Category: Maxxd News

MODIFIED FIESTA ST200: THE PERFECT STORM

M-Sport styling plus Storm Grey paint plus big power make this modified Fiesta ST200 one of the best Fiestas in the UK.

An obsession with cars is ingrained in many of us from an early age and stays with us throughout our entire adult lives. Some of us even have a loyalty to a favourite marque, usually passed down as a family tradition much like a football team or political party. Other people see cars merely as A to B transport, and much prefer going down the pub!

Unbelievably the owner of this highly modified Fiesta ST200 was for most of his life, one of the latter. “I work at Ford but I was never a car guy at all,” explains Burger (a nickname from school), “all of my interests revolved around people, the pub, and a social life.” A fateful day whilst on his way to work at the Ford Daventry parts centre however, found him switched on to the world of turbochargers and body-kits like a man possessed! “I saw a Focus RS500 on my commute,” he remembers, “and something about it suddenly ignited an interest in cars… I’d not seen anything like it before.” Burger was so inspired, that a brand new Focus ST was swiftly bought and a virtual pub – an online car group forum – helped him school up on the slippery slide of car modifying. “The ST ended up modded to within an inch of its life,” he laughs, “a 400bhp engine and murdered-out black bodywork made it really stand out… but it was an RS that I really wanted.”

Four years of utterly enjoyable ST ownership eventually made way for a Mk2 Focus RS in Ultimate Green. Like the Focus before it, this was also tweaked to over 400bhp and given some trick styling touches to make it even more eye-catching and loud than it came out of the factory. “I absolutely loved that car,” Burger reminisces, “but as time went on I realised I’d bought an investment vehicle, and started worrying about driving it so the thing ended up just sitting in the garage most of the time”. As we continue to talk, it’s clear that Burger buys cars to drive them and have fun in, not to sit under a cover… so the itch was on for something a bit more useable, and chuckable. “When I was young, my uncle gave me his 1275GT Mini,” he explains, “that go-kart feeling never really left me, and I started hankering after a proper little hot hatch”. At the same time, Ford announced the launch of the Fiesta ST200 and were touting it as ‘the fastest ever production Fiesta’, so he decided to take a closer look.

“It looked good on paper,” he continues, “but I was worried that I’d buy one, only for Ford to release a Fiesta RS soon after”. Luckily, his work contacts gave him access to Ford top brass, who when asked “should I buy a Fiesta ST200 or should I hold out for an RS version,” answered, “you should probably buy an ST200!” With that information, Burger decided to press the trigger on a brand new ST200 after all, with the mind-set of – “if Ford won’t build a Fiesta RS, then I’ll have to build my own.”

The car you see today, is a 2017 model and like all ST200s was Storm Grey out of the factory. First impressions weren’t ideal because after owning fast Focuses, its performance came as a bit of a disappointment to him. “The Focus had twice the power I guess,” he shrugs, “so the Fiesta ST200 felt flat in comparison.” Rather than mucking about, he decided to upgrade all of the mechanical aspects of the car as well as give it a great big chunk of extra power, all in one big hit. “After lots of research into turbos and power packages,” continues Burger, “I was only really impressed with Charlie at Peron – most power upgrade kits have some mediocre parts thrown in, but Peron’s turbo was good, their intercooler was good, and their ECU also made sense.” Not being keen on hybrid turbos, Burger opted for a Garrett GTX2860R – a dual ball bearing unit complete with billet compressor wheel, and in theory able to achieve his desired goal of 350bhp. “I drove the car up there standard, and drove it away two weeks later with 347bhp at the wheels running 1.6-bar,” he says, “so I was really happy, but being a small engine it’s delivery is different to the Focus – you have to rev it and drive it quite hard to unlock its potential”. We’re still amazed by the potential of the little 1.6-litre EcoBoost engine, but Burger has even bigger goals now. “The plan is now 400bhp,” he continues, “so we’ve forged it, done the block mod, and I’m 800 miles into running it in before we turn the boost up and try to reach that figure”. Sensibly at the same time as the power-ups, he had KW’s finest street coil-overs fitted, a Kaaz LSD to help put the power down through corners, as well as proper brakes courtesy of AP Racing which stop on a sixpence, and help protect what has been a very substantial investment in the bodywork.

“The whole concept was to create the Fiesta RS that Ford never built,” explains Burger, “it had to have an OEM look and finish, and when I found a guy down South who’d got a genuine WRC bodykit, I thought I’d hit the jackpot”. In the flesh however, it was obvious the kit was just too wide and extreme for a road car to pull off. But the chap had a load of other trick parts, all from his own Fiesta WRC project which had already eaten up an eye-watering £60,000 of his cash. “He could take it no further,” nods Burger, “so I bought the original carbon fibre S2000 rear spoiler off him, as well as the genuine Asfalto racing wheels which were made especially for M-Sport by OZ Racing.” As sexy as they were, unfortunately they weren’t made for a production Fiesta, being 5×135 fitment as opposed to the 4×108 ST200 fitment. “M-Sport used custom fabricated hubs on the rally cars,” he explains, “but you can’t buy them so I spent four months researching what could be done.” Despite most people telling him to just buy a different set of copy wheels, Burger persisted. After some great advice and help from motorsport engineer Alan Crossley, it was decided that re-drilling the standard hubs from 4×108 to 5×108 and then getting a set of one inch billet adaptors from Anembo Engineering to mate the 5×108 to 5×135, was the way forward. “It might sound simple,” laughs Burger, “but that took four months of head scratching and effort.”

With the wheels on the bodywork could start in earnest, and essentially the whole thing was built around those alloys. An M-Sport kit was picked out as suiting the car the best, so trusted body-shop Motion Factory Finishes got to work cutting out the Fiesta’s almost brand new rear quarter panels to accommodate the arches, and customising pretty much every part of the kit by chopping and changing other non-M-Sport parts to make it truly unique. “I didn’t make life easy for the guys as I kept chopping and changing my mind on rear diffusers and bumpers”, admits Burger, “in some cases after getting a perfect fitment, I’d change my idea on a panel which then meant refabricating areas or in some cases starting afresh!” Ollie and Alex’s patience was tested to the core, and it’s testament to their professionalism that they worked through it like troopers – even the paint was a pain! “It’s amazing how hard the flat grey paint is to match properly,” continues Burger, “but I was adamant we kept the colour as it’s a unique feature of the ST200 and I think it looks great.” We couldn’t agree more – there are so many touches on this car like the custom 3D printed badging, wrapped roof, and the usually textured black plastics such as on the door mirrors and front grille are now smoothed and painted matt black.

Unsurprisingly, at shows it gets a lot of attention – it’s one of those cars that the longer you look at it, the more you spot. “The biggest compliment I’ve had so far,” says Burger proudly, “is people telling me it looks like it came from the factory… one guy presumed it was a special edition from Ford!” RSOC National Day also saw a bit of love from Fifth Gear presenter and all round game girl Vicki Butler Henderson, who couldn’t resist sitting in the – for now – standard interior. “She really liked it,” he smiles, “but it isn’t just a show queen.” His favourite annual event is a road trip through Scotland with a bunch of car mates – taking in the beautiful sights and letting the go-kart chassis of the Fiesta really come to life. “I absolutely love that trip,” he enthuses, “it’s the highlight of my year, and is the perfect environment for the go-kart modified Fiesta ST200… it’s just a huge buzz.” Well, he may have been late to the party with this car modifying lark, but Burger really does sound like a true petrol-head these days, “oh yes,” he nods, “it took me a while, but I think with this build, I’ve certainly made up for lost time!” You’re never too late to start, and given the quality and presence of this modified Fiesta ST200, we hope there’s plenty more to come from him in the future too.

From Fast Ford. Words: Ben Birch. Photos: Liam Hart & Dave Varley.

Tech Spec: Modified Fiesta ST200

Engine:

Garrett Gen2 GTX2860R turbo, Nortech Performance GTX tubular manifold, Nortech 4-port auxiliary fuel kit, Peron Garrett intercooler, Peron/Nortech hi-flow de-cat race down pipe, Peron/Turbosmart external waste-gate, Peron diverter valve, Peron silicone boost and inlet hoses, Peron hard pipe, Peron Stage 4 ECU software Peron/ITG hi-flow CAIS, Wiseco forged pistons, K1 forged con-rods, Piper exhaust system, Mishimoto oil catch can

Power:

347bhp (at the wheels)

Transmission:

KAAZ LSD, Cobb torque mount, VUDU short shifter

Suspension:

KW V3 coilovers, Summit front and rear strut braces, Powerflex poly bushes

Brakes:

AP Racing 4-pot front brake calipers, 330mm discs on Reyland bells

Wheels & Tyres:

K.Pierce Co. bespoke 5-stud hubs, Anembo Engineering bespoke hub adapters, 9x18in M-Sport/Oz Racing Super Turismo Rally Asfalto S2000 wheels, 225/40R18 Michelin PS4 tyres

Exterior:

M-Sport (TGST) WRC body kit, M-Sport CF R5 rear spoiler and brackets, CM Composite WRC style bonnet vents, Maxton Design rear bumper/diffuser, Monkey Wrench bespoke custom headlights, Mark One livery, DC3D bespoke badging, DMB overlays, Billet Badges bespoke emblem, MFF (follow the factory) vinyl elements, Ultimate windscreens MK glazing

Interior:

P3 multi gauge in driver’s air vent

Source

June 24, 2021
K24 CIVIC: CIVIC DISOBEDIANCE

K-swapping EK Civics is a tried-and-tested route these days – but Raymond Ho has never been one to follow the rules as his K24 Civic demonstrates…

From Fast Car magazine. Words: Dan Bevis. Photos: Dan Sherwood

As the old saying goes, power corrupts. And absolute power corrupts absolutely. But unlike so many facets of modern living, this is the kind of corruption we can get fully on board with; after all, while we have a lot of respect for the less-is-more principle, there’s a lot to be said for exploring how much more the very concept of ‘more’ can be stretched to.

For owners of hot Hondas, this is a subject of much debate. Famously recalcitrant to mapping on the factory management, there’s a wealth of aftermarket ECUs and piggybacks for these engines that can allow one to unlock the myriad secrets of power within… but then, what next? Strap on a turbo, or a supercharger; a relatively quick way to gain extra horses but also engineering further complexity? Just how does that interplay with the very concept of VTEC anyway – do you lose the engine’s top-end-screamer character if you thicken up the curve down below?

As with most things in life, it’s a matter of perspective. You see, there’s more than just one kind of VTEC. It’s no exaggeration to say that VTEC is one of our favourite things; the nature of having two different cam profiles with the ability for the engine to supernaturally switch between them at a certain point during the rev range is frankly some sort of witchcraft and we’re very much here for it. Some people may bemoan the lack of low-down torque in, for example, a DC2 Integra, but that’s not what they’re about – the point is to keep it pinned and make that motor sing, finding all the joy in the top end. Switchable-cam Honda motors are built to be thrashed.

At least, that’s the street-racer view, but Honda as a company caters to a broader customer base than that. Sure, we have the type of VTEC that allows for endless hilarity and ‘just kicked in, yo’ memes in EP3 Civics and DC5s and what-have-you, but far more prevalent in the market is the other kind of VTEC, the sensible kind. The setup you’ll find in, say, a Honda CRV is there for economy, not silliness: in earlier variants of the K24 motor, you get a beefy 2.4-litre displacement, but the VTEC system has two cam lobes on the intake side and only one on the exhaust, running on twelve valves below 2200rpm before slightly opening the other four. This is done for economy. This is grandpa-spec VTEC. A bigger engine, but not built for the lols.

The answer, then, is to fuse the best of both setups to create a freaky hybrid. The K20 engine that you’d find in EP3s, FN2s and DC5s is well-known in tuning circles as being an absolute belter of a motor. So why not fit the advanced K20 head, with all its clever and sporty VTEC gear, to the bigger 2.4-litre block of a K24? Then you get a larger displacement with all the revvy lunacy of the Type R setup.

That’s precisely what Raymond Ho has done here, and the results speak for themselves. 287bhp at the fly is not to be sniffed at; indeed, in a car as light as an EK, it’s borderline hysterical – and the fact that it’s backed up by a respectable 206lb ft of torque is surely enough to silence the naysayers.

It’s a hell of a lot of effort to go to for the sort of numbers that would be far more easily achievable via forced induction though. Why didn’t Ray just take the easy way? Ah, well if you knew the fella you’d understand – there are no shortcuts in his world, this is a man who does everything with great care and consideration; getting it done right is always preferable to getting it done quickly.

“As a tuner and mechanic, I wanted to do some more R&D work on different engines,” he says. “I used the K24/K20 hybrid as a base for testing and development for future builds. Also, I just like building and swapping engines!”

So it’s a very scientific and methodical approach, but a fun one at the same time. And it’s fair to say that Ray’s been taking his time to get this right; after all, he bought the Civic quite a while ago and the ideas have been bubbling up since the beginning of the Obama era.

“I’d owned an EG Civic before, and I always liked the shape of the EK,” he says. “I bought this car from a mate about twelve years ago; the engine had problems and the bodywork wasn’t all that.” Nevertheless, the price was right and Ray was going into this with his eyes open – he knew that it’d be a project, and he knew he’d be rolling his sleeves up and getting a few things done. Perhaps the scope of the project wasn’t immediately apparent from the outset, however…

“No, I didn’t expect to go this far with it,” he laughs. But what’s been achieved here really is remarkable, and it all begins with that superb engine choice. A K-swap was always on the cards, but Ray likes to do things a little differently and there are a lot of other people across the globe K-swapping EKs. It’s a tried-and-tested route to drop in a K20, you can near-enough buy all the conversion parts off the shelf; if you want to supercharge it for 300bhp-odd, that’s all in the catalogues too. But where’s the challenge?

“I mean, a lot of people are doing K-swaps nowadays and I can appreciate other people’s work,” he says, “and the different parts they’re using that make every individual swap stand out – but I wanted to do something really different.” And so that’s what he did.

The result of the mad-scientist endeavours, with expert guidance from R2 Automotive, is a stock 2.4-litre K24 block mated to a K20 head which is running DC5-spec springs, retainers and flat-face valves. The cams themselves are stock Type R, and the ins-and-outs are taken care of via a 70mm throttle body, a K-Tuned fuel rail and, most significantly of all, a super-rare Endyn RRC inlet (see boxout). On the other side there’s a full custom 3in exhaust system – recently edited a little so as not to infuriate the neighbours, it’s all about evolution – and the hybridised engine sits on Innovative mounts. Mapped by Jesse at JCAL, it makes strong numbers, and it’ll keep making them all day long.

It’s a lot of power to be throwing through the front wheels of a lightweight hatchback, so Ray’s given the EK a helping hand by mating the EP3 Type R six-speed ’box to an MFactory LSD. The chassis is poised and agile too, thanks to MeisterR coilovers, Hardrace bushes throughout, a Cusco front strut brace and some uprated LCAs, and stopping power is markedly improved by upgrading to an Endless BBK, which you can see peeping through the spokes of those gorgeous Rays Gram Lights wheels. It helps to have a much broader contact patch with some sticky rubber as well, something taken care of by 205-section Yokohama AD08Rs.

With all the effort that’s gone into the engineering here, you might be forgiven for thinking that Ray’s more about the ‘go’ than the ‘show’, although hopefully the photos here are doing something to convince you otherwise. He’s a committed tuner who’s elbows-deep in the JDM scene, drawing influence directly from Asian trends to refract it through his own EK lens for the UK, and he’s made some very strong and fashion-forward choices here. The K24 Civic now wears a subtle but aggressive J-Blood bodykit, matched to NBC Racing front wings with custom arch extensions. The J’s Racing rear spoiler is a more in-your-face statement of intent, and perhaps that’s symbolic of the beautifully in-depth nature of how Ray has allowed power to corrupt him. Subtle it may be, but you can almost feel the potential energy oozing out of the Civic’s every pore.

Deep and clever endeavours to create huge thrust without taking the easy route, then – so what’s next?

“I’ll see how I feel, to be honest,” Ray shrugs. “I might turbocharge it.” Well, what better coda could there be for this chapter in the ongoing saga? He’s always finding surprising ways of doing things. Deliberately eschewing forced induction to find power, then blindsiding everyone by fitting a turbo after all, that’s just a perfect switcheroo. This new-found power is corrupting the K24 Civic EK absolutely.

Tech Spec: K24 Civic

Styling:

J-Blood bodykit, J’s Racing rear spoiler, NBC Racing front wings with custom arch extensions, carbon mirrors, shaved engine bay in contrasting colour

Tuning:

K24 block, K20 head with DC5 Type R springs and retainers, flat-face valves, Endyn RRC inlet manifold, 70mm throttle body, K-Tuned fuel rail, stock block, stock cams, custom 3” cat-back exhaust system, Innovative engine mounts, Mishimoto radiator, EP3 Type R 6-speed manual, MFactory LSD, 287bhp

Chassis:

8x15in Rays Gram Lights wheels, 205/50/15 Yokohama AD08R tyres, MeisterR coilovers, Hardrace bushes, Cusco front strut brace, uprated LCAs, Endless calipers, discs and pads

Interior:

Bride seats, J’s Racing steering wheel, custom mats, custom Bride doorcards, Pioneer head unit, AEM AFR gauge

Source

June 23, 2021
NEW AUDI RS3 TECH SPEC REVEALED

The new Audi RS3 is here! It sticks with 394bhp but gets substantial chassis changes for a more dynamic drive.

For those that complained that the Audi RS3 didn’t have enough about it to elevate it to the top of the hyper hatch market, say hello to the new Audi RS3, a car that promises to deliver sharper dynamics and even a little fun with the inclusion of a RS Torque Rear mode, in other words, a drift mode.

It’s new RS Torque Rear mode is possible thanks to a new torque-vectoring rear differential that allows it to mechanically split the power sent to either rear wheels depending on the drive mode selected. As you can imagine, “drift mode” sends 100% of the torque to the outside wheel in order to increase oversteer. OK, because the quattro system is front-wheel drive bias, the rear wheels will only ever see 50% of the total engine power.

At the front, wider track, bespoke pivot bearings and stiffer lower wishbones, subframes and stabilisers all help tighten up the front for a sharper turn in, only aided by an extra degree of negative camber compared to regular A3 models as well as sitting 25mm lower.

New Audi RS3 figures

Let’s get down to business. Producing 394bhp and 369lb ft (up 15 lb ft) from its 2.5-litre turbocharged five-cylinder engine and mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, 0-62mph comes about in 3.8 seconds while top speed is limited to 155mph, with an optional 174mph limiter with the standard brakes or 180mph with carbon ceramics. Crucially, that 0-62mph is down 0.3 seconds on its predecessor, as well as being 0.1 seconds faster than its AMG A45 S rival.

Finally, the new Audi RS3 is available with a new variable sports exhaust system, allowing you to switch between a loud or quiet exhaust note.

The full Audi RS3 reveal is right around the corner, we’ll bring you more when we find out.

Source

June 22, 2021