Kit Car

The Ultima GTR has been described as a “supercar” and her name is not likely to get any disagreement as she has now set multiple world records in both speed and performance.  Manufactured by Ultima Sports Ltd in Leicestershire, England, this phenomenon is available in both kit form and factory assembled versions. Designs were slowly derived from the Renault and Porsche with a Chevy small block V8 as the common engine of choice.  Recent record-breaking activities have involved a model with a 640 bhp engine called the Ultima GTR640 as well as a 720 bhp engine known as the GTR720.

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.

The Anteros XTM roadster was named after the Greek god of passion and she is certainly hot. In fact, Anteros was considered to be the god of “requited love” which means that the love is going to get returned in excess. That certainly seems to be the case with Anteros when you consider what this car has to offer. Before she gives back the love, she first has a number of initial demands and those demands aren’t going to come cheap. We are talking about a Greek god here folks and ‘mere mortals’ may want to think twice before they approach this most passionate machine.  She runs somewhere between $125,000 and $135,000 right off the block. Then- and only then- can the love be given as ‘requited’.

The Beck 550 is probably the coolest ‘slacker style’ race car on the market.  This is the one car that still draws the ladies even when they know your wallet’s probably empty.  Beck is an actual replica of the Porsche 550 racecar from the 1950’s which handles extremely well and accelerates like a madman. The sweetest part is that most of the parts are from the 1960's VW Bug.  This is the slacker’s version of hot.  

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.

Everybody knows that Lamborghini has always had a way with cars so many kit-car enthusiasts are going to love this reasonably affordable kit at just under $20,000.   The Torero is a Diablo replica that goes together quite nicely for the first timer who really wants to hit a homerun when he finally get his first replica built and on the road.  If you’ve never had the slightest intention of putting together your own car, the Torero just might change your mind.  This kit is easy to start with because the main body is a one piece shell that comes with one piece doors, rear engine cover and front bonnet.

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.

In the early 1960's the Ford Motor Company tried to purchase Ferrari but was turned down and went on to develop the GT40.  The new car was named for its overall height of "40" inches and it actually went on to show up the old Ferrari leaving it in its dust.

This little jet dominated at the Le Mans 24 Hour endurance race putting an end to Ferraris reign and sports car enthusiasts tipped their hats to this car for many years.

Today these rare little sportsters are highly sought after by collectors and they can bring in six figures on a regular basis.  Although we can't all be millionaires, there is a genuine alternative in the Tornado TSC GT40.

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.