What Supercars have the Best Price to Performance this Year?

With under $200K to Spend, These are the Best Supercars to Buy in 2022

Wow, it’s already 2022 and the past two years have been a decidedly weird blur of strange events like labor shortages, back-orders and sparse microchip production in the automotive sector. But as certain OEM manufacturers have been hit hard missing targets, supercar manufacturers have posted record gains and certain models fly off the shelves. We then asked, what supercars on sale in 2022 are attainable but amount to the cheapest, high performance supercars to buy.

For the sake of the article, it is widely accepted that a supercar today is 500hp+ with a mid-engine and rear-drive transaxle. A proper supercar makes use of more exotic materials, composites and advanced technology to set it apart from the brute force of lesser platforms like say a Mustang, Camaro or even a GT-R. A supercar can be had for under $200,000 (if there are units available) and this list is the most-affordable, yet capable performance vehicles available. 

2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 C8 – $89,500 (est.)

Yes, we know the Z06 is a 2023 model year and that deliveries and dealer mark-ups could be a circus but this is a supercar-slayer will be on sale Summer of 2022. The Corvette C8 itself was an incredible platform overhaul that has been rumored since the 60s but finally the mid-engine American supercar is actually here.

The upcoming 2023 Corvette Z06 promises to eclipse not only the soft-bellied C7 Z06 it replaced but anything close to its price-point. Derived from the C8.R racecar tech that put the hurt on the field at Le Mans, Sebring 12h and Daytona 24h is coming for fancy Italian, British and German mid-engine offerings. With an incredible sounding flat-plane crank V8, there is no turbo and no supercharger to put out its 670 glorious naturally aspirated horsepower. 

…The upcoming 2023 Corvette Z06 promises to eclipse not only the soft-bellied C7 Z06 it replaced but anything close to its price-point…

The 2023 Corvette Z06 was tested by Chevy to run 0-60mph in an incredible 2.6-seconds. We can hear you Tesla fanbois, but the 2023 Corvette Z06 will catch a Plaid just past the ¼-mile marker and destroy it on the way to a higher top speed.

2023 Audi R8 Performance RWD – $148,700

When the German brand jumped into the supercar arena, critics thought they were mentally unstable. But Audi already had Lamborghini in it’s portfolio, so the risk wasn’t high and they could design a comfortable everyday supercar that was inexpensive. The R8 V10 has gotten good, so good that it could be cross-shopped with a Lambo Huracan for much less for several years now.

For under $150K, you can get the Audi R8 Performance with spicy rear-wheel drive. It’s lighter and more unhinged than the R8 quattro. With a proven 5.2L V10 using no forced induction, you get 562-horsepower and a capable 3.6-seconds 0-60mph and a 205 mph top speed! Zehr gut! 

2022 Acura NSX Type-S – $169,500

The Acura NSX used to make our cut for best supercar value for performance-to-price when it was cheaper. With harsh critiques about the NSX, Acura took the gloves off for the Type-S, the final trim edition for the supercar that should have been available from launch but limited to only 350 units… worldwide!

The 2022 Acura NSX Type-S is everything the enthusiasts wanted. The hand-built vehicle only handled by master technicians, the same talent behind the NSX GT3 car it was inspired by. Up from 560hp in the NSX, the NSX Type-S now boasts 600-horsepower from its combined SH-AWD hybrid drivetrain. The vehicle has aggressively restyled looks, GT3-derived aero and a twin turbo mill equating to performance value will crush many high-dollar supercars. 

…The hand-built vehicle only handled by master technicians, the same talent behind the NSX GT3 car it was inspired by…

 

With a claimed top speed of 191 mph and sub-3s 0-60mph time, overall performance data is murky. But does it matter? All 350 units are spoken for with a reported 700 buyers in the queue, although the website does state: “All orders are pending. Contact your local dealer to get on the waitlist.” 

2̶0̶2̶3̶ ̶L̶a̶m̶b̶o̶r̶g̶h̶i̶n̶i̶ ̶H̶u̶r̶a̶c̶a̶n̶ ̶E̶v̶o̶  2023 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS – $143,050

Say what you want in the comments, but we changed our minds mid-post on opting for the lower cost 2023 Porsche Cayman 718 GT4 RS versus the aging Lambo for affordable supercars. Porsche is dominating in motorsports and Nϋrburgring records with the 911 GT3, GT3 RS, GT2 RS but now for $150K you can buy a mid-engine chassis GT3-powered, lightweight track weapon that promises to embarrass many supercars like the base Huracan Evo that costs $66K more!

First, let’s settle the ‘whether this is a supercar’ argument now. Yes, it has a MR layout and a flat-6 motor that is technically 502hp (detuned to 493hp) with a number of exotic materials to keep it trim at 3,227-pounds. The GT4-RS might not have McLaren or Lambo styling but Porsche builds capable mid-engine cars and this Cayman outruns their Carrera GT and nearly the 918 Spyder after running a shocking 7:04.5 lap on the Nürburgring! The GT4 RS clicks off a 3.2s 0-60mph time and will hit 196 mph… all for under $150K? Shut up and take our money.

What is the Best Yet Cheapest Supercar to Buy?

McLaren and Lamborghini used to be on this list but now their “entry-level” Artura and Hurcan EVO have crept past the $200,000 barrier. For that reason, they still offer solid supercar value but seem unattainable for the upper middle-class. In the end, if you can go domestic, the 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 is the clear winner here. We predict buyers will be paying double sticker for it and still be happy with how it abuses rival supercars.

Classic V8 Muscle Cars

Clean and Low Restomods at SEMA 2021

Muscle cars and Hot Rods have been the backbone of SEMA since the beginning. Year after year not only do they show up, they are some of the most immaculate and classiest builds the 2021 SEMA Show has to offer. As we were perusing the show floor, we happened to see some beautiful examples. Lets take a peek at what V8s are rumbling around SEMA. (none probably, we’d be surprised if anything actually ran at SEMA)

Right off the bat are a couple of Chevelles so clean and modded you can barely recognize them!

Next we have this gorgeous blue Fastback Mustang and this slick Camaro. Both retain that classic styling but have opted for much more modern trim pieces, bringing these old geezers into the 21st Century.

Next up we have a couple of Old Chevy Trucks done in two completely different finishes. One With a nice slick green paint job that highlights those 50s body lines.

The other finished in a patina paint so strong it looks like it was pulled out of a lake! But there probably isn’t a spec of rust on this Apache.

Update: The owner of the build reached out to us and confirmed that this Apache is indeed 100% real patina.

“My Apache literally burned to the ground in the 2018 NorCal Paradise Fire and was on live tv doing so […] No rattle can patina, pure fire, then rain.  […] It was important for me to build this ride so people wouldn’t forget the devastation of that fire and when they see the truck, they know something survived.”Jason Fonte

2022 Dallara EXP: A Roofless Track Weapon

July 1, 2021 – For those familiar with the world of racing, you may have heard of the Italian race car manufacturer Dallara, and if so, you’ll know that the Dallara EXP is a new car that’s going to push the boundaries of race car capabilities. The company was founded by Gian Paolo Dallara, who previously worked for some of the biggest names in the industry, including Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini, and De Tomaso. You could say he has a knack for race cars, so much so he has been creating his own track shredders.

Before releasing their newest creation, Dallara manufactured a barely road legal Stradale that somehow found its way to sporting a license plate. The company realized the car needed some extreme aero and more power, and if the original Stradale barely met requirements for the street, then this new Dallara EXP would be a track-only weapon. 

The powerhouse putting the EXP in motion is the same 2.3 liter Eco-Boost found in the Ford Focus RS, albeit with more power. A little tinkering from Dallara lands the power output of the 4 cylinder around 492 hp. With outlandish horsepower numbers from modern day supercars, this number may seem pretty small for a track only car. Don’t let that horsepower figure fool you though, as the Dallara EXP has a dry weight of only 1,962 lbs, with 2,756 lbs of downforce at top speed. Even better, the car can pull 2.7 G’s.

No price has been given for the EXP, but it is noted that the Stradale can be transformed into an EXP, and vice versa. The Stradale comes in at around $200,000, but if you’re looking for a track only toy, look no further than the EXP! 

Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro Redefines the Hypercar

June 29, 2021 – If you’ve ever wondered what a hypercar is defined as, then look no further for a prime example than the new Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro. Shortly after delivering their newest 1,000 hp hybrid road car, the Valkyrie, Aston Martin has stepped it up with a track only, racing regulation free hypercar that is here to eliminate all competition. As Aston Martin puts it, the Valkyrie AMR Pro is “a machine which takes a car designed to win the Le Mans 24 Hours as its starting point, then pushes further to explore extremes of performance unconstrained by racing regulations or registration for road use.” 

Similar to the road legal Valkyrie, the AMR Pro is chock full of mind-blowing capabilities. Neatly nestled inside the Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro is a Cosworth-built 6.5-liter naturally aspirated V12, capable of revving up to 11,000 rpm and putting 1000bhp down to the pavement. You may be thinking that the original road legal Valkyrie posted these kinds of numbers before even adding its hybrid system, a good thought indeed.

Well, the AMR Pro is more than just a powerhouse. Aston Martin set out to achieve the fastest lap times, but this pursuit also involved a plethora of weight saving changes. Firstly, the battery electric hybrid system was removed, along with a host of other weight saving measures. Continuing the technology partnership with Red Bull Advanced Technologies (RBAT), Aston Martin has been able to incorporate into the AMR Pro ultra-light carbon fiber bodywork, carbon suspension wishbones and Perspex windscreen and side windows.

With everything combined, the Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro exceeds Le Mans Hypercar regulations for aerodynamic efficiency, with Aston Martin claiming track performance close to that of an F1 car.

More details of the Valkyrie AMR Pro including specification and performance are to be revealed later this year. As of now, a target lap time around the 8.5 mile 24H Le Mans is set at 3 minutes and 20 seconds, a number that could put the Valkyrie AMR Pro in first place in an LMP1 race. 40 AMR Pro versions of the Valkyrie will be produced, and with the original Valkyrie priced at $3 million, it seems the sky may be the limit for the price of an AMR Pro!

Steve McQueen’s “Le Mans” Porsche 917 K Heading to Auction

June 25, 2021 – If you’re looking to get your hands on a piece of automotive history, then you’re most definitely going to want to check out this 1970 Porsche 917 K up for auction at RM Sotheby’s. This 917 K doesn’t only have a Le Mans entry in 1970 with the Mike Hailwood/David Hobbs JW Automotive Gulf Racing team, but also starred in Steve McQueen’s Le Mans. 

This Porsche 917 K has quite the history, and aside from starring in movies and racing in the actual 24 Hours of Le Mans, it has had a complete restoration. Going back in time to Le Mans, the car was raced in 1970 and reached 3rd place before it aquaplaned in the rain and sustained minimal chassis damage. The car was retired while the drivers jumped in a spare, and that’s where the rest of the Porsche 917 K’s story continues. The car entered the limelight for the 1971 feature in which they used actual footage from its 1970 Le Mans race. The car was then rebuilt by Porsche for team Shell Heckersbruch, where it competed and performed strongly for the next 3 years.

By 2012, the Porsche 917 K was bought by a noted collector where it received its full restoration. This meant the exterior was once again plastered in its beautiful Gulf-liveried Le Mans coupe specification. The restoration was executed by Paul Lanzante, a top European racing car restorer. Without regard to cost and with access to many period correct parts, the Porsche 917 K was once again basking in the glory of its deep roots in the golden era of motorsport. 

Gunther Werks Porsche 993 Speedster Proves Yet Again That Carbon Fiber Is King

Feb. 22 – Gunther Werks is back in action, and their newest open-top, air-cooled creation is here to steal your heart — the Porsche 993 Speedster. For those unfamiliar with the magic behind Gunther Werks name, they are master crafters within the world of the Porsche aftermarket, perfecting their builds with none other than carbon fiber. The 993 is familiar ground for Gunther Werks, but this new Speedster is here to prove yet again that carbon fiber is king. 

This new creation is summed up by Gunther Werks as an “open-air model that not only heightens the experience with the rush of wind through your hair, but also pushes the boundaries of performance to build a stronger, lighter, faster car.” The reengineered Porsche 993 Speedster has already gone on to put down the fastest air-cooled lap around Laguna Seca at just 1:30.99, but what exactly have they done to the car to make it lighter and faster?

The biggest problem Gunther Werks had to overcome with the Porsche 993 Speedster is the removal of the roof. The roof of any car is key in keeping torsional rigidity, so with it gone the engineers had to employ advanced reinforcement. Most of this reinforcement has been cleverly concealed by the new carbon fiber Speedster top and tonneau cover. Beyond chassis strength, the 993 Speedster has also gained improved aerodynamics. An updated front fascia integrates a carbon front splitter that drastically improves aerodynamics. The rear of the Porsche 993 Speedster features a revised duck tail with a ram air scoop, along with 3d printed exhaust tips. Other modifications to the exterior include aluminum side view mirrors, lightweight door handles, and an updated front led reflector system. If you haven’t already noticed, Gunther Werks takes every detail into account when it comes to weight savings.

The interior of the Porsche 993 Speedster includes a new carbon fiber dash, a redesigned pedal assembly and a revised carbon fiber floor panel system. The front windscreen also sits lower, with an option to delete it completely, so Gunther Werks accommodated this by developing a hollow carbon fiber seat shell featuring lightweight cushions. The seats themselves also sit lower that the original 993, reducing drag and lowering the center of gravity. 

Technical specifications haven’t been revealed yet, but the Porsche 993 Speedster is promised to have an increase over the original 435 hp and 335 lb-ft of torque. Gunther Werks continued partnership with Eisenloht Racing and JRZ Suspension also means that the Speedster with feature an all-new advanced dynamic suspension system.

25 of these beautifully reengineered Gunther Werks Porsche 993 Speedsters will be developed, with a price of $675,000 before other options are applied. 

2022 Porsche 911 GT3 Model Revealed With 502 HP

Feb. 17 – Another year of knowledge gained at the race track has led Porsche to their newest iteration of the 911 high-performance model, the all-new 2022 Porsche 911 GT3. This incredibly high-revving, naturally aspirated engine is shared with the 911 GT3 Cup, with a double wishbone front suspension adapted from the 911 RSR. Through extensive use of lightweight materials, refined aerodynamics, and the newly equipped front suspension, the 2022 Porsche 911 GT3 aims to once again raise the bar. 

At the heart of the all-new Porsche 911 GT3 is a naturally aspirated 4.0-liter, six-cylinder boxer that revs to a screaming 9,000 rpm. Combined with 6 individual throttle bodies, the engine is able to provide extremely sharp throttle response, putting its 502 hp and 346 lb-ft of torque to the ground immediately. The engine, which is almost identical to the 911 GT3 Cup, Porsche’s track-only race car, proves just how quick Porsche is to pass down their racing knowledge to their street cars. Attached to the engine is a seven-speed Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK) transmission, while a six-speed manual transmission is also available. Together, the engine and PDK transmission can launch the 911 GT3 to 60 in 3.2 seconds, and hit a top speed of 197 mph. 

The 2022 Porsche 911 GT3 isn’t only about engine performance — lightweight materials keep the car light and agile, ready to tear up the track. The new GT3 is based on the 911 Carrera body, making the front track width increase by 1.9 inches. However, the use of several lightweight materials makes the GT3 weight the same exact weight as its predecessor. The hood, rear wing, and fixed rear spoiler are all made up of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP). Even the glass used for the windows is lightweight and noise insulated.

Moving to the chassis and brakes, the double wishbone front axle of the new 911 GT3 was taken from the 911 RSR and 911 GT3 Cup and adapted for road use. This is a milestone for the 911, and the new front axle allows for more direct and precise steering, allowing for improved stability while cornering. As for braking, the standard braking system incorporates cast iron discs that are 28-mm larger than the previous model, and 17 percent lighter. The brakes are also able to deal with very high heat thanks to special cooling channels and new developed ventilation.

The interior of the 2022 Porsche 911 GT3 continues the connection to Porsche’s racing experience. A GT3 Multifunction Sport steering wheels is standard equipment, with an included drive mode switch for the first time. Four-way Sports Seats Plus are also standard, while 18-way Sport Seats Plus and even a carbon fiber bucket seat option are available. 

The new Porsche 911 GT3 is set to be released in the U.S. as a part of the 2022 model year, with dealers getting them as soon as Fall 2021.

Honda Announces Limited Edition 2021 Phoenix Yellow Honda Civic Type R With Forged BBS Wheels, and Michelin Cup 2 Tires

Sep 3, 2020 – Honda announces all new 2021 Type R Limited Edition Civic Type R. This 2021 Type R Limited Edition embodies multiple engineering and feature changes designed to maximize performance, without sacrificing Type R’s unique combination of razor-sharp performance and civilized daily-driving manners.

Brake Kit Upgrades for Racing Applications

Really great brakes are like an upgrade to your confidence on the track – more deceleration on tap means lower lap times thanks to being able to go deeper into corners, and less fade gives you the reassurance to do it corner after corner and lap after lap. But it’s not as simple as just slapping on a brake kit with the biggest rotors and largest calipers that will clear your wheels, and it’s even possible to have “too much” brake, making the car a chore to drive and slowing you down even when you’re not using them.

Today, we’re going to look at some useful information when it comes to putting together a brake kit for competition, and how to get the most out of the hardware you’ve selected. We’ll concentrate on circuit racing, including autocross, time attack, and open track days; while brakes for drag racing are also a complicated subject, they’re a different kind of animal thanks to the special demands of straight-line competition, and are beyond the scope of what we’re talking about here.

When it comes to how effective brakes will be, it all comes down to the interface between the rotor and the pad – everything else simply serves to support this relationship. At a microscopic level, a properly-bedded-in cast-iron rotor will actually have some pad material embedded in its surface, and pad compounds and rotor metallurgy both take this into account. Before using any new brake kit in practice or competition, you must make sure that the pads and rotors have gotten to know each other properly via the manufacturer’s recommended break-in process. This goes for spare pads as well; if you are competing in a form of racing where you’ll go through more than a single set of pads in a weekend (or a single race, for those running endurance events), you’ll need to make sure your spares are already broken in and ready for use.

…it’s even possible to have “too much” brake, making the car a chore to drive…

Speaking of pads, this is an area where a racer has a lot of opportunity to “tune” brake performance to their liking. One popular manufacturer of racing brake pads offers no less than  nine different compounds just for motorsports applications (and a similar number for high performance street use), with a range of different characteristics and performance trade-offs.

The first aspect of a pad compound to consider is torque – how much grip the pad can apply to the rotor, using the available pressure from the caliper. While this might sound like the start and end of the story, consider the fact that a broomstick jammed into the spokes of your bicycle will deliver more brake torque than you can effectively use.

Peak torque is an important factor for cars with a lot of grip from big, sticky race compound tires, a lot of downforce, or both. But in order to be useful, that torque has to be available in a controlled way, and pad compounds can be formulated to adjust how it is delivered. Cars with limited traction under braking can benefit from compounds designed with a linear torque delivery, to allow the driver to modulate braking short of lock-up (or ABS activation, in situations where that’s a factor.)

While this might sound like the start and end of the story, consider the fact that a broomstick jammed into the spokes of your bicycle will deliver more brake torque than you can effectively use.

You’ll also hear the term “bite” to describe initial braking force – cars with a lot of downforce and/or tire grip can take advantage of pads with a lot of it because the first moments of braking deliver the most deceleration, but quite often, drivers will describe brakes with high initial bite as “grabby” and there can be a steep learning curve before you become comfortable with the non-linear torque characteristics. “Release” is the flip side of bite, describing the brake feel as pressure comes off the pedal, and pads with good release characteristics are easier to modulate at the very edge of tire traction.

Heat tolerance and rotor wear are the two other major dimensions of compound selection. For situations like autocross or (to some extent) time attack where your brakes are going to start off cold and then be subjected to a large heat load, you’ll want a pad composition that is engineered to deliver consistent torque across a wide heat range, possibly at the expense of developing some fade if the heat input exceeds the ability of the system to shed it over a longer time period. For multi-lap track day use or wheel to wheel competition where it will be possible to get the pads and rotors up to a ‘working temperature’ and keep them there, a composition optimized to deal with heat that trades off poor cold torque is going to make more sense.

For high-end racing applications, carbon brake rotors and matching pads offer the widest range of heat tolerance without fading. In the past, these were competition-only parts due to their poor performance when cold, their lack of durability, and their sensitivity to pad/rotor contamination, but recent years have seen them make their way into many OEM applications in sports cars as well. These brake setups are far more reliable and capable than the track-only carbon brakes of the past, but they carry very steep initial costs and replacement of the consumable components is expensive as well. It’s not unheard of for some non-professional racers to ‘downgrade’ to metallic brake rotors and conventional pads to keep costs for a season of racing in check.

…a vented rotor will also be more rigid, ounce for ounce, than a solid one.

Since we mentioned consumable components, it’s definitely worth talking about rotors at this point. Once you begin to put laps on your car, you will quickly discover that it’s not just the friction material in the pads that wears out – brake rotors have a finite lifespan as well, and should be considered a component that requires scheduled replacement. There are numerous styles of rotors available, but the vast majority you’ll see that are suitable for competition are “vented” designs. These rotors have two friction faces separated by cast-in vanes that allow air to circulate from the hub center to the outside of the rotor, helped by centrifugal force.

There’s some debate about just how effective this circulation actually is – the amount of air being moved is small, and it’s likely that the biggest advantages of a vented rotor design over a solid disk are increased mass to act as a heat sink, and improved dimensional stability. In the same way that a box girder resists being deformed better than a flat plate made from the same amount of material, a vented rotor will also be more rigid, ounce for ounce, than a solid one.

You’ll also see a lot of debate about drilled and slotted rotors. In theory, both allow trapped gasses and debris to escape from the interface between the pad and the rotor, but in recent years drilled designs have fallen out of favor to some extent as many manufacturers and users believe that holes provide starting points for cracks in the rotor surface without offering a significant difference in performance over slots that don’t completely pierce the rotor faces. This impression wasn’t helped by the flood of cheap “drilled” rotors that came on the market that were simply some small ‘manufacturer’ taking an OEM part and throwing it on a mill to put some holes in it without any consideration for the overall strength of the rotor. You will also see debate about the advantages of a two-piece rotor assembly over one that is cast as a single component. Primarily, these claimed benefits fall into two categories; one, a rotor assembly with a separate disc is less expensive to maintain because the friction surface can be replaced independent of the mounting “hat,” and two, if the rotor is designed to “float” on the hat (which is quite typical of motorcycle applications, but less so in four-wheel vehicle designs) distortion of the rotor from expansion and contraction is reduced.

Finally, there is the question of caliper selection. Once again, there is a huge range of possibilities in terms of piston count and other features, but for most sportsman-level racers in economical classes, the biggest bang for the buck will come from an upgrade from factory “floating” calipers that have a single piston and rely on the entire housing shifting on its mounts to apply even pressure to the rotor to a design with opposed pistons. Most cars with sporting aspirations will come from the factory with opposed-piston calipers, which can benefit from an upgrade to designs that offer staggered piston size for more consistent pad wear, additional pistons to spread clamping force over a larger swept area, or calipers and matching mounting brackets that allow an upgrade in rotor size to take full advantage of the room available within larger-diameter wheels.

We’ve obviously just scratched the surface of this topic, but hopefully we’ve provided a jumping-off point for further research into competition brake upgrades. Remember – a car that won’t start is just an inconvenience, but a car that won’t stop will ruin your whole day.

Rally Legend:
Subaru Tecnica International (STi) History

Among Japanese car manufacturers, Subaru has always had the reputation for building quirky cars that defied mainstream thinking, but they’ve also led the way to many innovations that have become commonplace today. Sure, there have been plenty of weird and wonderful Subies like their first “sporty” car, the XT, the Brat, the SVX, and the Baja. But they were also the manufacturer who brought full-time all-wheel-drive to the masses, and they more or less invented the “crossover” market with the Outback (with apologies to the 1979-1987 AMC Eagle, which was as far ahead of its time as the 1957 Ford Fairlane 500 Skyliner with its retractable hardtop.)

Today, Subaru’s split personality can still be seen in their product lineup, dominated by CUV variations but also including a select few performance models, topped by the new S209 STI. To understand how we got to today’s Subaru Tecnica International, we need to hop in the Wayback Machine and take a journey to the fabulous Disco era, and the revolution brewing in rally competition.

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

The current Subaru corporation can trace its carmaking roots back to tumultuous post-war 1950s Japan, and even further still to the Nakajima Aircraft Company of the inter-war period, creator of the B5N “Kate” torpedo bomber that was the mainstay of the Imperial Japanese Navy’s carrier strike groups during World War II. After the Allied victory, Nakajima was reorganized into Fuji Sangyo, Ltd. and then subdivided into a dozen smaller companies in 1950 as part of the Japanese government’s efforts to break the influence of powerful business interests known as Zaibatsu. In the swirling environment of rebuilding the country’s manufacturing infrastructure basically from scratch, several of the twelve business entities came back together to create Fuji Heavy Industries in the mid-fifties and started working on plans to build the kinds of small cars that had begun to supplant scooters and bicycles in the Japanese market as buyers became more affluent.

The car most familiar to Americans from this period has to be the 360, Subaru’s first model to be produced in substantial numbers. Falling within the “Kei car” regulations for smaller vehicles taxed at a lower rate in its home market, the 360 was imported to the US to the tune of about 10,000 units total by the ahead-of-his-time entrepreneurial genius / con-man (depending on who’s telling the story) Malcolm Bricklin, laying the foundation for today’s Subaru of America. Advertised as “Cheap and Ugly,” the 360 was powered by a 2-cylinder 2-stroke 356cc engine and had a curb weight of fewer than 1,000 pounds empty. When Brickin and SOA were unable to sell all the 360s brought into the ‘States, even at the bargain price of $1,300 new in 1968, he attempted to make lemonade out of the situation with a franchise scheme called “FasTrack” that combined RV sales with autocross-style parking lot racing of the 900 or so leftover cars that couldn’t find buyers. As you might imagine, this was not a wildly successful venture and quickly became nothing more than a footnote to Subaru’s racing history.

AN AGENT OF CHANGE

In 1968, Japan’s government-mandated a partnership between Fuji Heavy Industries and Nissan, with the latter taking a 20 percent stake in the former under a plan to make the country’s auto manufacturing sector more competitive internationally. After this merger, Subaru began making inroads into the US market, including the creation of the cult favorite Brat in 1978. The Legacy would follow in 1989, along with the Impreza, which was introduced in 1993. When Nissan was gobbled up by the Renault group just before the turn of the century, their piece of Fuji Heavy Industries was sold off to General Motors, leading to the weirdness of the badge-engineered Saab 9-2X, a mildly restyled Impreza. By 2005, GM had sold off their chunk of FHI, with a fraction going to Toyota, who later invested more capital to gain an overall 16.5% stake in the company. That intermarriage led to projects like the “Subieyota” BRZ/FR-S/Toyota 86 that we know today.

Against this backdrop of ownership changes, Subaru was making moves to break out from the “Cheap and Ugly” mold, and in the late 80s, one of the best ways for an automobile manufacturer to show off their chops was in the blossoming world of international rally competition. As early as 1980, Subaru had campaigned Leone coupes in the WRC, and while Audi is often seen as the pioneer in AWD performance with their seminal Quattro, Subaru was right there in the fight with their AWD competition models. In 1988, Subaru Tecnica International was founded to consolidate the company’s motorsports efforts under a single organization, and the new Legacy platform was drafted into competition service.

With the introduction of the Impreza for 1992, STi (the lower case “i” would be ditched in favor of capitalization in 2006) had a smaller, more nimble car as a starting point for their factory-backed rally efforts. In cooperation with the UK-based Prodrive motorsports company began to develop “World Rally eXperimental” (WRX) versions of the Impreza, first for competition and homologation, subsequently expanding to become a more broadly-based performance designation, much like Nissan had done with the NISMO moniker.

BIRTH OF A LEGEND

The original GC8A WRX, which was introduced in the waning months of 1992, featured power from a 237-horsepower turbocharged 2-liter version of Subaru’s then-new EJ engine, a flat-four design that followed in the footsteps of the previous EA design that dated back to the mid-1960s. The horizontally-opposed four-cylinder layout, while somewhat more expensive to manufacture than a typical inline-four, offers the advantages of being short front-to-back, allowing a longitudinal instead of transverse crankshaft layout even when coupled to an all-wheel-drive transaxle, and it also has a very low center of gravity compared to inline designs.

Though there was no official STi version of the GC8A, the WRX Type RA was offered as the starting point for competition modification, with deleted comfort and convenience features like air conditioning, power windows, and soundproofing. All WRX models at the time featured viscous coupling differentials in the center and rear, and the RA added a close-ratio manual gearbox to the mix.

…cars destined for 22B status received bodywork modification, a Bilstein suspension package, larger wheels and tires, STi brakes, and other modifications, creating the iconic “classic” WRX STi.

The following CG8B, which debuted for the 1994 model year, was the first WRX available with an official STi designation. The engine’s output was uprated from the standard 237 horsepower to an advertised 247 in the STi models, and an STi RA version, also stripped of components not needed for competition cars, delivered 271 horsepower “at the brochure” and substituted an electronically-controlled center differential that could be manually locked by the driver in place of the standard viscous coupling.

Fast on the heels of the 8B was the CG8C for 1995, bumping power in the WRX model to 256 ponies and 271 for the STi, and many different special versions were produced including Prodrive-prepped “Series McRae” cars for the UK market, and V-Limited editions for Japanese sales. The 8C model was superseded by the GC8D at the end of 1996 for the following model year with updated styling, 276 horsepower from the EJ20 in both the ‘standard’ WRX and STi models (likely a conservative number to stay under the ‘gentlemen’s agreement’ among Japanese manufacturers to not advertise any streetcar with more than 280PS), and a coupe version. The following CG8B, which debuted for the 1994 model year, was the first WRX available with an official STi designation. The engine’s output was uprated from the standard 237 horsepower to an advertised 247 in the STi models, and an STi RA version, also stripped of components not needed for competition cars, delivered 271 horsepower “at the brochure” and substituted an electronically-controlled center differential that could be manually locked by the driver in place of the standard viscous coupling.

More detailed changes followed for the GC8E for the 1998 model year, but the big news for enthusiasts was the extremely limited production (less than 450 total, primarily for the Japanese domestic market) of 22B STi. This version featured a distinctive wide-body fender fitment and the EJ22 engine, overbored to a 2.2-liter displacement but still nominally rated at 276 horsepower, though in reality producing substantially more. Starting with production line WRX Type R chassis, cars destined for 22B status received bodywork modification, a Bilstein suspension package, larger wheels and tires, STi brakes, and other modifications, creating the iconic “classic” WRX STi.

The highlight was the 2000 WRX STi S201 – limited to just 300 units, it had the entire STi parts bin thrown at it…

The GC8F and 8G rounded out the end of first-gen WRX production in 1999 and 2000, respectively, carrying over the majority of the previous design with minor detail changes and numerous special/limited editions. The highlight was the 2000 WRX STi S201 – limited to just 300 units, it had the entire STi parts bin thrown at it and a rated output of 305PS (300 horsepower, give or take a pony).

COMING TO AMERICA

For the 2001 model year, the Impreza received a complete makeover – the coupe version would no longer be available, but most notably, the car was given “New Age” styling (uncharitably referred to as “bug-eye” by many enthusiasts). In 2002, the WRX finally made it to US shores with a 227 horsepower turbo EJ20 powerplant. The “blob-eye” nose replaced the original styling of the GD platform in America for the 2004 model year, but more importantly, US buyers finally got access to an STi version of the WRX. Spurred by market competition from the 271 horsepower Mitsubishi Evo, Subaru gave stateside STi models a 300 horsepower EJ25 heart transplant, along with a larger scoop for the top-mount charge cooler and a Driver Controlled Center Differential that allowed manual selection of front to rear torque distribution from 50/50 to the automatic mode’s 35/65 split. The chassis received additional bracing, forged 17 inch BBS wheels were standard, and Brembo brakes went on all four corners.

2006 brought another facelift for the GD in US showrooms, with the “hawk-eye” front end making its debut. More importantly, though, motivation for the base USDM WRX was upgraded via substitution of the larger-displacement EJ25 in place of the EJ20, bumping horsepower just a bit to 230 but raising and broadening the torque curve. Upgraded brakes with four-piston front calipers, aluminum front suspension links, and 17-inch wheels became standard for the WRX as well. In 2007, a slew of minor changes (besides the “I” in STI getting promoted to upper case) was made to the top Impreza model, including suspension revisions (some of which were prompted by a desire to cut costs), taller second, third, and fourth gears, and a switch to a Torsen rear differential. An 800-unit run of the STI Limited model added some cosmetic touches to the exterior and leather upholstery.

The third-generation Impreza, introduced in the spring of 2007 for the 2008 model year, offered the STI model to US consumers exclusively in a five-door “mini-wagon” body style – sedan and coupe fans were out of luck. Five more horsepower was squeezed out of the turbo flat-four, for a total of 305, and some of the “boy racer” styling cues like the enormous hood scoop and wing of the previous version were toned down. Brembo brakes were again standard, along with 18-inch wheels, a helical limited-slip differential up front and a Torsen LSD in back, and the latest DCCD in the middle with three automatic and six manual modes to tailor torque delivery between them.

The “base” WRX received an upgrade in power to a rated 265 horses for 2009, while the STI model remained unchanged, save for minor details. The status quo remained through the 2010 and 2011 model years, and the STI kept pace with its perennial rival, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X. In 2012, a fourth generation Impreza was unveiled, but the WRX and STI lingered on, still based on third-gen architecture. Power for the STI remained the same, but a sedan version joined the 5-door body style to the joy of those who had missed the notch-back look. Much like Toyota had done decades earlier by splitting the Supra from its Celica roots into a model line of its own, Subaru had signaled that the WRX and STI would become distinct from the lesser Impreza lineup.

SEPARATE PATHS

The WRX and STI got their belated update for the 2015 model year, and while the “basic” WRX got another small bump in power with a switch to the 2.0-liter FA20F engine with an advertised 268 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of peak torque, the STI retained the 305 horse EJ carried over from the previous generation. This time around, long-roof fans were out of luck, as both models no longer were offered in hatchback/5-door/wagon body styles. With the Evo gone from the scene, the direct competition for the STI became cars like the AMG CLA45, which was considerably more expensive, and the Golf R and Focus RS – both worthy adversaries, but not necessarily something that would get cross-shopped against Subaru.

After cosmetic updates for 2018, there was finally some real news for 2019 – for the first time, there would be an “S-model” STI sold in America. The 2019 STI S209, unlike the largely hand-built S201-S208 models that were only available in the home market, cleared the obstacles in place for US homologation, very late in the model year. Based on the STI RA, which itself received a minor 5 horsepower bump to 310 ‘at the brochure,’ the S209 picked up a far more substantial increase to peak numbers of 341 horses and 330 pound-feet. Wider wheels and 265/35R19 tires, recalibrated suspension (including a 10mm drop to offset the taller tire package), grippier brake pads, and a ton of aero changes distinguish the S209 from its lesser STI brethren. Unfortunately, with just 209 cars slated for the US, a $10,000 premium in MSRP over the RA, and inevitable dealer markup shenanigans, this ultimate USDM STI is also breathtakingly expensive.

Whether you look at Subaru’s history and see their offbeat, iconoclastic approach, or focus on the wild-child STI division, it’s impossible to ignore the influence they’ve had on the automotive industry. While there’s no way to know what the future holds, it’s a safe bet to say that they’ll continue to follow their path, while the rest of the world tries to keep up.

Goodwood Revival

The World’s Premier Classic Motorsports Event

StateofSpeed.com has visited the Duke of Richmond’s glorious Goodwood Estate several times for the Festival of Speed but this was our first trip to the fantastic Revival. 

Goodwood, located near Chichester on the south coast of England about 60 miles from London, has been the home of the Dukes of Richmond for more than 300 years and a house has been on the site since the early 1600s. However, it was Freddie March, the 9th Duke who instilled the 12,000-acre estate with its motorsports heritage. Freddie trained as a mechanic and became a racing driver. After World War II, in 1948, he turned the perimeter road of the wartime Westhampnett airfield into the 2.367-mile Goodwood Motor Circuit that hosted Britain’s first post-War race and was Britain’s most prestigious circuit for eighteen years from 1948-1966. Over the years, the circuit fell a little behind contemporary standards that is until Charles, the 10th Duke, took over and initiated both the Festival in 1993 and the Revival in 1998 on the 50th anniversary of the circuit opening. The circuit is now fully restored to its original glory and can often been seen in movies and on TV.

Twenty-one years on, the Goodwood Revival, with around 150,000 attendees, is one of the world’s most prestigious and yet fun events. There really is nothing quite like it. Notwithstanding all the hoopla that includes air displays, auctions, on-track demonstrations and parades which this year included one celebrating the 60^th anniversary of the Mini, the Revival is above all an event of classic circuit racing for cars and motorcycles. In fact, no modern vehicles are allowed within the circuit perimeter throughout the weekend. That said the new Land Rover Defender was introduced at the Revival.

The gates opened on Thursday but the ‘tra-ction’ began on Friday and ran full throttle beginning at 9:45 am through Sunday at 6pm with the Freddie March Memorial Trophy race.  And these are no parade laps; this is serious racing with the likes of Le Mans’ superstars battling real Cobras against Corvettes, Ferraris and XKEs just like it was in the sixties. Andre Lotterer and Chris Wilson won the Royal Automobile Club TT Celebration race in their ’65 Cobra when Olly Bryant hit the tire walls and, well, retired. Fastest lap was Oliver Hart in a Trojeiro Ford in 1m25.5seconds with an average speed of 100.18 mph.

There was another fantastic race, the Brooklands Trophy, for Pre-War Bentley sports cars that look more like green London busses they are so big. The start looked like a bus jam on London’s Oxford Street but the checkered flag was taken by Martin Overington in a 1929 Blower Bentley. They were averaging 75 mph. 

One of the most prestigious races is the Goodwood Trophy for 1930-’51 Grand Prix and Voiturette cars. That was won by Gareth Burnette driving a 2-liter 1938 single seater Alfa Romeo. His fastest lap was 1m30.909seconds with an average speed of 94.24 mph.

While the historic, pedigree racecars put on a terrific show; a crowd favorite is the St. Mary’s Trophy for 1950-’59 Saloon Cars (sedans to Americans). Here you get everything from large lumbering, Brit-speak Yank tanks that this year included Patrick Watts’ 1957 Studebaker Silver Hawk to diminutive British Austin A40s that look like shoe boxes compared to the Kelvinator-sized American counterparts. Nicolas Minassian and Mike Jordan were the eventual winners in a tiny A40 that was about as big as the trunk on the Festival’s ‘Fastest-man-up-the hill’ Romain Dumas in a Ford Thunderbird that ran a credible 1m34.907seconds with an average speed of 90.27 mph.

In all, there are more than a dozen trophy battles ensuring that every race fan gets his or her fill. One of the cutest races, however, is the Settrington Cup for kids in tiny Austin J40 pedal cars. There were 64 entries including a lot of young ladies but young Harry Dark, the darkhorse, took the flag.

“The Revival is a truly smashing day accompanied by lashings of ginger beer and noisy parp parp, bang bang cars.”Jessica Helen Reinhold

The Revival is not all racing though and there is so much more to see from the themed corporate displays from companies such as SU Carburettor (Brit spelling) to the fifties’ British beach scene for toddlers to the ‘The Wild One’s’ Lee Marvin-inspired Boose Fighters motorcycle gang. Thankfully, they were no more threatening than the kids kicking sand. At Goodwood for the first time American Evonne Morton, dressed as ‘Rosie the Riveter’, said, “Give me Goodwood on a summer’s day and you can forget about the rest of the world”

And while there is no official dress code for the Revival, if you don’t want to feel out of place you’d better be dressed in some kind of relevant outfit from the 1920s, through the 1960s. You can mix ‘n’ match decades and even styles but you’d better be cool or look conspicuously out of place. StateofSpeed.com caught up with Revival regular Jessica Helen Reinhold whose husband Tom is in charge of McLaren Heritage had the last word saying, “The Revival is a truly smashing day accompanied by lashings of ginger beer and noisy parp parp, bang bang cars.” We couldn’t have said it better. For more info visit www.goodwood.com

Goodwood Festival of Speed 2019

Often copied but never duplicated, The Goodwood Festival of Speed (FOS) is perhaps one of the most amazing events on the motorsports calendar. This year the FOS celebrated its 26^th anniversary and StateofSpeed.com was there for the party.

“The Festival is a fantastic event that I always enjoy but running up the hill in the rain is a definite challenge.”Duncan Pittaway, driver The Beast of Turin

The Festival occurs every summer on the grounds of The Duke of Richmond’s ancestral home, Goodwood House, Chichester, West Sussex, 100 miles south west of London, England. The event is centered around a timed hill climb up the Duke’s 1.16-mile drive. The long-standing record for the run was 41.6 seconds set in 1999 by Nick Heidfeld driving a McLaren MP4/13 Formula One car. His average speed was 100.385 mph. Nick’s record for an F1 car remains unbroken as they no longer allow F1 cars timed runs for safety reasons, however, this year Nick’s 20-year-old record was broken by Romain Dumas driving the all-electric VW I.D. R with a time of 39.9 seconds. Dumas might have gone faster on the Sunday but rain prevented a faster run.

The hill climb, which is by invitation only, sees an eclectic field of racecars. We went as a guest of Brit Duncan Pittaway, who muscles the amazing, fire belching “Beast of Turin” up the hill. Built originally in 1911, the 28.5-Liter Fiat ran 132 mph in 1913. Duncan, who recently drove the Beast through the streets of London, restored the car (that’s a book in itself), and drives it with gusto and even ran up the hill in the Sunday rain which sidelined most competitors saying, “The Festival is a fantastic event that I always enjoy but running up the hill in the rain is a definite challenge.”

“[Driverless cars] would be like climbing Mount Everest using virtual reality—who cares.”

Unlike most big-time events, the FOS pits are open to everybody and you can walk around, get up-close-and-personal with the cars and talk to the mechanics, owners and drivers: I bumped into a wide range of drivers from three-time F1 Grand Prix Champion Sir Jackie Stewart to NASCAR star “King Richard” Petty. Others in attendance included Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason and his 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO, now valued at an estimated $85 million.

This year, the FOS celebrated more than 40 categories of Motorsports from Early Speed Record setters through Brickyard Heroes of Indy, to the Giants of Rallying both past Group B cars to the Giants of Modern Rallying. There were also special celebrations of Aston Martin, that made its Goodwood debut in 1949, Bentley, March Engineering, Mercedes’ 125 years of motorsport, Porsche 917, and Michael Schumacher. Indeed, there are so many and so much to see it makes your head hurt.

Besides all the historic gas guzzlers, there’s an obvious and growing technological shift toward electric and even autonomous cars with no drivers. Call me old fashioned, but driverless cars to me means slot car racing and while skill is involved, I just wonder if removing the driver removes the point. It would be like climbing Mount Everest using virtual reality—who cares.

That said, as mentioned earlier, this year’s fastest time was set by the Volkswagen I.D. R electric car that recently won Pikes Peak. Driver Romain Dumas scorched up the driveway in 39.9 seconds during the Saturday practice. Rumor had it that he would have killed it on Sunday had rain not prevented it. It’s also a sign of the times that the fields of Goodwood were littered with supercars. Everywhere you looked there were lines of Lambos, Ferraris, Aston Martins and McLarens, et al. Time was they were a rarity on British roads but no longer.

The FOS’s accessibility to the cars and the drivers, particularly if you are a Formula One fan is amazing in this day and age of restricted access. You can get within a few inches of the cars, check them out, hear them run and meet and greet the mechanics and the drivers. I don’t know of anywhere else you can do that in such a casual atmosphere.

Besides the summer FOS, Goodwood hosts the fall Revival, this year scheduled for the weekend of September 13-15. The Revival is held on the old Goodwood Grand Prix circuit that is also on the Duke’s estate that was an airfield during World War II. The Revival features historic circuit racing with everybody in period dress. Like the Festival, it’s a fantastic event to add to your bucket list. For more info visit Goodwood.com

Nürburgring 2019

Just a scant week after the Le Mans 24 hour race in France, the European sports car action moved a little more than 400 miles northwest to the German town of Nürburg and the Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobile-Club (ADAC – German Automobile Club) 24 Hours Nürburgring. Established in 1970 on the Nordschleife (North loop) of the circuit, 24 Hours Nürburgring is not Le Mans, attracting local rather than international teams, but it is, nevertheless, a fantastic endurance race for touring cars and GT sports cars, especially if you like German-made sports cars from Audi, BMW, Mercedes and Porsche.

The Nürburgring track, once described by retired Grand Prix World Champion Sir Jackie Stewart as “The Green Hell,” is 15.5 miles (25 km) long and affords space, so the organizers say, for some 200 cars and more than 700 drivers. Not unexpectedly, the race has been won for the last few years by home-grown, German vehicles such as Mercedes in 2016, Audi in 2017 and Porsche in 2018. This year saw the 47^th running of the event, now sponsored by TOTAL, and once again an Audi R8 LMS campaigned by Phoenix Racing took the checkered flag.

The track [was], once described by retired Grand Prix World Champion Sir Jackie Stewart as “The Green Hell”… 

Four German-Belgian drivers: Pierre Kaffer, Frank Stippler, Dries Vanthoor and Frederic Vervisch managed 157 laps and 2,475 miles at Nürburgring. One lap down was the second place Manthey Racing team of New Zealander Earl Bamber, Brit Michael Christensen, Kevin Estre from France and German Laurens Vanthoor (brother of Dries) in a Porsche 911 GT3 R. Manthey Racing has won six times before, however, a penalty caused by Vanthoor for speeding in a “slow zone” meant that they lost first place.  Meanwhile, third place was taken by the Audi Sport Team Car Collection in another Audi R8 LMS driven by Markus Winkelhock, Christopher Haase, Marcel Fassler and Rene Rast.

For Team Phoenix it was their fifth win as it was for Audi, however, it was Frank Stippler’s second win, his first was in 2012, but the first for the rest of the drivers including Pierre Kaffer, who said, “The Nürburgring is my home race and winning is a dream come true.” Kaffer has also won at Le Mans and Sebring.

The Black-Falcon-Mercedes-AMG #2 driven by Maximillian Buhk, Hupert Haupt, Thomas Jäger and Luca Stolz, lead the first third of the race with the Manthey-Porsche #911 until the Mercedes had to retire due to damage caused by a collision while overtaking a slower racecar. Battle for the leadership raged all night but eventually, the Audi secured the lead.

Perhaps driver Alexander Prinz had the mostly dramatic race when his GT3 #55 Ferrari 488 from the aptly-named Octane 126 team caught fire and almost burned to the ground as it took marshals some time to get there and get the flames under control. Unfortunately, BMW did not have a great race at Nürburgring. Their best finish was seventh and the remainder of the M6 GT3s were sidelined early.

A rather unusual and largely unknown aspect of this year’s event was the fact that the president of Toyota, Akio Toyoda, participated in the race in a Supra driving under a fake name. Seems that Toyota Gazoo Racing, who won Le Mans, entered three cars at Nürburgring. The cars were driven by professional drivers except, that is, for a mysterious “Mr. Morizo.” Turns out Mr. Morizo was none other than 63-year-old Toyota president Akio Toyoda driving the #90 Gazoo GR Supra. Apparently, Mr. Toyoda, who was very supportive of the Supra’s revival, had driven the Nürburgring endless times during the development of the A70 Supra and raced the ‘ring in the 2014 race behind the wheel of a Lexus LFA.

More that 230,000 spectators turned out to attend the 47^th Nürburgring and you can’t say they were disappointed.

The 24 Hours Du Le Mans

Toyota Wins The Ultimate Sports Car Endurance Race

We Americans and Brits have a huge affinity with Le Mans, a small town three hours south west of Paris, France, down the Loire Valley that is the home of the annual 24 Heures (Hours) Du Le Mans sports car endurance race. I’ve been going on and off for more than 30 years, sometimes on the spectator side of the fence but more often on the other side with teams such as Richard Lloyd Racing, Panoz, Jaguar and McLaren. Any big international race is a buzz but there’s something quite special about Le Mans.

The race was started in 1923 by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (of the West) and remains the world’s oldest active endurance race that is part private circuit and part public street course, that aside from a few safety-related alterations, has remained much the same since its inauguration. Indeed, you can drive down the Mulsanne straight on a normal, non-race day. Mulsanne is also known in French as Hunaudières, where it was quite incredible to have breakfast while cars were shrieking by at well over 200 mph. Unfortunately, modern safety requirements have sadly put an end to that experience. Nevertheless, Le Mans remains way up there on the list of amazing auto races.

Because of their sports car history, the Brits were early participants and the Americans weren’t far behind with a Stutz and a Du Pont in 1929. However, it was in 1950 when Cadillac first raced ‘Le Monstre’ there with Briggs Cunningham running a two-car team. Despite 10^th and 11^th place finishes, the Cads were well received. The press congratulating the Americans for their “skill, sportsmanship and dauntless good humor.”

Unfortunately, in 1955 a terrible accident resulted in the deaths of 84 people, including one driver, and injuring almost 200. As a result, Mercedes retired from the race. There followed an international ban on racing, and in the US, the AAA disbanded their Contest Board and more or less banned racing—for a few years at least.

“I think I must have counted every single shift that I did for the last two or three hours of the race.“Jim Busby

After a suitable period of mourning, racing resumed and in the mid-sixties Ford famously went after Ferrari and famously smoked them with their first overall win in 1966. Ford won three more times and the memorable 1-2-3 win came in 1968.

The other big Le Mans story was Steve McQueen’s seminal movie Le Mans filmed during the 1970 race and released the following year. The movie cost $7.6 million and took in a paultry $5.5. It’s not a great movie as movies go but it is for a car nut and gives a realistic insight into endurance racing. Try to imagine driving flat out in the dark and the rain hour after hour.

Of course, no matter what side of the fence you have been on, everybody has different memories of the race. For example, I recently interviewed Jim Busby who raced there many times and won five times. Jim has very different memories, for example, driving the night shift in pouring rain as the sun came up. He’s barreling down the Mulsanne straight at more than 200 mph. He couldn’t see for fog, well, he thought it was fog. “As, I got into it I could smell bacon and eggs.” Said Jim. “What I thought was fog was actually smoke from all the camp fires and stoves lit by the spectators cooking breakfast. The smell made me hungry and drove me nuts as we still had about eight hours to go.”

Jim also talked about a failing gearbox saying, “Coming down the Mulsanne, I’m thinking to myself, I’ve got two downshifts here, shall I make ’em both? Or shall I skip a gear and save the synchromesh. I think I must have counted every single shift that I did for the last two or three hours of the race.” I guess that’s why Le Mans is the ultimate endurance race.

This year’s event was exciting as ever with factory teams pitted against privateers, Chevy versus Ford versus Ferrari and adramatic, unexpected finale. For hours it looked like the Toyota Gazoo LMP1 team of Brit Mike Conway, Kamui Kobyashi of Japan and Argentina’s Jose Maria Lopez driving the #7 car were going to take the trophy after leading for most of the race in their TS050 hybrid. Unfortunately, they suffered a puncture an hour before the end and pitted for a tire change. As sod’s law would have it, the wrong tire was installed and they had to pit again to change it, which caused them to drop back to second behind their teammates. As a consequence of this mishap, the Toyota #8 team of two-time Formula One champion Fernando Alonso, Japanese driver Kazuki Nakajima and Sebastian Buemi of Switzerland took the win. It was 37-year-old Alonso’s second win and rumor has it that that mishap was organized so that Alonso’s team won. Third place went to Mikhail Aleshin, Stoffel Vandoorne and Vitaly Petrov driving the BR Engineering BR1-AER.

Over in the LMGTE Am class (Grand Touring Endurance Amateur), Ford took its second GT win with the #85 Keating Motorsports team of Jeroen Bleekemolen, Texas car dealer Ben Keating and Brazilian Felipe Fraga. Although they were given a penalty for peeling out in the pits, they stormed on to beat the #56 Porsche 911 RSR of Team Project 1 and the #84 Ferrari 488 GTE of JMW Motorsport that came in third. Unfortunately, the two Corvettes, #63 and #64 running in GTE Pro, despite putting on a strong effort for its 20^th continuous entry, fell behind due to a crash for #64 and a late-race spin and crash for #63 that resulted in some suspension damage.

“Racing needs an uplifting feel good story… “John Hotchkis Jr.

Unfortunately, the Ford entry was disqualified post-race for breaking a minimum refueling time limit and for having a 96.1-liter tank rather than the regulation 96-liter tank. Those infractions gave the win to the #56 Porsche. Now, you might be of the opinion that a mere 0.1 of a liter of extra fuel is nothing to quibble about but multiply that by multiple refuelings and you have a distinct advantage over the competition. It just goes to show that you need to be at the very top of your game if you want to win Le Mans.

John Hotchkis Jr., of Hotchkis Sport Suspension, who supplied most of the photographs used here, raced under the Wynn’s banner with his father at Le Mans in 1989.   His father and Bob Kirby brought Wynn’s to Le Mans in 1977.  Hotchkis Jr said, “I designed the Wynn’s livery that caught current Wynn’s driver/team owner Ben Keating’s attention when I was at Art Center College in 1986 and it ​was first used on the IMSA Hotchkis Racing Porsche 962 in 1987. We ran with Wynn’s sponsorship at Le Mans five times until 1989. This is the first time Wynn’s has been back to Le Mans in 30 years and the ultimate result was a real downer.Racing needs an uplifting feel good story, especially with the controversial overall result, and that finish was good story.”

As usual, more than 250,000 spectators turned out for the 87^th running of Le Mans and, as usual, it didn’t disappoint. Indeed, as is viewed as the “Burning Man’ of motorsports. For more info on Le Mans visit www.europeanlemansseries.com

Porsche Vice: Das Renn Treffen 2019

Since 2015, Das Renn Treffen (DRT) has brought the best Porsches that Miami has to offer while also benefitting local charities in the South Florida area. This year, it has grown into a three-day celebration of the brand from Stuttgart.

DRT probably snuck up on many people in the last few years. While many have been concentrating on Luftgekühlt and the Rennsport Reunion on the West Coast, South Florida has been creating a large Porsche gathering of their own. It may even rival them to some degree, but the East Coast is certainly showing it’s capable of creating a show worthy of the Stuttgart crest.

What is DRT?

It started in 2015 as a sister event to Volksblast, itself a nearly 20-year old Volkswagen show that celebrates classic V-Dubs. You could find the latest and greatest Porsches to vintage race cars and everything in between, so long as it was a Porsche.

It remained a single day show until February 2018 when it grew into a two-day event. This year, it became a three-day festivity that included a track day at Palm Beach International Raceway filled with race cars and some of the quickest street cars in the South Florida area.

…the East Coast is certainly showing it’s capable of creating a show worthy of the Stuttgart crest.

That’s not including the live music, food, and the many, many vendors that showed up to make this into a huge event. Other than the track day, all of this took place at Sunset Place, right in the middle of South Miami.

Those who attended were greeted by historic and restored Porsches, ultra-rare RUFs, race cars, and some interesting custom creations. You weren’t limited to just rear-engine and air-cooled Porsches as 944s, 918 Spyders, 914s, and even Carrera GTs made appearances. From street cars to rare cars, it just needed that crest.

It’s Not Just About Cars

Probably the most important thing to know about Das Renn Treffen is that it’s not just a Porsche show. These guys raise money for charities and non-profits located in the South Florida area. One of the biggest they support is the City of South Miami Parks and Recreation Department STEM Program.

Its goal is to help foster the next generation of adults who specialize in science, technology, engineering, and math—essentially creating kids interested in what it takes to make stuff like the Porsches they saw at this event and more.

The Track Day

For the first day of DRT, event goers were treated to a track day at Palm Beach International Raceway, once known as Moroso Motorsports Park (yes, that Moroso if you’re familiar with the classic performance parts brand) until 2008.

It’s a 10-turn, 2.2-mile course that’s FIA Grade II certified and means anything besides Formula 1 cars can race on the facility. So, this isn’t an outdated or backyard track these drivers were running.

The cars ranged from a few GT3s (both racers from the GT3 Experience and the street variety) to Caymans to classic air-cooled era Porsches, even including a 993 Turbo, a classic Supercup racer, and a 981C Cayman GT4. For RWB fans, many of those wide-body modified Porsches showed up and even went on track.

If there’s one thing that’s awesome about an RWB owner, is that there are quite a few that are willing to track their Nakai-built creations. There is no better way to experience a Porsche except out on the track where it was designed to perform and was the perfect way to open DRT for 2019.

The Collection Cars and Coffee

If you were willing to be at The Collection—a Porsche dealer in Coral Gables, Florida—in the mid-morning, you were greeted by Cars and Coffee meet. It was sort of a pre-DRT with show-goers showing up along with examples from The Collection as well.

These ranged from 356s that were lovingly restored to street legal and tracked 991 GT3s to the latest 991.2 GT3 RSs. It was such a turnout, one had to wonder if this wasn’t going to overshadow the whole show. Turns out, this would just be a warmup.

DRT 2019

This was the event everyone was here for, Das Renn Treffen or loosely translated to “The Race Meet.” If you wanted to see at least one of each Porsche ever made without going to Germany, this was the event you needed to hit.

Classic air-cooled to modern hybrids and more were on display. There were some amazing Porsche classics ranging from unrestored 356s to strikingly beautiful four-cylinder 912s. However, it wasn’t just those built by the factory, either.

Singer Vehicle Design, RWB, and RUF all had examples on display by owners from around the South Florida area and even in parts from around the US and beyond. Yes, this even has become that big of a deal.

Most who drive a Singer say they feel like the real evolution of the 911.

On the subject of modified cars, however, there was one viewed with special interest. “Carolina,” Akira Nakai’s very first US-built Porsches and the one he personally owned. It’s now driven by a new owner and modified from when Nakai first built it, but it’s still as stunning as when it was finished the first time.

Not to be outdone, though, Singer Vehicle Design brought out their latest collection of restored and modified Porsche 911s to DRT all the way from Irvine, California. They are some of the most amazing reworks of the 911 chassis that many feel Singers are more 911 than even the current 992.

Most who drive a Singer say they feel like the real evolution of the 911. It’s hard to argue against that as they are upfitted with better suspensions, lighter-weight panels than the originals, and retain their air-cooled flat-six engines.

There is Always Room for more Porsche Events

While you probably think of Luftgekühlt or Rennsport as the ultimate Porsche showcase, DRT should be something you start to consider. With the growth of the event and the class of cars that came out, it’s hard to continue to ignore it.

If you’ve never heard of it, you need to attend the next one in 2020 and that’s especially so if you’re a fan of the Stuttgart brand. It’s only going to continue to grow and get better, and you can’t pick a better place to celebrate Porsches as you can with Miami.

Testing, Testing:
The Old Yeller Racecar

It was a late call for an early start from my old racing partner Jimmy Shine. “Can you be at Willow Springs Raceway for seven thirty, tomorrow? We’re testing Ernie’s Old Yeller II.” I can do that.

As I headed up Interstate 5 and then Highway 14 out of Los Angeles, the rising sun warmed the mountains but the temp gauge in my car read 31°F/-0.5°C. That’s pretty cold for California, even in winter. Nevertheless, the sight and sound of Old Yeller II burbling in the early dawn was heartwarming.

The series of Old Yeller race cars was the brainchild of Max Balchowsky who operated Hollywood Motors with his wife Ina in swinging ’60s Los Angeles. At the time, they were considered the leading engine transplant specialists. They started racing in the early ’50s with a Buick V8-powered ’32 Ford roadster—the Bu-Ford Special. By the late-’50s they had embarked on the series of Old Yellers and the second iteration was driven by many legendary drivers such as Carroll Shelby at Road America and Santa Barbara, Dan Gurney at Riverside International Raceway and Laguna Seca, Bob Bondurant, Billy Krause, Bobby Drake, Paul O’Shea, and, of course, Max. They never missed an important ‘big purse’ race and the ‘backyard special’ did very well, thank you.

Old Yeller was raced continuously until 1974 when it was parked in a backyard in Fresno, CA, where it sat for many years until rediscovered by David Gibb who restored the car to its original configuration. It was purchased in 1991 by Ernie and Elaine Nagamatsu who have continued the restoration while making the car an international celebrity. Besides racing all over the U.S., E&E, as they are known, have raced the car at both the Goodwood Festival of Speed and the Goodwood Revival in England, in New Zealand at Pukekohe and Hampton Downs, in Australia at Phillip Island, the Tasman Revival at Sydney, and the Australia F1 Grand Prix Historic Races. They have also competed in hill climbs at Chateau Impney in England, and the Leadfoot Festival in New Zealand and appeared at Concours from Pebble Beach to the Chateau Chantilly Concours d’Elegance in France.

Despite its legacy, Old Yeller is a pile of parts cobbled-together into a very successful racecar—not unusual for the day.  The ladder-truss frame Max chalked out on the shop floor before fabricating the real thing from 1-3/4-inch chrome-moly tubing.  The engine is a 401ci ‘Nailhead’ Buick with six Stromberg 97s and was originally backed up with a Jaguar trans and a Studebaker axle suspended on crude leaf springs. The brakes, until recently, were Buick drums all round or, not so round as it happens. The body, Max hammered out himself from old Coca-Cola signs over a wooden barrel. Old Yeller was registered for the road in Idaho where Max owned some land. It was never trailered to a race, as Max believed that the road trips were a reliability test.

Many of these old specials disappeared over the years or were cannibalized into other racer cars or hot rods but it is a testament to the memory of Max and Ina Balchowsky that Old Yeller II survives thanks to David Gibb and Ernie and Elaine who thankfully carry the torch around the world like Olympic athletes. For more on the history of this important historic racecar visit: www.oldyeller2.com

Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum

Many think that the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the oldest purpose-built racetrack in the world; however, it is actually the second, the first being Brooklands in Surrey, England. Construction began at Brooklands in 1907 and at Indy in 1909; however, Brooklands was more or less defunct by the start of World War II whereas Indy marches on enjoying huge crowds of almost 250,000 people. Its total capacity is around 400,000 but who’s counting?

Located within the famed 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) oval, also known as the ‘Brickyard’ because the track’s original ‘oiled’ surface was quickly resurfaced with brick, the IMS Museum collection encompasses automobiles and artifacts representing more than a century of Indianapolis 500 competition (the first Indy 500 was in 1911), plus vehicles representing NASCAR, Formula One, American short-track racing, drag racing, and motorcycles.

Unfortunately, at the time of our visit several historic Indy cars were on loan to the Performance Racing Industry Trade Show. The main floor was a little threadbare, however, you shouldn’t let that deter you as the museum is well worth a visit with lots of other cars and areas to enjoy. At the time of our visit, there was a special exhibit, Hoosier Thunder: Indiana’s Short Track Heritage. Hoosier Thunder tells the story of the drivers and families who made Indiana short-track racing a way of life: names such as Carter, Darland, Elliott, Kenyon, and Kinser among others. It also honors the drivers, such as three- and four-time NASCAR Cup Series champions Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon. More than 40 cars are on display.

Old, front-engine Indy roadsters, known collectively as ‘Big Cars’ from the late-’40s, ’50s, and ’60s, are the coolest though. They thundered around the track with their Offy engines screaming before the rear-engine whining Lotuses (or is that Loti?) arrived from England with Jim Clark and Graham Hill who won in 1963 and ’64 respectively. It was the Golden Age of American auto racing and is exemplified by the permanent display at the IMS Museum.

The museum is located about six miles west of downtown Indy at 4790 W. 16^th Street, Speedway, IN 46224, inside the track between turns 1 and 2. The entrance to the museum is actually at Gate 2 on the north side of 16th Street. It’s open every day of the year, including some evenings, except for Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Entrance is a very reasonable $10 for adults and just $5 for kids aged 6-15. Children 5 and under are free as is parking. There are summer and winter hours and numerous special events including track tours so check their website before you go: www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com

What Is Autocross?

Autocross claimed to be the start for anyone looking to get into road racing. Though, when you look at it, it’s just a bunch of cones in a parking lot or a big patch of asphalt. What is autocross and why is it the place road racers should start?

When it comes down to dollar-to-seat time, it’s hard to beat the low cost of autocross. Well, normally low cost, we’ll touch on that later. However, in most cases, if you want the best environment to get a feel for your car and improve your driving skill behind the wheel, it’s going to be your cheapest and relatively safest bet. You don’t even have to have a special car to do it, either, as the car or truck you’re driving now can usually be used. You’ll see people show up in anything from Volkswagen Golfs to Corvettes to S10s. The only special thing you need is a helmet and many organizations will be happy to provide you a loaner one.

To define it, autocross is racing in the same way that time trial and time attack are. You’re not racing wheel-to-wheel but racing for the fastest time in your class and overall. You won’t even be on the course at the same time as another car like you would be on a big race track. You also won’t hit the same speeds, either. That’s why it’s looked at as a lower risk way to get into road racing and build up your skill set behind the wheel.

The course is laid out on a big patch of asphalt or concrete. Cones are set up and it can be a course that loops on itself or be straightforward with no confusing loops. Depends on how your course designer is feeling that weekend. A course can be open or very tight, depending on how fast the sanction has determined for the maximum speed of an autocross. Very rarely does a course allow you to hit speeds over 50-MPH. Most will only allow you to use up to second or third gear, depending on your transmission.

Those cones are also indicators. Two cones standing straight up are gates. Four cones in that same position indicate the start and finish. A cone laying down beside a gate indicates how many times you go through it. A single line of cones in a straight line is a slalom, but if a cone is laying down on either side, the pointed end indicates which side you enter it while no cones indicate you can enter either side.

If you want to be the fastest driver, however, you are going to need to start upgrading your vehicle. The first thing most will tell you is to upgrade to a set of ultra-high-performance tires like the Milestar MS932 XP+. It is the single best initial upgrade you can do to your autocross car because it improves traction, cornering, and braking in one go. From there, you go with your suspension, brakes, reducing weight, and everything else that your rulebook allows for. That’s why autocross starts out cheap but eventually becomes as expensive as any other form of racing, but that’s normal, too.

If you’re entering your first autocross, don’t worry with all of that. Just go, have fun, and learn. Though, if you have your own helmet, bring it. That way, you won’t accidentally bring home the one you borrowed.

Isle of Man TT

The hills were alive with the sound of motorcycles. So too were the towns, back alleys, and all corners of the Isle of Man. It was the first week of June 2018 and the races were in full swing.

The words “Isle of Man Tourist Trophy” conjure up images of motorcycles doing power wheelies down city streets past old Manx cottages and blasting full throttle over mountain passes. These images are usually accompanied with a starry-eyed response, “Someday I’ll go see the races.” Well, I finally had my day. I could rehash the statistics of each race, but instead here’s what I learned and experienced in total during my first trip to the IoM TT.

To many, the TT is the pinnacle of motorcycle road racing and I was certainly not alone to have a trip there placed prominently atop the “bucket list.” I decided it was finally time to stop dreaming and just book it. That is, book it a year in advance, as hotels and ferries sell out quickly. Approximately 45,000 race fans flock to the island where the regular population floats around 84,000. For my maiden European vacation, I flew into Manchester, UK and took a train to the port of Liverpool. From there, the ferry took me and a couple hundred motorcyclists across the glassy Irish Sea to Douglas, the islands capital and largest town. Being the start/finish of the TT course, the city of Douglas has the large grandstands, the paddock, the scoreboard, the crowds of people, and all kinds of nightlife.

My original plan upon arrival was to rent a bicycle to access the different vantage points along the race course, but the islands abundant public transport quickly proved itself. Buying one reasonably-priced “Go” card granted me access to island-wide busses, electric trains, and even a horse-drawn tram. (Unfortunately, I never got to ride the steam train. Next time!) This card was also quite useful for sightseeing on days the races weren’t running. As if the spectacle of the race isn’t enough, the island is full of that good ancient history with castles to explore West in Peel and South in the aptly named Castletown, plus the world’s largest operational waterwheel in the old mining town of Laxey. I quickly learned that the trick is to buy an official TT race pin from almost any of these destinations, with which access is granted to a wide variety of other sights and locations at no extra charge. It paid for itself.

Thanks to a lot of wishful thinking on my part, or maybe just good luck, we were treated with perfect weather for the duration. Fans and racers alike were fortunate because it was this weather that offered ideal track conditions to generate new records in every category – Superbike, Superstock, Supersport, Lightweight, Zero (electric) and Sidecar. It certainly seemed that every lap of every race all week long was a new record. Possibly the biggest news was Peter Hickmans new lap record of 135.452 mph aboard the Tyco BMW S1000RR, which also established the Isle of Man TT as the fastest road race in the world.

Maybe it goes without saying, but I do want to emphasize just how different the TT is in person as opposed to the condensed versions on television or youtube. The race categories are six, four, and one-lap affairs over the 37.73-mile Snaefell Mountain course, taking more time and with many more competitors than what is shown in the highlight reels. The longest of the races is just over 226 miles, but even the short Zero races have the same rider requirements of intense focus; assessing road and weather variables as they pass in a blur, all while dancing with a screaming motorcycle. Every upcoming corner must be known and anticipated all while still reacting to the corner preceding it. The physical and mental tasks at this speed leave little to no room for error. It’s almost unbelievable to watch and certainly difficult to distinguish between the beginning of a loss of control or someone who is still maintaining it, albeit on the very edge. 

Although they’re gone in a flash, the vision lingers. For the solo competitors, the mental image is of both tires in the air, crossed-up handlebars, and some knees and a helmet bouncing off the gas tank. For the sidecar riders, it’s a sleek but brutal pounding as weight in the form of the passenger strategically positions his or herself for every feature of the course. Watching all racers and passengers control and recover from this wildly dynamic environment leaves one in awe.

With triumph comes tragedy and the TT has had its share over the years. It has been billed as the most dangerous motorsport event in the world. The island has now claimed 257 competitors in its century of TT and Grand Prix races as we sadly lost riders Dan Kneen and Adam Lyon this year. Facing these statistics is truly a testament to the bravery of the racers, the dangers they face, and the respect they deserve.

A spectators job is to stay out of the way. Don’t drop your drink or camera onto the race course and absolutely do not step foot out there while the road is closed. While that might mean you get locked into one view of the race, there are pedestrian bridges over the course at a few of the popular locations, and provisions regularly along the way through at least the southern stretches.

On the first day, a Saturday, I had a seat in the Douglas grandstands, actually a permanent brick fixture on the public road year-round. This race maintains some old charm. There are no flashy jumbotrons, the pits just in front are relatively quiet and minimalistic, and the leaderboard across the road is hand-painted and attended to by a group of scouts who keep busy running around to stay updated. Watching each rider start off from here and disappear over the horizon, I could only imagine what’s on their mind. Returning safely must be priority number one. The paddock behind the stands was easily accessible. Food and facilities were plentiful. You can experience a nice motorcycle race from here.

For Mondays viewing, I connected with a friend of a friend who had access to a private residence on the track. What a thrill that was, leaned on the old rock wall with a small group as the racers blazed a trail inches from your face. At one point I discovered that I was watching the races next to John McGuinness, practically Isle of Man TT royalty. McGuinness is the winningest living TT competitor, second in overall wins only to the late legend Joey Dunlop. Normally McGuinness would be racing here but he is still on the mend from a crash last year at the North West 200. As each bike in each race passed by, he would quietly identify the rider and comment to his family seated at his other side. He said riders passing this point were going about 180 mph. I won’t forget that experience for quite a while.

On Wednesday, I took the charming old electric train up Snaefell Mountain to the Bungalow with my camping chair over my shoulder. Just shy of the mountain peak, scenic views of puffy white sheep on distant green hills were readily apparent thanks to that perfect weather. Climbing a little higher to the summit allowed me to very faintly see Scotland. If I used a little imagination, I might even see Ireland, England, and Wales. They are indeed visible in the right conditions, but it was a little hazy in the distance. No problem. Practically anywhere around the Bungalow was a great spot to watch the race as there are several turns and a straight all within view, whether up on the hill or with your toes right at the track, both vantage points I investigated. When the television helicopter would rise up over the hills, it was a signal that the race leader would shortly come screaming into view.

For the final races on Friday, I posted up at the grandstands in front of Creg-ny-Baa. I got to see Mr. McGuinness again, this time waving to a cheering crowd on a pre-race parade lap aboard the Norton SG7, hands-down the nicest sounding combustion-engine bike of the whole event. I make the distinction because the electric Mugen of the Zero races had a very nice, unexpected howl as it scooted past. The Creg-ny-Baa corner is a slight downhill right and I was in the grandstands just past the outside of the apex. In hindsight, I didn’t need to sit right there as both sides offered nice long views on approach and departure. The races offer time to investigate optimal viewing locations and I found a nice secondary spot on a grassy wall on the approach side.

The 2018 TT ended with ample time for weekend travel for a sobering return to work early Monday morning. On my trip back, I was talking to a regular race visitor and we concluded that when I attend another TT, I should fly into Dublin and stay on the island in Peel. I left this trip with immense appreciation for the history of the island and a greater insight into what actually happens at the races that simply gets lost in the video editing room. This is a truly fantastic location and the race is like no other. It needs to be witnessed in person.