Radio Se7en
More than torque
News and views from the world of Seven motoring
Welcome to Radio Se7en, bringing you the latest on Caterham Sevens, Westfields and other clubman cars.  If you have any news or content, email me on radiose7en at googlemail.com.

By the way, a podcast is planned so you'll soon be able to tune in to Radio Se7en on your MP3 player.
Andrew P
 
Log Out (and About)
The Lotus Owners Gathering (LOG) 28 was held a few weeks ago in and around Indiana so there are loads of photos of exotic cars, including a few Sevens.  Looks like a good time was had by all.

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Posted by AndrewP at 6 Aug 2008 | View Comments (0) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)
Caterham in Canada
British Columbia to be exact.  Caterham's official distributor isSuper 7 Cars Inc. based in Chemainus, BC, Canada and they seem to be producing a fairly stonking Seven called the Super 7 GSX 1300R "Hayabusa".  There's plenty of info on their website and there's also a news article in the local community website.  Good luck with the expansion plans, guys.

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Posted by AndrewP at 6 Aug 2008 | View Comments (0) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)
Smokin' Striker
I generally don't post links to videos of erratically driven Se7ens but as there aren't many RAW Sylva Strikers around, I'll let this one past.  Don't get your hopes up, it's fairly ordinary anyway.

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Posted by AndrewP at 6 Aug 2008 | View Comments (0) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)
Caterham 7 150 Superlight v. Zonda
Ok, so the review isn't actually a head-to-head between a Caterham 7 and a Pagani Zonda but as the Evo test driver seems to be the main user of a Zonda, comparisons are inevitable.  Of couse, there's no real comparison - ones a super car and the other is supercar.

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Posted by AndrewP at 5 Aug 2008 | View Comments (0) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)
WADE at the Motorshow
At the London Motor Show this year, you can step outside to enjoy the Westfield Active Drift Experience.  For five pounds you can be driven sideways round a tight circuit by the resident pro driver. Sounds life fun. More info over at Car magazine.

Update: The Express and Star has a second review plus a video.

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Posted by AndrewP at 5 Aug 2008 | View Comments (0) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)
Owners' Clubs, Forums and Lists
This page is re-posted every month or so, but can be accessed from the "Owners' Clubs, Forums and Lists" links on the right-hand side at any time.

Birkin

Birkin Owners 

Brunton

Caterham
Blat Chat
Lotus 7 Club - new site
Lotus 7 Club - old site
Thames Valley 7s

Dax
Dax Rush Owners Club

Donkervoort

Elfin

Locost
Locost 7
Locost Builders
Locost Sweden
Locost USA

Lotus
Blat Chat
Lotus Owners of New York
Lotus 7 Club - new site
Lotus 7 Club - old site
Lotus 7 Register
Lotus Talk
Midlands Lotus Owners Club

Quantum

Robin Hood
Robin Hood Owners Club and Register

Sylva

Tiger
East Anglia Tiger Owners Club

Toniq

Westfield
Westfield Miata
Westfield Sports Car Club
Westfield Sports Car Club - Black Country Area
Westfield World

Se7ens
British Car Forum
Club Martin
NI Se7ens
Ozclubbies
Se7ens Mailing List
Seven Builder
Ulster Kit Car Club
USA 7s
Victorian Clubman Builders Group

If you want a site added to the page, leave a comment below.

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Posted by AndrewP at 5 Aug 2008 | View Comments (2) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)
In Car at Castle Coombe
Evo magazine have in-car footage from Roger Greene's Westfield at Castle Coombe.  It's pretty good if you want to see a race from start to finish.

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Posted by AndrewP at 4 Aug 2008 | View Comments (0) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)
Secret Life of Colin Chapman
Probably of very dubious legality but there's a video on-line called the Secret Life of Colin Chapman.  No, it's not salacious tale of his private life but a documentary on his work at Lotus, his rise and eventual fall.

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Posted by AndrewP at 4 Aug 2008 | View Comments (0) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)
Everything Else
This page is for everything which doesn't fit into any of the other sections.  It will be re-posted every month or so.

Accessories

Mirrors For Sevens USA
Soft Bits for Sevens UK

Distributors and Dealers


7cars Canada
British Auto Specialists USA
Canam-Motorsports Canada
Caterham USA USA
Dax Benelux Belgium, Netherlands & Luxembourg
Mid-Atlantic Caterham USA
Nandez Creations UK
Rocky Mountain Sportscars USA
Super 7 Cars Inc Canada
Texas Motorworks USA
Ultimate Roadster Netherlands

General Services

Se7en Imaging UK

Holidays, Trackdays & Events


BHP Trackdays UK
Open Road Hire UK

Motorsport

Formula Woman UK
Hyperion Motorsport UK

Upgrades and Parts

Emerald UK
QED UK
Race Technology UK

General Info

Seven Builder

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Posted by AndrewP at 4 Aug 2008 | View Comments (1) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)
Aspid Debuts
IFR Automotive debuted its new car, the Aspid, at the British International Motor Show in London.  This is definitely a presitge Se7en, starting at £75,000 with each car customised to the purchaser.  The prototypes ran 2.0l engines, developing 270bhp as standard, with a supercharger option taking it to 400bhp in car weighing just 700kg.
Deliveries are expected to start next summer.

There are some pictures of the Aspid at the show.  Looks good if you like a roof with your Se7en.

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Posted by AndrewP at 3 Aug 2008 | View Comments (0) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)
Rogers' R400 Runner-Up
At the Swansea MC hill climb at Llys y Fran, Simon Rogers piloted his Caterham R400 to take second place behind Henryk Kozlowski in a Jedi single seater, losing out by just under two seconds.  Good stuff.

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Posted by AndrewP at 3 Aug 2008 | View Comments (0) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)
Race Technology Newsletter, August 2008
August's newsletter from Race Technology demos the DL1 data logger, offers training courses on data logging and announces that their technology has been selected for the Powerboat P1 World Championships. Nice. Click on More>>> to read the newsletter.
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Posted by AndrewP at 3 Aug 2008 | View Comments (0) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)
Another Great Photo
In response to the Forrestburn photo, the photographer Giles Guthrie got in touch to say that the driver's name is Craig Nicol and that there's even better picture of him at Doune.  And he's right.
As before, photo by Giles Guthrie.

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Posted by AndrewP at 3 Aug 2008 | View Comments (0) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)
Jam's Tiger Avon
While I'm catching up on the build sites, an honourable mention has to go to Jam's Tiger Avon build site, which is actually the first Tiger build site that I know about - Jam actually provides some links to a few others.
Anyhow, good selection of text and piccies, with some screenshots of his Megasquirt setup.


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Posted by AndrewP at 3 Aug 2008 | View Comments (0) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)
Locost BMW V8
Aerosam has been blogging the build of his Locost BMW V8 for a month or two now with around ten posts and pics.  If you are interested, head on over for a read.  He's a bit stumped at the moment and could do with some help.

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Posted by AndrewP at 3 Aug 2008 | View Comments (0) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)
Owner Websites
This page is re-posted every month or so, but can be accessed from the "Owner Websites" links on the right-hand side at any time.

Birkin

Carlton Brown's Electric 7
JDoc's Birkin Build Diary

Brunton
David Oakes' Stalker V6 Build Diary
Enderw88's Mechanical Daydream
Istvan's Brunton Stalker V6
Sam Buchanan's Stalker V6

Caterham
Al Navarro's Hairshirt Motoring
Angus and Tessa Davidson's My Caterham
Bluenose's Caterham Blackbird 
Cherik's Super Seven Pages
dmt's Caterham Diary
Jarod Nash's Caterham 7
Keith B's Lotus and Caterham 7 Site
Norman's Bit of Daft
Rob's Caterham Hill Climber
Rob Wiltshire's Bahnstormin'
Simon Bell's Caterham 7 Duratec R
Terry's My Caterham 7 Hayabusa
Tim Pollard's Space
Tom and Louise Forsyth's Caterham SV

Dax
Alessandro Amé's Dax Rush Photos
Duncan Hurst's Dax Diary
Julian Brewer's Dax Rush Self Build Sports Car
Lode's Dax Rush Hayabusa Turbo
Nigel Christie's Dax Rush
Tim and Tom Hoverd's Car Pages

Donkervoort

Elfin

Locost
Aerosam's Locast BMW V8 Build Diary
Bill's Locost Build Diary
Bodger Locost Build
Broken Hammer's Locost 8
Chris' Home Built Race Car
David Beddow's Locost Mk I
Erwin Dekker's Dutch Lotus Seven Look-A-Like
Dorri's If It's Got An Engine
eVox's Locost Build
Brook Halverson's Votus
Iain's Seven
Ibrahim's Project.Locost
Jeff's Project Seven
Les's Locost 7
Norbert's Lotus Seven
Stephen Pickens' Locost(s) Buildup
R1-7's Lotus 7 Inspired Sports Car
Pete Saffran's Alternative Locost - Project 2
Steve, Paul and Sunny's (SPS) Locost Cars
Keith Tanner's How To Build a Cheap Sports Car
Round Australia in a Clubman Sports Car
G Wellwood's The Lethal Locost
William Conway's Locost Blog
Womble's Locost Build
Zid's Locost Beamer

Lotus
Keith B's Lotus and Caterham 7 Site
Per Meldgaard's Lotus Seven SB1403

Quantum
Clem Robertson's Building a Cosworth Powered Kit Car

Robin Hood
Trevor Bennet's Robin Hood Lightweight

Sylva
Trevor Bennett's Sylva Mojo

Tiger
Jam's Tiger Avon

Toniq

WCM

Westfield
Adam Reeves' Westfield SEiGHT Build
Ian Crocker's Westfield SEiGHT
Kirstin's Dad's My Other Car's a 'Busa
Roy Yates' Westfield Website
SteyrTMP's Una Salus Victus Nullam Sperare Salutem
Tim and Tom Hoverd's Car Pages
Willie Westfield's World

Other
BoulSeven7's Une Super Seven a Lyon
João Caldeira's Diário de construção - MNR VortX RT
Steve R's MNR Build Diary

If you'd like to see your web site featured here, leave a comment below.

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Posted by AndrewP at 3 Aug 2008 | View Comments (4) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)
No Six
Seek The Six

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Posted by AndrewP at 1 Aug 2008 | View Comments (0) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)
How Supple Are You?
Definitely off-topic, but if you need some relaxation, why not try Lotus 7 Yoga.

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Posted by AndrewP at 1 Aug 2008 | View Comments (0) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)
Lean Mean Machine
The Birmingham Post has an interetesting article on Westfield adopting lean manufacturing techniques.  Apparently this led to changes in the way the assemby area is run and the results have been impressive.  Westfield are now rolling the concept out to other areas of the business.

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Posted by AndrewP at 1 Aug 2008 | View Comments (0) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)
Hot Harewood
According to the Nidderdale Herald (http://www.nidderdaleherald.co.uk/sport/Harewood-Hillclimb-to-stage-Montague.4345063.jp) , it's going to be a busy Sunday at Harewood Hillclimb with Montague Burton Trophy meet.  This takes in rounds from no less than four championships, including the Lotus 7 Club Speed Championship.  Should be a good day's motorsport.

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Posted by AndrewP at 1 Aug 2008 | View Comments (0) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)
Official Caterham Insurance
Caterham is now offering insurance for Sevens and while I haven't read all the fine print, it appears that they are offering three days of trackday cover, which is a nice touch.  They'll also cover modifications, too.  GB only I should imagine.

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Posted by AndrewP at 1 Aug 2008 | View Comments (0) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)
The Saga of the Prisoner Remake Continues
According to reports on the BBC's and The Independent's websites, it looks as though the remake of The Prisoner will finally go ahead.  Rumour has it that Patrick McGoohan will make a cameo apprearance but no new yet on what will replace the Lotus 7 as his car of choice.

The article at the Independent covers the background to both the show and Portmeirion quite well - worth a read.
--

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Posted by AndrewP at 2 May 2008 | View Comments (0) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)
Superlight R First Drive
Autocar have a "first drive" review of the new Caterham 7 Superlight R500.  In particular they mention the six speed sequential gearbox and the launch control.

They like it.  They like it alot - "The R500 is not just back; it's better in every respect." --

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Posted by AndrewP at 2 May 2008 | View Comments (0) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)
Aintree Sprint
In Aintree Sprint last weekend, the Se7ens were out in force with the Westfield class being won by John Loudon and Mark Wallwork's Dax Rush Quadra doing the business in the Over 1700 class.  Well done.
--

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Posted by AndrewP at 30 Apr 2008 | View Comments (0) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)
Electric Caterham Seven
You knew it was going to happen sooner or later. An electric Caterham 7 has been finally put together...and they seem to   have done a reasonable job. The electric car, called ThoRR, has been created by Evisol using a 272 hp motor.  Allegedly it'll do 0-60 in 3 seconds but no word on top speed or range.
There are good pictures and a video on the ThoRR site.

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Posted by AndrewP at 30 Apr 2008 | View Comments (0) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)
Win A Driving Weekend
Auto Express are running a competition to win a Caterham driving weekend up in Scotland. Closing date is 8th May and the competition question is a doddle.

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Posted by AndrewP at 30 Apr 2008 | View Comments (0) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)
Seven at Forrestburn
There's a good picture of a Seven steaming along at Forrestburn. If you are the driver, let us know how you got on.
Photo by Giles Guthrie.


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Posted by AndrewP at 30 Apr 2008 | View Comments (2) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)
Caterham Roadsport Review
There's a lightweight review of the 2007 Caterham Roadsport over at LifeTime Sports . Nothing out of the ordinary.

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Posted by AndrewP at 6 Dec 2007 | View Comments (0) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)
Fifty Years of the Seven
Although I can't currently see it in the online store, Caterham have announced a DVD "Fifty Years of the Seven" celebrating all that it is the Seven, from its early days as the Lotus Seven, right through to the modern day incarnations.  Bargain at £19.99.

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Posted by AndrewP at 6 Dec 2007 | View Comments (0) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)
Westfield Welly

There's a great picture of a Westfield getting a bit sideways in a race at Outlon Park over on a Fickr.  While you are there, check out some of the other pictures from the same photographer, Matt Smith.

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Posted by AndrewP at 6 Dec 2007 | View Comments (0) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)
I'm Alive
Contrary to popular opinion, I haven't been abducted by aliens and I am still alive.  The reason that I haven't been blogging is that my wife and I now have a little baby girl and she's been taking up all of my spare time.  I will try and return as time permits but babies are just such time sinks.

Keep it between the hedges.

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Posted by AndrewP at 5 Dec 2007 | View Comments (1) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)
Kaipan 57
Yet another Seven-esque vehicle which I knew nothing about, comes from Czech manufacturer Kaipan.  The current version is the 57 and much like a Caterham Seven, comes in varying kit configurations and uses the VW-Audi 1.8l engine as found in the Skoda Octavia (and several other cars from the VAG group).  Looking at the pictures in the photogallery, the cars look pretty good.

There was also a Kaipan 47 of which about 50 cars were produced, though it's now discontinued.

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Posted by AndrewP at 2 Oct 2007 | View Comments (0) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)
Model Lotus 7 Build
This isn't a real build, but rather the assembly of 1:43 scale Lotus 7 model.  The detail is quite astonishing and you can see the finished model as well.  I love the tiny chassis.

I can't find a website for the kit manufacturer, MEA, but here's a picture of the some of the Lotus 7 models.

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Posted by AndrewP at 2 Oct 2007 | View Comments (0) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)
R300 and R400 Reviews
Accelerate appears to be a free motoring magazine published out of Weston Super Mare in the UK.  It's got two reviews of the Caterham R300 and R400 which generally say great car but somewhat impractical for day-to-day use.

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Posted by AndrewP at 2 Oct 2007 | View Comments (0) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)
Caterham Life
September's Caterham Life (2.5MB PDF) is now available from Caterham's website. Highlights this month include 50th Anniversary Celebration, editorial from the Managing Director and Bayswatch 2007.  All in all, six pages of Seven goodness.

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Posted by AndrewP at 29 Sep 2007 | View Comments (0) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)
Land's End to John O'Groats
Although I missed this at the time, a bunch of Caterham and Lotus Sevens drove from Land's End to John O'Groats to raise £5000 for Leukaemia Research.  The convoy of fifteen cars started on Saturday 18th August from Land's End, reaching John O'Groats on the Monday.  In the end, the event raised over £7500 and I'm sure further donations would be welcomed.  See the LEJoG website for details.

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Posted by AndrewP at 29 Sep 2007 | View Comments (0) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)
California to Canada and back
Not sure of all the details, but it looks like there was a Se7ens run up the Pacific coast from California all the way up to British Columbia.  Anyway, couple of good photos.

Yes, I know it's a Lexus-based bulletin board.

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Posted by AndrewP at 29 Sep 2007 | View Comments (0) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)
Motul Tour Britannia
In the Motul Tour Britannia, Joe Twyman and Oliver Bryant were just off the podium after finishing fourth overall in their Lotus 7 S3.  This presitigious three day tour for historic cars takes in Brands Hatch, Brooklands, Donington Park and Oulton Park to name but a few and they were up against some stiff competition from Ferraris, Porsches and Alfas.

Dates for 2008 will be announced shortly.

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Posted by AndrewP at 29 Sep 2007 | View Comments (0) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)
Road Test the Lotus 7 S1, S2, S3 & S4
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Lotus Seven, Classic and Sports Car magazine have carried out road tests on original Lotus 7 models, S1 through S4.  You'll have to get your copy from the newstands or order a back issue from the website.  It's the October issue you want.

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Posted by AndrewP at 26 Sep 2007 | View Comments (0) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)
Millennium 7
Most of the Lotus 7-type vehicles hail from the Northern Hemisphere, e.g Dax, Caterham, Westfield.  But there's a good showing in the Southern side of the planet with the likes of Elfin, Birkin and now the Millennium 7, built in Kempton Park, Johannesburg, RSA.  Instantly recognisable as a se7en, it's product of a two-man team and can use either the Toyota 4A-GE or  Ford Zetec engines.

You might need to consult the internet regarding "lekker"...

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Posted by AndrewP at 26 Sep 2007 | View Comments (0) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)
New Factory for X-Bow
KTM is to establish a new assembly plant near Graz, Austria, for the production of its first car – the KTM X-Bow lightweight sports car. The decision to create its own assembly facility, instead of out-sourcing production as originally anticipated, was prompted by the success of the highly-renowned motorcycle manufacturer’s growth into the four-wheel market.
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Posted by AndrewP at 26 Sep 2007 | View Comments (0) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)
50th Anniversary Celebration Photos
If weren't able to make it to the 50th Anniversary Celebration for the Lotus 7 (and even if you did), you can capture the spirit of the event through these photographs taken by Dr John.

Be warned...there are hundreds of photos and you'll spend hours scrolling through them.

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Posted by AndrewP at 24 Sep 2007 | View Comments (0) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)
Hit The Open Road
For some reason, I thought I'd covered this bunch already, but a quick search on the site reveals nothing.  Anyway, if you're wanting to hire a Seven for a blat through the Scottish mountains, take a look at Open Road Hire.  They're based in Perth and seem to be using the Roadsport SVs as their vehicle of choice.

At the moment, they're running a competition for a day's hire - you simply have to send them an email saying where you heard about Open Road Hire, so don't forget to mention Radio Se7en.

[Disclaimer - I've no connection with Open Road Hire Ltd.]

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Posted by AndrewP at 19 Sep 2007 | View Comments (0) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)
Caterham Models for GTR2
If you are into racing games, take a look at GTR2 (and report back please).  It seems to be building quite a following online and there's a good selection of Caterham 7 models to choose from - just do a search on Caterham over at NoGrip.

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Posted by AndrewP at 19 Sep 2007 | View Comments (0) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)
No Prisoner Re-make
Depending on your point of view, you'll either be disappointed or breathing a sigh of relief, but The Prisoner is not to be re-made after all.  In a conversation with Digital Spy, Richard Wolfe, the Head of Sky One, revealed the it was too British and there would be serious creative difficulties re-doing it for the US market.

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Posted by AndrewP at 17 Sep 2007 | View Comments (0) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)
Prices and Equipment List for the KTM X-Bow
The prices and equipment for the first sports cars from KTM have now been set: The standard model of the KTM X-Bow, with its avant-garde carbon fibre monocoque, will cost EUR 45,850/GBP 31,650 (excl. VAT and delivery charges). This price reflects the increased levels of standard equipment compared with the initial tentative plans on equipment and price. Now, even the standard model will have a higher-performance engine than originally planned: instead of 162 kW (220 PS), the 2.0 TFSI engine by Audi will achieve 176 kW (240 PS). In addition, the chassis with damper elements that are adjustable for tension and pressure, will be standard equipment. ...
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Posted by AndrewP at 17 Sep 2007 | View Comments (0) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)
Bodger Build
Came across a build site called the Bodger Locost Build, which appears to be anything but.  Couple of good entries with photos and even a YouTube video.

I also like the post "Describing a Crash", which I have shamelessly lifted....

UNDERSTEER is when you hit the wall with the front of the car.
OVERSTEER is when you hit the wall with the rear of the car.
HORSEPOWER is how fast you hit the wall.
TORQUE is how far you take the wall with you.

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Posted by AndrewP at 16 Sep 2007 | View Comments (0) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)
40 Years of The Prisoner
Not entirely coincidently, The Prisoner also celebrates 40 years and to commemorate there's an anniversary DVD set out from 1st October, with 7 disks and all 17 episodes.

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Posted by AndrewP at 16 Sep 2007 | View Comments (0) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)
40 Years of Lotus at Hethel
On 23rd September, Lotus will celebrate 40 years of manufacturing at Hethel, Norfolk, UK with an Open Day at the factory.  During the day, the assembly halls will be open and visitors can experience the test track in one of the current Lotus cars.  Examples of cars from the past will also be on show including the Lotus 7.

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Posted by AndrewP at 16 Sep 2007 | View Comments (0) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)
MS8 Clubman v. 2-Eleven
Just like buses, there's nothing about Elfin and then two articles appear on the same day.  Evo have a head-to-head shootout between the Elfin MS8 Clubman and the Lotus 2-Eleven.  The MS8 still comes in for some fairly critical stick on the handling.  Hmm.

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Posted by AndrewP at 13 Sep 2007 | View Comments (0) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)