Mad About Cars

Lots of people like to modify their cars to give them that little bit extra in terms of performance and style. People who are really into their cars are constantly on the lookout for impressive new wheels, kits and mod cons to make their car the most powerful and the most impressive to look at. Many even head to meets to show off all the ways they have improved their cars.

Cars aren’t the only vehicles that can be suped up, though. Vans are also suitable for modifications that make them incredibly impressive. Working on the engine of your van can turn it into a real power house and you can add graphics to the bodywork for added style.

Of course, any modifications that you make to your van have to be declared. Your van insurance is likely to change if you make your van more powerful (and if you add expensive extras to it), so you have to let your van insurance company know when you’ve made alterations. If you don’t take this step then you are giving the van insurance company plenty of excuses not to pay out should you need them to in the event of an accident.

The McLaren F1, one of the most desired dream machines in the history of man, but who would go to such lengths as to recreate the automobile scrap style!!

Well, this Polish wonder has!

Steel and fibre glass replace the original carbon fibre body design, and the V12 engine used appears to come from an old wasted BMW.

Attempting to keep its original design, this little tub is full of bits here there and well – your guess is as good as ours! But we do admire the trick toy car that appears to be the basic idea of the whole concoction!

Good effort we say – I wonder how many brave Polish backyard builders have come up with this 1!!!

Low-riders are taking the world by storm! ! !

And we can see why with their new found rage!

Whilst attempting to protect the low-riders from dragging over bumps and damaging rough roads, they have found a solution that helps raise the riders up and completely off the road, even whilst in motion – ‘Hydraulics!’

But who in their right mind could come up with an idea like car-hopping!!!

Well, In Southern California where this all began, they certainly know their stuff!

These enthusiasts install ‘Hydraulic Lift Kits’ that thrust the vehicles in an up and down motion using hydraulic cylinders with electric hydraulic pumps, allowing a completely adjustable vehicle height. This itself is a major attraction! But as if that wasn’t enough, somewhere along the way of exploration – this evolutionary process has evolved an unpredictable and amazing break-through!

At some point, someone has realised that with the right power ratio mixed with 1 mega Hydraulic pump – it will make the car hop! And to great heights!!

At the touch of a button you can literally ‘bunny-hop’ the car 6 feet off the ground!
Just like the movies!!

Now that’s Awesome! And so much fun!! Believe Me!!!

Golf’s mark 6 is rapidly being put to the test by the latest hot rivals!

And Golf are on target to step up to yet another challenge!

And to prove this – reports have leaked that vigorous testing is underway at the Nurburgring in Germany with 2 hot trick cars…

One is a twin-turbo version of the new GTI’s 2.0 four engine running along side a 4×4 version with a new Audi TT-RS engine that’s been tuned up to 300bhp from a mere 265bhp as it stands now.

Also look out for the R20T next month as a race prepared version may be appearing at Nurburg 24hrs!

And kept underwraps for now – but we have heard VW engineers are boosting this engine upto 390bhp for a new R45-badged Golf variant that could be launched 2010…. Ooh!!!

So yes, we all love drifting / power-sliding / broad sliding, whatever you want to call it!

And if you can actually drift across one end of a car-park to another then hands down to you but what actually goes on with the car when in this breath-taking motion???

Well, were about to find out!!…

The word ‘drifting’ obviously comes from a Japanese derivative (dorifuto sōkō?) and looks a bit like this – (ドリフト走行) – and is it surprising given our far eastern friends are the brains of all rapid technology!
And all the fun!!

They are masters in producing technology their forte being ‘engines’ and equally supplying the support gear needed to be able to control the car in adverse situations, and electrifying the crowd!

A real drift is where a driver will intentionally over-steer a vehicle through turns which results in loss of traction at the rear wheels. At the same time they are still controlling the vehicle whilst exiting the corner at high speed.

A car is said to be drifting when the rear slip angle is greater than the front slip angle prior to the corner apex, and the front wheels are pointing in the opposite direction to the turn (e.g. car is turning left, wheels are pointed right or vice versa).

The driver is always controlling these factors, and that’s what makes drifting an art!!! We love it!!!