Richard Hammond Drives His Jaguar XK150 For The First Time Since Restoring It

Posted on Oct 28, 2021Written by admin

Richard Hammond is a very happy man. That’s because, for the first time since the body was taken off the frame, he can now drive his Jaguar XK150.

The car, part of a restoration that has been ongoing throughout the pandemic, was traded for a vintage Lagonda. Hammond reveals in his latest video, though, that when he got it, it was in a rotten state.

“It had been painted rather ugly dark red and underneath that dark red paint lurked, unbeknownst to me, a horror story,” explains Hammond. “It had had a hard, hard life. It had been crashed, bent, brutalized, and abused. And because, like a lot of these cars, it went through a phase of being worth two quid and a packet of crisps, it hadn’t been expensively repaired and restored. It had been bodged and lashed together.”

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Hammond and his team went through the process of painstakingly repairing it, which, since it’s an old Jaguar was hard. Millimetric precision wasn’t reality a priority for early postwar carmakers, not in the U.K., anyway. So, as Hammond puts it, there was as much building as restoration involved in this project.

With a completely rebuilt engine and hotter cam, a new diff, and better brakes the car drives brilliantly now, though. The only question is whether or not the decision to fit a slightly newer, but less precise transmission was a good idea.

To see him driving the car proudly really makes me wish I had a classic Jag of my own to toot around in, as well as some Amazon money kicking around to fund it and its restoration. Ah, to be a rich Brit.

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Audi’s 1980 Quattro An AWD Pioneer? This Jensen FF Be Like “Hold My Brandy”

Posted on Oct 13, 2021Written by admin

Audi’s 1980 Quattro coupe changed the course of road- and rally car history, no doubt about it. Within four years every top-tier WRC had switched to all-wheel drive, and more than four decades later most high performance cars available off the showroom floor still follow the Quattro’s template of turbocharged power and all-wheel drive traction.

But the Quattro wasn’t the first high performance all-wheel drive coupe. Fourteen years before the Audi burst onto the scene, fans of British sports car brand Jensen were already discovering the benefits of divvying up a big wedge of torque between four wheels, rather than just two.

The car in question was the 1966 Jensen FF, those two letters standing for Ferguson Formula, Ferguson Research being the people behind the all-wheel drive system. If you’ve not heard of the FF but think this big GT looks strangely familiar, you’re probably thinking of its more famous Jensen Interceptor brother.

The two share plenty, including big-block Chrysler V8 power, a 727 Torqueflite auto, that huge goldfish-bowl rear window and the fact that they were hideously expensive when new, costing even more than an Aston Martin DB6.

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But the FF’s wheelbase was stretched by half a foot to accommodate the all-wheel drive hardware (you can tell it from an Interceptor by the second vent behind the front wheel) that sent 37 percent of the V8s torque to the front wheels. The FF even had an early form of mechanical anti-lock braking.

Unfortunately, its high price and packaging problems stymieing left-hand drive production killed it off in 1971, leaving the rear-drive Interceptor to carry on alone for five more years. And while the FF was praised by reviewers when new, the idea of a high performance all-wheel drive coupe lay dormant for most of the following decade.

The slice of all-wheel drive history pictured here is coming up for sale in November through Silverstone Auctions. It’s a 1971 car that has been dry stored since receiving a detailed restoration in 2004 and is claimed to be in excellent condition. You’d hope as much given that it’s likely to sell for upwards of $180,000 (£130,000), though that’s less than half what you’d pay to get into an Aston DB6.

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Watch These Hilariously Slow Indian Classics Try To Break Into The 23s At The Drag Strip

Posted on Jun 6, 2021Written by admin

If your YouTube feed is anything like mine it’s littered with drag race suggestions. Mostly new car head-to-heads from the likes of CarWow, plus some wild modified face-offs courtesy of Hoonigan.

Even bone-stock regular production cars are so fast these days it’s rare to watch any race that takes longer than 13 seconds. So you might assume that watching one where the cars needs twice as long to get down the strip would be deadly dull. But as this race from Autocar India proves, that’s definitely not the case.

The two cars in question are giants from India’s automotive past. One is the Hindustan Ambassador, which incredibly, remained in production from 1958 to 2014, and at one time accounted for two out of every three cars sold in India. The other is the Fiat 1100D, which was built under license in India between 1964 and 2000, again proving just how much the country has changed in the last few years.

The 1980s-spec Ambassador’s mighty 1.8-liter engine thumps out 60 hp, theoretically giving it a big advantage over the Fiat which belongs to presenter Cyrus Dhabhar and, despite a bunch of mods including a hot cam and sports exhaust, squeaks out just 50hp. But factor in the Fiat’s tiny 1951 lbs (885 kg) curb weight and the odds tip back the other way.

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Despite a slow start (and a comically long-throw gearchange) the “Ambi” soon overhauls the Fiat in race one, crossing the line in 24.27 seconds to the 1100’s 25.29 best effort.

But with his pride hurt enough to persuade him to get a bit more brutal with his pride and joy, Dhabhar works the Fiat hard and turns race two into a proper nail-biter. And the advantage of watching cars this slow is the tension lasts so much longer. We’ll not spoil the result, but let’s just say it’s a lot more fun than the numbers would have you believe. Who else would like to see more seriously old cars hitting the strip on YouTube?

This 6800-Mile DeLorean Will Transport You Straight Back To 1985

Posted on May 8, 2021Written by admin

If someone tasked you with finding them a pristine DMC 12 that had covered less than 7,000 miles in the hands of no more than two owners, you’d probably tell them to get busy finishing that time machine so you could go get one.

That’s because the last DeLoreans rolled off the Dunmurry line in Northern Ireland in 1982, meaning by the time the iconic time-travelling movie Back to the Future premiered in 1985, most of the 9200 cars built would have already passed 7000 miles – and, in the time since, passed through a few pairs of hands.

But not the car pictured here, which is being offered for sale at the Bonhams Amelia Island Auction later this month. Understood to have originally been bought by a couple who lived in Manhattan, the DMC 12 was kept in the suburbs of the city at the owner’s parents’ home during the week, only coming out to play at weekends and during holidays.

As a result, the DeLorean racked up very few miles, and by the 1990s the owners realized they had something pretty special on their hands. In fact, this DMC12 is more special than most because it’s the less common five-speed manual version. Most DeLoreans paired their PRV (Peugeot-Renault-Volvo) 2.85-liter V6 with a three-speed auto.

Those two extra ratios don’t turn the DeLorean into a supercar. Because the DMC 12 effectively had two sets of body panels – a fibreglass inner body plus a stainless steel outer skin – it was heavy, and the emissions-spec Federalized engine made just 130 hp. Zero to 62mph took almost 10 seconds, which was nothing special even in the early 1980s, and makes the obligatory “Outatime” BTTF license plates seem even more pertinent.

But Bonhams suggests only 6500 of the 9200 cars produced are still on the road, and it’s unlikely you’ll find another one in this condition and spec outside of a museum. It’s not a box-fresh restored car, but a nicely preserved, slightly grubby original that shows a welcome patina from gentle use – just like the one you might have picked up at used car lot back in 1985.

H/T to Silodrome

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Hyundai Pony EV Is A One-Off Design Concept With Modern Tech

Posted on Apr 13, 2021Written by admin

Hyundai has quietly unveiled a one-off design concept based on the Pony from the 1970s but updated with an electric powertrain.

The project was led by Hyundai’s chief interior designer Hak Soo Ha and is currently on display at the automaker’s customer center in Busan, South Korea. It was once an original two-door Pony hatchback and has been overhauled and given a modern touch with some features reminiscent of the all-electric Ioniq 5.

To give the Pony EV a unique look, it has been fitted with modern headlights while the rear has LED taillights similar to those of the Ioniq 5 that feature the same pixelated design. It also has camera-based exterior mirrors mounted on the fenders and sits on a set of retro-inspired wheels.

The interior of the Hyundai Pony EV has undergone an even more comprehensive overhaul than the exterior and includes a unique three-spoke steering wheel, as well as a distinctive instrument panel unlike any you’ll currently find on the market.

Hyundai removed the original powertrain of the Pony and replaced it with an all-electric one, although there are no details about it. The concept will be on display at the Hyundai Motorstudio in Busan until June 27, 2021.

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Watch BRM’s 591 HP V16 Flamethrower Of An Engine Fire Up

Posted on Mar 24, 2021Written by admin

British Racing Motors billed itself as the original British Formula 1 team and the brand is back, intent on building three continuation models of the 1950 Type 15 V16 Formula 1 car that brought it fame.

The team has just released footage of its supercharged 1.5-liter V16 engine firing up and spitting flames in testing.

“We didn’t want to push it too hard on the dyno,” Martin Smith, chief engine technician for the engine rebuild. “But even so we estimate we got about 550 BHP at 10,000 RPM and 2.5 psi – which is a huge step forward as we continue to build our experience and understanding of this astonishing engine.”

The engine will rev to at least 12,000 rpm and put out 591 HP. The one seen in the video is an original and was rebuilt by Hall and Hall, BRM’s technical partners, as a form of research before three new ones are produced to original spec.

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“There is little margin for error with these parts, right down to 1,000th of a millimeter,” said Rick Hall, Hall and Hall founder. “For example, we had some earlier issues with the Rolls Royce supercharger, which we had to rebuild from scratch, so through trial and error we are flushing out these issues and also learning a great deal about how this engine behaves.”

The engine seen here was last run in 1999 at BRM’s 50th-anniversary celebration. It was driven by Jose Froilan Gonzalez, a veteran Formula 1 driver who drove with BRM and Ferrari, among others, between 1950 and 1960. During the demonstration run, though, he accidentally over-revved the engine, damaging it in the process.

The three cars that BRM builds will use original VIN numbers from the ’50s. These were allocated to the racing program in the era, but BRM never built them because of changing regulations in the sport. It’s a similar path to that taken by Jaguar when it built new XKSS continuation models

The first car has been commissioned by John Owen, the 81-year-old son of Sir Alfred Owen, BRM’s original owner, and is expected to be delivered later this year.

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The 1994 Toyota MR2 Turbo Was A Genuine World-Class Sportscar

Posted on Mar 7, 2021Written by admin

There’s nothing like watching a review from 1994 and hearing words that you’d expect to hear from modern cars today.

Indeed, most of the improvements made to the 1994 Toyota MR2 in this Motorweek Retro Review came in the form of its suspension, which had two-way valve dampers and minor geometry changes. That’s the kind of technology that automakers might celebrate today and it helps explain why John Davis was so positive about the MR2’s handling, as tested at Roebling Raceway.

In 1993 the MR2 made a leap forward. As Car and Driver wrote, “Early [MR2s] favor the bold—beware of snap oversteer — but Toyota corrected that in 1993 with a revised suspension and larger wheels and tires.”

Everything about later MR2s stands out, especially the price according to Motorweek. Indeed, the fully kitted-out car they had on the show cost $32,411. Although that might not sound like much today, inflation means it’s the equivalent of about $56,000 in 2021.

More to the point, the MR2 cost only about three grand less than an M3 in 1994. By comparison, Miata prices at the time started at around $17,000, making the Toyota significantly more expensive. With 200 hp coming from its 2.0-liter turbo, though, the MR2 was way more powerful than the Miata of the day. That said, the MR2 was down on power compared to the M3, which in US-spec made 240 hp.

Despite the price, we’re glad Toyota found a way to keep producing this world-class sports car for another five years.

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Own A Sort Of Official Oldsmobile Quad 4 Aerotech Go Kart

Posted on Dec 25, 2020Written by admin

Sometimes the internet provides you with a post so good that a frisson of joy can wash over you. That monkey smelling his finger, that panda scared by its cub sneezing, this Oldsmobile Quad 4 Aerotech go kart.

And unlike those stupid international laws preventing me from owning that panda, I could theoretically own this go kart. And boy do I want to. Because not only does it look amazing, it actually is tied to the experimental race car.

According to the ad, this is one of just 70 go karts made for Oldsmobile dealers by Bird Manufacturing! That makes this kind of official and, in my demented mind, gives it provenance. Pebble Beach, here I come!

The ad seems to indicate that the kart runs and it powered by a 3 hp Briggs and Stratton engine, all of which makes sense.

If you aren’t aware of the Oldsmobile Aerotech Quad 4, it was one of a series of high-speed test cars designed to test the bounds of Oldsmobile tech. The Quad 4 was named after the engine: an inline 4 that had 4 valves per cylinder. All of which was pretty fancy when development started in 1984.

The engineers were pretty proud of themselves, so they asked that a special test vehicle be designed to show it off. And they got it. Top brass okayed a carbon-fiber car designed to be as light and aerodynamic as possible.

They slapped a turbo on the I4, which boosted powered up from 150 hp all the way up to 900 hp. All of which allowed AJ Foyt to hit 218 mph in Mesa, Arizona in 1986. Future iterations of the Aerotech would run all the way up to 275 mph.

And although the body may look a little primitive to our eyes, it was actually very clever. Oldsmobile knew that just pushing the coefficient of drag ever farther into the thousandth could only get them so far.

The team added movable veins under the car allowed it to change the shape of its underbody tunnels. This meant the car could generate huge downforce, but could be optimized for different circuits.

I presume the shape is less aerodynamic when your head and torso are popping out of the top of it, but hey, that won’t prevent you from pretending.

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Glorious Past Meets High-Tech Present In Ferrari F40 Vs. McLaren P1 Race

Posted on Nov 7, 2020Written by admin

We never thought we’d say this, but a quarter-mile sprint isn’t always about the result; sometimes it is about the journey.

The Ferrari F40 and McLaren P1 are separated by almost three decades of engineering, so we all know which one got to see the chequered flag first.

The F40 is one of the most iconic models to have ever come out. It was the last Ferrari approved by Enzo himself and it hit the assembly line in 1987, succeeding the 288 GTO. A little over 1,300 units were made until 1992, when production ended.

Watch Also: Ferrari 488 Pista Spider Dares To Line Up Against The Legendary F40

The twin turbocharged, 2.9-liter V8 produced 471-horsepower and 426 pound-feet (577 Nm) of torque, driving the rear wheels though a five-speed manual transmission. It can hit 201 mph (323 km/h) and the 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) sprint is impressive even by today’s standards, as it takes just a little over 4 seconds.

Although it seems like yesterday we first laid eyes on the P1, McLaren’s hypercar is already seven years old. Nevertheless, it is still mighty powerful and fast.

Power is supplied by a twin-turbo 3.8-liter V8 and an in-house developed electric motor, for a total output of 903 HP and 664 lb-ft (900 Nm) of torque. The 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) sprint is dealt with in 2.8 seconds and top speed is 217 mph (350 km/h).

So, if you won the lottery and had to choose between the two, which one would you go for and why?

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1927 Bentley 4½ Litre ‘Blower’ Will Blow Your Lego-Obsessed Mind

Posted on Sep 5, 2020Written by admin

The 1927-1931 4½-Litre Bentley ‘Blower’ is one of the brand’s most iconic cars of all time and quite possibly the most recognizable racing car ever to wear the winged B badge.

For these reasons alone, the ‘Blower’ deserves to have its own Lego set, but if you’re not convinced, maybe this independent effort from BC Art will get your vote. Posted on the Lego Ideas page, the project has racked up 5,676 endorsements so far with 280 days left before voting is closed.

To be officially picked up by Lego, an independent set like this one must get 10,000 supporters. This looks totally doable considering that the project was submitted in April.

Combining Lego bricks and Technic, the Bentley Blower set features two shades of green – a dark racing green for the chassis, fuel tank, wheels and bonnet and a camouflage green for the car body. It features a working steering function that mimics the real mechanism on the car, a removable bonnet that reveals the supercharged engine and steering column, as well as a spare wheel and small storage box.

We really like the attention to detail of the creator, who also fitted tilted front wheels for a positive camber as was the norm in the era. Remarkably, the rear differential is linked to the engine, meaning the crankshaft will turn when the car if pushed along.

The project was started in August 2018 and took around eight months of on and off progress to complete. The author says he spent countless hours redesigning every part over and over again until everything was spot on. The finished item speaks for itself, so if you like it, go to the Lego Ideas page and hit the ‘Support’ button.

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Tag Archives: MimboloveClassics

Richard Hammond Drives His Jaguar XK150 For The First Time Since Restoring It

Audi’s 1980 Quattro An AWD Pioneer? This Jensen FF Be Like “Hold My Brandy”

PHOTO GALLERY

Watch These Hilariously Slow Indian Classics Try To Break Into The 23s At The Drag Strip

This 6800-Mile DeLorean Will Transport You Straight Back To 1985

H/T to Silodrome

PHOTO GALLERY

Hyundai Pony EV Is A One-Off Design Concept With Modern Tech

PHOTO GALLERY

Watch BRM’s 591 HP V16 Flamethrower Of An Engine Fire Up

The 1994 Toyota MR2 Turbo Was A Genuine World-Class Sportscar

Own A Sort Of Official Oldsmobile Quad 4 Aerotech Go Kart

PHOTO GALLERY

Glorious Past Meets High-Tech Present In Ferrari F40 Vs. McLaren P1 Race

1927 Bentley 4½ Litre ‘Blower’ Will Blow Your Lego-Obsessed Mind

PHOTO GALLERY

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