Thursday, November 18, 2010

Exotica...


My good friend Mark was in the hunt for a replacement to his Infiniti G35 last summer. We spent many evenings talking about (read: drinking beer) what he wanted to replace it with. He was wanting something more powerful, better handling and overall just “nicer” than the G. Naturally, in a sedan or a coupe, this points right to a BMW M3. At the time, I was working for a used car dealership that happened to deal with a lot of BMWs and felt this to be a good choice. There’s nothing wrong with an M3. They’re fast, they look great and as far as practical speed goes, they can’t be beat.

My problem with them is that they’re everywhere. And God, are they boring. I respect them for what they do, but I’ve never wanted one.

Mark had a pretty sizable budget to work with, so I told him to stretch it another couple thousand dollars and look at something truly special. Not just a sports car, but a car that would make the hairs on your neck stand up at wide-open throttle and would tingle your fingers around every corner. Something I had a lot of experience with, owning one for four years. The car I’d lusted after since I was fifteen years old.

An Acura NSX.

Mark called me crazy. Now, to put this in perspective, you have to learn one key thing. Mark is about nine feet tall. Him fitting in an NSX would be absolute comedy.

Fortunately for him, I’d planted a bug. I extolled the virtues of owning a car that is absolutely amazing in every way. I kept on him every chance I had and by June of last summer he called me one day and said “I’m going to look at an NSX in town. If I fit, I’m buying one.” I thought it was great. Later that day, he called me back to tell me the great news.

He fit.

We tore the internet apart looking for a car. I used mine as a baseline. My car was a 1991 model, Formula Red and a Coupe. Mark wanted a 1997 or later model, since those came with bigger and more powerful engines and a new gearbox. And they were all Targa tops, which he wanted. I knew what to look for in the cars and helped him along. He wanted a white car, which narrowed the search quite a bit. Even though they were produced for fifteen years, NSXs are a rare breed: Less than 15,000 were built in that time and only half of them ended up in North America.

Finally, after a month of searching, he found what he was looking for. A beautiful Grand Prix White 1998 NSX-T in Vancouver. As a nice bonus, it had been retrofitted with the 2002 front end, bringing it right in line with modern styling. Quick phone calls were exchanged, lies were told to bosses, supervisors, friends and families and at 6:30 on Friday night, Mark, Greg Seimens and I piled into Mark’s Nissan Pathfinder and hit the road.

We were all caught up in the excitement of the trip. I mean, how awesome is it to road trip 1500+ kilometers on two days’ notice to pick up a supercar? No one felt like we’d all worked during the day and had been running since 6 am. We rolled into Jasper at around 10 o’clock that night and hit The Downstream for food and beer. As a frequent visitor to Jasper myself, I highly recommend it.

Greg took over the driving duties since he’d caught a little sleep on the way in. The plan was a bombrun all the way to Vancouver in one night, so we’d be swapping driving and sleeping in the car. I quickly took the back seat, reclined it and shut my eyes.

When I woke up, it was still pitch black. Mountains could be seen in the starlight, but other than that it was just the glare of high-beams. I woke up to shitty music and realized that meant Mark was back driving and looking pretty weary. Rifling through the garbage that had accumulated in a short eight hour span, I latched onto a RedBull and drank away. Twenty minutes later and feeling mostly human again, I told Mark to pull over and I’d grab the wheel. I took over just past Clearwater and set the cruise for a quick 140 km/h, trusting Greg’s radar detector to keep the Mounties at bay.

A gas, piss and chocolate bar/RedBull stop in Kamloops sent Mark back to the driver’s seat, me back in shotgun and Greg to the backseat. Mark put the hammer down, but we finally succumbed to fatigue around 4 am in Hope, B.C. Hope is about the size of my computer desk, so scrounging up the sheistiest motel you’ve ever seen wasn’t hard. Sixty bucks and ten minutes later the three of us racked out for the night, with alarm clocks set for an optimistic 6:30 am.

Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!!!!!

Sweet Jesus. I swear my head just hit the pillow. Judging by the looks of everyone else, I guessed they were feeling the same way. A half hour for morning mechanics and we were back on the road. A quick gas and breakfast stop before we left Hope behind. We all felt refreshed and excited about the day ahead. Driving through the outskirts of Greater Vancouver took us through nice communities like Abbotsford, New Westminster and Maple Ridge.

At 10 am, we finally arrived at the dealership.

The three of us came in through the door as one. And were promptly greeted by Bentleys, Ferraris, Lamborghinis and other exotics. Not too shabby of a place! Mark had been on the phone with them earlier in the day to set up our meeting and make everything go smoothly. The salesman took us around back to where Mark’s NSX was waiting.

And wow, was it perfect.

We looked the car over, inside and out, checking for damage, shoddy paint, poor fitment (!) or anything else that caught our eyes. Mark looked at me and said “You owned one. Take it for a drive and let me know.”

Keys, please!

Now, a little fun fact here. When the door is open and the ignition key is in, there’s four rapid chimes. It repeats the four chimes until the key is out, or the door is closed. The fun fact is that the four chimes is Morse Code for “H”. Honda.

Key in, clutch in, ignition on…. Gauges come alive, lights illuminate and extinguish and twist. The starter motor is right behind your head on this car and you can hear it loud and clear. Two or three revolutions and the motor caught. In my opinion, there is no other V-6 that sounds as nice as this. In a heartbeat, I truly missed my old car. Memories of my epic roadtrip to buy it came flooding back. I hadn’t driven or even rode in one since I had sold mine and it was a bittersweet moment. The salesman popped in the passenger seat as I scanned the gauges, making sure everything was working and letting the temperature gauges come up. Clutch in and out a couple times and right there I noticed the first difference. The newer ones lack the twin-plate clutch that the ’91-’96 models had. When the car is in neutral, the clutch plates rattled and it was one of my favorite NSX quirks.

First gear, clutch out and away we go. No power steering in this, just like it should be. Road feedback is immediate and intimate through the wheel. I pulled to the end of the lot and waited for traffic to clear. Traction control off, because it’s for pussies, and I pulled gently into traffic.

Kidding. Much to the salesman’s surprise, I revved the motor to about 6,000 RPM and dumped the clutch. The car launched forward, sideways with squealing tires and a handful of opposite lock. An 8,200 RPM shift to 2nd sent the back tires scrambling for traction. God, how this motor sounds. It hits its VTEC cam lobes at 5,700 RPM and the noise is outrageous. Go on YouTube and you’ll agree with me. Coming through 5,000 RPM in 3rd gear I realized I was doing about 170 km/h in a 60 zone and jabbed the brakes. I went around the block a few times checking the brakes, steering, gearbox and anything else I could think of. Ten minutes later, I pulled back into the dealership and told Mark “If you don’t buy it, I will.”

Mark slipped into the drivers seat, somehow folding his body into the confines of the car. Twenty minutes later, he was back. With a big smile on his face, he walked into the dealership to finish up the paperwork. Greg and myself killed off the time looking around, playing in Lamborghinis and Ferraris, taking pictures and finding some questionable spelling on boxes.

All said and done, a painless buying experience.

As we left the dealership, a quick phone call to a friend in Kelowna secured us both a party spot for the night and a place to sleep. Lunch beckoned and we made our way from south Vancouver towards the north shore, heading to the Sea To Sky highway. The Sea to Sky is a beautiful ribbon of pavement that skirted the ocean all the way to Whistler and makes for some great pictures. We stopped for food at a great little ocean-side restaurant who’s name escapes me. I do remember that the food was delicious, so I feel bad that I can’t remember what the place was called. A quick phone call to my parents to brag that I was in Vancouver and we continued onwards towards Whistler, stopping again at the Horseshoe Bay marina for more pictures. Hanging out of the sunroof in the Pathfinder, I snapped away at the NSX. People stared at me, then realized why I was halfway out of a truck at 120 km/h and nodded their approval.

I climbed into the NSX with Mark for the drive back into Vancouver, leaving Greg alone in the Pathy. We rolled through Vancouver at a decent pace, heading for our overnight in Kelowna. This was my first time in a Targa NSX, and I loved it. I’d always thought the Coupe was the better version, but I take that back now. With the roof on, it was almost as quiet as the Coupe. With it off, it was freeing; a near convertible sensation. The windshield header does shake a bit, but it’s worth it. Windows up and the roof off, we hit the highway pointed east for home. Somehow, even lowered on coilovers like it was, the NSX makes a great GT car. My trip home was 2700 miles in 3 days and I loved it. There’s plenty of room for two people to stretch out and you can be comfortable in the car for long, long hours of driving.

Unfortunately for me, Greg developed a massive vaginal infection and claimed he couldn’t drive the Pathfinder anymore. How the driver’s seat hurt his back but the identical passenger seat didn’t remains beyond me to this day. With Mark understandably refusing to give up the NSX, that left me driving the truck. Fuuuu! I was sure I was getting duped here.

Also, much to my dismay, the Pathy was governed to a meager 170 km/h. With Mark and Greg blasting away on the two lane roads in excess of 200 km/h, I was left in the dust. I knew in my own experience that the NSX will top out around 270 km/h, so I had no hope of keeping up. Every five minutes or so, I’d catch up and then they’d be off again, passing cars with a capability that the Nissan simply didn’t have. Truth be told, it’s a great truck to drive, but considering the alternative, I was pretty choked!


Five hours later, after periods of driving like complete shitheads, we rolled into Kelowna for the night. We met up with Jayson at his condo right downtown, tossed our bags in his place and hit the road, searching for the nearest Joey’s. Chili chicken was calling my name, and I’ll be damned if I wasn’t eating some that night. I also ditched the Pathy for a fantastic alternative: Jay’s decked out Nismo 350Z. Finally, back in something fun to drive!! And with the NISMO exhaust, another car that absolutely howled to redline. This car is absurdly, oh-my-God-the-end-of-the-world-is coming, loud. If you’ve never been to Kelowna, it’s a dream town. It’s small, on the lake and full of beautiful women. Driving around in two screaming cars is attention whoring at it’s best, and we were no exception. It’s also incredibly good fun.

Chili chicken was bought and eaten and the four of us ditched the cars back at Jay’s condo and the search for beer began. We found a great little pub upstairs just off Ellis Street and made our way through a few pitchers. Knowing we had another nine hours of driving ahead of us kept the partying pretty tame and we walked back to Jay’s and racked out.

Morning brought more groaning about the hour and me waking up next to Greg. It’s terrifying.

After some disgusting McDicks for breakfast, we thanked Jayson for the hospitality and bid him adieu. As it was, I was back in the Pathy, iPhone plugged in and pounding out tunes to keep me awake. On our way back up highway 97 towards Jasper, we came across a very familiar looking Evo X. Sure enough, it was Curtis, sitting on the side of the road. Mark and I pulled the cars over and we went to talk to him and see what’s up. With an embarrassed shrug, he just said “outta gas…” I laughed. I mean, how can’t you? But finding 94 octane out here is a pain in the ass, so I understand how it happens. As it turned out, he was also traveling by convoy and had sent a car ahead to grab some gas in a Jerry can. We said our good-byes and good lucks and carried on our merry way.

As darkness fell, we rolled back through Jasper, wanting food. Forgoing the Downstream, we hit up the Dead Dogg for burgers and a beer. After my constant bitching, Greg agreed to suck it up and take the Pathfinder over for a little while.

360 kilometers to go.

With over 1800 kilometers traveled in the past two days, I was getting antsy to get home. Radar detectors on full alert we hit the highway hard, cruising at over 90 miles an hour, sucking up the miles and spitting them out with no remorse. Approaching the RCMP pit that is Hinton, we slowed to the limit, crawled through and as soon as we left the city limits, mashed the gas and started swallowing miles again.

The dark sky slowly grew lighter as the lights of Edmonton reflected off the clouds. I’m not a huge fan of Edmonton, but it’s nice to be home, wherever that may be. Greg lives out in Stony Plain and we dropped him off there, with myself resuming driving duties in the Pathfinder. Driving through town on a beautiful July night, I left the Pathy at Mark’s condo, threw my bag in the trunk of the NSX and climbed in. We did a quick tour around town, doing the cruise down Whyte Ave looking for girls to ogle and cars to admire. Finally, running out of road, Mark turned north into St. Albert and headed for my place.

I feel the word “epic” is very overused, but it does sum up this trip. No one knew what we were doing, why we were all in Vancouver or what we were getting. I’d created a thread on our local car forum (www.780tuners.com) and it was abuzz with speculation of what we were getting. No one was disappointed.

Three days. 2300 kilometers. One amazing car. This is what they’re built for. Driving.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

DSM Fever.

Is it a faux pas to write about your own car? I've wanted to share my experience with some of the vehicles I've owned for some time. This is really about the one that almost got away, three times.


It started out in 1998, 14 years old looking at a shiny, White, mint 92 Plymouth Laser RS AWD, at a used car dealership in Medicine Hat. My first experience with a DSM, or a Diamond Star Motors vehicle, which was a joint venture among Mitsubishi and Chrysler during the nineties. I managed to persuade my Dad to get us a test drive, since I knew what these cars were all about. On the way back, he pulled over to the side of the road and let me drive. On the first stoplight I hit I brought the 195hp 4G63 Turbo up to five grand and proceeded to launch the car so hard the wipers came on. That day I cought DSM fever.



Fast forward two years later, I am 16 and looking for a shiny DSM to call my own. Enter a Blue 1991 Eagle Talon TSi AWD, with Silver Ground Effects that just happened to be for sale in Athabasca for five Grand. Now, I did not have that kind of money, but I managed to drive up and take a look at the car. Again DSM fever took over but I couldn't quench it.

My turbo travels took me through a few Chrysler Daytonas, but DSM fever still would not die. In 2004, An aquaintence of mine had a Black 92 Talon TSi AWD, and I had managed to convince him that a trade should be in order. Unfortunately for me, the deal fell through and I was once again left without my DSM.

 Now it's April 2010, and I'm looking for a new project to take on. I've already owned Fieros, Daytonas, a Cobalt SS Supercharged, An RX7. I wanted something that I haven't owned. I've never looked at the Second Generation DSM before, but one caught my eye. Maybe it was because It was priced to sell or it had the ugliest front bumper and wheels I've possibly seen on a Talon, but I finally gave in and decided to go for it.

The fever was cured, for the most part. I had purchased a factory replacement bumper, and factory wheels to bring the car back to respectability. New tires, 2.5 inch catback Exhaust and much needed maintenence came in along the way. The driving experience with AWD grip is just unbelieveable, carving through twisties with Lateral grip that would make your innards slosh around like a day old milkshake. DSM fever has broken. What could be next?


1997 EAGLE TALON TSi AWD SPECIFICATIONS (as per wikipedia)
Also called Mitsubishi Eclipse
Production 1995-1999
Platform PJ-body
Engine(s) 2.0 L 420A I4
2.0 L Mitsubishi 4G63T I4
Wheelbase 98.8 in (2510 mm)
Length 1995-96: 172.2 in (4374 mm)
1997-99: 174.8 in (4440 mm)
Width 1995-96: 68.7 in (1745 mm)
1997-99: 69.9 in (1775 mm)
ESi: 68.3 in (1735 mm)
Height 49.8 in (1265 mm)
AWD: 50.5 in (1283 mm)

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Finally Falling in Love.

When the R35 GT-R was first released in 2007, I shook my head and "face palmed."


Why would they replace the RB power plant from the previous R-Chassis Skyline generations with a V6 instead of continuing the RB heritage? I also wasn't happy that they changed to an electronically driven transmission from the now "old school sports car" ways of stick shift. I didn't feel it deserved the badge of "GT-R".

All that I really needed was to see it up close and in person, drive beside it, and listen to it with my own ears ( I've seen a few around the city going opposite ways, but nothing I was ever able to examine) to change my mind. I needed to feel the "awe" of driving beside it, and having it blast by you. I needed to subject to the respect and attention it demands when it's parked in front of you on the street made me realize it that it had all the Skyline heritage it needed.


It still grabs your eye, it still hauls ass, and it still commands respect. What's changed? nothing. Nissan had just implemented evolution to allow it to maintain its predator status within the game.

Before shooting with Cody, I would have said that over the years I had warmed to the car, but still didn't feel that it was in my books as a Skyline predecessor. Sure it was twin turbo'd and sure it was fast, but there was something missing that I couldn't put my finger on. But now that I've I figured it, and realized it was just my own close minded-ness that was hiding it, I can truly accept it for what it is: A GT-R.


Plain and simply put: the R35 is what the GT-R's have always been: a car that grabs your eyes from your rear view mirror and forces you to follow it, as it feeds your mind with wonder while it rips by you on the highway, enticing you to watch it's rear end as it escapes off into the distance... and just as those R32's, R33's, and (track) R34's I have seen in the past, the R35's have got my straining to watch it as it disappears.

- Kevin Stachniak

  
Specs ( as per Wikipedia):

Assembly Tochigi, Tochigi, Japan
Predecessor Nissan Skyline GT-R (R34)
Class Sports car
Body style(s) 2-door coupé
Layout Front engine, all-wheel drive
Platform Premium Midship
Engine(s) 3.8L VR38DETT twin-turbo V6
Transmission(s) 6-speed semi-automatic dual clutch transmission[2]
Wheelbase 2,780 mm (109.4 in)
Length 4,655 mm (183.3 in)
Width 1,895 mm (74.6 in)
Height 1,370 mm (53.9 in)
Curb weight 1,740 kg (3,800 lb)
Designer Shirō Nakamura

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Bad To The Bone

Without a doubt, the Legacy of American Muscle will never die. It's good to know that owners like Cody La Riviere here stay true to the Muscle Car oath: All motor, no additives. This amazing horsepower machine is a 2000 Chevrolet Camaro Z28, the last of the GM F-Body. A True Canadian car, the last generation Camaro was built in the GM assembly plant located in Sainte-Thérèse, Quebec.







During this shoot, I got to know Cody a bit and discovered he's a down to earth fellow who appreciates what he has and takes nothing for granted. He has spent countless hours creating a masterpiece of a Z28 into his own. Without a doubt, blood, sweat and tears, maybe not so much tears, has been put into this car and it definitely shows.

The reason as to why Cody picked a Camaro Z28 as opposed to an import, was that the V8 " sounds pissed off ". There is a more personal side, with the muscle car scene dying a slow death around the turn of the century, He also wanted to " grab the last of the true F-body, the tail end of American Muscle Cars".


Here are some specs on the car:

Engine:
It boasts an all aluminum 346 Cubic Inch (cu) 5.7L LS1. This is not a stroker, it is a precisely built LS1. It has around 450+ Rear Wheel Horsepower (RWHP). For engine modifications, this LS1 has a K&N Cold Air Intake, a Edelbrock 90mm Victor Throttle Body, a F.A.S.T. 90mm intake manifold, F.A.S.T 36 lb/hr injectors Texas Speed and Performance Stage 1 LS6 heads, Thunder Racing "Trex" camshaft, ARP connecting rod bolts, ported oil pump, and lastly a Manley double roller timing chain.

Exhaust:
Which high performance car would be complete without an exhaust system? This Camaro has 1 3/4 " long Hooker tubes with 3" collectors ending before the rear axle.


















Suspension:
Cody figures, if he wants to keep his car on the road, why not use it's weight to do so? He has installed a front sway bar, a G2 adjustable lower control arm front and back, custom made weld in subframe connectors, joined by a BMR brace/driveshaft safety loop, BMR transmission cross member/torque arm, BMR torque arm, Eibach lowering Springs that sit on custom valved Bilstein Shocks in the front, stiffer performance Eibach lowering springs and Koni Adjustable shocks in rear.




















Shoes:
Just like humans, cars need proper footwear in order to move. What enables this Camaro to stick to the pavement are a set of Detroit Wheels C4 ZR1 replica 9.5"X17" in the front and 11"X17" in the back, shrouded around Toyo Proxes T1-S 275/40R17 are in the front and Mickey Thompson ET Street Radials 315/35R17 in the rear to put the power down.

I am fortunate enough to have had the chance to shoot this Camaro, and it was indeed a great pleasure. It is truly a great example of how the 20th century produced simplicity and fun in North American motoring. A big thank you to Cody for all the info and his time, and Leafy32 for giving me this opportunity. Keep shooting my friends. Ciao.

-MoroccanSpicePhotos
http://www.flickr.com/photos/moroccanspice/























Wednesday, August 25, 2010

DUBL-STUFD

I recently had the opportunity to shoot a E30 BMW 318is that's far from stock. Unfortunately the owner of the car wasn't the builder, but that doesn't take any of the enjoyment away when you've got a second E30 that you did build yourself. Joel Buchsdrucker is the proud owner of two E30s, and this one in particular is quite unique. I took the time to ask him some questions and learn why he appreciates this 318is so much.

I asked Joel why he purchased the car, and this is what he had to say. “ I've been wanting a swapped E30 for years. The used engine market in Edmonton is terrible and after of not finding anything for a long time I settled on a turbo build up for my daily driver E30. Shortly before I began gathering parts together for that, I heard about this car for sale 3 hours south and my heart jumped a little. I knew I had to have it.”

I asked what has been done to the car. “Well first and foremost the engine is an S38B36 3.6L I6 from a 1991 BMW M5. The differential and transmission is the 5 speed from the M5. The suspension consists of a 5-lug swap with E36 M3 front end and E36/8 M Coupe rear end all sitting on adjustable Ground Control springs and camber plates and Koni shocks. The front brakes are E36 M3 and rear brakes are from an E46 330i. Supersprint exhaust, JimC chip, Style 73 BMW wheels from a 330xi and complete Hartge late model body kit.”

I found out a bit about how rare the swap is. “The S38 is infamous for being expensive and high maintenance. Most E30 engine swaps today are M50/2 or S50/2 engines from the E36 which can be done fairly easily with little modification or fabrication. The S38, however, is physically larger and heavier and requires more ingenuity to swap. The car was built by a shop in Toronto 6 years ago and was the owners personal ride. Cooling is an issue, but it has been uniquely solved by moving the radiator 6 inches forward, preserving the mechanical fan and adding an electric fan. The overall result is a very clean, functional swap.”

To Finish this i wanted to know how the car made him feel, and this is what he had to say. “In one word; excited. The sound of the 3.6L I6 engine with the ITB's is beautiful, people have compared it to air-cooled 911's and old Ferrari's. It's pretty fast and it can get a little scary at times, but that's part of the fun, right?”

Some stats on the car from his own knowledge. “I honestly don't have any firm stats, but with the chip and factory ratings the engine should be good for about 325hp and 290lb/ft. Overall car weight should be around 2700lbs. Top speed is unknown but I predict it would be around 260-270kph, and 0-60 in 5 seconds.”

Josh, Signing Off!

Link to Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/joshualegault/

BMW 318is SPECIFICATIONS (as per wikipedia including M5 swap)
Manufacturer BMW
Production 1982–1994
Body style 2-door coupe
Layout Front engine, rear-wheel drive
Engine 3.6 L S38B36 I6
Transmission 5-speed manual
Wheelbase 2,570 mm (101.2 in)
Length 1988-89 Sedan, Wagon & Coupe: 4,450 mm (175.2 in)
1988-89 Convertible: 4,460 mm (175.6 in)
1990-91 Sedan, Wagon & Coupe: 4,326 mm (170.3 in)
1990-93 Convertible: 4,323 mm (170.2 in)
Width Sedan & Wagon: 1,646 mm (64.8 in)
Coupe: 1,661 mm (65.4 in)
Height Sedan & Wagon: 1,379 mm (54.3 in) Convertible: 1,369 mm (53.9 in)
Coupe: 1,400 mm (55.1 in)
Curb weight 1,070–1,368 kg (2,359–3,016 lb)

ST205 GT4: Whiteout!

The Four Headlights are a reminder of the headlight design on the original Celica

 There are some brands that have been synonymous with rally racing. While Subaru and Mitsubishi were arguably the most dominant Japanese brands in the past 20 years competing in rally, The Toyota Celica started competing in 1972, reaching legendary status by the time the sixth generation, ST205 Celica GT4 rolled out of the factory.

Toyota Racing Development

With a newly revised 3S-GTE delivering an astounding 251 Horsepower for 1994, The All Wheel Drive GT-4 was a rally fan's dream car. Simon Haddad of Fredericton, New Brunswick was one of those dreamers too, being indocrinated into rallying at a young age by his father. The Celica always stood out to him as something unique, and since the 6th Generation GT4 was not offered in Canada, he would own a car that was relatively exlusive. And one of the most badass rallying derived cars ever to rock the gravel.

The rear wing, Hood Scoops and OZ Racing wheels show that this isn't an ordinary Celica.

The White O.Z. racing wheels, multiscooped hood and GT4 Rally wing set the car apart, making sure you know that this isn't your average Celica. Simon has added a few of his own modifications including full three inch exhaust, custom intake and HKS boost controller.

Right Hand Drive: This GT4 wasn't offered in Canada.

The Interior is augmented with a Momo steering wheel, VDO and Apexi Gauges and an HKS turbo timer. He hopes that adding methanol injection and a tune will get him into the 350 wheel Horsepower range, but says that without changing the turbo it could be a long shot.

Simon says it all when he states the reason he chose the Celica GT-4 was because the Combination of Styling, power and fun in every weather condition were hard to beat in anything else. We think he probably couldn't have brought the car to a better place.

TOYOTA CELICA GT4 ST205 FACTORY SPECIFICATIONS (As per Wikipedia)

Production Oct 1993–Jun 1999
Assembly Tahara, Aichi, Japan
Body style 3-door liftback
Layout Front engine, 4WD
Platform T200
Engine 2.0 L turbo 3S-GTE I4
Transmission 5-speed manual
Wheelbase 2,535 mm (99.8 in)
Length 174.2 in (4425 mm)
Width 68.9 in (1750 mm)
Height 50.8 in (1290 mm)

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Struck by lighting! Porsche GT3 RS!

Here's a car that doesn't need no introduction.

But just in case you don't know, this is the brand new Porsche 997.2 GT3 RS that I did a shoot of.

Even though I didn't drive it, I did ride shotty in it. The beauty of this GT3 RS is how alive it makes you feel, even just prowling around the city streets. This is a pin-sharp car, but there's comfort now, a new respect for your fillings and spine. Don't for a moment think the RS can't be driven every day, just takes more nerves and energy then your usual car.

There are lots of fast cars out there, lots of stripped-back racers. But what Porsche have managed to do is save weight, still keep a smattering of luxury and make people feel like driving gods. It might be an expensive way to feel like you're The Stig... but it's [flick hair] so worth it.








































After the ride/photoshoot of this GT3 RS, it really made me think the regular GT3 looks tame compared to this.

Till next time,
Jeff :)