Indholdsfortegnelse for January 2017 i Fast Car

I’m not one to boast. But as my hands hit these keys I’m on my way (Business Class, of course) to Vegas for SEMA! Yes, it really is that time of the year again, and no doubt your social-media news feeds will have been full of the show’s internet-breaking builds already. You’ll have to wait a few more weeks for our report, but it’ll be worth it! Anyway enough about next month and back to this one, because it’s an absolute stonker of an issue – filled with all the normal modified madness. And also the not so normal too. Because this month’s bonus section is all about cars that tend to get touched less than the salad menu at McDonald’s. Welcome to the Unusual Suspects. Within this section you’ll…

“If aliens invaded at the same time as Brad cruised by, everyone would still be taking photos of the car” Being a massive car fan, especially modified cars, has a funny effect on how you view the world. Checking out cool cars in magazines and on the internet on a daily, maybe hourly, basis, means you become a little immune to how amazing some cars can be. Cars you might never see on the street in your life you can see every day on the internet, so it’s easy to forget how insane these things really are, and Brad Hacker’s awesome Nissan GT-R is a perfect example of this. It’s fair to say almost all of us has seen pictures of Liberty Walk-kitted GT-Rs before. It’s not because they’re common,…

“All I ever wanted was an EG Civic, one of the best looking Civics ever made” It’s a fact of life that certain cars get typecast. The K11 Nissan Micra, for example: my grandma used to have one (before we wrenched the driving licence from her grasp with a stern ‘Stop that, enough now’). It had a mysterious dent on the tailgate and every week it would be a slightly different size and shape. It mystified us for months. Until we realised that she always parked in the same space at her local Tesco, and always bumped into the same trolley bay on her way in… The EG Honda Civic suffers similar derision in some quarters. A fogey’s motor, something to give a wide berth lest it unexpectedly lurch toward…

NICHE TURIN, FROM £170 (EACH) The humble 5-spoke has always been a modding staple and that’s for one simple reason. They (arguably at least – Midge) seem to suit more modified motors than just about any other configuration. In fact, we’re pretty sure 5-spoke wheels can never, ever, die. Especially when top firms like Niche here continue to punt out yet more fine examples. Now, being from the USA, the Turin is about as Italian a Pizza Hut Deep Pan Deluxe. It is however just as tasty, and the really nice thing is that they must think that a lot of cars would look the part sporting ‘em. I mean, just check out the wide range of size fitments available off-the-shelf. These could look just at home on your Mk7…

OhSoRetro merch, from £13 We all know that nostalgia, closely followed by a healthy dollop of retro chic, never goes out of fashion. In fact, there’s one or two old-skool modified oddballs in this very issue that are cases in point. When it comes to the coolest garb on the street, too, retro gear is most certainly IN this season, so why not check out the mountains of top apparel available from the boys and girls over at OhSoRetro? It has to be said, we were previously loving their top summer range of T-shirts and sunnies. But now the winter gear has dropped, we’re loving their motoring-inspired selection even more. Beanies and hoodies are the order of the day in the coming months and we reckon these are some of…

This is Arenacross. It takes the very best bits of Motocross racing (the passion, dedication and competitive edge) and mixes it up with a show which will make you wonder why you’ve been bothering with music concerts. Lights, lasers, a thumping soundtrack, plenty of pyrotechnics and an insane atmosphere are just some of the selling points. There’s also stupidly fast and entertaining bar-bashing racing (from little kids age 7 through to world-class pros), some mental guys taking to the Freestyle ramps to show off their air-borne skills 40ft above your head, Monster Girls, Mexican waves, audience competitions and some pretty crazy commentators to keep you up to speed. Heading around the UK on a whirlwind adventure of dirtbikes and, well, dirt (5000 Tonnes inside each arena to be precise) The…

“People say that you’re not a true petrolhead until you’ve owned an Alfa” Modified cars are pretty awesome. There’s no denying it. But there’s also no denying that more often than not, a rather uninspiring car is chosen as the basis of the project. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with this at all – in fact, some will say that transforming a run-of-the-mill hatchback into a show-winning mega build is the most impressive route one could possibly take. But what happens if you dare to begin with a beautiful, powerful Italian hot hatch as the starting point for your latest venture? If your story goes anything like Kiran’s here, it’ll be a tale of never-ending engineering nightmares and worrying amounts of resistance to your modifying decisions. But one that ultimately…

The annual meeting of the forum’s hardcore that takes place at Shelsley Walsh Hill Climb in Worcestershire always throws up a few surprises. This year it was Pipey McGraw’s frankly bonkers Passat W8 4Motion masquerading as a ’71 VW K70. Yes, that’s right. A K70 with a 4.0-litre W8 engine and all-wheel drive! This thing sounded outstanding as it fired up the hill at a stunning rate. It’s not just the hill climbing headliners that deserve mention in print however, as they’re a small, albeit awesome, percentage of what the RR Gathering is all about. It’s the club and show-goer parking areas that really makes the event what it is. As we did on this occasion, you can actually park your retro ride at the show and be apart of…

Let’s go all Marty McFly and travel back in time. It’s 2006, Tony Blair is in office, Daniel Craig makes his debut as James Bond, Richard Hammond bumps his head crashing a jet car and a couple of car nuts decided the UK car scene needed a new chilled out show – where bitching wasn’t welcome but variety was. We are of course talking about Players, founded by Carl Taylor and Jamie McToldridge. It’s no secret that Carl and Jay are massive VW nuts and Players was heavily VAG biased in the early days. But this was because of the circles in which they socialised and not because that’s what they wanted the show to be about – in fact it was the complete opposite. Fast-forward 10 years and you’ll…

Getting yourself a brand new motor is always tricky if you’re a die-hard modified car lover. Whereas on a cheap runaround it might be possible to cut a few corners to achieve the desired effect and put your own personal stamp on the car, when it still smells of the showroom, only the very best will do. Kieran’s old Clio was a seriously decent car in itself, even making appearances in this very magazine in a few show reports and the Readers’ Rides section, but it was sadly written off before it was fully feature-worthy. The car was promptly replaced by a brand-spanking new Citroën DS3. He was impressed from the off. “It was very classy and drove amazingly when I took it for a test drive,” Kieran remembers the…

TRIZ PREMIUM, £30 Another top quality LSP here, this time a hardcore body sealant direct from the Far East. This new flagship product is the culmination of years of scientific research from the massive Soft99 Corporation, Japan’s biggest car-care conglomerate. And, put simply, what TRIZ does is get your car protected faster than just about anything else on the market. Spreading with a sponge or washing off any residue isn’t necessary here. You simply spray on a little, wipe it over with the included Trizex cloth and you’ll have a smooth, super-shiny and protected surface for the next few months. Perfect if you have very little patience for hardcore detailing. Or just winter in general (definitely one for Midge then – Jules). www.nipponshine.com BRITEMAX CLAYMAX, £9 Of course, it’s one…

In the past few years, smart phone connectivity for your car has moved forward leaps and bounds. This is the year twenty sixteen and your in-car app game should reflect the present. With the introductions of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, you can now use your Apple or Anroid device in your car whilst on the move in a safe a legal way. Happy days, right? APPLE CARPLAY CarPlay is the smarter, safer in-vehicle interface to operate your iPhone, and now reaches another level by being featured in cars and multimedia receivers. CarPlay takes the things you want to do with your iPhone while driving and puts them on your car’s built-in display. Use Siri voice control to get directions, make phone calls, listen to voicemail and also send and…

“I wanted to be that loud obnoxious guy. I wanted people to complain, but admire the sound quality” There comes a point in everybody’s life – and believe me, if it hasn’t happened to you, it will – when you feel the urge to buy an estate car. “It’ll be ever so practical,” you tell yourself. “I can use it to take hedge-clippings to the tip. I won’t have to pay an extortionate delivery charge when I buy a new washing machine. It’ll easily swallow the kids’ pushchairs along with the weekly shop. It’ll be handy for the dog…” And before you know it, you’ve joined the beige Volvo set. It’s an immutable constant of human existence. This, however, hasn’t exactly played out as fate dictated for Darren Simon. He…

KEVIN TUTTLEBURY S VW POLO FC says : Very keen readers might remember this little Polo from nine months ago. Since then Kevin has been extremely busy perfecting the build, even having the car resprayed in its original Caribbean Green hue a couple of months back. We also love the TH Lines that have had a mini resurgence in the 2016, and the imported wing and Metalplast bonnet vents from Germany. He was well on his way to full feature stardom. But as you can see from the last picture, it’s sadly been written off. We hope that Kevin gets back in the modifying seat very soon, as he’s clearly got a talent for it. This was one of the best and cleanest Polo Coupes we’ve seen to date. Chin…

“No backslapping here, just a bunch of mates having a laugh” At a cellular level, you are a paranoid and self-destructive creature. You may remember the phrase ‘programmed cell death’ from your high-school biology lessons. The basic principle is this: when your cells are no longer deemed necessary they quietly disassemble themselves. But what’s most interesting is that every cell in your body is ready to kill itself at a moment’s notice unless it receives constant instructions from other cells to stay alive. This, essentially, acts as a pointed metaphor for the modern car modifying scene. There’s a number of people out there who build cars solely to impress other people. These are the folk you see sat immobile in their cars at shows, rather than getting out to see…

2Forge ZF2 Sizes: 8.5, 9.5 and 10.5x19, 8.5, 9.5, 10, 10.5, 11 and 12x20 inch PCDs: Any 5x100 to 5x130 Offsets: ET9-58 Finishes: Matt Black, Matt Gunmetal, Silver (polished face) 2FORGE ZF2, From £280 (each) What with just about everyone hankering after the finest lightweight forged hoopage nowadays, the guys 2Forge have come up with a simple but thoroughly unbeatable formula for their new range – mahoosive forged hoops at cast-wheel money. In fact, they may be new kids on the block but they’re certainly causing a few waves in the wheel world along the way too. Punters are more than happy, which is a lot more than can be said for many a manufacturer! Kicking off with the undeniably awesome, split-5-spoke ZF2 here, these guys have become masters in…

STAY CONNECTED WITH APPLE CARPLAY AND THE KENWOOD DNX8160DABS We depend on our mobile devices now more than ever. We use them to communicate so many aspects of our daily lives, to organise our routine, to express our creativity and to entertain. They have become essential companions in our busy lives, so why should this stop while we are in our cars? The fantastic Kenwood DNX8160DABS comes complete with Apple CarPlay, a smart and safe in-vehicle interface to operate your iPhone while on the move. This means if you have a car with a double-DIN sized car stereo you can quickly and easily make the upgrade to Kenwood and get CarPlay in your ride right now. This is the very latest in tech that will allow you to manage your…

The modified car world is a broad church, one large enough to encompass almost any kind of car you care to mention. But that doesn’t mean all sections of said church have to get on with one another! One of the biggest rifts in this otherwise harmonious community of passionate car fans is between those who think certain, older, bona fide classic cars should be left as their manufacturer’s intended, and those who feel everything is improved with a little aftermarket modification. We’ll give you one guess as to which camp we fall into. We don’t know for sure, but we’re willing to bet that certain sections of the aforementioned classic car world wouldn’t take too kindly to the Austin Healey you see here – without doubt one of the…

One of the questions I hear most often is ‘How did you get that in there?’” grins Ross Bradley, standing proudly beside his gleaming Black Cherry E30, exhaust ticking and pinging after another urgent country lane blast. “And that’s exactly the point – you make things fit. They don’t just go in there on their own.” That very much sums up Ross’s outlook on life. The joy of the project is as much in the build as the driving. ‘Built, not bought’ is a common phrase on the scene these days. Modifiers who’ve solely achieved their goals in the confines of a single garage with just a cup of tea and a crackly radio for company are rightly proud to wear their achievements on their sleeve. That’s not to sideline…