Z CARS

Z Cars is a car tuning company with a difference. Based in Aldbrough, East Yorkshire, Z Cars was opened in 1996 by owner Chris Allanson, aged 50. Chris, who was a police officer for 26 years, has been building cars in their various forms since he was 20. In 1996 however, He decided to open Z Cars, and has never looked back.

The Z Cars factory in Aldbrough, East Yorkshire

Mini’s are a Z Cars speciality. Most people have owned a Mini at some point in their lives and probably will remember the highs (the handling and character) and lows (the break downs and rust problems). But the Mini that Z Cars build is not ordinary by any means. They may look like Mini’s but it is exactly there that the similarity stops. It has a Mini shape but nothing more. This is Z Cars own chassis, its own suspension front and rear, its own steering and hubs and its own glass fibre bodyshell. There is nothing more than image about this car that is Mini…except its soul, in character it remains very much a Mini.

They make a ‘normal’ Mini and their special Monte Carlo version. The engines are replaced with Honda V-Tech’s and Suzuki Hayabusa’s and have up to 400 bhp and (if driven properly) can do a 0-60 mph time in under 3 seconds (which is almost as fast as the £1.2 million Bugatti Veyron supercar), and a 0-150 mph in 9 seconds. That’s as fast a time as an average family car will hit 60 mph in from a standing start. They don’t come cheap though, and cost around £60,000.

As well as the Mini’s, Z Cars also build a Lotus Elise, a car already well known for its road and track capabilities. Z Cars make it even better, and again with the Suzuki Hayabusa engine, it can be tuned to 400 bhp. Z Cars will also tackle almost any one-off commission. Not long back they even built a £140,000 Batmobile replica for a client.

They also built an Ultima supercar. These cars are fast already but the client wanted something unique as Chris relates. “I got a telephone call out of the blue from a chap called David Gomez from Spain, and he said “can you build me the fastest car in the world?”, I said “what are you after”, and He replied, “ I want you to build me a car that looks a million dollars and has two turbo Hyabusa engines a thousand bhp and four wheel drive”, “Ok” I said “leave it to me”. The specification for this Z Cars built Ultima are astounding! 1,000 bhp, four wheel drive and 185 mph top speed. It will go from 100 mph to 180 mph in just 3.5 seconds. Unbelievable, but true.

This amazing car tuning and building company may be based out in the countryside, away from the city, but they are known world-wide, as M.D Chris Allanson says, “We have built cars for people all over the world including America, Holland, France, Spain, Canada and Colombia, to name a few, and the clients age’s range from the young ‘just passed their test’ age, right up to people in their sixties”.

Latest projects include a four wheel drive TVR Cerbera with a Nissan Skyline HKS tuned engine, which produces around 800 bhp. Z Cars build about 50 Minis per year and 6 one-off specials.

They’re not just about tuning though, and will do spraying, welding and part supplying for your car. They have the very latest in rolling-road technology, where you can check your cars bhp and torque ratings. It is an excellent setup capable of 1200hp, with a strap down pit and knurled rollers to avoid wheel slippage. Their spray booth is also state of the art, and the sprayers finish is highly professional.

A beautifully welded custom fuel tank

They also sell the V-tech PowerBox and EcoBox. These do exactly what they say on the box. The PowerBox can give your car up to 15% more bhp and torque and the EcoBox can save you 10% to 12% on fuel. They’re great as they can be transferred between vehicles so there’s no need to buy one every time you change your car.

All in all, Z Cars is one of the best car tuning and building companies in the UK, with some of the most exciting projects around, and if you want something special building, they’re definitely the company to go to.

Contact Z Cars on either 01964 527725 or 08444 140624, or visit the website www.zcars.org.uk

The Twin Engined 1,000 bhp Ultima

source: images.google.com