RE: Ginetta G20
Tuesday 16th April 2002
Ginetta G20
Graham Bell samples Ginetta’s budget roadster on road and track
Discussion
Hmmmm, just sold my Caterham last night after building it 12 years ago. Might just be interested in this as opposed to a Fury if I was to start again. The hillclimb class I used to compete in was Road Going Kit Cars etc but you had to have the standard screen fitted in place for that class. I wonder how the BARC would classify this one as it hasn't got a screen. Would it go into modsports instead. Anybody got any advice?
Hi again jpf,
Got some good news - and another Pistonheads exclusive - for you. Just been talking to Ivor Walklett of Dare and learned that they're working on a version of the G4 which will use the coupe windscreen with a removable hardtop.
Also have to say to adrianr that while the G20's engineering might look a bit basic it is race proven. OK, they could have made a plenum out of fancy carbon fibre - but it would have probably added about a grand to the price of the car.
Cheap and cheerful often works well enough - and some of us can't afford anything else.
Got some good news - and another Pistonheads exclusive - for you. Just been talking to Ivor Walklett of Dare and learned that they're working on a version of the G4 which will use the coupe windscreen with a removable hardtop.
Also have to say to adrianr that while the G20's engineering might look a bit basic it is race proven. OK, they could have made a plenum out of fancy carbon fibre - but it would have probably added about a grand to the price of the car.
Cheap and cheerful often works well enough - and some of us can't afford anything else.
I have a question. As I understand it, Martin Phaff sold the complete rights of the G4 Series to a Japanese company... Because the so-called G20 (incidentally an historic designation already taken by the Walkletts, founders of Ginetta, for their proposed F1 car which was not completed) is an incarnation of the G27 (also part of the G4 series), is this car legal? I don't know, how about an answer.
Sorry Graham, didn't mean to take the p***. I agree it doesn't matter what it's made of but race proven is not necessarily a good thing - racers don't care about smooth power delivery below 2000 rpm for instance.
Can't really agree with you about the not being able to afford better thing either - for the price of this you could get a nice MX5 or an OK Elise.
Have fun anyway,
AdrianR
Can't really agree with you about the not being able to afford better thing either - for the price of this you could get a nice MX5 or an OK Elise.
Have fun anyway,
AdrianR
Hi adrianr,
Know you weren't taking the piss, merely stating an opinion, which of course is what the Pistonheads comments section is for. Agree you could get an OK MX5 for price of even home-built G20, but which would be most fun on a track day? As always, it's down to personal preference and what you want to do (or can afford!).
Regarding the 'Ginetta rights' issue, checked this out and you're right dan, the Walkletts originally sold all Ginetta rights to Martin Phaff, who subsequently then sold on the G4 and G12 rights around 1991/92, these now back with the Walkletts (as Dare) and their Japanese partners.
Know you weren't taking the piss, merely stating an opinion, which of course is what the Pistonheads comments section is for. Agree you could get an OK MX5 for price of even home-built G20, but which would be most fun on a track day? As always, it's down to personal preference and what you want to do (or can afford!).
Regarding the 'Ginetta rights' issue, checked this out and you're right dan, the Walkletts originally sold all Ginetta rights to Martin Phaff, who subsequently then sold on the G4 and G12 rights around 1991/92, these now back with the Walkletts (as Dare) and their Japanese partners.
Hi fizz,
When I spoke to Ivor Walklett the other day he said they're only just working on it and I was the first scribe to learn of it (Pistonheads first with the news again!) so you'll have to wait a little longer for pictures.
I can tell you that it won't fit existing G4 roadsters though because it uses a different windscreen.
When I spoke to Ivor Walklett the other day he said they're only just working on it and I was the first scribe to learn of it (Pistonheads first with the news again!) so you'll have to wait a little longer for pictures.
I can tell you that it won't fit existing G4 roadsters though because it uses a different windscreen.
Seems like Ginetta/Dare generates enough interest for their own category--more posts than Marcos for instance.
I like the G20--in terms of looks at least. The only G4 review that I have ever read (outside of Pistonheads of course) was from Performance Car a couple of years ago. Maybe EVO should do a G4 vs. G20 comparison?
I like the G20--in terms of looks at least. The only G4 review that I have ever read (outside of Pistonheads of course) was from Performance Car a couple of years ago. Maybe EVO should do a G4 vs. G20 comparison?
EVO do serious road tests on cars from small kit car companies? They'd be looking so far down their noses they'd never be able to see where they were going. Not really of course because they'd never do it in the first place.
evo claims to be about "the thrill of driving" but the fact is there are several really good kit cars out there that can really deliver the goods on road and track but evo won't look at them because - to put it bluntly - they're a bunch of auto snobs.
I actually tried to get evo interested in articles about kit cars when it started but couldn't even get the courtesy of a reply from the editor. Also know several small scale car makers have also contacted them and received similar lack of courtesy.
They're also not the bunch of bloody know-alls they like to make out either, having printed some real howlers made by their "experts".
As a Capri 2.8 owner myself, I just had to e-mail them pointing out the glaring cock-ups they printed about that in a piece they did about cars good for power sliding.
So don't believe evo is the font of all performance car knowledge it likes to make out 'cause it aint. Damn good photography though.
evo claims to be about "the thrill of driving" but the fact is there are several really good kit cars out there that can really deliver the goods on road and track but evo won't look at them because - to put it bluntly - they're a bunch of auto snobs.
I actually tried to get evo interested in articles about kit cars when it started but couldn't even get the courtesy of a reply from the editor. Also know several small scale car makers have also contacted them and received similar lack of courtesy.
They're also not the bunch of bloody know-alls they like to make out either, having printed some real howlers made by their "experts".
As a Capri 2.8 owner myself, I just had to e-mail them pointing out the glaring cock-ups they printed about that in a piece they did about cars good for power sliding.
So don't believe evo is the font of all performance car knowledge it likes to make out 'cause it aint. Damn good photography though.
Evo are not just snobs. The problem goes higher than that. Face it, it has nothing to do with kit cars at all - almost every Caterham sold is a KIT CAR 'cause that is how they sell em!
Yet, DARE's DZ is only available fully built but the nearest EVO got was at the 98 Motor Show when they did a feature, not on the Dare's cars on the stand, but on the Commissionaire who held back the long crowds who wanted to get onto Dare's stand, mainly to look at the DZ. I have been fortunate enough to have driven many miles in the lovely deep green DZ, sadly now in the USA, which accommodated my 6ft 1in frame. I attended shows in this car and it stopped people in their tracks. At one show I attended a Porsche driver asked why he knew so little about the car. He was taken aback by the quality. I just said he should write to the motoring press. I miss that car, it was a fabulous drive, even civilised, and its simple revolutionary hood did not allow a drip in even in a storm - contrast that to an Elise! ... and I recall blowing the back doors (it hasn't got any of course!) of the stupid bathtub 340R on the M40 .
As for the G4, I did 600 miles over the weekend of one Goodwood Revival and apart from the 'loud' exhaust, tremendous fun and VERY underrated. But then, when you think that the Walkletts, who founded and run Ginetta since 1958 for 31 continuous years, then started Dare, have NEVER gone out of business EVER you realise most of the rest are also rans. NOTE I am not mentioning the current Ginetta Cars Ltd - Ginetta means only one thing to many and that is Walklett Ginettas. Who else could resurrect their 1960 car, the G4, put a modern engine in (Zetec) and go out and compete against the so-called best sports car around (the Elise) and totally pulverise it on the circuits, and get virtually no publicity. I admit Dare's publicity machine is not the best by a mile, but I mean... says it all, doesn't it?
Make sure you go to Motor Show 2002 and see Dare's new 3-litre sports car, it's got... sorry can't say anymore Lotus might be listening...
Yet, DARE's DZ is only available fully built but the nearest EVO got was at the 98 Motor Show when they did a feature, not on the Dare's cars on the stand, but on the Commissionaire who held back the long crowds who wanted to get onto Dare's stand, mainly to look at the DZ. I have been fortunate enough to have driven many miles in the lovely deep green DZ, sadly now in the USA, which accommodated my 6ft 1in frame. I attended shows in this car and it stopped people in their tracks. At one show I attended a Porsche driver asked why he knew so little about the car. He was taken aback by the quality. I just said he should write to the motoring press. I miss that car, it was a fabulous drive, even civilised, and its simple revolutionary hood did not allow a drip in even in a storm - contrast that to an Elise! ... and I recall blowing the back doors (it hasn't got any of course!) of the stupid bathtub 340R on the M40 .
As for the G4, I did 600 miles over the weekend of one Goodwood Revival and apart from the 'loud' exhaust, tremendous fun and VERY underrated. But then, when you think that the Walkletts, who founded and run Ginetta since 1958 for 31 continuous years, then started Dare, have NEVER gone out of business EVER you realise most of the rest are also rans. NOTE I am not mentioning the current Ginetta Cars Ltd - Ginetta means only one thing to many and that is Walklett Ginettas. Who else could resurrect their 1960 car, the G4, put a modern engine in (Zetec) and go out and compete against the so-called best sports car around (the Elise) and totally pulverise it on the circuits, and get virtually no publicity. I admit Dare's publicity machine is not the best by a mile, but I mean... says it all, doesn't it?
Make sure you go to Motor Show 2002 and see Dare's new 3-litre sports car, it's got... sorry can't say anymore Lotus might be listening...
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