Articles by ColumnM
31/01/18
The W125 Rekordwagen (record car) was an experimental streamliner derived from the Mercedes-Benz W125 open wheel formula car, but instead of the Grand Prix car’s 8-cylinder engine, the Rekordwagen had a twin supercharged V12 capable of putting out 725 horsepower. On January 28, 1938 Rudolf Caracciola took the W125 to a top speed of 432.7kmph (268mph), setting the fastest officially recorded speed on public roads that wasn’t broken until November 5, 2017 by the Kornigsegg Agera RS.
10/01/18
The folks at Porsche commissioned a prototype Porsche 911 with a real back seat in 1969 with the help of Pininfarina. They stretched the stock floorpan nearly 8 inches, giving much needed leg room to passengers in back. In order for rear passengers of average height to fit in back, the roof line was radically altered, giving the car a hunched back look. Management was not happy with the new look of the car, and did not move forward with a stretched 911 2+2, which now lives in the pages of automotive history as the Pininfarina 911 B17 Concept.
20/12/17
It’s only when you see flip phones and neon lights in the parking drift scene (VIDEO) from The Fast and The Furious : Tokyo Drift is when you realise that this movie was from a decade that was in a completely different area of tech. While flip phones didn’t make it out of the 2000s quite so well, the Nissan 350Z that Takashi flawlessly drifts to the top of the building in the movie. This here is that very 2002 Nissan 350Z 3.5 Fairlady V6 two door coupe that has appeared on U.K-based AUTOLOGIX.
07/11/17
After Ferruccio Lamborghini had cut all ties with the companies that he had created, the new owners wanted Lamborghini to have a younger approach. This meant entering motorsports, something Ferruccio had never intended for his cars. The decision was made to enter the gruelling rally scene with the Paris-Dakar (now Dakar Rally) with a Rally-prepped Lamborghini LM002, the company’s full-fat four wheel drive SUV that featured the engine from a Lamborghini Countach, now pumping out 600+ hp in its rally spec.
06/11/17
One of the most entertaining car commercials ever on TV has been ‘The Sculptor’ by Peugeot in 2003. This featured an Indian man turning his beat-up Hindustan Ambassador into a 206 supermini using only his off-beat ingenuity. The full video is below. Recently however, in celebration of Peugeot’s buyout of the now defunct Ambassador brand, the folks at TOP GEAR UK have decided to recreate the car as seen in the commercials. The only change being an upgrade from the 206 to a more up-to-date 208 GTI.
06/11/17
Amalgam decided to make an engine model after 17 years and of course, the engine of choice had to be the most incredible one that was out there today. This here is a 1:4 scale model of Bugatti Chiron engine and gearbox. Amalgam says that their close relationship with Bugatti has enabled them to create such a detailed model replica that consists of 1,040 parts, and I believe them. The Bugatti Chiron engine and gearbox 1:4 scale model is an exact replica, right down to the numerous part labels and barcodes.
24/08/17
Coatchbuilt cars are usually a hit or miss as they largely strike a cord with a very audience with a niche design mindset. That said, the 1989 Ferrari Conciso is an especially odd one, as it took coachbuilt Ferrari design in a direction that was wildly odd and totally unimagined before. And while the thought and reasoning behind this unique one-off Italian car was sound, the end product is easily the oddest looking coachbuilt Ferraris ever built.
02/08/17
For the 1996 holiday season Jamiroquai singer Jay Kay came up with a funky disco tune that featured a red Ferrari F40 alongside a black Ferrari F355 Berlinetta… and this very Lamborghini Diablo SE30 in shiny purple speeding down the highway in ultra-fast forward-motion-blur. This Lamborghini Diablo SE30, which in itself is a rare one of 150 examples series, off which Jay Kay’s model is an even rarer one of 16 right hand drive cars ever made. The car is currently available on auction at AUTOTRADER who have received the car from the pop star for the second time.
31/07/17
Its pure automotive magic when British engineering joins hands with German precision, the obvious example of which is the legendary McLaren F1 GTR. The BMW S70 V12 engine powering the McLaren F1 GTR is nothing short of matchmaking made in automotive heaven.
29/07/17
If you ever think of going racing to compete in some of the world’s biggest sports car racing series, then you certainly want to be with the best racing racing car makers in the business. That’s exactly who Prodrive are, the race car builders behind this competition spec 2002 Ferrari 550 Maranello. This very car currently listed on GIRARDO & CO. participated in the 24 hours of Le Mans 5 times, once being driven by rally legend Colin McRae himself.
26/07/17
The technicalities, the complications and the whole idea of putting a turbo in a custom bike was just being absorbed, when Chris and Rebecca from Boxer Metal thought out of the box and finalised to go with…..twin turbos! Yes, its the 1980 BMW R100 Twin Turbo from Boxer Metal which was built to showcase another example of sheer passion and imagination. A motorcycle Chris built not only to impress or to draw all the attention at the One Moto Show, but to beautifully give path to his 15-year dream based on his will power.
25/07/17
The Deus 400 kit is for someone who is looking to fulfil their thirst for flat tracker with ultimate styling. A kit that qualifies as a Yard Built SR400, and is a combination of off-road, scrambler and Yamaha XT500. Known as the Deus 400, this kit is a part of Yard Built project which comes with the advantage of retaining full Yamaha factory warranty. Deus 400 not only adapts the lines from the Yamaha XT500 but also brings back the style and coolness back from the eighties off-road bikes.
20/07/17
Shortly after having a wonderful experience curating ANDRE WICKY’S PORSCHE 911 S/T TRIBUTE, We spoke to Andrew Mearns, the man behind one of U.K’s most prolific classic Porsche dealerships, GMÜND CARS . Andrew was kind enough to tell us about his long term relation and experiences around the air-cooled cars that started in Gmünd, Austria, aptly after which his company is named. He also gives us an insight unto the world of classic cars, Porsches and the trends surrounding them this year.
17/07/17
Every now and then, car makers bring out something special for the purist… a machine that is purposely built for the sole pleasure of the driving experience. For this year, Porsche has done the very same to their beloved 911 by introducing the world with the Porsche 911 R. The 911 R is a race inspired, lightweight 911 that promises to be a purist driver’s car that is created to once again bring that connection between car and driver to the surface.
05/07/17
France has been playing hosts to the oldest and the most iconic of races in the World, the LeMans. The legend of Le Mans is so huge that no mention of motorsport is complete without it. Being a one of a kind event, where manufacturers from around the world try and showcase their engineering supremacy as much as top drivers around the world showcase their endured racing skills. So it is something for people to sit up and take notice of, when a manufacturer from the backyard of the Le Mans playground decides to build Supercars.
04/07/17
It is always a delight to come across more and more custom builders and getting an opportunity to talk about them. In fact, the builds that walk on the very thin line of keeping the essence of the base bike alive and yet propagate a whole new philosophy, and come out successful are the ones that make it all worthwhile for me at a personal level. May be that’s why, this Honda GL500-JPN by MOTOISM CUSTOMS feels so good to me as I look at it.
30/06/17
With the inevitable advent of Porsche turbo flat-four engines, the values for old Porsches have been on the rise. Singer realised this a couple of years back and came up with a retro-modern 911 which had the silhouette of yesteryears iconic 911 encapsulating a modern and reliable rolling chassis underneath which meant you could have your cake and eat it too. Other tuners saw the profits to be made with such resto-mods and followed suit.
22/06/17
The world automotive industry is full of surprises that never seize to amaze. Almost like a thriller novel, there is always something intriguing going on under the layers. Speaking of which, next time when you meet a bloke at a bar (or a café, I am not a judgmental kind) bragging about his McLaren and how it effectively thrashes the competition by its performance, you should congratulate him by saying, “Well mate, your Nissan sounds impressive”… Why you would say something like that, you’d ask. Well, to start off, it’s the truth, that’s why, almost.
21/06/17
The Lincoln Zephyr is possibly the best blend of retro looks and modern design. The instantly recognisable front end of the 1930’s Lincoln Zephyr is stretched out and widened, to build on the already beautiful design concept. The exquisitely shaped front nose is the perfect balance of being pointed and having a smooth curve. The design of the car swoops lower towards the rear starting out from a tall front section. All this design brilliance doesn’t come easily, it is the product of 4500 hours of painstaking labour, the car was initially a barn find.
12/06/17
Recently, Adhoc completed their latest project. A machine they call #15, which is a 1995 Honda CB750 . One of the most appealing platforms to create a custom build, the CB’s engine meets a perfect balance between outright performance and smooth power delivery, making it a very versatile beast wether riding in the city or the weekend countryside twisties.
08/06/17
What happens when the technology giant from Cupertino collaborates with the automotive wizards from Stuttgart, well you create the world’s first iPorsche . It is surprising to note that Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple Computers has always been quite fascinated with German Engineering. Jobs was known to be huge ‘Porsche Guy’ during the 1970’s and the 1980’s though he switched over to the Mercedes from the 1990’s. During Steve Job’s Porsche fanboy years, he was known to have quite a fleet of Porsches in his garage.