James Martell's blog

Amateurs step aside.  Racing Junkies can step to the front of the line.  Here is the quintessential racing car developed from the simpler Factory Five Mk3 Roadster.  It is the transformer of the modern race car world.  They took the foundation of the already proven mk3 chassis and modified it to meet SCCA GT1 criteria.  Then they upgraded it once again for high-level competition and this little hot-rod has now been dominant in racing classes all over the US for almost a decade.   As one of the 2006 Champ Car "Fast Laps" cars, this car is hailed as a great open track weapon and amazing spec racer. The appeal here is the versatility because the car can be literally transformed into such a wide array of competitive entry specs.

You're going to get more than just kicks on route 66 if you decide to make the LS53 your next project. The LS53 Route 66 is the replica of the rarest Corvette ever made and that is enough to make you a star on the open road. In addition to the classic appeal, the modern body is made so similar that it would actually fit the true 53-55 Corvette frame.  This is something you can prove to yourself if you were so inclined to test it. In fact, there isn't a more true kit that would match its original muse than the LS53 Route 66. They certainly chose the right car to replicate with such precision. The 53-55 Corvette is one of a kind.

For those of you looking for a first time project, the MR2 Body Kit is a great kit to start with and the role of Ferrari is getting rave reviews in the 'Ferrenzo 360 Evo'. The rounded look as opposed to the boxy MR2 is what makes this car look absolutely sweet and puts you in the role of a lifetime.  It has a bit more of the Ferrari appeal rather than the MR2 and who can argue with that? The fans are going to scream as you really can’t go wrong with this very solid project.

Who said there's no such thing as a self-made man? The Storm Warrior builder proves them all wrong when he goes out and purchases this new kit with the intention of putting it all together in his own garage. Maybe he is a bit bigger than he realizes, however, as he may find the garage is too small to house this gentle giant. Whatever the case,  they will finally know who the real boss is when they see this thing together and out on the road.

The coolest things on the planet often attract the greatest amount of criticism.  This is exactly the problem with a car so cool as this. The 789 Chevy is likely to attract a huge group of detractors as this is quite possibly the coolest looking car on the planet and people just love to attack you when you are too cool for school.  Not yet a classic, this beauty from n2a Motors and Kanter Concepts looks like an amazing cross between the 57, 58 and 59 Chevys with a slightly more modern appeal that really brings in the admiration and the desire to criticize from everywhere.

When a home shop kit car builder thinks of widening his horizons into aeronautics, a two-seater helicopter may sound like something partially imaginable but what about a pressurized airplane that can go 345 miles per hour?  Most car kit builders would say ‘No Way’ and throw down the magazine before they read another word. Don’t throw it down too fast as the Lancair IV is here and it is going to make believers out of a lot of you home car kit rebuilders.  In fact, Howard Hughes may be rolling in his grave as we speak.

In late 2004 my wife Arlene and I attended the Western Cobra Round-up in Las Vegas.

This video was captured during a day cruise to the beautiful Red Rock Canyon. The cruise was well attended primarily by Factory Five Racing owners and an amazing Shelby Daytona Coupe.

It's back to the 1950's and the era of James Dean for all you sports racing enthusiasts who might have never known what those early days were really like. The Jubilee Special Westfield XI has kept the good old days alive and is still making modern day rebuild experts into James Dean impersonators as we speak.  There are a few other 50's icons who you might remember from the early days but you probably won't see them behind the wheel as much as the man who invented 'cool'.

The Big and Tall version of the sportster is now here so all you John Wayne's can finally have your share of fun on the road with the rest of us 'shrimps'. If there was anything John Wayne ever demanded from his ride, it was a lot of horsepower and this car can definitely deliver that. The RCR-40 sportster is the real man's version of a kit car replica and it, not only has some power but many other things to bring to the racing table.

Tiff Needle: Now you probably know that I’m not very keen on old cars. They’re usually uncomfortable, they don’t handle very well, they’ve got rubbish brakes, and they leak. But there was one old design I was willing to travel 6,000 miles to have a go in.