Table of contents for April 2021 in Fast Car

Those crazy Californian Porsche customisers, Gunther Werks, have unveiled their latest carbon-clad creation: the Speedster Remastered, an open-top version of their retro-inspired 993-generation 911. These guys are known for their love of the black weave, having built a name for themselves on the gorgeous full carbon widebodies that their cars wear. The Speedster is the first drop-top model that the firm has produced and looks simply stunning. Based on the last of the air-cooled Porsche 911 models, the 993, the £400k+ Speedster uses the same 4.0-litre naturally aspirated flat six engine as the coupe models, yet features some extra fettling to raise the power even further to over 435bhp. Couple this with less weight and a stiffer chassis, and even the option to delete the windscreen entirely, and you have…

ENGINE Custom 2.6-litre, 4-rotor wankel engine by Defined Autoworks, lightened rotors, 9.7:1 compression, 2mm Ianetti ceramic apex seals, custom full peripheral port rotor housings with port timing matching the 787B engine, front, centre and rear side plates are aluminum to reduce weight, custom eccentric shaft, custom dry-sump external oil system, hardened stationary gears, race rotor bearings, 5 main bearings, extensive cooling modifications, custom intake with CNC slide throttle ITBs, custom CNC billet intake runners, ITG air filter, 4x 1300cc AUS injection and 4x I.D. 1000cc fuel injectors, Electromotive Tec GT ECU, custom exhaust manifold, custom 4in exhaust system, NASCAR radiator, 55 row Setrab oil coolers, boot mounted race fuel cell PERFORMANCE 700bhp and 430lb ft of torque TRANSMISSION Rear wheel drive, SAENZ TT-3 6-speed sequential transmission model with straight-cut gears,…

Blasphemy! That’s what some people will call it. Those that worship at the altar of performance will be saying a few Hail Mary’s to cleanse their sinful souls just for reading this feature. After all, it’s one thing to praise the lowered, but when it comes to tuning a performance icon such as the Mk3 Focus RS, the Ten Tuning Commandments are very clear when it comes to suspension mods – thou shalt only fit coilovers to your performance car, especially one that has been equipped with 440 raging ponies under the bonnet! But throwing more spanners into the modifying mix than Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code did to the bible, is Derbyshire-based Ford fan Gareth Ironside, who has defied the faithful and kitted-out his flying Focus with air-ride. “I’ve…

Home of the Formula 1 British Grand Prix, Silverstone offers some of the most high-speed action and challenging sections of any circuit in the world. The start of the 3.66-mile GP circuit is on the newly-named Hamilton Straight opposite the Wing. Almost flat out, the first corner to tackle is the right-hander of Abbey, which leads immediately into the left-hander of Farm before you brake heavily into the right-handed turn three; Village Corner. The even slower left-hander of the Loop comes immediately after, and leads into the opening left-hander of Aintree, before heading down the Wellington Straight. Turn six, the left-hander of Brooklands, is tight and leads immediately into the right-hand hairpin of Luffield. The right-handed kink of Woodcote leads cars down the old pit straight, before the difficult fast…

Name: Tom Clarke Job Role: Marketer who oversees the UK marketing office, advert placement and key account marketing fulfilment Someone once said to me that the final 10% of a project takes around 90% of the time! Now, until recently, I would’ve said that they were exaggerating somewhat, however, with the way the Amazon is going, I now totally understand that statement! After it came back from having the fabrication work and trick intake pressure compensation valve installed at Forge Motorsport, we set about doing everything we need to do to actually get the car running, and that started with sorting the electricals. Bob from Wire Wizard has now completed the bespoke wiring harness with a gorgeous DR-spec engine loom along with military-specification plug connectors. I’d like to say it’s…

We’ve missed the high-revving, linear power delivery, quirky coupe looks and impeccable rear-wheel drive handling of the RX-8 over the last year. The start of the lockdown that came back in March 2020 was the last time we drove the car as, with nowhere to go, there was no point in taxing two cars just to have them sit largely unused on the driveway (the EP3 Type R stayed taxed and used for the odd trip to the shops, but that was about it!). However, with Boris unveiling the country’s ‘road map’ back to some form of normality, it only seemed right that we should give the Mazda a bit of post-lockdown love and get its spinning triangles firing on all cylinders – sorry, rotor housings… First up was to…

In the summer of 1976, Volkswagen launched a distinctively sporty Golf onto the market. Badged the GTI, it was originally a skunkworks project worked on in secret by a group of passionate VW petrolheads who could see the potential for the Golf platform to harbour a more potent powerplant. Luckily, once unveiled to the top brass, the project got the green light. At the time no one at Volkswagen could have predicted that the GTI would eventually become the world’s most successful compact sports car. But that’s exactly what happened and now more than 2.3 million have been made. To celebrate the 45th birthday of this iconic car, VW has released this exclusive anniversary model: the Golf GTI Clubsport 45. Based on the ‘standard’ Clubsport edition of the eighth generation…

That’s right! On the 3rd October, Silverstone circuit will be buzzing with the sound of highly tuned engines as the iconic TRAX show is back on the calendar! Tickets are available now starting at £27 for advance bookings, plus £3 extra if you want to display your car. Camping tickets are also available if you want to make a weekend of it and cost an additional £14. With last year a total wash-out for shows, it’ll be great to finally get together, kick back and enjoy the fruits of our labour whilst watching the pros destroy their tyres out on track, or even get in on the action yourself! 20 minute track time slots are available for all abilities at a cost of £35 per session and would be a…

The shape of the motoring industry is always evolving, in a very literal sense. Back in the eighties, for example, family cars were three-box saloons, unless you had a big dog or needed a third row of foldaway seats, in which case you got an estate. The MPV evolved through the nineties, and this transmogrified into the SUV in the twenty-first century, something that we see everywhere these days. Affections for small roadsters have ebbed and flowed, their heyday arriving in the sixties and being reprised in the nineties. Fashion dictates these developments as much as need or desire, but there’s one genre of car that’s been consistently popular from the 1970s right up until the present day: the hot hatch. There’s always been a lot of debate around what…

When you think about the geography of Great Britain and how it relates to the evolution of the music scene, there are a few places that instantly spring to mind. Liverpool, of course, for forever altering the course of rock ‘n’ roll by birthing The Beatles. Manchester, for cresting the baggy wave through the nineties and ultimately thrusting Oasis into posterity. London, for… well, that’s an entire mag feature in itself. But perhaps not many people would put Hull at the top of their list of influential musical towns. It mightn’t even edge into your top 50. But this vibrant port city in the East Riding of Yorkshire has made more of an impact than you might think on modern songsmithery. Aside from the Hull Philharmonic Orchestra (the oldest amateur…

Pretty much the only mandatory item for all forms of motorsport is a helmet. And, as they do the job of protecting your noggin, a helmet is quite possibly the most important investment you’ll ever make. Helmets generally come in either open-face or full-face styles and are available in a variety of colours, tech and prices, ranging from cheaper ABS shells to more expensive glass fibre and even carbon-fibre shells, with some models being compatible with HANS and FHR devices too. And, as with most things in life, you get what you pay for. However, that’s not to say you should simply fork out for the most expensive one you can afford, as a helmet will only perform at its best in an emergency if it fits correctly. Start by…

1 WHAT IS A SPARK PLUG AND WHAT DOES IT DO? When used in a motor vehicle, a spark plug is an assembly of metal and composite components designed to deliver an electrical spark into the combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine. The spark plug allows formation of a spark between the two metal electrodes within the combustion chamber at precisely the correct time for the most efficient ignition. (most efficient = most energy realised for a given amount of fuel). the top terminal connector to the centre electrode at the bottom of the plug, there is usually a ceramic electrical resistor within the core to reduce electrical interference. A ceramic insulator surrounds the core to insulate against short circuit. A metal shell holds the assembly together and includes…

KENWOOD DMX9720XDS First there was flip out, then double DIN, now Kenwood has raised the game even further with this absolute monster touchscreen headunit. Rather than being restricted by the aperture in your car’s dashboard, this latest piece of tech uses a massive 10.1in ‘floating’ screen to control the fun. Naturally, its wirelessly compatible with Apple Car Play and Android Auto, but also has dual smartphone connection and support for up to four dash cams! Add to that DAB+ digital radio and the usual FM/AM receiver, Bluetooth hands free and audio streaming, 3x high power 5V RCA pre-outs (front/rear/sub), a digital sound processor with time alignment and a 13-band equaliser, and you’ve got one hell of a powerhouse to control your in-car entertainment, no wonder it won an EISA Best…

If there’s one thing that the horror-show of the last year has taught us, it’s that life is short and you’ve got to make yourself happy however you can. Take any small victory you find and hold it up to brighten the darkness of everything else that’s going on in the world. So in line with this eagerness for positive vibes, I’ve got shot of the TT. It just wasn’t making me happy. A little context, for those who don’t know what I’m banging on about: my last FC project car was a Mk1 Audi TT 225 which, er, had issues. I bought it as a bit of a fixer-upper, then poured a huge amount of time and effort into mending the broken bits. By the time I’d addressed all…

Land Rover’s go-anywhere Defender off-roader is now available with a brutal 5.0-litre supercharged V8 engine making 525bhp. This makes it the fastest and most powerful Defender ever made and allows the rugged 4x4 to complete the 0-60mph dash in just 4.9 seconds and push on to a 149mph top speed. Available in both 90 and 110 body designs the new V8 models are equipped with a new Dynamic mode within the Terrain Response system to sharpen the handling when off the green stuff and terrorising the tarmac. The V8 Carpathian Edition tops the range and is finished in exclusive Carpathian grey paint with a black roof, bonnet and rear door and blue calipers. The unique paint is topped with a protective satin wrap that also protects the finish. But exclusivity…

The colour purple has been associated with royalty, power and wealth for centuries. In fact, so strong are the ties to the crown that, during her reign, Queen Elizabeth I actually declared that no-one, except close members of the royal family, was allowed to wear the colour at all. Not that many people outside of the highest echelons of the aristocracy could even dream of owning such a uniquely-coloured garment anyway, as back then, the price of purple dye was eye-wateringly expensive. Originally the bruise-hued pigment could only be achieved by extracting a special mucus from a rare sea snail found only in a specific region of the Mediterranean sea. It wasn’t until synthetic dyes were invented in the 1850s, that mere mortal men could afford to get decked out…

If this worldwide Pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that, when it comes to us petrolheads, there’s no truer saying than the phrase: ‘The Devil finds work for idle hands’. After all, who among us didn’t start tinkering with our cars the minute that Boris put the country into lockdown? Well, we didn’t have much else to do. And there’s only so much daytime TV you can watch or Joe Wicks’ workouts you can endure. And with little else to occupy it – not counting the impending doom of falling foul of the virus or facing financial ruin – your mind goes into overdrive, incessantly planning random things you could do to your car or a grand scheme to be revealed when the world once again returns to some form…

The self-styled position of ‘Hull’s Best Car Audio Retailer’ may not exactly be a title that’s jostling for space at the bar, but there’s no denying that the guys at Bass Hull Custom know a thing or two about putting together a quality system. They don’t just supply the gear, but can build awesome bespoke installs too; naturally the quality of the componentry and the fit-and-finish of the installation is hugely important, but the overriding consideration is this: how does your audio setup complement your life, and your behaviour and driving style? By drilling down into the practical and psychological considerations that underpin the technology, these guys can map out a system that’s not just impressive on a technical level, but also perfectly tailored to the user. www.basshull.co.uk…

TAROX DISCS AND PADS PRICE: £950 (front discs) £195 (pads) CONTACT: Tarox.co.uk Stopping power on the road is one thing, but even the best OEM brakes can suffer when punished on the track. This is where TAROX come in with their F2000 two-piece semi-floating discs that not only offer a huge improvement in performance and longevity, but also a weight saving of a massive 2kg per corner, which will benefit the handling and acceleration too – essential properties when trying to extract the full performance of the new M135i on track. Combine these beefier discs with a set of TAROX Corsa brake pads, that can handle much higher temperatures than the OE pads, and you’ll enjoy neck-snapping, fade-free braking on even the most tortuous of trackdays. AC SCHNITZER RS COILOVERS…

How did you get into drifting? My dad was into rallycross when I grew up and was a fantastic driver, but never managed to build a career out of it. When I turned 12, he took me go-karting, but instead of looking up to the fastest drivers, I always ended up admiring the drivers that had the most control in the wet, or the drivers with the most style and “flair”. And when I discovered drifting, by finding an old video of legendary Japanese drifter Katsuhiro Ueo on the internet, I fell in love with the sport instantly. What is it that you love about drifting? I’ve often said: ‘drifting is the art of controlling a car that’s out of control’. I think there’s something magical about taming an animal,…

Modifying cars is a great bonding experience. Be it with mates, your kids or another family member, having a laugh while wielding a spanner is a pastime that’s tough to beat. Alec Harris is a man who knows all about the benefits of modifying when it comes to creating quality time to remember, as he and his brother Keith spent many a happy day up to their elbows in grease whilst working on their various Mini projects over the years, including this Honda-powered 1970 Clubman Estate. “My brother Keith and I had been into Minis for a long time,” says Alec. “And I originally bought this one for us to have some fun with back in 2010.” The Clubman was completely standard back then, but has evolved significantly over the…

PRAZIS AIR SUSPENSION Air suspension has come on a long way in recent years. With clever digital controllers and multi-way adjustable dampers making it not just a practical solution for owners wanting the ultimate is show slammed lows, but also a genuine performance option for drivers wanting to push their machines to the max. Prazis is a new name in the air suspension scene and is now available in the UK exclusively from The Performance Company. The Prazis name is derived from the German word meaning precise and accurate. This is because Prazis believe all great products require precision, high quality materials, unique design and obsessive attention to detail. The dedicated specialists at the Prazis development team have more than a decade of experience in air suspension systems and each…