Retrospective Gem: A Rarely Seen Toyota Celica

At the Retrospective event by Revworks, I stumbled upon a Toyota Celica from 1984 that I had also spotted at Ultrace. While it wasn’t entirely new to me, it’s a car I know little about, simply because it’s the only one I’ve ever seen in person. This particular generation of the Celica GT Coupe was unfamiliar to me, just as it was to its current owner before he imported it from Germany. Gijs Spierings, a devoted enthusiast of 1980s cars, found this Celica in Germany and instantly fell in love with it.

In 2018, Gijs brought the car over and began a full restoration. But of course, the Celica wouldn’t be featured at Retrospective if it hadn’t been modified in some way. The most striking change is the addition of Advan A3E 3-piece wheels. These 14-inch wheels, with new barrels in 9 ET at the front and 10 ET at the rear, fit perfectly into the 1980s aesthetic.

The car has also been lowered, thanks to an Air Lift Performance 3P management system with a compressor and Seamless 5-gallon tank, along with custom OEM front struts and AirREX air springs built by StreetCustoms. To top it all off, Gijs added Auburn window louvers on the rear window and a front lip from a Toyota Cressida.

Discovering the Marvel of a 1969 Mercedes-Benz

My trip to Ultrace this year was one of pure wonder. Never before had I seen so many high-quality builds gathered in one place. Each car left me more amazed than the last, with so much beauty that it was sometimes hard to know where to look. Yet, one car stood out above the rest: this 1969 Mercedes-Benz W108 by Martin Szombierski. The inspiration behind this build was immediately clear to me.

It harkens back to the legendary Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.8 AMG race car, which gained fame in 1971 when it finished second overall at the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. That race car earned the nickname “Rote Sau” (Red Pig) due to its massive size and red paint.

In Martin’s modern interpretation, the red is nowhere to be seen, but the headlights and other details are direct nods to the 1971 beast. Like the wheel arches which have been widened by 200mm, perfectly accommodating the custom-made 19-inch Mercedes-Benz Designo wheels.

One of One street legal Toyota GT-ONE

What are the odds of seeing this one of one Toyota GT-One in the Netherlands? Fact is that I found this example at the Louwman Museum in The Hague for their ‘Supercars of the 90’s’ display. Louwman is the Toyota Importer for the Netherlands and has very close ties to Toyota in Japan. So some friends in high places must have helped get this car on display at their own museum.

This Toyota GT-One was made to homologate the race car for the Endurance Racing Championship in 1998. During that time the name of the Championship changed to FIA GT Championship. Toyota was required by regulations to base their race car on a road-going vehicle. So, they built exactly one, but it was never publicly offered for sale. This allowed the GT-One to be almost an exact replica of its track monster counterpart.

Developed by Toyota’s motorsport division in Germany and the Italian company Dallara, the GT-One features a carbon fiber monocoque and body panels, making it incredibly lightweight. Behind its spartan interior lies a beast of an engine. Based on a block from previous Group C race cars, it was upgraded for this new racing demon. The twin-turbocharged 3.6-liter V8 is equipped with two catalytic converters and a muffler, unlike the race version. The power was dialed back from 620 to 550 horsepower, but that’s still plenty to easily hit 300 km/h on the speedo.

VIP Scene Emerges: Toyota LS400 Shines Bright

The VIP, or “Bippu,” scene in Europe is still in its infancy, with enthusiasts looking to the OGs in Japan—the birthplace of the term—for inspiration. The formula is straightforward: take a large Japanese sedan, lower it with air ride suspension, and add a set of shiny wheels. It sounds simple, but like dining out, there’s a vast difference between Michelin-starred restaurants and a fast food restaurant.

The owner of this 1992 Toyota LS400 has followed the VIP recipe to perfection, creating a stunning VIP build that he showed off at Ultrace. The car originally came in black—a solid choice for a VIP build—but the owner decided to go beyond the standard. The car now boasts a two-tone paint job: the upper part in a shade resembling Millennium Jade, and the lower part in silver. The silver striping that ties the two colors together is a particularly elegant touch.

A body kit is essential in this scene, and it can make or break the look. The kit on this LS400 is the Evolution Total Systems V1, a rare find but a perfect match for the car. The custom LED taillights, made in collaboration with a friend, add another layer of uniqueness.

One of a Kind Hyundai Pony at Ultrace 2024

What can I say about Ultrace that hasn’t already been said? It’s a true gathering of the best Europe and beyond have to offer. But ultimately, this show thrives because of the people: the visitors and the car builders. This year, builders came from all corners of the globe, including South Korea. The team known as Peaches brought their Hyundai Pony Drift car to the show.

Peaches is a fusion of cultures, blending fashion and automotive passion. With a store in Seoul and a strong online presence, they’re busy taking the world by storm. While photographing the car, I ran into an old friend, Larry Chen, with whom I had worked during my time at Speedhunters. He was filming a YouTube video, giving me the chance to take a closer look at the car’s interior.

The Hyundai Pony isn’t a car you’d typically associate with drifting, which might be exactly why Peaches chose this platform. For Koreans, the Pony is a workhorse, often used as a taxi or a first car for learning to drive. However, very little of the original car remains. Everything has been modified to create a competitive drift machine.

Taifun-Converted E30 M3: Love It or Hate It?

A BMW E30 M3 with a Taifun headlight conversion? That’s sure to raise a few eyebrows. This bold build comes courtesy of the folks at Lowmolewerkz in Germany, who opted for this unique conversion. Taifun originally produced the kit, though they are no longer in business, making authentic kits hard to come by. Nowadays, many replicas are available.

Despite extensive online research, there’s surprisingly little information about this particular car, even though it’s been part of the scene for years. What I do know is that under the hood lies a six-cylinder engine from a newer E36 generation. This leads me to believe it’s not an original M3 but a converted E30. It’s similar to the Mercedes-Benz I posted about yesterday, where a standard car is transformed into a top-tier model. Here too, the conversion is done so meticulously that it’s hard to tell the difference at first glance.

The car also features a set of BBS RS wheels, painted in a sort of pistachio color to match the car. The wheel faces have been polished to a shiny finish after painting—a small detail with a big impact. Then there’s the suspension; an Air Lift Performance controller in the interior indicates an air ride system.

Reviving Legends: Mercedes 190E Evo II Replica

Lowering a Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II over a set of BBS wheels? I can almost hear the purists falling off their chairs. But fear not, this is a replica. And it’s so meticulously crafted that you can barely tell the difference from the outside. I spotted this gem at Ultrace, lined up with other classic models from the Mercedes-Benz catalogue.

These days, you can transform a standard Mercedes-Benz 190E into a true legend. A quick search for an Evo II body kit for the Mercedes-Benz 190E yields plenty of results on Google. So, if you own a 190E, the possibilities are endless. Genuine Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evolution IIs have become prohibitively expensive, which isn’t surprising given that only 502 units were ever made. If recent auction prices are anything to go by, they now fetch no less than €300,000.

Back to this well-crafted replica, the owner has added several personal touches. Most striking are the BBS LM wheels that fill the wheel arches nicely, thanks in part to the air ride suspension.

Classic Revival: Lancia Delta Integrale at Ultrace

Is there a more beautiful car than the Lancia Delta Integrale? Spotting one is rare these days, so imagine my delight when I saw not one, but two at Ultrace. This particular model immediately caught my eye with its deep dark blue paint and stunning 17” silver Work Meister S1 wheels. A perfect combination!

The car has been fully restored by its current owner, who shuns social media. This was a nut-and-bolt restoration, meaning the car was completely stripped down, meticulously refurbished, repainted, and reassembled. Parts for a car like this are no longer stocked at your local Lancia dealer, so the owner had to scour far and wide to find the right components to restore it to pristine showroom condition.

The end result is a magnificent example in the color “Blue Lord.” The owner didn’t stop at just restoring the car; he also found areas for improvement. The most noticeable modification is the lowered suspension, achieved using a specially developed KW Competition coilover kit. This setup is complemented by a Gepfeffert HLS kit, allowing the car to be raised or lowered at the push of a button—very handy for navigating those pesky speed bumps at the end of the street.