Marlin

I have a PAIR of these tips laying around here if you like them? They're a single inlet.

Great pics, inspiring thread, thanks mate

LOL!!!!

Looking great Steve! Any guesses to who'll have "most photographed car" this year?!

Agree with both of you as well! The GTR was hatched as a great basis for a competetive Group A vehicle. I guess in a similar way the the Sunny Gti-R had similar aspirations on the world rally scene, but it didn't quite come off for them, as many other manufacturers had similar and/or better ideas. I'm sure many of us remember reading original (road car) comparisons and tests in the likes of Wheels mag etc, where the 32 typically blitzed everything, and being a little dismayed that it didn't translate into "showroom spec" on-track success, like in the Bathurst 12 hour you mention.

I reckon the 35 should be the new "reasonably priced car", because, in comparison to everything else near the top of the table, it most certainly is a "reasonably priced car"

PM replied N1GTR I'm SO looking forward to pitting the 34 against the 35 - (in the nicest possible way Steve & Tony)

Getting close Ben and no one seems real keen to team hey mate.... we might have to go it alone hey!!

I feel like stabbing myself in the face after reading this thread.

Given that there's a $80k limit and need for Oz availability for the "official" showroom category, I'd say it will run in category M2 (unless it's possibly into M1 based on standing start performance?), ie, gunning for outright placing against everyone else. M2 allows stuff like suspension/brake/ECU upgrades, but no big turbos/intercoolers etc...

Neil's in an Aurion, Rick's in a 3 MPS again Dunno who's in the other Aurion.

Awesome! A superstar heading downunder! Direct from Mazda HQ Mazda Australia today confirmed famed World Rally Championship (WRC) competitor Alister McRae and Mazda resident driver Rick Bates will spearhead the company’s 2008 Targa Tasmania campaign. McRae’s motor racing pedigree is world-class: he has contested over 75 WRC events and is a former British Rally Champion. McRae is the third WRC competitor to test his mettle against the 17-year-old tarmac endurance rally, which this year will be held from April 15-20. McRae and Bates will each be equipped with the latest performance car from Mazda, the Mazda3 MPS. This performance hot hatch is based on Mazda’s best-selling model in Australia and comes with a turbocharged engine which belts out 190kW and 360Nm. Mazda Motorsport’s eighth entry into Targa Tasmania follows on from the company’s stunning result in 2007 in which Rick Bates finished a brilliant tenth outright in a near-standard Mazda3 MPS. Mazda’s two-car team will be competing in the event’s new Showroom competition, which is designed to put near-standard vehicles on an equal billing with highly-modified racing and rally cars. McRae: I’m ready for the challenge The Perth-based Scotsman is charged about his first Targa drive, and is under no illusion of the challenge that lies ahead. “Having competed all over the world in rallying at all levels, it’s great to have a new challenge, and doing it with Mazda will be great fun,” says McRae. “Competing in an endurance event is completely new for me. But having driven in more than 30 tarmac events it will be a case of driving as usual and keeping in mind that it’s not a flat out sprint. My strategy will be to ensure a finish, but I am competitive by nature, so I want to finish as high up the leader board as possible. McRae believes his biggest challenge will come from seasoned Targa competitors with numerous events under their belts.

Oh Gary, now you've done it..... where is this car now? I want it!

I don't think either of us know that for sure...... but at least BMW have just developed/introduced a new range of their sweet sixes, petrol and diesel

Awww, all this talk of Rover SD1's is making me all nostalgic! My old man had a special order black 5 speed back in '84/85 that he had Asquith & Johnston stroke and cam. Me being a lil' 9 year old thought dad's car was just the best thing ever, and looking back, it was a good car, probably less issues with that car than any either he or I have ever owned! Few years back I seriously toyed with building a quick one, but realised that on my budget it meant turfing most of the Rover stuff and fitting Holden gear, so I dropped the plan, built a 32 gtr instead. End sobby-eyed rant gents, my apologies.

Hmmm, I'm also tempted. I'm thinkin a 2 year old 335 coupe, add some big brakes, a set of Recaros, wind in some power, and go humilaite some V8 M3's

Jeeeezuuz, I was young once but never that T.H.I.C.K!

Dang Brisby, I've watched those clips dozens of times, now I'm all welled up again after listening to those glorious engine notes. Golly gosh I want one of each!

I think what West is tryin to say is he was just proud that Nissan had stuck with a straight 6 for so long. Now we're left to watch BMW, and, dare I say it, TVR, to progress forward with in-line engine developement. We can't deny a V configuration will allow a better weight distrubution, but any argument that it saves costs in any way are pretty thin. Me? I really don't mind either way, as long as it has grunt, sounds great, is smooth, and can rev it's tits off once it can breath better.......

Get straight onto the relative (for your state) Department of Transport, ie, whoever is responsible for the roads, and make a complaint. They have a duty to ensure cars aren't damaged by their road surfaces. I know of several cases where wheels/tyres etc have been replaced with no cost to yourself. Your damage shouldn't be any different dude.

Totally agree with you. A combination of tyres and brakes overheating after a few laps seemed the GTR's only flaw (very typical true road car traits those). And yep, it's all due to being a fat girl. Doesn't change the fact that that was an outstanding performance from a car in that price bracket, and bodes very well for the forthcoming V-Spec version! As for whoever said the Gallardo Superleggara is a fully carbon bodied AND supercharged version, good God man, get a grip! It simply has a combination of carbon undertrays/interior panels/lexan engine cover, and some slight engine fettling like agressive tune and big throttle bodies etc. They still only make around 270 AWKW on a dyno dynamics, but they're a wonderfully light car, kinda like I wished the R35 had of been (or may yet become!!)

The news is elsewhere on the forum, but as many of you would know Heath Ledger's father Kim is a fellow competitor in several forms of motorsport, including Targa Tasmania. Kim's a really nice bloke, my heart, and I'm sure motorsport's fraternity in general, goes out to Kim and the rest of Heath's family in this terrible time. May Heath now rest in peace.

lol, I used to Kryptonite lock a wheel around the suspension on my GTR and set the PFC rev limit to minimum (1200 I think) and hide the hand contoller AND disconnect the ignitor and crank angle sensor. Paranoid much?

Great stuff lads! Can't wait to see you at Targa etc!

Thank you kind sir!