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Author: Olly

FC THROWBACK: MODIFIED CITROEN C2

Welcome to this week’s FC Throwback, where we take a look back at some of our favourite previous feature cars. This week it’s Joe Hobbs’s C2 from 2013…

Dressed in deep purple paint and wearing custom mint green rims, Joe Hobbs’s C2 is smashing the scene with its bold colours and dirty lows!

Growing up surrounded by petrol heads was only going to end up one way for Reading-based modder Joe Hobbs. As soon as he was handed his driving licence Joe went on the hunt for a suitable base car.

After a long search, he finally decided on a standard Citroen C2. “I went for the C2 because it was different to what most of my mates were going for, and I wanted a car to stand out,” Joe tells us.

A standard C2 was never going to stand out from the crowd though, and in no time at all Joe got the mods rolling. Sorting out that ride height was top of his hit list, so Joe fitted a set of coilovers and decked it to a respectable height.

When it came to sorting out a set of rims, Joe wanted to go the extra mile and find something unique. After putting in a call to the guys at Image Wheels a design was picked. The end result is a set of custom-built three-piece rims in staggered 8.5x15in and 9.5x15in fitment. Before they were fitted, the rims were wrapped in Toyo 195/45×15 tyres. A simple drop and set of rims was never going to cut it though, so Joe turned his attention to sorting out that boring exterior.

Local bodyshop Imagination Creations were put in charge of sorting the Citroen’s shell. The front bumper has been fully smoothed, together with the rear to give it a clean and uncluttered finish. The boys have also worked their magic on the boot and deleted the aerial. At the same time all the badges were removed and a de-badged grille was fitted. With all the panels up to scratch it was time for Joe to pick a colour to dress the C2 in.

After a fair bit of head scratching, Chris from Imagination Creations and Joe settled on a custom, mixed-purple paint. Every inch of the car has been covered in this deep purple finish and makes for a fresh alternative to the usual Euro colours we see. The car was taking shape, but even with the coilovers, it still wasn’t sitting quite right.

There was only one way to go – to really dump the C2 on its arse, so Joe booked the car in with HavAir. The Citroen is now fully loaded with a four-way air-ride system that allows it to cock a wheel at the flick of a switch. The rear seats have been binned, and replaced with a pair of three gallon tanks that Joe had painted to replicate a pair of Duracell batteries. The interior has been treated to a pair of Recaros and a 300mm Momo wheel. A JLW3 Audio sub and amp combined with an Alpine headunit take care of the tunes, while a Powerflow custom exhaust system gives the car a nice little burble.

This might be Joe’s first attempt at modding a car, but he’s completely nailed it – job done!

TECH SPEC CITROEN C2

Styling
Smoothed front bumper, rear bumper, bonnet, boot and aerial, de-badged grille, custom paint job

Chassis
Air-ride, 2x three gallon air tanks, hardlines, four-way AVS 9 channel switch box, AVS digital gauge, Airzenith compressor, custom built three-piece staggered 8.5x15in and 9.5x15in Image Wheels, T1R Toyo 195/45×15 tyres

Interior
Stripped rear seats, custom boot build with air tanks custom painted as Duracell batteries, Recaro VXR bucket seats, 300mm Momo steering wheel, handmade custom billet aluminium gear knob

Audio
JLW3 Audio sub, JLW amp, Alpine headunit

Tuning
Powerflow exhaust

Thanks
Chris Ronchetti, Michael Hobbs, Geoff Skinner, Molly Coates, Danny Braggins, Massimo Boukas, Darron Augustus, Lil Olly (Olly Scott), Doug Smith, all my family and friends

Words Nick Turner Pics Laurens Parsons

Source

September 17, 2020
GM details its Ultium Drive modular EV powertrain offering up to 1,000 horsepower

General Motors is committed to launching 20 electric vehicles in North America by 2023, and most of these will be powered by a modular battery system branded Ultium and sit atop GM’s third-gen EV platform.

The electric drive system powering the actual wheels will be branded Ultium Drive, GM said Wednesday.

Like the batteries, the drive system going into GM’s upcoming electric fleet will be a modular system. Its outputs will range from 235 up to 1,000 horsepower. One of the 1,000-hp EV has already been confirmed as the GMC Hummer EV pickup truck due for a reveal on October 20 and production from fall 2021. It would make sense for the oft-rumored electric Corvette to also feature the 1,000-hp setup.

The Ultium Drive portfolio will consist of five interchangeable drive units each with a single-speed transmission and power control unit fully integrated. GM will also use three types of electric motors for the drive units.

GM Ultium Drive family

Depending on the positioning of the drive units, they will be able to deliver front-, rear- or all-wheel-drive configurations. One of the drive units has been described as an all-wheel-drive assist unit, i.e. it will add traction when slip is detected. This particular setup is expected to feature on an all-wheel-drive Corvette, among other vehicles.

GM boasts Ultium Drive will deliver better response than comparable internal-combustion engines, along with the ability for highly accurate torque vectoring.

GM said it is handling the development of the Ultium Drive units and will also manufacture them in-house. GM has developed the Ultium batteries with South Korea’s LG Chem, but will manufacture them at its own plant currently under construction in Lordstown, Ohio.

So where might we see the Ultium Drive units beyond the Hummer EV and potential Corvette variants? GM has already revealed the identities of 12 of its upcoming EVs that will use the drive units. Two of the 12 are the Hummer EV pickup and a related SUV. Others in the pipeline include the Cadillac Lyriq crossover SUV and Cadillac Celestiq flagship sedan.

Source

September 16, 2020
NISSAN Z PROTO UNVEILED: THE NEW NISSAN 400Z?

It’s been a long time coming but the Nissan Z Proto, the next in the line of Z sports cars from Nissan, has finally been unveiled. But there’s a catch, it’s not coming to Europe!

First of all, this is a prototype, but it looks near as dammit production ready as we expect it to be called the Nissan 400z when it does arrive. It features a striking design that takes cues from Z cars of old, with a fastback, sloping coupe body that emanates that of the original Datsun 240z.

Alfonso Albaisa, head of design for Nissan, said: “Ultimately, we decided the Nissan Z Proto should travel between the decades, including the future. The shape of the hood and the canted, teardrop-shaped LED headlights are both unmistakable reminders of the original Z. The rectangular grille’s dimensions are similar to the current model with the addition of oval grille fins to offer an updated modern look. The form continues to exude both sportiness and elegance.”

There are no official tech specs but we do know that it features a twin-turbo V6 engine, likely the VR30DETT found in the Infiniti Q50 (also known as the Nissan Skyline in Japan) and in that form in produces a healthy 400hp, taking the fight to the likes of the Toyota GR Supra and Porsche Cayman.

Crucially, that V6 engine is paired up to a six-speed manual, although we have no doubts that a paddleshift auto will be put in place as an option, too, when the production car is ready.

Elsewhere, the wheels are likely to be that of Rays like previous Z cars and those come in 19inch spec. Tyres are 255/40R19 and 285/35R19 (front and rear) making us more hopeful of that 400hp power figure. Behind those wheels, at the moment at least, is the brake setup from the Nissan GT-R; whether they will be in place on the production car is hard to say given the cost of said setup.

Inside, Z car fans will be pleased to hear that it gets rid of the dated interior from the Nissan 370z and comes with a 12.3-inch infotainment screen and digital cluster, with leather dominating the dashboard. Thankfully, that old school Japanese tuner vibe lives on inside, with a host of gauges including a boost gauge, featuring prominently in the cabin.

Sadly, though, this all means very little to us here in the UK, with Nissan admitting that this car won’t officially come to Europe. That being said, with the UK recently signing a free trade agreement with Japan, perhaps importing an RHD JDM example to the UK won’t be as expensive as you might think. Either way, it’s nice to see the Z car return to the automotive industry. What do you think of the Nissan Z Proto?

Source

September 16, 2020