling, very neutrally balanced mid-engine racer with manual transmission, no ABS or anything like it, just the basics. It was a fantastic car to get in and have great fun.”
Coming back to the day of the shoot, I found this a fascinating car to explore and pore over. Even with my limited grasp of race car engineering, it’s pretty easy to look at things and figure out how they work or why they were done a certain way.
With the exceptions of a modern seat, harness and fire suppression system, the car is pretty much as period correct as can be, so you get a proper appreciation for what it would have been like to race one in 1979. There’s so little of anything, anywhere in the car. It’s all so remarkably (and brilliantly) simple. There’s not the abundance and complexity of wiring, control units, sensors, screens and switches as you might find in a contemporary car.
There’s also not as much attention paid to safety either, so there is that to consider.
Behind the gold meshed 16×11-inch front BBS wheels is an ATE brake system with ventilated discs front and rear. The braking system features dual master cylinders with an adjustable brake bias valve.
Underneath the rear, you can see an oil cooler for the differential and 5-speed gearbox. The rear wheels are 16×12.5-inches and Mondello choose to run the car on a semi-slick Avon tyre for all-weather use.
The suspension is double-wishbone, front and rear, with Magnesium uprights, Bilstein coilovers and fully adjustable front and rear anti-roll bars.
As the cars were all as identical as could be, any performance advantages were generally exploited with corner weighting, geometry changes and wing settings.
Its party piece, however, is what sits behind the driver. The dry-sumped, 3.5-litre, naturally aspirated inline-six. Or, the M88/1 in BMW parlance.
Although the original plan for the M1 was to receive BMW’s first V10 Formula 1 engine (which ultimately didn’t happen until 2000), they then pivoted to a new inline-six based on the BMW M49 engine from the 3.0 CSi race car. As the M1 was planned to be a road and race car, BMW’s priority was to finish the 400 production cars for homologation first. As the M49 wasn’t suitable for mass production, it had to be adapted with regards to ease of production and emissions standards. A new DOHC cylinder head was the primary change to achieve this.
Paul Rosche, whom had already had success designing BMW’s F2 engines in the 1970s and who would go onto create their turbocharged F1 engines, the E30 BMW M3’s S14 and the McLaren F1 S70 V12, was responsible for the engine. He described the M88/1 (Procar) and M88 (road car) engines as being “close brothers”.
Both were dry-sumped, both featured ITBs and both ran a Kugelfischer mechanical fuel injection setup. The latter of these was a challenge as they wanted to use this fuel injection setup on the race car, so it had to be homologated on the road car, which had strict emissions requirements. They obviously made it work, but not without great difficulty.
The resulting 470hp at 9,000rpm might be some of the most impressive figures ever created, although again, these number weren’t created without issues. One problem they faced as the 1979 season approached was the torsional vibrations caused by the long crankshaft at high revs would force the crank’s vibration damper to come loose. The short-term fix was to double the amount of bolts securing the damper to the crank from six to 12, while long-term a lighter flywheel and other lighter pieces of rotating mass inside the engine solved the issue.
An anecdote I learned while researching this feature was that at the very first Procar race in Zolder, the drivers were instructed not to exceed 9,000rpm. Of course, one driver couldn’t help himself, edged past 9,000 and was immediately overtaken by his own crank damper before retiring from the race. Racecar drivers, eh?
The M1 Procar, and other cars of its ilk, are just so special. They’re from an era which will likely never be repeated; a sweet spot in motorsport and automotive history where things were just the right balance of old and new. That modern cars are so much faster is irrelevant.
This is one of a few cars which I will always be able to appreciate from the outside as just to be in its presence is a gift in and of itself.
While this car is technically a museum piece, it’s wonderful to see and hear it in action so regularly. Just as it should be.
2022 Volvo XC40 Recharge Twin Ultimate in Thunder Grey Metallic(a$695 color choice) 2022 Volvo XC40 Recharge Twin Ultimate Course: Electric Vehicle Miles driven: 400 Battery capability: 78 kWh CG Report Card Area as well as
Comfort B+ Power as well as Performance A Fit and Finish
A Fuel Economy A Value B-Report-card qualities are stemmed from a consensus of test-driver analyses. All qualities are versus various other
cars in the
same course. Value quality is for details trim level examined
, and also may not show Consumer Guide’s impressions
of the
entire model lineup. Big & Tall Comfort Huge
Guy B Tall Guy B+Big & Tall comfort scores are for pole positions just.”Big “ranking based on male tester considering roughly 350 extra pounds,”Tall”rating based on 6’6 “- tall male tester. Drivetrain Engine Specs 402 horsepower Engine Type Electric electric motors Transmission Automatic Drive All-wheel drive EPA-estimate MPGe: 92 city/79 hwy/85 integrated EPA-estimated driving array: 223 miles Customer
Guide vary estimate(excellent problems):
223 +miles Base rate:$58,150(not including
$1095 destination fee)Options on examination automobile: Special paint($695), warmed guiding wheel($150)Price as checked:$60,090 Quick
Hits & The great: Better-than-expected guest and freight space within clean exterior dimensions; snappy acceleration; interior feels and look well high end The excellent: Comfortable;
youthful-yet-sophisticated
designing The not so good: Complicated infomercial system; not quite
as much range as some EV rivals, uninspiring guiding and taking care of CG Says: New to the Volvo
U.S. schedule for
the 2021 version year
, the all-electric XC40 Recharge delights in a variety of updates for the 2022 design year. You can
review our full report of the 2021 design below. For the new year, the XC40 Recharge is supplied in 3 newtrim degrees: Twin, Twin Plus, and also topline Twin Ultimate
. Only one trim level was usedin 2021. Range is improved for 2022. The 2021 XC40 was EPA rated to take a trip 208 miles on a complete fee, the 2022 is currently
ranked at 223. In Consumer Guide testing– during a period of battery-friendly light temperature levels– we saw range price quotes as high as 280 miles, qualified results based on our evaluation. Our top-trim Twin Ultimate appreciated a premium-level cabin, cut in top quality material as well aslots of soft-touch surface areas. Indeed, the whole drive experience is polished, with trip high quality, audio levels, and audio-system performance all deserving of deluxe lorries setting you back far more than our test auto. As
we’ve noted in the past, the XC40 Recharge isn’t particularly sporty, with drab guiding feeling, as well as demonstrating considerable lean in edges. That stated, Volvo’s tiny electric crossover is quick– really fast. It’s fast from a quit as well as around community, as well as facilitates work
Social media is among the deadliest time assassins. Its next greatest rival would be those ‘it will only take a second’ jobs we embark on, knowing damn certain they will take much longer than a second.
Typically, I pride myself on sidestepping most social media arguments. When I see something I don’t like I keep scrolling, or better still, I put my phone down and move on to whatever I should actually be doing. However, I do have my trigger topics, and about a month ago a friend of mine said something I simply couldn’t let stand: ‘Wagons are the worst form of any vehicle’.
I tried to write him off as just another crazy Floridan, but shockingly several people from across the globe co-signed this blasphemy with digital upward-pointing thumbs and animated hearts. Worse still, they added their own sacrilegious comments about wagons too.
Having sworn off daily drivers with trunks nearly a decade ago, this entire line of thinking sat ill with me. Are wagons the worst? Impossible.
In terms of practicality, I can’t see how wagons are not the ideal union of function and form. A wagon allows you to have your cake, eat it, and carry the table on which you dined. And all this without demanding you ride necessarily high above the ground in a truck, or one of the many SUV blobs currently roaming the roads.
OK, perhaps I am being a little harsh towards SUVs, considering we just featured a rather tidy one. But the beauty of Speedhunters being a collective of authors is that we can present opinions both for and against nearly any automotive topic.
So, to answer the question Rick posed in his recent article, my opinion on modern performance SUV offerings is that as long as wagons exist they will remain redundant.
More Is More
We North Americans are entirely too good at accumulating large items. Hobbies require sticks, bats and pads. Jobs demand tools, suitcases, displays and changes of clothes. Kids? Well, kids need all of the above and more. If you’re looking for a vehicle that can run the line of fun and is purposeful, a wagon is hard to beat. Just ask Paddy; he opted for a wagon over a hatch simply because he needed more space. If all goes to plan, I will one day follow his lead.
The rest of the Speedhunters? I can only assume that they’ll all eventually see the trunk-less light too.
Cool wagons are far from a new concept. Volvo 850s are legendary – especially in DTM trim – and General Motors boasts noteworthy examples in both their current and back catalogues, including the formidable Cadillac CTS-V. BMW has some heavies in their new model quiver too, while the E30 Touring and 540is are noteworthy classics.
Currently, perhaps the best-looking wagons on the road are those produced by Audi. That includes the feature of the day, an Audi C8 RS6 Avant.
From the factory, this wagon features a twin-turbo 4.0L V8 that puts down just shy of 600 horsepower and 600ft-lb of torque. The RS6 Avant is definitely no slouch, and it looks mighty fine thanks to a sporty roofline and an unobnoxious ride height.
CSF: Cool Stationwagons Forever
Ravi Dolwani is no stranger to making the cool, cooler, both literally and figuratively. As the owner of CSF Radiators, every car he owns ends up with at least a few CSF products installed alongside the latest and greatest from other tuning houses.
This project is more of the same, but Ravi approached it with some level of restraint as his family very recently grew in size with the addition of his firstborn son. So with that consideration, Ravi has managed to modify this car reasonable enough to remain useful for family errands, yet captivating enough not to seem out of place at the SEMA Show, where it was displayed earlier in the month.
Ravi started with a stellar colour. Goodwood Green Pearl brings out the aggressive lines of the RS6’s design in an elegant manner. Outside of a deck lip spoiler, all of the C8’s visual modifications are present from the belt line down. The carbon fibre front bumper apron, side skill extensions and rear diffuser are all care of Urban Automotive.
Audi aficionados in the US will have surely noticed the headlights and taillights, both oh-so-desirable Euro-spec items.
Audi’s dynamic suspension sees an altitude adjustment thanks to a lowering module from CETE. Ravi admits that it feels a bit “boaty” at times due to its size, but the power under the hood and all-wheel drive help make up for the somewhat sedate driving feel in comparison to his BMW M5. To bridge the gap between this car and his M5, he’s also added ABT front and rear sway bars.
Just a few years ago, 22-inch wheels would have never been mentioned in a practical context, but in this instance the deuce-deuces look appropriately sized for the generous 196.7-inch-long wagon.
The bronze wheels are Titan 7 TC-5 models in 22×10-inch all around. They’re +10 offset square, but Ravi has added 3mm spacers in the front and 5mm spacers in the rear to bring them out just a hair. Michelin provides the 285/30R22 Pilot Sport 4S tires.
In classic VAG owner OEM+ fashion, modifications in the cockpit are rather subtle. Anything that could be wrapped in leather is, and what couldn’t be is swathed in Alcantara.
The attention to detail exists right down to the RS Design package seat belts that match the stitching in the seats, dash, door panels and the flat-bottom steering wheel. The latter is another Euro-spec item that Ravi has added, as is the Alcantara headliner and cup holder cover.
The details don’t stop there, though.
While the piano black center console is a factory fitment, the matching front and rear ceiling grab handles are not; these are Audi OEM items from the S8. And as much as I’ve been poking fun at SUVs, the Lamborghini Urus has come through with the assist here via billet shift paddles.
One of Ravi’s favourite upgrades is the radar/laser jammer system, which is neatly integrated both with sensors in the front and rear bumpers and the main control unit/display inside the cabin next to the rear-view mirror.
Performers Gotta Perform
Ravi dipped into his own parts booklet under the hood, fitting the Audi with a CSF High Performance Twin Intercooler kit. Eventuri offered up a carbon fiber engine cover and intake system for the car, and Akrapovič provided the stainless steel down and link-pipes along with the titanium exhaust system.
With a VF Engineering tune in play the RS6 performs better than it looks, and it looks pretty damn good.
I don’t mean just for a wagon either. This car is stunning and – again in my opinion – a far more appealing option than any performance SUV.
I know the line between wagon and SUV can be blurred with the right modifications, but I maintain wagons are better. This is my hill and I’ve chosen to die on it; won’t you join me?
Four Flavors Of GT-R Tuning At R’s Meeting – Speedhunters
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As always, there were countless amazing GT-Rs at this year’s R’s Meeting, and as a follow-up to my main event post, I thought I’d take a look at four personal standouts.
Where to start? With the GT-R that had everyone talking – the Built By Legends R33.
Like BBL’s R32 Skyline GT-R demo car, this build, a client commission, was a three-way collaboration between Garage Yoshida for the chassis prep and paint, Mine’s for the engine and mechanicals, and Built By Legends for the direction and fine details. But there was also input from the car’s US-based owner when it came to specifying some personal touches.
I’ll be diving into all that in the full feature we have planned once the car’s BNR34 Getrag 6-speed transmission has been fitted and matching propshaft made up, but I couldn’t wait to share some of the details.
For a start, the engine proudly displays the ‘MB7′ logo, which represents the Mine’s/BBL partnership and 7, the highest spec offered (there are three specifications to choose from – 3, 5 and 7). That means it runs HKS’s Step 3 Stroker Kit that increases capacity to 2.8L, a cylinder head processed at NAPREC to Mine’s specification, and a host of other upgrades that together see the engine perform with high response. The green finish on the valve cover and intake is another classic Mine’s touch.
The latter is carried through to the exterior, with a deep green tinge to the carbon fiber front lip spoiler and rear wing assembly.
You’ll also find the green touch applied to the interior, which has been upholstered in Alcantara across all the trim and dash.
The Recaro seats really pop in this fabric finish. It’s a modern look, but executed in an almost period-correct way.
The Mine’s flat-bottom steering wheel is a great finisher, but the thing that really hits home is the Mine’s cluster with an odometer that reads zero. It’s a visual reminder that this really is no longer a 25-year-old car; it’s been refreshed to such an extent that it’s better than how brand new R33 Skyline GT-Rs rolled off Nissan’s production line in 1997.
I also really like the custom-refinished RAYS Volk Racing 21As, which have a similar feel to the multi-spoke/mesh BBS wheels that Mine’s used back in the day. Behind the forged wheels sit AP Racing brakes to ensure the 600 or so ponies being generated under the hood can be reined in efficiently once they’re fully deployed.
This build is exactly what you expect it to be – a restomodded R33 GT-R put together by true legends in the game. What do you think?
Next up, we’re off to the Garage Mak booth for something quite different – an R32 GT-R packing almost twice the horsepower of the Built By Legends R33.
It’s doesn’t take much time looking under the hood to substantiate the power claim. Joining the fully-built motor is a jumbo HKS T51R and HKS’s V-Cam system, the latter a must-have for drivability and boost pickup when you’re running such a big turbo on the street.
Deleting the exhaust cam position sensor is slowly something I’m seeing more Japanese GT-R tuners do, even though Australian GT-R tuners have been doing it for well over a decade now. That sort of shows Japan’s reluctance to do things differently, but with companies like HKS offering their versions of proven modifications, things are changing.
Look a little closer and you’ll see that the T51R does have some extra help to wake up the mid-range a little quicker.
Move around the back and you can see where the nitrous oxide is stored, along with something else. Seeing the compressor, you might be forgiven for assuming that the car is running air suspension, but that’s not the case.
It all makes sense once you take a look in the cabin and see that the gear stick is missing.
The latest R35 GT-R steering wheel replaces the R32 unit, not so that Garage Mak could utilise the buttons, but rather because of the two shift paddles behind the spokes.
These control the air-shifted actuation of the OS Giken OS-88 6-speed sequential gearbox, which happens through a rather rudimentary rose-jointed rod that pops out from under the center console armrest.
It’s definitely a unique solution to using an old school sequential transmission with a modern style of shifting. And to be honest, it probably functions better than hand-actuating the OS box on up-shifts, as they’ve always required a solid pull on the lever to properly engage the next gear.
Another GT-R that caught my attention was one inspired by perhaps the most legendary Skyline race car of them all – the Taisan R32 that Keiichi Tsuchiya drove in the Japanese Gr.A championship when the model was new.
What you’re looking at is basically a road-going version of the race car, a way to bring the raw Group A feel, sound and performance to the street. The R32 is privately owned, but was pieced together by people who have worked with the GT-R platform for decades.
For example, the BNR34-based engine was built by an experienced mechanic at Reinik. It uses forged components within, but the capacity remains close to 2.6L.
This was a bare-chassis rebuild and runs a full bolt-in roll cage, not quite as extensively braced as the welded cage in the race car, but sure to provide some extra chassis rigidity.
To keep things period correct, analogue gauges are used throughout – a cool touch.
The ride height and combination of Nismo LMGT4 wheels wrapped in sticky Yokohama Advans keep the Group A vibes flowing.
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Tsuchiya-san actually bumped into the GT-R’s owner while testing cars at Sodegaura earlier this year, and got a chance to do a few laps around the track. Have a look at the video above; Tsuchiya was seriously impressed at how authentic it felt and called the engine the “ultimate RB.”
To finish off, I think it’s only fitting that we give a little space to those shops out there that prefer to focus on aesthetics, like Rush Motor Sports from Gifu.
With so many shops out there now doing full wide-body carbon versions of older GT-Rs, it was only a matter of time before the same thinking was applied to the R35.
Sitting on 20-inch Yokohama GT wheels, this build certainly received its fair share of attention in Fuji Speedway’s top paddock.
I love the color choice, a subtle tip of the hat to the Midnight Purple III used on the BNR34, albeit applied in a way that the underlying carbon fiber weave remains visible.
There’s still more from R’s Meeting to come, and in my final story I’ll be nerding out on some of the new GT-R tuning parts on display at the event. Stay tuned for that!
How To Solve The 2nd-Gen 4Runner’s Biggest Problem – Speedhunters
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The second-gen Toyota 4Runner is one of my favorite trucks. Its simple, utilitarian design is paired with bulletproof reliability and quality materials that last for decades.
This is why I picked up a Hilux pickup — or Toyota Truck as it was creatively called here in the US — for myself a couple years back. They are great vehicles, but one glaring shortcoming is their extreme lack of power. Going up steep grades I will sometimes find myself buried in third gear; they really are that gutless.
Scott Kanemura has a reasonable solution for this problem, which he’s implemented on his ‘5150Lux’ 4Runner: 1,200 horsepower.
In V6 spec this truck would have produced 150hp when new, and the four-banger version even less. Multiplying the power output of a vehicle by a full order of magnitude necessitates far more than just a simple engine swap, of course. Scott says that essentially just the shell of the Toyota remains, with a full chromoly tube frame taking the newfound chassis loads.
The power plant is an obvious one, and family-correct, too. The 2JZ-GTE has been fully built and stroked to 3.4L and features a beautiful fabricated exhaust that terminates through the passenger-side fender. It even has a muffler, but something tells me it’s still going to be a fair bit louder than the truck’s original engine. I love that someone has gone this far with a chassis like this, which the engineers at Toyota could have never imagined when this body style was originally designed in the late 1980s.
Then there are the wheels – 3-piece Volk Racing Gr.Cs, which left the RAYS factory in 17×7-inch sizing, most likely in the late-’80s/early-’90s, so period correct for the truck. In Scott’s possession they’ve been stepped up to 18-inch and are now much wider at the rear. How do these fit, you might ask? We’ll get to that in a moment.
Another cool exterior detail is the 3D-printed air inlet that’s integrated into the grille, through which turbocharger is able to suck cool, fresh air. The number of parts made from additive materials seemed to have increased exponentially at this year’s SEMA Show, and I would expect this trend to continue.
Inside, a set of custom-fabricated fixed-back bucket seats have been installed along with a composite dash and a polished aluminum console that houses a ratcheting shifter. The seats have minimal padding, and I feel like I might be terrified to be parked in one at speed. There is an Alpine stereo in the dash, though, so it appears that Scott can still jam out on his next grocery run.
If you thought the front of the cabin was barebones, the rear has been completely stripped and tubbed to accommodate the widened wheels and seriously meaty rubber. One of the things I really like about this build, though, is that it still looks nice back here. There are brushed aluminum panels, a bit of carbon fiber trim, and the cage is aesthetic. Often drag cars — and even show cars — will neglect to really finish off details like this, where as Scott’s truck feels intentional throughout.
You’ll also notice that the truck has a fabric soft top, à la Volkswagen Bus. Best of all, it took me a while to realize that this JZ 4Runner was parked up right next to an ultra-pearlescent McLaren P1. At the SEMA Show, builds like Scott’s take the cake.
As a builder, Scott has come a long way from his 1972 Hilux that Keith Charvonia featured in a Speedhunters spotlight from 2015.
I’m not sure what comes next after a truck like this one, but hopefully there are plenty of high-speed passes in Scott’s future before he moves on to another project.
Could we be experiencing peak GT-R right now? With the insane attention Nissan’s performance icon is enjoying globally, I feel like I’m living back in the year 2000!
Except it’s better than that, because there’s never been a more ideal time to fine tune, modify and perfect these cars. In my mind, it’s led to a GT-R rebirth of sorts.
Last weekend’s R’s Meeting, once again held at Fuji Speedway, had an electrifying atmosphere – something I hadn’t experienced since its very early days.
I’m not sure if I am interpreting this right, but with all the international attention the GT-R is receiving, I feel like it’s helped reignite the passion of Japanese owners.
A lot of that probably has to do with the fact that their cars have tripled in value (insert grinning emoji here), but hey, I’ll take it.
I’ve seen a lot of people leave the GT-R world in favour of European and American sports cars, but many have now flocked back for a taste of that old school feel and rawness that makes these cars so damn addictive.
With this event, the 12th R’s Meeting, GT-R Magazine have stuck to their successful recipe of keeping things small and not trying to do too much. And with Japan having now reopened to the world, seeing familiar faces from overseas was so refreshing.
I’ve got a few stories planned from this event, but we’ll kick things off today with a walk through Fuji Speedway’s upper paddock area where R’s Meeting was held.
After visiting Yasui-san’s secret storage compound in Osaka last year, I was glad to see the special Rs that make up his insane collection – part of Global Auto – out in the sunshine.
While the 400R is a significant Skyline in its own right…
… It’s always special seeing a Z-tune R34 in the flesh. Not even Nismo bring out their examples, so props to Yasui for keeping us GT-R nerds drooling.
Finishing off his line-up – or at least part of it – was this Nismo GT-R on BBS LM wheels.
What R’s Meeting does really well is showcase every aspect of GT-R tuning, not just the performance side of things. This includes all the shops crafting bespoke wide-body conversions and dropping cars on air suspension.
There were glimpses that Japan’s once manic GT-R drag scene still has some life left in it, and that some people were always waiting for a four -door R34 GT-R. The latter never came of course, so the next best thing is to build your own.
I’m a massive fan of Auto Gallery Yokohama, their no-frills time attack style and the parts they continue to develop help the whole scene evolve.
Shibata-san at R31 House has decided to jump out of his comfort zone – specializing in and having the biggest R30 and R31 stock in the country – to do something with the second generation GT-Rs. He had this complete BCNR33 on display which has been completely restored to showroom spec.
I arrived at Fuji Speedway 30-minutes after the gates opened at 7:00am and, just like any other event in Japan, the place was already packed. It’s crazy how early people arrive at venues, but despite that there was a steady stream of amazing Rs still rolling in, including this ex-MCR demo sanyon.
I’m always interested to see what parts companies like Trust are working on, and it’s cool that their R34 GT-R demonstrator keeps evolving. In one of my upcoming posts I’ll be taking a closer look at a new component they’ve recently released. Hint: you can see it in the engine shots above.
While Mine’s needs no introduction, it wasn’t their R34 that was stealing all the attention this year…
Their collaborative BCNR33 Skyline GT-R build with Built By Legends was (mostly) completed just a few days prior to R’s Meeting. This is such a special creation that I’ll be showing you all the details in a little spotlight, and then following that up with a full feature before it’s shipped off to its lucky owner in the US.
The white R34 above is another amazing BBL project that we’re keeping an eye on. Garage Yoshida, the specialist shop that strips down, reinforces, spot-welds and preps in minute detail all of Built by Legends’ cars is almost done with it. It’ll then be sent over to Mine’s for reassembly.
I’ve always been a fan of how Midori Seibi modifies their GT-Rs. The approach is similar to the way Mine’s does things – if not a little more extreme and track-focused – but these days they cater to whatever the client requires.
This R34 has just been refreshed; it’s simple but effective with all the important performance parts in place.
On the other side of the spectrum, you can always expect Phoenix’s Power to hit hard when it comes to power and looks.
Their customer base is mainly made up of R35 owners, so they really have their VR upgrade engine packages sorted. Most of their builds are around the 1,000hp mark, but many push higher numbers.
That spectrum can take a sudden turn with surprising builds like this wild R34 on air.
The twin top-mount turbo setup was receiving a lot of attention, and how could it not with those welds.
Nismo had a display of CRS (Clubman Race Spec) specials, a package that along with various chassis refresh options and complete engine kits are keeping the Omori Factory very busy. In fact, the last I heard there was a one to two-year waiting list on everything.
Kazuhiko ‘Smoky’ Nagata and his Top Secret team had their usual selection of Wangan-spec GT-Rs on show.
Like every other prominent GT-R shop Japan, they too have done a u-turn and come up with their own complete cars marketed towards overseas buyers. Plus, Smoky has been busy with the new Z, rushing to develop parts and complete a demo machine in time for the 2023 Tokyo Auto Salon, which is now just a couple of months away.
No event in Japan would be complete without a RAYS wall of alloy awesomeness. It’s always a fun stop to contemplate your next wheels.
Another great build was this ex-RGF demo car, which Powervehicles is currently looking after for a customer at their Ebisu Circuit base.
The R34 looks amazing, but I’m told it’s going to be given a bit of a refresh very soon. I’m hoping we can shoot at Ebisu’s Higashi course one of these days.
Top Rank, a performance car trader that acquires a lot of GT-Rs, had a booth showing off this crazy-low mileage R34. I think it had something like 500km on the clock!
Tomei Powered has added a full exhaust to their ‘Genesis’ complete RB28 display engine so people can visualize the path the Expreme titanium exhaust takes. It’s pretty straight, so awesome for flow.
I made sure to stop by the Auto Select booth for a chat with the guys. I’ve always loved their style.
It’s so much more in-your-face than anything built up in the Kanto area, where tuners are under so much scrutiny from the authorities. In Kansai, the letter of the law isn’t followed so strictly when it comes to vehicle modifications, so enthusiasts and tuners have always gone all-out.
This is one serious-looking R34; the owner obviously likes her GT-Rs with some track flavor.
The question here is, which one would you choose?
There was another 400R that people could get a little closer to at the Nakane Racing display. It’s crazy to think that these cars are now worth 10 times what they originally sold for.
GT-R Magazine has always worked closely with Nissan for this event, and one of the big drawcards is the cars they bring out from the automaker’s Heritage Collection.
Not to mention some of the legendary engineers who worked across most generations of the GT-R’s development.
A bonus for GT-R owners attending this event is an opportunity to have their cars featured in a GT-R Magazine insert.
As such, all day long there was a continuous line of GT-Rs slowly moving towards the areas where the magazine’s photographers were snapping away.
It’s here that you find some amazing rare cars, like the Autech R33 GT-R two images up and the stunning Hakosuka GT-R above.
I hope this post has gotten you into a GT-R kind of mood, as there is a lot more to see from R’s Meeting 2022. Check back soon for the spotlight post!
Saturn Flextreme Concept This is an installation in a collection of posts recalling
on program vehicles that we feel deserved a little bit even more focus than they obtained. If you have a pointer for a ForgottenConcept subject, please shoot us a line or leave a remark below. Saturn Flextreme Shown: 2008 Detroit Auto Show Description: Plug-in hybrid portable cars and truck Sales Pitch:”Flextreme reveals that non-traditional thinking can result in fantastic cars and trucks.”More Forgotten Concepts Saturn Flextreme Information: First seen at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show, the Saturn Flextreme Concept was a digital clone of the Opel Flextreme
Concept which had been unveiled
at the 2007 Frankfort Auto
Show just a few weeks previously. The Flextreme concept was a 4-door compact automobile including a plug-in serial-hybrid drivetrain similar to that introduced in the Chevrolet Volt Concept introduced at the Detroit Show a year previously. Unlike the Volt Concept, which featured a little gas engine, the Flextreme was powered by a tiny 1.3-liter diesel. When completely charged, the Flextreme was claimed to take a trip up to 34 miles on electrical power
alone, after which the diesel motor took control of. Saturn declared a combined electric/diesel series of 444 miles. The Flextreme included center-opening side doors which, when opened with each other, created a usefully large passage to the automobile’s interior. Instead of a back hatch, the Flextreme incorporated a pair of gullwing-style doors located on the vehicle’s back bodyside. For city explorers, a pair of Segway Personal Transporters were kept under the car’s cargo area as well as could be accessed from outside of the auto. No word on if the Segway batteries were billed while in storage space under the auto.
Forgotten Concept: Briggs & Stratton Hybrid Saturn Flextreme CG Says: The Chevrolet Volt Concept was introduced to much excitement back in 2007, but the hoopla might have come primarily from the car press, which seemed to recognize the E-Flex plug-in crossbreed system far better than the public. When the production Volt got here for 2011, public response was lukewarm at best, as General Motors handled public and also media hesitation, especially that from Fox News. Therefore,
Volt variants like the Opel and also Saturn Flextreme never developed into complete production models. Regretfully, the E-Flex idea– which is vary just like Nissan’s e-Power system– never ever saw life beyond the Volt, unless you count the brief, and also very rare, Cadillac ELR
. Test Drive: 2014 Cadillac ELR Saturn Flextreme Pay attention to the Consumer Guide Car Stuff Podcast Follow Tom onTwitter Saturn Flextreme Concept Gallery(Click below for bigger photos)
2014 Chevrolet Volt to be Less”Shocking” Car Stuff Podcast Composed by: Tom Appel on October 31, 2022.
Riko’s Meeting: Celebrating Japanese Car Culture in California – Speedhunters
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Sunrise
My breath hung in the cool air as I pulled out my camera and made my way toward some hot caffeine. The green neon accent lights bordering the roofline of the recently-restored Niles Flying A service shop glowed brighter than the clouded sky.
The familiar sound of our favorite four-bangers – and a few sixes here and there – sliced through the crisp morning silence. An excited murmur spread through the growing crowd each time another car buzzed by; cars which were now filling the overflow lot down the road. Before the sun began to rise above the rolling hills beyond, Niles Boulevard in Fremont, California was already packed with old school Japanese cars.
Riko’s Meeting was well and underway, and it was barely 7:00am.
My camera was pushed beyond its capabilities shooting handheld in the light of dawn, and I couldn’t believe how many people made it up before the sun to get a good spot at the Cars & Coffee-esque gathering. I’m not sure what the exact recipe is for a good event, but Riko’s Meeting had the key ingredients nailed.
The location was well thought-out, with the Niles Flying A providing a fantastic hub for the natural ebb and flow of enthusiasts as they meandered about, grabbing coffee or donuts and catching up with friends. Riko rented out the space for the morning, which is nestled into the historic Niles district in Fremont. Old buildings and homes line the wide sidewalks across the street, and the aesthetic is completed by a couple of vintage American cars parked out back.
Generally this area is inundated with American muscle, but not today. The semi-curated turnout consisted only of Japanese cars, mostly those produced in the pre-2000s (just as advertised in pre-event flyers that made the social media rounds). Riko collaborated with Roger Hernandez, who organizes weekly import-centric Cars & Coffee meets in the nearby city Hayward, to help promote the event and ensure a solid turnout of vintage Japanese metal.
A few nice late-model builds snuck in as well, as did a Volkswagen Karmann Ghia. And a food truck, which had delicious tacos and breakfast burritos, though somewhat regrettably I only tried the former later in the day.
There was one other Volkswagen on site as well, a bus-turned-pop-up boba tea shop that was situated out front of the Flying A.
Riko’s AE86 was parked up front and center nearby, featuring his signature gold finish and an ITB-fed 3S-GE behind a Levin nose. The car has already been featured on Speedhunters – as has his matching 993 RWB and IMSA-style 240Z for that matter – so I won’t spend much time on it beyond a few photos to remind you how wild this SEMA Show build is.
With SEMA right around the corner again, it’s great to see that many of these cars do in fact have a life beyond the Las Vegas Convention Center.
While the venue, cars, drinks and food were great, the people are the glue that holds a personable show like this together. Being a local gathering (just a few miles from my front door, actually) there were lots of familiar faces that filled the sidewalks on the east end of Niles Boulevard.
But you know how events like this are. It doesn’t matter if you know someone or not; you can just walk right up and start asking them about their wheels, their suspension, their seats, who rebuilt their carburetors, where they got that Honda sweatshirt, or whatever.
Although things have been rebooted here in the US for a good year or so, I feel like I’m still recovering from more than a year of stagnated events and gatherings due to Covid. Since things have gotten back to normal, I’ve been to a number of Cars & Coffee gatherings, but somehow Riko’s Meeting was extra refreshing.
More than 100 cars – and even more people – came through the meet, which lasted the full four hours from 7:00am to 11:00am, and then some. It was the first time in a long time that I spent more than an hour or two at a meet like this, and it also was the first time in a long time that I found myself shooting far more than I needed to.
There was a bit of everything on display. From completely stock examples to the ultra-modified; from kei cars to off-roading machines; from carbureted inline-fours to twin-turbocharged V8s. It’s amazing how much variation can be found within a single chassis, let alone the many different models from various marques that made it out to Riko’s meeting.
Before things dwindled down and everyone got on with the rest of their weekend, Riko held a raffle full of small items from Japan, including car magazines, an unopened Initial D manga set – that I really wished I had won – and an authentic Japanese nudie mag, among other things. Best of all, tickets were free; you just had to show up.
The raffle – and the whole show for that matter – was Riko’s way of contributing to the community, and to the growing base of JDM enthusiasts. Riko explained that while many others his age have moved on to Lamborghinis or Ferraris, he has stayed true to what he’s always loved: old school Japanese cars.
While I would consider the gathering a smashing success, it’s clear that Riko wants more. He points to events like Pebble Beach or the more recently-formed Velocity Invitational – which took place the same weekend – and notes that there isn’t really a Japanese-centric equivalent in the US.
JCCS in SoCal or marque-specific events like ZCON or NSXPO are the closest that come to mind, but they certainly don’t hold the prestige or cachet of shows like Pebble or The Quail. The Japanese Automotive Invitational – a Pebble Beach sub-event – is a good step in the right direction, and a sign that Japanese cars are finally being appreciated for the gems that they are.
But for Riko, the sky’s the limit, and he wants to do his part in pushing the scene forward in the US. So he’s here, raising his flag for Japanese car culture. What’s next? Only time will tell.
Before heading home, I pulled out a ‘3D’ film camera that I picked up from my good friend John Cirone during Covid times and gave it a try for the first time. I may get reprimanded for uploading such large files (give them a second to load), but enjoy.
I’ll be back soon to shine a spotlight on a couple of my favorite cars from Riko’s Meeting. Thanks to everyone who showed up and made the event what it was.
Last year around this time around I went to the American Sped Festival in Detroit, bordered by historic race automobiles of all different sizes and shapes. 2 of them were 1968 generator autos as fielded by STP. The automobiles driven by Joe Leonard as well as the other by Graham Hill were impressive and they were not the initial wind turbine access of Indy 500 tradition. In fact, even the 1967 initiative was not the first yet it was certainly the one that showed turbine engines can hang with the piston tasks. This film, called “The Silent Screamer” is an inside documentary consider the 1967 STP turbine cars and truck initiative. It was made in period and also we hear from all the largest names entailed like Jones, Granatelli, USAC officials as well as all.
From the build, which displays the incredible chassis of the auto, to tech assessment, certifying, and yes the well known race itself. One questions what would have taken place had Jones actually won the race he was leading. Formally tried to ankle joint the generators for 1968 and by 1969 they were forbidden, never to be seen once more.
This was a grand experiment. One that didn’t simply do well, one that revealed its possible to perform beyond the assumptions of every person in the facility. We enjoyed every secondly of this. Well, really 2nd until the race results. Take a wonder trip back with background here.
The neatest point of all? The sound … or lack thereof. Remember, this point was not called “Silent Sam” for nothing.
Watch the outstanding tale of the 1967 STP turbine Indy 500 access– what an awesome recall!
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0 New Old Stock: The 1995 Lotus S4S Was A Four Cylinder Screamer That Hung In With Newer Supercars
