How a BMW E30 Beater Placed Third in Rally Mexico

Jalopnik’s Sam Smith has put together one of the best pieces I’ve read in a while about how a guy from Chicago named Bill Caswell built up an FIA legal rally car out of a $500 BMW E30 he found on Craigslist. He entered it in Rally Mexico a few weeks back and after many trials and tribulations ended up on the class podium, beating out several $400,000 purpose built Imprezas and Evos. Much respect. You and I now have no excuse. Follow the link below to see how he did it.

-Jamie Wolfcale

[Jalopnik]

[Via http://drivecult.com]

Assorted grab bag of stuff we like - week of 3/22

No further commentary needed, so let’s get right to it.

All images via tcl.

[Via http://bulgogibrothers.wordpress.com]

Velocity Motoring Wheel V710 PYSpeed Solar Black on BMW E92 M3

VMR V710 (HRE P40 Style)

Check the classic look of VMR V710 custom powder coated in PYSpeed’s Signature Solar Black. It’s a high quality two tone custom powder coat look depends on the light. What you guys think?

[Via http://blog.pyspeed.com]

The Top 20 Best Cars

My Top 20 Best Cars, and it actually wasn’t as easy as I’d hoped to put together. Many things needed to be considered: price, performance, design, historical importance, exclusivity and overall desirability. Here are numbers 20 to 11.

20. 2010 Ford Focus RS

I’ve always had a thing for fast Fords, and this one is, without any shadow of a doubt, in that category. And yes, I will have it in green please. This hot hatch has been hailed by most automotive journalists as the best handling front wheel drive car ever made. The turbocharged 2.5l straight five puts out 305hp and 325 lb/ft of torque, which used to be considered a ludicrous amount of grunt for the front wheels to handle. But Ford’s limited slip differential keeps the torque steer under control while the suspension keeps the grip coming. I know, it’s anything but subtle, but RS Fords aren’t supposed to be. Unfortunately, North America doesn’t get to see this amazing car. None the less, move to Europe and it’s yours for around $55 000.

19. VW Golf GTi Mk.VI

Volkswagen introduced the Golf in 1974, unknowingly having created what would become the benchmark of the hot hatch market. Over the years, the shape got rounder and the car gained a lot of weight. Stronger engines were being put under the bonnet, but the car lost some of it’s magic, it’s personality. Six generations down the line, it’s back and better than ever! The looks have been reviewed and it looks amazingly aggressive now, it’s 2.0l, turbocharged inline 4 moving it along under the supervision of 200hp and 207 lb/ft of torque. Starting at $28 675, it might just be the best bang for your buck and, once again, the epitome of hot-hatch culture.

18. 1996 Lotus Esprit V8

Lotus is a relatively small sports car manufacturer founded in 1952 and based in Norfolk, UK. It’s founder, engineer Colin Chapman, went by the motto “Simplify and add lightness”, and the company has a reputation for being the best in the business when it comes to chassis development and handling abilities. The Esprit has a long history, it’s pinnacle being the ‘96 V8 version. Weighing only 1380 kg, it’s 350hp twin-turbocharged V8 gets it moving very quickly. Not only is it fast, it gives an incomparable driving experience. The simplistic styling definitely has a certain charm to it, and it manages to appear so big, even though it’s only 4.3m long, 1.8m wide and 1.15m tall. One of these in mint condition will go for around $70 000.

17. BMW M3 E30

The E30 was the first generation of M3’s BMW produced. They’ve become more refined and powerful over the years, but none remain as desirable as this one. From it’s looks to the sound it makes to the way it drives, this car will go down in the history book as one of the best drivers cars ever built. Production started in 1983 based on the current 3 series. BMW’s M Division is the in house tuning shop that develops cars for those whose sole interest is performance. Arguably, the best version of the E30 is the Sport Evolution, at 235hp to the rear wheels, originally designed for the World Rally Championship. It lasted 9 years before it was replaced by the more modern looking E36 generation. Depending on condition and rarity, an E30 M3 can easily fetch $20 000.

16. Ford Escort RS Cosworth

In my opinion, the best of all the fast Fords ever made. Being the predecessor of the Focus, the RS stands for Rally Sport, having been introduced as Ford’s venture into the World Rally Championship. It was produced between 1992 and 1996 in very small numbers, some 7000 or so. The Cosworth YBT engine, a highly tunable turbocharged 2.0l power plant, which had an output of 224hp, was unquestionably the car’s best feature. It’s history and racing pedigree is what makes it such a sought after car, picking up 10 WRC titles for different teams in it’s career. It was discontinued when the European Union passed new laws on noise regulation, so yes, it was loud. They’re not available in North America, but across the ocean they’ll get $25 000 in good condition, maybe more.

15. Lamborghini Miura P400SV

This is one of the most revolutionary cars ever built. It is the foundation on which today’s supercars are designed, being the first production car to feature a mid-engined layout, meaning the engine sits in the middle, behind the driver, for better weight distribution. Not only is it a milestone in the automotive industry, it’s unbelievably gorgeous. It was released in 1966 and was updated a handful of times until 1972. The most popular generation was the P400SV, the third rendition of the Miura. The 3.9l V12 produced a whopping 385hp, all very big numbers in it’s day. But then again, so was the price. It cost $25 000, which is $120 000 in today’s currency. If you want one in good condition, and there were only 150 built, you can cough up more than $600 000 given it’s classic status.

14. Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera

Gallardo is the spanish word for striking, which is definitely a fitting name for a car that looks like this. It is the most recent incarnation, announced March 2010, of the Gallardo, Lamborghini’s smallest model. In 1999, Audi took ownership of the Italian supercar maker established in 1963 by Ferruccio Lamborghini. This was the first car they produced, and it was a perfect blend of german engineering and italian panache. Superleggera means super-light, which Lamborghini took very seriously. On this latest version, they have cut an incredible 230 kg off the original Gallardo, bringing it down to a mere 1340kg. Combined with a mid-mounted, howling V10 producing 570hp shredding the road through all four tires, it’s needless to say that it is ridiculously fast and handles better than just about anything. The use of carbon-fiber was very liberal and anything that could be removed or lightened was. Prices have not yet been released, but put aside a good $250 000 if you want one.

13. 1968 Shelby Cobra GT500 KR

The infamous GT500, one of the most legendary muscle cars ever. Carroll Shelby was a race car driver turned tuner who worked closely with Ford. He particularly liked the Mustang, producing several special editions of just about every version of it, including today’s models. The KR meant “King of the Road”, and this version may have been the best. Under the hood is an enormous 7.0l Cobra-Jet V8 which was rated, for insurance reasons, at a mere 350hp, but actually produced closer to 450hp. Yes, the suspension may have been medieval, but it doesn’t matter. The looks, the sound, the speed; this is what true American Muscle is all about. This car now having been deemed a classic, the few remaining original GT500 KR’s can go for up to $300 000.

12. Nissan GT-R

Arguably the most influential car of the last decade, the GT-R changed the way we look at cars. This is more than just a fast car, it is one of the most technologically advanced machines on four wheels the world has ever seen. It continues the legendary Nissan Skyline series, which has often been considered the best mass produced car to come out of Japan. They are built in hermetically sealed rooms by hand, which is why horsepower levels vary from one engine to another. Nissan puts it at around 470hp, but some have over 500hp. The onboard computer controls virtually every aspect of the car, but what’s amazing is that this doesn’t interfere with the driving experience. Power is delivered through all four wheels with variable torque distribution, giving it unmatched handling abilities. At $81 900, it’s hard to call it a bargain. But when you look at the near $175 000 you’ll pay for its competitors, its hard not to… it even has rear seats and a trunk!

11. Ferrari 250 GTO

Touted as the Ferrari that most successfully embodies the traits of the marque, only thirty-six 250 GTO’s were built. In the US, they were sold for $18 000 dollars, which is around $110 000 today, and you had to be personally approved by Enzo Ferrari himself to buy one. It is one of the most handsome cars to ever grace our retinas, and the 300hp, 3.0l V12 graced our eardrums with a sensationally hearty bellow that turns into an unbelievably invigorating high-pitched scream at higher revs. The handling was revolutionary in its time, coming second in the 1962 12 hours of Sebring to the Testa Rossa, a full-race designed Ferrari. Today, it is one of the most sought after cars by collectors. In fact, it holds the record for the most expensive car in the world. At an auction in 2008, an anonymous british buyer paid an eye watering £24.7 million! Thats $38 270 000 canadian!

My Top 10 Best Cars will be revealed this weekend.

[Via http://carthing.wordpress.com]