Tag Archives: least

Motorsport

BMW Z4 With a Nascar Engine Designed to Dominate Hillclimbs

In motorsport events around the world, you’ll often find at least one BMW on the list of participants. These BMWs are typically modified in various ways. However, there are individuals who believe that merely turbocharging a naturally-aspirated BMW engine is insufficient. One such person is Jimmy Giannoccaro, the owner of G&H Transport in South Africa, who has a racing background in Zambia. With both the financial resources and the experience, Giannoccaro has created something truly unique – a BMW Z4 with a Nascar V8 engine under its hood.

The project began with a roughly 10-year-old 5.7-liter naturally-aspirated Nascar engine imported from the United States to South Africa. The engine was then meticulously fit into the engine bay of the BMW. However, as the owner recalls, the car performed poorly last year, so they decided to start from scratch to improve its performance for this year’s Knysna Simola Hillclimb, the premier motorsport event in South Africa.

Among the modifications made to the Z4, the Americanized coupe was equipped with a sequential gearbox and a drivetrain borrowed from a BMW M5 to deliver power to the rear wheels. The engine was also converted from carburetors to fuel injection, which posed its own set of challenges. Additionally, the car’s brakes were upgraded to an AP Racing set with 15-inch rotors on all corners. The car now features luxuries such as a traction control system, ABS, and launch control, which were absent in the previous iteration.

The 5.7-liter Hendrick Motorsports engine is located behind the front wheels, effectively making the BMW Z4 a front mid-engine machine. Currently, the engine is limited to 7,500 rpm, but the owner plans to increase it to an ideal target of 9,000 rpm in the future. The car currently produces around 590 horsepower and 468 pound-feet of torque, which is commendable for a naturally-aspirated race car.

In terms of aesthetics, the team imported a genuine GT3 body kit from Germany, making Giannoccaro’s Z4 the first in South Africa to have such a appearance. It’s truly an impressive creation. After watching the video above, we’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below.

Reviews

2023 Toyota Prius Review: A Stylish Hybrid

There is a strong argument that suggests all new vehicles should be hybrids. The Prius, although not the only hybrid option available, offers the convenience of saving gas without requiring any significant changes to driving habits. You don’t need to plug it in, which makes it extremely easy to use.

What sets the 2023 Prius apart is its attractive design. It is a hybrid that catches your attention. I even found myself turning my head to look at one as it passed by, and I was already driving a Prius myself!

Starting at under $28,000 (plus destination charges), the Prius feels like a fantastic deal. Even the higher-spec $35,000 Limited model is competitively priced considering its features. For those with an interest in electric vehicles and access to parking and charging facilities, the Prius Prime, with its plug-in hybrid drivetrain, offers additional benefits. Nevertheless, there is plenty to appreciate in a stylish and practical car that is fuel-efficient and reasonably priced.

Motorsport

Watch an Old Ford Taurus Outperform Porsche, BMW, and McLaren on the Race Track

The classic Ford Taurus SHO continues to impress even after being on the road for over 30 years. Imagine attending an open track event in 2023 with your McLaren 720S, only to find a first-generation white Taurus right behind you in the rearview mirror. While the Taurus didn’t overtake the McLaren, it did pass other drivers, as shown in the video above.

The video is courtesy of Adam Hartlmeier, who is a well-known enthusiast of the SHO. Adam and his wife Michelle own several first-generation models, including two of the four Ninja Turtle SHO race cars that participated in the IMSA Firestone Firehawk series in the early 1990s. However, the car featured in this video is a different white 1990 SHO that has been modified for track fun.

By “comfortably modified,” we mean that there are no extravagant modifications such as turbochargers, superchargers, or nitrous oxide. The car features a mostly stock 3.2-liter SHO V6 engine, producing around 250 horsepower at the front wheels. It has coilovers, upgraded 13-inch brakes, and has been stripped down to weigh approximately 2,600 pounds.

The video was filmed at the Blackhawk Farms track in Illinois. It captures the McLaren 720S and the Taurus SHO racing together, with the Taurus keeping up with the McLaren in the corners but falling behind on the straights. However, the Taurus manages to overtake several other cars, including Miatas, a Chevrolet Camaro, a Ford Mustang, and even a BMW E30 and a Porsche Cayman.

Adam Hartlmeier highlights the fact that the SHO is a dedicated racer, while most other cars at the event were street cars designed for both track and street use. It’s impressive that a car originally designed for comfortable transportation can outperform cars with significantly more power on the track. Many people are surprised by the SHO’s speed, making it one of the most unexpected performance cars.

Special thanks to the Hartlmeiers for sharing their photos and stories. For more Taurus SHO action, you can listen to Motor1.com’s Rambling About Cars podcast featuring Zach Wright, the owner of an eight-second 1995 Taurus SHO drag car affectionately known as the Blue Turd.

Motorsport

See Naughty Bear Run For Freedom After Getting Stuck Inside SUV

Encounters between vehicles and wildlife seldom end well, but this video at least offers a happy ending for flesh and blood creatures. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for the interior of this third-generation Toyota RAV4, in which a young black bear took up unintended residence for a few hours. And it wasn’t for a nap.

Recently shared on YouTube through ViralHog, the incident took place in rural Virginia on June 6. According to the video description, the vehicle owner headed out around 10:00 AM local time and, upon approach, noticed the airbags were deployed and the windshield was cracked. That’s when the bear was spotted inside, lunging towards the window. We imagine that was quite a horror-movie moment, but thanks to a Facebook post from Mindy Maine, we don’t need to imagine. In a word, yikes.

 

For reasons that should be plainly obvious, nobody went inside or even opened a door. Instead, authorities were notified and a conservation police officer showed up in about 90 minutes to help out. Rather smartly, a rope was tied to the door handle so it could be opened from the safety of another vehicle. After a few moments, the bear hopped out and scampered away, looking none the worse for wear. It’s unclear exactly how long the creature had been inside; comments on the video say the SUV had been unlocked and the bear entered at some point through the night.

The Facebook photos show the RAV4 essentially gutted on the inside. The dash was torn apart, headliner ripped down, seats shredded, all in addition to the smashed windshield and deployed airbags. Presumably, the bear had been in there for quite some time and was antsy to get away. Per the Facebook post, the vehicle was written off as a total loss by insurance.

Dealing With Bears

This certainly isn’t the first time we’ve seen bears inside vehicles. Lest we forget the brave woman using her authoritative mom voice to chase a bear out of a GMC Sierra Denali, but is that a smart way to deal with bears? We checked in with the state of Colorado, where bears are certainly plentiful.

The best defense is to keep bears out in the first place, which means always locking the doors. They’re smart enough to use door handles, and if there’s some tasty food inside, bears can smell it. Don’t keep food in the car, or if you’re camping, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) recommends storing it in bear-proof lockers well away from cars and tents.

If a bear is already on-site (or any dangerous, wild animal for that matter) it’s best to contact authorities first. If there’s an immediate threat, CPW advises people to not turn and run. Make loud noises, wave your arms, anything to make yourself look big and scary. Bears generally don’t consider humans as food sources, but a bag of chips inside an unlocked pickup truck is a midnight snack just waiting to happen.

As we move into the summer months, bears will be extremely active. Stay safe out there, everyone.