Plus "Mavrik" : Mid-engine Lotus 7.
 

WHEELNUTS / SPANNA REPRODUCTIONS are proud to announce they've been appointed the registered South African marketing agents of both the brand-new 'LOTUS- 7', - not a clone; but a very sensible re-creaction or re-invention of the wonderful old Colin Chapman legend and the up and coming De TOMASO PANTERA Grp.4 FACTORY RACER re-creation/replicar.

The Golf based little sportscar; is called the MAVRIK. - This Lotus 7 look-alike is a carefully handbuilt, space-framed, mid-engine, 550kg. TrackStormer that will certainly take the large Lotus 7 camp by storm, since the MAVRIK is obviously a major step forward. - Very much in the right direction and has been a long time coming. Finally a extremely cost-effective sports car you can actually fit into with ease, and delight in driving on the road or on the Track.  
Nowdays the lack of parts availability, combined with high costs and the dire necessity to come up with a more contemporary or modern design, have all been cleverly addressed in this very advanced, yet very simple automotive design. (There is a wide choice of engine / transaxel possibilities and specifications.)

WHEELNUTS anticipate a full year ahead based on the extremely excited / positive response to the unveiling of the MAVRIK. A car designed  and created by non other than the talented  DEREK NIGHTINGALE,  previously involved with the construction and on-going development of the other mold-breaking South African sports car ; the MARAUDER, still frequently seen competing on our race tracks to good effect. -  NIGHTINGALE has been ‘playing around’ with Lotus7 type cars for awhile now and has come up with a very cost efficient, sure-fire, driver-friendly Super 7 alternative ; the MAVRIK. – “Proudly South African.” With all the years of re-building and restoring Lotus Sevens,  plus constructing over 110 examples of the Marauder,  Derek Nightingale has come up with a winner indeed..   
   

                     THE NEW ASTON MARTIN. - IS IT THE BEST CAR IN THE WORLD?  

I dont know, but the first one I laid my eyes on the other day had me totally entranced. Yes, I thought to myself, - it certainlly is the best LOOKING modern car I have seen. All the expansive 'ohs' and 'ahs'  I had heard and read about were there in the flesh or should I rather say; in the alluminum, - for me and all the world to see...................... Its understated elegance,  ( it is after all an Aston Martin )....its brevity of size, its Italian Zagato-look of brutal 'stubbiness.'  Its succinctness of design.....yes, I thought to myself......the English have managed to crack what the Italian designers have done over the years, again and again they got it right,........all of it. As I walked around the car, all visual aspects of the design shouted; "Yes" .....and "yes." - I could not find one single thing I could critisize and I was trying. Being fully biased I admit, due to my long love affair with cars Italian and their designs, I wanted to find fault;.... I wanted to say; "Yes, it's pretty, but you know the tail, well it's......ah......the way it doesnt quite sweep down.....ah.....you know....ah....right past the ....ah."  -  No I couldn't....... It was perfect. They had outdone themselfs on this one indeed.  I had been trying to say the same for awhile now regarding the new range of Jaguars, but couldn't quiet bring myself to do so......despite me being an absolute un-abashed Jaguar freak of note. ( I own / race a few of them at present....not the new ones you understand, unfortunately my newest is 25 years old and my oldest 70 years old.)

The Aston Martin in question was parked near the pits for all to see during the fantastic two days of David Piper "Legends" racing here at the Zwartkops Raceway near Pretoria. - ( Photos and articles on both the grand gentleman of world motorsport, David Piper and 'his' cars, flown all the way from the UK are on David Piper Weekend Races on this site and go to :- Peter Fonda - S.C.H. Davis - David Piper, section to read extracts from the most interesting book on David Piper "PIPES" by Dr.0 Greg Mills......) This iconic event of the S.A. Motoring calender are posted on this website. - It was difficult to shoot decent shots of the Aston with the many enthusiasts milling around, pouring all over it. But unlike most 'other' racing events at other venues in most parts of the world, all the pits here at Zwartkops were totally open for the public to see and enjoy, allowing everyone to walk thru and be able to fondle, ...er.... oops, I  mean touch and 'feel'  the incredible, priceless racing cars being prepared for the races to come...... Eager folk, young and old, starved of ever seeing , hearing or smelling,... let alone watching them at close quarters being raced in anger ( well, sort of...) on the race track, were moving thru the pits, filling past, stepping over the pit crews prepping the cars, all carefully trying not to step on the many tools and various bits of car and body parts lying around on the Pit floor........ .A quite breathtaking looking and sounding Ferrari 250 had just come in with an ominous trial of oil behind it, along with many worried faces. The ever calm and gracious Mr. Piper, always available, even in the heat of the summer, cooped up in the hot pits, - a queue of people walking past, wanting to shake their hero by the hand. ...Thanking him for coming all this way.....( some of the older folk amongst us had seen him racing here at Kyalami long ago, when over the years he had won our Kyalami 9-Hour Endurance Race six times.....)  There Mr. Piper was, speaking to all, charming as can be, bent over almost double, talking and answering questions from a youngster who came away with shining eyes, all a quiver, having been speaking with the 'maestro', - who would, i am sure, rather have been sitting in the cool of the VIP room with all the other overseas and local Motor Racing 'Stars'. They were all there;........

 More information on Mr. David Piper coming up sooon . Ed. )

SOLD RECENTLY:
De TOMASO GT5, FORD GT40, FERRARI 308 GT4, PORSCHE 356 C ( 911- 6 running gear )
De TOMASO VALLELUNGA, JAGUAR 3.8 S-TYPE, Jaguar 3.4 Mk2. 

                      
SOLD SPECIALS / REPLICARS :  
JAGUAR D- TYPE, JAGUAR HWM, JAGUAR XKS, TALBOT LAGO cycle-fendered ' 51 Le Mans winner.  ALFA SPEEDLINE TURBO,  ALFA SINGLE SEATER RACER,  MAZERATI RACER,

SPECIALS UNDER CONSTRUCTION :
' 37 JAGUAR 'SS'  V12 COUPE , JAGUAR C-TYPE,  DE TOMASO GRP.4,