The Rover-Lotus powered MGBGT FIA GT3 (yes really)

[ChemicalChaos]

The mind boggles, but this looks like an utterly fascinating project!

http://www.speedhunters.com/2014/09/im-sorry-youre...

[anonymous-user]

I don't like to be rude, as it looks like a fun project, but i think you'll find the engine is in the wrong place if you want to take the road legal Nring lap record away?

[kev b]

Didn't Jack Brabham do the same sort of thing with a Rover V8 blocked DOHC engine in his F1 Repco Brabham back in the sixties?

[digger the goat]

Nice one Matt.
I met some of these folks at 'Pod' in June at the summer nationals.

Lovely people who are happy to invite you into the 'garage' and explain things to you in simple terms.

Good luck to them.

If their drag car is anything to go by, the track car will be rather entertaining and quite a surprise !!

[kambites]

A 1200hp rover v8!

[coppice]

kev b said:

Didn't Jack Brabham do the same sort of thing with a Rover V8 blocked DOHC engine in his F1 Repco Brabham back in the sixties?

Sort of- the Repco V8 was derived from the Buick V8 which fathered the Rover V8 we know and love. It was the first year of the 3 litre formula and Brabham gambled on a simple , reliable engine which wasn't especially powerful
- 340bhp with a following wind- but unlike the heavy/complex/unreliable /gutless /antique (delete as applicable) V12s from Ferrari and Maserati, the woefully complex H16 BRM and the old fourbager Climax 2,7litre the little Repco kept going and delivered championships to Brabham in 66 and Hulme in 67. When the 400 bhp + DFV overcame its teething problems in its 67 debut year the Repco was history

[Lefty]

Been following this on their fb page, they post updates regularly, it is utterly magnificent! Batst crazy of course but wonderful.

[anonymous-user]

kambites said:

A 1200hp rover v8!

Seems a bit unlikely to me? The Rv8 block isn't exactly what you would call strong or stiff by modern stds...........

[wildoliver]

You have to ask why? Because it isn't in the hunt for speed or records as he's started in one of the worst possible places, most normal people when trying to push any envelope will get a starting point as close as possible to the edge then start tuning it.

Interesting sheet metal skills too.....Love the front bumper.

As if the car isn't a ridiculous enough starting point why wouldn't you use chevy power? Cheaper and more reliable and actually available.

As long as it makes them happy though!

[kambites]

The article says they picked those bits, as daft as they seem, because they wanted to keep the car "authentically British" or something along those lines.

[PAUL500]

Love it, just get an idea and run with it, and dont listen to the naysayers along the journey

[dom9]

This car was the subject of 2 articles in Practical Performance Car (PPC) magazine this year.

Interesting car but I'm not quite sure what to make of it...

[Lefty]

Yep, rover v8 block and Lotus v8 heads.

I must admit, I thought the entire lotus v8 engine would have been a good starting point.

[marshalla]

Lefty said:

Yep, rover v8 block and Lotus v8 heads.

I must admit, I thought the entire lotus v8 engine would have been a good starting point.

Those look more like slant-4 heads.

[dom9]

marshalla said:

Those look more like slant-4 heads.

They are - they're not from the V8.

Though, now it has been mentioned, you would have thought starting off with the Lotus V8TT engine, if you wanted a British V8 was the way forward but they have good knwledge of the Rover engine, I believe.

[Lefty]

Oops my mistake, sorry chaps.