Tag Archives: PistonHeads

Who can it be now ? – Vauxhall VXR8

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The Vauxhall VXR8 is a badge engineered HSV (Holden Special Vehicles) Clubsport built in Clayton, Victoria Australia.

HSV Clubsports, based on the then current Holden VE Commodore body, were sold as the CSV (Chevrolet Special Vehicles) CR8 in the Middle East and Pontiac G8 in the United States.

This model is fitted with a 425 hp 6162 cc / 376 cui LS3 engine.

A Bathurst option was available with a 530 hp supercharged version of the LS3.

Regular GALPOT readers might remember the HSV strap line from my blog on the HSV Maloo R8 runs ‘ I just want one !’ which is equally applicable to this antipodean model I think you might agree.

Hope you have enjoyed today’s Clayton, Victoria edition of ‘Getting a lil’ psycho on tyres’ and that you’ll join me again tomorrow for a look at some of the details from this weekends Race Retro exhibition at Stoneleigh. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Fit for a Sheikh – Bristol 405 Drophead

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The Bristol 405 introduced in 1953 was the first Bristol to dispense with the BMW inspired grill and is unusual for having a single fog light placed in the middle.

There were two versions of the 405 this Drophead of which 43 were built and an imposing 4 door saloon of which 308 were built until production ended in 1958.

A 1971 cc / 120 cui straight six motor was exclusively tuned to produce 125 hp for the Drophead, the Saloon was given a 105 hp version of this engine. One blogger described the sound of this motor as being like ‘a squadron of Lancasters‘.

The first two 405 D’s were strictly two seaters with fully retracting roofs, however all bar one of the remaining Dropheads had roofs that rested on the rear body work making space for rear seats. A one off 405 D was produced for Sheikh Yusuf Mohammed Al Tawil and shipped to Jeddah in 1955 painted gold with silver wheels, white wall tyres and an electro-hydraulic operated roof.

The slick action four speed gearbox of all 405’s were fitted with a Laycock overdrive for high speed cruising operated by the large toggle switch to the right of the steering wheel.

The first 18 to 20 Bristol 405 Drophead chassis were sent to Abbots of Farnham where the bodywork was crafted. Abbots landed a large contract to build estate / station wagon version of the Ford Zephyr and Zodiac models and the remaining 405 D’s were sent to Tickford, in Newport Pagnell, for body work to be built according to the Abbots of Farnham drawings. I am not sufficiently drenched in Bristol Cars lore to tell you where this particular body was crafted… yet.

I suspect I could get used to fresh air motoring in a vehicle fit for a Sheik that sounds like a ‘squadron of Lancasters‘ how about you ?

Thanks to the owner of this fabulous vehicle for bringing it to the Sunday Service at the BMW Plant a couple of weeks ago.

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

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California Dreaming – Ferrari California 2+2 Convertible

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A couple of years ago I was at an airport and I noticed in the duty free area there was a Ferrari on a turntable that was a raffle prize.

I’d never seen one like it before turns out that it was a California, at £25 / $40 a pop for a ticket I passed on what may well have been my only opportunity to own a Ferrari without regret.

Allegedly the California was originally conceived as Maserati, however the economics of the project dictated that only a Ferrari badge offered any hope of a financial return on the vehicle.

Researching this blog I was surprised to find the California introduced in 2008, shares it’s engine design with both ALFA Romeo and Maserati models.

Over 1,000 hours are said to have been spent in a wind tunnel perfecting the aerodynamics of the California so that it’s drag coefficient is 0.32 the lowest ever achieved for any Ferrari.

I have to confess it was not until I had run a registration check on these vehicles that I had any idea of exactly which models they were and indeed they were both the same type, I thought the red one was a 612 Scaglietti !

Allegedly there is room on the back seats for two adults in a Ferrari 612 Scaglietti something at 6′ 2″ I’d love to put to the test.

Even if I had known it comes with a front mounted 450 hp 4.3 litre 260 cui V8 engine I doubt I would have been tempted to buy a raffle ticket….

because for all the attention to detail …

beautiful craftsmanship ….

seven speed dual clutch transmission …

and promise of the joys of open air motoring …

alone price of the road tax on the Ferrari California is enough to keep me on the road for a whole year in my 20 year old jalopy … but that does not stop me from dreaming 🙂

With thanks to the PistonHeads responsible for bringing these dream machines to the Sunday Service at the BMW Plant in Cowley a couple of weeks ago.

Hope you have enjoyed to days California dreaming edition of ‘Gettin a lil’ psycho on tyres’ and that you’ll join me again tomorrow for a look at another vehicle bearing the California name. Don’t forget to come back now !

PS Should I have failed to quench your thirst for Ferrari’s take a look at the new Ferrari FF with Michele Rahal over on The Drive Channel.

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What’s cookin’ ? – DAX Tojeiro

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Continuing the theme of self builds started with the unique scratch built Rhodes Ridley on Monday today we are looking at a DAX Tojeiro.

DJ Sportscars International Ltd under the DAX brand have been building kits replicating the AC Cobra requiring no special tools, welding or Glassfibre Reinforced Plastic work for over 25 years.

Their Tojeiro kits currently marketed under the ‘427’ name can be supplied to take a huge variety of motors small block to big block US V8’s Rover V8’s Jaguar sixes & V12’s, currently DAX have a demonstrator with a 500 hp 8.2 litre 502 cui V8 capable of accelerating from rest to 60 mph in 4 seconds and on to over 180 mph.

After trying one at Brands Hatch ex Formula One driver Jonathon Palmer described the big block Chevy DAX demonstrator as ‘just staggering’ not bad for a vehicle that when complete should comply with Single Vehicle Approval (SVA) standards necessary for registering a vehicle on the road.

Any one interested in finding out more might like to visit Simon Johns DAX factory in Harlow Essex for an open day on Good Friday April 22nd, see link for contact details, if I am in the area I’ll make a point of being there myself.

Thanks to the unknown PistonHead who brought this sinuous vehicle to Januarys Sunday Service at the BMW Plant, Cowley.

Hope you have enjoyed today’s Detroit muscle powered edition of ‘Gettin’ a lil’ psycho on tyres’ and that you will join me again when we up the ante with a whirl wind 427 cui powered kit car. Don’t forget to came back now !

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Sunday Service – MINI Plant Car Park

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I took the 191,000 mile Passat out for a 180 mile spin yesterday to the MINI plant in Cowley just outside Oxford where the PistonHeads had organised a Sunday Service, a free gathering of 800 folks who like to worship their cars.

When I read through the list of vehicles that were booked to attend including a Ferrari California at the top of the list, my sceptical, if it’s too good to be true on the internet it is, side imagined some of those hoping to attend might be having a laugh.

However as evidenced by this very expensive tax disc, many people did in fact turn up in the vehicles promised, of the 50 plus vehicles from 28 manufacturers I photographed there were two current different model Rolling Royces, five Ferraris, helping to secure Ferrari Fridays for a while yet (!), 5 Bristols in 4 flavours a couple of Chevrolets and a 1938 Ford Deluxe Hotrod.

On an absolutely freezing morning the MINI visitor provided a welcome shelter with a completely eclectic collection of Mini’s both originals and Retro models photo’s of which I look forward to sharing in the fullness of time.

The meeting started at 9 am prompt and we were asked to clear the area by 1 pm. Ironically the afternoon drive home was in brilliant sunshine which would have been very welcome while I was taking these pix, but I guess we can’t have everything, certainly not in January.

With over 400 photographs to sort out I thought I’d share a handful of details to give you a flavour of what is to come here at Gettin’ a lil’ psycho on tyres !’

I’d like to thank everyone at Pistonheads and the MINI visitor centre who made my first Sunday Service so much fun and finally I’d like to thank all the PistonHeads who brought such a fascinating collection of vehicles.

Hope you enjoyed some of the details in today’s edition of ‘Gettin’ a lil’ psycho on tyres’ and that you’ll join me again tomorrow for a trip inside the MINI Visitor centre. Don’t forget to come back now !

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