Category: builders

Tesla-powered Porsche 912: vintage meets electric

The Verge:

This 550-horsepower 1968 Porsche 912 is getting all of its power from an unexpected source: the electric motor from a Tesla Model S P85. It was made by two Southern California shops, Zelectric Motors and EV West, which convert old Volkswagens and Porsches into modernized electric cars. It’s a new way to rescue aging vintage cars — though not everyone is happy with the idea.

Get used to it people, this is only going to get more and more popular.

ICON Derelict 1967 VW Bus

ICON's Jonathan Ward profiles a VW Bus they've brought bang up to date, while still keeping it looking completely in period.

The whole point of a derelict is to blend in and have a good time. To enjoy life. Not only are we working to further enable the user by reengineering the vehicle to have more modern functionality and enhanced utility, we also sort of trying to create a moment in time, a safe zone. If you have a modern luxury car there are so many preconceived notions today. Everything things: he's a this or he's a that or she's all about the money. You just get beyond all that noise, all that nonsense. If anyone even notices this bus, they're going to smile. They're going to get positive vibrations, thumbs up, good feelings.

Project Binky - The Trailer

Watch as the good folk from Bad Obsession Motorsport shoehorn the oily bits from a Celica GT-four into an Austin Mini.

"Safely ensconced in a shed in deepest, darkest Shropshire, two men with their faculties dulled by liberal dosing’s of Jack Daniel’s finest No.7 brand embarked upon a journey that would change their world."

With a little bit of fabrication along the way.

via AUSmotive

Frontline MGB Abingdon Edition

Take one brand new, then seam-welded MGB body shell and add a properly tuned MX-5 heart (stroked to 2.5l, billet and forged internals, serious 50mm ITBs) and six-speed ('snik-snik') MX-5 gearbox.

Best part is that they've kept enough original bits to keep it UK homologated and registrable as a 1964-model.

304hp, 248lb ft and a 7,600rpm redline against a mere 897kg. 0-62mph in around 3.8 seconds.

pistonheads.com buildersreview

The Best BMW They Never Built

Not only did this BMW E91 318i estate get an S65 heart transplant from an E90 M3, it was also received extensively modified bodywork to match its mechanical upgrades.

Crying shame that BMW in all their "niche within a niche" model strategies hasn't built an M3 estate to take on the likes of the Mercedes-AMG C63 and Audi RS4 fast estates.

speedhunters.com builders

A grid full of win

Brad Lord for Speedhunters:

Toyota New Zealand's official motorsport wing - Toyota Racing - saw potential in the ZN6 chassis as well, and in March this year announced that it would be developing a new one-make/showroom-stock series around the car that's destined to become a future classic. It wasn't talking about a car like TRD's 86 Racing edition, but a proper track attacker.

Making the Nissan GT-R race-ready

Autocar compares the road going GT-R against the new GT3 model built by JRM Racing in a picture special:

The JRM Racing Nissan GT-R you see here is a relative newcomer to the class, and it certainly stands out next to the Lamborghinis and Audi R8s. The GT3 GT-R costs £320,000 plus taxes (good value compared with some rivals), and a season’s racing should set you back around £1 million.

We love a quality motorsport build.

Walking the walk: The Rotiform Porsche 964

Speedhunters' Ben Chandler profiles the minty Rotiform 964:

"Some people walk the walk, whilst others talk the talk. Brian Henderson definitely falls into the aforementioned category -- when it comes to cars, there's not a great deal of talking and more a whole load of doing. In fact, with Brian, it almost seems like there's no point in talking about what's going to happen at all. There's simply no time for it."

speedhunters.com buildersprofile

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