BTCC returned for the second race weekend of the 2018 season. Could Donington Park match the excitement of the season opener? After a somewhat unusually entertaining start to the season at Brands Hatch, would Donington Park live up to the hype? It perhaps didn’t quite hit the heights of three weeks ago, but it certainly…
BTCC 2018 | Brands Hatch Indy | What did we learn?
The first round of the British Touring Car Championship surprised ESM’s BTCC Correspondent this year, with a mixture of drama and variety. Whinge, whinge, whinge. Brands Hatch Indy – why do we even bother? It’s a waste of time having a lap that’s just 50 seconds long and hardly allows for overtaking. It’s been like…
Ned Jasper – Things are looking Up!
It took top honours in Ned’s top seven cars of 2017, and now the Volkswagen Up! GTI is proving to be one of the most important new cars launched this year. This is why. In case you couldn’t tell I’m quite a fan of small sporty cars, especially those with a famous three letters behind…
Editorial – Back on track
Things have been a little quiet around these parts of late. ESM’s editor apologises. Sorry. ESM‘s content has been a little short of late, and that is solely my fault. Last year was a whirlwind of writing for others, and it meant finding the time and energy to write for ESM suffered. I know other…
Top 7 (or 8) New Cars of 2017 with Ned Jasper
Ned Jasper is back, and he’s picked out the best new cars we’ve seen during 2017. You might well be surprised by what takes the top honours! Those of you who are regular readers of EngageSportMode will know that it has become somewhat of a tradition that each year at roughly this time, I take…
Opinion – Why the Volkswagen Jetta should be missed
The recently departed ‘Golf with a boot’ deserves more recognition says ESM’s editor. Last week’s news that the Jetta saloon would not longer feature on Volkswagen’s UK price list was hardly met with grief and distress. Nobody will be building statues to commemorate its passing, and no national day of mourning will be declared. Yet…
SEMA 2017 | SpeedKore makes a Demon lighten up
The Dodge Challenger SRT Demon managed to impress immediately, but SpeedKore Performance Group wanted to take things even further. Rare is the person who, when first presented with Dodge’s street-legal dragster SRT Demon, thought “how do we make it even faster” and get to work doing something about it. However, that’s exactly what Wisconsin-based SpeedKore did….
SEMA 2017 | Kia goes big on aftermarket modifications
Fittingly for something revealed on October 31st, Kia brought something big and orange, with more cutouts than a hastily carved pumpkin, to SEMA 2017. Was it more trick than treat, though? In previous years at SEMA, Kia has brought along novel creations like the craft ale-dispensing Sedona in 2014, or a chop-top Optima in 2015. However,…
SEMA 2017 | Ten cars we want to ‘Hellcrate’ right now
The announcement that Mopar is offering a 707hp Hellcat engine ‘off the shelf’ has got us thinking. What better day than Halloween to come up with some Frankenstein-esque creation. If you can find $19,530 (£14,800) you too can add a 6.2-litre supercharged HEMI engine to pretty much whatever you want. This got us thinking about…
SEMA 2017 | Make anything into a Hellcat with a Mopar crate motor
The 2017 Speciality Equipment Market Association show kicks off tomorrow, but Dodge has already stolen headlines with a very special box. What’s in the box? Oh, you know, just a 6.2-litre Supercharged HEMI V8 engine with 707hp and 650lb-ft of torque. Yes indeed, Mopar has announced that the terrifying motor found in the Challenger and…
Friday Video | Bring back the BTCC TOCA Shootout for 2018
With the BTCC celebrating a diamond jubilee in 2018, something extra has been lined up for the Snetterton race weekend. ESM thinks it could do better, with a little inspiration from the 1990s. How exactly do you celebrate a 60th anniversary of a motorsport series? Seemingly with a double-length 60 mile race, with separate qualifying…
BTCC 2017 | Brands Hatch Grand Prix – What did we learn?
With the 2017 BTCC title going down to the wire, Brands Hatch was set for a knockout battle. After another thrilling weekend of action, the British Touring Car Championship has a new name on the coveted trophy – Ashley Sutton. Sunday was certainly another day of twists and turns, but even Saturday’s qualifying session made…
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