X19 Sports Prototype

Mike's car is - simply put - an amazing piece of work and all credit to the guys who built it. I'm pleased to hear it is still going as I've not heard anything about it in a few years...

That looks sensational!! Is it a heavily modified former road car or genuine Dallara chassis?

I believe it was built because he could not find a genuine Dallara. Basically, it is what a Dallara would be if they had continued to develop them - it is not a modified road car. The chassis is an aluminium work of art with different gauges used throughout the structure. Brakes I think are single billet and look like F3 set-up. It also has a sequential gearbox. The car must have cost a small fortune to put together but it does look absolutely amazing. I hope Mike continues to run it in the championship this year, it will be good to see it running with tyres up to temperature.

The car was purchased as a complete car - a reasonably close copy of an original Dallara using the same kind of techniques as the original. In essence the original cars were just stripped out road cars with a semi-space frame construction front and rear.

Mike took that car and had it completely re-engineered. The aluminium panelling is precision laser cut and welded. The fit is incredible when inspected close up.

The mandatory rollcage was stripped out of the original and rebuilt to a much, much higher standard as (iirc) the original bordered on dangerous.

Mike has contacts in the motorsport industry that sourced the engine and gearbox out of an Alfa touring car to the super 2000 spec. The hubs are custom made for his car and cost as much each as an average X1/9 did at the time (this is nearly 10 years ago now - how time flies) and are based on the design used for touring cars. I bought the original braking system from him which he has replaced with an even higher spec upgrade (the parts I have are pretty good and man enough for even the performance my car was specified for but Mike is not one to cut corners or hold back on the spec).

I have some fairly detailed photos of the build somewhere that show just how much attention was lavished on the car.

Looks absolutely fantastic...... What are the engine specs?

The spec is not really public domain - the engines are built to an outline specification created by the FIA for the super 2000 formula. The same basic outline is used for touring cars and rally cars but is due to be replaced by super 1600 (turbo engines).

The same basic engine setup produces about 285-290bhp in the 159 touring cars and a little less power but more torque in the Abarth Grande Punto S2000.

It isn't the final word in motorsport tuning but it is a nice piece of work for a normally aspirated engine making nearly 150bhp per litre.

This is Mike's car as he originally obtained it