Most of the vehicles we see at occasions have had well-known former homeowners or racing historical past, whereas others have been resurrected from the ashes or creatively reimagined. Some even have tales to inform earlier than they roll off the manufacturing line.

What I’m making an attempt to say is, most of those vehicles have attention-grabbing pasts; revealing them simply is determined by how deep you’re keen to dive. On the current F.A.T. Ice Race in Austria, I used to be spoilt for selection went it got here to attention-grabbing vehicles, as a result of they had been all over the place. For this observe as much as my fundamental occasion story final week, I selected six vehicles with fascinating tales to take a better have a look at.

The Closing Lotus Elise

This Lotus was completely unattainable to overlook within the F.A.T. Ice Race paddock, largely due to its fluorescent orange paint. The colour – RAL 2005 – is so particular, that personal autos in EU nations aren’t allowed to make use of it, because it’s reserved for emergency autos solely. Fortunately the proprietor is UK-based, and Lotus had been capable of be satisfied to ship it within the particular coloration.

It’s particular as a result of again within the 1960s, Staff Lotus used the luminous hue on its STP-livered Indy vehicles. Past the paint attract, this Elise Cup 250 Closing Version was the final ‘250’ to depart the meeting line, therefore the ‘FI NAL’ registration plates.

Porsche 997 R-GT Artwork Automobile

This 997 construct was a very collaborative effort. Its creators say the PlayStation livery pays homage to 1990s nostalgia, and I completely bought that once I first noticed it. My thoughts immediately traveled again round 25 years, to the day my older brother introduced a PlayStation console residence with a bunch of video games, together with Want for Pace 3: Scorching Pursuit, which bought me hooked on vehicles and racing within the first place.

The venture was managed by James Howson, who got here up with the idea along with digital artist Davide Virdis. Davide took care of the styling, however the precise paint was laid down by David Gwyther, AKA Dying Spray Customized. Beneath the art work is a rugged 997 R-GT that was initially constructed by Tuthill Porsche and competed within the 2014 World Rally Championship, the place it claimed the primary WRC end for a Porsche 911 in virtually 30 years.

Porsche 911 Projekt e01

I noticed this Porsche 911 on the street whereas travelling to the F.A.T. Ice Race’s registration spot, however couldn’t put my finger on what was totally different about it. After I caught up with it once more on the carpark and took a better look, I famous the dearth of exhaust, at which level I roughly understood what was happening. However because it turned out, this isn’t your common electric-converted traditional…

Projekt e01 is the work of Basic eCars in Germany, who reimagined the 911 with a retrofitted Direct eDrive electrical drivetrain that delivers a loopy 3,250Nm of torque to its rear wheels. The corporate produces electrical motors with spectacular efficiency knowledge: A single powertrain is nice for 256kW/1,625Nm, however this Porsche has a double system in place, thus twice the output. The automotive now weighs 1,450kg (3,196lbs), however having batteries each entrance and rear helps with the load distribution and retains a number of the automotive’s unique dealing with traits intact.

Peter Rotenberger, Basic eCars’ chief technical officer, was behind the wheel of the 911 on the F.A.T. Ice Race, and from the place I used to be watching, it dealt with the slushy observe very nicely.

Porsche 356A Kind 1 ‘European’

This placing silver and blue-flamed Porsche 356A race automotive (chassis #55301) began its life as an early Kind 1 instance in-built December 1955. A US import mannequin, throughout its lifetime within the States it was owned and raced by Pierre Honegger and David Loring, and even competed towards F1 driver Jan Lammers within the La Carrera Panamericana race in Mexico.

As I came upon later, it is a very uncommon mannequin with ‘European’ badging. To elucidate, when the 356 T1 was first imported into the US, they had been badged ‘Continental’, however after simply 860 coupes and 69 cabriolets had been shipped, Ford Motor Firm requested Porsche to withdraw the title, as they owned the rights to it for the Lincoln Continental.

Again in Germany, Karosserie Reutter had already punched many extra pairs of entrance fenders for the golden ‘Continental’ script badging, so an answer was wanted. Ultimately, Porsche opted to re-badge the mannequin ‘European’, which allowed the ready fenders to nonetheless be used. It’s arduous to know precisely what number of vehicles acquired the ‘European’ badges on them, however the 356 Registry exhibits there are solely 41 ‘European’ kind 356s accounted for as we speak.

Lately the automotive resides within the UK, however nonetheless stays true to its racing DNA with a full roll cage put in and every thing else you’d anticipate to seek out inside an outdated rally automotive. The facility output is 130hp, which isn’t horrible for a 68-year-old automotive that weighs lower than a tonne.

Adrian Stevens, the 356A’s present proprietor, continues to race it. Notably, the Porsche returned to Mexico in 2006 for that yr’s La Carrera Panamericana, and previous to the 2024 F.A.T. Ice Race it participated within the 2020 occasion.

1972 Volkswagen Beetle

I’m going to exit on a limb right here and say that regardless of this Volkswagen Beetle (owned by Michael Klein) wanting somewhat unique, it’s truly one of the vital modified of its breed anyplace on the earth.

Look shut and also you’ll see that the hood and boot lid, facet skirts, and even the bumpers are all comprised of light-weight carbon fiber. Inside, solely the essential bits stay.

There’s nonetheless a Volkswagen flat-four out again, however now it’s a stroked 3,000cc WBX from a T3 van that was transformed to air cooling and fitted with a wonderful chrome steel exhaust system amongst different efficiency upgrades. The 250hp engine is linked to a canine ring gearbox for sooner shifting, whereas Porsche brakes guarantee the Beetle can simply cease from velocity.

1991 Porsche 964 Carrera four Dakar

In case you’re an Italian wine connoisseur, you is perhaps conversant in Agostino Rizzardi, whose household vineyard in Bardolino has been round since 1678.

Other than working the enterprise as we speak, Agostino is a severe motorsport fanatic who likes to compete in excessive rally occasions. His heavily-modified 911 was initially arrange for rally use by Jimmy McRae (the late Colin McRae’s father), however in making ready it to beat dunes, every thing aside from the three.6L flat-six was overhauled. The drivetrain particularly was modified to resist long-distance and high-temperature runs.

The strengthened chassis, huge 160L gas tank, quad double-wishbone suspension with adjustable Reiger shock absorbers are all there to assist the proprietor compete within the Dakar, Tunisia, and Morocco rally raid occasions, plus others.

There’s one extra distinctive automotive from 2024 F.A.T Ice Race that I wish to share with you – a road-legal homage to the legendary Gulf Porsche 917, recreated in carbon fiber in Norway. However as I managed to finish a full photoshoot whereas I used to be in Austria, look out for a standalone function on this one very quickly.

Vladimir Ljadov
Instagram: wheelsbywovka
as a result of@wheelsbywovka.com
www.wheelsbywovka.com