MY FEEDLY

Station Wagon Sleeper: A 300 hp 5.5 Litre V8 Mercedes-Benz 560 TEL Estate Custom

This is one of the most discreet sleepers we’ve seen in recent memory, it was built by Hamburg-based coachbuilding outfit Caro International GmBH in the 1990s using a Mercedes-Benz W126 560 SEL as its starting point.

Now if you’re not particularly familiar with Mercedes of a certain vintage, the model name 560 SEL may not mean a lot to you, but when it was first released in 1985 this model was one of the fasted large saloon cars in the world.

With a top speed in excess of 250 km/h (155 mph) was ideally suited to continental autobahn duties, in fact it was one of the most comfortable and luxurious ways to carry people and luggage at speeds over 150 mph (in a vehicle without wings).

Mercedes fitted the all-alloy 5.6 litre (actually 5,547cc) V8, this engine has a single overhead cam per bank, 16 valves in total a bore x stroke of 96.5 mm x 94.8 mm, and it produces approximately 300 bhp at 5,000 rpm and a hefty 335 lb ft of torque at 3,750 rpm.

Above Image: The 5.6 litre alloy V8 produces 300 bhp and 335 lb ft of torque.

The Mercedes-Benz W126 platform enjoyed an enduring popularity, helped along by the fact that it was awarded “Safest Passenger Car of the Year” in 1988 and 1989 by the U.S. Highway Loss Data Institute. Versions of the W126 also won the coveted Motor Trend Import Car of the Year and Wheels Magazine Car of the Year in 1981.

Many original W126s are still on the road today, a testament to their durability, and they were used by a vast array of people from New York City stockbrokers and upper class soccer moms to Middle Eastern dictators and South American druglords.

The Mercedes-Benz 560 TEL Estate by Caro

The car you see here is almost certainly the only one of its kind in the world. It’s a custom station wagon (called an estate or an estate car in Britain) built by Caro International GmBH in the 1990s using a Mercedes-Benz 560 SEL as the foundation.

Caro made a name for themselves as a custom coachbuilder, creating everything from one-off convertibles, to stretched limousines, and armored cars for secure VIP transport.

Above Image: The car maintains the original luxurious interior of the Mercedes-Benz 560 SEL.

The 560 SEL was delivered brand new to Caro’s Hamburg facilities and they set to work creating an estate that would look 100% factory correct. Mercedes never offered an estate version of the 560 SEL, but it’s clear that there was at least some demand for it.

Engineers at Caro sourced a rear deck from a Mercedes W124 wagon before carefully modifying it to fit. The key criteria was that when finished it looked as though it rolled out of the Mercedes factory.

Mercedes parts were used extensively in the conversion, the roofline, C-pillars, and rear quarter panels were all carefully revised to maintain the SEL’s proper geometry.

The car is due to roll across the auction block with RM Sotheby’s on the 22nd of January with a price estimate of $30,000 to $40,000 USD.

If you’d like to read more about it or register to bid you can click here to visit the listing.

The post Station Wagon Sleeper: A 300 hp 5.5 Litre V8 Mercedes-Benz 560 TEL Estate Custom appeared first on Silodrome.

from Silodrome https://silodrome.com/mercedes-benz-560-tel-estate-custom/
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An Unusual Rally Racer: Land Rover Defender 90 Challenge Built By Bowler

The Land Rover Defender is likely not the first vehicle you think of when you hear the term “rally car” but that’s exactly what this 2013 Defender 90 is. Not only is it a rally car, but it’s a successful rally car that’s taken two class wins (so far) in British rallies.

The reason this Defender is so quick is because it was built by Bowler, a British engineering firm that’s been building the world’s fastest Land Rovers since 1985. Bowler was founded by Drew Bowler due to popular demand back in the mid-1980s after he heavily modified a Land Rover Series 1 and starting winning events with it.

Over the years Bowler became the de facto place to go if you wanted a fast Land Rover or Range Rover. Bowler vehicles have competed in almost every major off road race in the world including multiple entries in the Dakar and Baja.

When the producers of the James Bond film “Spectre” needed a fleet of highly capable Defenders they worked with Bowler and the Land Rover Special Vehicles Division to create a number of extreme vehicles called the Land Rover Defender SVX.

Above Image: The interior of the vehicle is set up specifically for racing, with race seats and harnesses, a full roll cage, and rally timers.

Perhaps the biggest vote of confidence in the ability of the team at Bowler was the fact that that Jaguar Land Rover acquired the company in late 2019. JLR executives have kept Bowler exactly as it is, it still operates out of its original facility in Derbyshire in England.

In late 2020 Bowler and JLR announced that they would be bringing the Land Rover Defender back into production as Project CSP 575. This vehicle is based on the original Land Rover Defender 110 and it’s powered by a 5.0 litre Jaguar V8 producing 575 ps or 567 hp.

The Bowler Defender 90 Challenge Race Car Shown Here

The vehicle you see here was built by Bowler as their original works development car, in this capacity it was featured in both Car and Evo magazines before being raced by Bowler Director Richard Hayward and the late Drew Bowler himself.

The Defender Challenge was a race series founded as a joint venture between Land Rover and Bowler Motorsport, it ran from 2014 until 2016, and each season consisted of seven rounds all held in the United Kingdom. Defender Challenge races supported established events like the Somerset Stages, Welsh Hill Rally, and the Scottish Hill Rally.

Above Image: The engine now produces 195 bhp and 380 lb ft of torque, up from the original 120 bhp and 266 lb ft.

13 Defenders were built for the Defender Challenge, all to the same specification. Engine modifications resulted in a power boost from 120 bhp and 266 lb ft of torque to 175 bhp and 332 lb ft, handling was improved with custom-made Bilstein shock absorbers and uprated anti-roll bars.

Lightweight 16″ alloy wheels were fitted along with Kumho tires, a substantial MSA-approved rollcage was bolted into place, ignition cut-off and fire suppression systems were installed, and two competition bucket seats were added.

This car was further modified later in its life with a Stage 2 engine upgrade, this boosted power to 195 bhp and 380 lb ft of torque. It was also given a Bowler/Alcon braking system upgrade, a 3 inch race exhaust system, and twin front-mounted high intensity ST4 Lazer lamps.

During its competition career the Defender took class wins in the 2016 Scottish Borders Hill Rally and 2018 Hill Rally Championship, and it’s now coming up for sale with RM Sotheby’s so a new owner can carry on campaigning it (if they choose).

If you’d like to read more about it or register to bid you can click here to visit the listing.

The post An Unusual Rally Racer: Land Rover Defender 90 Challenge Built By Bowler appeared first on Silodrome.

from Silodrome https://silodrome.com/bowler-land-rover-defender-90/
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The Tamiya Lotus Super 7 Series II 1:24 Scale Kit

This is the Tamiya Lotus Super 7 Series II, a 1:24 scale model of a car with one of the longest production runs in history, if not the longest outright.

Lotus famously came up with a clever scheme to get around new car tax when they released the original Lotus 7 as a kit car. If they sent an assembly manual with the car it would classify as a car sale and it would be taxable, so they sent each kit with a disassembly manual that the builder would follow in reverse.

The driving experience of the Lotus 7, and its modern licensed iteration the Caterham Seven, is one of the purest experiences you can have behind a steering wheel. The cars typically weigh in at around 545 kilograms or 1,200 pounds, they have excellent steering feel, firm suspension, and the experience is probably best described as driving a road-legal go kart.

The company Caterham used to be one of Lotus’ biggest dealers in the UK and in 1973 they took over production of the Lotus 7, calling it the Caterham Seven, and only updating it slowly and incrementally over the intervening decades.

You can still buy a kit from Caterham today and many people do, though now they come with the assembly instructions printed the right way around.

If you’ve always wanted to build yourself a 7 but lack the garage space or finances to do so, Tamiya have released their own Lotus Super 7 Series II kit. When building your kit you can choose to go with either the road car or Clubman racer set up, both are included in the kit.

On the finished model the hood, or bonnet, opens to show an accurate Ford Kent engine with dual side draught Weber carburetors and a finned valve cover. The suspension is accurately depicted, as is the interior of the car, and when completed it measures in at 139mm long, 61mm wide, and 41mm high.

Visit Tamiya Here

Images courtesy of Tamiya

The post The Tamiya Lotus Super 7 Series II 1:24 Scale Kit appeared first on Silodrome.

from Silodrome https://silodrome.com/tamiya-lotus-super-7-series-ii/
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Documentary: The Devil At Your Heels – The Man Who Attempted To Jump A Car From Canada Into The USA

The Devil At Your Heels is a 1981 documentary about stuntman Ken Carter and his years long mission to build a rocket-powered Lincoln Continental and jump it a distance of one mile across the Saint Lawrence River from Canada into the United States, before crash landing it in a bed of roses on the other side.

As absurd as that sounds, Ken does a remarkable job at getting the ramp completed, getting the car built, getting the funding, getting the required permits to jump a car between two countries, which all eventually resulted in the car getting launched down the ramp by Ken and up into the air with the rocket engine blazing.

But which Ken was behind the wheel?

This film was created by filmmaker Robert Fortier who initially thought it would only take a couple of weeks. As it happens, the he ended up filming a series of remarkable events as they unfolded over a period of five years.

Above Image: Ken Carter was a legendary stuntman, jumping the Saint Lawrence River was to be his final great stunt, and by far the biggest car jump of all time.

Fortunately the National Film Board of Canada agreed with Fortier when he said he believed it was a story worth telling, and they continued funding it as the weeks stretched into the months, and the months stretched into years.

The fact that the film includes characters like Evel Knievel and a man named Kenny Powers (the real Kenny Powers) has led to people question whether the events that take place are real.

Astonishingly it’s all authentic, the events recorded in the film all really happened, the people are all real, and sadly the eventual results of the effort are real too.

I can’t go into too much detail here about what actually happens as the film unfolds as it would ruin the story – a story that’s entirely unpredictable and could never possibly happen in the modern day.

If you’d like to read more about this film you can click here.

Film and images courtesy of the National Film Board of Canada.

The post Documentary: The Devil At Your Heels – The Man Who Attempted To Jump A Car From Canada Into The USA appeared first on Silodrome.

from Silodrome https://silodrome.com/the-devil-at-your-heels/
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A Pulse Jet Powered Jaguar S-Type by Bob “The Rocketman” Maddox

Bob “The Rocketman” Maddox is one of the most interesting people in the world of custom vehicle creation. He has single-handedly advanced pulse jet engineering from the somewhat primitive designs used by the Nazis in their V-1 “buzz bombs” during WWII. Now thanks to him, regular people can build them in their garages and run them on easily sourced fuel.

Maddox has been making his own pulse jet engines for 18 years now, slowly perfecting them to the point where you can now order one of his off-the-shelf kits and build your own valveless pulse jet engine that runs on regular diesel (instead of pressurized propane), and they can be started without the use of a leaf blower or other external device.

Over the years Maddox has become famous for his startlingly beautiful pulse jet powered motorcycles which can be built with one jet or two. More recently he’s built go karts powered by multiple pulse jets, a pulse jet powered skateboard, a twin jet powered race car, and most recently a 1965 Jaguar S-Type powered by a 13 foot long pulse jet engine producing 1,200 lbs of thrust.

Above Image: The pulse jet powered Jaguar S-Type underway with Jesse James at the wheel.

The ’65 Jaguar was built alongside popular motoring TV host Jesse James for an upcoming episode of his show Monster Garage on Discovery.

The Jaguar S-Type was first released all the way back in 1963 as a follow on to the popular Jaguar Mark 2. The Mark 2, and its forebear the Mark 1, had become known as the “Gentleman’s Express” due to the fact they were fitted with a version of the Jaguar XK straight-six engine.

This engine had won the 24 Hours of Le Mans fitted in the front of the Jaguar D-Type, so Mark 2 buyers were essentially getting a saloon car with very real racing pedigree.

Above Image: The famously elegant lines of the S-Type have never before looked quite like this.

As a result of this the Mark 2 became popular with British gangsters and bank robbers, as it allowed them to transport five adult men and their bags of money at considerably higher speeds than any of the police cars of the time could manage.

It’s unlikely that any of the designers or engineers who were involved in the S-Type project ever imagined that one day across the Atlantic in the United States a man named Bob would fit a giant pulse jet to one of their cars, then sending it screaming across the desert with the descendent of a famed outlaw gunslinger at the wheel.

If you’d like to see the car in action and find out how fast it went you’ll need to catch the episode of Monster Garage.

If you’re curious to see more of Bob “The Rocketman” Maddox in action his YouTube Channel has been taking off, he has countless videos of his pulse jet-powered creations in action and it’s well worth a visit.

Visit Bob “The Rocketman” Maddox’s YouTube Channel here

Above Image: Bob “The Rocketman” Maddox is rapidly becoming one of YouTube’s fast rising stars.

The post A Pulse Jet Powered Jaguar S-Type by Bob “The Rocketman” Maddox appeared first on Silodrome.

from Silodrome https://silodrome.com/pulse-jet-powered-jaguar-s-type/
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The BMW 2002 Turbo – The First Turbocharged BMW Production Car

The BMW 2002 Turbo was the fastest and most desirable version of what was arguably the Bavarian automakers most important fast saloon car – The BMW 2002.

The fundamental design ethos of the BMW 2002 would lay the foundation for the company and help establish its reputation for building “driver’s cars” that extends all the way to the modern day.

BMW 2002 Turbo History – A Speedrun

The creation of the BMW 2002 happened as a result of an engine swap and a request from famed BMW-importer in the United States Max Hoffman. The car that would become the 2002 started out as the BMW 1602 – that is a 1600cc engine in a car with two doors, or 1600+2 or 1602.

As you may have guessed, the 2002 has a 2000cc engine and the same two door body, and it was named the 2002.

The great secret to the enduring success of the 2002 is the fact that it’s essentially two cars in one – you get a standard looking three box car with seating for four adults and trunk space, but under the skin this sensible looking vehicle is actually a sports car with excellent handling and plenty of power (by the standards of the day).

Above Image: The bodykit on the 2002 Turbo proved controversial, particularly the reversed “Turbo 2002” text on the front air dam.

This combination of practicality and fun perfectly suited the needs of many, particularly businesspeople and parents who needed a respectable daily driver that was also a little bit fun. This basic philosophy of vehicle design has stood BMW in good stead over the decades, with vehicles like the E30 M3 and more recently the M4 and the M2.

When the BMW 2002 was first released in 1968 it proved immediately popular both with the motoring press and the general public who bought them in droves. The early single-carburetor “Zero Two” of 1968 was followed by the twin-carbureted 2002 Ti, followed by the even more powerful 2002 Tii.

The BMW 2002 Turbo would follow these predecessors, first appearing at the 1973 Frankfurt Auto Show. The public and press reaction to the 2002 Turbo was mixed to say the least. The car was powered by a modified version of the inline-four cylinder M10 engine from the naturally aspirated 2002, with a single overhead cam, and two valves per cylinder.

The compression ratio was reduced down to 6.9:1 in order to prevent knocking, and it was fed by a single KKK turbocharger with no intercooler. Kugelfischer mechanical fuel injection was used, with a boost enrichment feature, and power was listed as 168 hp at 5,800 rpm and 177 lb ft of torque. This was a considerable increase over the 128 hp available in the previous king of the 02 hill, the 2002 Tii.

Above Image: The turbocharged 2.0 litre BMW M10 engine is capable of 168 hp and 177 lb ft of torque, not bad for a car with a curb weight of approximately 2,290 lbs or 1,038 kilograms.

The performance of the new car was excellent but there were some eyebrows raised about the body kit, the rear lip spoiler, and the front air dam with “Turbo 2002” written in reverse script – presumably so the person in front of you on the Autobahn could read it in their rear vision mirror and promptly get out of the way.

Perhaps the key reason the 2002 Turbo would end up with low sales numbers was the 1973 Oil Crisis that kicked off in October of that year. The 2002 Turbo had been unveiled just a month earlier in September at the Frankfurt Auto Show, and skyrocketing fuel prices caused by the Oil Crisis turned consumers away from higher performance, more thirsty automobiles.

Just 1,672 examples of the BMW 2002 Turbo would be produced, and today they’re by far the most collectible cars in the 02 model family.

The 1974 BMW 2002 Turbo Shown Here

The 1974 BMW 2002 Turbo you see here benefits from a three-year rotisserie restoration, and it now carries a BMW Classic Certificate.

Above Image: The interior of the 2002 Turbo is surprisingly practical, with seating for four adults and a decent amount of trunk space.

The car has been repainted in its original shade of Chamonix with color-matched fender extensions, and the exterior is accented nicely by the classic Turbo graphics, a chrome beltline, and chrome rear bumper.

It’s sitting on a set of Alpina wheels shops with sticky Toyo Proxes R888 tires, and it has the desirable front air dam, rear spoiler, and center exhaust. Inside you’ll find Turbo-specific sport seats, a sunroof, VDO instrumentation and boost gauge, as well as a MotoMeter clock.

The car is due to roll across the auction block with RM Sotheby’s on the 22nd of January with an estimate of $120,000 to $140,000 – exactly what we would expect for an immaculate 2002 Turbo.

If you’d like to read more about it or register to bid you can click here to visit the listing.