Tag Archives: Turismo

F687/S – Lotus Honda 99T

1987 brought about several changes for the Lotus team firstly their hitherto sponsor John Player Special withdrew from the sport and secondly their hitherto engine supplier Renault followed suit.

Fortunately for Lotus Williams, who had an exclusive contract with Honda for the supply of motors in 1986, let the 1986 World Drivers Championship slip away by allowing their drivers Nelson Piquet and Nigel Mansell to take points off one another by refusing to issue team orders or nominate one over the other as preferred winner. This did not go down well with Honda or their preferred driver Nelson Piquet.

Lotus Honda 99T, Goodwood Festival of Speed

As a consequence Honda came to an arrangement with Lotus to supply year old 1986 motors to Lotus for 1987 and at the same time did a deal with McLaren to supply top spec motors for the 1988 season with Ayrton Senna as their preferred driver. Meanwhile Senna was partnered by Saturo Nakajima in the Lotus team at the behest of Honda whom Honda had tried unsuccessfully to place at Williams in place of Mansell in 1986.

Furthermore Lotus managed to secure sponsorship from the new big spenders on the Formula One block Camel.

Lotus Honda 99T, Goodwood Festival of Speed

Despite being already down on power on the Williams team thanks to the year old motors being used, Gerard Ducarouge took the brave decision to use active suspension on the 99T which although offering advantages to consistent ride height, pitch and roll added 25kgs/55lbs in weight an required 5% of the motors power to keep it working.

Lotus Honda 99T, Goodwood Festival of Speed

By the end of 1987 Senna had won two races, just as he had in ’85 and ’86, both on street circuits at Monaco and Detroit. The Detroit race would prove to be the last victory for a car built by the Lotus team founded by Colin Chapman. With 57 points, two more than in ’86 Senna finished 3rd in the World Championship in 1987 while Nakajima’s additional 7 points helped Lotus secure third in the Constructors championship.

The 1987 season marked a high point for Team Lotus since the death of Colin Champman in 1982 and from there until 1994 when the team founded by Chapman made it’s final appearance in the sport.

Players in Japan and the United States of the Gran Turismo 3 game will be familiar with the Lotus Honda 99T which was given the alias “F687/S”.

Thanks for joining me on this “F687/S” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to came back now !

Share

The Very Wildest – Kellison J4 Grand Turismo

According to Griff Borgeson writing in Sports Car Illustrated in May 1960 when the Kellison J4 Grand Turismo was shown at the Los Angeles International Motorshow in December 1959 one ‘hipster’ summed up the audiences reaction by quipping ‘That is the very Wildest’.

Developed by former Korean Air Force Vet and missile engineer James Kellison, at just 39 inches tall and 67 inches wide the Coupé was also one of the lowest and widest cars present.

James opened a repair shop to generate the cash to turn his design into a kit car that could be built in around 130 hours. The 160lb fibre glass body was designed to fit either a salvage yard chassis or a bespoke 140lb chassis designed by stress engineer Chuck Manning.

The sales literature advised potential customers that the $6700 Kellison with independent suspension, custom finished interior and luggage space for three large suitcases was a luxurious touring car and the first American car to surpass Europe’s most distinguished designs.

The cockpit was designed to comfortably seat a 5′ 8″ driver and passenger, though the construction of the seats was left to individual builders so that taller drivers could find away to accommodate themselves.

The Kellison could take any of the available V8’s of the day including the Ford, Chevy and Chrysler’s other proprietary parts included the windscreen that came from early 1950’s Studebaker Commander or Champion models, a rear screen from a 1949 Buick, Oldsmobile or Cadillac and door hinges that came from Mopar vehicles dated ’49 to ’52.

Kellison sent several vehicles to Bonneville Speed Week over the years all painted silver with maroon stripes and the #905, taken from his address ‘905-907 Sutter Street, Folsom California. One of his later J5 models is said to have recorded a top speed of 186 mph.

This particular model, in need of a pair of windscreen wipers, seen at the recent Goodwood Revival apparently has recently been acquired by Lord March. More on the Kellison Marque can be found at kellisoncars.com.

Thanks for joining me on this #905 edition of ‘Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres. I hope you will join me again for Ferrari Friday tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

25/10/11 Egg on my face dept, reader Martin Christandl kindly informs me that Lord Marches car is actually a J6 model not the similar looking J4. Thanks Martin. If you spot any any other errors please do not hesitate to let me know.

Share

Gundam vs Godzilla – Nissan GTR

In 2007 Nissan re launched the Nissan GTR, currently this model is marketed as the first true supercar for anyone, anytime, anywhere with the disclaimer that “Driving is a serious business and requires your full attention. At all times obey traffic laws. Not intended for unpaved off road use. Always wear your seatbelt, and please do not drink and drive.”
01 Image2067sc

My only experience with any kind of GTR was with the Gran Turismo GT2 and later GT 4 games in which super car performance for the 3 box Skyline GTR could be obtained with 1000 plus hp tunning kits. Polyphony Digital the makers of Gran Turismo were responsible for designing the multifunction display inside the real GTR.

02 Image2068sc

This car is a must for anyone into hi tech abbreviations, for example the GTR is powered by a 485hp VR38DETT DOHC V6 engine fitted with two parallel IHI turbochargers that meets California Air Resources Board Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV) standards.

03 Image2069sc

Like the motor the rear mounted Borg Warner designed six speed gear mounted gearbox is built by hand and coupled to a dual clutch, with Advanced Total Traction Engineering System for All-Terrain (ATTESA) and Vehicle Dynamics Control (VDC-R) systems to aid stability come as standard.

04 Image2072sc

The performance of this model, so long as it is not in Japanese limited to a 112 mph spec, on the track is right up their with the Lamborghini Gallardo, Porsche GT3 and Ferrari 430 Scuderia, the GTR can cover 402 meters in 11.6 secs from rest and has been tested to 195 mph.

05 Image2070sc

Nicknamed Godzilla, the GTR takes it’s rear end styling cues from the giant robots featured in the popular Japanese Gundam animated TV series.

My thanks to the petrolhead who bought this Godzilla to the Sunday Service back in January.

I am sure you will all want to join me in wishing all those who are coming to terms with the devastation in Japan condolences and best wishes for the future.

On a happier note I’d like to wish one of GALPOT’s earliest followers Cheryl a Happy Birthday !

Hope you have enjoyed today’s ATTESA edition of ‘Gettin’ a lil’ psycho on tyres’ and that you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

Share