Category: Maxxd News

Simon Clarke’s tuned Toyota MR2 is a machine of pure function and purpose: a V6-swapped widebody track monster with an obsessive approach to functionality. But that’s not to say it doesn’t have a sense of theatre…

286hp-per-tonne. This is a significant number, as there are a few cars that boast precisely this figure: the Ferrari 360 Modena, Aston Martin DB9 GT, Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG, Audi R8 V10 – it’s a scintillating group, and scything through them like some malevolent Japanese assassin is a widebody tuned Toyota MR2, upsetting every conceivable applecart and generally making a nuisance of itself. Anyone who doubts the potential of the Mk3 Mister-Two needs to apply some hot sauce to their bitter words and prepare to gobble them up whole… because what’s just rumbled into our midst is something very serious.

Simon Clarke is the herald of mayhem here, and his startling Toyota represents the logical conclusion of a number of years of high-octane monkeyshines: “I first got into modifying cars after university, buying a banged-up Gen-7 Celica GT and spending four years going wild on its appearance, and Rotrex supercharging it to 330hp,” he recalls. “This car absolutely paved the way for better things, as I had engine catastrophes and it was such high maintenance that I ended up having to learn how to disassemble and reassemble the engine – and the entire car, really. I later had a 2ZZ-swapped MR2 Roadster, and I sold both of those cars to buy an Evo 9… which spun a bearing after two weeks, forcing me to rebuild the engine to 456hp! I then bought this V6 tuned Toyota MR2 Roadster after test-driving it a year beforehand – a little gem sitting on Rogue Motorsport’s lot.”

All of this stemmed from a conversation with Rogue about the possibility of supercharging or turbocharging a 2ZZ-swapped MR2, at which point they suggested that rather than delving into the astronomical cost of such a thing along with its knock-on implications for transmission, widened track and necessarily wider bodywork and so on, he might consider the race-built Roadster they already had on the premises, which was sitting about unused and in search of a new curator. All of the track-focused safety features were already in situ, along with the invincible V6 engine and the famously unburstable MR2 Turbo gearbox. “Rogue founder Patrick Mortell offered me a test drive, and I came back shaking from it,” Simon remembers with a grin. “It took me a year to realise this was where I wanted to be, but I was stoked to finally take it home. It needed some help, it had moss in the crevices and the paintwork was worn, the plywood front splitter was damaged, but besides cosmetics the car was ready to go straight out to a circuit and get hammered relentlessly – it could take it and not even break a sweat.”

Rogue Motorsport actually built this car as one of a pair – stock-body Roadsters that found themselves colossally beefed up with Veilside Fortune 1 widebody kits and full-race specs. The sister car was built for the Britcar 24-hour race and was used in promotion for the Forza 4 videogame, although that one no longer exists, leaving the car you see before you as the only one of its kind. Its 2GR-FE engine has great pedigree, a 3.5-litre V6 also found in the Lotus Evora and the Bolwell Nagari (one for the fans of obscure Australian sports cars there), and Rogue adapted it to its new home by augmenting it with a custom side-mount oil cooler and front-mount radiator setup; the E153 MR2 Turbo gearbox is the bulletproof tool for cog-swapping duties.

So if the car was ready to rock, it was all sunshine and plain sailing from then on, right? Er, no, not quite…

“Shortly after buying the car, I had an accident at Castle Combe where the rear driver-side wheel sheared clean off of the hub exiting the Bobbies chicane at serious speed,” says Simon. “It became apparent later that the wheels in use at the time had suffered an impact in the past, resulting in stress cracks behind four of the five spokes – I had no idea! As a result of the cornering forces, the cracks opened and all of the spokes took a clean break from the hub, sending me into a 360° spin. The car landed on that rear corner, devastating the diffuser and tearing the quarter panel open.  Fortunately I was able to limp home on an enormous 20-inch space-saver…”

A pair of strong, pressure-cast Enkei RPF1s were acquired for the rear, and since Simon had to remove the rear panels from the car to repair the damage, he decided to completely disassemble the body and go to town cleaning it, getting rid of the years of muck and wear-and-tear. “The car didn’t really feel like my own either, and I cannot leave any car untouched,” he reasons. “I have to leave my mark on them, so naturally I decided it needed a full makeover! My good friend Dan Smith at Wizard Wrapz UK sorted me a 3M Satin Dark Grey full body wrap, which we carried out at home in the garage with a little teamwork. It’s not perfect, but this car is a tool, it’s not for show – it’s here to perform.”

With the aero destroyed, Simon was keen to make some improvements, so he set about replicating the junked rear diffuser in stronger aircraft-grade aluminium, then developing some much more aggressive front aero with the help of his father. A wider, deeper front splitter made from 3mm aluminium makes for a larger pressure area at the front, and there’s also four 2mm canards and large 3mm end plates. Really angries up the nose, doesn’t it?

Every element of the car is considered, and hardcore, and Simon’s relentlessly pushing its limits on track – but it’s truly gratifying to note that it also wears a pair of number plates. “There’s something hilariously entertaining about driving a racing car on the public highway,” he smirks. “Ironically this isn’t a street car turned racing car, it’s the other way around. I have two cars, but without a trailer I can haul the MR2 from circuit to circuit; it’s completely MOT legal, and even still has a catalytic converter… this car is aimed primarily at track days and summer events, along with things like Prescott Hillclimb and potentially an entry in the Toyota Sprint Series, but I do drive it from event to event on the road, and I even commute to work in it.”

In terms of development, Simon remains pragmatic: the ultimate goal is to supercharge the engine, to take it from 276 to around 400hp at the wheels (which would only require 6-8lb of boost, nothing at all for a Rotrex C38), but he’s refreshingly honest in the reality of himself being the limiting factor: “It’s so incredibly planted and capable, yet it’s mind-bending in the corners and intimidating to push,” he says. “450hp at the flywheel at 1,050kg weight would put me at 428hp-per-tonne, just 4hp over the power-to-weight ratio of the Ferrari F50… and only 93hp behind the Bugatti Veyron. I don’t have a death wish, but the extra acceleration on the straights would definitely be worth the risk!”

Sounds like he’s already talked himself into it, doesn’t it? But the logical approach pays dividends, this is a man who’s keen to take his own development step by step, build the car properly, using all the right bits, to ensure a purity of purpose and function. That’s not to say this is a Terminator-like pursuit of numbers above all else, however; Simon has a very keen sense of the passion that crazy cars like this can inspire. “Because the MR2 Roadster isn’t exactly the most beautiful car to look at, you do get some varied reactions,” he explains. “Its road presence is enormous and it brings out the smiles in kids and adults alike, which is what it’s all about really – I know I used to grin ear-to-ear at modified cars when I was younger, and if it makes one person’s day to see it rumbling down a high street on the way to work, it’s all been worth it.” This car, then, is far more than just a track toy. It’s a story of personal development, of enrichment through engineering goals and results, blossoming skillsets, and also a gift to the wider world. And, of course, it’s an absolute animal. Anyone who ever doubted the third-generation MR2’s abilities may consider their perspective comprehensively reframed.

Tech Spec: Tuned Toyota MR2

Engine:

2GR-FE 3.5-litre V6, Link G4 Xtreme ECU, custom exhaust manifolds and 2.5-inch bore exhaust system, Walbro 255lph fuel pump, large Accusump system under ECU control, custom slanted radiator (front-mount) with aluminium air scoop slotting to open-mouth bumper – with 2x Spal extraction fans and twin moulded ventilation exits in bonnet, custom oil cooler with air channels behind driver door and extraction fan at rear, E153 gearbox (from SW20 MR2 Turbo), 1MZ-FE flywheel 276rwhp (approx. 300hp at fly), 288lb.ft, 7,500rpm limit

Chassis:

8×16-inch Rota Grid 4×100 (front), 9.5×17-inch Enkei RPF1 5×114.3 (rear), 215/55 (f) and 245/40 (r) Toyo Proxes R888R, BC Racing RM Series inverted monotube coilovers, Whiteline adjustable anti-roll bars front and rear, polyurethane bushings throughout engine and chassis, AP Racing 5000+ 4-pot front brake calipers and discs with Carbotech XP12 pads, stock rear calipers with MTEC discs and Carbotech XP12 pads, braided lines throughout

Interior:

Fully stripped, Recaro static driver seat with Schroth 6-point harness, facelift MR2 passenger seat with 4-point harness, Lifeline fire extinguisher system plumbed into cabin, battery and engine bay (with driver side and exterior pull cords), internal and external killswitches, 6-point Protection & Performance rollcage, aluminium doorcards, Race Technology DASH2, DL1 data-logging unit wired to DASH2 – mounted behind seats along with sealed race battery and Link ECU, custom access panel in rear with piano-hinged doorway (to allow access to bank 2 of engine and check oil), Momo 330mm steering wheel

Exterior:

Full cut-for-use Veilside Fortune 1 widebody kit (minus upper door additions), Perspex rear and side windows, aircraft-grade aluminium front splitter, 4x canards and custom end plates, aircraft-grade aluminium rear diffuser, full aluminium flat underbody, front air ducting through bumper to brakes, 1700mm dry carbon rear wing with gurney flap, wrapped in 3M Satin Dark Grey with Solar Flash Yellow brandings, all-in weight 1,050kg

Feature taken from Banzai magazine. Words: Dan Bevis. Photos: Davy Lewis

The UK modding scene isn’t all about financed new cars on big-budget air – there’s still a massive subculture of enthusiasts getting their fingers dirty on down-to-earth garage builds. This modified Honda Civic EF shows us how it’s done…

There’s a robust core of cars that have unexpectedly leapt right from ‘whatever’ to ‘woah!’ on the petrolhead intrigue spectrum. Cars that were everywhere back in the 1980s and ’90s, but weren’t considered sufficiently interesting or noteworthy to save and thus gradually marched their way into the nation’s crushers, only now to be lamented by a growing clique of retro car enthusiasts who’ve suddenly cottoned on to the fact that there aren’t many left. We’re talking about the E80 Corolla, the B12 Sunny, the second-gen Tercel wagon. Why didn’t we save them?

Ah, don’t blame yourselves. None of us could have known about this massive shift in perception. Look at the Civic EF. Ten or fifteen years ago, this would have been an unremarkable thing to bumble around in, and yet today it’s a very cool steer indeed. Funny how that happens, isn’t it? Time alters perspectives, we can see the merit in the EF Civic now. In fact, the more we pore over the specs, the more we can see just how stellar these little hatchbacks and saloons were. Take the ones with the D14A1 engine, for example – this was an engine option only available in European markets, and it’d be easy to write it off as a boring little 1.4 SOHC that the Japanese and Americans didn’t want. But look at it in context: a Mk2 Vauxhall Astra of the same age gave you around 70bhp from its 1.4-litre engine; the Mk4 Ford Escort’s 1.4 offered 75bhp. The Civic’s 1.4 had dual carbs and a meatier 90bhp – with a 16-valve head, not like those Euro 8-valvers. And it wasn’t just about the superior engine; the EF had a brilliant chassis, with double-wishbone suspension at the front and an independent multi-link rear. There was a time when these cars were seen as grannies’ runabouts in the UK, but that time is most definitely behind us. The increasingly obscure Civic EF is a peppy little tearaway with oodles of potential to become a manic racer.

It certainly turned Irene Lewis’s head. This is her first modified car project, and she’s definitely charged in with both barrels blazing. “I loved Hondas anyway, but then I really fell in love with this shape of Civic,” she explains. “I found the car for sale on Facebook back in May 2014 – the previous owner was also a Honda lover! The car was lowered on springs, red BBS wheels, it had the rear seats stripped from the back, but that was pretty much it.”

An excellent blank canvas for Irene to learn and hone her skills then, and she wasn’t planning on taking any half-measures; indeed, she’d lined up her dream aesthetic and it was something pretty damn hardcore. “I saw photos online of the Kanjozoku style and started researching the history behind it,” she says. “I was really into both the car shape and the story of the way they were used in Japan, and I just knew I really wanted one.” For the uninitiated, the Kanjo Loop is sort of the opposite of the high-speed Wangan Expressway; it’s a tight, narrow Osaka highway with lots of corners – Kanjo racers need agility as much as they need power. The roots of the Kanjozoku (that is, the outlaw racers who tear up the Kanjo Loop after dark, deliberately provoking and then outrunning the police) stretch back to the 1980s. Honda Civics have always been a favourite among this tribe, for the cars’ tuneable motors and taut little chassis. The 3rd-gen Civic Si was the 1980s weapon of choice – Japanese enthusiasts know this as ‘The Wonder Civic’ – and today the EF, EG and EK Civics are strongly continuing the ethos.

Kanjo racers take a lot of cues from Touring Car racing, modding their cars with graphics and aero aids from Group A race cars, as well as borrowing heavily from their chassis setups. The path Irene’s followed is a glorious UK tribute to these late-night Osaka shenanigans, and the most impressive part of all is that this car is a proper home-built hero. The EF’s in the midst of a makeover right now, and as the photos on Irene’s Instagram (@hondachick94) attest, her life for much of the early part of 2019 has involved endless sanding and prep work for the EF’s impending colour makeover. The look you see here, then, is a snapshot in time – Irene’s first interpretation of UK Kanjo before levelling up.

“Like I say, the car was pretty standard when I got it,” she explains. “My first main purchase was the Watanabe wheels, which completely changed the look of the car. I started collecting Kanjo-style stickers from the beginning, and got the door boards added. Then I had the Chargespeed rep spoiler made through Fiberworx, and also fitted the carbon bonnet and exhaust.” This exhaust does much to alter the character of the D14, comprising a JP Performance 4-2-1 manifold going into a Powerflow 2.25-inch exhaust with decat centre and 3-inch rolled tip. Combined with the fact that she’s removed the airbox to let the carbs breathe, this rorty little Honda now makes all sorts of naughty noises. “The next job was to swap the springs for H&R coilovers, before fitting the bucket seats and harnesses.” So the money’s being spent where it matters – H&R is a serious quality name when it comes to coilovers, and the chassis has also received a smattering of Integra Type R upgrades as well as a thorough polybushing. This is a Kanjo-fabulous chassis, built on a budget but with decent money spent where it matters, and it’s more than ready for some decent power. And don’t worry, that’s high up on the to-do list this year…

“I used to use the Civic EF as a daily, although while it’s off the road getting ready for the next step I have a sedan version which I use to get around,” says Irene. “But it’s such a head-turner, it gets so much attention wherever I go which still surprises me to this day! I often get questions about the style of the car, the reasons for the Jason masks, the number boards, window net and so on, so it’s always fun explaining all about the Kanjo, the loop, and I definitely get some blank faces wondering what I’m talking about it! Obviously being a female interested in cars I believe it sparks even more of a reaction as people don’t expect me to be the owner, I think there’s still a stereotype that even if a woman is interested in cars then it’ll be a certain car with ‘girly’ mods. The generic ‘Are you driving your boyfriend’s car?’ comment has certainly been asked a lot over the years.” It’s a real shame that women in the scene still have to endure this sort of outdated nonsense, but hopefully the countless home-spannering ladies we encounter will ultimately help to redress the balance. After all, there’s no such thing as a girl’s car or a boy’s car, they’re all just cars. Judge the machines and their builders and drivers on merit, we say – that’s all that matters, those 1970s clichés don’t belong in 2019.

Irene’s got big plans for her modified Honda Civic EF this year too, you can be sure of that. The bodywork has been a real labour of love, representing untold hours in the garage, but there’s more to this Kanjo Civic than just looks: “Aside from the full respray there’s going to be an engine swap, new wheels, suspension and a few other goodies! It’ll be back on the road before you know it, I’m making great progress, and I have a few shows booked already – Japfest, JapShow and a few at my local circuit, Castle Combe. And then the track days!”

What we’re witnessing here is a remarkable transformation – a car that was previously viewed as a pensioners’ runabout, reinvented as a shadow-dwelling hoodlum with a dark soul and a taste for vengeance. And what it does best of all is to remind us of our roots: modding cars doesn’t have to be a big-money endeavour, and it also shouldn’t be a pissing contest. It’s about getting stuck in, making new things happen, then getting out there and enjoying the drive. Irene’s down-to-earth love for her modified Honda Civic EF and other old Hondas can teach us all a thing or two.

Tech Spec: Modified Honda Civic EF

Engine:

D14A1 1.4-litre 16v twin-carb, airbox removed, purple cam cover, 6two1 skin-grater oil cap, Powerflow 2.25-inch exhaust with decat centre and 3-inch rolled tip, JP Performance 4-2-1 manifold, 5-speed manual

Chassis:

7×14-inch ET20 Watanabe wheels with gold centres and polished lips, 185/50 Yokohama A539 tyres, H&R coilovers, custom front EF upper strut, custom rear EG upper strut, Integra Type R RCAs and LCAs (loop fitment), polybushed throughout

Interior:

Stripped rear, carpets and headlining, Broadway wide-view mirror, Bride Low Max driver bucket, Corbeau Clubsport passenger bucket, STR 5-point harnesses, OMP seat rails, OMP steering wheel with custom purple centre, short-shift kit with anodised purple knob, OEM Honda dash mat, custom CRX doorcards, TRS grey mesh window net, Kanjo masks

Exterior:

OEM-style carbon fibre bonnet, Chargespeed (Fibreworx) rear wing, custom Mk3 Golf splitter, custom amber corner markers and indicators, Kanjo Civic number boards, OEM Honda mudflaps, de-wipered and de-badged rear

Feature taken from Banzai magazine. Words: Dan Bevis. Photos: Gav Roberts.