Lots of the vehicles we see at occasions have had well-known former homeowners or racing historical past, whereas others have been resurrected from the ashes or creatively reimagined. Some even have tales to inform earlier than they roll off the manufacturing line.
What I’m attempting to say is, most of those vehicles have attention-grabbing pasts; revealing them simply depends upon how deep you’re prepared to dive. On the current F.A.T. Ice Race in Austria, I used to be spoilt for alternative went it got here to attention-grabbing vehicles, as a result of they have been in every single place. For this comply with as much as my principal occasion story final week, I selected six vehicles with fascinating tales to take a more in-depth have a look at.
The Ultimate Lotus Elise
This Lotus was completely unattainable to overlook within the F.A.T. Ice Race paddock, largely due to its fluorescent orange paint. The colour – RAL 2005 – is so particular, that non-public automobiles in EU international locations are usually not allowed to make use of it, because it’s reserved for emergency automobiles solely. Fortunately the proprietor is UK-based, and Lotus have been in a position to be satisfied to ship it within the particular shade.
It’s particular as a result of again within the Sixties, Staff Lotus used the luminous hue on its STP-livered Indy vehicles. Past the paint attract, this Elise Cup 250 Ultimate Version was the final ‘250’ to depart the meeting line, therefore the ‘FI NAL’ registration plates.
Porsche 997 R-GT Artwork Automotive
This 997 construct was a very collaborative effort. Its creators say the PlayStation livery pays homage to Nineties nostalgia, and I completely received that once I first noticed it. My thoughts immediately traveled again round 25 years, to the day my older brother introduced a PlayStation console residence with a bunch of video games, together with Want for Velocity 3: Scorching Pursuit, which received me hooked on vehicles and racing within the first place.
The challenge was managed by James Howson, who got here up with the idea along with digital artist Davide Virdis. Davide took care of the styling, however the precise paint was laid down by David Gwyther, AKA Loss of life Spray Customized. Beneath the art work is a rugged 997 R-GT that was initially constructed by Tuthill Porsche and competed within the 2014 World Rally Championship, the place it claimed the primary WRC end for a Porsche 911 in virtually 30 years.
Porsche 911 Projekt e01
I noticed this Porsche 911 on the highway whereas travelling to the F.A.T. Ice Race’s registration spot, however couldn’t put my finger on what was totally different about it. Once I caught up with it once more on the carpark and took a more in-depth look, I famous the shortage of exhaust, at which level I roughly understood what was occurring. However because it turned out, this isn’t your common electric-converted basic…
Projekt e01 is the work of Basic eCars in Germany, who reimagined the 911 with a retrofitted Direct eDrive electrical drivetrain that delivers a loopy 3,250Nm of torque to its rear wheels. The corporate produces electrical motors with spectacular efficiency knowledge: A single powertrain is nice for 256kW/1,625Nm, however this Porsche has a double system in place, thus twice the output. The automobile now weighs 1,450kg (3,196lbs), however having batteries each entrance and rear helps with the burden distribution and retains a number of the automobile’s authentic dealing with traits intact.
Peter Rotenberger, Basic eCars’ chief technical officer, was behind the wheel of the 911 on the F.A.T. Ice Race, and from the place I used to be watching, it dealt with the slushy monitor very nicely.
Porsche 356A Sort 1 ‘European’
This hanging silver and blue-flamed Porsche 356A race automobile (chassis #55301) began its life as an early Sort 1 instance in-built December 1955. A US import mannequin, throughout its lifetime within the States it was owned and raced by Pierre Honegger and David Loring, and even competed towards F1 driver Jan Lammers within the La Carrera Panamericana race in Mexico.
As I came upon later, it is a very uncommon mannequin with ‘European’ badging. To clarify, when the 356 T1 was first imported into the US, they have been badged ‘Continental’, however after simply 860 coupes and 69 cabriolets have been shipped, Ford Motor Firm requested Porsche to withdraw the identify, as they owned the rights to it for the Lincoln Continental.
Again in Germany, Karosserie Reutter had already punched many extra pairs of entrance fenders for the golden ‘Continental’ script badging, so an answer was wanted. Ultimately, Porsche opted to re-badge the mannequin ‘European’, which allowed the ready fenders to nonetheless be used. It’s laborious to know precisely what number of vehicles obtained the ‘European’ badges on them, however the 356 Registry reveals there are solely 41 ‘European’ kind 356s accounted for at the moment.
Nowadays the automobile resides within the UK, however nonetheless stays true to its racing DNA with a full roll cage put in and the whole lot else you’d count on to search out inside an previous rally automobile. The ability output is 130hp, which isn’t horrible for a 68-year-old automobile that weighs lower than a tonne.
Adrian Stevens, the 356A’s present proprietor, continues to race it. Notably, the Porsche returned to Mexico in 2006 for that yr’s La Carrera Panamericana, and previous to the 2024 F.A.T. Ice Race it participated within the 2020 occasion.
1972 Volkswagen Beetle
I’m going to exit on a limb right here and say that regardless of this Volkswagen Beetle (owned by Michael Klein) trying fairly authentic, it’s really some of the modified of its breed wherever on the planet.
Look shut and also you’ll see that the hood and boot lid, aspect skirts, and even the bumpers are all comprised of light-weight carbon fiber. Inside, solely the essential bits stay.
There’s nonetheless a Volkswagen flat-four out again, however now it’s a stroked 3,000cc WBX from a T3 van that was transformed to air cooling and fitted with an excellent chrome steel exhaust system amongst different efficiency upgrades. The 250hp engine is linked to a canine ring gearbox for sooner shifting, whereas Porsche brakes guarantee the Beetle can simply cease from pace.
1991 Porsche 964 Carrera 4 Dakar
If you happen to’re an Italian wine connoisseur, you could be conversant in Agostino Rizzardi, whose household vineyard in Bardolino has been round since 1678.
Aside from working the enterprise at the moment, Agostino is a critical motorsport fanatic who likes to compete in excessive rally occasions. His heavily-modified 911 was initially arrange for rally use by Jimmy McRae (the late Colin McRae’s father), however in making ready it to beat dunes, the whole lot aside from the three.6L flat-six was overhauled. The drivetrain specifically was modified to face up to long-distance and high-temperature runs.
The strengthened chassis, large 160L gas tank, quad double-wishbone suspension with adjustable Reiger shock absorbers are all there to assist the proprietor compete within the Dakar, Tunisia, and Morocco rally raid occasions, plus others.
There may be one extra distinctive automobile from 2024 F.A.T Ice Race that I need to share with you – a road-legal homage to the legendary Gulf Porsche 917, recreated in carbon fiber in Norway. However as I managed to finish a full photoshoot whereas I used to be in Austria, look out for a standalone function on this one very quickly.
Vladimir Ljadov
Instagram: wheelsbywovka
as a result of@wheelsbywovka.com
www.wheelsbywovka.com
