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Russell Savory’s RS Performance…………operation is now fully up and running as Birkin Europe and can supply the S3 in kit and fully built guises.
I’ve known the legendary bike engine tuner, Savory for a long time and have always admired his varied work be it the Loctite Yamahas or ‘specials’ for Honda, Caterham Levante, RSW or his own range of bike engines the RST-V8 (now producing 550bhp in supercharged form) and the recently introduced V-Master V6, and I’m pleased to say that Russell is now well on the way to recovery after a nasty illness.
He’s also given us FULL EXCLUSIVITY on the new range of European-spec Birkins, and you can read the full story in the forthcoming Sept/Oct 2010 issue of tkc mag (published September 3) – it REALLY is an EXCLUSIVE.
I popped over to the new RS Performance base at the wonderfully historic Stow Maries airfield in Essex, which is the only World War One airfield still active and is currently undergoing a sympathetic restoration courtesy of Russell and business partner, Steve Wilson. A museum building is already open…
A drive of the new S3 demonstrator last week revealed a superb car and reminded me how good the Birkin product is. Engine is a Ford Duratec delivering around 180bhp and so performance is excellent, while fine handling and roadholding is a given. Comprehensive kit prices start at £11,000 with fully built cars from £23,000 inc VAT depending on specification.
Future developments include an imminent wider bodied version called the RS (72mm wider) and also Birkin Blower and Birkin Speed Six versions, too.
More information from www.rsperformance.co.uk/birkin.htm or 01245 326 040 ENDS.
If you’re thinking of buying a……..Tiger R6 in fully built form, you’ve got a couple of weeks to go to take advantage of a very special on-the-road price of just £13,995, which includes road tax and IVA test. What’s even better is that as long as you order a car before the end of July, you don’t have to take delivery until the end of 2010…
More from www.tigerracing.com or 01733 849 328 ENDS.
Things are moving along nicely……..at Hartlepool-based Saturn Sports Cars who make the Saturn Roadster, which is a Lotus Seven sportscar inspired by the top-selling Haynes Publishing book ‘Build Your Own Sportscar On A Budget’.
The company, run by Andrew Hugill, can supply Haynes Roadster builders with any component for their ‘book’ builds, handy, if for example you don’t want to weld up your own chassis or laminate your own fibreglass. They can help with any of that.
Similarly, they can sell you a complete Saturn Roadster kit.
Andy told me this week that he’s just about to commence work on what’s being called the Saturn RW460 and powered by the 231bhp Mazda RX-8-spec Nemesis 13B Wankel engine, which is a very exciting and high performance development for the company. Fully built examples will cost under £20,000, with the kit variant based around the winning formula of the standard Saturn/Haynes Roadster, and the Ford Sierra will supply many parts although the RX-8 will also donate its six-speed gearbox and limited slip differential. Expect a power-to-weight ratio of 460bhp per tonne. Exciting stuff.
More from www.saturnsportscars.co.uk or 01429 864 377 ENDS.
Ultima Sports Ltd is holding………….their open day this year on Sunday August 8 at their factory and all are welcome.
As you’d expect there will be a large number of owners cars on display with Can-Am and GTR demonstrators and kits on full view, so if you’re interested in buying one of these wondrous cars or just an enthusiast why not wander along to:
Unit 4, Cloverfields, Hinckley Industrial Estate, Hinckley, Leicestershire LE10 1YD on Sunday August 8?
More information from www.ultimasports.co.uk or 01455 631 366 ENDS.
Mills Extreme Vehicles is reporting……….good interest in their new Exocet model launched at Newark last month.
Based on MX-5, MEV claim that it can built for as little as £2000, if you sell the portion of the Mazda that you don’t require. As the world’s biggest selling sportscar of all-time, there’s hardly a shortage of suitable donors and MEV-boss, Stuart Mills reckons the bodyshell removal can be completed in just two hours. You’ll be using parts such as engine and gearbox, instruments, handbrake mechanism, fuel tank, dampers and a whole lot more besides.
The comprehensive Exocet kit includes fully bracketed spaceframe chassis with integrated roll-over bar, alloy floor panels and transmission tunnel, side panels and GRP nosecone and costs just £2500 inc VAT. You can choose between orange, yellow, black, red, white and light green.
MEV estimate that the parts of the MX-5 you don’t require will fetch around £1000 selling on eBay and once again this looks to be another winner from Mr Mills.
More information from www.mevltd.co.uk or 01623 655 522 ENDS.
Although they keep a fairly low profile…………Simon Davis and Chris Boyer, who together are Nostalgia Cars (UK) Ltd, have sold a very healthy number of their Classic 120, 140 and C-type replicas, and have a very loyal following. They are also classic car restorers of real note.
After a drive of their latest Classic 140, Jaguar XK140 replica, last week, I am reminded just how good their skills are. Life is good, when you wafting along glorious Somerset countryside, on a blisteringly hot day in a pastiche of one Jaguar’s most iconic motorcars. A shape that’s some 52-years old, although managing to remain current. And evocative. And beautiful.
They guys held their annual open day in May and had one of the best responses ever, with lots of owners cars and also orders taken. Certainly on the day of my visit, their large workshop on a former paper mill now industrial estate in Creech St Michael near Taunton, was incredibly busy.
You can build one of their replicas from a basic starter kit package at £6879.63 inc VAT and a DIY budget of £25,000 will see a nice example built. Turnkeys start from £48,880 (Classic 120) or £54,379 inc VAT for a Classic 140. The difference in price between the two largely due to the copious amount of chrome to be found on the ‘140’.
Incidentally, they also offer the car formerly known as the NC1000, a replica of the legendary Ogle SX1000, although as it’s been fully approved by the late designer’s family, it is now sold as an Ogle ‘Continuation’ model, with fully built prices from £22,607 inc VAT.
More information on all things Nostalgia via www.nostalgiacars.co.uk or at the other end of 01823 444 991 ENDS.
NCF Motors……….one of a handful of kitcar manufacturers with same ownership for or approaching 30-years service has appointed an Australian agent.
Four-x-4 is based in New South Wales and they’ll be concentrating on the Land Rover Discovery-based Sahara kit, and its rugged looks and go-anywhere abaility will be ideal for often testing Aussie terrain.
If you are reading this in Australiasia (lots do!) you can call Four-x-4 on 02 4957 1117 or visit www.allfourx4.com.au. For more details on NCF Motors visit www.ncfblitz.co.uk or even call them on 01388 526 917 ENDS.
Well-known Triumph and Rover parts specialists…..Rimmer Bros has chopped the prices on their range of Triumph dampers, which is handy if you have a Vincent Hurricane or a Hooper Warrior with clapped out ones.
The reductions concern Koni, Gaz and Spax products with a set of four Koni adjustables at £369.07, Gaz at £243.81 and Spax KSX at £216.79. The choice is yours.
More from www.rimmerbros.co.uk or 01522 568 000 ENDS.
The latest wheel……………..from leading manufacturer Kei Racing offers a unique blend of subtle style and head-turning good looks.
Kei’s latest wheel, the Toukon, is named after the Japanese word for ‘fighting spirit’ and in a world full of ‘me too’ monoblock designs, its moody satin black finish and timeless lines offer a refreshing alternative to many run of the mill designs.
On launch, the wheel be available in 7 x17in and 7.5 x 18in. A wide range of popular four and five stud applications will be available. A more traditional ‘Hypersilver’ finish is also available.
Prices have yet to be announced, but expect them to be in line with the rest of the Kei Racing range
For more information on Kei Racing wheels, visit www.keiracing.com or call them in the UK on 01530 517 920 ENDS.
