MINI POWERED BY YAMAHA R1

While I’ll be the first to admit that motorcycles are unfamiliar territory to me, the idea of motorcycle engines swapped into cars has always been exciting. Of course you can’t really just toss a bike motor into any old car – it should be something very small and very light. Something like this Mini built by Speedhunters reader Robert Valk.

Robert has owned the Mini for eight years now and during that time he’s transformed it into quite the pocket rocket.

We’ve seen a number of different motors swapped into Minis, and the Yamaha R1 engine is a perfect choice. The motor is mated to an R1 sequential gearbox, both of which were installed by Robert himself.

Robert says the motor setup is good for 160 high winding NA horsepower. Other work includes twin radiators, adjustable suspension, a full cage, and more.

The 10 inch steel wheels have been widened to 7 inches at each corner and mounted with 160/490-10 slick tires. You can also see the custom side exit exhaust in this shot.

Further shedding kilograms from the car is a complete fiberglass front end and trunklid. To say that the car is a lightweight would be a huge understatement. Robert says that the complete car weighs in at just 550 kilograms, or 1,200 pounds.

I’m guessing there aren’t too many 160 horsepower cars out there that are as fun to drive as Robert’s Mini.

DODGE D 200 by ICON

with egarage.com
from the desk of ICON 4×4
Chatsworth CA

In its ongoing mission to modernize the best in classic automotive designs, ICON has partnered with Banks Power to build a very special one-off Dodge D200. Set to debut at SEMA 2012, the ICON D200 will be based on the landmark 1965 crew cab, one of the vehicles to pave the way for America’s passion for powerful, reliable, crew cab trucks. Conceived in concert with ICON’s new custom Derelict and Reformer series, the overarching goal of the design study will be to create a modernized daily driver capturing the brawny, iconic design of the 1965 Dodge truck. The fully restored ICON D200 will echo all of the classic crew cab’s design strengths with mild custom nuances, and decidedly modern performance and comfort.

“We couldn’t be happier partnering with Banks on a project offering us the rare chance to fuse the bolder design elements of the D200 into a modern-day custom filled with all the power and drivability enthusiasts expect from each of our respective brands,” comments ICON Lead Designer and CEO Jonathan Ward. “ICON and Banks Power have discussed potential collaborations for quite some time, so to work on the D200 for SEMA with them is simply awesome. We have a lot of respect for Gale’s innovation and to consult with him and his company on a build like this is just a stellar opportunity.”

As ICON restores the D200 truck in its trademark style, build partner Banks Power will be tuning and upgrading a modern-day Dodge 3500 series pick-up chassis and mechanical systems as the backbone of the vehicle. At the heart of what promises to be an extremely powerful truck, Banks Power will be outfitting the ICON D200 with a 5.9 L Cummins engine increased to offer a wicked 975 lbs. of torque. Additional accouterments planned for the D200 include a Six-Gun® Diesel Tuner, Banks iQ® Man-Machine Interface, Monster Ram® Intake Manifold, Banks Monster® Diesel Dual Exhaust, Banks Power PDA Screen® and a Banks Brake® Exhaust Braking System.

Banks Power CEO Gale Banks comments, “I’m blown away with the nostalgia meets excellence character of ICON vehicles. At Banks Power, we work to define future engine technology. We’ve always been about what’s next in powertrain and electronics. With ICON, we’ve found the perfect mix of their leading-edge vehicle construction, Banks Power components, and Gale Banks Engines. My thanks to Jonathan Ward for the opportunity and stay tuned, there’s more to come from both of us.”

In addition to Banks Power’s myriad contributions, other details abound including a special interior featuring free-range American Indian Reservation sourced bison leather especially designed in collaboration with Parabellum Collection. D200 suspension will include 4 and a ½ inch Baja 1000 Chase lift kit equipped with Fox 3.0 reservoir shocks. The design will also include Hutchinson 17 x 8 Monster WA-1175 series rims in a matte black finish shod with BF Goodrich all-terrain 37” tires. Headlights will be provided JW Speaker. Audio will include a JL Audio sub woofer and amp alongside a 165 KRC series mid range speakers and tweeters. Loner Industries assisted with the fabrication of the custom-made tailgate latches, mirrors and various trim pieces designed at ICON.

In formal collaboration with Banks Power, ICON plans to debut the newest in its special one-off Reformer series later this fall at SEMA 2012. With the build currently in progress now, enthusiasts can look for more details on the ICON D200 to come soon. For more information on ICON, please visit www.icon4x4.com. Those interested in learning more about Banks Power can visit www.bankspower.com. Those interested in learning more about Parabellum can visit http://www.parabellumcollection.com/.

Triumph TR25W Street Scrambler by Red Max Speed Shop

Foto: Flickr (REDMAXSPEEDSHOP.COM)

Ferrari California 30: Less is more

An additional 30bhp, a reduction in weight of 30kg – those are the bare figures that give Ferrari’s latest California its ‘30’ suffix. But, statistics apart, how does driving the new car hood-down in late autumn measure up?

In 2008, the California broke new ground for the Italian company when it married a front/mid-engined layout with an electrically retractable hardtop, twin-clutch 7-speed gearbox, generous space (or seating for children) behind the front seats and a commodious boot.
The car was marketed as having more ‘accessible’ performance, easy for everyone to drive, yet still packed with Ferrari DNA. When we experienced the original version (in 2009 and 2012 in the UK - SW) it felt like any Ferrari should: very fast, exciting to drive and packed with practical personality. ‘Slow’ it most definitely was not. So now, with 490bhp/505Nm torque, how much better is it than the original? And is the optional handling package fitted to this car (faster steering, electronically controlled dampers and stiffer suspension) a step too far?



The quick answer to the latter is ‘yes’... and ‘no’. ‘Yes’ for the stop-start crawl out of the centre of Zurich, and most definitely ‘no’ for the country road journey to Einsiedeln, just a short drive away in the canton of Schwyz.
It’s mid-November. Snow is in the air. With a warm coat, though, roof-down motoring is more than merely ‘possible’, it’s a pleasure. Turn your collar (and the heater) up and enjoy the charismatic barks, bangs, screams and coughs of the Ferrari V8, as the gearbox makes lightning-quick downshifts and the exhaust note echoes around the valley.


Only in Italy could such a tremolo riff be picked with such consummate style. With a little practice, the California can be played as fast as Eddie Van Halen does his Ibanez Destroyer. The throttle response matches the super-quick (21st Century Ferrari) steering. The smallest input is enough to wheel the car round tight bends or through long, sweeping curves. And the sportier suspension seems the equal of the very top, super-high-performance cars from Maranello. All that said, the California 30 is an easy car to drive – without being predictable or boring.


Hood-up, the car is another classic Ferrari berlinetta. It sprints from zero to 100km/h (62mph) in just 3.8 seconds. It then goes on to 312km/h, exhausts roaring all the while; a very fast car indeed. So far so good, you might say – a typical Ferrari road test, in homage to the marque. Well, some would say that the styling is not perfect, the interior a touch cluttered and the rear seats impractical.
But others would rejoice in its compact dimensions, its speed and charisma, its sheer ‘Ferrariness’ - and we’d be among that latter group.

Text & Photos: Jan Baedeker from Classicdriver.com
Classic Driver has an unparallelled selection of new and classic Ferraris for sale in the Classic Driver Marketplace.