Classic Driver awards Iso Grifo 'Best Classic in Show' at Wilton House

At last weekend’s Wilton Classic & Supercar, the ‘Best Classic in Show’ trophy – judged by the editorial team here at Classic Driver – was awarded to a 1967 Iso Grifo…

As an official media partner, Classic Driver was given the responsibility of awarding the ‘Best Classic in Show’ trophy, which, as Lord Pembroke was keen to point out, wasn’t strictly reserved for a concours queen. With this in mind (and after much, much deliberation), we chose Andrew Yaras’ elegant dark green Iso Grifo, for a variety of reasons…

King’s Road carriage

“The first owner had a famous restaurant on the King's Road in the ’60s, frequented by celebrities, including the Rolling Stones. It would have been a common sight cruising up and down there in 1967,” explains Yaras, who bought the car at auction 25 years ago. “Apparently he disappeared while on a business trip in America. Someone I know can actually remember the car being left on the King’s Road, half on the pavement, before eventually disappearing.” Regardless of its truth value, it’s a great sub-story from the car’s infant years.  

Furthermore, this is the sole right-hand-drive Iso Grifo (of which there are believed to have been fewer than 30 built) with a factory sunroof that, given the beautiful weather at Wilton House on Saturday, was duly left open.

Understated and original

The Grifo – Italian for ‘Griffin’, a mythical creature part eagle, part lion, that would devour men andtheir (prancing?) horses – is a lavish Italian ’60s Grand Tourer with a powerful American V8 hiding under the bonnet. One of few remaining cars with the two-speed Powerglide gearbox, the driving experience, according to Yaras, is ‘completely effortless’, making it great for long-distance driving. “We’ve been to Le Mans a couple of times, and I drove it to Northern Italy, too,” he says. “If you kick down at anything above 50 or 60mph, the acceleration is phenomenal.”

Often seen in brighter colours, we particularly loved the understated dark green hue of this car, resplendent after a bare-metal respray two years ago. Its originality, something Yaras is keen to preserve, is otherwise especially evident; those beautifully patinated cast-alloy wheels, for example (much nicer than wires, in our eyes). Look closely, and you’ll see that one of the switches reads ‘Ejector Seat’ – “someone with a sense of humour,” quips Yaras. That’ll be something to do with the sunroof, we suspect.

A worthy winner?

With stiff competition (our shortlist included a Porsche 2.7 Carrera RS, a Bugatti 73C and a Le Mans-finishing Mclaren F1 GTR), the decision certainly wasn’t an easy one to make. But chatting with the car’s owner only confirmed we’d chosen the right one – it’s a seldom-seen, well-used classic, in an unusual colour and with a brilliant story to tell. 

Photos: Amy Shore for Classic Driver © 2015

You can find an original competition-spec Iso Grifo offered for sale in the Classic Driver Market. 

EIGHT BALL: A YAMAHA XJ400 CAFE RACER FROM KIEV

We’re used to seeing gorgeous café racers roll out of Western European workshops, but today we’re venturing a little further east. This classy Yamaha comes straight out of Kiev, Ukraine.

Ukraine has been on television screens for all the wrong reasons lately, so it’s good to bring a little good news: there’s a thriving motorcycle scene, and it’s spawned this very neat café racer.

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Nazar Poznyakovsky has been riding since he was fourteen, and wrenching since seventeen. Under the auspices of the Gazzz Garage name, he now repairs and customizes motorcycles.

There’s a bit of history with this 1979 Yamaha XJ400. Nazar bought it over ten years ago, repaired it and sold it, never expecting to see it again. Then it popped up on his radar again—after an accident—and was 250km away. After a long trip through snow-bound roads, Nazar squeezed the bike into the trunk of a friend’s small car and took it back home again.

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Very little of the original bike remains. The frame is still there, but it’s been modified. The engine is now from a XJ600, upgraded with a XJ600 Diversion cylinder block, and ported and polished heads. It’s hooked up to a set of pod filters and a four-into-one Sebring exhaust system. Nazar repainted the engine himself, baking it in a home-made, foil-lined box.

Under the seat is a custom-made box to house the re-wired electrics—and just in front of it are covers for the filters. “A clear frame triangle and no front fender always look good,” explains Nazar, “but only before the first ride in rain. I’ve had thousands of miles under showers and hundreds under snow falls, and had that in mind.”

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The suspension bears the hallmarks of a practical builder too. Up front is a 26mm FZ600 front fork with a modified air pressure system. It’s mated to the frame with XJ600 lower and FZ600 upper triple trees. The FZ also donated its braking system, linked via Hel braided steel hoses.

The rear shocks are fully adjustable Kawasaki Zephyr items, altered with Honda CB400 Super Four springs. They’re attached to a modified Honda XL600R swingarm.

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Both wheels are 17-inch tubeless Honda XL600RM units. The front is laced to a Yamaha XV750 hub with custom spokes, while the rear retains the XL600’s drum brake. The tires are from Pirelli: a MT60 at the rear and a MT90 at the front. They’re classified as dual-sport rubber, but they’ve got excellent road manners.

The fuel tank is yet another interloper, taken from a Kawasaki KZ650. It’s been kitted with a Suzuki GS750 petcock, and a very classy fuel gauge tank cap from QSPS.

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Off-the shelf parts include a 6¼-inch Bates-style headlight, Daytona turn signals and an Acewell ‘all-in-one’ digital dash. The grips are from Motomi and the fork gaitors from MotoLanna.

Nazar also hand made the front fender, footpegs, license plate bracket, chain guard, and turn signal and oil cooler mounts. The clips-ons and mirrors are his work too.

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“I made many parts twice,” he admits. “Once just to check their functionality, and then to be better looking.”

When everything went off to the painter, Nazar suddenly realized he didn’t know what to put on the tank. So with the help from friends, he finally designed a Gazzz Garage logo. The cut-outs on the side are a reference to the bike’s name, ‘Eight Ball.’

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It took Nazar a full two years to complete his XJ400, hampered by limited resources and political unrest in his country. But against all odds, he’s done a tremendous job.

What’s Ukrainian for “perseverance pays off”?

Gazzz Garage | Images by Nazar Poznyakovsky

via BIKEexif

BFGoodrich presents Race Dezert Pre-Running Baja with Bryce Menzies

Shaun Ochsner Online Editor

BFGoodrich released their toughest tire yet, the KO2, last September. Their launch party lasted about two weeks and was held on the perfect playground, the Baja peninsula. For two weeks, editors, photographers, and other members of the media tested the durability of the tire on the toughest terrain on the planet.

BFG has 80 overall wins in Baja since getting involved with off-road racing in 1976. The KO2 tire is engineered from the years of testing and proven race wins on BFG tires. The KO2 is the first consumer tire to incorporate its race technology into a rugged street tire. According to BFG, the KO2 is more durable, lasts longer on gravel roads and asphalt, and allows for more use out of the tire than other brands.

Check out the BFG K02 tires in action as Bryce Menzies pre-runs and preps for the Baja 500

From: http://www.fourwheeler.com/

Autodromo reveals limited-edition Brian Redman Chronograph

Following the popularity of its first limited-edition Prototipo Chronograph, the Vic Elford Edition, Autodromo has revealed a new model, this time celebrating another icon of the prototype era, Brian Redman…

Throwback to a lost era

Limited to 500 numbered pieces (the first 100 of which will be produced in 18-carat gold-plate), the most distinctive aspect of the Brian Redman Edition is its white, red and green colour scheme, a hat-tip to the Porsche 908/2 in which Redman and Jo Siffert won the 1969 Nürburgring 1000km in fine fashion. As with the previous Vic Elford Edition, a map of the infamous 172-corner Eifel circuit has been engraved on the caseback, along with each piece’s individual number.

Another addition to the regular Prototipo, itself a faithful throwback to the racing watches of old, is a running seconds sub-dial at six o’clock; we imagine making use of that mechanical chronograph component (combined with the watch's main Quartz movement) even more satisfying. The 400 stainless-steel examples will cost $775, while the 100 gold-plated pieces will cost $1,200. 

Photos: Autodromo

You can find many more retro watches offered for sale in the Classic Driver Market. 

Re-awakening the beast – a new dawn for TVR

After more than a decade in the wings and numerous pledges of revival, it appears TVR – the loud ’n’ proud British marque – is back, with an all-new sports car set to debut in 2017…

Built in collaboration with revered designer Gordon Murray, the new car will allegedly retain the traditional TVR front engine, rear-drive layout, weigh a scant 1,110kg, and draw power from a naturally aspirated Cosworth V8; all of which should please the remaining (and large) contingent of faithful TVR enthusiasts immensely. 

Photo: Rexfeatures

You can find previous TVRs offered for sale in the Classic Driver Market. 

Océan.........

4CYL

When Orlando Bloom began collaborating with BMW Motorrad on a new custom ride, he knew exactly whose number to call: close friend and bike guru Michael “Woolie” Woolaway (DeusExMachina /Venice, CA).

The result is the stunning “4cyl”, a S1000 R transformed by their shared passion to Orlando’s exacting specifications.

4CYL from Arthur & Clement on Vimeo.

JAMBON BEURRE MOTORCYCLES

Dans un Jambon Beurre il y a de la nourriture, dans une Jambon Beurre il y a de l'Amour.
In a "Jambon Beurre" there is food, in a Jambon Beurre Motorcycles there is love.

JAMBON BEURRE MOTORCYCLES from Joris B. on Vimeo.

This loveable Cub's been given an electric shock

It might look unlike anything you've seen before, but this mini café racer started life as one of the most common motorcycles on the planet, the Honda C90 Cub...

 

The Deus Bike Build Off is an annual competition held in five locations around the world (Sydney, Venice, Milan, Tokyo and Bali) concurrently, with a clear-cut mission to find a custom-built motorcycle that has ‘made the most from the least’. In Sydney, this year’s winners were Melbourne-based Joe Fisher (from Stealth Electric Bikes) and Ryan Mischkulnig (from Suus Customs), with their wonderfully minimalist, electric Honda C90. 

The humble Cub

Using the humble Cub as a starting point, all superfluous features such as the air box, mudguards and engine mounts were removed. Remaining aspects the duo liked were kept, and those they didn’t were scrapped. The replacement of the engine with an electric motor certainly tidies things up, and while the bike’s range is now somewhat reduced, the acceleration has improved. And much like aPorsche 918 (though probably a little less exciting), it harvests energy under braking.

Perhaps the most intriguing aspect is the addition of those hand-bent copper pipes. They don’t actually serve any function, other than providing a mount for the headlight, but they look cool and certainly add some verve to the utilitarian Honda. Oh, and those handlebars are from a ladies’ bicycle, in case you were wondering. It may be minimal, but this Cub is far more than the sum of its parts. In the spirit of the Bike Build Off, less really is more.  

Photos: David Leyshon/Chop Shot

You can find many minimalist motorcycles offered for sale in the Classic Driver Market.