VW Bus Is Typical Hotrodder's Excess

Typically, a hot rod build involves putting a blown motor on an old chassis, chopping the top, putting some chrome wheels and then enjoying the fruits of your labor. This build is exactly that, except for a couple of minor differences. The first difference is that this is a mid-engine build, and the second is that the engine is in the middle of the chassis, a VW Type 2 bus, to be exact.

In true hotrodding style, builder Ken Prather used a mix of components that have been proven to work, such as using a narrowed Ford diff, 350 automatic, Dodge truck radiator and a 355 small-block with a 6-71 blower sitting on top of it. The yoke of the transmission attaches directly to the differential, which has been narrowed 14 inches to accommodate the 10-inch slicks at the rear. Incidentally, the whole powertrain is solid-mounted to a huge swingarm that serves as the rear suspension of the vehicle.

Prather spent four years fabricating this ride, which features a side door to give access to the engine, louvers on the other side of the body to cool the engine and a 7-inch chop from the roof. To say the vehicle is unusual is to insult the creativity and labor that went into it. While it did the requisite rounds of car shows, Ken also drove this beast 4,000 miles from Pennsylvania to the Bonneville Salt Flats, where as a warmup, he ran this bus down the flats at 130 mph.

See video here.

Source article here.

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V12-powered MGB Is One Crazy Build

Daft would be the proper term to use for this build, because it would take a crazy sort of mindset to envision a V12 Jaguar engine in an MGB. Factor in a fully fabricated tube chassis and 4-link rear suspension and you get to appreciate the mad scientist mindset a car nut would need to go through the build.

Mark Sawatsky of Canada is an avid autocrosser, and an old MGB and Jaguar V12 was lying around in his garage, so he decided to build it up to enter in the EMod class in the autocross series he was running in. Despite being MGB-bodied, this car actually has nothing left of its English car origins.

Displacing 5.3 liters, the V12 Jag engine is still a carbureted version, which limits its horsepower to 290 at 6,000 rpm. Transmission will be a 5-speed using a custom bellhousing to mate it to the Jag V12. Racing details abound on this car, like the aforementioned rear 4-link and a front suspension that uses Ohlins shocks mounted on a pushrod system. From the transmission, power will go to a Ford 9-inch diff that will have 13-inch slicks on opposite ends.

In a 2300 pound car like this, performance calculations estimate the 0-60 sprint in under 4.3 seconds with quarter mile times in the 12.5s. Despite being a successful build, the latest news is that the engine has run into problems and the owner may defer a rebuild for now. But enough videos were taken of the car while it was running, and here’s a couple for our readers to view.

On the dyno

At the track

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24-Meter Long Volvo Is An Award-Winning Show Truck

On this blog, we’ve been featuring all the wild and wonderful builds that result in vehicles that are a joy to own and drive. For this post, we feature a truck build that gives its owner as much satisfaction as any other owner of the cars we’ve featured here. This truck is not built in the mold of a Dakar truck which we’ve written about here, but imagine rolling up in this truck with any of the vehicles featured in this blog being towed behind it.

When you learn that this Volvo’s owner is a second-generation trucking magnate operating over 200 trucks in the European continent, you’ll understand why a Volvo FH16 truck was his natural choice for a project build. Calling the creation the Road Cruiser, the custom rig is an 8-axle truck and box trailer combination with custom paint and trim. Rolling along with a total length of 24 meters, this truck has won numerous awards at car shows.

But before you think that this truck has no place in a horsepower and forced induction blog, consider that a Volvo FH16 packs a 700 horsepower inline 6 displacing 16 liters. And a torque output of more than 2,300 pounds-foot. It also features Volvo’s TC (turbo compound) technology, which is not a twin turbo setup but rather uses the turbo’s exhaust to drive another turbine. Horsepower calculations estimate that this setup adds 10% to peak engine output. And despite being a diesel, this engine is fully compliant with Euro5 emissions standards. The engine also provides compression braking, has four valves per cylinder driven by a single overhead cam and 2-piece steel and aluminum pistons. Handling all that is a 12-speed semi-automatic transmission which operates like BMW’s SMG or Porsche’s PDK transmissions.

Inside the cab, the driver is in command of the latest safety features from Volvo, including rain-sensing wipers, cornering lights, radar controlled cruise control and a Driver Alert System (DAS), which monitors the driver’s responses and monitors the time spent behind the wheel. But to keep the driver awake, this custom rig has also been outfitted with an audio system that has USB auxiliary and MP3 inputs, as well as a swiveling passenger seat to better keep a driver company. So who says big rigs are boring things?

Source article is here.

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W165 Silver Arrows Still A Beauty After 70 Years

The picture you see here shows one of four cars that were made, of which only two survive. Built to compete in the 1939 Tripoli Grand Prix, the W165 was Mercedes’ response to a radical rule change by Italian racing authorities, which tried to “balance” the regulations in favor of Italian machinery. At the time, Mercedes’ W154 was the dominant Grand Prix car, and the rule change in favor of smaller cars was meant to exclude the W154.So, what Mercedes did was to use its considerable talent and resources to produce the W165. This feat of engineering was developed in just a six month time frame. To make the smaller car, the W165 was essentially a four-fifths version of the W154. Although the engine basically used the same design from the 3-liter V12 found in the larger Grand Prix car, the smaller displacement (1.5 liters) engine was a V8 using the valvetrain design of twin cam heads and 4 valves per cylinder. Two Roots superchargers were fitted to each bank of cylinders, giving an output of around 254 horsepower. By today’s standards, it’s a trivial output, but bear in mind that this is the pinnacle of 1930s racing technology.

Development time was so short that the second car was reportedly finished on the boat to Italy. In the practice sessions for the race, the new W165 racers were fast, but were not fast enough to match the initial pace of the streamlined racers from Maserati. So, of the two race cars that were entered, one was instructed to go all out from the start of the race as a sacrificial lamb while the other was driven more conservatively. This strategy worked perfectly as the rest of the field tried to chase down the rabbit and fell down the wayside as the pace destroyed machines one by one. The conservatively driven car picked up places as it went and in the end, it was a Mercedes one-two finish.

These two cars were never raced again because other world events intervened, and today, these cars are revered as the last of the “Silver Arrows”.

Warm-up video

Drive-by at Goodwood

Source article is here.

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Audi's A1 Redefines The Meaning Of Hot Hatches

When one talks of hot hatches and pocket rocktets, we normally think of small, lightweight cars zipping along on 200 horsepower. And the Audi A1 hatchback is a pretty good example of the breed, with a 180 horsepower engine, FWD and a little over 1,000 kilos to burden the powerplant.But MTM, a well-known tuner of European cars, decided that such a petty output was not enough for its tastes, so it set out build what it calls its A1 Nardo Edition. Basically the MTM-tuned A1 has had its 1.4 TFSI engined ripped out and replaced with a turbocharged 2.5-liter 5-cylinder unit from Audi’s upmarket and high-performance TT RS. Producing 340 horsepower as built by the factory, you’d think that that would be enough for a 1,000 kilo car. Not nearly so. MTM increased boost to 1.3 bar to further bump the engine’s output to 500 hp, with a corresponding upgrade in torque to 442 lb-ft. Power then goes to a six-speed manual and a diff with a limited-slip unit using the larger TT axles.

Performance is now 4.5 seconds to 60 mph and top speed is a verified 201 mph. This was achieved at the Nardo high speed track in Italy, where it ran with big boys’ tuner cars such as an SLK Mclaren, Porsche Turbo and a supercharged BMW M3. Allowing for the heavier engine and assuming a 1300 kilogram weight, performance calculations place power to weight ratio at 385 horsepower per ton. That figure is comparable to what a Corvette Z06 or a Ferrari F430 achieves. Not bad for a supermini. At its top speed, the car can cover 90 meters per second, which would leave even that 430 gasping to catch up.

Getting to its top speed did not take any radical aero aids, with just carbon fiber fenders (to accommodate the wider track) and wheel covers to help reduce turbulence from the wheels. Just recently, Audi announced its very own 500 hp AWD A1. With these developments, the world of hot hatches is definitely heating up.

Source article here.

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Volkswagen CNG Racers Demo Winning Green Power

As any car enthusiast nowadays will have noticed, green technologies for cars are all the rage with manufacturers and being brought up with gasoline-fed performance engines, we cast an uneasy eye on non-traditional methods of producing the power we crave from our rides. Luckily for us, bold engineers, notably German engineers, are not afraid of experimenting with new concepts, and thinking outside the box. Witness the success of Audi at Le Mans with its diesel engines and Porsche with its hybrid racer. We can now add to the list the engineers of Volkswagen, who entered a trio of Sciroccos in the 2011 edition of the Nurburgring 24 hour race, using CNG-powered engines for their race cars.

These engines are modified versions of the production 2-liter turbocharged TSI engine, which produce 330 hp from its CNG fuel. CNG is an excellent fuel because it has very high anti-knock qualities and in the blend used in the races cars, have the equivalent of 130 octane. Furthermore, natural gas vehicles emit 25% less CO2 emissions compared to conventional spark ignition engines, with almost zero particulates. For the racers themselves, Volkswagen claimed an 80% reduction. Transmitting the power on this front-wheel drive racer is a six-speed DSG transmission, actuated by steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters. Volkswagen also fitted one of the cars with an active electro-hydraulic differential.

Fruits of the hard work of VW’s engineers came in form of a class win for alternative powertrains and finishing 17th overall against a field dominated by the giants of racing, such as Porsche, Audi, and Ferrari. With these developments, gearheads need not worry about the future because with developments in low-emission and non-polluting technologies, racing diehards can have their cake and eat it too.

Source article is here.

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Pulsar GTi-R Replaces Lancia Integrale As Enthusiast's Ride

What makes a Lancia Integrale owner, winner of multiple World Rally Championships, give up such an iconic car? Decades later, the Integrale has become a cult icon and collector’s car but for a hardcore enthusiast in England, such status was not enough for him keep his example. Instead, he replaced it with a Nissan Pulsar GTi-R, which is not as well-known but which also has a cult following.

Stock, the Pulsar GTi-R is a compact hatch with all-wheel drive and a 2-liter, 230 horsepower turbocharged engine. This particular car already had a 350 hp engine when the current owner got it, which was enough for awhile. But then, he decided that 500 horsepower was a nice figure for such a car, so he sent the engine off to be rebuilt with stronger internals and larger displacement. An HKS GT3040R boosting to 1.9 bar replaced the stock unit and when all was said and done, engine output was calculated and verified to be at 510 hp with 430 lb-ft. of torque.

A twin-disc clutch and Quaife gearbox handle all this power and Wilwood 4-piston brakes ensure that stopping power is available when it becomes necessary to slow down. Since the Pulsar was intended to be a Group A rally contender, the rest of the car is readier than most to cope with double the horsepower that the car came with from the factory. Nissan did not see success with the Group A rally program for the GTi-R, but its foray into that arena became the reason for producing the rare GTi-R homologation specials that are sought after up to today.

Build video for a 500-hp GTi-R

Source article here.
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Corvette Show Winner Is No Trailer Queen

All too often, a show car, specially a show car winner, is synonymous with being a trailer queen. Despite having engines to die for and suspension gear that can tackle any mountain road, these cars never turn a wheel in anger and the most they travel is a few meters of pavement to get on and off a truck or trailer.

But not in the case of this C1-RS Corvette which was made by The Roadster Shop. This car was intended to be a showcase for the C1 chassis that The Roadster Shop has developed and it became the basis for this stunning build that literally modified everything in the car. While the car is obviously a Corvette, anyone can see that the aluminum panels have been reshaped to obtain a one-of-a-kind look. Carbon fiber trim panels give the body a more modern look, which match the car’s dual-wishbone and multilink front and rear suspension. Aside from the high-performance shocks and springs, Brembo 14-inch 6-piston brakes ensure that the car stops as well as it goes.

Which brings us to the engine, which is a decidedly modern Chevy LS7 tuned and modified to produce 618 horsepower with 640ft lbs of torque. Carbon fiber intake runners and custom stainless headers with 2-inch primaries give the car a solid engine note that gives a hint of its power.

In the mandatory Autocross competition at the 2009 Goodguys PPG Nationals this ‘Vette gave the best performance of the day with a lap time of 32.22 seconds, besting 30 other contenders.

Source article here.

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In The RC Realm, 11 HP Is King

Nic Case is a Southern Californian who has had a lifelong passion for cars, RC cars that is. But unlike RC enthusiasts who buy off-the-shelf parts to modify their cars, Nic modifies cars with a combination of stock parts and custom-fabricated parts. One of his latest projects was recently recognized by the Guinness Book of Records with a World Speed Record certification, because of his car’s 161.76 mph run.

To get to this level of performance, Nic spent $4,000 and the better part of six months testing and tuning his car to set the speed record. Using a Schumacher Mi3 carbon fiber chassis, Nic fitted a streamlined body that looks like a land speed record vehicle. Reportedly, computational fluid dynamics was used to design the streamlined body. Underneath that simple-looking exterior, this extreme RC builder installed top-of-the line components such as a 12-cell Power Edge Lithium-Polymer battery, a Castle Creations power management and speed controller module, and an 11 horsepower Neu motor. Radio control components from Futaba are used.

Although this car’s specific weight is not known except to a few, lightened Mi3 cars run around 1265 grams and this world record car should be lighter. The power-to-weight ratio for this car is off the scale, so much so that performance calculations predict this car’s 0-60 mph time at 0.285 seconds. On July 5, this car was ran again and it has unofficially reached a speed of 175 plus miles per hour. Not bad for a 11-horsepower car!

Source article here.

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Top Fuel S2000 Is Top Time Attack Contender

Time attack events are a very popular form of motorsport nowadays and the car builds that you find there sometimes rival factory efforts, like this Honda S2000 prepped by tuning house Top Fuel. You know a build is serious when a light 1,250 kilogram car is stripped and rebuilt with a carbon fiber body to bring the weight down to 1,000 kilos. Since this was intended to be a time attack car, an aero body kit was a necessity, and the resulting widebody and radically winged S2000 doesn’t disappoint.

Underneath the swoopy body resides the original F20C powerplant, but with revised internals such as chromemoly conrods and forged pistons. Displacement was increased to 2150 cc and 1000 cc/min fuel injectors feed the engine so that the huge HKS GT3540 turbo can produce the 680 horsepower the engine is now capable of. From the triple plate clutch, a sequential HKS transmission gives 5 forward speeds.

Of course handling is just as important as power in time attack cars and the chassis was spot welded and reinforced to give a rigid base for the modified suspension arms and adjustable race dampers the reside at the corners of the car. Tires are 10.5 X 18 in size and Brembo calipers reside behind it. The best test of how a car works is to compare it with its class rivals and this S2000 certainly didn’t disappoint. When the time came to show what it was capable of, this Top Fuel S2000 promptly set the record for the fastest FR car at the Tsukuba Circuit. Performance calculations reveal that 0-60 should be over in 2.7 seconds and the quarter-mile in 10.7 seconds. For a car whose specialty is to lap a track in the fastest possible time, these acceleration figures are very quick indeed.

Source article can be found here.

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LS1 V8s Give Miatas Big, Reliable Horsepower

The thought of a Miata taking on a Ferrari in a drag race is laughable, if only a V8-powered Mazda Miata can be called laughable. This type of conversion is quite popular nowadays, with the availability of the Chevy LS1 V8 motor and with knowledge on this particular swap circulating freely on the Internet.

While it’s natural to think that swapping an LS1 engine will make for a nose-heavy car, it’s been found that the original cast-iron Mazda engine is actually a bit heavier, and using the all-aluminum V8 LS1 still gives a 50/50 weight distribution, which plays a significant part in why the Miata handles so well.

At the rear wheels, a stock Chevy LS1 will give around 330 rear-wheel horsepower. The Miata only weighs 2,100 pounds or 940 kilos, so with an LS1, the power to weight ratio will come out to 356 bhp per ton. This is comparable to the power-to-weight ratios for a Corvette Z06 and a Ferrari F430. Performance calculations predict a 0-60 mph time of 3.7 seconds with a quarter-mile time of under 12 seconds. Swaps like these follow the classic formula of a big engine in a small car, and the combination of a modern chassis and engine gives a high performance package for relatively little money.

According to an LS1 Miata owner, “I built this car to drive on big tracks like Sebring, Road Atlanta, Homestead etc. and I smoke Turbo Porsche's, Ferraris, and Vette's at every event. That’s why I chose this chassis, it handles better than most cars out there, and now it has the power to match.”

LS1 Miata vs. Ferrari F430

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Rolls Silver Shadow Has BDS Blower Sticking Out Of Its Hood

Some have called it a waste of a good Rolls and some have lauded it as one of the ultimate expressions of hotrodding, but what is clear is that this supercharged Hemi-powered Rolls Royce does not leave those who see it without an opinion.

Owned by a Florida lawyer, this Rolls reportedly has $500,000 invested in it, and judging from the quality and scope of the work done to this car, it’s a believable figure. This Rolls would look just like a stocker, if you look at the body alone, because it was left as is. The obvious giveaway is the BDS 6-71 blower poking through the hood and if you remove the hood, you will get to see the monstrous Hemi engine, which, with additional nitrous injection has an output of 1,350 horsepower.

As the owner has intimated, the Rolls unibody needed a complete frame with a 4-link, 9 inch rear end. Axles from Strange Engineering are used in the diff to ensure that the power gets to the wheels after it exits the 2- speed Powerglide transmission. Performance calculations by the crew who built this monster Rolls believe that it can do the quarter mile in 9 seconds.

But before you think that this is just a Rolls-shelled drag car, check out the interior and the trunk, where you will see entire sheets of Connolly leather used not just in the seats and dash but also for covering the entire trunk, including the nitrous bottles, fuel cell and battery boxes. Even if you think that putting that kind of money on a bastadrdized Rolls-Royce is a waste of money, just be glad that there are people with the vision and the cash to come up with incredible builds such as these.

Hemi Rolls-Royce starting up

Hemi Rolls walkaround

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