Bespoke Car

[LotusGTR]

Thought this may be of interest to car enthusiasts. Designed and hand built by a friend of mine. It's a one off but is a precursor to a limited production run which will be similar but different. This car is powered by a 13b turbo and weighs next to nothing. It has a H pattern 5 speed dog box and a motorsport chassis, so it's pretty much a race car with plates. V2 will have forced induction V8s, a different chassis construction and a few different transmission options.

[beemae30]

Love the idea. But not the look. Very boxy but good on him looks like it would be tits to drive. Any word on what v8 will be going in? Whats the spec list look like?

[Birds]

Amazing the amount of skill some people have to design something from the ground up. I'd love to do that. Is that the fuel pumps I can see just inside the rear mesh?

[scathing]

Looks pretty darned tasty.

[cannabiscorpse]

Awesome! I can only imagine what that thing would move like with a 13b turbo in it, let alone forced induction v8. That is one talented bloke.

[LotusGTR]

Love the idea. But not the look. Very boxy but good on him looks like it would be tits to drive. Any word on what v8 will be going in? Whats the spec list look like?

Current 13bt is around 400hp and runs a Hewland box and welded tubular chassis. New chassis will be folded sheet construction, gearboxes he wants to push the Hewland dogs (possibly sequential with tiptronic option) and engines options are many but the ZR1 Corvette engine and the local 5.0l supercharged Ford engine are possibilities. Atmo V8s are options too. There will be a coupe and roaster option and the new car has a different body and its own custom wheel design. Suspension will be from FPV Falcoons as will be some of the switchgear etc. This gives the durability of OEM bits but put together in a way that is unique.

V2 is fully designed but refining model varients to suit target market and budgets is a focus right now. Trying to understand who would pay $100k - $150k in cash for something like this is not easy.

[GTR-N1]

'Tis remarkable what some people can do when they put their minds and skills together

(Hope "V2" wasn't named after the rocket of WWII)

[beemae30]

That sounds good. Not going to look at http://www.h1v8.com/page/page/1562068.htm as an option for the atmo option? They sound tits.

[mad082]

i'd still go for the chev or ford option because the ability to buy parts from you local dealer or from repco, etc would be more appealing, plus the amount of aftermarket tuning for them is pretty extensive these days.

[beemae30]

Yeah true but 400hp at 10000rpm weighing 90kgs what more tuning do you want? If your dropping 100k on a heavily track orientated car, I don't really think you'd be going to repco to buy parts for it.

And http://www.h1v8.com/f/h1.mpg is all i have to say

Edited July 17, 2011 by beemae30

[LotusGTR]

Power tuning isn't likely to be required. The attraction of the crate engines from a large manufacturer is reliability and support. They'll have lightened flywheels and twin plate clutches, and I'd assume be retuned to suit the vehicle mass and desired performance characteristics, but otherwise kinda stock.

[scathing]

It's not going to be required, but unless you're using it in a one-make race series it'll probably be desired.

From that perspective I'd probably go for a GM small-block. Whether it be a ZR-1's or a Z06's, or even the one fitted to the Commodore (it'd be worth having engine options available to the customer). Small, light, and you can buy OEM and aftermarket parts easily and cheaply from Aus or the US.

[Iron Chef]

Cool car, but for the love of God, don't use the word "bespoke" - it's like a cancer on automotive journalism...

[LotusGTR]

Cool car, but for the love of God, don't use the word "bespoke" - it's like a cancer on automotive journalism...

Sure. What is your suggestion on how it should be described?

[Iron Chef]

"Unique" has served the English language pretty well for the 500-odd years prior to 2010...I blame Top Gear personally...

Anyway back to the car, why is he taking out the 13BT? I like the H1 idea, but an LS1 is probably the safer option...

PS what are those wheels?

[LotusGTR]

"Unique" has served the English language pretty well for the 500-odd years prior to 2010...I blame Top Gear personally...

Anyway back to the car, why is he taking out the 13BT? I like the H1 idea, but an LS1 is probably the safer option...

PS what are those wheels?

Yeah, jargon is to be reviled but I'm not as senstive to bespoke as you are. I just couldn't think of a better way to describe it. I'll certainly give this feedback to the creator for him to consider.

The rotor is not coming out of the current car. The current car is a one off and more than likely he will be buried in it, largely as it is. He does not have children, he has this car. The learnings taken form this car have been folded into a completely new design that he intends / hopes to sell. The new design is far more productionisable as the current car is not something you could ever own unless you built it. The V8s are part of the strategy of enablng other people to own the car i. e. reliable and supportable.

I'm not sure about the wheels, but he's done work for all sorts of automotive enterprises and they could have come from anywhere. A lot of the parts are ex race team donations that he's picked up along the way. I should probably create a login for him and he can come in here and speak for himself.

[phunky_monkey]

Very cool indeed Nick. Looks very Lotus 2-Eleven-ish to me which is no bad thing.

Looks as though it would be a hoot to drive

[Iron Chef]

Yeah, jargon is to be reviled but I'm not as senstive to bespoke as you are. I just couldn't think of a better way to describe it. I'll certainly give this feedback to the creator for him to consider.

The rotor is not coming out of the current car. The current car is a one off and more than likely he will be buried in it, largely as it is. He does not have children, he has this car. The learnings taken form this car have been folded into a completely new design that he intends / hopes to sell. The new design is far more productionisable as the current car is not something you could ever own unless you built it. The V8s are part of the strategy of enablng other people to own the car i. e. reliable and supportable.

I'm not sure about the wheels, but he's done work for all sorts of automotive enterprises and they could have come from anywhere. A lot of the parts are ex race team donations that he's picked up along the way. I should probably create a login for him and he can come in here and speak for himself.

Ah gotcha - aside from switching the 13B for a 20B, I would keep it the same too

If that's his plan for the car then the LS1/2/3 would be a safe bet. Are any of the new V8s from Ford all-alloy?

[LotusGTR]

Ah gotcha - aside from switching the 13B for a 20B, I would keep it the same too

If that's his plan for the car then the LS1/2/3 would be a safe bet. Are any of the new V8s from Ford all-alloy?

Na rotors are too loud in this car as there is no room to package an adequate exhaust. 1st engine was a PP and gave issues. Yeah LS etc V8s are the plan and my understanding is the new Ford units are alloy.

[Nee-san]

'Tis remarkable what some people can do when they put their minds and skills together

(Hope "V2" wasn't named after the rocket of WWII)

Prefer your missiles with some sort of control do you Terry ? Lol

To be honest that's exactly what I thought when I read it.

Car looks awesome mate, thumbs up to the builder.