Indholdsfortegnelse for July 2019 i Fast Car

The Fiesta ST is a sort of automotive superhero – it’s just ridiculously good at everything. As well as being a practical and well-equipped little hatchback, it’s also got a hugely entertaining engine, peachy transmission and fabulous little chassis, and of course, it’s supremely tunable. No wonder the Mk7 ST won pretty much every automotive award going, and the new Mk8 ST is starting to follow the trend. But don’t go thinking Ford’s going to have its own way here. Vauxhall have stepped up to the plate, offering a raft of refinements to the slightly underwhelming Corsa VXR, to turn it into a proper contender. The new VXR is reportedly a whole 108kg lighter than the outgoing model, as well as being markedly stiffer, with all-aluminium engines and assorted aluminium…

Given how much time we spend cleaning our cars with an increasingly massive portfolio of niche products for every conceivable aspect of the vehicle, it’s a tricky mental balance to justify how much fun it is to pound down muddy country roads and get dirty. Having a really filthy car is a badge of honour, it shows you’ve been enjoying it. But it does mean all that buffing time is totally wasted. But fear not. If you want to get filthy without having to clean up afterwards, we’ve got your mum on speed-dial and you can do it virtually, thanks to the new release of DiRT Rally 2.0. This is a game for PCs, downloadable from Steam (https://store.steampowered.com) for £24.99. The game currently offers 32 stages and 17 cars from…

Some people just really get this modifying stuff, don’t they? Sure, the aftermarket is sufficiently massive and foolproof that anyone can buy a bunch of off-the-shelf parts and put together a decent car, but there’s a certain special something within the chosen few that delivers real results; an intangible, indefinable quality that imbues the modding elite with an inherent and uncanny ability to build jaw-dropping, show-stopping rides. Kiran Halsey is one such person. So when we learn that this is his first crack at modifying a car, it’s necessary to have a bit of a sit down and wipe the double-takes from our eyes. “I previously had an Audi TT TDI which I put some RS4 wheels on, but that was about the extent of it,” he grins, clearly amused…

KICKER L7S, FROM £300 Every so often a legend from your childhood returns to the world all new, improved and better than ever. It’s a bit like Noel Edmonds coming back for Deal Or No Deal, or Rick Astley with his new grime album (you made that one up didn’t you? Initial G). Well, that’s exactly what we’re looking at right here: the return of an absolute icon. Based on the original Kicker square subwoofers, these new L7S monsters feature uber-quality ceramic magnets, high temperature voice coils, a forged aluminium frame, patented corners (that are ribbed for your pleasure) and, just like the originals, offer 20-percent more surface area than any round sub in their class. Available as 8, 10, 12 and 15-inch versions, remember kids, these aren’t just the…

In a world of likes, comments and follows, it’s easy to get caught up in the Internet of Things, trapped in a mindset where online acceptance becomes the only thing that matters and the line between reality and façade is left dazed and confused by the wicked work of algorithms, influencers and click bait. Of course, for all of the negativity surrounding the dark and evil ways of the digital age, car culture has never been more connected geographically via the internet, which can only be a good thing. Social media is both a gift and a curse these days, but inspired by the US modified scene, this particular E82 project owes a lot to the power of the internet and it’s hard to argue with the results. This impressive…

“Never apologise. Never explain. Just get the thing done, and let them howl.” So said Agnes Macphail, the first woman to be elected to the Canadian House of Commons, thereby leaving mankind a handy and quotable get-out for doing things that may raise eyebrows. It’s all too easy to do things people will like or approve of, rather than things you actually want to do, for the sake of an easy life. This is particularly true in the sphere of car modification, especially in an age of the immediacy of social media. Perceived deviations from the accepted ways of doing things can be met with an instant backlash: ‘You’ve done that wrong,’ ‘You’ve ruined that,’ ‘That looks terrible,’ blah blah blah. Who cares? You only live once. Your brief glimmer of…

Nope. We’re not going to offer you half the trade price for your car, like those websites. Instead we want to give you the chance to be featured in the best modified car mag on the planet! So, if you own a cool-as-a-cucumber car you think is worthy of Fast Car, we’d love to see it. Please send a selection of good quality images and a spec to jules.truss@kelsey.co.uk, with ‘Feature Car’ as the subject. If we like it, we’ll get back to you to arrange a photoshoot. Simples.…

The guys at Japfest, TRAX and Adrian Flux decided to issue us something of a challenge a little while ago. Their idea was for Jules and Midge to go against each other in an epic head-to-head build-off! Although Midge is our product reviewing and testing guru, he’s also the editor of specialist Japanese car magazine, Banzai, hence the name of this challenge, The Ed(itor) to Ed(itor) Build-off. Now obviously they both accepted the challenge (you wouldn’t be reading this if they didn’t). But there’s a twist. They were allowed to buy each other’s cars! And knowing the boys, this meant one thing, stitching each other up with the worst base cars possible! Best of all, it’s all being documented on Fast Car Entertainment’s YouTube channel. Just make sure you don’t…

Everyone knows Meguiar’s and if you read this magazine you’ll also know that each year they build a fresh demo vehicle (we’ve featured the last two, the Crown Victoria Cop Car in 2017 and the Sunny Pickup in 2018). They don’t just build these cars to showcase their products but to demonstrate their passion for vehicles. In essence the guys and girls behind Meguiar’s UK are just like you and us: car nuts. So what’s Tom V Dale? Well, Tom and Dale are the Meguiar’s guys responsible for the demo vehicles, and each year that they embark on the build journey, their conflicting styles and opinions on car building clash. So this year, the head honchos at Megs UK had enough of the bickering and told them to build a…

Turning a Ferrari 458’s Manettino to Race mode is like plunging through a wormhole in space, tumbling into a distorted mirror and slamming straight through the back of the celestial closet into whatever the petrolhead alternative to Narnia is. Even in friendlier Sport mode it’s a pretty brutal proposition: a 562bhp V8 with a howling 9,000rpm redline, making a noise like a tortured choir of wronged angels, mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch Getrag ’box. This all runs hand-in-hand with smart E-Diff and F1-Trac systems, carbon-ceramic brakes with a ‘pre-fill’ function, drag-reducing deformable front winglets… and when you click that little switch to Race mode, all bets are off. Gear-shifts times are quickened, suspension stiffened, traction control loosened, and it’ll let you bounce off the limiter for giggles rather than automatically…

There’s a pretty compelling argument that the BMW M2 is the true spiritual successor to the E30 M3. Being a relatively compact two-door with aggressively fat arches, and sharing a not-too-dissimilar footprint, they’ve got a lot more in common with each other than the latest four-door bruiser of an M3. That said, you can’t do over 200mph in an E30, so that’s essentially where the comparison comes to an end. Obviously we’re not talking about a production-spec M2 here. But impressively, thanks to a few choice upgrades from tuning mentalists G-Power, the M2 Competition can hit a bona fide, verified 205mph. Which is frankly more awesome than our brains can cope with. The tuning eggheads start by monkeying about with the S55 motor’s turbos, stuffing the internals with larger, lighter…

We’ve been thinking a lot about the Rallye Peugeots lately: how the 106 Rallye has become a bit of a retro hero, for example, and in particular how it’s mirroring the crazy values of the older 205. It’s no secret how nuts the prices of 205 GTIs have gone, but it’s still possible to pick one up for under £5k, whereas the 205 Rallye seems to be more like £13-17k. Similarly, the 106 Rallye is creeping up beyond £7,000-8,000 for a good one, compared to about £4,000 for a 106 GTI. The smart money, then, is going on the 306 Rallye. Its GTI-6 sibling (if you can find one) will cost you about £4k, but you’ll pay the same for the 306 Rallye – they haven’t shot into the stratosphere…

“This is my first modified car – but I set myself a goal to build the UK’s most outrageous GT86 and, yeah… here we are” Toyota first tested the market with their new family of JZseries engines in the later Mk3 Supras, the 1JZ-GTE 2.5-litre twin-turbo signalling to the world that the firm might have one or two mischievous things planned… and when the covers finally came off the Mk4 Supra, the top-of-the-range model revealed its startling 2JZ-GTE, a 3.0-litre variant, again with twin-turbos, running a six-speed manual gearbox and offering up a gentlemen’s-agreement 276bhp; actually more like 300bhp, and a real-world 326bhp in UK-spec. Which made quite a strong point. The 2JZ went on to feature in numerous cars – in naturally-aspirated 2JZ-GE guise it could be found in…

There’s a rivalry between advocates of different drivetrain layouts. Fans of hot hatches will tell you the simplicity and amusingly scrabbly nature of FWD is the most entertaining way to get the hairs standing up on the back of your neck. Anyone who owns a quattro-equipped Audi, an Evo or an Impreza will look at you like a madman if you suggest AWD systems add unnecessary weight – because they can’t figure out why anyone wouldn’t want to have all of the colossal grip they enjoy. And RWD fans? They’re the most vocal of all, pointing out this is the classic formula: engine up front, drive going to the back, slab of meat in the middle exploiting the forces at either end. It’s this last group we’re catering for today,…

The art of cleaning your car has come a long way in recent years. Gone are the days of grabbing the nearest sponge, filling a bucket with water and washing up liquid and hitting the paintwork with about as much finesse as a cow taking a dump. We’re now living in a world where the two bucket method is the only method and you’d be shot for confusing a wax with a polish. Now being that I’m the editor of this very fine publication and the fact I’ve read more detailing guides than I care to remember, I like to think I know a fair bit about the art of detailing. But I decided to pop along to Auto Finesse’s brand new Detailing Academy for a refresher. But could they…

There’s no denying that one of the all-time great mods is painting up those stock brake callipers. We’ve all done that once or twice over the years, right? The thing is though, when you’re looking for peak performance and upgrading with a stonking BBK, you don’t really want to go colour-matching your brand-new callipers with a tin of high-temperature paint and a brush, do you? To be fair, powdercoating can be a right old faff too, and that’s if you can ever find the right colour. So, we can see where the guys at KSport are coming from with their rather genius idea of offering an almost infinite amount of new calliper options. These guys have always made some amazing (and well-priced) big disc and multi-pot conversions, all the way…

Even if you’re lucky enough to have a garage or workshop and don’t have to work on your drive, it’s still pretty obvious that most corded power tools suck when it comes to cars. It’s the reason we rarely plug in a drill nowadays, and the best impact wrenches come with big ass batteries attached to the bottom. But what about the multi-tools favoured by everyone from Bob the Builder to Nick Knowles, and just about every pro mechanic, fabricator and trimmer in between? Well, there are a few cordless items out there, usually either cheap and not very powerful, or useful but seriously expensive. But that’s where this all-new 18Volt unit from GMC bucks the trend – this one seems to have it all… THE PRODUCT Multi tools are…

Never has there been a more worthwhile mod than uprated brakes. After all, being able to stop your car is quite important and, at some point, those discs and pads will need replacing anyway. So why not wang in something better than standard? You’ll be surprised just how much difference it makes. In fact, this is probably the ultimate DIY job and it’s certainly one of our favourites. But what’s most important here is not to be scared of it. Yes, we are talking brakes, and yes, it’s absolutely essential that they’re done properly. But we have faith in you dear reader. It really is an easy job that anyone with a few mechanical skills can do safely and effectively. And, just to prove the point, we got an absolute…

Volkswagen’s mould-breaking ID R racer has already achieved a number of incredible things: the all-electric weapon debuted at the 2018 Pikes Peak hillclimb, whereupon it immediately smashed the electric car record on its first go, with Romain Dumas behind the wheel. In fact, it knocked a full minute of the previous electric record and inadvertently managed to break the overall outright record as well! Then, at last year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, Dumas again managed to drive up the hill faster than any other car over the weekend. He also pulled off an epic save, losing it in front of the house and bouncing across the grass before somehow missing the barriers, regaining control and powering back up the tarmac. And now Volkswagen have shipped Dumas and the ID R…

Revered German aftermarket tuners ABT are hitting 2019 hard with their fresh suite of upgrades for various desirable VAG models. The most exciting one we’ve seen so far is the Golf R. Some buyers have expressed displeasure at the fact VW opted to reduce the R’s power by 10bhp for the 2019 model-year (it’s something complicated to do with new WLTP regulations). But ABT have come to the rescue: their base offering centres solely around the mapping, tweaking the car’s stock 296bhp up to a much more palatable 345bhp, which is more like it. There’s also a whole catalogue of suspension and chassis upgrades to suit, so you can turn it into a proper little road-racer. If you prefer a bit more junk in the trunk, ABT have been buggering…

No, I’m not talking about the lovelies who serenade us with Britney’s finest at the Rose and Crown’s karaoke fish-fry on a Friday night. What do you think I am, a dinosaur? No, it’s those feathered bastards nesting in the tree above my car that need to sod off and die in a ditch somewhere. I swear they plan their days around when I’m going to be outside with my bucket of suds, counting down the minutes until the car’s freshly cleaned, before taking aim with their dirty little backsides and squirting a grotty torrent of greyish-white filth all over my freshly gleaming paintwork. The very minute after I’ve washed the car, every single bloody time, without fail, some chirpy airborne bastard will defile the wax with its semi-digested worms.…

As well as Brexit, the F1 season and Midge’s fashion sense, there’s another heavily debated topic we’ve been trying to get to the bottom of here in the FC office for many, many months now: just why exactly is the Thailand car tuning scene blowing up at the moment? You see, it might be a relatively small country not known for manufacturing many of its own particularly memorable cars. But this hasn’t stopped us from witnessing some of the most satisfyingly accomplished modified vehicles coming out of here in recent years. It was only when images of this tasty Bangkok-based Ford Fiesta of young Kampol Hasoontree arrived in our inbox recently that we began to finally piece together the answer. And it revolves around this: Thai car owners really do…

WOLFRACE DORTMUND, FROM £135 (EACH) Who doesn’t love a fapping huge split-five? Especially when it’s a classic design, with a smattering of concave goodness, where the spokes go all the way to the edge to make it look even bigger! The Wolfrace Dortmund has always been one of the top picks in their popular Eurosport range, and now even more so because of the three sexy new finishes they’re rolling out for 2019. The bronze and matt black offerings are a thoroughly restrained, hardcore affair, while the Blackberry looks… well, good enough to eat. In fact, if you lick it, it tastes of blackberries too (no it doesn’t, and please don’t do that – Jules). Properly tasty! www.wolfrace.com Sizes: 8.5x18, 8.5x19, 8.5x20 PCDS: Any 5x108-5x120 Offsets: ET35-42 Finishes: Matt Black,…

Fitting Time: Round about 20-30mins per corner Costs: Discs and pads from around £180 Normally this is the bit where we’d say you need to look for the very best quality gear. But you already know that. These are your brakes after all. It’s exactly the same process for a stock swap. But as this is FC, we’ve gone for a performance setup with a set of funky EBC BSD discs, pared with their fast-road Yellowstuff pads. So, we’re looking at direct replacement parts for this particular DIY Day Job, and on a car that carries the most common brake setup out there – floating single piston callipers (those with a separate sliding calliper and carrier). Some motors will have multi-piston floating callipers, and the fitting process is the same…

Japfest is massive. There’s no two ways about it, the show’s an absolute whopper. The substantial Silverstone venue is just about big enough to contain it all, but frankly the enthusiasm you guys show for modified Japanese metal is so broad and all-encompassing, we wouldn’t be remotely surprised to find that next year it had spread out over the whole of Northamptonshire. Or is it Buckinghamshire? Silverstone’s a confusing place. If you were at this year’s event (and if not, why not?), you’ll have found yourself surrounded by a staggering array of diverse and unusual JDM metal – plenty of fresh builds debuting at the show, along with many stalwarts of the show scene, previous feature cars, and lots more besides. Our own stand bristled with a sort of greatest…

DANIEL HARROW’S LUPO GTI FC says: What were you doing last Christmas Eve? Like most people, we were wrapping presents while stuffing our face with mince pies and mulled wine. But that can’t be said for Daniel Harrow here, the proud owner of this lush Lupo, as he was busy bolting a supercharger from a MINI Cooper S to his 1.6-litre Lupo. Now, that’s what we call proper dedication. Even more remarkable is that Daniel hasn’t even owned the car a year and he’s already had it resprayed in Audi Nano grey, bolted BBS wheels to the hubs and slammed it using Air Lift suspension! We like lots of things about this car, from the classic VWinfluenced 280mm MOMO steering wheel to the unconventional Mazda MX-5 seat swap. He’s…

Honorary Goblins What with their videos going stratospheric with quite literally some views, our boys thought they’d try their hand at getting on the telly this month… and they only bloody succeeded too! The guys at Goblin Works were most pleased to find out what the FC boys thought of the reveal of their new project car, and made them splutter it all out on camera. They got it though… and it only took 32 takes each! Anyway, you can see our pair of international superstars on the new series of Goblin Works Garage on Discovery Quest next month, and the monster wide-ass E30 Beemer Jimmy De Ville and his team built for the show in the very next issue. Make sure you don’t miss that monster Bavarian bruiser! Top…