The Honda Civic Type R EP3 was manufactured in Swindon and featured a 2.0-litre i-VTEC K20A2 motor. Marque enthusiasts will happily point out that Japanese-market EP3s featured LSDs. They also featured Championship White paint and Recaro seats, which UK models didn’t have, although they were built in Swindon. Any grey-import Japanese EP3 you find has actually been up the Suez Canal both ways!

Affectionately nicknamed ‘breadvan’, the EP3 was in production from 2001-2005. The specs remained relatively unchanged throughout its lifespan. A mild facelift in 2004 brought in a lighter clutch and flywheel. It also got a redesigned front bumper and projector headlights.

The EP3’s party trick: the K20 engine

The hysterically revvy K20 motor offered peak power of 197hp. These aren’t torquey motors, peaking at 145lb ft, but they really are all about the revs. The principle of VTEC is key to the Type R’s character. A contracted acronym for Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control, the system works by offering two different cam profiles, and hydraulically shifting between them.

The relatively economical profile is in operation up to 5500rpm. At this point, the manic profile kicks in for higher lift and longer duration. In essence, this means that when you reach the point on the rev counter where in other cars you’d be thinking about shifting up a gear, a VTEC motor suddenly provides you with oodles more screaming, rampaging horses. In a nutshell, this means that the engine can be two things at once. It can be juvenile, and grown-up. You can have a racy, track-ready cam profile without the inherent lumpy idle and poor economy if you’re just driving to the shops.

And if you want more power from your K20, there are plenty of options out there. These motors are more than happy to have some forced induction thrown through them. Just be wary of the transmission when doing so.

The Premier Edition was sold as a run-out special, sporting red Recaros, tinted windows and a leather Momo steering wheel.

Check out our EP3 Type R tuning guide. 

Honda Civic Type R EP3 Most Common Problems

• Stretched timing chain
• Worn steering rack
• Worn seat bolsters
• Door mouldings and window seals deteriorating
• Rusty rear arches on facelift models

What to look out for when buying a Honda Civic Type R EP3

Below, we’ll break down each section of the car in detail and point out the issues that you should look out for when inspecting a used Honda Civic Type R EP3. Thankfully, on the whole it’s a fairly reliable car if the servicing schedule has been adhered to. Always ask the owner about the service history, what parts were used and where the work was carried out.

Engine and Transmission

These engines can go on seemingly forever if properly maintained. They’re fairly bulletproof in fast road driving and even in hard track use. The key to keeping them ticking is to keep them regularly serviced. You’ve always got to keep an eye on the oil level! When you’re looking at a car with a K20 motor, be sure to fastidiously comb through the service history. Also, have a good chat with the owner about how they’ve used and looked after the car. If the owner seems uninformed or disinterested, walk away. There are plenty of other cars on the market.

The K20 does use a bit of oil, that’s just a characteristic of the way they operate. A conscientious owner will be keeping a regular eye on levels and topping it up with 5W30. Make sure VTEC comes in clearly at around 5500rpm. It will be very noticeable when it does, and if it doesn’t, then it suggests the oil is low. You’re not looking at a car with a happy, healthy engine that’s been properly cared for.

EP3 Civic Type R timing chains

Timing chains can stretch, and tensioners can fail in rare cases, so it’s recommended to get them changed at 75,000, as well as having the valve clearances and tappets checked. Our advice would be that if you’re buying one on 100k+ and the history doesn’t show the work having been done, put the job near the top of your to-do list. Loose heat shields and manifold covers can cause rattles from under the bonnet. They are cheap to fix, so don’t panic if you hear some noise from the engine.

Transmission

The six-speed gearbox is generally pretty tough, but there are a few things to watch for. Crunching from the gearbox as it goes into second gear is common, and it’s not too much of a concern; do be wary of a heavy clutch, though. They’re light in operation, so a heavy one will need replacing soon.

There was a recall issued for 2004 cars for the gearbox jumping out of second gear under acceleration. Make sure it’s been done. Both engine and gearbox mounts can fail on cars that have seen a lot of track use, which obviously isn’t uncommon with Civic Type Rs. Rock the engine to check that it doesn’t move any more than it should.

Chassis

The good news is that generally speaking, there’s very little to look out for in terms of the chassis. The steering rack on early pre-facelift EP3s is a bit of a weak spot, and you’ll know if it’s worn because the wheel won’t self-center properly. If the car pulls to the right when you let go of the steering wheel, you’ll immediately know it’s the steering rack.

There was a recall for worn racks, so check to see if it’s ever been done. The good news is that used racks in good condition from later cars aren’t hard to source. However, it is an involved (i.e. expensive) job to swap one in. It’s worth getting a 2004-on rack as the ones fitted to facelift cars have revised steering geometry to lessen understeer. Any creaking noises from the rack can be resolved by getting it lubricated.

Honda Civic Type R EP3 Suspension

Suspension-wise, the original dampers are prone to wear, but it’s unlikely any car will still be running them as they will probably have been replaced with an uprated set. The only other thing to really look out for is whether the car sits level – if not, it will most likely point to worn bushes and ball joints. Brakes are strong and reliable, with just rear calipers prone to sticking, but getting them cleaned will sort this out.

Check out our guide to the best suspension for the Honda Civic Type R. Equally, we’ve got our guide to the best brakes in 2024.  

Interior

Interior-wise, the EP3 can be a bit rattly as the dash plastics are quite cheap. Door handle inserts can become scratched, but a DIY spray job will get them looking significantly better. Make sure that the electric windows work smoothly, and worn seat bolsters are common as they are quite large, and you rub against them getting in and out of the car. Air-con was optional, and if it’s fitted to the car you’re looking at, make sure it works – never believe anyone that tells you it just needs a re-gas, and if it’s not blowing cold, check the condition of the condenser as it will be the most likely culprit. But otherwise, it’s all generally hard-wearing and won’t go falling apart on you.

Exterior

Rust isn’t really a huge issue on the Honda Civic Type R EP3, but that’s not to say that you shouldn’t inspect any prospective purchase thoroughly to be sure it’s solid. The sills and arches are where you need to check, and any visible rust could be a sign of more lurking where you can’t see it. Facelift cars are especially susceptible as the rear arches were fitted with sound-deadening material that also had a habit of trapping water, which obviously isn’t ideal. If the arch liners are still present, just get rid of them.

Honda Civic Type R EP3 paint

The paint is quite soft, so stone chips around the front are very common. Milano Red cars look great, but they do suffer from paint fade if a car has spent its life outside, and then they start to turn pink. Machine polishing should bring the red back and then keep it looking red by regularly applying a good-quality wax, ideally one that’s been designed to offer extra UV protection. If the paint fade is really bad and is beyond saving, a respray will be your only option.

A common issue is that the door moldings and window seals deteriorate, so look out for that, and also check that the aerial base isn’t leaking and letting water into the cabin. Get inside the car and check the headlining around the B- and C-pillars to see if you can feel any signs of dampness. The headlights also tend to go milky, but you can restore them with a restoration kit, and the side skirts also have a tendency to come loose, so check them.

Finally, check that the boot lid spoiler on the tailgate sits flush with the roofline when it’s closed – if not, it’s a sign that the hinges are broken and need replacing. These need lubricating as they age, so if your spoiler is nice and flush, keep your hinges nicely lubricated to make sure they don’t go breaking on you.

Tech Spec: Honda Civic Type R EP3

• Engine: 1998cc four-cylinder
• Transmission: Six-speed manual
• Max Power: 200hp @ 7400rpm
• Max Torque: 145lb ft @ 5900rpm
• 0-62mph: 6.6secs
• Top Speed: 146mph
• Weight: 1204kg
• Price When New: £15,995

Words: Daniel Bevis and Elizabeth de Latour. Photos: Honda.

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The post Honda Civic Type R EP3 Buying Guide appeared first on Fast Car.

The debate will forever rage about which generation of M3 is the best, and, while fans of each model will always fight for their chosen car’s honour with a fiery passion, we can all at least agree on the fact that every generation is special for its own reasons and that there is truly no wrong answer. However, it always feels like the E46 M3 is the one with the biggest following, and it’s easy to see why.

Even today, almost a quarter of a century after it was launched, it still looks fantastic. After the subtle and subdued E36 M3, the E46 M3 was BMW absolutely on top of its design game, and the car has so much purpose and presence, as well as just being a perfectly proportioned and incredibly stylish machine. Then you’ve got the god-tier chassis it was blessed with, which made it one of the best-handling cars of its generation, and that means it’s still incredible to drive 24 years later. And the cherry on top is the S54 engine, making 343hp at a sky-high 7900rpm, delivering a spine-tingling straight-six howl as it does so.

Pretty much everyone who loves BMWs would love to have an E46 M3 to their name, and that makes Daniel Gumienny (@dan_m3e46), the owner of this example, a very lucky man. But, as you might have noticed from the pictures, his is rather special. There’s a lot going on here, and trust us when we say that this is one of the finest E46 M3s you’re going to find, anywhere.

Daniel’s car history

For Daniel, BMWs are just a bit special, and, growing up, he always wanted to own one; “BMWs are my childhood dream. Since the first time I saw an E30 325i on the street as a child, I knew BMW would be the car I will be driving,” he grins. “In my opinion, BMW has the most beautiful design, sport features, and the way the car drives, BMW always stands out among the others in every aspect,” Daniel enthuses, and you can feel just how much the Bavarian brand means to him.

“My first BMW was an E36 320i; I was in love with that car because of the six-cylinder engine, and these days six-cylinder engines still sound like music to my ears,” he smiles. Since then, he’s owned a few BMWs, with the current line-up including an F10 530d that serves as his daily and an R 1250 GS Adventure bike, but it’s the car wearing the M badge that we are interested in.

“The E46 M3 is, in my opinion, the most beautiful M3 model created to this day by BMW designers and the last true old-school sports car, mechanically,” Daniel says. “I bought it on Autotrader; it was in used condition, and it required a few jobs to be done,” but it’s now a full-on build that will leave your jaw on the floor.

Supercharged E46 M3 exterior

There’s so much we want to talk about, but we have to start with the outside because, well, just look at it. Everything about this M3 is so right; Daniel has done an incredible job making it look sensational, and this is, without a doubt, one of the best M3s we’ve ever set eyes on. “I wanted my M3 to stand out among the others and be unique, so I have modified it in my vision,” he smiles, and he’s really gone above and beyond to make his M3 special. First of all, there’s a custom front bumper, which has been enhanced with the addition of a carbon splitter, and then you will notice that those rear arches are exceptionally fat, with Daniel having them widened to dramatic effect.

They give this M3 so much presence, and it just looks so incredibly muscular and powerful – which it is, but we’ll get on to that later… This M3 also has an OEM CSL boot lid, as well as a carbon diffuser, and the finishing touch is the carbon roof that’s also been fitted, and it makes this car all the more special. Finally, it was treated to a respray in its original shade of Silver Grey and looks stunning for it. We can’t get over how good this M3 looks – it is perfection.

Chassis & Wheels

Speaking of which, those wide arches have been absolutely stuffed with a set of stunning aftermarket wheels, and they add even more visual drama to this build and take it to the next level. “I chose the BBS RS2s as I like the design and fit on the E46 M3 the most, I didn’t like any other wheels as much,” he enthuses, and we can only agree.

These spectacular BBS splits measure 19” across, a hefty 9.5” wide up front, and a massive 11.5” at the rear, necessary to fill out those fat arches, and there’s just the tiniest bit of poke, which adds extra aggression to the whole package. And you can’t just fit a set of stunning wheels like that without adding a bit of lowering, which Daniel has done via a set of BC coilovers. They bring those swollen arches down low over the sidewalls, and that drop delivers some serious visual drama that makes this M3 look even better.

Interior modifications on the supercharged e46 M3

When your M3 looks this good on the outside, you can’t cut corners and leave it with a standard interior, and Daniel has gone all out on the inside. “It all started with the Recaro Sportster CS front seats, I went for elegance, sport and comfort,” Daniel explains. “Then all-new leather upholstery; I wanted to choose an interior colour not typical but matching the car colour, which was ordered to be custom made,” and the end result is stunning.

The Sportsters are absolute goals, pretty much the seats that every BMW owner wants in their car, and Daniel’s choice of leather colour, a delicious cinnamon shade, totally transforms the interior. At the back, meanwhile, sits a roll-cage, while the steering wheel, gear, and handbrake gaiters have been finished in Alcantara.

Engine modifications on the BMW E46 M3

Considering how astonishing this build is on every level, it might be surprising to hear us say that we reckon we’ve left the best for last. That’s because what’s lurking beneath the bonnet is something seriously special, and what’s filling out the M3’s front bumper might just have given you a clue as to what it could be. “I wanted the car to have more power, as it’s never too much,” grins Daniel. “So I decided to go with an ESS 580hp supercharger. To prepare the original engine for the power increase, I replaced the rod bearings, fitted a new head gasket, and modified the Vanos oil pump disc.”

The sight of a supercharger will always make us happy, and hearing that Daniel has a massive 580hp to enjoy makes us exceedingly happy indeed, especially when it’s been paired with a full Supersprint exhaust system that really amplifies that soaring straight-six soundtrack. It’s a combo that makes this E46 M3 even more awesome. And, because stopping is just as important as going, sitting behind those BBSs, you will spot the red calipers of the 996 911 GT3 brake setup that Daniel has installed.

Favourite modification

Everything about this supercharged E46 M3 is just awesome, there’s no other way to describe it. Daniel has done an incredible job, and every aspect of this car is simply astonishing. He’s put so much into it, and the results speak for themselves; this is such a complete build, pure modified perfection.

Every element shines on its own and works wonderfully as part of the whole, and it’s not surprising to hear that Daniel can’t choose just one aspect of this M3 as the one he loves most of all. “I can’t pick; my favourite is the car as a whole,” he grins. “The car was modified over the years I have owned it, mostly in my free time as my hobby,” Daniel adds, which makes the finished build all the more impressive.

What’s next for the supercharged E46 M3?

Except it isn’t finished, of course, and Daniel has been busy since the photoshoot; “I added some interior details, including a carbon front CSL centre console, a quick-shifter, a race shifter cover, and a rear seat delete with an Alcantara-trimmed board. In the future, I’m planning to add Air Lift suspension,” he says, and clearly, no matter how perfect and complete a build might appear to an outsider, there’s always something else on the owner’s mind.

But when those modifications are constantly enhancing and improving a car that’s already at this incredible level, they’re worth it. The E46 M3 is an exceptional machine in standard form, arguably one of BMW’s best, but even where M machines are concerned, there’s always room for improvement, and Daniel’s build takes things to the next level, and beyond.

Photos: Ade Brannan.

Love modified cars? We host a number of modified car events throughout the year. Be sure to check out Fast Car Events for more information on what’s coming up next.

The post Supercharged E46 M3 With 580hp appeared first on Fast Car.

Work smarter, not harder. That’s a phrase you’ve likely heard countless times before. Well, I’m going to use it here because when it comes to car detailing, having the right tools makes the job so much easier. Snow foam is an essential part of the pre-wash process, and a powerful snow foam will remove a lot of the dirt and grime off of your car on its own. As a result, there will be less work involved in physically washing it, which makes your life easier. As a bonus, if your car is cleaner when you start the contact wash, there’s less chance of damaging the paint. The 10 minutes or so that snow foaming takes is absolutely worth it to not only remove dirt, but also to protect your paintwork.

Who is testing the snow foam products?

There’s a huge range of snow foam out there to choose from. As Fast Car’s Detailing Product tester, I’ve done the hard work to make it easier for you to choose which one to buy. I’ve picked eight popular snow foams on the market right now and pitted them against each other in a group test.

The biggest thing I’m looking for here is a snow foam that delivers impressive cleaning performance. I will naturally take value for money into account as well, but I want something that will do some serious cleaning, and if that comes at a slight price increase it can be worth it. That being said, there are plenty of expensive products out there that are outperformed by cheaper options, which is where this test comes in.

There are some very impressive cleaning products here, so read on to see which is the best snow foam. Make sure you get your car ready for the show season! You can check out our Fast Car Entertainment events here. 

Best Snow Foam At A Glance

• Best Overall and Editor’s Choice: Bilt Hamber Touch-Less 5L. RRP: £39.95, buy now! $59.95, buy now! 
• Approved: Gtechniq W4 Citrus Foam. RRP: £13.99, buy now! $21.95, buy now! 
• Approved: Griot’s Garage Foaming Surface Wash. RRP: £24.99, buy now! $21.99, buy now! 
• Best Value: Koch Chemie Gentle Snow Foam. RRP: £18.99, buy now! $30.90, buy now! 

Bilt Hamber Touch-Less – Best Overall and Editor’s Choice

• Size tested: 1.32 gallons/5 litres. RRP: £19.13, buy now! $59.95, buy now!
• Pros: Exceptional cleaning performance
• Cons: Working out panel impact ratio is fiddly

Bilt Hamber Touch-Less is about maximum cleaning, pure and simple. It’s not pH-neutral, there’s no fancy smell and doesn’t make a mountain of foam. It’s been designed to get your car as clean as possible in the pre-wash stage. And it does. There are some drawbacks, however, in that to get the correct dilution ratio, you need to work out the panel impact ratio for your foam lance. Bilt Hamber provides instructions on how to do this, thankfully, so once you get your head around the dilution, it’s a doddle. And you don’t have to worry about it unless you use a different foam lance.

You will find that you need more product than with other snow foams because of this. But that’s why Touch-Less comes in such a large, 5L container. The cleaning power is second-to-none, and it pulls dirt from your car’s panels like you wouldn’t believe. Bilt Hamber Touch-Less is the definition of work smarter, not harder. This is my go-to snow foam and the best on the market for me.

Take a look at our full review of Bilt Hamber’s Touch-Less snow foam here.

Gtechniq W4 Citrus Foam – Approved

• Size tested: 1 litre / 33.8 fl oz. RRP: £13.99, buy now! $21.95, buy now!
• Pros: Impressive cleaning power despite being pH-neutral
• Cons: Just not quite as good as Touch-Less

Gtechniq’s W4 Citrus Foam snow foam is a coating-safe pH-neutral formula. That would normally suggest it won’t perform well, however, that’s not the case here. The secret to W4’s impressive performance is that it combines a citrus degreaser with a foaming agent. A citrus pre-wash is something you can use before applying snow foam. By integrating it into the snow foam, Gtechniq has upped its cleaning power significantly. At the same time, it’s still pH-neutral, which means it won’t degrade any wax you’ve got on the paint, unlike with the Bilt Hamber product above. 

W4 Citrus Foam comes out a little watery but clings well. It really impressed me, and the combo of citrus degreaser and foaming agent cuts through the dirt with ease. Using 3.38 fl. oz (100ml) of W4 as per the instructions means you’ll get 10 washes, which is not bad. The combination of impressive cleaning power and pH-neutral formula is a real winner. Gtechniq W4 Citrus Foam is another snow foam that I will be adding to my collection. However, Bilt Hamber’s product just outshone it in out and out cleaning power. However, those wanting to preserve waxes should opt for Gtechniq’s impressive Citrus Foam. 

For more advice, rear our full review of the Gtechniq W4 Citrus Foam.

Griot’s Garage Foaming Surface Wash – Approved

• Size tested: 1.034 litre / 35 fl oz. RRP: £24.99, buy now! $21.99, buy now!
• Pros: Good cleaning performance while also being pH-neutral
• Cons: Just falls short of matching the top two

I’ve tried a few of Griot’s products in the past and have been mightily impressed, so was hopeful of seeing a similar result while testing its Foaming Surface Wash. And I have to say, this is another Griot’s product that has impressed me. Following the instructions for the Griot’s The Boss Foam Cannon is best as it’s like a normal snow foam lance. That means using 1.6 fl. oz (47ml) per wash, which equates to 20 washes per litre. This makes it good value, despite the higher initial price point. 

The foam had a nice consistency and stayed on the panel for a long time. Despite its pH-neutral formula, Griot’s Garage Foaming Surface Wash delivered impressive cleaning power. It was one of the best foams here, and this is another snow foam I will be using personally. And as a sidenote, the milky product has a very pleasant coconut smell. 

Read the full review of Griot’s Garage Foaming Surface Wash.

Koch Chemie Gentle Snow Foam – Best Value

• Size tested: 1 litre / 33.8 flz oz. RRP: £15.85, buy now! $30.99, buy now!
• Pros: A little goes a long way
• Cons: Cleaning performance is only average

Yet another multi-purpose product, Koch Chemie GSF doubles up as a snow foam and shampoo. It’s got a nice cherry scent and is pH-neutral so it’s coating-safe. With it being German, I had high hopes for this snow foam. You only need 0.7 fl. oz (20ml) of product in a 1-litre snow foam lance, which means if you’re looking for value for money, this is your champion.

At that dilution ratio, you’ll get 50 washes from your 1-litre bottle. That makes it the cheapest snow foam here per wash by some margin. It delivered plenty of foam and stuck to the panel for a long time. Unfortunately, its cleaning power was only average, and this is, ultimately, a test of cleaning power.

Read full review of Koch Chemie Gentle Snow Foam here.

Masterson’s Mystic Snow Foam Auto Wash

• Size tested: 473ml / 16 fl oz. RRP: £10.95 / $14.99 buy now!
• Pros: Dual-purpose foam can be used in direct sunlight
• Cons: Cleaning power is not that impressive

Masterson’s Mystic Snow Foam is another dual-purpose product. You can use this as a regular shampoo, or put it through your foam lance as a snow foam. I love the marzipan smell, it’s pH-neutral and coating-safe, and it can also be used in direct sunlight. That’s a big deal, as it promises to leave behind no streaks or spots. If you clean your car in direct sunlight, this is the snow foam for you. 

However, its performance wasn’t that impressive. We used it at its lowest dilution of 30ml (1 fl. oz), and it was okay. It took a reasonable amount of dirt off the panel, and it’s a mid-position foam in this test. At 1 fl. oz dilution, it is very good value for money, though, which might sway your decision.

Want to know more about Masterson’s snow foam? Check out the Mystic Snow Foam Auto Wash review here.

Auto Finesse Avalanche

• Size tested: 500ml / 16.9 fl oz. RRP: £9.95, buy now. $16.95, buy now.
• Pros: pH-neutral with decent cleaning performance
• Cons: Vague dilution instructions

Auto Finesse Avalanche is another snow foam with a pleasant whiff of citrus. However, there’s no mention of there being any degreasing action at work here. There’s also no mention of pH level, but Auto Finesse says Avalanche is coating-friendly. It delivered some lovely foam that really clung to the panel. After rinsing it was clear that Avalanche had done some work on the dirt.

I will say I don’t like the vagueness of the instructions. Auto Finesse says you should use 1-2” of product in a 1-litre bottle. I measured this on the six snow foam lances I tested, and it ranges from around 100ml (3.38 fl. oz) to over 500ml (17 fl. oz). I would much rather have a clearer dilution ratio. No one is going to be using 17 fl. oz in one go, so 3.38 fl. oz per wash will give you 10 washes per litre. That makes it a little expensive here, but it’s not a bad snow foam.

Read our full review of Auto Finesse’s Avalanche snow foam here.

Chemical Guys Sticky Snowball

• Size tested: 16 fl oz/473ml. RRP: £15.99 / $12.99, buy now! 
• Pros: Can be used as a shampoo and snow foam
• Cons: Poor cleaning performance

Chemical Guys Sticky Snowball is advertised as being both a shampoo and a snow foam. I like the versatility because it means you don’t necessarily need to buy a separate shampoo. But I care about performance, and sadly, Chemical Guys Sticky Snowball did not deliver as well compared to others here. It made lots of very thick foam, and it stuck around on the panel, as its name suggested it would.

However, it performed poorly here and didn’t seem to do much cleaning at all. It’s well-priced, at least. At 30ml (1 fl. oz) per wash, you’ll get just over 15 washes from 16.9 fl. oz (500ml), which means 30 per litre. Even the higher concentration of 60ml (2 fl. oz) will give you 15 washes per litre of product. However, considering its performance at 1 fl. oz dilution, which is how I tested, you’d have to use 2 fl. oz each time. Maybe it would work better then, but I’d rather stick with something that I know performs really well.

For a closer look at Chemical Guys’ Sticky Snowball snow foam, read our full review of it here.

Angelwax Fastfoam

• Size tested: 1 litre / 33.8 fl. oz. RRP: $16.99, buy now! £12.45, buy now! 
• Pros: A decent all-rounder
• Cons: Just a bit average across the board

Fastfoam is billed as the British detailing company’s professional detailing snow foam. There’s not a lot of specific information about the formula or anything else, so I wasn’t sure what to expect.

I didn’t get the thickest foam, but it’s not always about that when it comes to cleaning – it’s the performance that matters. It did cling to the panel nicely, though. Post-rinse, I could see that it had taken some dirt off the panel. At the recommended dilution ratio, you’ll get 10 washes from the 1-litre bottle. It’s decent value and not a bad choice of snow foam.

Want to know more? Read our full review of Angelwax Fastfoam.

How Each Product Was Tested

I first performed a swipe test using a cotton pad on a section of the car’s panel. Then I applied each snow foam at the lowest suggested dilution ratio onto the dry panel. Some foams tell you to pre-rinse the panel, while others don’t. Tests have shown that snow foam generally performs better when applied to a dry panel, so that’s what I did. The snow foam was allowed to dwell for its suggested time, then rinsed off. The panel was allowed to dry, and then I carried out another swipe test from the same area. This allowed me to directly compare the amount of dirt remaining after using the foam.

What To Look For When Buying The Best Snow Foam

The most important thing is cleaning power and performance. This is why you are buying snow foam. There’s no point buying something that smells nice or delivers mountains of foam if it doesn’t clean properly. A large amount of foam does not automatically mean strong cleaning power. A pH-neutral foam is also worth looking at, as it won’t strip your wax or other coatings you might have applied to your car. If you like to apply wax regularly or use a wash and wax shampoo, then that won’t matter so much to you. But if you want your coating to last, it’s nice to know which snow foam won’t cause it to degrade.

Now you’ve got the right snow foam to perfect your car detailing, you’ve got no excuse not to have your car’s gleaming this show season. Be sure to check out our Fast Car Events page here.

The post Best Snow Foam In 2024 appeared first on Fast Car.

It’s hard to believe that, up until what feels like a few years ago (even though it was probably much longer ago than that…), the E36 was very much the unloved 3 Series. When it was launched, the E36 was not met with the universal acclaim of its predecessor, with some cost-cutting measures evident, and early buyers coming over from their E30s were disappointed.

The LCI model tackled a lot of problems on the early cars, but time proved that the E36 was not built to the same standard as the beloved E30 and the E36s soon became the cheapest BMWs you could buy. Even the the E36 M3 became unloved – when it was launched, it was criticised for being too soft and lacking the hardcore nature of the legendary E30 M3, and, for quite some time, it failed to find fans, and prices were rock bottom.

Damon’s car history

Fast forward to now, and the E36 is now becoming a much-loved modern classic, while the E36 M3 is a rapidly appreciating M icon that has found a firm fanbase, and Damon Mehr (@slowm3hr) is a fully paid-up member. But, then again, he’s something of an M addict in general and as big of a car enthusiast as they come, and they are both his passion and profession.

“I run a performance shop as well as an auto boutique (@mehrwerks),” Damon tells us, and BMWs hold a special place in his heart. “I’ve been interested in BMWs since the first time I saw a Laguna Seca Blue E46 M3 when I was around 12 years old. They’re special to me because this is the car brand that got me into this passion and hobby,” he grins. “My first BMW was my first car, and I specifically bought that model only because it had two exhaust tips! I had no other information on the car,” he laughs, but the car in question was a 335i, so it was a fine introduction to the marque. His current Bavarian collection is enough to make any BM fan’s heart race, with no fewer than four M3s to his name – two E46s, an E90, and the E36 we’re featuring here.

Buying the E36 M3

“I decided to buy my E36 M3 because it was the only M3 I hadn’t previously had. It had a very big market for parts and modifications and was a great way to show off my shop’s services,” Damon explains. “I actually found the car in a back parking lot of a random side street, rotting away.

The car had no interior, bad paint, and no drivetrain,” which makes it sound like a nightmare purchase for just about anyone else, but for Damon, it was the perfect blank canvas. “Before I even bought the car, I knew exactly the route I wanted to go with it at the time, and it only took two months from the day I got the car to get it to how it sits now,” he smiles. That is impressive, but then again, at the tender age of 23, Damon has already owned over 100 cars, including everything from M3s to Corvettes, Evos and now a GT3, and he’s modified most of them, so this is most definitely not his first rodeo.

Transforming the E36 M3

With Damon now the owner of an E36 M3 shell, there was a lot of work to do to transform this into a fully functional car and a rolling demo for what his shop is capable of, so he wasted no time and got stuck in straight away. “The first thing I did when I got the car was look for the bare motor block. From then, I sent that out to the machine shop and started ordering all the supporting mods for the build,” he explains, and it seems fitting that we start with the engine because it is an absolute monster.

Turbocharged E36 M3 build

Pop the bonnet on Damon’s E36 M3, and you will be greeted by a very clean shaved bay and the sight of a very large turbo mounted to the side of the S52, and it’s making some very large numbers, indeed. The engine itself is a fully built S52 with Wiseco pistons and Pauter rods, with a built and ported head with aggressive cams, dual valve springs and oversized valves, along with a custom in-house turbo kit, plus an upgraded fuel system running double pumps and 2100cc injectors, all topped off with a standalone ECU setup, also tuned in-house.

The end result is an absolutely monstrous 840whp and 811lb ft wtq, which means this M3 is knocking on the door of 1000hp; that is just insane, and definitely a great way of showcasing just what Damon’s shop is capable of. Power is sent to the wheels via the standard ZF five-speed gearbox with an IRP shifter on top and a DKM twin-disc clutch to handle those massive outputs.

Turbocharged E36 M3 chassis modifications

The chassis has received some enhancements to help the car deploy all that power and allow Damon to make the most of everything it has to offer. “The car was sitting on air suspension for the longest time for some car shows, but I immediately regretted my choice due to the ride quality,” Damon laments. “I then upgraded to AST coilovers, and the only other chassis modifications I did was the front and rear subframe reinforcements to ensure no failure with the excess power,” he explains, and these are joined by Turner control arms and poly bushes throughout.

Those ASTs deliver a purposeful drop and get the car sitting perfectly over Damon’s superb choice of aftermarket wheels for this build. “At the time, all my other cars were running the same Volk Racing TE37s, so I had to match them. I definitely had some other wheel ideas, but the deal came up and I had to take it,” he grins, and we don’t blame him at all. The 18” TE37s look fantastic on this E36, and the square setup has them filling the arches to perfection.

Exterior styling on the turbocharged E36 M3

Considering how much of a beast this build is, you really wouldn’t know it to look at it, and, as far as M3s go, this one is pretty subtle. “I really just wanted a minimalistic look to the car with the aggression being under the hood,” Damon reasons. “I did all the paint and exterior work myself, and it took less than a month,” he adds, which is especially impressive when you consider just how bad the car was when he bought it. Damon opted for Mugello Red when painting the car, and it looks fantastic in that shade. It wears just a few styling enhancements, namely a carbon front lip and side blades, which contrast perfectly against the bold red bodywork and add just that little extra hint of aggression to proceedings.

Interior mods

“For the interior, I wanted to do a racecar yet luxury approach,” Damon explains, “which is why I went with the leather Pole Positions and full carpet, instead of it being fully gutted,” and it’s a killer combo. The single-piece Recaro bucket seats are joined by a set of red OMP harnesses mounted to the Studio RSR cage fitted in the rear. Then you’ve got the Renown steering wheel, the AEM gauges for AFR and oil pressure, and the finishing touch is the pair of red door pulls, all of which combines to deliver the perfect blend of hardcore racecar vibes with everyday comfort.

What’s next for the turbocharged E36 M3?

As impressive as this whole build is, and an 840whp turbo M3 is always going to be impressive, it’s the fact that it took Damon just two months to put this car together from scratch that really blows us away, especially when you consider he started from little more than a bare shell, and that he shaved the bay and did all the paintwork on the whole car himself. And while there is a lot to love about this build, it’s the engine that is, without a doubt, the star of the show, as well as Damon’s favourite part of the whole project. “It completely transformed the car into something relatively undriveable,” he chuckles, and we can only imagine how much of a handful this monster M3 is.

But for not much longer. The modding mind never rests, and Damon is currently busy working on the M3 once more; “I am actually currently in the middle of swapping the drivetrain once again, this time to an E46 M3 S54 engine and six-speed transmission,” he tells us. That might be a step down in terms of power, but it will make this M3 drive very differently, giving Damon a whole new experience, as well as once again showcasing the talents of his shop. This 3 Series has come a long way from when Damon first got his hands on it, and it’s now an epic E36 that really shows off this generation at its very best, and when you see a stunning example such as this, it’s easy to see why the once unloved 3 Series is now a firm fan favourite.

Love modified German cars? Don’t forget, we’re hosting our German Car Festival event at Goodwood Motor Circuit this October 5^th!

Photography: Karmen Trebolo (@kncapturescars).

The post Turbocharged E36 M3 With 840whp! appeared first on Fast Car.

Soichiro Honda once said: “Racing improves the breed.” It’s a quote that’s been widely spread about the motoring sphere ever since. The classic ‘win on Sunday, sell on Monday’ ethos of Touring Car racing runs along the same lines, but few company figureheads have so concisely captured the spirit of it all as Mr. Honda. It’s because he walked the walk, he wasn’t just paying lip service.

Do you know how he reacted to Honda’s first-ever victory in Formula One? In a deadpan tone, with a hint of a smirk, he said: “We will not be content with this victory alone. We will study why we won and aggressively apply those winning technologies to new cars.” This is why Honda road cars today are such formidable things. The company works out which bits are operating best at full-tilt on the race track, then shoves it all into its road cars. This is all hidden behind a veneer of sensibleness; but always waiting to pounce when the cam profiles shift into the shadowy VTEC zone.

Type R Hondas are the most exciting and engaging result of this. The ‘R’ stands for ‘Racing’, and this is a badge that’s only been glued to a handful of models. You have the NSX Type R, the DC2 and DC5 Integra, the Accord Type R and Euro-R. And of course now six generations of Honda Civic Type R spanning 26 years.

A Brief History of the Honda Civic Type R EK9

The EK9 was the original Civic Type R, and for many, it’s still the best. A genuine EK9 is so much more than simply a sixth-gen Civic hatchback with a racy motor dropped into it. Built in Suzuka from 1997-2000, these cars used the EK4 Civic SiR as a base and stripped out all of the sound deadening. It also carried out various other weight-saving measures to make it as light as possible. The entire shell was also seam-welded for strength, race car-style.

The hand-ported B16B 1.6-litre VTEC had the highest ever hp-per-litre of a naturally-aspirated production motor at the time. It offered a whopping 185hp, with that marked VTEC crossover point. The EK9 also received a close-ratio five-speed gearbox and limited-slip differential which aided acceleration. The interior sported the trademark details that have been a beloved feature of Type R models ever since – the red seats. Not forgetting the red door cards, titanium gear knob and leather Momo steering wheel.

The appeal of this iconic model to British fans of a certain age is easy to explain; as the hot hatch wars raged across the forecourts in the 1990s, the full-fat Type R didn’t make it’s way to our shores. Nor did it make it’s way into the US. 

Sure, we had the VTi, which brought howling VTEC thrills to the UK tuning scene. It also proved in one fell swoop that Japanese engines offered a whole new realm of performance possibilities. But the Type R was the unicorn; made solely for the Japanese market, it took hot hatches into another dimension. It is, quite simply, one of the all-time greats.

Honda Civic Type R EK9 Most Common Problems

• Weak engine mounts
• Sticking rear calipers
• Smoke from the exhaust (valves seals or piston rings)
• Rusty rear arches
• Leaking rear light seals

Honda Civic Type R EK9 in detail

Below, we’ll break the car into the key areas and explain what you’re getting yourself into. We’ll talk about the good as well as the bad, and what you should look out for when you’re buying an EK9 Civic Type R.

Civic Type R EK9 Engine 

The B16 engine is sensitive to having the right quantity and quality of oil inside, particularly in this highly-strung hand-built guise. Make sure that it’s got the correct amount of nice clean oil, as this should hopefully be a sign that the owner knows how to look after it. Keenly interrogate them about their servicing and maintenance patterns. Don’t be afraid to take a detailed look at the history file to back it up. If you spot any metallic elements glinting in the oil, you’ll need to dramatically reduce your buying price. You’ll need to budget for an engine rebuild. With most cars we’d say just walk away at this point, although finding another EK9 isn’t easy.

A recent timing belt is a good sign. Officially these need changing every five years or 60k miles. However, a conscientious owner would hopefully be doing it more regularly than that. Upgrade to a tougher GReddy belt and you can potentially go twice the mileage according to owners.

VTEC issues

A metallic whining sound may be indicative of a dying power steering pump or oil pump. This isn’t a massive deal, but a good bargaining chip. And once the engine’s up to temperature, find a nice open bit of road and take it in and out of VTEC a few times to ensure the lobes engage and disengage correctly. If the engine isn’t happily switching into VTEC, there are a number of possible causes. It could be down to oil pressure or coolant temps – but it’s something that needs a specialist’s eye. Check the valve clearances have been done, and also check to see if the engine mounts have been replaced. These are a weak point, especially the rear mount that’s bolted to the subframe. They can wear out in as little as 40,000-50,000 miles.

Check for smoke from the exhaust too. Black smoke means it’s running too rich, white smoke could indicate head gasket failure. Blue smoke could be down to worn piston rings or valve seals. The generally accepted rule of thumb is if you’ve got smoke while on the throttle, it’ll most likely be the rings. Smoke when you lift off suggests stem seals, though a lot of smoke when crossing into VTEC would suggest valve seals. These are much cheaper to do, because if it’s the piston rings you’re looking at a big engine rebuild bill.

Honda Civic Type R EK9 Transmission

The gearbox should be slick with no crunching or grinding… and if the owner’s changed the transmission fluid at the right times, it will be. Third gear is the first synchro to wear. If it crunches going into third, that’s a clear sign that the car’s been thrashed. Also, check for clutch slip as these can wear surprisingly quickly. Clutch slave cylinders are also weak, though luckily these are cheap to replace.

Honda Civic Type R EK9 Suspension & Brakes

Age-related issues are the most common concerns relating to the chassis. Both bushes and ball joints will want replacing. Rear trailing arm bushes are usually the first to show signs of wear, and owners recommend sticking to the OEM ones, and a fresh set will tighten up the rear end. Inner CV joints are weak, so listen for any grumbling noises when at full lock, while clunks when driving are most likely caused by worn anti-roll bar drop links. In terms of brakes, the rear calipers have a tendency to stick, so make sure that the handbrake releases correctly.

Interior

Interiors are generally pretty tough, although you’ll almost certainly find that the red seat fabric has faded to pink and the seat bolsters are worn and sagging. The driver’s right-hand bolster is the one that wears the most, but replacement foam from Recaro is available and isn’t too expensive. Also, make sure the seats easily slide on their runners and don’t move back and forth when the car’s in motion. The rear light seals fail, so check for leaks in the boots – some sealant will provide an easy fix if yours are letting water in.

Exterior

When it comes to the bodywork, you need to check carefully; unlike later Hondas, there’s potential to find a fair bit of rust in an EK, especially on cars that have been in the UK for a while and have never been undersealed. This means it’s a good idea to check along the sills and across the underbody, and all around the windscreen – but be aware that you may find corrosion anywhere on a car that’s lived outside. The rear arches are one of the main areas to check, and not just from the outside – you can remove the speaker covers and look inside with a torch, and you can also see part of the inner arches using the rear light access holes. Accident damage is also not uncommon, so make sure everything lines up and be suspicious of areas of overspray.

Honda Civic Type R EK9 prices

Now comes the kicker. Finding a stock, clean Honda Civic Type R EK9 for sale in the UK is extremely rare. If you do manage to spot some for sale, the liklihood is that they’ve all been modified, and some will have been used on track. Now this isn’t neccesarilly a problem. A modified EK9 is a fine thing, and if the owner has been smart with their choices, it should only enhance the vehicle. Always do your due diligence though; ask about modifications, who fitted them, when they were fitted, and who makes the product.

In terms of prices, we’ve spotted only a couple for sale at the time of writing, the lowest being a 74k mile track-used example up for £15,000. The other looks to be a tidier example, with a higher 93k miles on the clock and up for sale at £26,995. That being said, it does have Spoon brake calipers, Volk TE37 wheels and a performance exhaust system.

Tech Spec: Honda Civic Type R EK9

• Engine: 1,595cc 4-cyl.
• Transmission: Five-speed manual gearbox.
• Max Power: 185hp @ 8200rpm.
• Max Torque: 118lb ft @ 7500rpm.
• 0-62mph: 6.6 seconds.
• Top Speed: 146mph.
• Weight: 1040 to 1090kg.
• Price When New: Approx. JPY2,000,000 (£16,500).

Words: Daniel Bevis and Elizabeth de Latour.

If you’re reading this EK9 buyer’s guide, then the chances are you’re interested in classic Japanese cars. The good news is that we’re launching our brand new Classic Japfest event this October 6th. Check out our Classic Japfest event preview here, or head over to event website here for more info and tickets. 

The post Honda Civic Type R EK9 Buyer’s Guide appeared first on Fast Car.

When the F8x M3 and M4 models were launched, BMW’s first-ever turbocharged M car, the F10 M5, had already been on sale for a couple of years and showcased the incredible performance offered by turbo power. However, that doesn’t mean that the move to forced induction for the M3 (and newly launched M4 Coupé) was any less controversial, especially when the duo arrived with just 11hp more than the glorious V8 E9x M3 model that preceded them.

But any fears that this latest M incarnation might be in any way disappointing were quickly dispelled when people got to drive them and experienced the performance of the twin-turbo S55, along with the sharp chassis and everything else that makes M cars so great. And while it’s 10 years since the F8x duo was launched, they remain awesome cars, especially with the vast amount of performance upgrades available for them.

Australia’s Fastest S55-powered car

While there are countless modded F8x M cars out there, there are clearly defined levels to the performance upgrades that owners fit, and there’s a very big difference between one running downpipes and a map, for example, and a car like Ozzy Toks’ Yas Marina Blue M3.

This car is Australia’s fastest S55, and is, as far as Ozzy and the team at EuroWerke, the Euro servicing and tuning centre he owns and runs in Sydney, are aware, the second-fastest unopened S55 in the world, and has run a 9.74 quarter mile at 145mph. Not that you’d know to look at it – yes, it’s been lowered, had some carbon addition and a set of wheels added, but so have 99% of F80s out there. You’d never call an M3 a sleeper, but you’d certainly not expect quite that level of performance, and wrapping it in a sensible saloon body makes it all the sweeter.

Ozzy’s car history

You would, however, expect a build of this calibre from Ozzy – this is a man for whom BMWs are a lifelong passion, and he’s had Bavarian metal on his brain since he was a teenager. “The quality and fun when driving one makes them special,” he enthuses. “Whether it’s a 318i or an M5, they give you a unique experience,” and we all know he speaks the truth.

“My first BMW was an E36 318is. It was all I could afford at the time, and I loved the fact that it looked like an M3,” Ozzy tells us, and this was followed by many more BMWs and many modified BMWs. “The list would be too long if I tried to name them all. Let’s just say a lot,” he laughs.

Building the fastest tuned F80 M3 in Australia

We very much doubt this is Ozzy’s first M car, or his first M3, or his first modified M3, and he went into this F80 with a plan. “I bought this car to promote our shop and show what we are capable of achieving,” he explains.

“We found it in Melbourne, and it was nearly new, it was only two years old. The plan was to make it the fastest F80 in the country,” Ozzy grins, and we know for a fact it was mission accomplished.

Engine modifications on the F80 M3

Of course, that is no small feat, and achieving that goal took some serious work. “Everything has been done to the motor other than opening it up. We fitted EU5 direct injectors, which flow more fuel, allowing us to run E85, a bm3 flex sensor, which allows us to run flex fuel, and an in-house low-pressure fuel pump upgrade, allowing more fuel flow to the HPFP.

We also fitted a Pure Turbos Stage 2+ turbo upgrade, which uses stock frame turbos that boost well beyond 3000hp without any issues, a Gintani crank hub, which is the only true crank hub fix, O-Spec downpipes which are full stainless steel and our own product, our own O-Spec forward-facing intakes, and an SSP Spec R DCT Clutch Upgrade Kit, which we need so we can launch at full torque at 5000rpm,” Ozzy grins.

That is a serious selection of performance mods which has resulted in some serious power. This F80 M3 is now pushing out a massive 789hp along with 811lb ft of torque, monstrous outputs that make it very easy to see just why this is Australia’s fastest S55 and how it’s capable of running nines.

Chassis upgrades on the tuned F80 M3

Of course, one does not simply give their M3 almost 800hp and call it a day, so the rest of the car has been upgraded to suit namely the chassis. “The car is running MSS height-adjustable springs, which keep the original shocks while still allowing height adjustment and a smooth ride, and Powerflex dual-mount diff bushes, which add that little bit more stability,” says Ozzy.

These are joined by front and rear SuperPro anti-roll bars and custom upgraded driveshafts from The Driveshaft Shop to help get all that power and torque to the tarmac. There’s also a line-lock kit on board, which allows Ozzy to lock the front brakes to light up the rear wheels at the drag strip for longer to get more heat into them.

Wheels

Speaking of wheels, this tuned F80 M3 is wearing a sexy set of those. In the photos, it’s running 20” AME Shallen VMX splits, but Ozzy’s changed them since the shoot, and it now sits on 19” HRE FF01 FlowForm wheels finished in Tarmac satin black and wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S tyres. “They were on a friend’s car, they looked great, and I always liked them,” reasons Ozzy. “When they came up for sale, we swapped my original 666 wheels for his,” and you can see how aggressive the HREs look on the EuroWerke Insta.

Exterior modifications on the tuned F80 M3

As you can see from the photos, this M3 has been treated to some styling enhancements, but it’s all been kept quite subtle. “I wanted to keep the factory lines and look, but also a little bit more aggressive,” reasons Ozzy and that’s exactly what he’s got.

The M3 wears M Performance carbon fibre mirror covers, carbon fibre lower front splitters and gloss black kidney grilles, along with carbon upper front splitters and a carbon CS-style front lip. Carbon side blades sit beneath the sills, while at the rear you’ll find a CS-style boot lip spoiler and an extended rear diffuser. All this combines to give this M3 more presence and aggression, but all without going over the top, and these sexy carbon additions just serve to perfectly enhance the car’s looks.

Interior mods

Finally, we come to the cabin, and here Ozzy’s approach was to keep it all as close to factory as standard as possible, just making the cabin a nicer place to be without taking things too far. To that end, the interior has been treated to a healthy amount of carbon fibre, which instantly enhances the experience.

The M Performance catalogue has been raided for the carbon DCT gear selector and surround, handbrake handle, as well as floor mats, and then there’s the Alcantara steering wheel with carbon trim, which has since been further upgraded to a custom carbon and leather item complete with digital display and shift lights, and there are also carbon fibre shift paddle extenders. The finishing touches are the red steering wheel and start-stop buttons, as well as an upgraded iDrive screen with Apple CarPlay.

Tuned F80 M3 verdict

What you’re looking at here is nine years’ worth of work, and Ozzy has accomplished exactly what he set out to do, which was build a car that would show off what EuroWerke is capable of and a nine-second F80 M3 running a stock block is most definitely that. We love the combination of mods across the exterior and interior, and the whole package is just top-tier.

And as for Ozzy’s top mod, well you just knew it was going to be about the engine; “It’s the turbos – the sound and the way they come on boost is awesome,” he grins. At this point, the F80 M3 project is complete – Ozzy’s goal has been achieved, and he’s looking for the next build, with that most likely being a G8x M3 or M4 or a manual M2. Whatever Ozzy picks, looking at this tuned F80 M3, you know it’s going to be an awesome next-level performance machine that will, once again, really show off what he and his team are all about.

Photos: Aaron Lam.

Love modified BMWs? Don’t forget that we’re hosting our German Car Festival event at Goodwood Motor Circuit on October 5^th where you’ll get to see cars like this F80 M3 in person and on track. Head over to the German Car Festival event website for more information and tickets.

The post This 800hp Tuned F80 M3 Is Australia’s Fastest S55 Car appeared first on Fast Car.

As a recovering wax addict, I know all too well how tempting they are. The lure of a new wax that promises ultimate gloss, incredible beading and lasting durability is impossible to resist. But away from the fancy packaging, delicious scents, and promises telling you exactly what you want to hear, how do you actually pick a good wax?

Without an in-depth wax test, exactly like this one, you’re at the mercy of the manufacturers. Every wax claims to be easy to use and perform well, but some are definitely better than others. So, for this test, I picked four liquid waxes and four paste waxes and pitted them against each other. And my test is not an easy-going one.

What makes a good car wax?

I’m looking for ease of application and removal, water behavior and value for money. I’m also going to be testing gloss and durability. Gloss is a tricky one, because, unlike polish, wax can often reduce the gloss readings on a panel. This, in fact, happened with a few of our waxes on test. If a wax does manage to increase gloss, then you know it’s adding serious shine.

As for durability, that’s something I’ll be testing over the next 3 months. Our brave test panel will be living outside over winter, dealing with the worst of the conditions. Every month, I will carry out an inspection to check water behavior to see if each wax is still present and performing. The results will be recorded here and might influence the final order at the end of the test period.

Enough chat – let’s get waxing. Read on for the results of my car wax group test.

Best car wax at a glance

• Best Paste Wax Overall: Auto Finesse Fusion. RRP: £41.95, buy now. Not available in the US.
• Best Value Paste Wax: Bilt Hamber Double Speed-Wax. RRP: £19.90, buy now. Not available in the US.
• Approved: Meguiar’s Ultimate Paste Wax. RRP: £35.90, buy now. $35.52, buy now.
• Best Liquid Wax Overall: Adam’s Graphene Liquid Wax. RRP: £32.99 ($32.99), buy now.
• Best Value Liquid Wax: Mothers Pure Brazilian Carnauba Wax. RRP: £17.99, buy now. $19.99, buy now.
• Approved: Meguiar’s Hybrid Ceramic Liquid Wax. RRP: £31.43, buy now. $31.07, buy now.

How I tested these products

Each section of our test panel was polished with Meguiar’s Ultimate Compound. The panels were then wiped down with CarPro Eraser to remove any polishing oils and ensure the surface was clean. Three gloss readings were taken from each section using our gloss meter, and the average was calculated.

Each wax was then applied according to the manufacturer’s instructions. An average gloss reading was once again taken for each section. Finally, the panel was sprayed with water and water behavior was observed.

Water behavior after 6 weeks of testing.

Paste Wax Results After 6 Weeks

• 1st: Auto Finesse Fusion – Auto Finesse Fusion ranked second for water behavior in the initial test, but it’s now moved up to first place. I barely had time to turn off the hose and grab my phone before it had cleared its section. Very impressive indeed.
• 2nd: Bilt Hamber Double Speed-Wax – Bilt Hamber, my winning paste wax, came first for water behavior and has now dropped to second place. It was incredibly close, though, and there was almost nothing between Double Speed-Wax and Fusion. Another very impressive performance.
• 3rd: Autoglym Ultra High Definition Wax – While Autoglym Ultra High Definition Wax originally came fourth for water behavior, it’s now moved up to third. It’s performing very well at the moment, and I was impressed. Could Ultra High Definition Wax prove to be an endurance contender?
• 4th: Meguiar’s Ultimate Paste Wax – I really liked Meguiar’s Ultimate Paste Wax in the original test overall, but it’s dropped from third to fourth after six weeks. It’s still clearly present on the panel, and it’s still clearing water, but its performance has dropped significantly. We’ll see if it can hang on for another six weeks.

Liquid Wax Results After 6 Weeks

There is basically no point in ranking the liquid waxes because they’re pretty much all dead. The only one that’s still doing anything noticeable is Meguiar’s Hybrid Ceramic Liquid Wax. Even so, it’s just barely doing anything. Mothers Pure Brazilian Carnauba Wax was the only other liquid wax that gave a hint that it was still there, but that’s me being very generous.

I’m surprised and disappointed with these results. All eight waxes were applied on the same day, in the same conditions, and according to their respective instructions. As you’ll see below, the paste waxes are all still performing very well. So I am very surprised to see all the liquid waxes pretty much failed after just six weeks. I wonder if they are just very sensitive to ambient temperature when applying, but I really don’t know.

Best Paste Car Wax Results In Detail

1st: Auto Finesse Fusion – Best Paste Car Wax Overall

Size: 150g RRP: £41.95, buy now. Not available in the US.

• Pros: Great water behavior, decent gloss increase
• Cons: Sticky when applying
• Gloss before: 87.7
• Gloss after: 88.4
• Gloss change: +0.7
• Water behavior ranking: 2nd

Auto Finesse offers no fewer than 7 paste waxes, with Fusion sitting comfortably in the midrange. I chose Fusion as it’s a hybrid wax, so should deliver good durability. It’s the second most expensive wax on test, so I wanted to see what you’re getting at this price point. Auto Finesse says that Fusion is a blend of Brazilian T1-Grade carnauba and advanced synthetic polymers. This means that it will give you the warm look of a natural hard car wax but with the prolonged durability of a man-made paint sealant. Auto Finesse says you’ll get up to 8 months of protection, which is impressive stuff.

Fusion has also been designed with a consistency specifically developed to spread thinly and buff easily. And it was actually very nice to work with. It felt a little sticky when applying, but was one of the easiest waxes to buff off. Water behavior was very impressive, with Auto Finesse Fusion placing a very close second. And it delivered a decent increase in gloss, too. I like this car wax, and I look forward to seeing how durable it proves to be.

After our six week test, Auto Finesse’s Fusion car wax continues to deliver strong results.

2nd: Bilt Hamber Double Speed-Wax – Best Best Value

Size: 250ml RRP: £19.90, buy now. Not available in the US.

• Pros: Impressive gloss increase, exceptional water behavior, includes applicator and cloth, incredible value
• Cons: Not the easiest wax to apply and remove
• Gloss before: 87.8
• Gloss after: 88.9
• Gloss change: +1.1
• Water behavior ranking: 1st
• Read the full Bilt Hamber review here.

Reading the Bilt Hamber website, Double Speed-Wax is described as a carnauba polymer paste wax with T1 carnauba. According to Bilt Hamber, the carnauba wax used provides a deep, rich, glossy, highly water repellent and detergent-resistant film. And while Bilt Hamber is not forthcoming about the polymer part, I’m convinced there’s some sort of wizardry going on here.

That’s the only way I can explain how such a cheap wax can perform so well and outperform far more expensive rivals here. It delivered the second-best increase in gloss, the best water behavior, and is less than half the price of the next-cheapest wax on test. It’s honestly astonishing.

It’s not perfect, though. Bilt Hamber says it’s easy to use, but I disagree. It’s very sensitive the applicator being overloaded, and quickly becomes sticky. It also feels a little grabby on removal. Other waxes here are nicer to use. But it’s the tiniest and only complaint I can muster. If it lives up to its promise of durability, Bilt Hamber Double Speed-Wax will walk this test.

3rd: Autoglym Ultra High Definition Wax – Approved

Size: 120g RRP: £47.89, buy now.

• Pros: Very nice to apply and remove, exceptionally slick, includes applicator and cloth
• Cons: Expensive, poor gloss results
• Gloss before: 88
• Gloss after: 87.5
• Gloss change: -0.5
• Water behavior ranking: 4th

Autoglym Ultra High Definition Wax certainly impresses when you read its credentials, and Autoglym describes this as its finest wax. An evolution of the first-generation UHD Wax, this new formula has been designed to deliver the ultimate mirror-like shine, providing more detail, depth and durability. It’s meant to be easier to apply and buff while also generating an even deeper shine.

It’s the most expensive wax on test, but it also delivers a very upmarket experience. The packaging, the jar, the applicator – it all looks and feels suitably luxurious. Autoglym Ultra High Definition Wax was the nicest wax to use in this test. It was lovely and easy to apply and buffed off like a dream, so it definitely delivers on that front. This wax also felt very slick to the touch.

However, it couldn’t muster decent gloss numbers, delivering a negative result, which was both surprising and disappointing. It also placed last out of the paste waxes in the water behavior test. Though it was extremely close between this and Meguiar’s. There’s still a chance for redemption with the durability testing, but Autoglym Ultra High Definition Wax proved to be disappointing, especially at this price point.

4th: Meguiar’s Ultimate Paste Wax – Approved

Size: 8oz (226g) RRP: £35.90, buy now. $35.52, buy now.

• Pros: Nice to apply and remove, can be used in direct sun, very impressive gloss increase, includes applicator and cloth
• Cons: Not much
• Gloss before: 86.7
• Gloss after: 88.2
• Gloss change: +1.5
• Water behavior ranking: 3rd
• Read the full Meguiar’s Paste Wax review here.

Meguiar’s Ultimate Paste Wax features a synthetic wax blend for maximum performance. Meguiar’s has refined the formula for enhanced durability and a glossier finish. Hydrophobic Polymer Technology increases surface tension for relentless water beading, and Meguiar’s says it’s also easy to apply and remove, even in direct sun. I have to say that this is one of the few waxes on test that really lived up to all the marketing hype.

First of all, it was very nice to use. It was lovely to apply, and very easy to remove. It also delivered the most impressive gloss increase of any wax in the entire test. And third overall out of all waxes tested for water behavior is an impressive result. The fact that you can use it in direct sun is also a welcome bonus. The only thing holding it back is the price, but Meguiar’s Ultimate Paste Wax is an excellent car wax.

Best Liquid Car Wax Results In detail

Adam’s Graphene Liquid Wax – Best Liquid Wax Overall

Size: 16 fl. oz (473ml) RRP: $32.99, buy now (£24.99).

• Pros: Very easy to use, extremely slick, good increase in gloss
• Cons: Poor water behavior
• Gloss before: 87.7
• Gloss after: 88.9
• Gloss change: +1.2
• Water behavior ranking: 7th
• Read the full review on Adam’s wax here. 

After ceramic came graphene, and Adam’s is one of the companies to jump on the trend. Its Graphene Liquid Wax incorporates the benefits of graphene in an easy-to-apply liquid form. As a coating, graphene is claimed to have numerous benefits over ceramic. These include greater durability, a higher water contact angle, and being less prone to water-spotting and etching. So what about when a wax is infused with graphene?

According to Adam’s, Graphene Liquid Wax is designed to refresh and rejuvenate paintwork. It also utilizes the same reduced graphene-oxide ceramic resins within its graphene coating products to seal your paint and make your car more maintenance-friendly. It promises an easy on, easy off application, will fill minor imperfections, and swirls, and removes light oxidation.

Adam’s Graphene Liquid Wax certainly impressed me in terms of application. It went on very nicely and was very easy to remove. Its filling and mild correction properties no doubt are what helped it deliver an impressive increase in gloss. You can’t argue with a wax that does so much. It was also incredibly slick, with the gloss meter hanging on for dear life on the paintwork. I was surprised at how disappointing the water behavior was, though. Beading was minimal, and sheeting was slow, so I’ll be keeping an eye on it. Adam’s also promises 4-6 months of durability, so we’ll see about that, too. But even with some shortcomings, it’s my favorite liquid wax here. It’s lovely to use and delivers impressive results. A solid win for Adam’s Graphene Liquid Wax.

Meguiar’s Hybrid Ceramic Liquid Wax – Approved

Size: 16 fl. oz (473ml) RRP: £31.43, buy now. $31.07, buy now.

• Pros: Best water behavior of any liquid wax on test
• Cons: A little pricey
• Gloss before: 88.4
• Gloss after: 88.6
• Gloss change: +0.2
• Water behavior ranking: 5th
• Read the full liquid wax review here.

With a graphene wax on the test, I had to throw something ceramic into the mix. Meguiar’s Hybrid Ceramic Liquid Wax was my choice here, and it’s an impressive-sounding offering. It contains Hybrid Si02 technology, which Meguiar’s says seals the paint for long-lasting protection and delivers extreme water beading. Meguiar’s says it’s ceramic made easy, which is stretching the truth a little. But what you get is a ceramic-infused liquid wax that has been designed to last. We’ll see how durable it proves, but I can certainly say it delivers in terms of water behavior.

Meguiar’s Hybrid Ceramic Liquid Wax delivered the most impressive water behavior of any of the liquid waxes on test. There was more sheeting than beading, and it was significantly better than any of the other liquid waxes here. It’s a little pricey and delivered the smallest gloss increase among the liquid waxes, but that water behavior is too impressive to ignore.

Mothers Pure Brazilian Carnauba Wax – Best Value Liquid Wax

Size: 16 fl. oz (473ml) RRP: £17.99, buy now. $19.99, buy now.

• Pros: Very good value for money
• Cons: Sticky when applying, poor water behavior
• Gloss before: 87.7
• Gloss after: 88
• Gloss change: +0.3
• Water behavior ranking: 6th
• Read the full review on Mother’s wax here. 

From Mothers, we have a simple, old-school wax offering. Mothers Pure Brazilian Carnauba Wax delivers exactly what it says on the bottle. It’s made with the finest Brazilian number one yellow carnauba. Mothers says it delivers superior shine and protection, with richness and depth. In my test, it was just a pretty average liquid wax. Application and removal were so-so, with this wax feeling rather sticky.

The gloss meter just about managed to register a tiny increase in gloss. Carnauba wax is meant to deliver a rich, warm finish, so you might see that on red paint, for example. But my blue test panel didn’t look very different. Water behavior was also poor, with very slow sheeting. But it’s cheap at least, which makes it good value for money.

Chemical Guys Butter Wet Wax

Size: 16 fl. oz (473ml) RRP: £23.95, buy now. $19.97, buy now.

• Pros: Can be used in direct sun and on wet paintwork, tasty banana scent
• Cons: Non-existent water behavior
• Gloss before: 88.2
• Gloss after: 88.6
• Gloss change: +0.4
• Water behavior ranking: 8th
• Read the full Chemical Guys wax review here. 

Chemical Guys Butter Wet Wax always seems to be getting rave reviews, so I was keen to see how it would perform. Even if durability wasn’t going to be great, I was hoping for good gloss and a nice waxing experience. Chemical Guys says that Butter Wet Wax melts into the paint like butter, delivering a deep, wet look in minutes. Butter Wet Wax uses Brazilian carnauba and features a wipe-on, wipe-off formula. The company also says that you can use it to lightly cleanse paintwork, and wax and dry a wet car at the same time.

Butter Wet Wax has a lovely banana scent, and I would have been disappointed if it didn’t, based on the color. It felt a bit sticky in terms of both application and removal, though. It did manage to deliver an increase in gloss, though. But it placed last in the water behavior test. There was no beading or sheeting, and the water just sat in its test square. I wondered if I’d actually forgotten to apply any wax, but it was definitely there. I don’t know how to explain it, but it was disappointing to see. As first impressions go, Chemical Guys Butter Wet Wax made a disappointing one all-round.

Car Wax FAQs

What Does Car Wax Actually Do?

On an un-prepped, unpolished surface, car wax will help to enhance gloss. However, car wax has plenty more to offer. Car wax adds a layer of protection to your paint that helps repel water, resists UV rays, heat, and pollutants and helps prevent oxidation. It also makes it harder for dirt to stick to the surface, helping to keep your car cleaner for longer and making it easier to wash.

What is water beading and sheeting?

Different waxes display different water behavior. Some give you beading, which is where you get beautiful little droplets of water on the surface of your paint. Others sheet, which means the water runs off the surface rapidly. Beading looks pretty, but sheeting is ultimately more useful. In fact, water beads can actually cause water spotting if the sun comes out and dries them, as they will leave behind mineral content.

Which car wax is best, liquid or paste?

Traditionally, liquid waxes were seen as being best for ease of application, while paste waxes were longer lasting. These days, it comes down to what the wax is made of. An old-fashioned carnauba paste wax will be massively outperformed by a synthetic liquid sealant all day long, for example. So what matters is the wax itself, not whether it’s a liquid or a paste.

What are the negatives of car wax?

In truth, there isn’t really a downside to car wax. After all, the wax protects your paintwork. The only thing we will say is that some car waxed can be difficult to apply evenly and will require more effort to apply. Alongside that, no car wax will last longer than a few months, so the process will need to repeated throughout the year. Other than that, car wax is a brilliant addition to your car detailing process.

Relevant content:

• How To Wax A Car Properly
• What Is The Difference Between Car Polish & Wax?
• How Often Should You Apply Car Wax?

If you’re reading this, then the chances are you not only love cars, but you love modified cars, too. But did you know we host car events throughout the year? Be sure to check out our Fast Car events page to find out what we’ve got coming up next. Don’t miss out on the action! 

The post Best Car Wax In 2024 For Paint Protection appeared first on Fast Car.

We all know that engines need oil, that’s basic car maintenance knowledge, but not all oil is created equal. Considering how important oil is to your engine, you want to make sure you’re buying the best. While not all oil is suitable for every engine, there are key features that every engine will appreciate.

Generally speaking, oil has three main functions in looking after your engine:

• Lubrication – Oil performs this function by providing a barrier between the metallic surfaces inside your engine that allows each part to operate smoothly without generating heat and wear through metal-to-metal contact.
• Engine cleaning – The second function oil has is that it cleans your engine too. Modern oils contain various detergents that actually clean the internal surfaces of your engine while in use.
• Cooling – Third, oil is also an effective coolant. It does this by transferring the heat away from the component parts into the oil. This then cools as it flows around the engine, reducing engine temperatures.

Pick an oil that does all of this, and your engine will thank you. Below, you’ll find each of the motor oils featured will help keep your engine happy.

One final thing before we dive into our best engine oil in 2024 piece; it’s crucial to remember that every engine requires a specific type of engine oil. Be sure to refer to the manufacturer’s manual if you’re unsure which motor oil you need.

Best Engine Oil In 2024

Castrol Edge

RRP: $24.00 / £15.00.

Castrol Edge is probably one of the first engine oils you think of when high-performance lubricants are mentioned. There are plenty of reasons why Edge is so highly rated, and you can’t go wrong with this oil. Castrol Edge has been designed to deliver maximum engine performance. It offers superior wear protection and superior cleaning. In tests against rival oils, it was three times stronger against viscosity breakdown than its nearest rival. It also offers 10 times better high-temperature performance, and six times better wear protection. With impressive specs, Castrol Edge is one of the best engine oils you can buy.

Liqui Moly Top Tec 4200

RRP: $55.00 / £49.95.

German engineering in oil form, Liqui Moly Top Tec is exactly as good as you’d expect. This high-tech, low-friction motor oil is based on synthetic technology. It delivers outstanding protection against wear, as well as reducing both oil and fuel consumption. It’s also been designed for fast oil penetration, ensuring maximum protection. Liqui Moly says you can go up to 30,000 miles between oil changes thanks to this engine oil’s level of protection. Liqui Moly Top Tec also prevents deposits from forming to help keep your engine in peak condition. Many people swear by Liqui Moly, and it’s easy to see why as this is a superb choice of motor oil.

Valvoline Extended Protection

RRP: $28.32. Valvoline offers different motor oils in the UK, view them here.

As its name suggests, Valvoline Extended Protection has been designed to keep your engine safe. It protects against the main causes of engine breakdown: wear, friction, heat and deposits. In tests, it was 10 times stronger against oil breakdown versus industry standards. It also offers 50% better wear protection than the industry standard. It also delivers superior cleaning and performance, with Dual Defence Additive Technology to keep your engine in peak condition. There’s a lot to like about Valvoline Extended Protection, and it’s an excellent motor oil.

Mobil 1

RRP: $29.97 / £20.90.

Mobil 1 is another incredibly popular and well-known engine oil, and there are plenty of reasons why it’s a best-seller. It features Mobil 1’s Triple Action Formula, which has been designed to offer exceptional engine performance, protection, and cleanliness. It controls oxidation to prevent oil breakdown and maintains excellent viscosity to protect critical engine components. Mobil 1 also helps to protect against low-speed pre-ignition and timing chain wear. It will also help to keep your engine clean and help improve fuel economy. Mobil 1 helps to prevent deposits and sludge build-up and provides excellent high- and low-temperature protection. If you’re looking for an excellent all-round motor oil, you can’t go wrong with Mobil 1.

Pennzoil Ultra Platinum

RRP: $32.52. Buy in the UK in bulk.

Pennzoil Ultra Platinum doesn’t just offer excellent performance, it’s also carbon neutral. First of all, it’s made from natural gas, rather than crude, using Pennzoil’s patented gas-to-liquid PurePlus Technology. And it uses verified Nature Based Carbon Credits that offset the CO2 lifecycle emissions. In terms of performance, it doesn’t disappoint and gives your engine exactly what it needs. In tests, no other motor oil provides better wear protection, as well as offering superior sludge protection. It keeps pistons cleaner than required by industry standards and helps to protect against power loss. According to Pennzoil, it also improves fuel economy. Pennzoil Ultra Platinum is an engine oil that can do it all. It’s also kinder on the environment, which is always a bonus.

How the best engine oil products were recommended

While the engine oils we’ve recommended above haven’t undergone our rigorous testing, they are based off of my expertise and personal experience with both factory-spec vehicles as well as modified cars. I’ve used a number of different oils throughout my driving years and written guides to engine oils and other car maintenance topics as my role as Editor of Total BMW magazine.

How to choose the right engine oil for your car

When buying engine oil for your car, it’s important that you buy the right sort. That little alphanumeric code on the front of the bottle holds the key, so let’s break it down. The first number before the ‘W’ (which stands for Winter) indicates the oil’s viscosity in cold temperatures, whereby the lower the number the less viscous the oil is. Then, the following number indicates how viscous the oil is at running temperature. For example, 5W-30 oil is freer flowing than 5W-40 oil. This is important because different engines have different requirements. Sure, it’s good to have free flowing oil so that the engine remains well-lubricated, but you don’t want it to be so thin that it isn’t effectively protecting the internal engine components.

Usually your car’s owner’s handbook should tell you which oil it takes, though if that’s not the case, you can easily research it online. Keep in mind though that the requirements will often be a bit different if you’ve tuned your car’s engine.

Then there’s the issue of synthetic versus semi-synthetic or mineral. Generally speaking, fully synthetic oil is favored by most cars, and you can read more about that below. Be sure to also check out our guide on how to do an oil change so you can replace your oil yourself saving you money.

Engine Oil FAQs

What are the three types of engine oil? 

Mineral Oil

A mineral oil is oil that came out of the ground and has then been refined to make it suitable for use in vehicles. It’s pretty basic stuff, but has the advantage of being cheap.

Semi-synthetic Oil

A semi-synthetic is a blend of mineral oil and synthetic. It’s generally cheaper than a synthetic and offers better protection than a mineral oil, but will not last as long or give as good protection as a fully synthetic.

Synthetic Oil

Synthetic oil isn’t quite as simple as you might think from the name. There are three types of synthetic oils. The first is hydrocracked mineral oil. This is where a mineral oil goes through a process called hydrocracking. This modifies and refines the oil enough that it is classed as synthetic. Hydrocracked oils are the synthetic component of a semi-synthetic oil. Second, there is PAO, or Polyalphaolefins. This is generally what people think of as synthetic oil, where the oil is produced by chemical reactions. Last, there are esters. Esters are the top level oil on the market and have advantages over normal oils. They cling to metal surfaces, so the interior of your engine, gearbox or diff is coated with oil at all times. This means instant cold-start protection. They also have greater friction reduction properties than normal oils, which can help engines run smoother.

Additionally, because esters make the oil more stable, ester-based oils are ideal for hard use applications.

In automotive oils, the esters are blended with PAO and/or hydrocracked oils to produce the final product. It would work out far too expensive to just use esters on their own. Blending the esters with other oils reduces the cost and produces a more stable oil.

How thick should your engine oil be?

The first thing to consider when choosing an appropriate oil for your application is the viscosity.

When cold, you want the oil to flow well, so it gets around the engine quickly, improving cold-start protection. When hot, you don’t want the oil to be too thick as the flow rate is reduced. This lessens the protection and heat transfer capabilities of the oil.

But don’t just think it’s a case of the thinner the better. Too thin an oil will also lead to reduced surface-to-surface protection. As a result, it’s all about getting the right balance.

What does 5w-30 and other viscosity numbers mean on engine oil?

When you see the oil grade listed on the can, such as 5w-30, the first number relates to the cold flow viscosity (the w stands for winter) and is measured at 30C. The second number describes the viscosity at 100C. Although that number will be higher than the first number, the oil will always be thinner at 100C than 30C (the numbers are on a different scale). This is due the heat causing the oil to naturally thin. Those numbers are not exact points. They refer to a band that the viscosity falls into. As a result, you could have an oil categorized as 5w-30 that is almost the same viscosity as a 10w-30, or as a 0w-30 at the other end of the scale.

What oil does my tuned engine need?

Generally, what the manufacturer recommends is a sensible grade for a standard car that is used on the road. However, when you modify an engine or use it on track, the engine will run hotter than normal, leading to the oil thinning. That is when you need to consider using a thicker oil. In theory, it should run at a similar viscosity to the standard oil in a standard car. Depending on how far the car is modified, moving a grade or two thicker can be a sensible option.

Often grades like 10w-30, 10w-40 and 15w-40 are recommended as standard options. However, you can improve on those (in most cases) by using something thinner when cold, such as a 5w-30 in place of 10w-30, for example. This will help with cold-start protection.

But there are times when sticking to slightly thicker grades when cold makes sense. Forged builds, for example, often have larger tolerances than standard engines. Therefore, a thicker oil is likely to be the more sensible choice. Also, certain cars sound terrible when cold if too thin an oil is used. In those cases, a thicker oil could help.

Another thing to consider with viscosity is what the car is being used for. A daily driver that sees plenty of cold mornings needs cold-start protection more than a car used for endurance racing that experiences extreme high temperatures for long periods of time, for example.

Unless your car has one specific purpose (track use, short road trips, long journeys etc.) you’ll likely be looking at a compromise when it comes to the best grade for it.

What are engine oil additives?

Oils tend to be pretty clearly labelled as to what grade they are and if they are mineral, semi-synthetic or synthetic. However, the additive pack is far less obvious on the label. Additives in the oil are very important. They let the oil do its job properly. Here are some of the additives used in a modern oil:

• Detergents – these clean the engine to stop build-ups that could lead to a lack of protection.
• Anti-wear additives – these bond to the metal surfaces, providing a sacrificial layer. The best known is ZDDP.
• Anti-foaming agents – these help to keep the oil as a liquid rather than let it build into a foam. Foaming oil causes problems with the oil pump and can lead to oil starvation.

There are several others, such as; extreme pressure, anti-ageing, viscosity improvers, friction modifiers and so on.

What is the difference between cheap and expensive engine oil?

If anyone tries to tell you that simply ‘oil is oil’, that really isn’t the case. You could have two cans of oil, both that are labelled as 5w-40 synthetics, but one could be a hydrocracked oil with a cheap/reduced additive package and the other could be a PAO/ester blend with a top-quality additive pack. There can be a huge difference in price between those oils. The difference might not be clear unless you have an idea of what all of the information on the label means.

Manufacturer approvals can also affect the price. Often to get an oil approved by a manufacturer, it can cost tens of thousands of dollars (we’ve even heard of some approvals costing over $100k). The cost of getting those has to be recouped by the oil. Some companies list their oils as ‘meeting the requirements of’ or ‘can be used in place of’ where certain manufacturer specifications are required. This saves the cost of getting the approval. However, you are relying on the oil company being honest about the oil doing what is says on the label.

Quality control also plays a large part in the price of an oil. The more it’s tested in production, the more it costs on the shelf. Some experts say they have heard of cheap oil that was tested where it was supposed to be a 5w-40 but turned out to be a 20w-40!

We’re not saying you need to pay a fortune for your oil. However, buying from reputable companies should provide you with added peace of mind that the oil will do the job you need it to.

When do I need to add more motor oil?

Generally, oil consumption is not something to worry about, unless it’s excessive. Certain engines often burn a drop of oil and suffer from no ill effects. Just keep an eye on the oil level and top up when necessary to keep it at the upper level. Forged engine builds also tend to use more oil due to the larger tolerances than standard engines. Oil consumption does vary from car to car, but the best thing to do is ask a specialist if you think you are using too much. A liter per 1000 miles is regarded by most manufacturers the normal limit, in most cases. Oil consumption can often be reduced by using a thicker oil, but too thick and engine protection is lost.

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Alloy wheel cleaners are one of those things you can never have too much of if you enjoy car detailing, especially as you go through it seriously quickly. However, if you’re spending all that money, you want to make sure that you’re using the best product you can. One that’s going to give you the best results. That’s why I’ve put together this comprehensive wheel cleaner guide to find out what the best alloy wheel cleaners are.

I brought together eight of the best car wheel cleaners and put them against each other to find out which one delivers the best cleaning power. These are all similar products in terms of cleaning potential, so it’s an even playing field.

What is an alloy wheel cleaner?

Firstly, though, I wanted to give some context to this piece. So what is an alloy wheel cleaner? Put simply, it’s a product that is specifically designed to lift brake dust, dirt and grime from the wheels. Using a dedicated wheel cleaner makes the job of ensuring those wheel look shiny that bit easier. It works by reacting with the dirt on the wheel, allowing you, in most cases, to simply jet wash the dirt away. For wheels that haven’t been cleaned in a while, it’s always worth using a detailing brush in order to agitate the surface further. Remember, you’ll still need to give the wheels a wash during the shampoo stage, but using the wheel cleaner as part of your pre-wash stage will save you a heap of time.

Quick detailing tip, don’t let the wheel cleaner dry on the surface of your wheels as it can lead to damage to the paint surface. Read the manufacturer’s instructions as to how much dwell time it requires and the agitation process.

Who is the tester?

Better known as Buffy, I’ve been talking and writing about cars professionally for over a decade or so now as editor to a number of different BMW magazines, currently Total BMW Magazine. While I’m most passionate about BMWs, I’m a petrolhead in general, and I love nothing more than a spotless car. Over the years of car ownership, I’ve developed a deep enthusiasm for detailing, and as a result, I’ve tested just about every detailing product out there. I have my personal favorites, but for this test it’s all about finding out which product truly is best without bias.

Best Alloy Wheel Cleaner in 2024 at a glance:

• 1st: Bilt Hamber Auto-Wheel. RRP: From £19.99, buy now. US from $37.99, buy now.
• 2nd: Autoglym Clean Wheels. RRP: From £17.49, buy now. US from $25.95, buy now.
• 3rd: ValetPRO Bilberry Alloy Wheel Cleaner. RRP: From £13.49, buy now. Not available in US.
• 4th: Gtechniq W6 Iron & Fallout Remover. RRP: From £7.25, buy now. US from $16.95, buy now.

1st Place – Bilt Hamber Auto Wheel

Size tested: One liter
RRP: From £19.99, buy now. US from $37.99, buy now.

There can only be one winner of our best alloy wheel cleaners test, that is Bilt Hamber Auto Wheel. It was an exceptionally narrow victory, and there was almost nothing to choose between this and Autoglym Clean Wheels, but in the end, Auto Wheel just edged it in terms of sheer cleaning power. The most reactive wheel cleaner in this test, it turned its half of the wheel bright purple instantly and clung on tenaciously during its dwell phase, really attacking that tough, stuck-on brake dust and dirt.

The post-rinse visual inspection and swipe test revealed that it had delivered incredible results. It also happened to end up having to deal with the dirtiest portion of the dirtiest wheel on the whole car, making its performance all the more impressive. Honestly, there’s not much more to say – it just got on with doing its job and delivered sensational results, which is what you want from any product.

Price-wise, it’s the third most expensive per litre in its standard size, but its five-litre size matches Gtechniq for price. You can buy it in a 25-litre container, assuming you have the room and are happy to spend a large amount in one go. Although that will work out cheaper per litre of usage.

There’s no fancy packaging and flashy marketing here, just an incredibly impressive product that really delivers. Bilt Hamber Auto Wheel is the best alloy wheel cleaner here, and my group test winner.

2nd Place – Autoglym Clean Wheels

Size tested: 500ml
RRP: From £17.49, buy now. US from $25.95, buy now.

Upon initial application, I was left wondering if Autoglym Clean Wheels was actually doing anything. Unlike a lot of the other products we tested, it’s not a reactive color-changing wheel cleaner, so you don’t really see anything happening. However, it quickly became apparent that it was definitely doing some serious work, as the dirt began to dissolve in front of our eyes.

Post-rinse, the difference was clearly visible before I’d even reached for the cotton wool pad; the swipe test confirmed what we saw. Autoglym Clean Wheels put in an exceptional performance, effortlessly shifting some seriously baked-on brake dust. We were left very impressed with how little dirt was left on our cotton pad.

In its 500ml size, it’s the most expensive product in our top four, and at £17.49 / $25.95 it’s still more expensive than the others (just) if you buy the one-litre size. However, it’s money well spent, because this is a fantastic wheel cleaner and one I highly recommend. Autoglym takes 2nd place in our best alloy wheel cleaners test.

3rd Place – ValetPRO Bilberry Alloy Wheel Cleaner

Size tested: 500ml
RRP: From £13.49, buy now. Not available in US.

It was almost too close to call between ValetPRO’s Bilberry Wheel Cleaner and Gtechniq’s W6, but after staring at cotton wool pads for longer than I’d care to admit, ValetPRO just took the win by the narrowest of margins. It delivered very impressive results, and the post-test swipe showed a significant reduction in surface dirt remaining.

This is the only product in our top four that can be diluted, up to 10:1 for lightly soiled wheels. This means you can get up to 11 liters of product from a 500ml bottle, and if you clean your wheels often and thoroughly, you won’t need it at full undiluted strength. And, where the other cleaners either didn’t smell of anything or stunk of chemicals, ValetPRO Bilberry Wheel Cleaner has a lovely fruity scent, making it the most pleasant to use.

4th Place – Gtechniq W6 Iron & Fallout Remover

Size tested: 500ml
RRP: From £7.25, buy now. US from $16.95, buy now.

Gtechniq doesn’t have a dedicated wheel cleaner, but that’s clearly not an issue. The W6 Iron & Fallout Remover put in a very strong performance and delivered exceptional cleaning, leaving very little behind on the post-test swipe. The price is reasonable, and if you commit to the five-litre container, it works out at just a fraction under £12/litre, which makes it good value if you’re happy buying in bulk.

W6 Iron & Fallout Remover is also the only product in our top four that can be used on your car’s bodywork as well as the wheels, meaning you don’t need to buy a separate fallout remover, so that’s a bonus on top of the excellent cleaning power. Using it on the body helps to lift those hard, stuck-on bits of dirt that won’t budge, so can work as an effective pre-wash to your shampoo stage.

Best of the rest alloy wheel cleaners

Four out of our eight best alloy wheel cleaners delivered very similar results and performed equally as well as each other, and these are all good products which you’d be more than happy with.

Auto Finesse Reactive

Size tested: 500ml
RRP: From £12.95, buy now. US From $22.95, buy now.

Reactive has been designed to, in the words of auto Finesse, bridge the gap between a wheel cleaner and fallout remover, and is safe to use on all painted, powder coated and lacquered wheel finishes. Reactive will break down dirt, as well as chemically dissolving embedded ferrous metal particles. It’s good, but didn’t quite deliver the results of our top four. That being said, it was the best of the rest, and is very reasonably priced.

Dodo Juice Deep Purple

Size tested: 1-litre
RRP: From £20.90, buy now. Not available in the US.

Dodo Juice calls Deep Purple a full-spectrum wheel cleaner, and that means it is able to tackle all manner of dirt on your rims. Based on the company’s Ferrous Dueller fallout remover, its thicker formula means a longer dwell time, which improves cleaning power and it contains surfactants to remove road grime and dirt, while a little bit of added solvent allows it to soften tar spots.

Meguiar’s Hot Rims Wheel & Tire Cleaner

Size tested: 710ml
RRP: From £12.75, buy now. US from $6.97, buy now.

Hot Rims, safe for use on all clear-coated wheels, boasts Meguiar’s Xtreme Cling foam, which means it sticks to the vertical surfaces on your wheels and won’t simply slide away, giving its powerful formula more time to dissolve the contaminants on your wheels. At under $10 for a 24 Oz spray bottle, you simply can’t complain when the results are still very good.

Pro-Kleen Troll’s Breath

Size tested: 1-litre
RRP: from £12.95, buy now. Not available in the US. Buy Pro-Kleen Troll’s Breath here.

Troll’s Breath is a pH-neutral iron contamination remover that is safe to use on just about any surface – paintwork, glass, plastic, stainless steel, wheels as well as rubber. It dissolves any contamination it comes into contact with, and it also features a degreasing agent that helps to loosen dirt and grime. It worked well on dirt, but didn’t produce quite as strong results as our top four.

Products bottled into non-branded spray bottles ready for best alloy wheel cleaners test

How we tested the best alloy wheel cleaners

I carried out a blind test by having a colleague pour all the car alloy wheel cleaners into identical spray bottles without me knowing which product was which. The spray bottles were also all set to the same spray pattern on each test bottle. The test took place over one day, using one car, and each product only applied to half of one wheel. Using a cotton wool pad, I performed a swipe test on a portion of the wheel before using each product and doing another swipe test from the same area after use.

I applied the alloy wheel cleaners from the same distance, using the same number of sprays in the same motion and pattern to ensure even and equal coverage and a divider was used during application and rinsing to ensure that there was no cross-contamination. I didn’t use any brushes, eliminating this variable, and purely measured each product’s cleaning power. We also applied each wheel cleaner to a dry wheel and followed each product’s instructions for dwell time. I elected to use a hose with a jet spray pattern to rinse off the products due to the fact that not all users have a pressure washer.

How to buy the best alloy wheel cleaner

The first piece of advice we’d give here is to not rely on how well it appears to be working. Some wheel cleaners are very good at appearing to be working hard, by changing color radically. How much the product changes color on the wheels isn’t an indicator of how well it’s performing. As a result, don’t get sucked into marketing messages and images of wheels changing to a deep purple color.

Next, get used to the smell. The chemicals used inside of the formula make for some nasty smells. Again, one that smells nice or not so great isn’t an indication of how well it performs. Almost all alloy wheel cleaners work better when you use a brush to agitate the dirt with the product. I skipped this step in my test above as I didn’t want the brush to be the deciding factor when it comes to cleanliness.

You want a pH neutral product that is safe to use on your wheel type. The above product recommendations are safe to use on any wheel type or finish. Although we would always urge that you check the manufacturer’s instructions.

For tips on using wheel cleaners, check out our step-by-step guide on how to clean alloy wheels. For more advice on detailing, check out our guide on car detailing. 

If you’re reading this, the chances are that you love cars. Did you know we host car events throughout the year? Why not check out our Fast Car Events page to see what we’ve coming up next. Don’t miss out on the action! 

The post Best Alloy Wheel Cleaners In 2024 Tested appeared first on Fast Car.

You might think that all car shampoos are equal, but that’s definitely not the case. Some will clean better than others, and others will foam up more. Some will feel slicker on the paint, and some have special features that make them stand out. Choosing a car wash soap is difficult, which is why I’ve done the hard work for you. It is my job as Fast Car’s Detailing Product Tester, after all.

I’ve tried a lot of car shampoos over the years, so I know what makes a good one. I’ve picked 10 shampoos for this mega group-test and they’re all really good. Honestly, there’s not one bad car wash soap here. But, some are just a little nicer to use than others. Picking the right shampoo is essential as washing your car is a core part of the car detailing process.

These are all pure shampoos with no added wax, which makes them perfect if you want to apply your own protection afterwards. Without further ado, here are the results of our car shampoo group test.

Best Car Wash Soap: The Testing Process

First, I diluted each shampoo according to the individual instructions, opting for a medium dilution ratio where a range was suggested. Then observed the amount of foam each shampoo produced and assessed how slick it felt on the panel. Next, I carried out a visual and physical inspection to see how much dirt, if any, was left after washing. The price and how much shampoo is needed per wash were also taken into consideration.

What To Look For When Buying The Best Car Shampoo

Always look for a pH-neutral car shampoo that won’t strip any wax or other coatings you have applied to your paintwork. Look for car shampoos that need less product per wash as they are better value and will last longer. Car shampoos that can be used in direct sun are fantastic for summertime washing. Any car shampoo with water-softening properties is ideal for hard-water areas. Finally, make sure you like the scent of the shampoo you plan to buy. If it triggers childhood trauma of nasty cough syrup, you’ll hate using it.

Best Car Shampoo At A Glance

• Best Overall: Meguiar’s NXT Generation Car Wash. RRP: £12, buy now. $22.68, buy now. 
• Editor’s Choice: Adam’s New Car Wash Shampoo. RRP: £9.99, buy now. $13.19, buy now. 
• Approved: Dodo Juice Born to be Mild. RRP: £11.98, buy now (not available in US). 
• Approved: Gyeon Q2M Bathe. RRP: £13.50, buy now. $31.99, buy now. 
• Best Value: Bilt Hamber Auto Wash. RRP: £19.95, buy now (not available in the US). 

Meguiar’s NXT Generation Car Wash – Best Overall

Size: 18 fl. oz (532ml), 64 fl. oz (1892ml). RRP: £12, buy now / From $22.68, buy now.

Pros:

• Features lubricating oils and water softeners

Cons:

• You need to use more shampoo than some others

Meguiar’s offers a lot of different shampoos but NXT Generation Car Wash deserves to be noticed. In a sea of very similar pure shampoos, this really stands out from the crowd. Crack open this pH-neutral shampoo and you’re hit by a tangy citrus scent, which is delicious. What makes it stand out is a couple of impressive features. First off, synthetic lubricating oils deliver exceptional slickness. Then you’ve got the engineered water softeners that help reduce deposits in hard-water areas. These help you to achieve a spot-free finish, always a bonus.

You need 2 capfuls (0.7 fl. oz) per gallon, which is an odd measurement as that’s not a lot of water. Realistically you’ll be using 3 gallons or so, which means 2 fl. oz per wash. As you’d expect, it felt exceptionally slick on the paintwork and delivered superb cleaning. The water softeners are the icing on the cake, making it ideal for hard-water areas. Meguiar’s NXT Generation Car Wash is another shampoo I will be using personally from now on.

To learn more, read our full review of Meguiar’s NXT Generation Car Wash here.

Adam’s New Car Wash Shampoo – Editor’s Choice

Award: Editor’s Choice
Size: 16 fl oz (473ml), 1 gallon (3.8 liters). RRP: £9.99, buy now / $13.19, buy now. 

Pros:

• Can be used in direct sun and won’t leave water spots.

Cons:

• Not the most economical shampoo.

Adam’s New Car Wash Shampoo is a personal favorite of mine for several reasons. It’s pH-neutral for starters and has a lush Wildberry scent. It foams up well, and the foam does last. It’s designed to be exceptionally slick, and you really do feel that when you’re using it. It also cleans very well indeed.

The biggest selling point for me is that you can use it in direct sunlight. And it will not leave water spots. This makes it my go-to summer car shampoo. I know I can wash my car even on sunny days, and get great results. The only downside is that you need 1-2 fl. oz per wash. That means it’s not going to last as long as some other more frugal shampoos. But that’s a very minor negative point. For hot, sunny climates and summertime washing, Adam’s New Car Wash Shampoo is exceptional.

Check out our in-depth review of Adam’s New Car Wash Shampoo here.

Dodo Juice Born To Be Mild

Award: Approved
Size: 16.9 fl. oz (500ml), 33.8 fl. oz (1 liter), 1.3 gallons (5 liters). RRP: From £11.98, buy now (not available in US).

Pros:

• Loads of foam and very slick.
• Contains limescale inhibitors.

Cons:

• Lots of shampoo required for dirty cars in hard-water areas

Dodo Juice Born to be Mild pH neutral shampoo is a wax-friendly offering. It has been a staple of the company’s cleaning lineup since its launch. I can see why it’s been around for so long. I can’t place the smell, but it’s sweet and delicious – almost good enough to drink. Dodo Juice says to use between 2-6 capfuls in a bucket. This depends on how big your bucket is, how dirty your car is, and if you’re in a hard water area. How big is a capful? I measured it, and it seems to be around 0.42 of a fl. oz. So you’ll realistically need between 1.7-2.5 fl. oz per wash.

It delivered loads of foam and was really slick on the paint. Best of all, it boasts limescale inhibitors that help soften your wash water. This makes washing your car in hard-water areas that bit easier, and that’s a huge selling point. Dodo Juice Born to be Mild is going straight into my personal cleaning arsenal.

Read more about why that is in our full review of Dodo Juice Born to be Mild, next.

Gyeon Q²M Bathe Car Wash Soap

Award: Approved
Size: 13.5 fl. oz (400ml), 33.8 fl. oz (1 liter), 1 gallon (3.8 liters). RRP: £13.50, buy now / $31.99, buy now.

Pros:

• Foamy and slick.
• Very economical.
• Good cleaning performance.

Cons:

• Smells a bit like cough syrup.

Gyeon Q²M Bathe is a thick gel shampoo that is pH neutral. You need between 0.5-0.7 fl. oz in your bucket, and that will give you loads of foam. This was a really nice car wash soap to use, forming a slick texture that made the washing process a pleasure. Gyeon Q²M Bathe also had a nice amount of foam that didn’t instantly disappear. And it cleaned really well too, as you’d expect from Gyeon. A very easy car shampoo to recommend.

For more info, check out our full review of Gyeon Q²M Bathe here.

Bilt Hamber Auto Wash – Best Value

Award: Best Value
Size: 16.9 fl. oz (500ml), 33.8 fl. oz (1 liter). RRP: £19.95, buy now. (Not available in the US.)

• Incredible value for money.
• Cleans very well.

Cons:

• No scent.
• Not much foam.

Bilt Hamber Auto Wash’s specs are impressive. It’s salt, wax and additive-free. Its anti-corrosive properties make it especially good for washing older cars that might have stone chips and exposed bare metal. What’s really impressive is how highly concentrated it is. You only need 0.17 fl. Oz in a 2.6-gallon bucket – that’s one teaspoon. Which is wild.

Bilt Hamber Auto Wash might not deliver loads of foam, but it feels lovely and slick on the paintwork. It’s a pleasure to wash with and delivers excellent cleaning. Another superb product from Bilt Hamber.

For a closer look, read our full review of Bilt Hamber Auto Wash here.

Gtechniq W1 GWash

Size: 8.5 fl. oz (250ml), 16.9 fl. oz (500ml), 33.8 fl. oz (1 litre), 1.3 gallons (5 liters). RRP: From £9.95, buy now / $11.95, buy now.

Pros:

• Lovely and slick.
• Solid cleaning performance.

Cons:

• Very little foam on the panel.

Gtechniq makes some excellent cleaning products, and its W1 Gwash car shampoo does not disappoint. It kicks things off with a gentle grapefruit scent – very nice. Gtechniq says to use four capfuls in a 5.3-gallon bucket, but seriously, who has a bucket that big? I’d say 3.2 gallons is more reasonable. With each capful being 0.3 fl. oz, you’ll be using around 0.8 fl. oz per wash.

It made lots of foam in our container, but there was virtually none on the surface. This didn’t impair its slickness or cleaning performance, though. W1 Gwash shampoo really delivered, and I like this one a lot.

To learn more, read our full review of Gtechniq W1 here!

Mothers California Gold High Performance Car Wash Soap

Size: 16 fl. oz (437ml), 32 fl. oz (946ml), 64 fl. oz (1892ml). RRP: From £10.99, buy now / from $12.99, buy now.

Pros:

• Smell gorgeous.
• Feels great to use.

Cons:

• Poor value for money.

Mothers California Gold car shampoo is an excellent car wash soap that’s so nice to use. On paper, it doesn’t seem that special. It’s pH neutral but doesn’t offer anything special to set it apart from other shampoos. However, on the panel, it just felt incredibly slick and was so nice to wash with. Sometimes, that can make all the difference between a good shampoo and a great one. And it smells absolutely gorgeous as well, which is a bonus.

Unfortunately, the dilution ratio lets it down. The instructions call for 1 fl. oz per gallon, which means you’ll be using around 3 oz in your bucket. That’s quite a lot of product, which means you’ll likely get just five washes from the smaller 16 oz bottle. As nice as it is to use, that makes it very poor value for money, unfortunately. So, check out our full review of it to decide once and for all whether you can justify the cost.

Auto Finesse Lather Car Shampoo

Size: 16.9 fl. oz (500ml), 33.8 fl. oz (1 liter), 84.5 fl. oz (2.5 liters), 1.3 gallons (5 liters). RRP: £21.59, buy now / from $10.95, buy now.

Pros:

• Slick and foamy.
• Cleans well.

Cons:

• Doesn’t smell great.

Lather from Auto Finesse is a strong all-round car shampoo offering that doesn’t disappoint. Its combo of advanced surfactants with highly-concentrated lubricants has been designed for easy and safe washing. Naturally, it’s pH-neutral, though I’m not sold on the smell – it’s a weird chemical citrus scent. I’m not a fan.

Auto Finesse says to use 2-4 capfuls, so that means once again measuring how big a capful is. My measuring beaker says it’s about 0.5 fl. oz, so that’s 1-2 fl. oz per wash. It makes lots of foam and serves up plenty of slickness with good cleaning. An excellent car shampoo from Auto Finesse. Find out more in this full review.

Griot’s Car Wash Soap

Size: 16 fl. oz (437ml), 1 gallon (3.8 liters). RRP: £8.99, buy now / from $12.49, buy now.

Pros:

• Cleans very well.
• Smells great.

Cons:

• Not as powerful as others tested.

Griot’s makes a wide range of excellent cleaning products and its Car Wash shampoo is most definitely one of them. This pH-neutral shampoo not only looks orange but has a lovely tangy citrus scent too. The dilution ratio is 1 fl. oz per 2 gallons, so you’ll be using around 1.5 oz per wash, which is not bad at all. While it’s light on foam when you get it on the panel, it does feel very nice and slick under your mitt. It doesn’t offer any unique standout properties, but it is a solid all-round car shampoo. Read the full review here.

Autoglym Foaming Car Wash

Size: 33.8 fl. oz (1 liter), 84.5 fl. oz (2.5 liters). RRP: From £8.39, buy now / $35.21, buy now.

Pros:

• Cleans well.
• Good value.

Cons:

• Nothing to make it really stand out.

UK car-cleaning expert, Autoglym, offers some excellent shampoos, and Foaming Car Wash is no exception. Naturally, it’s pH-neutral, while the marzipan scent is just unreal. Autoglym says to use 2 capfuls per 2.6 gallons, which works out as around 0.7 fl. oz. This makes it good value as you’ll get 50 washes from even the smallest bottle.

It delivered a nice amount of foam, and I had no complaints about its performance. It felt slick under my mitt and cleaned very well, leaving no dirt behind on the paintwork. This is an excellent choice of shampoo and it’s very easy to recommend. For a closer look, have a read of our full review.

Car Shampoo FAQs

Can I use a sponge to wash my car?

No. Put simply, a sponge absorbs everything, including all the little stones and pieces of dirt, and traps them in the fibers. Once you reapply the sponge to the car’s paintwork, you’ll be dragging those small particles across the paintwork, creating small scratch marks often known as swirl marks. Get yourself a proper wash mitt, in fact we’ve got a guide to the best car wash mitt to help you out.

Do I need to use two buckets or one?

If you want to minimize the risk of carrying dirt from wash your wash mitt back onto the paintwork after rinsing your mitt, then you’re best of using two buckets. One bucket should contain your car shampoo product, the other should be clean water with a grit guard. The idea is you start with the car shampoo bucket, clean a panel, and then rinse off the wash mitt in the bucket of clean water with a grit guard. Rub the mitt against the guard to encourage stones away from the mitt, and then place the mitt back into the shampoo bucket and onto the car. By doing this, you reduce the chance of creating imperfections in your paint.

You don’t have to use two buckets, but you generally run the risk of creating paint damage without having a rinse bucket to discard of dirt.

Can I use dish soap to wash my car?

While very good for removing dirt from dishes, dish soap is no good for your car’s paintwork. In fact, the chemicals used inside of dish soap to remove food from your dishes can cause damage to your paintwork. Don’t do this!

What is pH neutral car shampoo?

A pH neutral car shampoo is the type of product you should be buying. Put simply, it sits at 7 on the pH scale, and is neither dominant in acid or alkaline. The benefits to this is that the product won’t damage your paintwork, nor will it strip away ceramic coatings or wax from the body. With products that have more acid in, you’ll risk causing damage to the paintwork and it will almost certainly start stripping away protective coatings on the body.

Relevant content: 

• How To Wash Your Car
• How Often Should You Wash Your Car?
  

If you’re reading this guide to the best car shampoo then chances are you enjoy looking after your pride and joy. And given you’re reading Fast Car, well, perhaps you own a modified car too. Did you know we run a series of car events throughout the year? Why not check out our Fast Car events page here for info on the modified car shows we put on every year! 

The post Best Car Shampoo In 2024 appeared first on Fast Car.

When you think about the legacy of BMWs many M cars, it’s easy to dismiss the turbocharged generations just  because the cars that preceded them were the last of the NA models, and there’s something undeniably special about that. But the thing is that the first generation of turbo cars was also a really big deal. When you’re doing something new, you’ve got to start somewhere, so those first turbo models were trailblazers for everything that would follow. That transition from so many years of pure NA M performance to turbocharged power was not easy to accept for long-term BMW fans, so it helped that the F8x M3 and M4 were so impressive in terms of everything they delivered.

The fact that they offered so much performance definitely helped, and while the F8x styling may have been a little divisive when the cars were new, compared to some of BMW’s most recent efforts, today, they look taught, athletic and aggressive. And if we’re talking aggression, Huy Nguyen’s (@sinister_f82) M4 is just on another level, but then again, so is the whole build because this is one serious M machine.

Huy’s car history

Taking in everything that this full-on modified BMW F82 M4 has been equipped with, you’d be forgiven for thinking that Huy has been a lifelong BMW fan, and this build is the culmination of years of working his way through the BMW back catalogue, modifying as he went until he peaked with this veritable monster of an M4. But that’s not the case…

“I have always been a JDM guy,” he tells us with a chuckle. “I have had several Japanese cars, starting with my first car, a Honda CRX, then a Honda turbo S2000, which was a popular build of mine that was featured on several websites and magazines, a 1000hp Mitsubishi Evo X GSR, and another Honda S2000, which I decided to build after missing my first one.” In fact, even Huy’s move to BMWs was purely circumstantial…

Buying the BMW M4

“I bought my M4 after I had a couple bad luck streaks with my cars,” he explains. “I wrecked my Honda S2000 during a foggy, rainy night; dialling-in my Evo X after a motor build, I spun a bearing, which seized the engine; also, my daily car, after being old faithful, decided to die on me. That left me no choice but to look for a replacement,” sighs Huy. Not that stepping into an M4 was any sort of hardship, you understand. “I remember the first time I saw an F82 M4 on the street – it was love at first sight, I loved all the lines and curves. I told myself if I could ever afford one, I would own it. After a few years, I was blessed and have enjoyed every minute of it,” Huy grins, but the ownership experience had a less than auspicious start…

“I found my car on Facebook Marketplace. The owner lived close by and let me test-drive the car. It was wrapped and lowered, had a bootmod3 OTS stage 2 ECU tune, and rims. Not knowing much about BMWs, I thought I got a good price,” he explains. “I met up with the owner the next day and purchased the car. That’s when the headache began,” says Huy, his face dropping. “The owner lied about the crank hub being done. The car had HRE wheels, but they turned out to be fake. He also said the car was lowered on KWs, but that also turned out to be a lie. I ripped the wrap to find out the paint wasn’t pristine as the original mentioned,” and we wouldn’t have blamed Huy at all if that list of disappointment after disappointment put him off the car completely.

Taking it back to stock

“I was able to fix and re-do everything that was done to the car,” he says, and that’s when he could finally start enjoying himself, and that’s what led him down the slippery slope of modding… “To be honest, other than updating the rims and adding a lip kit, I thought that I would be done. The more I drove the car, it became an addiction, where I wanted to purchase more mods to continually improve the performance,” he chuckles, and it was this desire for more power that really kicked things off.

Tuning the modified BMW M4

The S55 is eminently tunable, with just a few basic mods required to send power levels soaring, so Huy got stuck in. “I started out with the basic FBO. Loving the car, I decided to swap the turbos out with Pure turbos, and now the car has everything other than a built motor,” he grins. “It has an RK Titanium intake and charge pipe, every CSF part made for the car – intercooler, heat exchanger, DCT transmission cooler, and Stage 2+ Pure turbos,” but there’s so much more on board here.

There’s a Dorch Engineering HPFP lift kit, an Evolution Of Speed intake manifold, a BMS Elite J-pipe and BOV, EU5 fuel injectors, a Snow Performance meth injection setup, a Precision Raceworks Stage 4 brushless fuel pump, Nexsys ignition coils plus VRSF cat-less downpipes, an Auto EL mid-pipe and an Akrapovic titanium exhaust. That is a lot of mods, and it adds up to a lot of power, with Huy’s M4 currently makes 630whp on 93 octane fuel and with meth, which is around 730hp, so this F82 is fast.

Exterior changes on the modified BMW M4

It looks fast, too, even more so than a standard M4, because Huy has not been shy when it comes to styling, and this BMW definitely stands out from the crowd. “I saw this Touge Showdown on YouTube years ago with a JDM Tuner that worked on an M4, and it had a Laptorr lip and I absolutely fell in love. Being there were no USA distributors, at the time, I contacted Laptorr and was surprisingly assisted by Taka and Sena there. They helped me acquire one and sent it to the USA. I got the lip the same week, where I had Aum and Gibby test fit it and send it to my painter Donnie.

The rest of the aero parts are a Vorsteiner Aero deck lid spoiler, GTS Aero blade and carbon fibre side blades. I also got a Varis hood and diffuser to complete the JDM look,” explains Huy. “Then I added a PSM Dynamic roof spoiler for that aggressive look. Completing the race look, I went with the M4 GT4 rear quarter Lexan windows, modified to install a Nuke Performance remote quick-lock filler cap.

“Sean from Mashimarho helped me acquire one of the first GTS-style tail light sets, and BavGruppe Designs and Bayoptiks collaborated and helped me with my custom RGB demon/halo and half-X headlights with upgraded E46 projector lenses to help me see at night. Also, I have a pair of carbon fibre fenders from Dinmann, and Sean helped me acquire the first production carbon fibre vents that mated with the Dinmann fenders,” he continues.

Colour scheme

“Last but not least, my painter Donnie sprayed the car with a Porsche Paint To Sample (PTS) Oak Green Metallic, and I left some carbon parts exposed,” says Huy, and we need a moment to take all that in. This M4 looks insanely good. It’s so aggressive, it pulls no punches, and everything comes together perfectly – the colour, carbon, the aero; it’s been built to get noticed, and it does.

Wheels and chassis modifications

And you just know that when we’re talking about looks, we’ve got to talk about wheels because they do so much in terms of a car’s overall appearance. “Being that I came from the JDM world, I decided to go with Advan GTs or BBS LM-Rs, and ended up with the BBS FI-Rs, since they were the only 19” wheels I could find that fit over the AP Racing brake calipers. They also completed the race look that I was going for,” says Huy, and the FI-Rs look fantastic on the M4, filling out the arches and amping up the aggression further still.

Naturally, Huy has not neglected the chassis, and this M4 has been treated to a comprehensive selection of upgrades beneath the surface. “Being blessed and sponsored on my EVO X build with Fortune Auto, it was a no-brainer that I reached out to Dev and Ray at Fortune Auto, where they provided me with 510 coilovers and Sinister-spec air cups where I can air up over speed bumps not to damage my front lip,” Huy tells us.

“I’m a spirited driver and take the car occasionally to the track, so I decided to fit the car with all of SPL’s suspension arms, end links, rods and bushes. Also, I replaced the carbon strut bar with an RK Titanium one just to set my build apart from every other F80 build,” he grins. “Aum from Brothers’ Garage helped me dial in the suspension alignment, knowing that I had traction issues from the torque. With the alignment and Toyo R888R tyres, I was able to grip and feel more confidence in high-speed cornering,” and with the M4 being a bit of a handful in stock form, sorting the suspension was definitely a priority with over 700hp on tap.

Modified BMW M4 Interior

Finally, we come to the interior of the modified BMW M4, and, if you couldn’t already tell, Huy has not scrimped on the cabin mods. “I contacted Marek from AMX Performance to do my custom door panels, Recaro Sportsters, and sun visor wrapped in leather and suede with the M tri-colour stitching. I added all the M Performance carbon parts, and for the ones that didn’t exist, I contacted Cannan from Dinmann to get some door trims, vents, and a carbon back seat delete. His products fit like a glove,” says Huy with a smile. “Going with the race look, I added the Studio RSR half-cage, which absolutely improved the handling of the car by stiffening the chassis.

Sean again assisted me, contacting Jeremy from JQ Werks to provide one of the first steering wheel systems to test on the M4. I love this thing, and I paired it with a MOMO leather steering wheel to replace the suede one, as I don’t like how the suede gets dirty after handling it a few times.

“The JQ Werks system is one of my favourite mods on the car – every shift is so crisp, and it looks like a race car,” enthuses Huy. The steering wheel system with its various controls and built-in paddles, looks insanely cool, especially when paired with the MOMO wheel. And then, everywhere you look, there’s carbon – it covers every surface imaginable, and then there are the extra touches like the digital vent gauge, the two yellow dials, and the lime green details on the Recaros to match the roll-cage. The amount of work and attention to detail that’s gone into the cabin is just unreal.

Modified BMW M4 verdict

And that applies to this whole build. Considering Huy went into M4 ownership with no real plans, for him to have put together a project on this scale is astonishing, and it’s a riot. The way it looks, the way it goes, and the countless individual touches across the whole build make it truly special. “It took me a total of three years to build the current version of the car you see here,” Huy tells us. “I had a lot of help from Brothers’ Garage, which installed most of the parts, and Sean from Mashimarho acquiring prototype parts and the best prices,” he adds. But despite there being so much going on with this M4 and so many top-tier mods, Huy’s modding brain cannot rest.

“I want to do a Nuke performance air jack and fuel system overhaul, a Varis wide-body, and also a different paint colour…” and, hearing that, it becomes clear that this isn’t even this M4’s final form. But what it is, is a next-level M4 that demonstrates just how car you can take this platform – the F8x has forged its own legacy among BMW’s legendary M cars, and thanks to enthusiasts like Huy, these cars will continue to capture the hearts and stir the imagination of BMW fans the world over far into the future.

Photos: Kevin Choi.

Love modified cars? We’re hosting the ultimate performance car event this September 1st at Silverstone! Trax brings together modified cars from all across the UK and even mainland Europe as we celebrate modified car culture at the home of British motorsport. 

The post Modified BMW M4 With 730hp appeared first on Fast Car.

Honda Civic Type R FK8 – A Brief History

Evolution Not Revolution

On sale from 2017-2021, the Honda Civic Type R FK8 was all about the numbers. Before it even hit the showrooms, Honda was boasting of its benchmark-setting Nordschleife time – a frankly unbelievable 7:43.8. For a smidge over 30,000, buyers were furnished with a tasty platter of figures; 320hp, 169mph, 0-62mph in 5.7s, 1380kg. Undoubtedly, the FK8 is an awesome machine. We should know; we’ve driven a few over the years. Check out our FK8 Civic Type R review here.

For the US market, the FK8 represented the first official Civic Type R to go on sale in North America. However, the US-spec FK8’s featured less power than European and Japanese models. Albeit only miniscule, with a power output of 316hp. Performance figures remains unchanged against other FK8 market cars.

The transition from FK2 to FK8 saw the existing engine and gearbox being carried over to the new model (much like with the EP3 and FN2). Torque remained the same and horsepower increased by 10hp. But the chassis was entirely reimagined to create something a lot more cosseting and friendly than the often harsh-riding FK2. Standard trim was impressive, too. It featured carbon fiber side skirts, a rear diffuser, and a distinctive triple-exit exhaust designed to help reduce boom on the motorway.

Freshening Things Up

For the 2020 model year, the connoisseur’s hot hatch received a mid-life refresh. While it still wore the brutally uncompromising Touring Car-inspired aesthetic, it had evolved to become even smarter. Honda’s way with such things is to constantly reassess and refine. The upgrades to the 2020 FK8 were subtle but significant. There was a larger radiator, which allowed for a 13% bigger front grille, and that in turn dictated a redesign of the splitter. The already devastating brakes were levelled-up to track-spec two-piece rotors. This made them even more hardcore and took 15mm of travel out of the brake pedal to give you more feel. The adaptive damping was re-tuned to refine wheel control through aggressive cornering. Finally, the ball-shaped gear knob was replaced with a more tactile teardrop design, like in a DC2 Integra or EP3.

The mechanicals were untouched, the overall package being just that little bit sharper. There was also a new paint color in the line-up, Boost Blue, along with two new versions of the car. The Type R Sport Line was a little more subtle, a bit like Porsche’s ‘Touring’ option for the 911 GT3. It featured a much smaller rear spoiler, downsized 19” wheels (instead of 20”), and the seats were trimmed in tasteful black instead of red. Going in the other direction was the Type R Limited Edition. Only 20 came to the UK, and it was bright yellow and came with forged BBS alloy wheels and Michelin Cup 2s as well as a whole load of weight loss. The stereo, air-con and sound deadening went in the bin. Believe us when we say that car on those tires is very frisky on a wet track!

In Conclusion…

The fresh upgrades to the facelift Honda Civic Type R FK8 may be subtle, but they count for a lot. Arguably the best hot hatch on the market became even better. Of course, even the pre-facelift FK8s were supremely capable machines and, having officially ceased production, they’re all very much sought after today.

Honda Civic Type R FK8 Most Common Problems

• Second-gear grind
• Sensitive to alignment
• Infotainment system crashes
• Premature bolster wear
• Rotors/Discs cracking

What to look out for when buying the Honda Civic Type R FK8

Below, we’ll take a more in depth look at the different areas of an FK8 and what you should be aware of before going to buy one.

Honda Civic Type R FK8 Engine

The K20C1 turbocharged four-cylinder VTEC is an absolutely awesome engine that delivers incredible performance. It offers plenty of modding potential, and, best of all, has proved to be incredibly reliable so far. Considering the FK8 is now five years old, you’d expect to see some issues creeping in or coming to light on higher-mileage cars. However, predictability, with it being a Honda, even in Type R guise, so there’s really nothing to report here. This is obviously good news if you’re shopping for one, so no complaints there. 

If you’re looking to extract a bit more performance from that 2.0-litre engine, check out our FK8 Type R tuning guide.

Transmission

The transmission, while fundamentally carried over from the FK2, was reworked for this new application with a shorter shift throw. It also featured a counterweighted gear knob, a new single-mass flywheel, and a top ratio that’s 7% shorter. It’s a great gearbox, but the fact that it’s pretty much the FK2’s box means it also comes with a common FK2 issue, that being the infamous second-gear grind.

It’s a common problem that arises and seems to be one that Honda hasn’t got a fix for, and you basically get grinding and resistance when going from first to second, most often during fast shifts. It doesn’t always happen, it might not happen at all for you, but it’s something to be aware of. There isn’t one fix, however, several solutions have been discussed by owners. These include deleting the clutch delay valve, changing the transmission fluid, with Motul Multi ATF being suggested by some owners, adjusting the CMC plunger behind the clutch pedal, and, ultimately, just shifting gently from first to second.

Honda Civic Type R FK8 Chassis – Suspension, Brakes and Wheels

With the clever dual-axis MacPherson strut front end and the new multi-link rear, this is a highly sophisticated chassis, and that means it’s also very sensitive to setup. If the tracking’s out, it can feel like a wobbly mess, so it’s crucial to ensure that the alignment is set either to the manufacturer settings or those of a trusted aftermarket specialist.

The two-piece discs on facelift models require careful inspection. It’s not unusual for them to sound a bit squeaky, but if you can see hairline cracks emanating from the drilled holes, then they’ve clearly taken repeated harsh use and will require imminent replacement.

There is some debate about what wheel size is best for the FK8. Naturally, when it comes to looks, bigger is almost always better, and it seems that Honda agrees as all FK8 CTRs came with 20s as standard until the Sport Line was launched, which came equipped with 19s. However, some specialists feel that both these wheel sizes are simply too big for the FK8. You want 18s if you want the sweetest-handling setup.

However, you have to consider that as the car was launched with 20s, it’s been engineered for 20s, and some owners have found that downsizing robs the FK8 of some of its steering feel. Others have also stated that dropping down to 18s results in a slight increase in torque steer. But to balance that out, you can get some lightweight 18s that will reduce unsprung weight, and the ride will be much better, which is definitely something to consider if your CTR is your everyday car and how bad a lot of the UK’s roads are.

FK8 Interior

When it comes to the interior, this is a very pleasant place to be with some of the best seats in the business. However, those chunky bolsters do wear over time because you’re always rubbing against them when getting in and out of the car, but you can get covers to protect your seats. The infotainment system has a habit of crashing, so don’t be surprised if it happens – some owners have had their whole units replaced, but that hasn’t solved the problem, so be prepared for that to happen. Finally, there is an annoying rattle from the dash at around 4500rpm. This has been reported by a few owners, and no one can deduce where it’s coming from, so let’s just call it character.

Exterior

Generally speaking, there’s really not much to worry about in terms of bodywork. Obviously, inspect any car carefully to make sure there’s no damage, no dings or dents, all the panels line up correctly, the color matches everywhere, and there are no suspicious signs of a possible prang. The CTR is the kind of car that encourages a “Watch this…!” moment followed by the person behind the wheel rapidly running out of talent, and FK8s are likely to have been driven hard, and might have also seen a few track days, so it pays to be vigilant and carry out a careful and thorough inspection. Some owners have also reported that cracks have started appearing where the roof meets the sides of the boot, with rust forming around the cracks. It’s a warranty fix, but it’s something to be aware of.

Honda Civic Type R FK8 prices

Despite the introduction of the new FL5 model, FK8 Type R prices still remain strong. Price fluctuations depend on the usual factors, mileage, condition, history, modifications etc. As a rough guide, prices tend to float from $32,000-$45,000 in the US, with the upper end reserved for the special edition models. In the UK, prices range between £19,000-£35,000.

Looking for the freshest Type R technology that Honda has to offer? Then check out the latest FL5 Civic Type R.

Tech Spec: Honda Civic Type R FK8

• Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo k20c1
• Transmission: Six-speed manual gearbox
• Max Power: 320hp @ 6500rpm. 316hp US market. 
• Max Torque: 295lb ft @ 2500-4500rpm
• 0-62mph: 5.7 seconds
• Top Speed: 169mph
• Weight (kerb): 1380kg
• Economy: 36.7mpg
• Emissions (CO2): 176g/km
• Price When New (OTR): $32,795/£32,995 (GT)

Words: Daniel Bevis and Elizabeth de Latour. Photos: Honda. 

Don’t forget, we’re hosting our Trax event this September 1st at Silverstone! Be sure to visit the event website for more information and to purchase your tickets. This year’s show is not to be missed! Check out our Trax preview here to find out why. 

The post Honda Civic Type R FK8 Buyer’s Guide appeared first on Fast Car.

The 6 Series family has a long legacy, starting in the 1970s, and has given us some stunning cars. It’s such a shame, then, that this once great model went out with such a whimper in the shape of the G32 6 Series Gran Turismo, which looked nothing like the sleek coupés that had come before, and more like a bloated 5 Series. It’s a sad end to what was once a great GT, effortlessly combining luxury and performance in a stylish package, but the 6 Series gained a lot of fans over the years and generations, and thanks to them, we can enjoy cars like the one that started it all, the E24.

We love to see people caring for and preserving these classics, just like the example we’ve got here. But, hold on, something’s not quite right. Is that a towing strap? A stud kit? Is that a… roll-cage? We have questions – several questions – and Fred Marsh-Allen (@e24turboshark) is the man to answer them…

Fred’s car history

As we chat with the handyman, things seem pretty innocuous, and Fred had a similar sort of BMW experience growing up many did that shaped motoring lives and turned us into the BMW fans we are today. “I’ve liked BMWs since I was 16, and I had to choose a car for my mum from a used car dealer forecourt; it was a 1992 E36 325i (those early M50 E36s sound great),” he tells us, and from that point on he had his sights set on one day owning a BMW himself.

“My first car was an E36 318ti, and I bought it because it was the easiest way into a 16-valve four-pot BMW at the time,” he explains. “A year later, I bought an R reg E39 540i Touring, which was a spaceship in comparison. I should have kept that, for it was mint, and it fell off the DVLA database about two years afterwards,” he laments.

Fred’s also owned an E34 540i and currently owns an E60 530i alongside his 6 Series, so he’s clearly got broad BMW taste and good taste, at that, but what led him to buy an E24? “I had owned an E28 525e, E21 323i and various other older BMWs, but not an E24. This one was up for £3500, and it was a manual with Buffalo sports hide and an LSD. It was a no-brainer! It was in Guildford, it looked tidy enough in the metal but had a respray at some point, although some of the trim hadn’t been removed. The car drove very nicely and had just under 180,000 miles on it,” and so a purchase was made, and Fred did initially have a plan in mind.

Initial plans for the BMW E24 6 Series

“I planned to keep it as a light project – do the bushes and suspension, refresh the ignition and cooling system etc.,” says Fred, “but I decided to give it a half-decent paint job. When it was in the body shop, we found it was very (very) rotten and needed a huge amount of welding,” he grimaces. “There was filler everywhere (even on the roof). It was at this point I decided to turn it into a track car,” so all was not lost, and the unexpected E24 transformation began.

Chassis & brake upgrades for the modified BMW E24 6 Series

With the plan being to take this 6 Series on track, the rather old and soft standard suspension needed some serious upgrades, so Fred’s first port of call was sorting the chassis. “BC Racing coilovers were chosen for the suspension as there wasn’t a great deal else available at the time, with Ireland Engineering adjustable ARBs (again, all that was available),” but that combination was already enough to transform how the big Six drove, massively reducing body roll, stiffening everything up, sharpening the handling and getting the E24 sitting lower, too, which is always a nice bonus.

“The original ‘Hydroboost’ combined power steering and braking system was deleted, along with the ABS, and an E34 vacuum servo was made to fit. E34 540i brakes with Ferodo D2500 pads were fitted along with HEL braided Lines and RBF600 fluid. The car now has a 3.64 final drive with Racing Diffs 60% locking clutch setup, and the diff and ARB mounts have additional bracing to the chassis/body of the car,” explains Fred. “Finally, there’s a custom-made half-cage, which was made using an E36 Coupé cage roll-bar,” and that rounds off an impressive selection of upgrades that ensure this 6 Series is fighting fit and ready for the track.

Tyre choices

Naturally, a track car needs some sticky rubber, and you need some dedicated wheels, so Fred has a couple of sets to choose from. “The wheels shown are the Remotec 16” road wheels, and for the track, it has BBS RC090 Style 5 17s with R888R tyres,” which is a great combo both in terms of visuals and on-track performance. Fred has just also picked up a set of Compomotive TH17s for track use, which are very cool, and will give the big Six a proper track car look.

Turbocharging the modified BMW E24 6 Series

While everything we’ve looked at so far is great, the most exciting part of this build is what you’ll find under the bonnet; some serious work has gone into the engine, and it’s delivered some serious results. “This has been quite a long project,” says Fred. “I initially bought a load of bits a friend had cobbled together to turbo his E32 – they were an absolute bargain, and I just bought them as I knew they’d be easy to sell on.

However, a very talented friend of mine, Steven Crooks (who I first discovered through owning my E12 528 – he was the only person I could find who would touch the Solex 4A1 carb), knowing I’d had the parts for some time, asked me if I ‘had turbo’d that E24 yet?’ I joked that I hadn’t, but he was welcome to do it all for me. He responded with ‘OK then,’ and so began four years of scrabbling about on his driveway,” Fred laughs.

“The engine is the original M30B34 bottom end but with a M30B35 head, as they have slightly larger inlet valves and flow better; new stock-spec camshaft and rockers, a Cometic MLS head gasket and an enlarged plenum, which took Steve 10 hours to mill from a block of aluminium. The plenum has a ‘flipped’ inlet, with air now entering from the nearside, and a Turbosmart fuel pressure regulator covers the hole where the throttle body once mounted.

Supporting modifications

There is a custom-made fuel rail, Siemens 875cc injectors, and a 3” intercooler with custom aluminium intake pipework and airbox. We did a distributor delete/Bremi coil pack setup, and the car is running an Emerald K3 ECU with a custom engine loom and Magnecor high-temp ignition leads in a custom aluminium shroud. The turbo is a Pulsar GTX3584RS item (the previous turbo blew up on the dyno), with a Turbosmart ProGate50 wastegate, a Kangaroos Team exhaust manifold, a custom downpipe into 4” exhaust (it was side-exit, but another silencer was needed for track).

There’s also an Accusump oil accumulator, an E32 coolant expansion tank, and a K64 twin-plate clutch for the original Getrag five-speed manual gearbox,” and that’s an incredibly comprehensive list of engine upgrades. M30s can easily handle some boost, albeit with a helping hand, and Fred’s example is definitely delivering the goods, with 430hp and 460lb ft of torque on tap, and that’s a lot in what is now a lightweight car.

Shedding weight from the modified BMW E24 6 Series

That’s because Fred embarked on a comprehensive weight reduction programme across his Six. “The car has 90% of all the external trim removed, which saved approximately 14kg, and also an Xmoor Motorsport front bumper, DTM mirrors (the originals fell apart), and a Ford Capri Mk2 rear boot spoiler,” which has kept things subtle, but with a little touch of individuality, and we love the turbo script on the boot lid.

“The interior is completely stripped, with custom-made panels for the gauges, Foamex door cards, the battery has been relocated to behind passenger seat, which is also where the Accusump sits,” Fred explains, and he’s not kidding when he says the interior has been stripped. The carpets are gone, the sound deadening is done, there’s a lightweight Corbeau bucket seat for the driver, and combined with the exterior weight savings, this 6 Series now tips the scales at just 1320kg, which is impressive stuff for what was once a luxury sports GT.

Verdict

When you think 6 Series, you don’t think dedicated track car, but we love to see builds that subvert expectations. Fred’s E24 does exactly that, and this is the result of a lot of hard work and dedication. He’s owned his 6 Series since 2017, and it took six years to get it to where it is now and it was time very well spent because what a fantastic machine this is.

Opting for a track car build was certainly not on Fred’s to-do list when he bought it, it’s far better to see a rusty E24 6 Series turned into a stripped-out turbocharged bruiser than broken for parts or sold to a scrapyard. And while this is already a full-on build, Fred’s got a few more mods up his sleeve: “I’m planning to make the cage a full cage, upgrade the intercooler, as it’s currently restricting the power, fit some posh bucket seats, and do a sunroof delete,” and that will give it less weight, more power, and that means even more fun – what’s not to like?

Photos: Gregory Owain.

If you love modified German cars like the killer E24 you see above then you won’t want to miss our German Car Festival event this October 6th at Goodwood Motor Circuit. It brings together classic and new, modified and stock for a celebration of all things German on four wheels. Be sure to check out the event website for more information on tickets. 

The post Modified BMW E24 6 Series With 430bhp appeared first on Fast Car.

Microfiber cloths are essential when it comes to detailing your car. Everyone should have a big old pile of them ready for all occasions. Whether you’re buffing, polishing, wiping, cleaning, or anything else, the right microfiber cloth will make your job so much easier. There’s a mind-boggling amount to choose from, so we’ve done the hard work for you and picked out our favorite microfiber car cloths.

For this guide, we focused on versatile cloths that can do everything well, meaning you’ll only need one cloth for all your automotive tasks.

What is a microfiber car cloth?

Put simply, it’s a cloth made from microfibers that tends to be soft, and absorbent, which can be used in a multitude of scenarios. Here, we’re focusing on its use on cars. But that’s not to say you couldn’t use them around your house, for example. Although be warned, some cloths aren’t as soft as others and could damage your paintwork.

Microfiber car cloths are an essential detailing tool. You’ll need one during all of your final detailing stages, for example cleaning the windows, or while using quick detailer or interior spray, waxing/polishing etc. When you’re cleaning the exterior of your car with finishing products, its always best to use a cloth that is soft and plush, but also one that is absorbent. We’ll go onto how to buy the best microfiber cloths at the bottom of this guide.

It’s also important to know the different between microfiber car cloths and microfiber drying towels. While both are designed to be soft and absorbent, drying towels do the absorbent aspect far better. They’re usually much larger, and far thicker, meaning they can cover more surface area while also retaining more moisture. If you’re looking for drying towels after your washing stage, then visit our guide to the best car drying towels in 2024.

Best Microfiber Car Cloths In 2023

Meguiar’s Supreme Shine Microfiber Towel

RRP: £13.99 (pack of 3), buy now. $8.99 (pack of 3), buy now.

Meguiar’s Supreme Shine car microfiber cloths are another detailing favorite. First of all, they’re a seriously good size, measuring a hefty 40x60cm, so they cover large areas easily. They’re also plush, delivering swirl-free and high-gloss results. The thick, dual-sided pile allows them to absorb three times more than traditional terry cloths. This means you can wipe off more product with one cloth, allowing you to cover more panels in one go. The safety edging, meanwhile, eliminates the risk of scratching. You get three in a pack, making them good value, too. These are excellent microfiber cloths that are well worth a look.

Kirkland Ultra Plush Microfiber Car Cloths

RRP: £26.99, buy now. $19.99, buy now.

Incredible value, high quality and versatile, these microfibers are hard to beat. Kirkland’s Ultra Plush Microfiber Cloths are the go-to for most car enthusiasts, ourselves included. You can buy various quantities, but the best value pack gives you 36 cloths for under £25 if you shop around. That’s more cloths than anyone will ever need, and, at that price, you won’t care what happens to them. They’re big, at 40.6×40.6cm, and come with a fluffy side and a shorter pile side, making them perfect for a wide range of uses. For the money, these are outrageously good car microfiber cloths, and everyone should have some.

Auto Finesse Work Cloth

RRP: £6.95, buy now. $12.95, buy now.

Auto Finesse offers a selection of sexy car microfiber cloths, but the Work Cloth is its most versatile. This is one cloth that does it all and tackles any task you throw at it with ease. You can use the Work Cloth for everything from cleaning to finishing and everything in between. This short-pile towel can be used with polishes and other abrasives for cleaning and polishing different materials and areas. You can use it for buffing and removing sealants and waxes. And you can use it on paintwork, glass, engine bays and interiors. The Auto Finesse Work cloth is super-soft and features machine-stitched edging, so you can be sure it will last. And you get three cloths in a pack, so it’s good value too. An excellent all-round car microfiber cloth offering from Auto Finesse.

Autoglym Hi-Tech Finishing Cloth

RRP: £11.50. Not available in the US. Buy Autoglym Hi-Tech Finishing Cloth here!

Autoglym’s distinctive red car microfiber cloths are a welcome addition to any detailing kit. The Hi-Tech Finishing Cloth features a specially selected microfiber weave, which means it performs really well. It’s perfect for buffing off polish and wax from bodywork and delivers a dazzling shine. Use it anywhere and everywhere across your whole car. Measuring 40x40cm, it’s a good size, too. It might be a little pricey compared with some other offerings, but this is a seriously nice cloth to use. Your detailing kit deserves a Hi-Tech Finishing Cloth in there.

Dodo Juice Rag Queen

RRP: £4.00 (or £10.00 for a pack of 3). Not available in the US. Buy Dodo Juice Rag Queen here!

Inexpensive but plush and incredibly versatile, Dodo Juice’s Rag Queen is a fantastic car microfiber cloth. As its name implies, this cloth is something a bit special, and it doesn’t disappoint. It’s been designed to tackle every task you can throw at it, making it the perfect go-to cloth for everything. Made from 380gsm microfiber and measuring 40x40cm, this edgeless wonder truly does it all. With a short-pile side and a longer-pile side, it’s perfect for buffing, polishing and cleaning. Use it inside and out, on any and all surfaces, from interiors to paintwork, wheels and trim. As an all-round, do-it-all car microfiber cloth, the Rag Queen is hard to beat. Every keen detailing enthusiast should have this cloth.

How to buy the best microfiber car cloth

Believe it or not, there are a number of different areas you need to consider while buying a towel:

• How big do you need? This is tricky to answer, as needs tend to change between each user. On the whole, I like to use a few different sizes. For hard to reach areas, I tend to use a smaller cloth as it’s easier to hold. For areas like whole body panels, I’d opt for a larger cloth to ensure I can use the same cloth without needing to use a fresh one.
• Types of microfiber/thickness –  You should aim for a cloth with a GSM of anything above 350. Always do your research into the cloth to ensure it’s safe to use on glass. You’ll also notice that cloths are made with a microfiber blend. Aim for anything 70/30 and up (another popular, safe blend is 75/25, while for glass, look for 80/20 mix). The larger number refers to the microfibers.
• Towel edges – there’s some debate to be had as to whether you should be using edgeless microfiber car cloths when focusing on body panels. This is because while the cloth is made from microfiber, the edge that its sewn to often isn’t, and can damage paintwork. I’ve personally never had an issue with microfiber cloths or drying towels with edges, so I tend to just focus on the actual cloth performance.

How were the best microfiber car cloths chosen?

The above products were chosen based on my experience with a whole host of different cloth brands. I’ve been passionately detailing cars for a number of years now, and in that time I’ve sampled pretty much every product from most brands. The above car cloths are some that I’ve kept in my collection, based on their ability to softly absorb moisture without damaging glass/paintwork or leaving marks.

Microfiber car cloths FAQs

Below, we’ll answer some frequently asked questions when it comes to buying and using microfiber car cloths.

Can microfiber cloths scratch car paint?

Yes and no. Don’t be mistaken into thinking all microfiber car cloths are the same. Some are much thinner, and aren’t soft enough to use on your car. However, if you’re buying a high-quality cloth, you’ll have no issue with paintwork damage. A cloth needs to have a solid 350GSM rating or higher, with a 70/30 microfiber blend to be safe for your car.

Are microfiber cloths safe to use on glass?

Yes! But, use the same method as above when buying your cloths. To be extra safe when using cloths on glass, I would look to use a high GSM, and high microfiber blend (80/20 to be safe).

How often should I wash microfiber car cloths?

You should wash your microfiber car cloths after every use if you want to avoid paint damage. Anything you’ve wiped away from the car will sit on the towel. Therefore, the next time you use it, any dirt from the previous car detail is now being reapplied to the vehicle. Overtime, stains and the like will settle in, and it’ll be time to relegate the cloth to either wheel duties or in the bin entirely. Do not use old, dirty cloths on your car!

I dropped my microfiber cloth on the ground, can I still use it?

No! Same logic from above applies here. Dirt clings onto microfiber car cloths, and the worst offenders are the tiny stones you barely notice with your eye. But run your hand over the cloth and you’ll start to see and feel them. Those stones go straight onto your paintwork when you the cloth to buff. This is how swirl marks and small scratches appear. Chuck the cloth to one side and get yourself a fresh one. Using an extra cloth is far cheaper then fixing the paint damage. And less time consuming, too.

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We Brits love a moan. Truth be told, though, we honestly don’t know how good we’ve got it when it comes to cars. Other countries have outrageous purchase prices; some countries have astronomical road tax charges; and while we pay a chunk for fuel, prices are far higher in many places around the world. And when it comes to BMWs, we’ve been fortunate enough to have never really missed out on anything desirable. There have been a few exceptions here and there for sure, like the E34 M5 Touring, for example, but, generally speaking, our selection of M-cars has almost always included the cream of the crop.

And we’ve always been treated to the full-fat models, unlike other markets, which have had to make do with detuned versions due to emissions and other restrictions. Case in point, North America and the BMW E36 M3. Our cousins across the pond never received a good version of the third-gen M3 – it launched with the 240hp S50B30US, and the Evo came with the S52B32, which didn’t even get any more power. So it’s little wonder Stateside BMW enthusiasts like Alex Tran look for ways to give their E36 M3s the power they deserve, and this example is simply sensational on every level.

Alex’s car history

It’s fair to say that Alex has come a long way since his first set of wheels, a 2000 Honda Civic Si, but while he is a massive BMW fan now, it was Japanese machinery that captured his heart initially. “I started to become interested in BMWs around 2012. I wanted German engineering. A step away from the JDM scene that’s something more comforting with power,” he explains, and he took the plunge into Bavarian motoring with an excellent first choice. “My first BMW was a 2008 E92 335i. I bought this model for its sleek body style, dual exhausts and mainly for the twin-turbo N54 engine it came with. I loved the power it’s capable of, especially after upgrading to a single turbo,” he grins, and if it wasn’t obvious from looking at his E36, Alex is a keen modder.

“My Civic Si had almost every JDM part possible from the interior to the exterior. Under the hood was wire-tucked with a built B18C1 turbo. My E92 335i was a complete show car, which was also featured in Performance BMW a few years ago. It had everything from custom-built three-piece BBSs to full carbon rear seat delete to a DOC Race 6266 single-turbo making 600whp,” he says with a smile.

Why a BMW E36 M3?

So, what led him to the door of E36 M3 ownership? “The E36 M3 has always been one of my dream cars. They are only getting older and pricier. Luckily, I scored this one right before COVID hit and changed the market dramatically,” Alex tells us. “I found the car on the OfferUp app. It was bone stock with 219k miles on the original S50 engine and chassis and definitely needed some TLC. To name a few things, it had the infamous headliner sag, broken door panels, a cracked windshield, and the radio and power windows didn’t work,” and while that doesn’t make this M3 sound like the most appealing prospect, Alex was able to look beyond all that. “All that mattered to me was the straight body,” he says, and that’s fair because it’s easier to fix all those bits than waging war against rust.

Engine swapping the modified BMW E36 M3

“My original plan was to keep it stock and restore everything back to functional and showroom condition,” explains Alex, “but that didn’t turn out as planned at all. After blowing the original S50 engine, I decided to go all-out with the build, and went with an OEM-plus track-theme powered by a S54,” he grins, and while that’s not what he had in mind for this E36, you won’t hear him complaining about the end result.

As impressive as this whole build is, the S54 swap is what makes it really special, and it gives this American E36 M3 the heart it always truly deserves. And needless to say, with Alex’s penchant for modifying, the legendary straight-six has not been left standard. “When I first received the engine, I replaced the rod bearings, Vanos, and resealed it top to bottom before throwing the swap in the car. I went with the Karbonius carbon CSL intake, Megan cat-less headers, Radium fuel rail, fuel gauge and oil catch can. I chose these mods because it has that OEM+ performance look and keeps it classy,” Alex explains, and those enhancements have just given this S54 the edge.

The carbon airbox dominates the engine bay, and it’s pretty much the rule that if you’ve got an S54 and aren’t adding forced induction into the mix, you’ve got to have a CSL-style airbox on there because the induction noise will change your life. With the combination of an E46 M3 mid-section and an Eisenmann Race silencer, Alex’s E36 is making all the right noises and delivers plenty of performance.

Exterior changes on the modified BMW E36 M3

On the outside, it’s clear this isn’t a stock M3, but it’s actually surprising how little Alex has added. This is very much a case of the right mods coming together to make a big difference, and it goes to show that it’s not always about going all-out but rather, making the right choices.

“I tried my best to keep the exterior looking as stock as possible,” Alex tells us. “The only things I added were the LTW wing, Fancywide V2 diffuser and Rieger GT front lip,” but just those three elements do so much together. Up front, the Rieger lip adds a big hit of aggression, and it’s balanced beautifully by that high-rise rear wing while the diffuser fills out the rear bumper to perfection. There are plenty of small details, too, which make all the difference, like the Euro clear rear lights, the 50th-anniversary heritage roundels, and the Goldenwrench green fuel cap.

Wheels and brakes on the modified BMW E36 M3

Of course, Alex’s choice of wheels also makes a big difference to the car’s looks, and they add so much just on their own. “You can never go wrong with a nice set of BBS LM wheels. They flow so well on almost every car, especially this one,” Alex reasons, and he’s not wrong. The LM is such an iconic wheel, one that works well on just about any BMW you care to mention.

The classic cross-spoke 17s have been treated to raw brushed and lacquered faces courtesy of Sensei6 and look fantastic, mounted with Project Kics R26 wheel nuts, plus, we love the British Racing Green centre caps that add just a flash of colour. And visible through the spokes are the red calipers of the Porsche 996 911 big brake kit that’s been fitted along with R1 Concepts discs, a combo which delivers serious stopping power whenever Alex demands it.

Chassis upgrades

The drop that Alex has applied here to get the arches scraping over the tyre sidewalls is absolutely spectacular and comes courtesy of the chassis setup his M3 has been endowed with. “I decided to go with BC Racing BR coilovers, Megan Racing rear camber arms, Turner Motorsport front and rear sway bars, and an OMP front strut bar and changed every suspension and subframe bushings to Garagistic’s poly bushings. I also reinforced every weak point these cars have that is prone to cracking.

The car handles great for such a simple street setup,” enthuses Alex, and this selection of mods has made a big difference to how the M3 drives. The chassis is hardly lacking in standard form, but these chassis upgrades have ensured there is virtually no slack left in the chassis, and this E36 now handles like an absolute dream and delivers sheer driving pleasure from behind the wheel. In fact, the chassis is what Alex loves most on the whole build; “I would have to say the suspension is my favourite modification. That’s what makes this car handle so well and makes this car fun to drive,” he enthuses, and that’s why you should never scrimp on suspension.

Modified BMW E36 M3 interior changes

Alex has also worked his magic on the interior, and it is packed full of impressive additions. “A roll-cage in this car looks so perfect, so I had to have one. I kept the entire interior in the car for that street OEM+ look. After I parted out my E92, I took everything that works in the E36 and threw it in, like the Recaro Pole Positions, RTD shifter, and Pedal Haus pedals and floor plate,” Alex tells us, but there’s so much more going on in here.

The Recaros are joined by Takata harnesses, and there’s a Renown steering wheel with Chasing JS titanium steering wheel bolts, an NRG short hub and a Works Bell tilt hub. There’s also an RTD Race shifter with a CAE British Racing Green knob – a nice little nod to the centre caps on the outside – along with a Storm Motorwerks handbrake handle with a Condor M-Rain gaiter. Finally, Alex also has an ST Track gauge pod that houses the AEM AFR, oil pressure and volt gauges, plus an Ecliptech shift light, and the finishing touch comes courtesy of the carbon LTW-style shifter and glovebox trim. It’s all rather more full-on than the exterior, but we like the contrast and we love everything that Alex has done in here.

Conclusion

In fact, we love the whole build; it really shows off the E36 M3 at its very best, and this car is the culmination of what Alex set out to achieve when he started this unexpected project. “I wanted to build this for the street, track, and show,” he explains, and this is an M3 that can do it all. It’s got the chassis, seats and shifter that make it a dream to drive on the track, enough comfort to make it a perfectly reasonable street car, and the flair and individual touches that ensure it never goes unnoticed at any car show that Alex pulls up to.

It’s taken Alex just one year to get the M3 to how you see it here, and in that time, he’s managed to do everything he wanted. While that doesn’t happen very often among modders, it’s a great feeling when it does. “The car is right where I want it to be without anything else needing to be done,” he smiles, which means it’s time to hit the streets, tear up the track, and park up at some shows to make the most of everything this awesome S54 M3 has to offer

Photos: Sheldon Yagyagan (@finalshutter)

Want to see modified cars as cool as this in person? We’re hosting our Ultimate Performance Event, Trax Silverstone, this September 1st. With club tickets virtually sold out, you’ll be able to ogle over more than 3000 modified cars at the home of motorsport. Visit the event website here for more information on tickets. 

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The motoring world as we know it is changing. Turbos and mild hybrid systems are now the norm, manufacturers are downsizing engines and switching to electric, and governments collectively around the world are introducing polices to end the sale of new internal combustion-engined cars in the near future. Now seems a good a time as any to celebrate the almighty V8, because this is an engine that is quickly being killed off. Thankfully, BMW has provided so many V8s over the years that some of them make the best used cars to buy today.

The V8 is something truly special and while it’s not always the most powerful engine option and certainly not the most economical, it always sounds amazing and delivers an old-school muscle car feel that no other engine can match.

If you’ve ever been tempted by something with a great V8 under the bonnet, this is your lucky day. We’ve picked our top 5 BMW V8 cars to suit (just about) every budget, and they’re all guaranteed to put a huge smile on your face. Also note that used car prices are ever-changing, so always do your research before buying.

BMW E9x M3

Engine: 4.0-liter S65B40
Max power: 420hp
Max torque: 295lb ft

Why would you want one?

The first – and only – road-going V8-powered M3 (aside from the E46 M3 GTR, but good luck buying one of those…), the E9x remains every bit as awesome today as it was when it was first launched back in 2007. It combines aggressive, muscular styling with a razor-sharp chassis and that magnificent S65 that revs like nothing else, making this an intoxicating performance machine.

Our pick

Our personal preference would be the coupé as you get that carbon roof, we’d pick DCT over the manual gearbox as it really suits the S65 so well, while EDC is nice to have but not essential, especially if you’re looking to upgrade the suspension anyway. The Comp pack, with its M359 19s, lower suspension and tweaked EDC is tempting but, again, only if you’re not looking to mod the car much in these areas.

The special editions, meanwhile, can be appealing if you like a certain color or the trim, or just fancy something a little more individual, but they are a chunk more expensive than the regular models.

Pros

The E9x M3 is an absolutely awesome machine to drive and it’s a car that’s guaranteed to put a smile on your face. The S65 is simply sensational and the way it revs all the way to 8300rpm, feeling the way the power just keeps on building, all overlaid by that howling V8 symphony is something truly special and this car is an event.

It’s not too big, meaning it fits comfortably on B roads, but still has loads of space inside and is a genuinely usable everyday proposition. The chassis is sharp and the handling is exceptional, and this is a machine that can really deliver next-level driving thrills.

Cons

There’s really not too much to worry about on the E9x M3 in general, more ammunition for justifying it’s position on this top 5 BMW V8 cars to buy list. The main issues to be aware of are both engine-related; the first is rod bearing wear, similar to that on the S62 in the E39 M5. The cause is the same, owners thrashing the engine from cold before the oil is hot enough, and excessive wear will eventually lead you to spin a bearing which is obviously very bad news.

As before, keep the revs low (2-3k rpm) and throttle inputs gentle before the oil gauge reaches around 100°C and if the bearings haven’t been changed budget to get them done ($/£1500) as a precautionary measure. There’s no set mileage at which they fail and the oil analysis tests you can do aren’t foolproof. The other issue is electronic throttle actuator failure, but they can be rebuilt for around $/£500 for the pair, which really isn’t bad at all.

Other negatives are the small fuel tank which, combined with the thirsty S65, means a small range, and the engine does really need to be revved to get the most from it and can feel a little flat before it really gets going.

Modding potential

With a car as popular as the M3, it’s no surprise that the aftermarket is absolutely brimming with mods and there’s so much you can do. For styling, you can have anything and everything in carbon, from the smallest vents to a whole vented bonnet, there are splitters, side skirt extensions, diffusers, CSL boot lids, the works. There are loads of lowering springs to choose from as well as a lot of excellent coilover kits available for the car, some with electronic damping, and there are numerous big brake kits to choose from, meaning you’re fully sorted on the chassis front.

As for power, NA tuning is a little limited, but a primary de-cat and remap to go with it can net you an additional 20-30hp, and PSDesigns’ awesome velocity stack kit not only looks and sounds incredible but will also get you around 475hp.

If you want more then supercharging is the best option, with centrifugal kits available from infinitas, ESS and VF Engineering, and each company has something to suit most budgets, and around $6500/£6000 will get you near to 600hp.

There’s also the positive displacement supercharger kit available from Harrop; it’s a lot more expensive, costing between $/£10,000-15,000 depending on retailer, but adds huge low-end torque along with impressive power gains. Check out this bagged E92 M3 for some modding inspiration. Feeling wild? How about you create your own E9x M3 Touring like Paul has done?

Verdict

The S65 is a sensational engine and the E9x M3 is an absolutely spectacular all-round package. Problems are few so it won’t be too expensive to look after, there’s a near-limitless selection of mods to choose from and huge horsepower is easily attainable, and while the S65 does make you work for the power, that just makes it all the more satisfying when you really open it up. For the money, the E9x M3 is an absolute steal, which is why it features on list of the best BMW V8 cars you can buy.

BMW E31 840Ci

Engine: 4.0-liter M60B40/4.4-liter M62B44
Max power: 286hp
Max torque: 295/310lb ft

Why do you want one?

Up until the last few years, there was only one 8 Series and the original is still a unique and special machine. It looks quite unlike anything else BMW has ever produced and still turns heads today, and will get you attention wherever you go. If you’re looking for a unique V8 experience, this is it.

Our pick

If we can stretch to it we’d go for an 840Ci Sport – the 4.4-liter M62 is the better and more reliable engine and the Sport looks that much sexier. There are a handful of manual cars out there but we wouldn’t bother holding out for one, the auto suits the character of the car just fine.

Pros

It’s got pop-up headlights, which are an instant win, and it’s also a pillarless design, which just ramps up the cool factor. It looks stunning and it’s an absolutely superb GT, comfy, wafty, able to effortlessly eat up miles and look cool while doing it. Also, you probably won’t see another one so the exclusivity is a big part of the appeal.

Cons

It’s heavy, it’s slow and it’s not entertaining to drive. If you’re looking for something fun, this isn’t it. The M60 suffers from the Nikasil bore-wear issue, while the M62 is sturdy but check for leaking rocker cover gasket and failing timing chain tensioners which can lead to the plastic timing chain guides breaking, which will leave you with a large bill.

Expect a lot of electrical niggles at this age. It has a complicated suspension setup with a lot of components and the weight really takes its toll on all those arms and bushes. If you get one with EDC it’s going to break and will be expensive to repair. Age and mileage are this car’s greatest enemy and can land you with some serious bills.

Modding potential

Wheels and suspension options are decent, styling less so with the Sport pretty much the best-looking setup for this car, and you can supercharge the M62, while the M60 perks up with an eBay chip (old-school tuning). Don’t forget an exhaust as it’s easy to get it sounding glorious. Beyond that, there’s not really much on offer, but lowered on the right wheels an 8 Series will look a million dollars. Check out this bagged BMW E31 8 Series for some inspiration.

Verdict

Far from the last word in driving dynamics and capable of crippling your wallet and your bank account in one fell swoop, the 8 Series is, nevertheless, hugely charming and still a sexy-looking beast. If you want to stand out from the crowd in something a bit special and can stomach some potentially costly repairs, it’s definitely worth a look.

Supercharged BMW E38 740i.

BMW E38 740i

Engine: 4.0-litre M60B40/4.4-litre M62B44
Max power: 286hp
Max torque: 295/310/325lb ft

Why would you want one?

If you want to be a baller on a budget the E38 7 Series is where it’s at. It still looks money and is arguably a far more classy prospect than the E65 Seven that followed it. It’s one of those cars that needs almost nothing to look good and it’s great value for money when you’re hunting for a V8.

Our pick

We’d love a Sport for the M paras and the slightly meatier styling as well as the improved seats, but we wouldn’t pay over the odds for one as the basic car captures the essence of the 7 Series experience perfectly, and with some mods you’ll be able to spice it up anyway.

Pros

Every time you drive your 7 Series you will feel like you’ve made it. It’s comfy, sumptuous, built like a bank vault and so incredibly cosseting. This is the sort of classic luxury, refinement and ride quality that is timeless. Pull up somewhere in your Seven and you will always feel like a big deal.

Cons

The M60 suffers from the Nikasil bore-wear issue, while on the M62 you need to be aware of the chain tensioners and plastic guides, and also the cooling circuit on both, including the water pump. Fuel tanks rust and leak and a clogged charcoal canister/vent will lead to the fuel tank imploding.

Rust isn’t too big of an issue, but check the bottoms of the doors and the metal sunroof panel. The suspension and bushes also take some punishment due to the car’s weight so expect to have to spend some money there. Inside expect some electrical issues like the pixels disappearing on the OBC display.

Modding potential

Not huge, but you don’t need a lot to make an E38 stand out. Drop it on air, add some deep-dish splits and you’re basically there; you can get the Alpina-look front spoiler that does a good job of enhancing the front end, you might want to add the facelift rear lights, and, naturally, we’d add an exhaust to enjoy that BMW V8 but, otherwise, the best builds keep it simple and let the car’s natural class shine through. Check out this supercharged E38 740i for some inspiration.

Verdict

For the money, the E38 7 Series is an exceptional buy and one of the cheapest ways into BMW V8 ownership. The third-gen Seven has aged incredibly well and still looks smart and sharp, delivers exceptional levels of comfort and refinement, and just a few mods will make it look absolutely awesome. Balling on a budget has never been easier.

625whp Supercharged E39 M5 Touring.

BMW E39 M5

Engine: 4.9-liter S62B50
Max power: 400hp
Max torque: 369lb ft

Why would you want one?

You can’t possibly have a top 5 BMW V8 cars list without including the OG V8 M machine, the E39 M5. A legend in its own lifetime, the E39 M5 remains an incredible car to this day and delivers the perfect blend of everyday comfort with monster performance and sublime handling.

Our pick

We’d forego fancy options and concentrate on getting the best car we can – BMW was pretty stingy with standard spec so you could really go nuts with the options when the M5 was new. But, to be honest, the sat nav is going to feel very old by now, and while things like Heritage leather and Extended leather are nice it’s not as if the M5 feels cheap and low-rent on the inside anyway, and besides, it’s really all about the driving experience.

Pros

The S62 is a monster engine that delivers huge mid-range torque but also loves to rev, which is exactly why it’s on our list of the top 5 BMW V8 cars to buy. It makes the M5 an awesome machine, and it’s still seriously fast even by today’s standards. Then you have that chassis, which manages to deliver the perfect blend of ride comfort and absolutely superb handling, and it makes the M5 feel superb on just about any road. The steering is faster than that of a standard E39 and offers more feel and the whole package is just absolutely sublime. The E39 M5 won every group test it was in back in the day – with good reason – and it has lost none of its sparkle today.

Cons

General stuff will be age- and mileage-related so expect failing pixels on the OBC display, the heater resistor playing up, and look out for rust, especially on the sills around the jacking points, around the fuel filler cap and along the boot lid edge. The various suspension components will also have taken a beating over the years so budget to have to replace arms and bushes. The S62 does suffer from several problems that you need to be aware of, the major one being rod bearings.

These wear prematurely when owners don’t allow the engine oil to fully warm up before driving the car hard, and if they fail then you’re looking at a hefty bill for some substantial engine repairs, if not a new engine. The best thing to do is to drive the car slowly and gently, keeping the revs low until the oil temperature gets close to 100°C, but with no idea of how the car’s been driven it’s definitely worth getting the bearings changed as a precautionary measure, especially at high miles. The timing chain tensioners can fail, which in turn will damage the chain guides, and the VANOS can also be problematic but it can be rebuilt and isn’t too expensive to fix these days.

Modding potential

The modding potential is huge and there’s an awful lot you can do to an M5, but styling isn’t one of them. Splitters and diffusers you can add, and if you have a pre-facelift car it’s easy enough to fit the facelift front and rear lights. Mechanically, however, you can go wild. You have loads of suspension options with some excellent coilovers to suit all budgets, plenty of wheel options and big brake upgrades as well.

In terms of performance, there are a few NA mods you can do, like fitting a set of free-flowing tubular exhaust manifolds, and the obligatory exhaust is, of course, a must, but if you want some real power then it’s all about supercharging. There are a few kits available, with the most affordable of these being the ESS VT1-560 kit at around $/£5000, with other options available from Evolve and RMS. Check out this supercharged E39 M5 Touring for some tuning inspiration.

Verdict

Prices may have been rising but the E39 M5 remains an affordable proposition, especially for such an iconic machine. Delivering the perfect blend of handling and performance with those timeless good looks, it’s an awesome package and a real driver’s car that shouldn’t be too ruinous to run and offers plenty of modding options. A true M icon that remains every bit as desirable today as it was back in the day.

800whp F10 M5.

BMW F10 M5

Engine: 4.4-liter twin-turbo S63B44
Max power: 560hp
Max torque: 502lb ft

Why would you want one?

After the V10-powered E60 M5 we all wondered where BMW could take the M5 next and the answer to that question was back to a V8, but with a pair of turbos strapped to it, and the result was explosive. The S63 made an eye-watering 560hp with a monster 502lb ft of torque and fed all that through an M DCT seven-speed ‘box; this was the quickest M5 we’d ever seen at the time and, in terms of performance and tuning potential, this V8 monster can’t be beaten, which is why it’s here on our list of the top 5 BMW V8 cars to buy.

Our pick

There’s no such thing as a bad F10 M5 and we’d be happy with whatever we bought, which is why it’s here in our shortlist of top 5 BMW V8 cars. The LCI changes were minor and you can retrofit the later, smaller steering wheel so that’s no big deal. At $30k / £20k for an M5 you really can’t go wrong and while the Competition pack is tempting, if you’re planning on modding then the additions it brings won’t be worth the extra $/£5000 or so to you.

While the options list was extensive, there are only a few things we’d have on our wish list: extended leather is nice and makes the interior feel that bit more special, the 20s are definitely a must-have as the 19s look way too small, and we’d also try to find a car with the M Sport multi-function seats as they look and feel even better than the standard seats and offer more support and adjustment.

Pros

The most impressive part of the F10 M5 package is without a doubt the performance because it is truly otherworldly. 560hp is a lot, and a 0-62 time of 4.3 seconds is not but on-paper figures really can’t convey how insanely fast this car is in the real world. Seriously, we can’t tell you how quick this car really is. Beyond the performance, you’ve got the extremely impressive handling, and you won’t believe how light on its feet the M5 feels. It’s a truly exceptional package on every level.

Cons

There’s actually very little to worry about on the F10 M5 and, apart from oil pump failures on early cars and a small number of owners experience engine problems, it’s been holding up extremely well so far, with owners proclaiming it the most reliable M5 yet. Some cars suffer from high oil consumption and there are occasional problems with injectors and airflow meters, but that’s about it, really.

There were some air-con failure-based recalls for the F10 platform and some cars suffer from rattles around the B-pillars and door trims, but if that’s all you have to worry about we’d say you’ve ended up with a really good car.

The only other downside is the F10 M5’s sheer size – yes, it handles exceptionally well and feels light on its feet, but it never feels small and never shrinks around you and this is a car that is definitely best suited to fast, open roads rather than twisting B roads.

Modding potential

Really huge and the F10 M5 might be the best-supported M5 yet when it comes to mods. Browse any BM tuning site and you will see countless options when it comes to splitters, skirt extensions and diffusers, so you’re covered there. You’re spoilt for choice as far as wheels are concerned and there’s a decent selection of suspension upgrades available too.

Of course, it’s really all about performance with the F10 M5 and huge horsepower gains are so easy to get – just a tuning box or a map will get you an increase of around 100hp and if you pair that with a set of catless downpipes you’ll have around 700hp to enjoy. Beyond that you’ll need some uprated turbos – plus the supporting mods to go with them – at which point you’ll be hitting 800hp+ without your S63 even breaking a sweat. Check out this 800whp F10 M5 for some inspiration.

Verdict

The most powerful car on our top 5 BMW V8 cars to buy list, the F10 is a monumental machine and the fact that you can buy a healthy one for just $30,000 / £20,000 is incredible. Modding potential is vast, huge horsepower gains are incredibly easy to achieve, it’s proving reliable and it’s an astonishingly accomplished car all-round. If you want to go fast, this is the V8 to throw your money at and you will not be disappointed with an F10 M5 in your life.

Photos: Marcus Lundell, BMW, Rich Pearce, Patrik Karlsson, Matt Richardson, Matt Woods.

If you’ve landed on this page then the chances are that you love German cars. The good news for you is that we’re hosting the German Car Festival this October 5th at Goodwood Motor Circuit. Head over to the German Car Festival event website for more info on the event and to secure your ticket today. 

The post Best BMW V8 Cars To Buy In 2024 appeared first on Fast Car.

If you’re a car enthusiast, you’ve got to own a RWD car at least once in your life. The feeling of having the front wheels free to do nothing but steer, giving you pure feedback through the wheel, and having power heading to the rear delivers an incredible sense of balance and enjoyment. Then, of course, there’s the appeal of being able to get the back out, honing your driving skills and learning all about car control. And of course putting on a show at the same time.

The best thing is that you don’t have to spend a fortune to get yourself behind the wheel of something rear-wheel drive, and more importantly, fun. We’ve chosen some of the best rear-wheel drive cars you can buy that will guarantee fun and give you the perfect taste of rear-wheel-drive motoring.

Best Rear-Wheel Drive Cars on a Budget

BMW E92 335i

The E9x 335i must surely be one of the greatest modern performance bargains you can get your hands on, delivering 306hp and 295lb ft of torque. With no fewer than four body styles and three gearboxes to choose from across the car’s production run, there’s a turbocharged 3 Series out there for everyone. Our pick would have to be a manual E92 (that’s the coupé) – the slick six-speed ‘box is the perfect partner for the engine, be that the cheaper twin-turbo N54 or the later single-turbo N55, while the two-door body is long, low and sexy.

In terms of mods, you’re spoilt for choice. As we’re on a budget, we’d be looking at an N54-powered car, and once we’d sorted the less reliable aspects of the engine (coil packs, HPFP, rod bearings), you’re free to go wild with the mods. We’d be looking at a pair of high-flow downpipes, an uprated charge pipe as the stock plastic one can crack, a larger intercooler for better cooling, a pair of intakes for improved flow and awesome sucking noises, a sports exhaust (no power gains here, but it will sound awesome), and we’d top that all off with a map. That will get you over 400hp, which is going to be plenty to be getting on with.

If you want more than that, you’ll be looking at hybrid turbos or a big single and some meth injection as well. Naturally, we’d be looking at a good set of coilovers to sort the handling as the standard car is far too soft. We’d also look at an LSD to help put the power down and control slides, and a Big Brake Kit for stopping power that matches your horsepower!

Need help tuning it? Take a look at our 335i tuning guide.

Mazda MX-5 / Miata 

Of course, there had to be an MX-5 on our list, it is the go-to bargain RWD car of choice, and there are plenty of reasons why they are so popular. First of all, they are very cheap and so popular that the market is positively overflowing with second-hand examples, which means that finding one to suit your budget is an easy task. Secondly, the MX-5 is one of the best-handling RWD cars out there, especially for the money, and, thirdly, it’s pretty much the perfect beginner’s introduction to rear-wheel drive. The main reason is down to the fact that it’s a small, light car with low power, so you can really throw it around and get a feel for rear-wheel drive without worrying that the rear will step out on you every time you so much as touch the throttle.

MX-5s are very capable and huge fun to drive on track, even in stock form. With some poly bushes on board, a set of coilovers and an LSD (some models got one as standard), plus some minor brake upgrades like rotors, pads and fluid, you’ll have a car that’s track day ready and will be huge fun to drive, more than capable of holding its own against far more powerful cars on circuit. For the money, the MX-5 really can’t be beaten, which is why it sits on our list of the best rear-wheel drive cars on a budget.

Looking to buy one? Check out our Mazda MX-5 buying guide. 

Mazda RX-8

Our second Mazda entry on the list of the best rear-wheel-drive cars to buy on a budget is the RX-8. Not only do these start cheap, but around £2k will get you a tidy-looking example, and you’ll struggle to spend more than £8k on one, so there’s a huge amount of choice and something to suit every budget. The RX-8 had a bit of a tough job on its hands, having to follow the universally loved Mazda RX-7, and its more sensible four-door body and NA engine made it a very different prospect. High oil and fuel consumption put a lot of people off, and the rotary engine suffers from a few issues that also scare people away, but if you do your research and go in prepared, there’s no reason you won’t have a great time with an RX-8, and they have a very dedicated fan base.

The one to have is the 231hp six-speed model, and while it’s not going to set your world on fire in terms of performance, the tiny, lightweight rotary engine is something you’ve got to experience. It loves to rev and is insanely smooth and makes the RX-8 very different to drive compared to anything with a regular engine. With some chassis upgrades, they make fine fast-road and track cars, and there are plenty of performance mods out there, including turbo kits.

BMW E87 130i

Naturally, you would expect to find at least one BM on this list of the 7 best rear-wheel drive cars on a budget (we’ve squeezed in two), thanks to the fact that the vast majority of cars that the Bavarian manufacturer has produced have been RWD. While there’s a wealth of awesome M cars out there to salivate over we’re keeping things a little more grounded, and we’re jumping in with the E87 130i. While BMW’s first true attempt at a hatchback (we’re going to swerve the E36 and E46 Compact models) may have been a little visually challenging, in M Sport form it gained some welcome styling enhancements. The range-topping 130i added the lightweight 3.0-litre straight-six N52 engine up front making a healthy 265hp and driving the rear wheels via either a six-speed manual or auto gearbox (skip the latter and stick with the manual).

Out of the box, it’s an impressive performer with a decent turn of speed and an eager chassis, but a few choice upgrades will make a world of difference. The M Sport suspension is very bouncy and makes the car a handful on bumpy roads, so a decent set of coilovers will sort the handling and the ride height in one go. 265hp is also more than enough to overwhelm the rear tyres, and there’s no limited-slip differential on board, so get a Quaife installed, and you’ll really be able to enjoy the power in all conditions. Beyond that, we’d be looking at a BBK, like the M Performance offering for the front axle, plus a sports exhaust, and that will give you a seriously sorted RWD hot hatch that will be a blast to drive.

If you want to buy a good one, check out our BMW 130i buyer’s guide.

Honda S2000

There’s a lot to love about the Honda S2000. From the aggressive, long-nosed roadster styling to the soaring VTEC motor that loves to rev, mated to a snappy six-speed manual gearbox, and with a, um, ‘lively’ chassis, it’s a car that doesn’t shy away from delivering big driving thrills. You tend not to see that many about these days (we can’t recall the last time we saw one out on the road), but they have plenty of devoted fans, and owners often hang onto them for years and pile on the miles, which is definitely an encouraging sign. That screaming VTEC under the long bonnet is a big part of what makes the S2000 so appealing, and while it’s a little short on torque like any NA VTEC is, the engine’s eagerness to run up to its 9k rpm redline at any given opportunity makes up for that.

Early cars are notorious for being snappy, with the rear end letting go with little provocation. This is down to a combination of stiff suspension, a standard-fit LSD and lack of traction control (it wasn’t even an option until 2006), and Honda softened the chassis off a touch for the 2004 facelift. Needless to say, it’s the suspension you want to be sorting first, be that with lowering springs or coilovers plus anti-roll bars, and, beyond that, we’d be looking at an intake and exhaust combo to enhance the soundtrack, while an off-the-shelf supercharger kit will give you a healthy power increase.

Prices for S2000s are on the rise, so now’s the time to get hold of one!

If you’re looking to get hold of one yourself, check out our S2000 buyer’s guide.

Nissan 370Z

Nissan’s V6 bruiser has been a huge hit ever since it first appeared in 350Z form, but we’re pushing the boat out and going for the revised 370Z for the final entry on our list of the seven best rear-wheel-drive cars to buy on a budget. It’s a big, two-seat coupé with a big, 3.7-litre V6 under the bonnet making 328hp and 268lb ft of torque, sending power to the rear wheels via either a six-speed manual gearbox or seven-speed auto. It’s lighter and stiffer than its predecessor, and while it’s not exactly a nimble sports car, it is an excellent all-rounder that can cruise on a long journey and entertain on a B road. And besides, that V6 serves up loads of torque and an impressive turn of speed when you need it.

In terms of modding, you are spoilt for choice when it comes to styling, wheel options, suspension and brakes, meaning you can really go all-out and really turn your 370Z into something special. Naturally, we’d kick things off with an intake and exhaust to really be able to enjoy that V6 soundtrack at its best, and then we’d throw on a set of coilovers to sort the handling. If you want some serious power, you can pick up a supercharger kit for around £7k, or go wild with a twin-turbo kit for £10,000 which will turn your 370Z into an absolute beast.

Porsche 986 Boxster S

Don’t think you can buy a Porsche on a budget? Well, think again! Porsche’s first-gen 986 Boxster is now a conspicuous bargain, and you can park a piece of Stuttgart performance metal on your driveway for just £5000. We’re swerving the lesser models and diving in with the S, powered by a 3.2-litre flat-six making 250hp in earlier models and 258 from 2003.

The S came with a six-speed manual (stay away from the lacklustre Tiptronic), red calipers with vented cross-drilled discs, stiffer anti-roll bars and springs, leather seats, white gauges and climate control, plus of course, that more powerful flat-six tucked behind the seats. We’re not going to tell you that a £5k Porsche is ever going to be a cheap car to own and run. There are some potentially expensive issues (cracked bore liners, Variocam guide rails, IMS bearing failure and RMS failure, plus roof issues), so do your research and don’t just jump on the first car you see.

The 986 is superb to drive, even in stock form, which is not surprising as Porsche knows a thing or two about making cars handle. Naturally, there are plenty of suspension upgrade options available out there, like coilovers as well as air. In terms of performance, while there’s not much available in terms of NA mods (though an exhaust will make it sound awesome), you can slap a supercharger on there for a healthy power boost if your pockets are deep enough.

Love car shows? Do you know we host a number of huge events throughout the year? Be sure to check out our Fast Car Events page for more info. 

The post Best Rear-Wheel Drive Cars On a Budget appeared first on Fast Car.

The saloon has never been a staple of the M3 range. There was always a two-door, and there was always a convertible, but if you wanted four doors on your mid-size M machine, there was a point where the E36 was your only choice, with the saloon skipping the E30 and E46 generations.

It wasn’t until the E90 M3 came along that BMW decided to make it a permanent addition to the lineup, and there was much rejoicing. For many, the extra practicality offered by the saloon suddenly made the M3 a viable option for their lifestyle needs. It also gave them a fast four-door option that wasn’t the much larger M5. And while we personally prefer M3 Coupés up to the E92, the subsequent two generations just look that much better in four-door form to our eyes. And Nathan Jones clearly shares our view because when it comes to F80 M3s, this is far from his first rodeo.

Nathan’s car history

“I’ve always had a serious passion for BMWs from a young age. I work on all models of BMWs with my job as the owner and fabricator of Carbon Culture UK, and I still have that same passion, day in and day out, fabricating and modifying parts. It’s great to have an input towards so many different customer builds,” Nathan tells us as we chat, and he’s got a serious passion for modding. “Previously, I’ve modified other F80s and of course, my E91 335i hybrid turbo build that was last featured with Performance BMW,” he grins.

Nathan has always been a fan of more doors, with his first BMW being an F10 535d, and while he never moved into the M5 he wanted deep down, Nathan’s definitely settled into four-door M Power in M3 form, and he’s loving it. “After our first Individual F80, its replacement honestly needed to be something incredibly special, rare, and not a spec you see daily,” he says of this latest acquisition. “I flew to Belfast Bavarian BMW to pick up the M3 literally two days after it was listed for sale, as it was one owner, perfect spec, low miles and absolutely immaculate inside and out,” he enthuses, and it was worth going the extra mile (and the rest) for this stunning Individual Ferrari Red example.

But gorgeous as it was, it wasn’t going to be staying stock for long, and Nathan had a plan from the get-go. “The vision was definitely a tonne of Carbon Culture parts, stance and Edelweiss LT5 wheels for an OEM+ look,” he nods, and he’s put together one stunning-looking M3.

Chassis upgrades

Nathan’s first port of call was sorting the suspension and getting the F80 sitting that much lower to the ground, and his previous experience with the platform meant he knew exactly what he wanted to go for. “After trying different suspension setups on our previous F80, it was a no-brainer to go with the M Performance HAS kit, along with a fast-road geo setup from Tuned UK,” he explains.

The beauty of the HAS – height-adjustable spring – kit is that it allows you to retain full EDC functionality, as well as being able to adjust the car’s ride height, rather than having to stick with a fixed drop as you’d normally get from a set of lowering springs, so it’s a great choice here. And it’s been used to get this M3 sitting lovely and low, with the arches just covering the tops of the tyres, and, combined with the fast-road setup, this F80’s handling is now on another level.

Aftermarket wheels for the modified BMW F80 M3

To go with the drop on his modified BMW F80 M3, something sexy was needed to fill the arches, and Nathan knew what he wanted. “I still stand by the decision that Edelweiss LT°5 wheels are the perfect wheels for the F-series platform,” he says, and we can see why. These gloss black 20s look great on the F80, with deep concave and aggressive fitment, and through those widely-spaced spokes, you’ll see that the normally blue calipers have been painted in Ferrari Red to match the bodywork, and we love that attention to detail.

Interior modifications

Nathan’s next port of call on his M3 modifying journey was the interior, and, opening the door, it is a carbon lover’s paradise in here. “After being a part of countless interior kits for BMW builds, I knew exactly what needed to be done on ours – a little extra carbon, but not too much, along with some custom Alcantara with our logo etched in. Some carbon that BMW missed and some Alcantara to add to the performance feel,” he explains, and that combo has resulted in a cabin that looks and feels seriously special.

There’s an OEM M2 CS Alcantara steering wheel, and it’s been equipped with some carbon paddles with red + and – symbols and treated to carbon trim on the front and across the top, and even the M1 and M2 buttons are finished carbon. Naturally, there’s carbon trim across the whole dash, but then you’ve also got carbon vent surrounds, carbon door pulls and carbon sill trims, too.

But we’re only just getting started because, of course, there’s a carbon gear selector complete with a carbon surround, but then the trim around that is made from Alcantara and features the Carbon Collective logo embossed into it, which is such a nice touch. Then you’ve got the carbon iDrive trim piece, the carbon and Alcantara handbrake handle with an M tricolour Alcantara gaiter and a matching armrest, while the finishing touch comes from the carbon seatback trims. All that carbon combined with the red stitching across all the leather looks simply awesome, and it’s really made this interior rather special.

Modified BMW F80 M3 Exterior Upgrades

Naturally, the exterior is a riot of carbon, too, and this F80 M3 wears a mixture of M Performance and Carbon Collective styling additions. Viewed from the front, this M3 is insanely menacing, thanks to an M Performance carbon splitter, which has been equipped with an ECPR lower lip to make it even more aggressive. Then you’ve got the Carbon Culture bumper inserts and air ducts along with M Performance aprons, and then there’s the genuine OEM GTS bonnet, and we never tire of seeing these on F8x M cars, they just look so good.

Moving down the car’s flanks, you’ll find some carbon mirror caps, along with Carbon Culture side blades and arch guards, and then at the rear, there sits an OEM carbon spoiler and a Carbon Culture 1.5 diffuser that fills the whole width of the rear bumper and frames the black BMS exhaust tips. Finally, look closely, and you’ll spot that the car wears de-chromed roundels, and it’s a neat little touch that makes all the difference and shows you just how much attention to detail Nathan has put into this build.
And it goes without saying that the sight of all that carbon contrasting against that bold red bodywork is stunning, and this modified BMW F80 M3 looks absolutely epic.

Engine upgrades on the modified BMW F80 M3

Finally, we come to the engine, and Nathan most definitely has not forgotten about the S55, both in terms of looks and performance. Pop the bonnet, and you’re greeted by the sight of a Carbon Culture engine cover with Ferrari Red accents, along with a chargecooler cover and carbon airboxes equipped with MMR filters.

Look closely, and you’ll spot the discreet black Downstar bolts and bold red Goldenwrench caps across the engine bay, and we are absolute suckers for all that colour-coding. And as for the bits you can’t see, there are Turner Motorsport 200-cell downpipes, a VRSF mid-pipe, a Mosselman valve controller, and a bm3, all of which adds up to 510hp and 516lb ft of torque, along with a suitably savage soundtrack. “The exhaust setup is definitely my favourite mod, I’m sure every S55 owner can agree that the backfires and burbles on downshifts are extremely addictive,” grins Nathan.

Conclusion

This is an indecently good-looking modified BMW F80 M3, and it just grabs your attention from the moment you see it. Ferrari Red is a stunning shade that really shows off the car’s many complex curves, the perfect blank canvas for Nathan’s carbon art, and it’s a masterpiece, built exactly how he wanted it. “It took roughly nine months to do the majority of the modifications I wanted to do, but I’ve added bits and changed things on and off for the last two years, it’s never finished,” he laughs. “I wouldn’t do a thing differently, however, there are some things that need adding to finish off the car,” and he’s been very busy indeed because a modifying mind never rests.

“Since the shoot, we’ve added a whole new look to the engine bay with more Goldenwrench parts, Ferrari Red custom-painted Downstar bolts and an OEM carbon engine cover. Also yet to be fitted is the AK Motion data display, which will be a great addition to the interior,” enthuses Nathan. “Speaking of the interior, one final plan that would complete the car would definitely be the AMX Performance Recaro CS seats trimmed in black leather with Ferrari Red stitching to match the interior now! It’s definitely on the cards,” he adds with a smile. And this whole build is all about those extra touches, the attention to detail, and, of course, the carbon – they say a high-fibre diet is good for you, and that clearly goes for cars, too.

Photos: Ade Brannan

We’re hosting our German Car Festival event this October 5^th at Goodwood Motor Circuit. Get your tickets from the event website today to avoid missing out on epic modified German car content!

The post Modified BMW F80 M3 Dripping In Carbon appeared first on Fast Car.

How I tested Meguiar’s Ultimate Paste Wax

Step one was to clay and polish my test panel to ensure the surface was perfectly prepared. I followed up with CarPro Eraser to remove any polishing oils so that the wax could adhere to the paint without any issues. Next, I used my gloss meter to take an average gloss reading from the test section. Meguiar’s Ultimate Paste Wax was then applied according to the instructions and allowed to cure. I then buffed it off, before taking new gloss readings and observing water behaviour. The review was conducted as part of a group test alongside other well-regarded waxes. Check out our Best Car Wax article to find out which wax I think is the best on the market.

What Meguiar’s says

This is the company’s top-tier wax, so you’d expect it to be good, and Meguiar’s certainly makes it sound very impressive. According to the website, Ultimate Paste Wax is a premium paint protectant with a synthetic wax blend for maximum performance. It features an improved formula that delivers even better durability than before. Meguiar’s proprietary Hydrophobic Polymer Technology increases surface tension for relentless water-beading action. Meguiar’s say this advanced formula also delivers deep, dark reflections, incredible gloss and shine while leaving a slick finish. Finally, Meguiar’s say that it goes on butter smooth and comes off just as nice, even in direct sunlight. Going into the test, I have very high expectations, and expect this wax to be lovely to work with, and to really last, too.

What it’s like to use Meguiar’s Ultimate Paste Wax

Meguiar’s metal tin makes this wax feel more upmarket. I like that the lid doubles as storage for the included applicator, and you get a microfibre cloth, too. As far as first impressions go, Meguiar’s Ultimate Paste Wax is off to a great start. Meguiar’s was not telling fibs when it said this wax goes on and comes off nicely. Ultimate Paste Wax is lovely to apply, and buffs off with very little effort, making it a pleasure to work with. The gloss meter revealed a noticeable increase in gloss, and Meguiar’s Ultimate Paste Wax delivered the most gloss out of the paste waxes I have tested. Its water behaviour after application was also good – not the best, but it sheeted the water away nicely.

Gloss meter readings and verdict

• Gloss before: 86.7
• Gloss after: 88.2
• Gloss change: +1.5

I like Meguiar’s Ultimate Paste Wax a lot. It feels upmarket, it’s very nice to work with, and delivers impressive gloss and good water behaviour, too. It’s durable as well, and after 12 weeks on the panel, it was still clearly there, protecting the paint and clearing away water. The fact you can apply it in direct sunlight is a big bonus. About the only criticism I have is the price, and this is definitely more of a treat purchase than something like Bilt Hamber’s wax. But it’s a very nice wax that you will enjoy using, and which will last, so it’s a great choice.

RRP: £35.90, buy now / $21.99, buy now.

Now you’ve found yourself a great wax, there’s no excuse as to why your car shouldn’t be shining at one of our shows. Check out the links below for more information on Fast Car Entertainment events.

• FordFest
• Trax
• Classic Japfest
• German Car Festival

The post Meguiar’s Ultimate Paste Wax Review appeared first on Fast Car.

Step one was to ensure my test surface was properly prepped. This involved claying and then polishing the paintwork. This was then followed with an application of CarPro Eraser to remove any polishing oils and residue. This gives the wax the best surface possible, meaning it can perform to the best of its abilities. I took an average surface gloss reading and then Bilt Hamber Double Speed-Wax was applied according to the instructions. The wax was allowed to cure, then buffed off. Finally, I took another set of gloss readings to record the average and sprayed the panel to test water behaviour.

What Bilt Hamber says

Bilt Hamber is a firm of few words, relying on the performance of its products to sell themselves, rather than going big on fancy marketing. And so it is with Double Speed-Wax, with the company just giving you the bare essentials. Bilt Hamber says that this is an
ultra-durable easy-to-use paste wax, that leaves behind a medium-hard film.

The carnauba wax used provides a deep rich glossy, highly water-repellent and detergent resistant film. Bilt Hamber does make a point of saying that Double Speed-Wax provides an economic and superior alternative to costly paste waxes, which it says cannot compete performance-wise with this material. We shall see. It is also keen to point out that Double Speed-Wax has won a certain magazine’s ‘Best Wax and Sealant’ award for the last 10 years running. There are some big claims there, and all those awards mean I expect a lot from this simple wax.

What it’s like to use Bilt Hamber Double Speed-Wax

First Impressions are okay – it’s very unremarkable. There’s no fancy scent or packaging, but then that’s just Bilt Hamber all over. I’ve tried Double Speed-Wax before and it didn’t blow me away, and using it this time, I encountered the same issues I had before. Bilt Hamber says it’s easy to use, but I can’t agree with that. It’s very sensitive to the applicator being overloaded and quickly becomes sticky when applying the wax to the car. It also feels a little grabby on removal, even after giving it a good amount of time to cure.

You need to be very light and careful with the application to avoid it being a pain to work with. It was annoying on a small portion of a small panel, so if you overdid it while working on your whole car, you’d not be happy about it. However, it delivered a noticeable increase in gloss, which you often don’t get with wax, and delivered the best water behaviour out of the four paste waxes I have tested.

Gloss meter readings and verdict

• Gloss before: 87.8
• Gloss after: 88.9
• Gloss change: +1.1

Overall, Bilt Hamber Double Speed-Wax is very impressive. Out of the four paste waxes I have tested, it delivered the second-best increase in gloss and the best water behaviour. It’s also less than half the price of the next cheapest wax I tried, Meguiar’s Ultimate Paste Wax. It’s durable, too, still performing very well after 12 weeks on the test panel. Add in the fact that it comes with an applicator and a microfibre cloth as well, and it’s astonishing value for money. My only complaint would be in terms of application and removal, but it’s a minor gripe, and this is a superb choice of paste wax.

Size: 250ml RRP: £20.95, buy now. Not available in the US.

Be sure to check out Buffy’s group test in full as she finds the best car wax on the market.

Now that your car’s looking its best, it’s time to show off your pride and joy! Be sure to check out our premier car events below:

• FordFest
• Trax
• Classic Japfest
• German Car Festival

The post Bilt Hamber Double Speed-Wax Review appeared first on Fast Car.

There is something very cool about fast estates. They definitely have a big following among motoring fans worldwide, and it’s the combination of practicality and performance that is irresistible, the simple fact you’ve got a car that can comfortably transport a whole family, groceries, furniture, dogs (although possibly not all at the same time) far more rapidly than should be possible. There’s something inherently amusing and entertaining about that.

The thing is that while there are plenty of rapid estates about these days, it’s the ones that carry an RS, AMG or M badge on them that are really special because the difference between a fast estate and a proper performance wagon is what that badge means, that ultimate next level of focus and engineering. And while Audi and Mercedes have been offering their customers rapid wagons for countless years, it’s been a real drought for BMW fans.

While we’re glad that the M5 Touring is making a return and there’s an M3 Touring, at long last, you’re not exactly spoilt for choice, and you need pretty deep pockets to afford either. And even if that isn’t an obstacle, well, sometimes it’s nice to stand out from the crowd and have something a bit more special. And, as you can see from these photos, Eric Choi’s BMW E46 M3 Touring is very special indeed and does a very good job of standing out from the crowd.

Eric’s car history

Unsurprisingly, Eric is a longtime BMW fan because you don’t build a car like this if you’re just a casual fan of the marque. “BMW has always been a special brand for me,” he says with a smile. “I bought my first car in 2013, and it was an E90 330i. After that, I went through different models of BMW, like the E30 325i, E88 135i, and E46 M3. The handling and power delivery are the best from the same class, and the consistency of the design language is also a key factor that kept me in love with BMW,” he says with a smile.

In terms of this build, for Eric, inspiration came from the E46 M3 Touring Concept that BMW created, kept hidden away, and only revealed back in 2016 to celebrate 30 years of the M3. So, with a vision in mind, Eric set out to make that M3 Touring a reality. “After doing some deep research and checking out what others have done to this vehicle, I purchased an E46 325xi Touring specifically for this M3 conversion, along with an E46 M3 donor car,” Eric tells us. “I bought the M3 from a friend who used it as a track vehicle at least 15 years ago. He shipped the DME out for a custom tune, and the shop never returned the part. Since then, it had been sitting in his garage,” making it the ideal candidate for this project.

Initial steps building the BMW E46 M3 Touring

The first step was to get the exterior sorted, and you can appreciate just how much work was involved here by the number of times the word custom comes up in Eric’s spec list. So, we’ve got custom front arches, rear quarter panels and rear door flares to match the new arches, all from 2M Autowerks, and then you’ve got the custom M3-style side skirts and door mirrors.

Obviously, none of that even begins to tell you how much work was involved in giving the Touring those wide M3 hips because you can’t just whip off the standard rear arches, so there’s some serious surgery required to make it all come together. Those wide arches look so good on the Touring, and they are the key to this build. They’re what gives this E46 estate that iconic M3 stance, and they endow this Touring build with so much muscle and road presence.

The rear, meanwhile, features a quad exhaust setup, which requires an M3 boot floor transplant and is finished with a CSL-style carbon diffuser. But, as you can see, there’s a lot more to the exterior than just the M3 styling because once the car had been resprayed in Silver grey metallic, Eric treated his build to a custom safety car livery by Protective Film Solutions and topped it all off (literally) with a light bar to complete that safety car look. But the core look is very much OEM+, which was always Eric’s aim. “The goal of the project is to build the E46 M3 Wagon as original as possible and modify it as period-correct as it can be,” he explains.

BMW E46 M3 Touring interior

With the M3 styling sorted, it was time for Eric to turn his attention to the interior. “At first, I planned to redo the entire interior in red leather, but I quickly scrapped that idea and kept it with black leather because that is the most OEM and cleanest spec it can be,” he says. “The interior came alive after adding the Recaro Sportster CS seats and carbon fibre interior trim,” he grins, and we totally get what he means.

The Sportsters look fantastic and are such a great centre piece for the interior, accompanied by some custom F80 M3 CS seatbelts from Gaphix, and you can’t go wrong with carbon fibre. Pretty much everything you see is custom-made by CarbonTastic, including the dash trim, the steering wheel trim, and the sculpted steering wheel itself, and just looking at it makes you want to grab it and go driving. The finishing touches here are an F90 M5 gear knob mated to an OEM E46 M3 short-shift, along with a set of AC Schnitzer pedals.

Performance upgrades

With the Touring looking like an M3, it was now time to give it the M3 performance it deserved, and that meant giving the donor S54 a bit of love. “The original engine had a leaking head gasket causing corrosion inside the head and cylinders, and at that point, we had to rebuild the engine,” says Eric, so not the most auspicious of starts, but it allowed him to make things better. “The engine rebuild took six months.

We didn’t do anything crazy because I wanted to keep it as OEM as possible. The head and engine block have been resurfaced, bored, and assembled with an aftermarket block to accept 87.25mm JE pistons. And, of course, we took care of the common S54 issues together with the rebuild, with new BE rod bearings with ARP bolts, and rebuilt Vanos by DrVanos.

In the end, we dropped in the CSL intake and tuned it to give the engine that pure OEM induction noise,” he grins, and you’ll never get tired of hearing the bark from that carbon airbox. And, in Eric’s case, he’s also got a soaring six-cylinder soundtrack to enjoy from the rear end, courtesy of a custom dual OEM resonator mid-pipe and a valved section-three exhaust from Valvetronic finishing it off.

Chassis upgrades

And, of course, you can’t build an M car without giving it a seriously sorted chassis, and here Eric used his prior M3 experience to give his Touring the perfect setup. “Bilstein PSS10 coilovers were put on, and I have been using this setup for over three years on my other E46 M3. I trust and love this setup because of how capable it can be on track and street, perfect for someone going for 50/50 track and street usage,” he enthuses, so that was clearly the go-to suspension choice.

“The M3 Wagon has also had its front and rear brakes upgraded to the Porsche 996 911 four-piston calipers paired with OEM ZCP rotors,” which deliver superior stopping power compared to the standard brakes, and Eric has also added a set of Ground Control camber plates, and a Karbonius carbon front strut brace to just give the chassis that extra edge.

Choosing the wheels for the BMW E46 M3 Touring

Finally, we have to talk about the wheels, and Eric’s choice has a distinctly OEM flavour. “Keeping the vehicle modifications period-correct and OEM-ish was the goal. The original concept wagon has Style 67 wheels, which have a very similar design to the E46 M3 GTR wheels. But, obviously, with the custom M3 wide-body, the OEM style 67 wheels are not wide enough.

Forged Club came up with a solution of building a set of custom two-piece forged wheels inspired by the E46 M3 GTR. I am stoked by the result, and we added custom engraving on the wheel to make it even more special,” Eric says with a smile. These 19s look fantastic, delivering that OEM+ look, and filling the fat arches perfectly, while the engraved ‘M3 Wagon’ text is the perfect finishing touch.

This is a great build, and we love that Eric has brought to life the E46 M3 Concept that inspired him in the first place. “The conversion took one-and-a-half years to complete with everything being ‘original’, and it took another year to add modifications including wheels, wrap design, exhaust, etc.,” Eric explains, and it was worth it.

Conclusion

Building and owning an E46 M3 Touring is a very special experience because you don’t exactly see a lot of these about, and that’s something that Eric really appreciates. “My favourite modification on the car is the custom wide-body because it is the key factor in changing a regular wagon to an M3 wagon,” smiles Eric. “It looks OEM and keeps people asking if I imported the vehicle from Europe because they have never seen an M3 Wagon,” he adds with a chuckle. And, having built himself his perfect M3 Touring, there’s only one thing left to do… “I’ve got no plans for more mods on the wagon, the only thing now is to enjoy and drive it,” grins Eric, and with an M3 Touring in your life, those two things go hand in hand.

Love unique builds like this E46 M3 Touring? Then why not check out our German Car Festival event where you’ll get to see cars as incredible as this and more! 

Photos: @i.am.erv

The post Modified BMW E46 M3 Touring appeared first on Fast Car.

Snow foam makes not only makes car detailing so much easier, but it’s also an essential part of the pre-wash stage. To do it right, you need the right tool for the job. A snow foam lance or cannon is essential for applying snow foam to your car’s bodywork. There are a few different designs out there, so it can be tricky to choose one. They range from cheap and cheerful to quite expensive. But that’s why we’ve put together this test to help you pick the best snow foam lance.

It’s important to note that the majority of snow foam cannons and lances require a jet wash/pressure washer attachment. The water and snow foam mixture is pressurized through the jet to produce the foam. There are, however, other styles out there that require manually pumping. These can be effective, and while I haven’t tested any here, they do tend to be less effective than a traditional pressure washer attachment. 

Best Snow Foam Lances at a glance

• Best Overall and Editor’s Choice: MJJC Foam Cannon Pro V2.0. RRP: £46.95/$89. Buy Now.
• Best Value: Amazon/unbranded Snow Foam Lance. RRP: £18.99, buy now. $26.20, buy now. 
• Approved: Hydro 360 Snow Foam Lance. RRP: £20.99. Not available in the US. Buy Now.

About the tester

I am Fast Car’s Detailing Product Tester, and I have been into cleaning cars for many, many years. In that time I’ve tried more detailing products than most, and have a huge array of personal favorites in my collection. I’ve tested and used everything from great detailing products to the ones that no one should be using. Pitting products against each other means I know what works and what doesn’t. The best products in these tests are the ones that I will personally be using, so you know they’ve really impressed me.

I’ve chosen six of the most popular snow foam lances on the market. Every snow foam cannon on our list promises good performance, but some are better than others. I’ve picked a selection that includes the cheapest lance you can buy, well-known lances, and expensive lances. There is something here to suit every need and every budget. Remember that snow foam lances have specific connectors for different pressure washers. Make sure you choose the correct fitting for you. 

MJJC Foam Cannon Pro V2.0 – Best overall and Editor’s Choice

RRP: from £46.95 / $89. Buy MJJC Foam Cannon Pro here

Pros:

• Fantastic horizontal and vertical nozzle adjustment
• Soft pick-up hose with weighted filter
• Excellent foam

Cons:

• Measurements only go up in 100ml increments and are only numbered at 500ml and 1000ml
• Expensive

While every snow foam lance here performs well, there had to be a winner, and it’s the MJJC Pro V2, by a clear margin. This snow foam lance starts off strong thanks to its wide base for stability and a decent-size filler neck. It feels solid, and I like that the foam adjuster makes it clear which way to turn it for more or less foam. It also has the best pick-up hose in the whole test, as it’s soft and flexible and comes with a weighted filter at the end. This means that whichever way you tilt the MJCC snow foam lance, it will always be able to suck in snow foam solution.

It offers horizontal and vertical adjustment, and the foam spray pattern has a wide range of adjustment. It also produces plenty of foam and is just excellent to use. The only negative point is the measuring gauge, which only goes up in 100ml increments, and only has numbering at 500 and 1000ml. But honestly, that was me looking for something I didn’t like. The MJJC Foam Cannon Pro V2 is the best snow foam lance here, a clear winner, and the one I will be using from now on.

Read our full review of the MJJC foam cannon here.

Amazon/unbranded Snow Foam Lance – Best Value

RRP: £18.99, buy now. $26.20, buy now.

Pros:

• Great value
• Detailed measurements

Cons:

• No horizontal or vertical adjustment
• Falls over
• No pick-up hose filter
• Narrow filler neck

Ever since I started using snow foam, this has been my personal snow foam lance of choice. It’s definitely a no-frills experience, but for the money, it’s hard to complain, even though it’s not got much in the way of features. It feels cheap, there’s no pick-up filter, there’s no horizontal or vertical adjustment, and it falls over constantly. It also has a narrow filler neck. But the measuring scale starts at 100ml and gives you numbered increments all the way to 1000ml, which is nice. It’s incredibly easy to use and delivers decent foam. Crucially, you can pick these up for a little over $/£10 if you shop around. Mine has never let me down, and if you’re on a budget, I can absolutely recommend this snow foam lance.

Be sure to read the full review on the Amazon Basics lance here.

Hydro 360 Snow Foam Lance – Approved

Price: £20.95. Not available in the US. Buy the Hydro 360 lance here

Pros:

• Textured neck indent for extra grip
• Chunky nozzle grip with horizontal and vertical adjustment
• Pick-up hose filter

Cons:

• Very stiff nozzle adjustment
• Measurements start at 200ml and only go up to 800ml

The Hydro 360 was the snow foam lance I had the highest hopes for. I expected it to win, but ultimately it just fell short. There’s a lot to like here – there’s a nice-sized filler neck, and I really liked the hand grip indent in the bottle. The nozzle feels nice and chunky and is easy to grip with wet hands. You also get an intake hose filter, though the hose is a little stiff. There’s also horizontal and vertical adjustment. Foam levels are impressive, and it has the biggest spray angle adjustment range of any snow foam lance here.

Unfortunately, the nozzle adjustment is incredibly stiff. This makes it hard to adjust just the spray pattern without also moving the horizontal/vertical adjustment portion. This makes it a little frustrating to use, and you really need a firm grip on the nozzle when adjusting. Also, the measuring markings don’t start until 200ml and stop at 800ml, which is annoying when one liter is the norm. But it’s still an excellent lance overall.

For more advice, check out our full review on the Hyrdro 360 foam lance.

Auto Finesse Snow Foam Lance

RRP: £39.95 / $62.95, buy the Auto Finesse Snow Foam Lance here.

Pros:

• Looks and feels great to use
• 1500ml capacity, great for bigger cars/SUVs/Pickups
• Pick-up hose filter

Cons:

• No horizontal or vertical adjustment
• Measurements start at 250ml and only have markers every 250ml

The Auto Finesse Snow Foam Lance is arguably the nicest-looking lance I tested. This snow foam lance feels expensive and is very nice to use. It has the wider filler neck I want to see and a nice stable base. It also has a filter on the pick-up hose, which, again, is nice to have. It’s the biggest snow foam lance in this test and will hold 1500ml of liquid, which is another selling point. This makes it great if you need to wash something big and you want as much snow foam as possible. There’s no horizontal and vertical adjustment, though, which it gets marked down for. Also, the measuring scale is vague, only starting at 250ml and only having markers at 250ml increments, which is annoying. But otherwise, it’s a solid choice, it performs well and is ideal if you have larger vehicles to wash.

Check out the Auto Finesse Snow Foam Lance full review here.

Autoglym Polar Blaster Snow Foamer 

RRP: £39.92, buy now. $60.25, buy now.

Pros:

• Feels great to use
• Widest filler neck on test
• Neck indent makes it easy to hold

Cons:

• No measurement scale
• No horizontal or vertical adjustment
• No pick-up hose filter

The Autoglym Polar Blaster is a snow foam lance I have been using personally for a while now. It’s a very well-built snow foam lance, and Autoglym has made the effort to make sure it stands out. I like the adjuster knob design, and the nozzle is easy to adjust, with good grips ideal for wet hands. The bottle, meanwhile, has the largest filler neck of any snow foam lance in this test. It’s nice and stable, and I like the hand grip around the neck, as well. There’s no filter on the pick-up hose, but it is soft and flexible, which is nice.

However, there’s no horizontal or vertical adjustment, which is unacceptable at this price point, really. Also, as Autoglym intends it to be used with its own Polar Series products, there is no measuring scale. That’s really annoying, and I actually drew my own with a marker pen. So, while it’s nice to use and delivers impressive foam, it can’t compete with the best snow foam lances here.

For more info, read the full Autoglym snow foam lance review.

MTM Hydro PF22.2

RRP: £85.91, buy now. $82.50, buy now.

Pros:

• Lovely action on adjuster knob and nozzle
• Horizontal and vertical adjustment
• Measurements in 50ml increments

Cons:

• Narrow filler neck
• Bottle feels cheap
• No pick-up hose filter
• Narrow spray pattern
• Very expensive compared to others

The MTM Hydro PF22.2 is a snow foam lance that promises a lot. Unfortunately, it turned out to be the most disappointing foam cannon to use. That being said, it does have some very nice features. I love the action on the adjuster knob with its soft clicks. It also has the nicest nozzle of any snow foam lance in this test. The spray pattern adjuster is easy to turn and shows you which way to twist for a narrow or wide spray pattern. The horizontal and vertical adjuster is equally well-designed. It clicks into place beautifully and has markers for horizontal and vertical spray orientation.

The scale is also very comprehensive, with markers every 50ml. The bottle has a wide base and a textured section for extra grip. However, there’s no filter, and the pick-up hose is stiff. The bottle looks and feels cheap and has a narrow filler neck. But worst of all is the spray pattern. It has a tiny range of adjustment, and even its widest setting delivers a disappointingly narrow spray pattern. Add in the high price, and it’s hard to recommend this snow foam lance.

For a closer look at its pitfalls and potentially redeeming features, read our full review of the MTM Hydro PF22.2.

How Each Product Was Tested

I assessed each snow foam lance on several criteria. Size, functionality, ease of use, features, and price were all considered. I checked how well each snow foam lance performed in a variety of key areas. The amount of foam, the spray pattern, and what it was like to use were also taken into consideration. I have been using various snow foam lances for years, so I know what makes a good one, and I’ve found some new favorites among this selection.

What is a snow foam cannon?

Put simply, a snow foam cannon, or lance, is traditionally an attachment that connects to your pressure washer that allows a cleaning mixture to be applied to the car. The snow foam product mixes with water in the bottle and is then pressurized onto the car, which creates the foam. The bottle itself is usually made from a plastic mix, with a brass attachment connecting it to your preferred pressure washer. It’s important to remember that not all pressure washers are the same, so when you’re purchasing one, remember to select the product that attaches to your jet wash. Product listings usually mention which pressure washer brands the snow foam cannon is suitable for.

What To Look For When Buying The Best Snow Foam Lance

The perfect snow foam lance will have several useful features. You want a nice, wide filler neck, which makes life easier. A wide base means it won’t topple over when you’re not using it. You want a wide range of spray pattern adjustment as well. This allows you to quickly coat the whole car or just spray a small section.

Horizontal and vertical spray pattern adjustment is also very nice to have. A measuring scale on the side of the bottle is essential for ease of use. Finally, soft pick-up hoses and filters are a nice bonus that’s well worth looking out for. This can make all the difference between a good snow foam lance and a great one.

Looking for the right products to use in your new lance? We’ve got you covered with our guide to the best snow foam in 2024.

Love car shows? Whether you’ve got a show-ready VW, a track-focused JDM machine or a fast Ford, whatever it is, we’ve got you covered with a mighty event. Be sure to visit our Fast Car events page for more information on our events and to pick up your tickets. 

The post Best Snow Foam Lance In 2024 appeared first on Fast Car.

These days, we have become somewhat accustomed to BMW making some questionable design choices. Take the new BMW M3 for example… But back in the day, when Bavarian machinery was much easier on the eye, on the rare occasions that BMW did make something a little out of the ordinary, everyone sat up and took notice. And one of the best examples of this is the E36/8 Z3 M Coupé.

BMW Z3 M Coupé ‘Breadvan’ origins

In the UK, it was affectionately nicknamed the ‘breadvan’ Americans took to calling it the clown shoe, but whether it’s baked goods or funny people with oversized footwear that come to mind, the simple fact is that the Z3 Coupé is definitely not a conventional BMW in any way, shape or form. When it launched, the weirdest-looking BMW on sale at the time was the E36 Compact, and it wasn’t even that odd compared to its successor.

But grafting a hatchback rear end onto the Z3 Roadster created something rather ungainly. It feels unbalanced with that back end – very long at the front and short in the rear, with that weird rising window line, and it is undeniably a strange-looking car. But it’s also a car that is undeniably a modern icon. The downright weird styling is precisely what makes it stand out, and that, along with its low production numbers and rarity have made it a collector’s piece, which is why you can pick up an M Roadster for £14,000, but you’ll need to spend double that to get your hands on the bakers’ favourite. And for Ayman Bugis, it was all about parking the unconventional M icon in his garage.

Ayman’s car history

Ayman is a big BMW fan, and he’s in the fortunate position of being able to indulge his passion for cars, working as a doctor in medical genetics and assistant professor of genetics at King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. “I was born and grew up in Jeddah. When I was
at school, I was always a big fan of BMW magazines, always inspired by those heavily modified BMW cars in the UK. I loved them, and they inspired me, and since the stance game was and still is growing over there, I wanted one day to build my own BMW to a high standard exactly like what we see published in BMW magazines,” Ayman enthuses.

“After I finished my bachelor’s degree, I got a well-paid position at King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, and I thought to myself: let’s get a present from myself to myself,” Ayman grins, “so I went to a BMW showroom and I bought myself a brand-new E92 320i. I love the shape of the E92. I’d seen a few on Instagram that had been stanced on big wheels, so I said to myself yes, this nice shape, within my budget, had quite wide arches, so this is what exactly I wanted,” he says with a smile. E92 acquired, Ayman proceeded to get stuck into some mods, dropping it on coilovers, adding 19” Work splits, a full M Sport kit, M3 bonnet, CSL boot lid and a few other touches, and that was good going for his first-ever modified car.

Love affair with BMW

Having always wanted a BMW and having made that happen with his 320i, the E92 proved to be a gateway car for Ayman and opened the door to full-on BM addiction, which has led to the quintet he currently owns, but there’s something of a theme here. “As I mentioned previously, I always wanted simple and clean, classic, unique shape, rare and powerful BMWs. So, I purchased my E31 840Ci six years ago, and since then, I wanted another rare and unique-looking BMW to be a pair with the 840. So, I decided to go ahead with Z3 M Coupé,” he smiles.

“It is an ultra-rare car. According to the database, 700-ish RHD Z3 M Coupés were built, with half of these still registered. It is the shape, power, design and the rear with the huge M arches that make this car stand out from other models. For me, it is one of the best designs BMW ever made. It is so eye-catching. Every single trip I do, I get a lot of attention, thumbs-up, and a lot of the time people – young and old, male and female – stop me and start talking about the M Coupé,” Ayman grins, and it’s a car that can never slip under the radar.

Buying the BMW Z3 M Coupe

Of course, finding the right BMW Z3 M Coupé is not an easy task, with so few to choose from, so you have to be committed to the cause. “Honestly, there were not many RHD Z3 Ms for sale on the market at that time, and even now, it’s becoming harder and harder to find one,” says Ayman. “I was checking online websites every day till I found this clean example near London. As always, it had to be an original condition, clean, low-mileage classic BMW,” and he obtained exactly that.

While the Z3 M Coupé could be had in a variety of different colours – no fewer than 14, in fact – it’s arguably best served by bold, bright hues like Imola red, Dakar and Phoenix yellows, and the Estoril blue of Ayman’s example. Estoril is such an iconic BMW colour and so fitting for such an iconic M car. That light metallic blue works beautifully on the Z3 Coupé’s body, highlighting all the details, and accentuating those curves and swollen arches, and it really brings out the best in this unconventional design. If you’re shopping for a Z3 M Coupé, promise us you’ll pick one in a bright, bold colour – it’s what the car deserves. And if you own one, why not join us at the German Car Festival this October and join other rare German machinery on show.

OEM+ modifications that make a difference

Looking at Ayman’s modified BMW Z3 M, it’s clear that, apart from putting it on air ride and fitting wheels, the rest of the car has been left almost completely stock. The Z3 isn’t a car that was ever especially well-served in terms of aftermarket modifications, nor is it a car that ever really needed much in the way of additions, beyond perhaps wheels and suspension. The retro styling has aged very well and looks good today, and in M form, it has presence and aggression in spades, while the smooth lines don’t lend themselves well to the addition of splitters, spoilers and the like. This is a car that is arguably at its best with just the slightest of individual touches to give it just a hint of individuality, as you can see here, and that was always Ayman’s plan.

“Once I sealed the deal, I ordered the Air Lift suspension and bagged it within a few weeks. It’s a custom Air Lift Performance suspension setup, and I chose it because I really like the look of a car when it’s slammed on the floor. It looks super-clean and simple,” he reasons, and we can’t disagree. Of course, when you’re lowering a car – be that on air or coilovers – that’s only part of the equation, and to balance that drop, you need the right wheels to make everything right, and Ayman’s choice is sheer perfection.

Choosing the right wheels for the modified BMW Z3 M Coupé

“I always wanted original, unique, rare wheels. For me, the wheels are the most important thing in the stance game and car modification. Heavy budget should put on them,” he says, with a serious look, and you know he’s not messing around here. “I am a rare wheel collector. I have three sets of Racing Dynamics RS2 splits, Alpina Softline splits, Azev A splits, AC Schnitzer Type 3 and Type 1 splits,” he says, reeling off a list that reads like an ultimate fantasy wheel wishlist. And with such impeccable taste, it’s no surprise that his modified BMW Z3 M Coupé is wearing something seriously sexy beneath its arches.

“I purchased a set of original BBS LM 089 17s from Russia and lips and barrels from SRR Hardware,” he says, and those were necessary to turn them into deep-dish, arch-filling 18s that sit oh-so-perfectly on this Z3. Seriously, these BBSs look so good and tuck gracefully beneath the sculpted bodywork when Ayman airs out, with the blue centre caps tying in with the Estoril paint and the gold hardware adding just the perfect contrasting touch.

“The wheels are my favourite thing because wheels make the car. I don’t like doing much modification on the body – always remember: less is more,” emphasises Ayman, and it’s a philosophy he lives by. Everything else is almost completely as it was when the car left the factory – from the bodywork to the 321hp S50 beneath that dramatic clamshell bonnet, though Ayman has added a couple of very subtle touches.

Other modifications on the BMW Z3 M

The first of these is the amber lights that he’s fitted all-round, along with a front number plate delete for a smoother look. Within the vibrant two-tone interior, you will find the only other modification on the car, that being an A-pillar-mounted oil pressure gauge, but that’s more of a safety feature than anything else.

While some BMWs gain so much from some serious mods, less is more works so well here because the Z3 M Coupé is already so much to begin with – try to add any more, and it all starts to go wrong. Ayman’s gorgeous Estoril machine is the perfect embodiment of a little goes a long way, and it’s such a simple and clean example that has just gained that little something extra from what he’s done. The Z3 M Coupé might not be for everyone, but if ever there was an example that might just sway you, we reckon this modified BMW Z3 M might be it.

Photos: Ade Brannan.

If you love German cars like this, then we’ve got the show for you. On October 5th we’re taking over Goodwood Motor Circuit for German Car Festival. You’ll get to see rare cars like this Z3 M, as well as some of the wildest German car builds in the UK. Be sure to visit the German Car Festival website for more info on how to secure your ticket. 

The post Modified BMW Z3 M Coupé appeared first on Fast Car.

When it comes to the BMW E46 M3, we are of the same general opinion as pretty much everyone else – that it’s awesome. The ultimate form of the E46 has created an incredible legacy for itself and is such a highly revered car, even after so many years. And we never tire of seeing them. Whether it’s an immaculate example with just a few individual touches or something a little more full-on, we’d struggle to find an E46 M3 we don’t like, and we like Jack Cavanagh’s very much indeed because it’s been a project car built to be the best E46 M3 it can be.

Detailing enthusiasts, well, let’s face it, car enthusiasts in general, will recognise Jack’s Instagram and TikTok accounts as he’s the Brand Director for car care company Stjärnagloss, as well as the face of it. Jack describes his job as “selling car detailing products and dancing on TikTok,” and if you log on there or onto Insta, you’ll see him demonstrating the products with his cheeky, irresistible charms. It’s little wonder the brand has garnered such a devoted following on the UK modded scene, with Stjärnagloss sponsoring loads of sexy builds up and down the country. And that’s no surprise, considering Jack’s love of cars and modifying them, and BMWs are where his heart belongs.

Cav’s E46 obsession

“I first fell in love with an E46 when one pulled into our school playground. It was brand spanking new, and everyone crowded around it”, Cav recalls with a grin. “It was at a time when the new Need for Speed game had just launched, and everyone thought it was a GTR (I have no idea why, it wasn’t even silver or grey).” That was all it took to get him hooked on Bavarian metal, though his first ownership experience was less than stellar…

“Me and a friend bought an E30 318is for £250 from a guy. He had it sat on his driveway for around four years. We saw it as an earner,” explains Jack. “We took it home, cleaned it, got it running and thought we were going to be rich. Then we took it for an MOT and realised it had more holes than a cheese grater. Sat on it for around a year, then scrapped it for… £250,” he laughs, but the experience didn’t put him off, which is why we’re here now.

Why BMW?

“Fast forward to actually being able to afford to buy an E46 M3, I looked at an Audi RS4, but it just didn’t do anything for me except sound good; AMGs are basically muscle cars, which I’ve never found appealing, and BMs just handle. Even from the factory, they are ‘down on power’ but make up for it so well In the corners,” Jack reasons.

“The E46 M3 I think has aged incredibly well. It is often regarded as the ultimate M by journalists, whom I really admire, and the price was reasonable. It has since gone up and come back down again, though, so who knows where it will end up on the value scale,” he shrugs. “I think 350hp in a sub-1400kg car is the sweet spot. I absolutely love the S54, and I think it looks mega,” Jack adds with a grin, and he’s definitely preaching to the choir.

Buying the BMW E46 M3 and build plans

“I found the car down in Cornwall, I think (bottom left of the country). It had some nice bolt-on bits but, unfortunately, it had been mangled together on driveways and wasn’t up to standard,” Jack tells us, but that wasn’t about to stop him, and, besides, it wasn’t going to stay like this for long. “We definitely had a plan when buying it, which was to make it the ultimate version of itself. The CSL was always the hero E46, but I think it could have been better. It needed better brakes, a manual box, and to be lighter,” says Jack with a twinkle in his eye.

“We wanted to make the E46 M3 GTS, the one that BMW never made: a lighter, more raw model. Much like what the E92 GTS represented – more track-focused and less refined/road going,” he says with building enthusiasm, and you’re looking at the result of that vision.

Improving the handling of the modified BMW E46 M3

Jack’s E46 M3 already had the manual gearbox that his perfect version of the CSL would have come with, so better brakes, less weight, plus the extra noise, performance and superb handling that the CSL offers, but taken to the next level were the goals for this build. In standard form, the E46 M3’s handling is very good indeed, but to elevate it beyond even that of the CSL, the chassis needed some work, especially as the suspension that came on the car was shot.

“I went for Bilstein Clubsport coilovers. After reading countless reviews, these were the best fit for the car’s ‘vision’,” explains Jack, “a predominantly track suspension that could also be used on the road. An extremely well-respected suspension brand with mountains of track car history. Lastly, a truly amazing company to work with that really cares about performance.

Then I poly-bushed everything, and a thicker anti-roll bar was already in but fitted incorrectly. Russ from Swift Performance nearly cried when I took the car to him for the first time,” laughs Jack, “but he’s since made it near-perfect,” he says with a satisfied smile. And on top of that, Jack has also added a purple tag steering rack, which is a little quicker than the stock M3 one, for even sharper response.

Upgraded brakes and wheels for the modified BMW E46 M3

With suspension sorted and properly set up, the brakes also needed attention, and here, he’s opted for an F80 M3 Competition setup front and rear. That means beefy four-pot calipers with 380mm discs up front and two-piston calipers and 370mm discs at the rear, and this combo delivers serious stopping power and is a serious upgrade over the standard car’s brakes.

Jack’s M3 also needed some lightweight aftermarket wheels to go over those brakes, and his choice was the flow-formed Apex ARC-8. He’s running a 10×18” square setup, with the wheels mounted on a stud kit, along with spacers to clear the calipers.

The ARC-8 is a great-looking wheel, especially on any sort of track build, and they work so well here in matt bronze. The final touch was a set of seriously sticky rubber, and Jack’s choice of tyre really delivers: “The Nankang AR-1s are the real party piece of the wheels. They just don’t lose grip, and I stand by that statement,” he says with a laugh.

Exterior styling modifications

At this point, the E46 M3’s chassis and brakes had now been suitably upgraded, and it was time to take a look at the car’s exterior. “The exterior styling bolted down to weight saving,” explains Jack. “I went for carbon and fibreglass everywhere possible. I don’t love wings on E46s as I think it kills the silhouette, but the CSL-style ducktail spoiler is beautiful, especially in carbon weave. The GTS-style carbon bonnet is aggressive and helps with cooling, so this felt like a no-brainer,” he adds, and these two additions not only look fantastic but also save a chunk of weight in one fell swoop.

The carbon and fibreglass bonnet looks awesome with its carbon vents, while the CSL boot lid is iconic, and leaving it unpainted adds an extra element of aggression to proceedings, plus it ties in with the carbon roof that’s also been fitted to this build, further reducing weight. Up front sit carbon grilles, carbon bumper intakes, plus a carbon splitter; look closely, and you’ll see that the front wings are lightweight vented fibreglass items from PSDesigns. The finishing touches are the carbon CSL-style diffuser and the custom BMW Stjärnagloss roundels. The result of all that is an E46 M3 that looks fantastic and more aggressive than stock without being over the top, and has lost plenty of weight in the process.

Shedding weight inside the modified BMW E46 M3

Moving inside, the weight loss program has continued, and while the cabin isn’t too hardcore, it’s very much in keeping with the whole philosophy of the build. “I kept it simple and clean on the inside, I loved the suede and leather carbon buckets, colour-matched the cage to the wheels and dressed the trim in carbon skin (full carbon doesn’t exist on the internet, unfortunately),” Jack tells us. “I would love to remove the carpets and put carbon kick plates in, but worry how much louder it would be in the cockpit if we did. The sound deadening has already been removed,” he says, and that’s shaved a chunk of weight from the interior.

“I retrimmed the seats with Dave The Trimmer. That added some luxury back in as the seats were lightweight but dead to look at. I also took the opportunity to add the brand in there,” Jack grins, and the Corbeau carbon buckets look stunning, as a result. They’re equipped with Sabelt harnesses, and at the rear, the seats have been removed to make space for that cage. Other touches here include Alcantara gaiters with M tricolour stitching, an Alcantara-rimmed CSL steering wheel, plus a PSDesigns shifter. It all works together so well, giving the cabin that focused feel, and it looks great, too.

Modified BMW E46 M3 engine tuning

Finally, we come to the engine, and with the CSL acting as inspiration for this build, there was only ever going to be one must-have mod for the S54. “A Karbonius CSL carbon airbox. This was purely for the noise and the aesthetics. If anyone is hoping to get power from this, save your money,” Jack laughs. “We also sorted the cooling out – the radiator wasn’t efficient, and the fan was on a switch inside the car, so I put a CSF rad in and added a thermostat back in. The original exhaust was shot and rattled terribly, so Mad DP jabbed a beautiful cat-back from scratch. It sounds so much better now,” enthuses Jack.

“I took the car to TRS to iron out some wrinkles in the base map after the airbox was put on. The car achieved 361hp but with a great power curve – it’s very smooth and enough power, in my opinion,” he adds. “The Vanos and rod bearings had been done, but we re-did the shells before the Nurburgring trip. Misha Charoudin drove the car so we wanted to be careful,” he adds. Watch Misha’s video on his YouTube channel, and you’ll see just how much he enjoyed Jack’s E46 M3, so much so that he took it out for a second lap, which speaks volumes about how good this build is.

Cav’s favourite modification

When he started this project, Jack set out to build himself a car that surpassed the CSL, and he accomplished that goal. It weighs the same as a CSL but has a roll cage, has the same power, but with better brakes and a manual gearbox, and it’s an awesome machine that’s been designed to perform on track, and it truly does. And with a build of this calibre, choosing a favourite mod among so many is no easy task.

“I’m torn between the airbox, as it just sounds sooo good, the Bilsteins, and the carbon roof and boot. All play very different roles, but each one was a bit of a pinch-me moment,” says Jack with a smile. “From a young age, I always thought it was such an honour and a privilege to be able to modify already great cars. These three mods felt and still do feel really substantial and ultimately really aren’t needed. It’s really just perfecting something that’s already great,” he says. “The roof was weird as the original had to be cut out. The Clubsports are an engineering work of art to look at and make the car so much more noble, and the airbox is just a symphony in D minor,” he grins, and that trio definitely makes this car something special.

What’s next for Cav, Stjarnagloss and this modified BMW E46 M3?

There are, naturally, a few more mods to come, namely cams and a carpet delete, but Jack already has his hands full with his next project car, his G82 M4 CS. “We have just started making it more track-focused. Think of it as the M4 GTS-destroyer,” he grins, and of course that’s the direction he’s taking the new project in. And having proven he knows exactly what he’s doing with his E46 M3, we reckon it’s safe to say that with the M4, lightening is definitely going to strike twice…

Love German cars? We’ve got two premier car shows for you:

• TRAX
• German Car Festival

Photos: Ade Brannan.

The post Stjarnagloss’s Modified E46 M3 Is The GTS BMW Didn’t Make appeared first on Fast Car.

Despite what people on the internet say, the FN2 generation Honda Civic Type R (built only for Europe) was a great little car. Sure, it had its downsides, and dynamically it wasn’t as razer-sharp as the EP3 that came before it. But, it still handled well, featured that rev-happy K20 engine (albeit slightly different) and best of all, was well catered for in the aftermarket department. In fact, we like them so much, we went ahead and bought one as a project car! Check out the FN2 build thread here.

In this guide, we’ll take a look at why you would want to buy an FN2 Civic Type R, as well as outline potential problem areas that you should be aware of before viewing a used FN2.

Brief history of the Honda Civic Type R FN2

While looking dramatically different to the EP3 that came before it, the Honda Civic Type R FN2 actually carries over exactly the same VTEC engine and transmission.

Purists in certain quarters were aghast that the FN2 offered no more power than the EP3 (well, if we’re being pedantic the official figure was 1hp higher). They were also unhappy with Honda’s decision to replace the older car’s multi-link rear suspension with a simpler beam rear. Having extensively test-driven and owned many EP3s and FN2s, we can assure you that the FN2’s simpler rear suspension setup doesn’t hamper the fun factor!

A facelift in 2008 brought in HID headlights with washers, and improved sound deadening. It’s worth noting that cars built after March 2010 came with an LSD as standard. Notable special editions include 2008’s Championship White Edition, which had an LSD and white wheels. As well as the rare Type R Mugen, with a raucous 240hp thanks to uprated pistons, cams and ECU, as well as model-specific body kit and suspension tweaks. Don’t confuse this obscure special with the more mainstream Type R Mugen 200 from 2010, which mated the stock engine to Mugen styling, white paint and an LSD.

The GT Spec added auto headlights, cruise control, rain-sensing wipers and a refrigerated glovebox.

Honda Civic Type R FN2 Most Common Problems

• Timing chain
• Valve clearances
• Gearbox synchro issues
• Soft paint
• Interior rattles

What to look for when buying a Honda Civic Type R FN2 buyer’s guide

Below, we’ll break down the car into different areas, identifying any potential issues you should be aware of. FN2 generation Civic Type Rs tend to be reliable, provided the owner has kept up to date with servicing and maintenance. Always ask about the car’s service history, as well as what parts were used. Don’t be discouraged by lightly modified examples, but do make sure that the parts are from reputable brands and installed correctly.

FN2 Civic Type R K20 Engine

As Honda carried the drivetrain over from the EP3, many of the ‘what-to-look-for’ elements are identical. The K20 engine is a supremely robust thing, provided that it’s properly looked after. Service history is crucial here, along with the reassuring knowledge that the car’s been owned and maintained by somebody who knows what they’re doing. The Honda Civic Type R FN2 went through a period of surprising affordability when you could pick them up cheaply and rag them around. As a result, it’s all the more important to ensure that the seller is the type of person who will have been checking the oil every week. Because you need to with these engines – they naturally use a bit of oil, it’s just what they do.

As with the EP3, it’s worth bearing the timing chains in mind. You won’t get any warning when it’s going to let go, so if you’re looking at an FN2 with higher mileage then it’s worth factoring the cost of renewing the timing chain (around £600) into the purchase price, as you’ll be wanting to do this sooner rather than later as a preventative measure. You might hear a tappety noise on cold startup, which is normal; just make sure you check the car’s history to see if someone’s maintained its valve clearances every 25,000 miles. Finally, not an internal issue, but flakey rocker cover paint is a common problem.

Transmission

Transmissions are generally pretty robust; you may experience a bit of a graunch going into second gear, but that’s not uncommon. 2007 cars frequently have third-gear issues. The synchro wears prematurely and the signs are that third gear will feel notchy when engaging. If the wear is bad enough, the gear will pop out. The clutch can whine at the biting point when cold, but this is just an FN2 quirk and not something to worry about.

If the clutch pedal squeaks, it will either be down to the pedal box, where the washers from the pedal springs have either broken or come out, or the clutch master cylinder having dried up. You might be able to get rid of the noise by lubricating the clutch pedal assembly or the master cylinder where the rod from the clutch assembly goes in. Those in the know recommend that you use motorbike chain lube as it doesn’t evaporate, unlike other lubricating sprays. Make sure the clutch is light in its operation. If it feels heavy, it’s worn and due for replacement (unless it’s been uprated with an aftermarket item).

Suspension and brakes

The front subframe will sometimes make a clicking noise under acceleration or when braking due to dirt getting caught between two sections of the subframe. This isn’t anything to worry about, though. The rear suspension sometimes creaks when driving the car for the first time after it’s been parked up. Again, it’s not anything to worry about.

The factory-spec brakes are good, but it is common for owners to upgrade them. Some opt just for different pads, some opt for pads and disc changes, while some opt for a full big brake kit. Again, do your research on who makes the parts if they are non-standard fit.

Interior

As with all Civic Type Rs, the standard-fit Recaro bucket seats are fantastic and offer both comfort and support. That being said, the seat bolsters wear due to being so large and supportive. The FN2 also suffers from several interior rattles. Sounds from the headlining are usually caused by a loose cable or clip. Dashboard rattles are caused by numerous things and you’ll just have to learn to live with them. Water and dirt between the scuttle and the windscreen can result in a rattling noise when driving. The solution is to simply remove the windscreen cowl, and add a length of adhesive foam tape before refitting it.

Nowadays, the interior does feel dated, but during its launch, the car was considered to have an almost spaceship-like appearance. Owners opt to replace the standard-fit stereo with a more up to date stereo system that incorporates things like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. As long as they were installed correctly, this is usually a benefit for most drivers.

Exterior

Make sure you do a careful rust inspection. If you spot any weathering on a 2011 model, the 12-year anti-corrosion warranty could still just about cover it (at the time of writing). Bubbling might occur on the roof due to the rubber strip at the top of the windscreen cutting the paint. Meanwhile on pre-facelift cars, the rubber seal at the top of the doors at the edge nearest the B-pillar collect water, causing the doors to start to rust. Facelift models received a revised seal design.

You will almost certainly find a whole world of stone chips on the nose; the paint was very soft from the factory. Copious blemishes are just a thing that happens. As a result, a car with a front-end respray doesn’t always mean it’s been in a collision. Some owners may have decided to tidy the car up due to stone chips.

The standard Honda Civic Type R FN2 boot spoiler is a minor practical annoyance, as it largely obscures your rear view. And take a look at the full-width light strip on the boot lid. Water ingress is pretty common, so it might look a bit mossy around the seals.

The plastic covers on the door handles sometimes loosen as they have a tendency to break away from their fixings. The cover isn’t available to buy separately, so you either need a new handle, or you can try to glue the cover back on. Door mirror modules can fail, which makes them fold slowly or stop folding altogether. Each mirror has its own module, but luckily replacing them is a quick job.

Honda Civic Type R FN2 Prices

The entry price point for the more abundant Honda Civic Type R FN2 is actually pretty similar to the EP3. Early cars also starting around £4500. LSD-equipped 2010 cars can be found from £6000, rising to £9500 for the very best. Championship White Editions tend to sell for £7k-8k, and if you’re able to track down the more obscure Type R Mugen 200, these usually sell for between £17,000-19,000. Want a full fat Mugen Type R? You’ll first need to find 1 of the 40 examples, secondly, you’ll need to muster up around £40,000.

Tech Spec: Honda Civic Type R FN2

• Engine: 1998cc four-cylinder
• Transmission: Six-speed manual
• Max Power: 201hp @ 7800rpm
• Max Torque: 142lb ft @ 5600rpm
• 0-62mph: 6.6 secs
• Top Speed: 146mph
• Weight: 1301kg
• Price When New: £18,619

Words: Daniel Bevis and Elizabeth de Latour. Photos: Honda

The post Honda Civic Type R FN2 Buyer’s Guide appeared first on Fast Car.

We hate to start another feature by sounding like a stuck record, but here is once again a car that we feel is seriously under-represented on the modified BMW scene. The E21 does get love – you just need to look at the attention a really tidy example receives at any show – but it’s just not a car that is as well-catered for modifications as its E30 counterpart.

If you see a modified BMW E21, then you know its owner is really committed to their car. They’ve deliberately chosen an older model, even knowing the likely extra problems they’ll have to deal with when looking after it, and the extra lengths they’ll have to go to when modifying it. And none of that put them off. We like that, we respect the grind and the passion, and it’s worth it when you create something that looks like this E21.

Owning any classic car is something you have to commit to, and Benny Mansi understands that. His modified BMW E21 has been a part of his life for the past 12 years, and after that sort of period, a car becomes like a family member, really. It’s something you care for and are deeply passionate about, and for Benny, the E21 is a car he’s always had his eye on.

Benny’s car history

“I grew up in London from 1982 and left in 2001; when I was a kid, there were classic BMWs everywhere, but there was an orange E21 I saw every day on my way to school, and I loved it,” Benny tells us as we chat. “The way the bonnet overhangs the wings and creates the line down the whole car is one part I’ve always loved,” he enthuses, but it would be a while before he got his hands on one.

“I didn’t start driving until I was 24, as, back in the day, I rode my BMX everywhere. Then, I moved to Bristol and was on my BMX there most days,” he explains. “I never really needed to drive and couldn’t afford to run a car anyway until I moved back to London. I bought a classic Mini and started to modify it almost the day I got it,” he says, and you can certainly see where his love of modding manifested. “The late Darryl Cripps put a Suzuki Swift Mk2 GTI engine and ’box in it for me. It was an incredible car,” he enthuses.

Mini life was good, and Benny was happy, but life moves on, things change, and change can be good. “Fast-forward to when I was 29 and my wife’s and my first child was due. With the proceeds of the Mini sale, we bought a Passat estate, and I bought the E21,” he grins, and a new chapter in Benny’s motoring life began.

Buying the BMW E21

“I found it in Wellington,” he tells us. “A young lad with a young family was reluctant to let it go, but it was a terrible daily. It was as low as possible on Gaz coilovers, had a major oil leak and had a 2.3 M20 in it, but instead of injection, it had a massive DGAS carb on it that drank fuel. I fell in love with it the moment I saw it and knew I was in for the long haul,” he grins, but things didn’t get off to the best of starts. “I smashed the sump on the way home from buying it, so it was off the road for a couple of weeks,” he winces, but the course of modded car ownership never did run smooth.

Initial modifications

“I properly cleaned the car inside and out, shoved some BBS reps on it and drove it like that for ages,” says Benny, but the E21 had so much more to give. “As time went on, I realised the car had so much potential, so got saving. I took the car to a place in Exeter to have the bodywork done as Reece Parr, who has just recently started out on his own, was the painter there, and I knew it was in good hands,” Benny explains.

“By the time it was stripped and all the bits of surface rust and dents etc. had been sorted, virtually every panel needed painting, so I decided on a colour change. I wanted a new colour but wanted it to still look like it came from the factory, so Porsche Sport Classic Grey fitted the bill perfectly,” he smiles, and we couldn’t agree more. We’re not big fans of the recent trend for solid grey paint jobs, but Benny’s choice is inspired and works so well on the E21. The pale grey has almost a blue tint to it in certain light, and it does a wonderful job of accentuating all of the E21’s lines, while also having that period look about it, and it suits the car perfectly.

Adding the air ride suspension on the modified BMW E21

“I chucked some Revolution RFX aftermarket wheels on it for a while but had air-ride in the back of my mind,” says Benny, and fate decided to step in and lend a helping hand with the project. “Munich Icons posted up a second-hand air-ride setup at a really decent price, and after begging my wife, I snapped it up,” he grins. “It’s a very basic manual AccuAir SwitchSpeed setup but hasn’t missed a beat since I had it fitted. I wired it all up and did a very basic boot build, then Nick Smith at Kingsdown Garage fitted the struts,” Benny explains. There are plenty of people who still get hung up about BMWs, especially classics, sitting on air, but we defy anyone to look at this modified BMW E21, tyres tucked up into its arches, belly a hair’s breadth from the ground and confidently claim it doesn’t look good.

Naturally, air-ride demands a very correct choice of wheels to serve up the perfect combo of absolutely killer looks, and it’s safe to say that Benny has absolutely nailed it. “The Rotiforms on it now came from a local lad who had bought them for his Corrado, but they didn’t fit, so I nabbed them off him as the widths and ETs were near perfect. The faces were chrome, so I had them refurbed by Dan at Wheel Unique, and they still look fresh three years on,” he says with a smile. You’re looking at 16” TMBs, which measure 8.5” across up front and 9”-wide at the rear, and the fitment is just perfect. The combo of grey centres, gold hardware and polished lips is no less perfect, and these wheels work so well on the E21.

BMW E21 engine modifications

With aesthetics coming along nicely, Benny now turned his attention to what was going on under the bonnet because up until now, he’d still been having to make do with that carb’d M20, and the E21 deserved something better. “It spent a while off the road getting the Astbury Motorworks treatment, getting an M20B25 conversion done by Dave Astbury in Devon. It drove like a new car afterwards, and while it isn’t the quickest, it’s not missed a beat in the four years since it was fitted,” enthuses Benny, and this has given the E21 the engine it deserved. It’s a step up from the B23 that it had before, with a nice boost in performance, but it’s still a classic BM engine that suits the car perfectly and enhances the whole driving experience perfectly.

Interior modifications

Sadly, time and life moving on are not always good, and Benny experienced a heartbreaking loss. “A massive shock and devastating time was when my dad passed away very suddenly and unexpectedly,” he says. “I inherited a bit of money, so I took it to TFI Motor Trimmers in Exeter, where they totally transformed the car from what was a really lovely classic into the stunner it is now. I still can’t believe how good it looks, and the extra expense of having the dash done was well worth it,” he says, and the interior is absolutely awesome.

We’re really not big fans of drab, dark, black and grey cabins, so show us an interior with some colour, some flair and uniqueness, and we come alive, and Benny’s E21 interior is really hitting the spot for us. He’s opted for a rich caramel shade, and that warm leather is everywhere you look – on the door cards, the centre console, and the whole dash is wrapped in it. It offers the perfect striking contrast to the subtle, understated exterior, and we love the wooden Momo steering wheel and wooden gear knob that tie in perfectly with the leather colour and work so well with the whole retro vibe.

Conclusion

12 years is a long time to commit to a car, but after so long, it’s almost impossible to think of selling it, and a project becomes an extension of your very self, a projection of you, what you love, what you’re all about, in car form. It’s not always been smooth sailing for Benny and his modified BMW E21, but he loves this car, it means so much to him, and you can tell that by how much he’s put into it. This E21 has been transformed during its time with Benny, and it’s simply magnificent now, a perfect example of a classic modified 3 Series, and it’s absolutely gorgeous.

In fact, Benny hasn’t done a single thing to it for the past three years, which lets you know that he’s really hit the sweet spot with it. Well, we say that, but there’s always one thing that we, as modified enthusiasts, have on our mind… “I’ve just listed my wheels for sale as I fancy a change, so if anyone is interested, hit me up on IG,” he grins, and the spectre of wheel addiction looms large in all our lives. But aside from some fresh wheels to switch up the styling and a visit to Reece to get the engine bay painted, what you’re looking at is the finished article. An E21 is not a casual purchase; it’s a car you commit to and have to put in the work with, but it’s so worth it, and Benny’s stunning build is all the proof you need.

Photos: Wookshot Media.

The post Modified BMW E21 3 Series On Air Ride appeared first on Fast Car.

Back in the day, when every BMW was NA, turbos were mysterious. Aside from the Turbo concept car, the 2002 Turbo and the turbocharged E23 745i, BMW’s road-going offerings remained unboosted. Even the early diesel offerings were naturally aspirated, and they really weren’t great…This meant that modders would spend £1000s on project cars to squeeze out an extra handful of NA horsepower or just add an aftermarket or homebrew turbo or supercharger kit to reap the benefits of forced induction.

It was only when BMW launched the E92 335i that Bavarian enthusiasts finally got to experience petrol turbo power firsthand – the performance, the toque, and then the incredible tuning potential. And while every modern petrol BMW is now turbocharged and a remap is all you need to enjoy a serious boost in performance, the appeal of forced induction has not diminished one bit. Seeing anything running serious turbo power is always impressive, and when it’s a car that wasn’t using forced induction in the first place and reminds us of those old homebrew boost days, then even better.

Which brings us neatly to Lee Mowat’s extremely boosted BMW E36 Saloon, and it’s just a bit special.

Lee’s BMW obsession

“I’ve been into BMWs since I was around 13 years old,” Lee begins as we chat, “watching my dad rebuild his crash-damaged E39, and from there, I just fell in love with the older BMW shapes and how well-built they were for their age,” he enthuses, and the appeal of the older BMW models is undeniable. “My first BMW was a blue E39 523i Saloon,” Lee continues, “which I bought because I liked my dad’s one so much, I just had to have one for myself,” he smiles. “It wasn’t the fastest BMW out there, but it made up for it just with the comfort alone.”

Lee also treated his E39 to a drop over some Style 66s, with other cars he’s owned enjoying an air and wheels combo, and while his E36 also has air and wheels, it’s fair to say this is his biggest project to date. “My E36 Saloon was originally bought to replace an E36 Touring that I had, which was unfortunately very rotten due to being sat in a field for a few years before my ownership,” he explains.

Sourcing the BMW E36

“The car was actually local to me. I found it on Facebook, but the pictures weren’t the best, so I thought stuff it, I will have a look anyway, and it turned out to be a very tidy example for its age,” says Lee. “The car was originally a completely stock 316i SE, and the original plan was to simply transfer everything I could from my old Touring, including the 2.5 engine and drivetrain,” he explains, but things have gone a lot further since those initial plans…

M50 engine swap for the modified BMW E36

“I first tidied and semi-smoothed the engine bay, moved the fuse box to behind the dash, tidied and hid the engine loom,” explains Lee, and then came the engine swap that would define this build. “The engine is an M50B25TU making 594hp and 526lb ft of torque, with a Link G4X standalone ECU. The original engine was built by a friend of mine in two weeks, and over two years, it has slowly been changed into what is now,” Lee tells us. “It has a K64 performance decompression plate with ARP head studs to be able to achieve decent power numbers. It’s got an M52 oil pump with an added oil pump chain tensioner because the M52 pumps are stronger, and the tensioner is to stop any slack in the chain, which is known to cause problems,” explains Lee.

“It’s got a top-mount turbo manifold with a Pulsar G30-770 turbo – I went for a G30 to achieve a bit less lag compared to the bigger turbos,” not that he’s exactly short on power, mind. “I’ve got a Turbosmart 45 wastegate with screamer pipe, FMIC Pro Performance intake manifold, full 3” turbo-back exhaust to a Scorpion back box, Siemens 630cc injectors, a bigger fuel pump, an S50 oil filter housing with a HEL external thermostat and oil cooler. It’s also got solid engine mounts, a Nissan S14 radiator as it’s great value for money and works perfectly, and a black intercooler, so it can’t be seen behind the bumper,” Lee says. That adds an air of stealthiness to a build that might not be a complete sleeper but certainly doesn’t let you know that there’s almost 600 turbocharged horsepower waiting to be unleashed.

Modified BMW E36 transmission

“The transmission is an E46 320d six-speed gearbox, and I’m running this because it’s a strong six-speed ’box that is a reasonable price,” explains Lee. “There’s a Driftworks Superfly flywheel, CG Motorsport 320d Stage 3 six-paddle clutch plate, an M3 clutch pressure plate, a custom gearbox mount to enable the six-speed to fit, a custom front propshaft that currently goes to a 2.93 welded diff, though that’s temporary, and finally solid medium-case driveshafts.”

The amount of work that has gone into the engine and drivetrain is seriously impressive, and this is an incredibly comprehensive build. The engine bay also looks spectacular, with that massive turbo just barely managing to squeeze in, and the work Lee did to tidy up the engine bay before the M50 swap means it looks that much cleaner and tidier, perfect for when you want to take the bonnet off and show it off.

Suspension modifications

As we mentioned before, Lee’s modding MO has always been wheels and air-ride, and this E36 follows that tradition, with a few extras beneath the surface. “The car is on a full Air Lift Performance setup with 3P management – I decided to bag the car because I didn’t want to run it static on the lovely English roads,” laughs Lee. “I’ve also got poly lollipop bushes, a poly bushed rear subframe, and Hardrace camber arms, which I had to run to allow the wheels to fit stock body,” he explains.

The brakes, meanwhile, are M3 3.0 items up front and 2.5 rears, with EBC pads and braided lines all-round, with a full ABS delete. “The ABS delete was done to allow for a better brake pedal feel, and the original ABS pump was on its way out; believe it or not, the brakes feel and work a lot nicer without ABS,” says Lee.

Choosing the right wheels for the modified BMW E36

With air on board, Lee needed the perfect set of aftermarket wheels, and he’s got exactly that with these stunning BBSs. “The wheels are custom three-piece RC041 splits, which are 9.5”-wide front and rear. I really like the RC041 styling, so I luckily managed to pick up a set that had been converted to three-piece,” grins Lee, and we’re not surprised he’s so happy. These wheels are simply gorgeous and suit the E36 so well. The 17s tuck perfectly under the E36’s arches, the white centres contrast perfectly against the red bodywork, and then the red centre caps coordinate with it, while the gold BBS lettering matches the gold hardware. It’s a match made in heaven.

OEM+ exterior modifications

While the wheels make a big impact in terms of aesthetics, Lee has added a few key elements that give this E36 a lot more presence, and it looks fantastic. “The exterior was an easy one for me if I’m honest; I love stanced stock-body E36s, so a nice simple Sport kit with some little extra details such as the fat lip splitter and some subtle side skirt extensions was perfect,” smiles Lee. “The fog light ducts are a small detail but were much needed to channel more air into the engine bay and to the turbo. Also, some AC Schnitzer parts are nice to have – the AC spoiler took me a while to find, the same goes for the mirrors, but it added the little bit extra the car was missing,” he enthuses, and we agree.

Honestly, this modified BMW E36 looks so good – everything about it just works so well, and all the additional elements that Lee has added make such a big difference. That carbon front splitter fills out the front bumper and touches the ground when Lee airs out, making the car look so much more dramatic, and the rest of it is just so clean and just so right. And, if you look carefully, you’ll realise just how big that turbo is because the bonnet has a little hump to accommodate it.

Interior modifications

Finally, we come to the interior, and, for now, at least, Lee has kept things nice and simple in here. “To be honest, I’m still not fully decided on what route I’m going with the interior, but for the time being, I decided to fit black leather Sport front seats and black leather rears to match. I’ve also fitted matching front door cards, armrest, shifter and handbrake covers, as well as black suede headlining and parcel shelf.

I’ve got a genuine Nardi wood steering wheel with an NRG boss kit, a carbon centre console, glovebox panel, steering column surround and handbrake handle,” and these additions make the cabin feel more special. In addition to that, Lee has added genuine BMW cup holders, a chassis-mounted short-shift, and in front of that sits a trio of AEM gauges for boost, oil pressure and AFR. While Lee hasn’t as yet done that much on the inside, what he has done is just enough to make the cabin feel that bit more special.

The E36 is rapidly becoming a fan favourite of the modern classic modded BMW scene. It’s starting to get a whole lot of love, and Lee’s awesome example is all the proof you need. It’s got that older custom turbo build vibe, that homebrew feel that you’d get with boosted E36s back when the car was new, executed in a modern way with an eager eagle eye for the period details that make all the difference.

What’s next for the modified BMW E36?

It’s taken Lee four years to get his E36 to this stage, and impressive as it is, he’s not done just yet. “I want to get a built LSD so I can bin the welded diff, getting the interior how I want it once I have decided is also on my list, and maybe more power,” he laughs, but we don’t think he’s joking. And it’s the power that makes this build so awesome. “I would have to say my favourite modification has to be the M50 turbo setup because it makes the car very exciting to drive and also keeps me on my toes as it can be a handful,” chuckles Lee with a grin. Delivering big-boosted turbo thrills, this is one of the finest third-gen Threes we’ve seen on the scene in a long time, and it truly showcases the E36 at its very best.

Photos: Wookshot Media.

The post Modified BMW E36 With 594hp appeared first on Fast Car.

RRP: $14.99, buy now / £17.99, buy now.

How I tested Mothers Pure Brazilian Carnauba Wax

Step one was ensuring that my trusty test panel was properly prepared. First, I polished it using Meguiar’s Ultimate Compound. I then used CarPro Eraser to remove any polishing oils. Next, I took three gloss readings for the test section to get an average. The wax was then applied according to the instructions and allowed to cure, before being wiped off. The gloss meter was then brought in again to get a new average reading. Finally, I sprayed the panel with water to see how it behaved.

What Mothers says

This is very much a down-to-earth, old-school kind of wax, with no fancy gimmicks. Mothers says that Pure Brazilian Carnauba Wax provides unsurpassed shine, depth and protection. It’s made with the finest Brazilian #1 yellow carnauba for superior shine and protection. It is also non-abrasive, so you can use it as often as you like. You can also apply more than one coat for extra protection. Based on that, I would expect a wax that’s easy to apply and remove, and that offers reasonable levels of gloss and decent beading.

What it’s like to use Mothers Pure Brazilian Carnauba Wax

I have to say this wax is quite disappointing. Application and removal were both so-so, with this wax feeling rather sticky when going on and coming off. I was definitely hoping for better here. The gloss meter also barely registered any change at all after application. Carnauba wax traditionally delivers a rich, warm finish, but my blue test panel isn’t the best colour to see that. Finally, water behaviour was also disappointing, with very slow sheeting.

Gloss meter readings and verdict

• Gloss before: 87.7
• Gloss after: 88
• Gloss change: +0.3

Sadly, there’s not a lot of good things I can say about Mothers Pure Brazilian Carnauba Wax. It didn’t really deliver much, it wasn’t great to use, and it didn’t handle water well, either. It’s cheap, at least, so that’s something, but I wouldn’t choose this over one of the much better waxes I’ve tried.

The post Mothers Pure Brazilian Carnauba Wax Review appeared first on Fast Car.

RRP: $19.97, buy here / £23.95, buy here.

How I tested Chemical Guys Butter Wet Wax

Before waxing, I polished the test panel using Meguiar’s Ultimate Compound. CarPro Eraser was then called in to remove any polishing oils and ensure the paintwork was ready and prepped. I then took three gloss readings for the test section to get an average score. The wax was then applied according to the instructions and allowed to cure, after which I wiped it off. Afterwards, I used the gloss meter a second time to see if there was any increase after applying the wax. Finally, I sprayed the panel with water to check water repellency.

What Chemical Guys says

Butter Wet Wax is another carnauba liquid wax that’s not fancy but should perform well, as carnauba paste waxes are always good. Chemical Guys says this wax is easy on/off application to give you a deep wet look to your paint. It’s a wipe-on, wipe-off formula that can be applied on wet or dry paintwork. Chemical Guys also says that it will lightly cleanse the paintwork. I’d expect it to be easy to use, and I’d like to see a decent increase in gloss, plus some good beading.

What it’s like to use Chemical Guys Butter Wet Wax

Butter Wet Wax has a lovely banana scent, and I would have been disappointed if it didn’t, based on the color. Of course, that’s not so great if you don’t like bananas… Chemical Guys’ promise of easy-on, easy-off didn’t quite materialize, though. Instead, I found it a bit sticky when applying and removing it. Perhaps the colder weather during testing had an effect on this and it would be nicer to work with in warmer temperatures. There was an increase in gloss, albeit a very small one. Water behavior was also very disappointing, with no observable beading or sheeting. The water just sat there, so I don’t know what to say about that, really.

Gloss meter readings and verdict

• Gloss before: 88.2
• Gloss after: 88.6
• Gloss change: +0.4

I found Chemical Guys Butter Wet Wax to be very disappointing. It wasn’t that great to use, and I was really shocked to see how poorly it performed in the water test. I like the banana scent, and I like the fact that you can use it in direct sunlight and on wet paintwork. However, my overall experience was disappointing. Perhaps liquid waxes might fare better in warmer weather, but in this test, Chemical Guys Butter Wet Wax was a letdown.

The post Chemical Guys Butter Wet Wax Review appeared first on Fast Car.

People casually use the terms waxing and polishing interchangeably, but the two are very different. Waxing is applying a protective, hydrophobic and gloss-enhancing layer to your car’s paintwork. Polishing is using an abrasive compound, either by hand or machine, to remove swirls and scratches on the surface.

There are a lot of different polishes out there, and picking one is hard. So, as Fast Car’s Detailing Product Tester, I gathered eight of the best and tested them head-to-head to find the best car polish.

Every product here will get you results, but some are better than others. And some are more forgiving and more user-friendly, too. My group test includes a mix of polishes, compounds, and all-in-ones. You can read about the differences between these at the end of the test. Make sure you also check out my testing methods, because I used a gloss meter and a professional inspection light to deliver accurate, scientific results. The final results are based on a combination of the gloss increase, as well as how effectively the product removed surface imperfections.

Without further ado, here are the results of my car polish group test.

Best car polish at a glance

• Best Overall And Editor’s Choice: 3D Speed All-In-One Correction Glaze. RRP: $21.99, buy now. £22.89, buy now. 
• Approved: Chemical Guys VSS. RRP: $19.97, buy now / £24.99, buy now.
• Best Value: Auto Finesse Tripple. RRP: $23.95, buy now / £13.95, buy now.

How I tested each car polish

I used a sunroof panel for all my testing. First, it was washed with a pure shampoo that won’t leave behind any wax or gloss enhancers. Then I used a clay mitt to remove any remaining dirt. This would also ensure any wax or sealant that may have been left behind was removed.

After checking the water behavior to make sure there was no wax or sealant left, I dried the panel and divided it up into sections. Next, I used a gloss meter to measure the gloss of each section. A gloss meter works by projecting a beam of light at a fixed intensity and angle onto a surface and measuring the amount of reflected light at an equal but opposite angle. It gives a reading in Gloss Units (GU) and gives you a scientific means of measuring how shiny a surface is.

The gloss meter was calibrated before each measuring session using a calibration board with a known gloss level. Three readings were taken in each test section before polishing, and the average gloss reading was calculated.

Each polish was applied to a coarse foam pad spritzed with water. The same amount of polish was applied for each product, as close as possible when measuring by eye. The polish was then applied across the test section using a dual-action polisher and spread quickly with three passes. I then carried out four sets of four passes, two horizontal, and two vertical. The remaining product was then wiped away.

Finally, I used a Meguiar’s MT103 Sunlight 3+ Detailer Inspection Light to observe correction effectiveness and clarity in each section. Then, the gloss level in each section was once again measured. Three readings were taken, the average was calculated, and I worked out the gloss increase from that.

Best car polish results

3D Speed All-In-One Correction Glaze – Best Overall And Editor’s Choice

Size: 8 fl. oz, 16 fl. oz, 32 fl. oz. RRP: $21.99, buy now. £22.89, buy now.

• Pros: Very good cut, impressive gloss increase, very easy to use, lovely finish
• Cons: Nothing
• Gloss reading before: 80.1
• Gloss reading after: 86.4
• Gloss increase: 6.3
• Full 3D Speed Polish Review

Hailing from America, 3D Speed is claimed to be the most popular all-in-one (AIO) car polish in the world, and I can see why. From start to finish, this top-rated polish was great to work with and delivered great results. 3D speed initially acts like a compound, to get rid of the worst of the swirls and scratches. As you work it, polishing agents kick in to refine the finish. Finally, it leaves behind a layer of synthetic paint sealant blended with Montan Wax, for gloss and protection.

According to the gloss meter, 3D Speed delivered the third-biggest increase in gloss. And the inspection light revealed that it delivered a very impressive cut, with a lovely finish. If you want maximum results with minimum effort, 3D Speed is the clear winner here. Its combination of gloss and cut makes it the perfect choice, and it’s the best car polish for removing scratches.

Chemical Guys VSS – Approved

Size: 16 fl. oz. RRP: $19.97, buy now / £24.99, buy now.

• Pros: Good level of correction, good gloss increase
• Cons: A little expensive
• Gloss reading before: 79.7
• Gloss reading after: 85.5
• Gloss increase: 5.8
• Full Chemical Guys VSS Polish Review

Chemical Guys VSS (very shiny surface, maybe…?!) has been designed to deliver both a good cut, and a fine finish. It does this with an advanced polish that’s formulated with diminishing abrasive technology. What this means is that it starts off cutting like a compound. Then as you work it, the abrasives become finer, and now act like a polish. This means it should remove surface marks and leave a high-gloss finish.

And that’s exactly what it did. It did a great job of removing all those swirl marks and and light scratches and delivered a lovely finish. The increase in gloss was very good, and the clarity of the test section was also very impressive.

Chemical Guys VSS is a great choice of polish if you don’t want an AIO and are looking to add your own protection afterwards. A very strong second-place finish and an excellent, top-rated car polish.

Auto Finesse Tripple – Best Value

Size: 8.45 fl. oz, 16.9 fl. oz, 33.8 fl. oz. RRP: $23.95, buy now / £13.95, buy now.

• Pros: Cuts well, very nice gloss increase, good results with minimal effort, good value
• Cons: Not quite as good as the very best products here
• Gloss reading before: 81.7
• Gloss reading after: 88.3
• Gloss increase: 6.6
• Full Auto Finesse Tripple Polish Review

Where 3D Speed calls itself an all-in-one because it compounds, polishes and waxes, Auto Finesse is different. It polishes, glazes, and waxes, which is why it delivered the second-highest gloss increase in this test. A glaze temporarily fills surface swirls, so even when applying by hand, you’ll get great-looking results. But they’ll only be as good as the polish is because once the glaze is gone, you’re left with the pure paintwork.

Auto Finesse Tripple doesn’t scrimp on spec, that’s for sure. Like Chemical Guys VSS, it uses diminishing abrasive technology. Then you’ve got the glaze agents, while T1-grade Brazilian carnauba adds up to a month of protection.

The gloss meter was very happy sitting on Tripple’s panel, and the cut was surprisingly good. It couldn’t match VSS, though, but the results were still very good. I’m personally not a huge fan of glazes, but Auto Finesse Tripple is a great overall product. It’s great value, too.

Autoglym Super Resin Polish

Size: 16.9 fl. oz, 33.8 fl. oz. RRP: $27.00, buy now / £16.99, buy now.

• Pros: Massive gloss increase, delivers impressive instant results
• Cons: Only average correction, does a lot of filling
• Gloss reading before: 78.7
• Gloss reading after: 87.8
• Gloss increase: 9.1
• Full Autoglym Super Resin Polish Review

Super Resin Polish is one of Autoglym’s oldest and most popular products. However, Autoglym doesn’t give much away about it. The website says that it will restore gloss to dull surfaces, as well as remove small scuffs and scratches. It also contains wax, meaning you don’t need to apply any protection afterwards.

So Super Resin Polish is an AIO, and it also fills swirls. In terms of instant results with not much effort, it’s good. You can see just how much of a difference it made to the test section’s gloss readings. Even eliminating what might have been an anomalous reading, it still delivered the best gloss in the test.

However, it didn’t do much correcting at all, and the test section still had a fair amount of blemishes showing. Also, most of what it does well is mainly filling imperfections. It’s not going to fully improve your paintwork. But for instant results on good paint without trying too hard, it’s a good choice.

Meguiar’s Ultimate Compound

Size: 15.2 fl. oz RRP: $12.99, buy now. £19, buy now.

• Pros: The best pure correction compound here, fantastic cut and correction
• Cons: A little wet and dusty, poor gloss increase, needs refining for the perfect finish
• Gloss reading before: 83.5
• Gloss reading after: 87.7
• Gloss increase: 4.2

As its name suggests, Meguiar’s Ultimate Compound is all about dedicated paint correction. It features advanced abrasive technology that quickly deals with oxidation, stains, bird-dropping blemishes, and other sub-surface defects. Its micro-abrasives produce a clear finish, free from hazing and swirls. Meguiar’s also says it will polish the surface of your paint to a mirror finish.

In terms of pure cutting performance, this is far and away the best polish I tested here. It delivered a stunningly clear finish. So much so that my camera wanted to focus on the reflection of the sky, not anything my inspection light was trying to show. The test section looked nearly flawless afterwards, and I was so impressed.

However, it delivered the smallest increase in measurable gloss. That was to be expected, as it’s not a fine polish. That, ultimately, knocks it down the rankings. However, if your paintwork is really bad and you need something serious to bring it back to its best, this is it. Meguiar’s Ultimate Compound would be my choice if you’re looking for pure paint correction.

Meguiar’s Ultimate Polish

Size: 16 fl. oz. RRP: $11.04, buy now / £16.95, buy now.

• Pros: Decent cut, nice finish
• Cons: Not designed for heavy paint correction, gloss could have been better
• Gloss reading before: 83.9
• Gloss reading after: 88.5
• Gloss increase: 4.6

Meguiar’s Ultimate Polish is a polish in the truest sense of the word. Meguiar’s describes it as the final step before waxing for maximum gloss and reflectivity. It uses rich polishing oils to add a deep, rich, wet look to paint, especially on dark-colored cars. Ultimate Polish is what you use to perfect your car’s paint before applying a wax.

It might seem a little unfair including it here, but it is still a polish. And the bottle says it will quickly eliminate fine swirls. I wanted to see how well it would perform in terms of paint correction. I also wanted to see how much gloss it would add. In the end, it tried its best and did okay.

It cut well enough and delivered a good finish, as well as slightly more gloss than Ultimate Compound. Ultimate Polish would be a good choice if your paintwork is decent and just needs refining. Or if you’ve used Ultimate Compound or something else, and want to refine the finish.

Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions Ceramic Polish & Wax

Size: 14 fl. oz (16.9 fl. oz). RRP: $15.29, buy now / £12.45, buy now.

• Pros: Decent cut, wax and ceramic coating should give long-lasting protection
• Cons: Poor finish, not user-friendly
• Gloss reading before: 80.5
• Gloss reading after: 85.7
• Gloss increase: 5.2

As its name implies, Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions Ceramic Polish & Wax is an AIO. However, other AIOs include a glaze and a wax, or a compound and polish. This one includes wax and ceramic coating. One of those seems a little redundant here. You don’t need to wax your car before applying a ceramic coating. The coating replaces the wax. So I’m not entirely sure what that’s about. But you can never have too much protection for your paint.

Turtle Wax says that Hybrid Solutions Ceramic Polish & Wax features precision platelet technology. This removes light swirls, scratches and paint transfer, for easy surface restoration. Its hydrophobic SiO2 ceramic coating delivers water beading, is chemical-resistant, and leaves you with a wet-look shine.

It cut reasonably well, and the gloss increase was not bad. However, I didn’t like the finish. It was hazy, with some marring after polishing. That could be down to me, but I was consistent with my technique. I only had this problem with one other polish, the last-place finisher. Maybe it needs to be worked longer. However, I set parameters for this test, and within those, Hybrid Solutions Ceramic Polish & Wax is disappointing.

Sonax Profiline Perfect Finish

Size: 8.45 fl. oz, 33.8 fl. oz RRP: $24.99, buy now. £23.08, buy now.

• Pros: Good cut, good gloss increase
• Cons: Very wet, poor finish, unforgiving to use, expensive
• Gloss reading before: 81.9
• Gloss reading after: 87.9
• Gloss increase: 6

Sonax Profiline Perfect Finish Perfect Finish has been designed to offer a one-step polishing solution. It uses special nano-sized abrasives that Sonax says allow good removal of scratches and produce an optimal gloss without holograms.

The bottle says it delivers a 4/6 cut and 6/6 for gloss, which is funnily enough the gloss increase that it delivered. I had high hopes for it, however, in this test, it proved disappointing.

The cut was good, better than expected based on the bottle. And that 6 puts it in 4th place for gloss increase. But it wasn’t nice to use and felt very wet to work with. And it didn’t deliver a good finish. There was quite a lot of visible marring, so this feels like a polish that’s not that forgiving. It’s also very expensive, and others just perform better. Unfortunately, Sonax Profiline Perfect Finish finishes in last place.

Car polish FAQs

Car polish, compound, all-in-one – what’s the difference?

All three products will correct paintwork, but to varying degrees, in different ways, and will deliver different results.
The term polish is used interchangeably among a lot of the products here. A polish is usually something that polishes the paintwork, that is it gives you a very fine, high-gloss finish. This implies it’s more for refining paintwork, than removing swirls and marks. If a product calls itself a polish, you probably shouldn’t expect too much cut from it.

A compound will be more aggressive. It will be perfect for removing heavier swirls and imperfections. It probably won’t leave behind the glossiest finish, though. A compound is great if you have a car with bad paintwork and you want to get some serious results. Ideally, you would follow up with a polish for the perfect finish.

How to know which car polish to buy

It’s important to remember that car polish contains abrasives. The abrasives are measured in grits, so the higher the number of grits, the more abrasive it is. As a result, the higher grit level products are reserved for more severe paint damage, such as deep scratches and other defects. Lower grit level products, like the products I’ve recommended above, are perfect for small, light scratches, like swirl marks.

Do I need a machine buffer to polish?

Yes and no. A machine buffer will certainly make the job easier, and because it can rotate much faster than your hand, you should get better results. That’s only if you’re using the correct method. But, that is another expense and we can appreciate those who want to detail their cars correctly without spending a fortune. With the products recommended above, you can get away with a bit of elbow grease. However, if you’re able to get your hands on a machine buffer, and know how to use it, opt for this method. It requires less effort and you’ll get better results.

For advice on car polish application, be sure to head over to our guide on car paint correction to find out maximize the performance of your car polish.

Relevant content: 

• What Is The Difference Between Car Polish & Wax?
• How To Use a Clay Bar On Your Car
  

The post Best Car Polish In 2024 For Maximum Shine appeared first on Fast Car.

Most supercharged E9x M3s run a centrifugal kit, but this track E92 build is packing a positive-displacement punch that gives it monstrous torque, epic whine and over 640hp to play with, and it’s an absolute beast. 

Once upon a time, much in the same way that, during what we assume must have been a heavy night on the bier and brats, BMW’s M engineers decided that stuffing a five-liter V10 into the engine bay of the E60 M5 was a good idea, the decision was made to give the fourth-gen M3 some V8 muscle.  

M3 V8 history

This wasn’t the first time that BMW had mixed V8s and M3s, because before the E9x M3 came the E46 M3 GTR, of which quite literally a couple of road-going examples were built, and if you have the funds and can find one, you can buy one. However, as far as attainable and readily available V8 M3s go, the first mainstream mass-production model was the E92 M3. The decision to bless it with the S65 V8 was a very good one indeed because that combo created an incredible car. The only real criticism people had was the relative lack of torque, which meant you always had to work the engine to get the most out of it. 

While any of the many centrifugal supercharger kits available for the S65 V8 do improve drivability, the way they build boost and deliver power means they still don’t fully compensate for the lack of low-end grunt. For that, you need something different – you need a positive-displacement supercharger, which makes full boost instantly, and delivers massive amounts of torque at low revs. And that’s exactly what you’ll find under the bonnet of this mighty E92 M3… 

Meet Tom…

Its owner is Tom Baker, and he’s been a BMW fan for most of his life. “My dad always had 5 and 7 Series models growing up, so I knew they were good build quality and then later found out the smaller variants handle very well,” Tom explains. “After getting the Japanese car bug out of my system with various variants, I moved to the E92 M3,” he says, and it sits alongside an E70 X5 xDrive40d and a G26 i4 eDrive40e. This trio spans a wide range of models, forms of propulsion and driving experiences, though we wager the M3 is the most exciting one. 

So, just what led Tom to buying himself an E92 M3? “I’ve always liked them since 2007 when I first saw one on the road. It has the RWD, the chassis, the V8 motor and the refined quality and road presence,” enthuses Tom. “I bought mine in 2015. It was in very good nick, one of the only cars I’ve bought in such untouched condition. It had 19,000 miles on the clock and was three years old; I bought it from a high-end car dealer in Peterborough. It’s done only around 3000 miles per year since I’ve owned it, and it’s garaged most of the time now, although it was used as a daily in the beginning,” he adds with a smile. 

Harrop twin-screw supercharger kit

Tom went into M3 ownership fully intending to keep it stock, but, with a history of modified Japanese machinery behind him, it was inevitable that he would eventually succumb to the call of some mods. “I first took the car to Stage 2 NA within six months of owning the vehicle. This was then followed by a Harrop supercharger kit around one-and-a-half-to-two-years later, fitted by myself; the kit was very luckily sourced second hand,” says Tom and considering how expensive the kit is new, and how rare it is second hand, he was very fortunate with that find.  

“The Harrop supercharger setup uses a TVS twin-screw ’charger, not a centrifugal one – this type of setup increases power everywhere and really woke up the engine where I wanted it (in the mid-range). I found the car was frustrating at times with the lower torque, and changing down three gears to overtake was becoming tiring – I’ve come from Hondas and really didn’t want to keep this character ongoing,” explains Tom. “The kit was running in stock guise for four years and made around 580hp,” and that’s a healthy figure, but Tom had more in mind. 

Engine management

“I nearly implemented an Interchiller but decided with track work this wasn’t the right solution for intake air temperature control. I then decided to just upgrade the chargecooler pump to a Pierburg unit that out-flowed the original Bosch significantly, extended the chargecooler pipework under the car and fitted a large 20-litre reservoir in the rear seat delete area. This increases the time it takes to heat up water, much like a full kettle vs a cup-worth of water, and this will buy time on track where I want to maintain the power for as long as possible without timing retard,” he explains.  

“I then upgraded to a Syvecs S7-Plus ECU, which has many features. Some of the ones I’ve utilized include electronic bypass control, which enables you to control boost levels much like a wastegate on a turbo. I also currently have three maps: one is open, making the car effectively NA. Two is part-boost, and three is full boost. I also have control to switch on the secondary fuel pump when needed (boost-dependent), as well as DCT clamping pressure control increase to reduce the chances of damaging the clutches from the increased torque.

I also added larger injectors and a larger lower pulley that spins the ’charger faster to achieve over 9 psi of boost. The kit now generates just under 650hp with massive amounts of usable power and torque across the rev range that is unchallenged by any other kits on the market,” Tom says with a smile, and it’s made this M3 into an absolute monster. 

Chassis & suspension

As you can see from the photos, Tom’s M3 has been built to tackle the track, and that means that the chassis has undergone some serious upgrades to ensure it can handle anything any circuit can throw at it, as well as ensuring Tom can enjoy using all that power. “The car was originally running an EDC and Comp Pack spring setup, and I changed these out for Bilstein B16 Damptronic coilovers that worked with the EDC. Although they were great on the road, they weren’t much good on track, so after having these for a few years, I switched over to Intrax 1K2s, and although I’ve not used them on track yet, I can feel they’re a lot more stable at speed.

“Alignment and corner weighting were carried out by Cooksport. I changed over the rear subframe bushes to solid previously, and all the rear bushes have been converted to uniball connections for reduced slop with acceptable compliance,” Tom explains, and that’s a seriously comprehensive selection of chassis enhancements. The E92 M3 isn’t exactly lacking in the handling department as standard, but Tom’s selection of upgrades has given it a razor-sharp chassis that responds to his inputs instantly. 

Wheels, brakes & tires

Serious track work requires serious wheels, and Tom has a dedicated set, which his M3 is wearing in the photos. “Currently, I still have my Comp wheels for road bias/wet work and for everything else the ARC-8 from Apex Wheels. It’s a very popular wheel on this car, and I think it looks very nice; they’re light, strong and clear the brakes, and for tires, I have MRF ZTRs, which are good for grip and wear very well.” The ARC-8 is one of the M3 community’s go-to wheels for the E9x model, and as Tom says, these are lightweight, flow-formed wheels that have been designed for use on track, as well as looking good.

And when he mentions brake clearance, he needs it. He’s running massive AP Racing BTCC stoppers up front that deliver effortless braking performance without breaking a sweat, with Pinnacle brake cooling ducts giving a helping hand, while a set of F80 M3 brakes have been fitted at the rear. 

Interior & exterior

As far as aesthetics are concerned, Tom has added a few carbon pieces that have given the already muscular M3 body some added aggression in the shape of a GT4 V2 front splitter, a GT4 wing and a diffuser, along with black Harrop and M3 badges for the finishing touch, and the carbon elements combine perfectly to give this M3 some serious presence.  

Things are a little more full-on on the inside, though, with Tom giving his E92 the sort of cabin you’d expect from a hardcore track car. “The seats are the Corbeau Clubsport XLs, which I bought with the intention of upgrading to Recaros later, but, to be honest, they have been great and very comfy. The harnesses are Schroth, I got the steering wheel retrimmed by Royal Steering Wheels, and I changed the paddles. The rear cage is from Pinnacle, and the rear seat delete I made myself and mounted the chargecooler tank,” he explains. The Alcantara wheel looks fantastic, while the extended carbon paddles are easier to reach when pushing hard on track. Then you’ve got those super-supportive Corbeau buckets and the white cage that finishes the cabin off perfectly. 

The verdict

Tom’s spent seven years building his M3, on and off and considering he started out with the intention of keeping it stock, that makes the supercharged monster he’s ended up with all the more impressive. The star of the show is that supercharger kit, and it’s Tom’s favorite part of the build: “My favorite modification has to be the ’charger,” he grins. “The noise, the grunt – it really made me fall in love with the car again,” he enthuses. With the car now finished, it’s time for Tom to put all that supercharged power to use on road and track and drive this M3 exactly like it was built to be driven. 

If this has build has sparked some creative ideas of your own, check out our run-down of the best V8 BMWs that could form the basis of your next project…

Words: Elizabeth de Latour,  Photos: Ade Brannan 

The post Supercharged E92 M3 With GT4 Aero appeared first on Fast Car.

How controversial do you want your BMW E30? If modifications were like the Nando’s chicken heat scale, we reckon air-ride would be somewhere near the bottom – Mild, we’d say. Most people are on board with it, and you’re not going to upset too many members of the BMW community.

A wide-body conversion will take things up a notch to Medium – it’s getting a little spicy, and some people might get angry beads of sweat on their foreheads when they spy a car like that at a show, but, done well, it can definitely work.

The next step up from there would be Hot, and we can safely say an LS V8 swap would achieve that sort of level of general displeasure among die-hard fans. Because how dare someone run a thunderous, all-alloy V8 in place of something far more expensive and subdued from BMW’s own engine back catalogue… And then, if you want to hit the ultimate spice level of controversial E30 build, all you need is to mix all those ingredients together and watch the ensuing chaos unfold. Which is exactly what Aussie Tyrone Yu did with his E30.

The thing is, regardless of how old-fashioned and set in your ways you might be when it comes to BMWs, we simply can’t understand how anyone could look at this spectacular LS-powered BMW E30 build and not be impressed.

BMW ownership

While Tyrone’s interest in the blue and white roundel isn’t a lifelong one, he’s thrown himself into ownership with all the passion imaginable, because you don’t build a car like this if you’re not absolutely committed to your goal.

“I took interest in BMW probably when I started learning how to drive, and owning and modding the E82 120i I had as my first car really got me into Euros and BMWs even more,” Tyrone tells us with a smile. “The E82 was a nice compact sporty car that was P-plate legal at the time, and it did not need a lot of mods to look even better,” he says, and Tyrone quickly added a cat-back exhaust, a Flow Designs front lip and a carbon fibre boot lip spoiler, and with that, he got his first taste of modding, and he liked it. The 1 Series was followed by an F30 320i, and now the mods began to develop, with more carbon, Volk TE37 SLs, and some exhaust upgrades. And from there, believe it or not, he moved on to car number three, this E30.

Why modify the BMW E30?

“The E30 eventually grew on me as I saw it around more: it is such a classic and iconic car, and I’ve just always appreciated boxy old cars,” Tyrone enthuses. “I found the car on Facebook marketplace. The previous owner had a collection of E30s and had to let one go. The car was kept outside but was very well maintained, with retrimmed seats and a manual gearbox, and it was a running car with minimal rust spots.

The paint was not so good, but I was not fussed as the car ticked all the boxes for what I needed it for,” he explains. And that’s because Tyrone knew exactly what he wanted to do with it: “I was already committed to do the wide-body kit and an engine swap so it was a matter of finding a car suitable for the project,” he grins, and this E30 was the perfect platform on which to realise his wide-body V8 dream.

Live to Offend wide-body kit

When talking about this E30, it’s impossible to start anywhere other than the Live to Offend wide-body, even though it was actually one of the last mods that Tyrone did to the car. It simply dominates everything, and the sheer drama of it cannot be overstated nor truly appreciated in mere pictures.

“The funny thing is, I first saw Khyzyl Saleem’s render of the E30 and wished his designs would be real kits. Around a year later, they came up with a prototype E30 with the kit, and I remember watching the video they shot and having the sudden urge to build an E30 with that kit,” enthuses Tyrone. “I messaged Live to Offend to enquire and almost ordered the kit before I bought the car, but decided to do more research and find the right car as they had only made the kits for Series 2 E30s.

I approached Concept Garage around early 2021, and they were able to fit in the engine bay shaving and respray but had to shut again due to lockdown. Work on the kit didn’t start until around March 2022, and we had a deadline for the unveil at World Time Attack Stylized show and shine in April,” he says, and there’s nothing quite like a tight deadline to get the adrenaline flowing.

Devil is in the detail with this LS-powered BMW E30

What you’re looking at is a Stage 2 LTO wide-body, and every aspect of it is so outlandish and outrageous that it’s hard to take it all in, but there’s lots more going on here beyond just the body kit because Tyrone is not a man who does things by halves. Up front, you’ve got the striking Dapper Lighting 575 headlights, clear bumper indicators, as well as Custom Concept Garage carbon bonnet vents that add even more drama to proceedings, and the whole lot has been finished in Mazda Soul Red Crystal paint. This is an absolutely gorgeous shade of red that shifts from an almost orange hue to something in the region of raspberry depending on the light. It pops in the sun and adds so much visual flair to the whole build.

Seeing as this project was always destined to become a wide-body build, it’s no surprise that the LTO kit is what Tyrone loves most about his E30. “My favourite mod has to be the wide-body. It’s a blend of sci-fi while maintaining its retro look. The contouring on the kit flows well and just enhances the overall shape,” he enthuses, and thus endowed, this LS-powered BMW E30 really looks like nothing else out there.

Choosing the aftermarket wheels

Arguably one of the biggest challenges presented by opting for a wide-body conversion is not fitting the kit, but rather finding wheels that fit. Those massive arches demand massive widths and appropriate offsets to fill them to a satisfactory degree, and, as you can see, Tyrone’s choice is absolutely up to the task. “I originally found a very nice set of BBS RSs, but it would not have fit with the BBK, so I had to opt for custom-spec faces. I really wanted to keep the retro look with wheels that were similar to the OEM basket weaves, and eventually found Heritage Wheels, who were very supportive and offered a partial sponsorship,” he says, and these are absolutely stunning.

These custom three-piece 17s measure 9.5” wide up front and a massive 11” across at the rear, but what really blows our mind are the offsets. The fronts are ET-35 while the rears are ET-60, both of which are insanely aggressive, and that tells you all you need to know about how challenging it is to fill arches this wide. The wheels are simply awesome, with those massive polished flat lips and the tight, fully polished cross-spoke centres. They suit the E30 so well and fill those massive arches to perfection, and they are an inspired choice.

Chassis modifications

With that wide-body and those wheels, static suspension simply wouldn’t have delivered the level of drama Tyrone was looking for with this show-stopping build. It was always going to be air-ride, and he’s running a Prazis setup, but there’s a lot more going on beneath the surface than just that. Tyrone is also running Prazis camber plates, as well as new front control arms with SuperPro bushes and new tie rods. “To support the engine swap and a different diff, the subframes were required to be modified, as well as the propshaft to adapt to the T56 gearbox,” he explains.

“The purple tag steering rack was a common modification in the E30 scene as the OEM one had a terrible turning radius; the car felt more like a go-kart after installing the new rack,” Tyrone enthuses. “The Wilwood BBK was a personal preference as we could have put some RX-7 brakes (though they’re hidden by the wheels now),” and while you might not be able to see the brakes, you know they look good, as well as delivering serious stopping power.

Interior mods

With so much going on on the outside, the interior is rather more subdued, but as Tyrone admits, getting the exterior styling sorted was priority number one. “All our focus was to get the kit on and painted, but Concept Garage were able to fit in some extra bits such as retrimming the steering wheel in Nappa leather, M stitching, new shift and handbrake boots in M stitching, new headliner, red stitching on the carpets and dash mat, and custom red seat belts.

Eventually, it would be really nice to put in a set of OEM Recaro sport seats and retrim the rear seats and door cards to match,” says Tyrone. Even so, there’s a lot more to the interior than meets the eye, but, it’s just rather more subdued and less obvious than what’s going on on the outside. The steering wheel looks great, as does that aggressive shifter, and that brand-new headlining looks so fresh, while the custom seatbelts add a touch of flair to proceedings.

LS engine swap for the BMW E30

Finally, we come to the engine, and there’s a beast of a motor lurking beneath that vented bonnet. Tyrone’s E30 is running a 4.7 LS1 V8, and while that alone would be enough to deliver serious performance in the lightweight E30, as if you couldn’t already tell Tyrone is not the sort of person to leave anything standard. Within the all-American V8 sit forged pistons, H-beam con rods, upgraded valve springs, a high-volume oil pump, LS7 head gaskets, new bearings, a supercharged-style cam, new lifters, a new cam chain and adjustable timing set.

There’s also a modified LS1 sump, a FAST LSXR 102mm intake manifold, a 102mm throttle body, an Aeroflow Performance LS2 two-piece retro finned valve cover set and Aeroflow LS2 ignition coils. On top of all that, you’ve got the custom exhaust manifolds and custom 2.5” exhaust system, and the V8 sends power to the rear wheels via a custom-mounted R200 diff with a 3.692 ratio.

Rebuilt LS1

“The majority of these components were fitted by Brintech for their test vehicle. I was eventually going to rebuild the first engine later down the track but this popped up at a good time, so I went with it,” explains Tyrone. “The intake manifold, throttle body, valve covers, coils and coil leads were parts that were going on the first engine but were saved for the rebuilt one. The whole process of engine out, refreshing the old LS1 and purchasing and installing the rebuilt LS1 took around eight to nine months, as this was during the Covid-19 lockdown.

Shops were closed, and shipping took forever, but it gave my friend and I time to learn and do things right as this was our first project of this calibre,” he says. It was worth the effort as he’s now got 320whp to play with – that’s around 375hp at the crank – which has made this E30 into a blisteringly fast machine that has the go to back up all of that show.

Conclusion

What’s mind-boggling about Tyrone’s build is that considering how much work has gone into it, the wide-body and the engine swap, it all took less than a year and a half to complete. “From engine out to unveiling the car took around one year and four months or so,” says Tyrone, which seems like an incredibly brief period in which to complete so much work, and to finish everything to such an incredibly high standard. And even though LS-powered BMW E30 is so awesome across the board, Tyrone is not done yet: “As of now, the car needs a retune soon, the tail lights are being modded, and I may look into seats or an ECU before the tune,” he muses, so we’ve yet to see this car in its final form.

As for this LS-powered BMW E30 as it is now, it’s capable of making die-hard BMW fans froth at the mouth, modded fans go weak at the knees, and putting a huge grin on Tyrone’s face whenever he drives it, so we reckon it’s doing everything right.

Photos: Aaron Lam.

The post LS-Powered BMW E30 With LTO Wide-Body Kit appeared first on Fast Car.

RRP: $18.00, buy it here / £26.99, buy it here.

How I tested Meguiar’s Hybrid Ceramic Liquid Wax

Before waxing, preparation is key, so I used Meguiar’s Ultimate Compound beforehand. I then applied CarPro Eraser to remove any oils from the paint. After taking an average gloss reading, I applied the wax as per the instructions. Once it had cured, I wiped it off, and then measured the gloss again, before checking the water behaviour.

What Meguiar’s says

With cutting-edge Si02 hybrid technology, Meguiar’s Hybrid Ceramic Liquid Wax delivers hybrid ceramic protection that seals the paint but is as easy to apply as ordinary liquid wax. Meguiar’s says the formula produces a slick, protective, water-beading layer between your paint and the elements. It leaves behind ceramic protection and durability that lasts and provides a super-high contact angle for extreme water beading. Meguiar’s emphasises how easy it is to use, so that’s something I’ll be looking for. I’m also expecting some very impressive water behaviour.

What it’s like to use Meguiar’s Hybrid Ceramic Liquid Wax

Application and removal were easy, and it spreads well, cures quickly, and wipes off easily enough. That means it’s as good as its rivals that I’ve tested but not necessarily better. There was barely any gloss increase, which was a little disappointing, but, being honest, seeing any sort of significant gloss increase after waxing is rare to see. However, Meguiar’s Hybrid Ceramic Liquid Wax promised impressive water behaviour, and it delivered. In fact, it delivered the most impressive water behaviour out of any of the liquid waxes I have tested thus far. There wasn’t much beading, but it sheeted away water at a serious pace. And while sheeting is less impressive, it’s preferable to beading in terms of protecting your paintwork. An impressive performance on that front.

Gloss meter readings and verdict

• Gloss before: 88.4
• Gloss after: 88.6
• Gloss change: +0.2

Meguiar’s Hybrid Ceramic Liquid Wax might not seem that impressive at first glance. It’s a little expensive compared to its rivals and delivers very little in terms of gloss increase. However, it really performed when it came to water behaviour, comfortably beating all the other liquid waxes I’ve tried. And seeing water disappear from your paintwork is what you want after you’ve spent all that time waxing it. If you’re looking for a slick liquid wax that delivers ceramic protection and impressive water behaviour, this is it.

The post Meguiar’s Hybrid Ceramic Liquid Wax Review appeared first on Fast Car.

RRP: $33.99, buy it here / £24.99, buy it here.

How I tested Adam’s Graphene Liquid Wax

Putting my trusty sunroof test panel to use, I first washed it with pure shampoo. I then used Meguiar’s Ultimate Compound to get the surface ready ahead of waxing. CarPro Eraser was then applied to remove any oils from the surface. A gloss meter was used to take an initial average gloss reading from the test section. I then applied Adam’s Graphene Liquid Wax according to the instructions and allowed it to cure. Finally, the wax was buffed off, before the gloss readings were taken once more, and then I observed the water behaviour.

What Adam’s says

According to Adam’s, Graphene Liquid Wax is designed to refresh and rejuvenate paintwork. At the same time, it utilizes the same reduced graphene-oxide ceramic resins as Graphene Ceramic Coating and Graphene Ceramic Spray Coating. These resins seal the surface and make the vehicle more maintenance-friendly. Adam’s promises an easy on, easy off application, and says that Graphene Liquid Wax fills minor imperfections, swirls, and removes light oxidation. Finally, it offers 4-6 months of protection and comes with a Key Lime scent. Based on that, I want to see good gloss and a nice slick surface, and I want it to be easy to use.

What it’s like to use Adam’s Graphene Liquid Wax

Adam’s Graphene Liquid Wax certainly impressed me in terms of application. It promised an easy-on, easy-off experience, and it delivered. This wax spreads for miles, meaning you only need a small amount on your applicator to cover a large area of bodywork. It is also very easy to remove, which makes your life that much easier when you’re waxing a whole car. Top marks for the user experience, then.

After application, the surface felt incredibly slick, which is what you want from a wax, with my gloss meter sliding all over the place, a good sign. While the gloss increase was small compared with that offered by paint correction, an increase is still an increase. And no doubt its filling and mild correction properties helped on that front. However, I was very disappointed in Graphene Liquid Wax’s water behaviour. Considering its surface slickness, I was expecting water to launch itself off the test panel, but not so. There was very little beading, while sheeting was slow, and I was expecting a lot more from it in that regard.

Gloss meter readings and verdict

• Gloss before: 87.7
• Gloss after: 88.9
• Gloss change: +1.2

Adam’s Graphene Liquid Wax is a strong performer. It’s great to use, and a real joy to work with both in terms of application and removal. The fact that it also fills and corrects paintwork makes it especially impressive, and makes it more than just another wax. The gloss boost and surface slickness were also very impressive. Just about the only disappointing aspect of this wax is its water behaviour. But that aside, I like Adam’s Graphene Liquid Wax a lot.

The post Adam’s Graphene Liquid Wax Review appeared first on Fast Car.

We know that coolant is there to prevent your engine from overheating, and keeping it topped up is essential car maintenance. However, it does so much more than that. It contains antifreeze to prevent your engine from freezing solid when temperatures plummet. It also lubricates the parts it comes into contact with. This means it helps to protect your water pump, head gasket, cylinders and pistons. As it’s so important for a healthy engine, you don’t want to scrimp when it comes to coolant. There is an awful lot to choose from, but I’ve picked a handful of the best engine coolants to help you buy the right one.

How we chose these products

Although I haven’t had the chance to test each of these products directly, I’ve owned and maintained cars for many, many years. As such, I know which brands have a good reputation in the automotive scene, and crucially what sort of specifications are important for coolant to have. Understanding what engine coolants do is part of knowing which products to choose. If you require more information on how it works, be sure to visit our guide to engine coolants.

Best Engine Coolant

Prestone Coolant/Antifreeze

RRP: $10.38 (1ga). Buy Now. £17.19 (4 litres), Buy Now.

Prestone Coolant/Antifreeze is an excellent choice of engine coolant. Available in 1-litre and 4-litre bottles, either ready-to-use or concentrated, it delivers superb performance. Prestone can safely be added to existing coolant/antifreeze without causing damage. This means it’s perfect whether you’re flushing your coolant, or just topping it up. Rigorous testing means Prestone Coolant/Antifreeze delivers corrosion protection for 150,000 miles/10 years. And it protects from -37°C all to way to 129°C. It’s easy to see why this is such a popular engine coolant, and you can’t go wrong.

Evans Waterless Engine Coolant

RRP: $51.95 (1ga). Buy now. £64.95 (5 litres) Buy Now.

While it might be more expensive than traditional coolant, Evans’ waterless range has a lot of benefits. These engine coolants contain no water, which eliminates the problems caused by water-based coolants, increasing reliability and extending engine life. The Evans Waterless range protects from -40°C up to 180°C, eliminating the risk of overheating and boil-over you get with water-based coolants. Waterless coolant also generates 75% less vapor pressure, significantly reducing strain on hoses, seals and gaskets. It also reduces cavitation erosion by 75% compared with water-based coolants and eliminates oxidation corrosion.

Finally, Evans Waterless Coolants eliminate pre-ignition and detonation caused by overheating, increasing combustion efficiency and delivering more power. If you’ve got a high-performance car and are looking for a coolant upgrade, you need to check out the Evans Waterless range.

Comma Xstream Engine Coolant

RRP: £15.04 (not available in the US). Buy now.

The Comma Xstream range of coolants has something for every engine. Suitable for petrol and diesel engines, it’s a superb choice of coolant for your car. This advanced Organic Additive Technology antifreeze and coolant uses an advanced silicate additive package. It works from exterior temperatures of -36°C up to 45°C, and protects your engine against corrosion, erosion, overheating and freezing. Delivering year-round protection and peace of mind for up to five years, Comma Xstream is a superb coolant.

Valvoline Zerex G05

RRP: $17.99 (1ga). Buy now.

This extremely popular engine coolant is an excellent choice to keep your engine happy. Suitable for both petrol and diesel engines, its original long-life chemistry is specially formulated with the highest-quality virgin ethylene glycol and Hybrid Organic Acid Technology. Zerex has been designed to deliver exceptional protection against corrosion, leaking, and deposits as well as freezing and boiling. The low-silicate, reduced pH, phosphate-free formula protects all cooling system metals from corrosion.

Zerex contains nitrites that protect diesel-engine cylinder liners from cavitation, while deposit control additives guard against hard-water deposits and scale. This means that radiators, water pumps and other metal cooling system parts stay clean and your antifreeze flows properly. Whether you’re just topping up your system, or performing a full flush, Zerex won’t disappoint.

CarPlan Premium Red Antifreeze & Engine Coolant

RRP: £11.99 (not available in the US). Buy now.

Premium Red Antifreeze is a concentrated antifreeze and summer coolant. It is Ethylene Glycol-based and incorporates the latest in Silicate Organic Acid Technology. CarPlan Premium Red Antifreeze & Coolant uses a synthetic process and additive package. This means it offers superior corrosion resistance over extended service periods. According to CarPlan, it can be left in as a coolant and rust inhibitor for up to five years. It can be diluted 1:3 for summer use or 1:1 to deliver protection down to -36°­C. A good-value choice of coolant that does a good job.

The post Best Engine Coolant In 2024 appeared first on Fast Car.

There are some engines that have become legendary in the car tuning scene. The first two that always come to mind are the RB26DETT from Nissan and the 2JZ-GTE from Toyota. Both have huge potential when modified, and are famous for their ruggedness. Power levels of over 1000bhp, even 2000bhp, are possible with the right modifications and a big enough budget. But, there’s another six-cylinder engine out there which, with the right modifications, can produce huge levels of performance, too. And, no, they don’t come at the same premium price point as the legendary JDM cars for which the engines mentioned above power. We’re talking about BMW’s original turbocharged straight-six engine, the N54 and the N55 engines. Both are former Engine of the Year winners and both love boost.

Below, we’ll dive into the BMW N54 and N55 history as well as advise on the best modifications you can make to them to achieve improved performance.

BMW N54 N55 History

The N54 engine first appeared in the 2006 E92 335i. The twin-turbo straight-six arrived with 306hp and 295lb ft of torque. This is the version that the majority of N54-powered cars have; the F01 740i and US-only E92/3 335is came equipped with a 326hp version; this also received 332lb ft of torque. The most powerful version of the engine was found in the E82 1M Coupé and E89 Z4 sDrive35is; it made 340hp here, with an overboost function that gave it 369lb ft for five seconds at full throttle.

The N55 arrived in 2009 and went from two turbos to a single, twin scroll item. Both its power and torque figures were unchanged from the N54 in many guises, but peak torque arrived 100rpm earlier. Unlike the N54, there were numerous different incarnations of the N55 as BMW fitted it to just about every model it could. The F-range 640i, US-only E82/8 135is, F20/1 M135i and F01 740i all received the 320hp version with 332lb ft; the F22/3 M235i and LCI M135i both got the 326hp version; while the F30 ActiveHybrid 3 had the 340hp N55. Finally, the F26 X4 M40i came with a 360hp version that also got 343lb ft. The F87 M2 came with the most powerful version of the engine, with 370hp and 369lb ft of torque.

BMW N54 & N55 technical specs

The BMW N54 & N55 share their internal dimensions with the engine they’re based on, the M54. This means that they have an identical bore and stroke (84×89.6mm); even the compression ratio is the same at 10.2:1, which helps to explain why it feels like a normally aspirated engine in the way it drives as it’s not a low-compression motor. However, there are several big differences; the M54 is a closed-deck single-piece block whereas the N54 is an open deck design and consists of two pieces. The water pump is also electric on the N54. On the M54 it’s cast into the front of the block. As well as this, the M54 uses a more traditional fuel injection method, whereas the N54 features direct injection.

The N54 uses two smaller turbos running at 8.8 psi in order to keep lag to a minimum. The N55 uses one larger one, which features a twin-scroll compressor housing. This means that the exhaust side of the turbo is divided into two parts, each fed by three exhaust primaries. In addition to this, the N55 also comes equipped with Valvetronic variable valve lift technology. This improved throttle response and low-end torque as well as reducing fuel consumption by 15% and lowering emissions over the N54.

The N55 also switched from the N54’s more expensive Piezo fuel injectors to solenoid-type ones. The former was deemed not worthwhile using any longer as markets outside of Europe could not benefit from their potential lean-burn benefits.

N54 N55 tuning potential

Remap

While the N54 and N55 are impressive performers in stock form, it’s when you start tuning them that their true performance potential is realized. While both engines give good gains, the N54 will always make slightly more power. This is simply because it has two turbos and that means it’s easier for it to generate more power. The good news is that you don’t need to spend a lot of money. You also don’t need any complicated mods to see good gains on both engines; we’re going to be using the base version of each engine for reference.

Your first port of call will be either a remap or a tuning box; there are plenty of options for both and they’ll both result in similar gains. A remap will get you an increase of around 60hp and 80lb ft; while a tuning box like a JB4 or bootmod3 will get you up to 80hp. With a lot of tuning boxes being incredibly easy to install there’s really very little effort involved in getting a substantial hike in power. At around £450 / $400 it’s a very cost-effective performance mod.

Breathing mods

On naturally aspirated engines intakes don’t generally offer much in the way of gains. However, on a turbocharged car they’re always worth a look. While an intake won’t do a whole lot on its own (apart from more induction noise), once you start throwing more mods at your N54 or N55, it all adds up. There are loads on the market to choose from but the BMS one gets good reviews.

The charge pipe (the pipe from the intercooler to the intake manifold) on both engines is flimsy. It can fail even at stock boost pressure, so once you start upping the power, an uprated one is an absolute must. For the N54 we’d look at the Rennessis pipe from SSDD, which comes complete with an uprated blow-off valve. The VRSF item ($150) for your N55 isn’t a bad option either. An upgraded blow-off valve is an important addition because once boost pressure increases the stock ones can leak; the N54 uses manifold absolute pressure (MAP) so is quite happy with either a recirculating or an atmospheric blow-off valve. The N55 uses a MAF sensor and so it’s best to stick with a recirculating one.

Exhaust

The most restrictive point of both the N54 and N55 exhaust systems is the downpipe. On the N54 you have one of these from each turbo. On the N55 there is just one and it’s the cat in each of these pipes that causes the restriction and a massive increase in back-pressure. Fit a de-cat downpipe and you instantly gain power, torque and improved throttle response. You’ll also get more noise! As a result, they’re an absolute win all-round and you can expect to pay around £400 / $300.

The rest of the exhaust is fine and any changes won’t really make a difference to power. However, they will give you an awesome straight-six soundtrack to enjoy, so we’d throw one on for that reason alone. We’d also look at adding an uprated intercooler to help keep intake temperatures down. This could potentially increase power; one from someone like Mishimoto will set you back about $600.

Chasing big power from your N54 or N55

At this point, you’ll have around 400hp+ on an N55 and 420hp+ on an N54, and for most people that’s going to be enough; it won’t have cost you a fortune to get to this point and your car will feel very quick indeed. Of course, there’s always more you can do and the next step would be a set of hybrid turbos with uprated internals. It’s about $2500-3000 for a pair of hybrids for the N54 or around half that for one for the N55 and that will get you well over 500hp, potentially even over 600hp, on an N54 and around 470hp+ on an N55.

You will need some additional supporting mods such as an even larger intercooler, uprated low-pressure fuel pump on the N54, and potentially even meth injection to help keep intake temperatures down and prevent detonation. If you still want more you need a big single-turbo setup and for that, you’ll need a manifold, which will set you back around $2500-3000 and then you need a turbo plus additional mods, so the costs will start to rack up but you can hit over 700hp.

Photos: Larry Chen, Daniel Pullen, Zayne Smith, Mike Kuhn, Viktor Benyi.

The post BMW N54 & N55 Engine Guide & How To Tune Them appeared first on Fast Car.

Sizes available: 8.45fl oz (240ml), 33.8fl oz (960ml), 169.1fl oz (4.8 liters). RRP: from $22.70, buy here / from £19.76, buy here.

How I tested Sonax Profiline Perfect Finish

Before testing, I prepped my sunroof test panel. First I washed it and then clayed it to remove any traces of wax or coatings. I then dried it and used my gloss meter to take an average gloss reading. I then applied Sonax Profiline Perfect Finish using my dual-action polisher, carrying out four sets of four alternating passes. Any remaining product was then wiped off. Next, I took another set of average gloss readings before using my inspection light to carry out a visual check of the surface for any remaining swirls and marks.

I’ll get into my detailed findings shortly, but first, feel free to see how this polish stacks up against others in my car polish group test.

What Sonax says

According to Sonax, Profiline Perfect Finish has been specially developed for the 1-step polishing of locally sanded paint damage such as dust inclusions or runs. Special nano-abrasives allow good scratch removal with optimal gloss, leaving no holograms or buffing marks on the paint. With this being part of the Sonax professional range and with such an impressive description, I had very high hopes for Profiline Perfect Finish. I want to see an impressive level of correction and a high increase in gloss.

What it’s like to use Sonax Profiline Perfect Finish

I did not enjoy using Profiline Perfect Finish. It was incredibly wet, with a lot of sling spraying the areas around it. There was also a lot of product left on the test section after use. The product is rated at a 4/6 cut, and it corrected well, with only a small amount of swirls remaining. However, I didn’t like the finish. It was very hazy with quite a lot of visible marring, which was disappointing. It felt very unforgiving in that respect. The gloss increase was very impressive, however, one of the highest I’ve tested for a polish.

Gloss meter readings and verdict

• Gloss reading before: 81.9
• Gloss reading after: 87.9
• Gloss increase: 6

Sonax Profiline Perfect Finish is rather disappointing. It cuts well and delivers an impressive increase in gloss, but it’s not nice to work with. Worst of all was the hazy finish with lots of marring. I expected so much more, especially based on Sonax’s blurb for the product. Perhaps you need to work it over the paint for longer to produce a clearer finish, but other polishes I tested did so much better within my test parameters. It’s expensive, too, which adds insult to injury.

Sizes available: 8.45fl oz (240ml), 33.8fl oz (960ml), 169.1fl oz (4.8 liters). RRP: from $22.70, buy here / from £19.76, buy here.

The post Sonax Profiline Perfect Finish Review appeared first on Fast Car.

Sizes available: 16 fl. oz (473ml) RRP: $20.00, buy here / £17.05, buy here.

How I tested Meguiar’s Ultimate Polish

I used a sunroof test panel, which was washed and then clayed, to remove any wax or coatings. The panel was then dried, and divided into sections. Using a gloss meter, I took an average gloss reading for the test section. I then applied Meguiar’s Ultimate Polish using my DA polisher, carrying out four sets of four overlapping passes. I wiped away any product residue and then used the gloss meter to obtain a new average gloss reading. Finally, my inspection light was used to check surface clarity.

For full disclosure, this test was part of car polish group test. So, if you’d like to see how Meguiar’s Ultimate Car Polish compares against rivals, check out my guide to the best car polishes of 2024.

What Meguiar’s says

Meguiar’s bills Ultimate Polish as the final step before waxing for maximum gloss and reflectivity. It features rich polishing oils that add a deep, rich, wet look to paint. While it works great on all paint, it’s especially good on dark-coloured cars. Ultimate Polish perfects the paint before waxing, giving you the perfect surface to work with. Based on this, I’m expecting not so much in terms of correction, but I’m hoping for plenty of gloss.

What it’s like to use Meguiar’s Ultimate Polish

Meguiar’s Ultimate Polish is another product that’s very nice to work with. There is a bit of sling, but it’s nowhere near as bad as its Ultimate Compound counterpart. As Ultimate Polish has been designed to deliver a refined finish, I knew the cut wasn’t going to be great. And the inspection light showed that some surface marks remained. I had been hoping for an impressive gloss increase, but it seems that without some prior prep with a more aggressive product, Meguiar’s Ultimate Polish struggles a little.

Gloss meter readings and verdict

• Gloss reading before: 83.9
• Gloss reading after: 88.5
• Gloss increase: 4.6

If you’ve compounded your car and are looking for that next level of refinement, or are working with paint that needs just a tiny bit of correction, Meguiar’s Ultimate Polish is a great choice. Just the fact that it delivered a better increase in gloss than Ultimate Compound while having a much gentler cut is proof of that. However, on its own, it just doesn’t cut it as a standalone polish if you’re looking for strong correction.

Sizes available: 16 fl. oz (473ml) RRP: $20.00, buy here / £17.05, buy here.

The post Meguiar’s Ultimate Polish Review appeared first on Fast Car.

Sizes available: 14fl oz. (398ml), 17.6fl oz. (500ml). RRP: $15.99, buy here / £12.24, buy here.

How I tested Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions Ceramic Polish & Wax

I took my sunroof test panel and washed it then clayed it to ensure the surface was free from waxes and coatings. I then dried the panel and, using a gloss meter, took three readings to get an average gloss reading. The product was then applied using a DA polisher. I performed four sets of four alternating passes. Any remaining product was then wiped off, and an average gloss reading was taken again. Finally, using my inspection lamp, I checked for remaining surface imperfections.

This Turtle Wax test was part of a larger group test. So, if you’d like to see the results of that, head over to my guide to the best car polishes of 2024.

What Turtle Wax says

As its name implies, this is an all-in-one. It combines a polish, wax and ceramic coating in one simple step. It features precision platelet technology that removes light swirls, scratches and paint transfer for easy surface restoration. It also applies a hydrophobic SiO2 ceramic coating that delivers water-beading, chemical resistance and a wet-look shine. Turtle Wax says it’s a professional-grade car scratch remover that will repair cobwebbing, fine lines and swirls and is the total package for surface restoration and protection. Based on this information, I’m expecting impressive results, with strong correction and a lovely gloss increase.

What it’s like to use Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions Ceramic Polish & Wax

Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions Ceramic Polish & Wax was very wet, and there was quite a lot of sling, and a lot of product left on the panel. It didn’t polish well at all and I didn’t like the finish. It looked good to the naked eye, but the inspection lamp revealed that it was hazy and there was marring present. My initial reaction was that I had done something wrong, however, all the other polishes I tested, bar one, delivered a perfect finish. Perhaps you need to work it for longer, but within the test parameters, it was disappointing. The gloss increase was reasonable, though, but the finish ruins things, really.

Gloss meter readings and verdict

• Gloss reading before: 80.5
• Gloss reading after: 85.7
• Gloss increase: 5.2

Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions Ceramic Polish & Wax is disappointing. It didn’t cut very well, leaving quite a lot of swirls behind. On top of that, the marring and haziness marked it down further. The gloss increase was okay, and the fact that it’s an AIO means you don’t need to add any wax after using it. But, overall, I was not a fan.

Sizes available: 14fl oz. (398ml), 17.6fl oz. (500ml). RRP: $15.99, buy here / £12.24, buy here.

The post Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions Ceramic Polish & Wax Review appeared first on Fast Car.

Sizes available: 15.02 fl. oz (450ml). RRP: $11.89, buy here / £18.70, buy here.

How I tested Meguiar’s Ultimate Compound

I prepped my trusty test sunroof panel, by washing and then claying it. This ensures there is no wax or coating left. After drying, I used my gloss meter to take an average gloss reading. I then applied Meguiar’s Ultimate Compound using a dual-action polisher, carrying out four sets of four alternating passes. After wiping off any remaining product, I took another set of average gloss readings. Finally, I used my inspection light to carry out a visual check of the surface.

I should also note that this was part of a wider group test where I put the best polishes on the market against each other. If you want to see the results of that, have a read of my guide to the best car polishes.

What Meguiar’s says

Meguiar’s pitches Ultimate Compound as a polish that will tackle pretty much anything you throw at it. Its abrasive technology quickly removes stubborn oxidation, stains, bird-dropping blemishes and other sub-surface defects. At the same time, it polishes the surface to a mirror finish. Unlike traditional rubbing and polishing compounds that scour the surface, Meguiar’s Ultimate Compound features clear coat-safe micro-abrasives. They have been designed to produce an amazingly clear finish that is free from scratches, hazing and swirls. And it can be applied by hand or is a DA polisher. With no fillers or wax, I’m expecting to see some serious cut and impressive shine.

What it’s like to use Meguiar’s Ultimate Compound

Meguiar’s Ultimate Compound is very nice to use. It spreads well and goes a long way. It didn’t feel too wet under the pad, but there was quite a lot of sling. This means there was product residue spraying onto the surrounding test sections. This is always annoying because it means more wiping around an area you’re polishing, and wiping areas you’ve already polished.

However, I have no complaints about the performance. In terms of pure correction, this is the best polish I have tested. It delivered a stunning clear finish on the test panel with jaw-dropping reflections. Using the inspection lamp, the test section looked virtually flawless, with Meguiar’s Ultimate Compound making light work of all surface imperfections. However, in terms of gloss increase, it performed poorly, with the lowest increase I’ve measured. This is understandable as Ultimate Compound is designed for correction rather than being an AIO or fine polish.

Gloss meter results and verdict

• Gloss reading before: 83.5
• Gloss reading after: 87.7
• Gloss increase: 4.2

If you’re looking for a serious compound that will deliver incredibly impressive results, Meguiar’s Ultimate Compound is my product of choice. It did an amazing job of getting rid of surface imperfections, leaving behind a stunning finish. However, the gloss meter revealed that other polishes I tested delivered more shine. But if I was looking to just correct a car’s paint with a view to further refining it with a polish afterwards, Meguiar’s Ultimate Compound would be my choice. And, to be honest, it looks so good to the naked eye that I don’t know if you’d bother with further polishing. Other polishes might deliver better numbers, but Meguiar’s Ultimate Compound delivers real results.

Sizes available: 15.02 fl. oz (450ml). RRP: $11.89, buy here / £18.70, buy here.

The post Meguiar’s Ultimate Compound Review appeared first on Fast Car.

You might be the best driver in the world, but even so, what about the road users around you? This is why you won’t catch us driving without a dash cam. Whether it’s protecting you from crash scams or assisting with insurance disputes, they’re essential motoring equipment. You can pick dash cams up for peanuts these days, but there’s almost too much choice. Don’t worry though, we’ve done the hard work for you and picked five of the best budget dash cams that’ll do the job without breaking the bank.

How we chose these products

We’ve been able to test some of these products first-hand, in which case they’ll have been scrutinized during the installation phase as well as the performance phase. So, as a result, we’ll be able to give you a well-rounded insight into what it’s like to own them. However, those listed here which we haven’t tested ourselves are here based on how their spec sheets compare to their price tags – a good benchmark for deciding whether they’re value for money, at least on the surface.

Editor’s Note:

Our contributors who put this piece together, Elizabeth and James, are well-placed to offer you advice on dash cams. James has conducted numerous dash cam reviews for Fast Car, ensuring he’s clued up about what you should look out for, and how the different brands compare to each other. Elizabeth, meanwhile, is a real-life dash cam user, so understands exactly what you need from these devices. She’s also currently Editor of Total BMW magazine, so it’s fair to say she knows her way around the automotive scene.

Best Budget Dash Cam In 2024

At a glance:

• Nextbase 222 – RRP: $99.99, buy now / £79.99, buy now.
• Garmin Dash Cam Mini 2 – RRP: $129.99, buy now. / £119.99, buy now.
• Viofo VS1 – RRP: $149.99, buy now / £118.81, buy now.
• Z-Edge Z3Pro – RRP: $109.99, buy now / £145.00, buy now.
• SPADE Dual Dash Cam – RRP: $49.99, buy now / £39.99, buy now.
• Kingslim D5 4K – RRP: $42.77, buy now. £89.99, buy now.

Nextbase 222

RRP: $99.99, buy now / £79.99, buy now.

If you’re looking for a great entry-level dash cam from a big brand, the Nextbase 222 is an excellent choice. The camera records in 1080P at 30fps and has a 140° viewing angle. The 6G lens, meanwhile, provides you with high-quality images. The wide, 2.5” high-resolution IPS screen allows you to clearly view your recordings. For convenience, the Nextbase 222 uses a Click&Go powered windscreen mount, which I can confirm makes it so much easier to install and remove from the car. There’s also an intelligent parking mode, a high-precision G-sensor, and night vision. It’s a strong performer with a good selection of features, which is exactly what you’d expect from a brand of Nextbase’s stature. To find out more, read our full review here.

Garmin Dash Cam Mini 2

RRP: $129.99, buy now. / £119.99, buy now.

The Garmin Dash Cam Mini 2 is one of the more expensive items on this list, but in the grand scheme of dash cams, its retail price is still pretty reasonable. This tiny little device is great if you’re after something that’s discreet, compact, and just focuses on doing the basics really well.

In regards to image resolution, the Garmin matches the Nextbase above it, recording in 1080p at 30fps, with a 140-degree view. Voice control allows you to pose various functionality requests without having to take your hands or eyes of the wheel, and it’s also compatible with the Garmin Drive app. That means you can access the dash cam’s footage remotely. To learn more about this camera’s ups and downs, take a look at my full review of it.

Viofo VS1

RRP: $149.99, buy now / £118.81, buy now.

Featuring a 1440p resolution camera, the little Viofo VS1 packs a big punch for its size. Plus, it comes with GPS as standard too – something which neither the Nextbase nor the Garmin above can claim.

Voice control is another included feature, as are other core dash cam stables; emergency recording, parking mode compatibility, and a G-sensor. Viofo also provides an app from which you can manage the camera’s video files and even view a livestream if it’s hardwired into the car. Overall, the Viofo VS1 is a powerful – but no frills – option. The only major downsides are a lack of OBD2 power supply option, and a lack of available CPL filter.

Z-Edge Z3Pro

RRP: $109.99, buy now / £145.00, buy now.

Z-Edge’s Z3Pro dash cam offers plenty of features at a very good price. First of all, it’s a double camera, which is always a nice bonus. The front-facing camera records in 1440P, which is 2K, at 30FPS. The rear-facing camera is a 1080P one, but it’s only designed to capture what’s happening in the cabin. Both cameras do have a good 155° wide-angle lens, though, which is a decent amount. The interior camera also features four infrared lights and Super Night Vision for enhanced night vision and recording in darkness. The Z3Pro also features a parking monitor to keep your car safe while you’re away. There’s also built-in Wi-Fi, allowing you to preview, download and share recordings easily on your Apple or Android phone. This is a good-value dash cam packed with great features.

SPADE Dual Dash Cam

RRP: $49.99, buy now / £39.99, buy now.

Amazon is filled with ridiculously cheap dash cams, but the SPADE gets our vote. For an incredibly low price, you get a 1296P dash cam, a 1080P rear camera, and a 32GB memory card. 1296P is a slightly random resolution, but every pixel counts when it comes to detail. The main camera has a 170° recording angle, along with WDR and six infrared LEDs for enhanced night vision. It also has a 3” screen for clear viewing of recorded footage. The SPADE dash cam also comes with a parking monitor and G-sensor. The rear camera is a small, exterior-mounted waterproof unit with a 130° recording angle that doubles as a reversing camera. In terms of features and value, the SPADE dash cam is hard to beat, and it’s an absolute bargain.

Kingslim D5 4K Dash Cam

RRP: $42.77, buy now. £89.99, buy now.

In terms of features, the Kingslim D5 4K is a beast, and it offers exceptional value for money. As its name implies, you get 4K recording at 30fps, which means crystal-clear video footage. The camera also features a 170° recording angle, which means it captures a very wide area in front of your car. The Kingslim D5-4K boasts a Sony image sensor, six-layer glass lenses and HDR high-dynamic range, which gives it superb night vision. On top of all that, it features built-in GPS, allowing it to record your driving route and speed, as well as pinpoint the exact location of any incidents. Finally, it also has built-in Wi-Fi, allowing you to adjust settings, playback video and download recordings to your phone. If you’re looking for a budget dash cam with serious spec, the Kingslim D5-4K is a fantastic choice.

How to buy the best budget dash cam

When all things are considered, you have to ask yourself what you want in a dash cam. If it’s simply to protect you in situations such as accidents, then what you need is a dash cam that can record in good quality, with sound, and a good amount of memory to save the footage. You also want a dash cam that can record footage at the press of a button or by voice command. Other features such as parking mode, or dual camera setups will cost more. If those are features you’d like, then you’ll likely have to spend more than $100. That being said, Amazon’s Spade Dash Cam features a 1080p rear camera, although this does need to be mounted externally.

Night vision is a great touch in a budget dash cam, as it doesn’t restrict when your dash cam can be used. In 2024, this is often a standard feature. Another thing to consider is a wide angle lens to record things at over 130°. For most, the budget dash cams above feature everything you would want in a dash cam, and sometimes more. We’ve selected examples that pack a surprising amount of tech into a small, affordable product. So, whichever one of this selection you opt for, we’re confident you won’t be left disappointed.

Words by Elizabeth de Latour & James Bowers.

The post Best Budget Dash Cam In 2024 appeared first on Fast Car.

Before applying the polish

How I tested Autoglym Super Resin Polish

I used a test panel that had been prepared beforehand to ensure that there was no wax residue left. Next, I used a gloss meter to take a gloss reading before I did any polishing. Then I applied Autoglym Super Resin Polish to a polishing pad and did four sets of four passes in alternating directions. Any product residue was wiped off, and then the gloss was measured again. Finally, I used a Meguiar’s MT103 Sunlight 3+ Detailer Inspection Light to check for surface clarity and remaining imperfections.

Using a machine polisher to apply the Super Resin Polish

What Autoglym says

Autoglym Super Resin Polish is, without a doubt, the company’s best-known product, and it’s been around for as long as I can remember. It restores glossiness while gently removing minor scuffs, scratches and marks across your car’s bodywork. Designed to help return old and new paintwork to its former glory, it delivers a deep, glossy finish, is super water-repellent and is ideal for removing small scratches and scuffs.

It has deep ‘filling’ properties to restore dull paintwork quickly and easily. Autoglym even says you can get good results by hand. It also leaves behind a protective wax layer, making the process that much quicker. My expectations were that it would be doing more filling than actual polishing, so I was interested to see how it would perform.

Autoglym Super Resin Polish applied to sun roof panel

What it’s like to use Autoglym Super Resin Polish

First things first, Autoglym Super Resin Polish was very nice to work with. It spread easily across the test section but wasn’t too wet at all. There was virtually no product left on the panel after polishing, and virtually no sling either. I certainly have no complaints about what it is like to use.

As expected, the level of correction was rather lackluster. While there was an obvious improvement in the surface of the paint, the inspection lamp revealed that quite a lot of scratches remained. However, when it came to gloss, it delivered incredible results. In fact, the gloss increase was so high that even removing the highest of the three readings in case it was a glitch, it still came out on top in my group test. You can’t argue with a result like that.

Inspecting the paintwork after using Super Resin Polish

Verdict

It’s easy to see why Autoglym Super Resin Polish is so popular. It’s very easy to use, and it delivers very impressive results with minimal effort. If you’re looking for something that will give you a perfect finish, Autoglym Super Resin Polish can’t cut it (literally).

But it makes up for its lack of polishing power with that massive gloss increase. And the fact that it also waxes as you work means you don’t need to do anything else once you’re done. I would personally sacrifice a bit of gloss and choose a car polish that cuts more aggressively for a better finish. But for sheer ease of use and instant results, you can’t go wrong with Autoglym Super Resin Polish.

• Gloss reading before: 78.7.
• Gloss reading after: 87.8.
• Gloss increase: 9.1.

Size: 16.9 fl. oz, 33.8 fl. oz. RRP: $27.00, buy now / £16.99, buy now.

The post Autoglym Super Resin Polish Review appeared first on Fast Car.

If you’re still using a sponge to wash your car, you need to stop. Drop it, bin it, and buy yourself a proper car wash mitt. Why? Because sponges absorb everything, including tiny pieces of dirt. The result is you’re reapplying dirt to your car each time you go back with a sponge. To go with your wash mitt, you need the proper washing technique and the best car shampoo.

A wash mitt will make washing your car easier, allowing you to get into those tight spots easily. The microfibers or noodles will capture dirt and lift it away from the paintwork, minimizing the risk of scratches. And a mitt will be super soft, absorbent and will glide effortlessly across your car’s bodywork. If you’ve only ever used sponges before, a wash mitt will be a revelation. It’s important to note here than using two buckets to wash your car, alongside a grit guard in each, will help minimize the transfer of dirt onto your car further. Be sure to check out our guide to the correct process for washing your car for tips and tricks.

I’ve chosen a selection of wash mitts plus one wash pad to help you pick the best one. I want something that holds plenty of shampoo, that’s good to use and makes washing easy. As Fast Car’s Detailing Product Tester, I’ve tried a lot of wash mitts over the years. Plenty have been relegated to wheel and exhaust duty only, and only the best wash mitts get used on the paintwork. My selection here covers all bases and budgets. Some are good, some are great, while others miss the mark. Read on to find out which car wash mitts make the grade.

Best Car Wash Mitt At A Glance

• Best Overall and Editor’s Choice: Microfiber Madness Incredipad XL. RRP: $27.99 / £19.95. Buy now.
• Best Value: Meguiar’s Super Thick Microfibre Wash Mitt. RRP: $5.99 / £13.50. Buy now.
• Approved: Autoglym Microfibre Wash Mitt. RRP: £10.00. Not available in the US. Buy now.
• Approved: Gtechniq WM2 Microfiber Mitt. RRP: $18.95 / £12.25. Buy now.

Microfiber Madness Incredipad XL – Best Overall and Editor’s Choice

RRP: $27.99 / £19.95. Buy now.

Pros:

• Massive
• Very tightly-packed microfiber surface

Cons:

• Very heavy when fully loaded
• A little expensive

As its name implies, Microfiber Madness is a company dedicated to the art of microfiber. The company does make a car wash mitt, but I’ve picked the Incredipad XL because it’s my wash product of choice. First of all, as its name implies, it’s seriously hefty, measuring 9.5×9.5”, and 2” deep. Because it’s so big, it just makes washing your car so much faster. Just a few swipes and a whole panel is clean. The absorbent foam core means it soaks up loads of shampoo, allowing you to wash large areas quickly.

The surface is made up of microfiber strands of varying lengths. They’re incredibly tightly packed, allowing them to pick up loads of dirt and lock it away for safer washing. The only downside is that it’s almost too big. When it’s fully loaded, it’s very heavy, which makes moving it around hard work. It’s also quite hard to keep a hold of, so you need a claw grip on vertical surfaces. But aside from that, it’s very hard to fault, and this remains my personal favorite.

Want to see the full review? Check out more details on the Microfibre Madness wash mitt here. 

Meguiar’s Super Thick Microfibre Wash Mitt – Best Value

RRP: $5.99 / £13.50. Buy Meguiar’s Super Thick Microfibre Wash Mitt here.

Pros: 

• Soft
• Nice-sized cuff

Cons:

• Short fibers

This is a great all-round car wash mitt from Meguiar’s. It’s a good size, so will fit a variety of hands. It also holds plenty of shampoo and will fit into all manner of tight spaces. The elasticated cuff isn’t too tight or too loose, so it’s easy to put on and take off. It’s soft, too, and feels nice on your hand.

It washes well and allows you to apply good pressure to the panel. But I prefer longer fibers, as they feel like they’re better at trapping dirt away from the paint. It’s a good mitt overall, but it feels a little outclassed here.

Be sure to check out Buffy’s full review of the Meguiar’s wash mitt. 

Autoglym Microfibre Wash Mitt – Approved

RRP: £10.00. Not available in the US. Buy Autoglym Microfibre Wash Mitt here.

Pros:

• Super-soft noodles
• Densely packed washing surface
• Mesh edges for scrubbing

Cons:

• Absolutely horrible cuff

The Autoglym Microfibre car Wash Mitt really impressed me. It features a more traditional ‘noodle’ design. These ultra-plush noodles are super-effective at lifting away dirt and grime with ease. They’re incredibly densely packed, soaking up plenty of shampoo, and can trap a lot of dirt in one go. They also feel incredibly silky-soft to the touch, so your paintwork will love that. I also love the mech inserts on the edges for removing stubborn dirt, bugs and bird droppings.

The Autoglym Microfibre Wash Mitt is almost the perfect wash mitt. Almost. Unfortunately, it’s let down by its awful cuff. It’s really tight, which makes putting on and removing the mitt a pain. It’s also incredibly stiff and rough and will rub your wrist raw while using it. I can’t believe Autoglym designed such a fantastic mitt and dropped the ball with such a terrible cuff. It really lets the whole mitt down, and that’s a shame as this could have been the winner.

Head over to our full review of the Autoglym wash mitt. 

Gtechniq WM2 Microfiber Mitt – Approved

RRP: $18.95 / £12.25. Buy Gtechniq WM2 Microfiber Mitt here.

Pros:

• Feels expensive
• Good mix of fiber lengths

Cons:

• Honestly not a lot

There’s a lot to love about Gtechniq’s mighty-fine car wash mitt. First off, it’s got ultra-low-friction glide characteristics, which help minimize swirl marks. The inner foam core has been designed to absorb a very large amount of shampoo while you’re washing. This makes it easier to wash large areas in one go. The different lengths of polyester strands make this mitt more effective at capturing dirt. That lets it hold onto the dirt until you rinse the mitt, so there’s less chance of scratching your paint.

The elasticated cuff is a little loose, but that makes it easy to spin the mitt around when you want a clean side. It’s also got a little grab strap inside, handy for when you need more grip on your mitt. It feels thick and soft and is really nice to use. It’s well-priced, too, and it’s a superb wash mitt.

Gtechniq wash mitt full review.

Auto Finesse Plush Mitt

RRP: $19.95 / £12.95. Buy Auto Finesse Plush Mitt here.

Pros:

• Good size
• Long fibers

Cons:

• A little thin

The Auto Finesse car wash mitt promises plushness and doesn’t disappoint. It features an ultra-deep, smooth-glide microfiber weave. These fluffy strands help the mitt to glide smoothly across the paintwork. They lift and lock away dirt, keeping your paintwork safe while washing. It’s very similar to the Gtechniq wash mitt but with a few differences. The fibers are longer, which I prefer, but they are less dense, It’s a tiny bit larger, and the cuff is softer.

But it feels thinner, with less foam inside. This means it won’t be able to hold as much shampoo. It also has a split sewn into the middle, which gives you more control when manoeuvring the mitt. It sounds weird, but it works well. Overall a very good wash mitt that performs really well.

For more buying advice, check out the Auto Finesse wash mitt full review. 

Chemical Guys Chenille Microfiber Premium Scratch-Free Wash Mitt

RRP: $10.79, buy now. / £12.49, buy now.

Pros:

• Soft noodles

Cons:

• Not very dense washing surface

The Chemical Guys Chenille Microfiber is a striking wash mitt with some nice features. It’s made with premium 70/30 blended microfiber noodles. They will hold plenty of shampoo while trapping dirt for a safer wash. At 8×10” it’s a decent size, too. The cuff is the right tightness, and there’s plenty of space for your hand inside without feeling cramped.

The problem is that there’s nothing special about it, it’s just fine. In isolation, it’s a good wash mitt, but it doesn’t shine in this company. Also, the noodles aren’t very densely packed, which feels like a cost-cutting exercise. It’s not a bad wash mitt, but you can do better.

Here’s Buffy’s full review of the Chemical Guys wash mitt. 

Mothers Microfiber Chenille Wash Mitt

RRP: $7.99, buy now. £11.99, buy now.

Pros: 

• Big

Cons:

• Almost too big

The Mothers Microfiber Chenille Wash Mitt is very similar to the Chemical Guys offering. So much so, you might think they were identical, but there are some differences. You have the same microfiber noodles, and as with the Chemical Guys mitt they could do with being a bit more tightly packed. The cuff is also different – a little looser and rougher.

On paper, these two wash mitts are meant to be the same, 8×10”. But the Mothers wash mitt is clearly larger – it’s both longer and wider. On the one hand, that’s good, because it means a greater washing surface area. However, unless you’ve got massive bear-like paws for hands, it’s going to be too big. Your hand will flap around inside, and it’s going to be hard to control the mitt properly. Again, it’s a decent mitt and better value than the Chemical Guys offering, but it can’t match the best mitts on this list.

Mothers Wash Mitt full review.

Armor All Microfibre Wash Mitt

RRP: $9.99 / £7. Buy Armor All 2 in 1 Microfibre Noodle Wash Mitt here.

Pros:

• Cheap
• Dual washing surfaces

Cons:

• Small
• Nasty cuff

Cheap and relatively cheerful, this Armor All wash mitt is great value but doesn’t scrimp on features. On one side, its densely-packed soft noodles soak up loads of shampoo and gently clean your car’s bodywork. On the other, there’s a non-scratch mesh for tackling tough stains and lets you scrub stubborn dirt safely. Like the Auto Finesse mitt, it’s also got a split for greater control when washing. It’s certainly versatile and is impressive considering its price.

There are some caveats, though. First of all, it’s very small. It feels tight on your hand, in fact, you can barely get your whole hand in. That also means a lot more effort to clean each panel. Also, it has another nasty, cheap cuff that makes it uncomfortable to use. It’s not bad, especially given the price, but I’d spend a little more to get something better.

Check out our in-depth review for more info on the Armor All wash mitt. 

How Each Product Was Tested

I compared the size of each mitt, the softness, and the length and density of the cleaning fibers. Fit, comfort, and features, like different washing surfaces, as well as price were also taken into account. Each mitt was then tested on a section of the car, where I observed how it felt in use. I compared how heavy each one felt and how much shampoo it could hold. And I also considered how each mitt felt and how easy it was to wash with.

What To Look For When Buying The Best Wash Mitt

You want a wash mitt with a very densely-packed washing surface. More fibers or noodles means it can trap more dirt more effectively. That also makes for safer washing as the dirt is held away from your paintwork. You also want the washing surface to be nice and soft. A larger mitt will be able to hold more shampoo. It will also make cleaning quicker, but if it’s too large it will be cumbersome to use. A mesh surface for scrubbing is always a nice bonus. Finally, make sure you pick a wash mitt that’s actually comfortable to use, otherwise, you won’t be happy with it.

The post Best Car Wash Mitt In 2024 appeared first on Fast Car.

Sizes available: 8.45 fl. oz, 16.9 fl. oz, 33.8 fl. oz. RRP: $23.95, buy now / £13.95, buy now.

How I tested Auto Finesse Tripple

As the Tripple car polish was part of a larger group test, I elected not to use a whole car for the test. Instead, I picked up a spare BMW sunroof and divided into sections so I could compare each of the products. Be sure to check out the results in our Best Car Polish guide.

First up, I made sure the sunroof was clayed, washed and dried thoroughly before any product was applied. Before applying the Auto Finesse Tripple, I used a gloss meter to take a gloss prior to any polish. We’re looking for an increase in gloss reading once the product has been properly applied. The higher the number the greater the product. Make sense?

I applied Auto Finesse Tripple to a polishing pad and did four sets of four passes in alternating directions. Any product residue was then wiped off, and the gloss was measured again using the gloss meter. Finally, I used an inspection lamp to check for surface clarity and remaining imperfections.

What Auto Finesse says

Auto Finesse bills Tripple as the ultimate all-in-one car polish. It’s been designed to clean, refine, glaze and protect paintwork in minimal time, and in one simple step. Auto Finesse Tripple has been engineered with diminishing abrasive technology, swirl-filling glaze agents and T1 grade Brazilian carnauba wax. Its easy-on, easy-off formula makes it very easy to work with, and it lets you quickly carry out single-stage paint enhancement while adding protection at the same time.

Auto Finesse Tripple is safe to use on everything from modern two-stage paintwork with a clear coat layer, vintage topcoats and gloss plastics. It has also been formulated to include ultra-slick film formers and glazing agents designed to fill and obscure minor swirl marks and other light defects, along with an infusion of T1 grade Brazilian carnauba to leave behind a barrier of wax protection that lasts for up to a month. That all sounds very impressive, so I’m expecting a decent level of cut, and some serious gloss thanks to the combination of fillers and wax.

What it’s like to use Auto Finesse Tripple

Auto Finesse Tripple was quite wet when I was using it, but there’s not much sling at all, which is always a bonus. It was easy to remove what product was left on the panel, so Tripple definitely lives up to that easy-on, easy-off promise. Tripple’s all-in-one (AIO) credentials are a polish, glaze, and wax, unlike something like 3D Speed, which has two stages of cut. This means that I wasn’t expecting Tripple to perform as well as some other products in terms of actual correction. It did make a very big difference, but the inspection light revealed some imperfections remained.

As Auto Finesse Tripple uses diminishing abrasives, if you were to use it for longer, you’d get a more refined finish, which this test doesn’t allow for in the interests of fairness. The glaze and wax did combine to deliver some very impressive gloss levels, as I was expecting. Auto Finesse Tripple delivered the second-highest gloss increase I have tested, which is very impressive.

Gloss meter results and verdict

• Gloss reading before: 81.7
• Gloss reading after: 88.3
• Gloss increase: 6.6

I’m not a huge fan of glazes because their filling is only ever temporary. But you can’t argue with the results that Auto Finesse Tripple delivered. It’s nice to work with, and while it didn’t deliver the best levels of correction in our group test, it made up for that with those final gloss readings. This is a polish that will give you fantastic-looking results with minimal effort. It’s great value for money, too, making it very hard not to like. Auto Finesse Tripple is a very nice car polish indeed and one I awarded Best Value Car Polish in 2024.

Sizes available: 8.45 fl. oz, 16.9 fl. oz, 33.8 fl. oz. RRP: $23.95, buy now / £13.95, buy now.

The post Auto Finesse Tripple Car Polish Review appeared first on Fast Car.

Buying a BMW M5 E60 could potentially be both the best and worst decision of your life. The want factor for this awesome M car is through the roof because, for not a lot of money, you can have something with a supercar engine parked on your drive.

There are very few V10-equipped road cars out there, and it’s an inherently exotic engine, one you’d normally associate with something Italian, not a comfy car that can sit five people. It’s an incredible package, one that delivers a spine-tingling soundtrack with astonishing performance, all wrapped up in a discreet saloon body that’s as practical as you like. There are numerous downsides that come with owning a highly strung V10-powered saloon, but life is too short not to take a few risks and have some fun, which you will be having a lot of with a BMW M5 E60 on your drive.

A brief history of the BMW M5 E60

The BMW M5 E60 was launched in 2005, and it definitely had a hard act to follow after the all-conquering E39 M5. While the styling wasn’t to everyone’s taste, there was no arguing with the handling – or the performance. Where the previous generation M5 had felt like a muscle car, the E60 M5 delivered a very different driving experience thanks to its incredible F1-inspired V10.

The S85 was, and still is, a technical marvel; it uses a 90° V aluminum block to achieve a mass balance of the crankshaft drive, optimized for low vibration and increased comfort. For added stiffness, a bedplate design was used for the crankcase, the first time BMW had ever used this design. All the valvetrain components were designed to be as light as possible.

There were low-weight, flow-optimized 5mm-shaft valves, spherical valve tappets with hydraulic valve play compensation, and single valve springs, all of which helped to keep weight down, essential when you’re building a high-revving engine. There was a stainless steel exhaust system, which included stainless five-into-one tubular exhaust manifolds, and the S85 used four oil pumps with a quasi-dry sump setup. This was employed because the M5 could achieve over 1g in corners, so this ensured the engine would never be starved of oil under even the most extreme cornering.

Tech Spec

The redline sits at 8250rpm, peak power of 507hp arrives at 7750rpm, while peak torque, 384lb ft, comes in at 6100rpm, and that’s enough to take the E60 M5 to 62mph in just 4.7 seconds. The  BMW E60 M5 came equipped with SMG III, the third (and final) generation of the single-clutch sequential manual gearbox. The seven-speed SMG III gearbox – the first seven-speed ‘box offered in a road car – can handle up to 406lb ft of torque, and seven gears were chosen to have closer ratios for maximum acceleration. Due to market pressure, BMW released a six-speed manual option for the North American market in 2006. Other technical highlights included a torque-sensing variable M diff lock, M Servotronic steering, two-stage DSC developed specifically for the car, three-stage EDC electronic damping, optional active side bolsters, and a colour HUD that displayed speed and revs.

The M5 range is pretty small, with only a few special editions. First, you’ve got the basic E60 M5, which went on sale in 2005. Then there’s the E61 Touring, which joined the saloon in 2007, with just 222 right-hand drive examples produced. In 2008, the M5 25th Anniversary was launched; 25 cars were produced in both Saloon and Touring form, and just 10 came to the UK. This extremely limited edition model was finished in Frozen grey paint and came with special sill plates with the “M5 25th Anniversary” inscription, and the UK examples were fitted with black Merino leather.

Our Pick

While the Touring is exceedingly cool as fast estates always are, it carries a hefty premium over the saloon, and so, our choice would be the four-door, as the fact that it’s cheaper would mean money set aside in case anything were to go wrong. If we were feeling flush, we’d hold out for a 25th Anniversary model, but honestly, we’d be so happy with just a normal saloon, that would be our ‘sensible’ choice.

BMW M5 E60 Prices

Prices start at around £16,000, and, for that, you’ll be able to pick up a non-Cat sub-100k-mile saloon. £20k should secure an example with 70-odd thousand miles on the clock. Around the £25,000-mark is the top end for saloons, and the entry point for Tourings, though you’ll need to spend closer to £30k to have a bit of choice. We also spotted one 25th Anniversary model, up for a heady £57,000.

What to look for on the BMW M5 E60

The M5 E60 hails from a time when BMW wasn’t putting cars together as well as it should and, as a result, build quality and reliability aren’t exactly stellar. Electrical gremlins are commonplace, iDrive DVD drives fail, the whole iDrive unit can also fail, the controller can stop being responsive, Bluetooth can be flaky, and the E60 can suffer from water ingress problems.

In addition to that, the interiors don’t wear particularly well – there are lots of cheap trim materials and they really show their age while leather can start to look baggy. In terms of S85-specific problems, here are a few things you need to be aware of. The big one is rod bearings. They fail and can do some seriously terminal engine damage, so prevention is better than cure. Oil analysis tests have shown to be inaccurate and not that great at warning of impending doom, so if you’re buying a higher-mileage car that’s on its original bearings, or you just want peace of mind, get them changed. It’s not a cheap job at around £1500, but it’s certainly cheaper than paying for a new engine.

Vanos problems

The S85 also suffers from Vanos problems, throttle actuators, which can be rebuilt with a lifetime warranty for about £500. While on the SMG, the clutch, flywheel and clutch position sensor will set you back about £1500, and the SMG pump can fail. On top of that you’ve also got high oil consumption, and then there’s the atrocious fuel economy – you’re unlikely to see more than 20mpg even when cruising, and mid-teens is going to be a far more realistic fuel consumption figure. It’s all compounded by the relatively small 70-litre fuel tank, which means you’ll be getting not much more than 200-odd miles to a tank. Obviously, you won’t be expecting diesel fuel economy from a 5.0-litre V10, but it can still come as a bit of a shock to the system if you’ve never owned a car like this before.

Verdict

Simply put, the BMW M5 E60 is an incredible machine. There won’t be another car like it, and it represents the last of a dying breed, the huge naturally aspirated engine, big in terms of both cylinder count and capacity. This might be old-world tech compared with where we are now, but it has a sense of occasion, and a level of appeal, that even the most powerful turbo offerings struggle to match.

An E60 M5 might be cheap to buy, but it won’t be cheap to look after, and there are plenty of pitfalls to be aware of when shopping for one. Be realistic, and don’t fool yourself into thinking that you can run one on a shoestring because you can’t. But go in with your eyes – and your wallet – open, and you will be able to experience one of the greatest super saloons ever made and a truly legendary M machine.

Photos: Matt Richardson.

The post BMW M5 E60 Buyer’s Guide appeared first on Fast Car.

If you want to work smarter, not harder, 3D Speed is the car polish for you. Promising to compound, polish and wax in one easy step, it sounds like a dream come true. I put it through its paces to see if it really is as good as it sounds.

How I tested 3D Speed Car Polish

I used a test panel that had been washed and clayed beforehand to ensure that there was no wax residue left. Then I dried the panel and used a gloss meter to take a gloss reading before I did any polishing. I applied 3D Speed All-In-One Correction Glaze to a polishing pad and did four sets of four passes in alternating directions. Any product residue was wiped off, and then the gloss was measured again. Finally, I used a Meguiar’s MT103 Sunlight 3+ Detailer Inspection Light to check for surface clarity and remaining imperfections.

What 3D says

According to 3D, 3D Speed is the most popular AIO (all-in-one) product on the market in the world. The company says it’s fast and easy to work with and can be used with any type of machine. 3D makes its own abrasives in its privately owned manufacturing plant based on its own research and development by its team of in-house chemists. 3D Speed first acts as a compound to remove swirls, scratches and water spots. Next, polishing agents refine the surface to leave a high-gloss shine. Finally, 3D Speed leaves behind a layer of synthetic paint sealant blended with Montan wax. It certainly sounds impressive, and if it performs, this could be the only polish you’ll ever need…

What it’s like to use 3D Speed Car Polish

3D Speed is a very nice polish to work with. It’s not too wet on the pad, and there’s very little sling as you work it into the panel. This means there’s less cleaning during and after the polishing process. It spreads very nicely as you go, and a little definitely goes a long way. It took a few wipes to remove the 3D Speed residue from the panel, and the results were instantly visible, even before I did any measuring. The test panel was in a right state beforehand, and 3D Speed did amazing work to deliver an incredibly shiny test section.

3D says that 3D Speed’s polishing agents have been designed to deliver maximum D.O.I or distinction of image, and I can’t argue with that. It delivered a very impressive increase in gloss, and the inspection light showed very few remaining surface marks. I reckon if you worked 3D Speed even longer to allow the polishing agents to really refine the finish, you’d get even better results.

Verdict

There’s no such thing as perfection, but 3D Speed comes very close indeed. While it’s not the best in terms of gloss or cut, what it delivers is very strong results in each area. That makes it the ultimate all-rounder. It has enough cut to get rid of heavy surface marks and imperfections. The polishing agents then refine that finish to deliver very impressive gloss. And the icing on the cake is the protection it leaves behind.

Once you’ve polished a panel and wiped it off, you’re done – you don’t need to do anything else. 3D Speed is an awesome all-in-one that makes paint correction so much quicker and easier. If you’re looking for pretty much the perfect all-round compound and polish, this is it.

The post 3D Speed Car Polish Review appeared first on Fast Car.

Chemical Guys VSS Swirl & Scratch Remover car polish claims to be able to tackle moderate swirls and surface imperfections, while also polishing your paintwork to deliver a high-gloss finish. I gave it a thorough workout to see how it performs.

How I tested Chemical Guys VSS Swirl & Scratch Remover

I acquired a rather swirly sunroof panel and gave it a wash. I then clayed it to make sure the surface was completely clean and ready for polishing. After drying, I used a gloss meter to take gloss readings before polishing. Then I used a dual-action polisher to work VSS across the surface, performing four sets of four overlapping passes. After wiping away the residue, I measured the gloss again and used an inspection light to check for surface clarity.

As Fast Car’s in-house detailing enthusiast, I’ve come across my fair share of detailing products, so I’m well placed to assess this Swirl & Scratch remover’s performance against the rest of the market.

What Chemical Guys says

Chemical Guys describe VSS as an easy-to-use polish with a strong cut that will quickly and easily remove swirls, scratches, and defects. It then finishes like a polish to deliver a mirror shine. VSS has been designed for paint with light to moderate swirl marks, scratches, and defects. It uses diminishing abrasive technology. These innovative abrasives cut fast to quickly remove swirls, scratches, and oxidation. They then finish like a fine polish to create a wet mirror finish on painted surfaces. VSS restores a lustrous scratch-free finish without filling in or covering up swirls, scratches, or defects. Based on that, I want to see some impressive cutting performance followed up with high gloss.

What it’s like to use Chemical Guys VSS Swirl & Scratch Remover

Chemical Guys VSS feels quite wet under the pad, but there’s very little sling, which is always nice. It just makes using the product that much easier. Again, this feels like a polish that will spread for days and go a very long way. Despite how wet it feels, it wipes off the panel very easily. Chemical Guys says that VSS can tackle moderate swirls, so our test panel definitely put it through its paces. But it performed incredibly well and really made short work of the worst of the surface imperfections.

The inspection light showed what a difference it had made, with just a small amount of swirls remaining. And the gloss increase was strong, too. As VSS uses diminishing micro-abrasives, working it longer would deliver an even more impressive finish. That means if you were using VSS on its own to do your whole car, you’d really get the best out of it.

Verdict

Chemical Guys VSS Swirl & Scratch Remover might not excel in any one area, but it does everything very well. I like the cut, I like the finish it delivers, the gloss is good, and it’s great to work with. The fact that it cuts like a compound and finishes like a polish really gives it the edge over other products. It’s very easy and forgiving to work with, too. Other polishes might cut better or deliver more gloss, but Chemical Guys VSS tackles two steps in one go, and you can’t argue with that. And as many of us would rather add our own choice of protection, the lack of wax will be a bonus for many. VSS is an excellent choice of polish, and you won’t be disappointed.

Need a buffer to help apply it? Check out our machine buffer guide to understand the different types available.

The post Chemical Guys VSS Swirl & Scratch Remover Car Polish Review appeared first on Fast Car.

Tire sidewalls are often forgotten about when it comes to car detailing. But it’s worth getting them looking nice as it really adds the finishing touch. A tire dressing will leave your sidewalls looking lovely and black, and it enhances the look of your car. And if you’re not a fan of glossy tires, most products allow you to get a matt finish if you prefer. We’ve picked eight of the best tire dressings out there, and there’s something for everyone.

What is tire dressing or tire shine?

Tire dressing, or tire shine, is a product detailers use in order to ensure the tires are looking as new and fresh as possible. It’s all well and good having your car’s body sparkling, and your wheels brake dust-free, but having old looking, scuffed tire sidewalls lets the side down. It’s job doesn’t stop there, though, as tire dressings contain elements of wax in them, and as a result, work to protect the rubber from bad weather as well as hiding tiny scratches.

If you’re someone who’s keen to show off their pride and joy at car events, then tire shine is a product that’s often forgot about. And yes, we do notice. Scuffed, worn looking tires detract from the rest of the car. So spend 5 minutes at the end of your detail and apply some tire dressing. It’ll not only make a difference, but might help you win an award!

Best Tire Dressing In 2024

Meguiar’s Endurance Tire Gel

Size: 473ml
RRP: $12.99 / £10.40. Buy Meguiar’s Endurance Tire Gel here.

A tire dressing that pretty much everyone who’s into detailing is familiar with. It delivers the perfect level of gloss, and it lasts a long time, too, resisting washing and rain. Application is a little messy, as is often the case with gel products. Make sure you use gloves, as it’s almost impossible to wash off your hands. And use a dedicated applicator to make the job easier and neater. It needs a little time to dry, but the results are worth it. It’s an excellent go-to dressing for many of us, and with good reason.

Auto Finesse Gloss

Size: 250ml, 500ml
RRP: $23.95 / £15.95. Buy Auto Finesse Gloss Tire Dressing here.

While Auto Finesse also offers Matt tire dressing, Gloss is our choice. The shine you get is stunning, and your tires will look the best they ever have done. We also like that you can use two application methods. You can either simply spray it on and leave it to do its thing if you’re in a rush. Or, you can spray it onto an applicator and wipe it onto the sidewall for a neater finish. This is an excellent dressing that’s perfect if you love glossy tires.

Gtechniq T1 Durable Tire Gel

Size: 250ml, 500ml 1 liter
RRP: $19.95 / £18.50. Buy Gtechniq T1 here.

It’s not cheap, but Gtechniq products always perform well, and this is no exception. As its name implies, T1 has been designed to be durable, and it really performs well. It goes on easily with an applicator, initially delivering a satin finish. For more gloss, you can add a second coating after 10 minutes. We like products that allow you to choose your finish, so that’s a bonus. The non-sling formula means that once it’s been applied, it’s sticking to your tires, not flying off onto your bodywork. It’s not cheap, but it’s a very strong performer.

Dodo Juice Dark Matter

Size: 500ml
RRP: $7.50 / £6.00. Buy Dodo Juice Dark Matter here.

Dodo Juice’s offering is an excellent multi-purpose dressing. Value for money counts for a lot, and having one product with multiple uses is always a bonus. Dark Matter can happily be applied to any black surface, whether it’s rubber, plastic or even metal. You can buff it to a dry finish, which means no sling and no streaking/ And unlike silicone dressings, it won’t attract dust. It’s not the longest-lasting dressing, but its ease of application and versatility make up for that. Dark Matter is an excellent all-round product.

Autoglym Instant Tire Dressing

Size: 500ml
RRP: £11.50. Not available in the US. Buy Autoglym Tyre Dressing here.

Not Autoglym’s longest-lasting dressing (that’s High Performance Tire Gel), but its easiest to use, which is why we love it. Spray dressings are always super-convenient, but Instant Tire Dressing goes one better. Where most products require your tires to be dry before application, this one doesn’t. That means you don’t have to wait around for your rubber to dry after washing your car or spend time drying it off. Just spray on, wipe off any overspray, and that’s it. If you’re not a fan of shiny tires, you can wipe off the excess for a matte finish. A great dressing that’s super easy to use and gives great results.

CarPlan Tire Slik

Tire Slik is a great product that is quick and easy to use. Simply spray it on, and that’s it, you’re done. The spray can makes application relatively accurate, though there is always some overspray. The super-flow valve allows you to spray upside down, which makes application easier still. The resulting gloss is nice and not overwhelming, while durability is good. Unfortunately, a recent price increase means it’s no longer the bargain it once was. Still a good choice of dressing, especially considering how quick and easy it is to apply.

Size: 500ml
Price: £8.99. Not available in the US. Buy CarPlan Tire Slik here.

Simoniz Back to Black Tire & Trim

Size: 500ml
Price: £5.39 at EuroCarParts. Buy Simoniz Back to Black Tire & Trim here. This exact product is not available in the US, however you can browse Simoniz’s American range here.

Another two-in-one product, this offering from Simoniz is really rather good. The spray can means super quick and easy application, so that’s a good start. It instantly adds a lovely gloss finish, but you can layer it for an even deeper gloss. It last really well, too, and considering how reasonably priced it is, that’s another bonus. And on top of all that, you can use it to restore the black trim on your car too. A versatile tire and trim dressing that’s great value for money.

King Of Sheen Eco Tire Shine

Size: 500ml
RRP: £24.99. Not available in the US. Buy King of Sheen Eco Tire Shine here.

You might not have heard of King of Sheen, but its tire dressing is well worth a look. This water-based spray smells nice and performs even better. It leaves you with a high-gloss, non-greasy finish that looks fantastic. Durability isn’t up there with the best, but it’s still decent. It’s well-priced, though, and comes with an applicator, which is a nice touch and makes it easier to use. A good value offering that delivers instant impressive results.

How were the best tire dressing products chosen?

I’m a self-proclaimed detailing nut. There’s not much more that I love than the look of a spotless car. And as a result, over the last 10-15 years, I’ve spent a great many number of days making sure my stable of cars look as spotless as they can. Over that time, I’ve been lucky enough to test and use products from just about every detailing manufacturer out there. While the above products haven’t been individually put through my rigorous detailing tests, they are all good in their own right. None of them will leave you feeling short changed.

Relevant Content: 

• How To Apply Tire Shine

The post Best Tire Dressing In 2024 appeared first on Fast Car.

Do not underestimate the power of a good quick detailer. If you need to know anything about car detailing, it’s that this do-it-all wonder product is handy to have in just about any situation.

What is a quick detailing spray?

Put simply, it’s a mild solution that has the ability to clean any surface. It’s especially good for maintenance washing, as well as wiping away fingerprints and light dirt. It’s ideal for adding gloss and protection and giving your car that freshly-washed look. Use it as a drying aid, to enhance the look of rubber and plastics, or use it on your wheels. It’s incredibly versatile, and no keen detailer should be without it. Here’s our guide to the best quick detailing spray you can buy.

Best Quick Detailing Spray In 2024

Chemical Guys Hydrospeed Ceramic Quick Detailer

RRP: $29.99 / £27.99. Buy Chemical Guys Hydrospeed Ceramic Quick Detailer here!

Versatile and easy to use, Hydrospeed is exactly what you want from a quick detailing spray. Special hydrophobic polymers and SiO2 nanoparticles deliver shine, protection and beading in an instant. You can use Hydrospeed on your car’s bodywork, glass, wheels, headlights and more. Hydrospeed’s ceramic makeup gives it self-cleaning properties to keep your car cleaner for longer. Use it between washes, at shows, and get your paintwork looking dazzling in an instant. It’s a little pricey, but this quick detailing spray really performs.

Meguiar’s Hybrid Ceramic Detailer

RRP: $18.99 / £24.00. Buy Meguiar’s Hybrid Ceramic Detailer here!

This SiO2 quick detailing spray offering from Meguiar’s doesn’t disappoint. It’s the perfect way to keep your car clean between washes while adding ceramic protection. It effortlessly removes light contaminants and dust, giving your paint that just-washed look. At the same time, it puts down a protective ceramic layer that delivers incredible beading. It’s easy to use and gives instant results, leaving your paintwork glossy and gleaming. A superb quick detailing spray.

Bilt Hamber Auto-QD

RRP: $20.72 / £16.95. Buy Bilt Hamber Auto-QD here!

We love Bilt Hamber products, so it’s no surprise to see the company’s quick detailing spray on our list. Auto-QD is designed to safely clean your paintwork between washes. It features unique charged polymers that suspend contaminants to protect the paint from marring. It’s water-based, safe for all paint finishes and won’t stain rubber or plastic trim. It also delivers impressive gloss that makes your car look stunning. Best of all, it’s highly concentrated, so one bottle goes a long way. Use it at 1:1 for maximum gloss, as a waterless wash and plastic trim shine. Or dilute it all the way down to 1:20 for use as a drying aid and no-rinse wash. It’s versatile and offers excellent value for money, making it a fantastic quick detailing spray.

Gtechniq Quick Detailer

RRP: from $7.95 / £5.99. Buy Gtechniq Quick Detailer here!

As you’d expect from Gtechniq, its quick detailing spray delivers on performance. It effortlessly removes fingerprints and light dusting. It’s also great at removing water marks and smears left after washing, leaving your paintwork looking perfect. Use it on bodywork, plastic trim and wheels. It’s simple to use, effective, and a quick detailing spray you will love using.

Griot’s Garage Best Of Show Detailer

RRP: $13.99. Buy Griot’s Garage Best Of Show Detailer here!

Griot’s Garage is very popular in its American homeland, and the company makes some superb detailing products. We’re big fans of its Best Of Show Detailer, and it’s one we always have a bottle of to hand. First of all, it smells lush, while advanced polymers improve paint gloss and slickness. It boosts color, depth and clarity between washes, leaving your paint looking sensational. Meanwhile, its high-lubricity formula safely wipes away dust, light dirt and fingerprints.

That’s all very impressive, but it’s not even our favorite thing about Best Of Show Detailer. What we love most is that it’s been formulated to flash fast enough to be used in direct sunlight. This makes it our go-to summer show detailer of choice. Being able to safely use it on hot, sunny days and get perfect results is the icing on the cake. This is a quick detailing spray well worth getting your hands on.

Autoglym Rapid Detailer

RRP: £14.50. Not available in the US. Buy Autoglym Rapid Detailer here!

Autoglym’s Rapid Detailer is a great quick detailing spray that does it all. It will remove light dirt from paintwork, restoring shine and leaving behind a layer of polymeric protection. It’s perfect for maintaining everything from rubber and plastic to chrome and carbon fibre. You can also use it as a clay bar lubricant. It’s ideal for use at shows to get your car looking spotless. Rapid Detailer is a superb all-rounder, and it’s easy to see why it’s so popular.

How the best quick detailing sprays were chosen

While each of these products haven’t gone through my rigorous testing process, I have used all of them over the years. I’ve found each of the products to be brilliant additions to your detailing kit. Some, like the Chemical Guys offering deliver on extra features such as a hydrophobic layer, but in truth it doesn’t help it stand out from the crowd. For me, each of these represents a balance of quality and price point.

The post Best Quick Detailing Spray In 2024 appeared first on Fast Car.

How We Tested Autoglym Hi-Tech Microfibre Drying Towel

The Autoglym Hi-Tech Microfibre Drying Towel was put through its paces at the end of one my recent car detailing sessions. While assessing its qualities, I took note of attributes such as how much water it could pick up after one pass, as well as all the ergonomic factors that are important when washing a car by hand. And of course, the end result was an important element to judge too. Size is important when it comes to drying towel, so I factored this into my review.

Editor’s Note:

With many years of experience in the automotive writing game, as well as a genuine interest in car detailing, we couldn’t think of anyone better to handle Fast Car’s detailing product reviews than Elizabeth. So, her opinion is one you can trust.

RRP: $27.06, buy now.  £20.99, buy now.

First Impressions & Features

It’s a mixed bag. You can’t help but be impressed with Autoglym’s fancy packaging, and it immediately makes this drying towel feel like a premium product. This is confirmed when you take it out of the packaging because no corners have been cut in terms of construction. Autoglym definitely knows how to make a seriously upmarket detailing product. However, this drying towel is also disappointing. There’s no hiding just how incredibly thin it feels. And it’s also not very big, either, which immediately makes you wonder just how good it is going to be at its job. It measures 24×24”, while the best car drying towel I’ve tested, Liquid8r by The Rag Company, measures a whopping 36×25”.

What’s It Like To Use Autoglym Hi-Tech Microfibre Drying Towel

Sadly, this drying towel performs exactly as I was expecting it would. It becomes instantly waterlogged after pretty much every wipe, requiring you to constantly wring it out. It feels like it spends more time pushing water around your paintwork than actually doing any drying. The only real saving grace here is that because it’s small and thin, it’s always easy to fold and squeeze into tight spots. Also, the very short fibers make it good for drying glass, so that’s a plus.

The Verdict

I really don’t like the Autoglym Hi-Tech Microfibre Drying Towel at all. It falls incredibly short of the mark compared to its rivals and is disappointing across the board. It’s just not very good, honestly. Sorry, Autoglym, you make a lot of very good detailing products, but this isn’t one of them.

Want to know which drying towel is best? Head over to our best car drying towel guide.

The post Autoglym Hi-Tech Microfibre Drying Towel Review appeared first on Fast Car.

Detailing a wrapped car isn’t that different from detailing a normal car, but there are some key differences. Our guide on how to detail a wrapped car will ensure you keep your wrap looking its best and that you don’t damage it. The main thing you need to keep in mind is that vinyl is softer than paint, so you have to be gentle with it. This means you need to stay away from harsh cleaning products and abrasives to help keep your vinyl wrap in the best shape possible. Oh, and make sure you’re using a decent wash mitt.

How to detail a wrapped car

1. Pre-Wash

The first thing you’ll want to do is to rinse off any dirt on your car. You can use snow foam on a wrapped car, but avoid anything too harsh. Pick a pH-neutral foam, and make sure you don’t let it dwell any longer than the instructions tell you to.

You can use a pressure washer throughout the whole washing process, but there are rules you have to follow. First of all, ensure the water temperature is below 80°C, which won’t be a problem for anyone using a pressure washer at home. Secondly, make sure the pressure is below 2000 psi. Again, this won’t be an issue for anyone using an average home pressure washer.

Make sure that you keep the nozzle at least 30cm/12” away from the surface of your car. And make sure you keep the nozzle perpendicular (at 90°) to the bodywork. This will ensure you don’t accidentally get the water jet beneath the edge of the wrap. This can cause the wrap to lift, which you definitely don’t want.

2. Washing

As with any car, washing a wrapped car requires you to use the correct equipment and procedure. We don’t want to see any sponges, for starters and make sure you’re not washing in direct sun.

You want to use the two-bucket method, with at least one bucket equipped with a grit guard. Next, you want a super-soft microfiber wash mitt or pad. For the shampoo, you want a pH-neutral one that’s not got any wax or gloss enhancers in it. Check out our list of the best pure shampoos here. Now you can simply wash your car as you would normally.

3. Drying And Protecting

It is recommended to let the car air dry, but you can dry it gently by hand. Use a large, ultra-plush drying towel, and pat the car dry. Avoid the edges of the wrap, as you don’t want to catch it and cause it to lift.

You can now apply a wax to protect the vinyl and enhance the gloss. Stay away from paste waxes, as application and removal will be problematic. Instead, opt for a spray wax or sealant, which will be much easier to use on vinyl and will give great results.

4. Maintenance

The most important thing with a vinyl wrap is to remove bird poo as soon as possible. Left for any length of time, it can cause damage to the vinyl wrap. Soak stains like this in hot, soapy water and then wipe them away gently.

The post How To Detail A Wrapped Car appeared first on Fast Car.

While the BMW E30 might have cemented its place as the classic 3 Series, it wouldn’t exist if not for its predecessor, the E21. The E30 might be considered by many enthusiasts to be a better car overall, but the E21 walked so that the E30 could run. While there is plenty of appreciation for the E21, the fact of the matter is that it’s much easier to buy an E30. E21s are harder to come by, especially in good condition, and when it comes to modding, it’s fair to say that the car modifications available for the E30 are more plentiful than for the first-gen 3 Series offering. For Shane Moriarty, however, none of these things mattered. His first E21 experience came about purely by chance, and he’s been hooked ever since.

Catching the BMW E21 hook

For you see, 38-year-old Shane, who works as a mechanic and carries out paintwork at a bodyshop, owned an E21 as both his first BMW and his first car. “I left school at 14 and started working at the Skopos Motor Museum in Batley, though it’s closed down now,” Shane tells us as we chat. “One day, I saw a Henna red E21 316 parked on the side of the road. It was up for sale at an odd price, exactly £525. I had a few quid saved up, so I got it and took it to the museum warehouse,” he says, and with that, his classic 3 Series journey began.

“I restored it, did welding on it, fixed the distributor, it had problems with the Pierburg carb, so I put a 2002 tii inlet manifold on it and some Weber 40 DCOE carbs, and I took it to a few shows. Then I decided to take it to a meet, and it got written off by a stolen car,” laments Shane. “I wanted another E21 and spent ages looking, and then I found this,” he tells us, but it didn’t exactly make the best impression.

The Alpina E21 restomod project begins

“It was a non-runner – it only had one wheel, no interior, and a mouse was living in the dash, but it did have its original engine,” Shane says. “It had been sat for 13 years; the uncle of the guy selling it had been the owner, and when he passed away, it was just abandoned,” he explains. For most people, that probably wouldn’t have been quite enough to seal the deal, but Shane managed to look past all of the flaws and see the potential in this E21. “My dad Michael and I bought it, and we did a lot of work on it together. My dad has since passed away, but I kept the car,” says Shane, and it’s been through quite some changes since they first bought it.

“It was quite a rough car paint-wise,” says Shane, “so I rattle-canned it green, welded the diff, put a cage in it and a 320 M20 engine, and I used to race it at Santa Pod with nitrous,” he says, which might sound like sacrilege, but there is a reason for that. “I always thought it was an Alpina replica,” Shane explains, which is understandable considering how it had been left. “I spoke to the guy we bought it from, and it turned out to be genuine – it’s one of 11 right-hand-drive TWR cars, as TWR assembled the cars for Alpina in the UK,” Shane says, and that must have been quite the revelation. “After that, I decided to try and bring it back to as close to original as possible,” but he’s added plenty of personal touches and upgrades along the way.

Alpina E21 Restomod engine tuning

Shane has done a lot of work on this Alpina E21 restomod, but the engine is probably the most impressive part of the project. “I built a 2.7 stroker ETA for the car,” he tells us. “It has an E28 M20B27 block and crank, with M20 2.0-litre con rods and early E30 325i pistons as the compression ratio is higher. It’s got a gas-flowed 885 head with new valve guides, titanium valve springs, and a 292° Schrick cam, which is a little bit too aggressive for the road,” chuckles Shane. “I’ve also fitted a Kent Cams vernier pulley. The pistons are slightly shorter than the ETA ones, and the block has been decked by 2mm, which has increased the compression ratio, and the timing was out, so the vernier pulley allows 2° of timing advance.

“My friend and I made the custom inlet manifold – we cut across the ports, took two Ford Pinto engine manifolds and welded them to the manifold to fit triple DCOE Weber 45 carbs. I got a six-branch exhaust manifold and cut it at the V-band, and it’s now got two 2.5” pipes that go into a Y-section and into one 3” pipe that just misses the propshaft,” explains Shane. “Originally, it had asymmetrical exhaust pipework leading to the rear boxes, but this always bothered me. So I changed it so it now has two equal-length pipes, which go into two 2.5” back boxes, though I want to change them for 3” ones because I like a racket,” chuckles Shane. “It spits flames on the overrun and blows the baffles to bits,” he adds with a grin.

Transmission

While Shane does have the dogleg transmission the car came with, he hasn’t fitted it and instead, the gearbox is a ZF five-speed with a 3.45 LSD. What’s interesting is that the flywheel has had the casting from the inside removed to lighten it, and that’s because of how the engine has been built. “The pistons and rods were attached to the crank and then balanced, and metal was removed from the crankshaft webs to lighten it. Then the flywheel was lightened to balance that. It’s like blueprinting or balancing, it’s a very old-fashioned way of building race engines,” explains Shane and thanks to that, the engine revs more freely.

Attention to detail

The engine bay has also been treated to a few visual enhancements. “The rocker cover is from an E30 325i,” explains Shane, “and I got the Alpina font off the internet. Then I engraved it by hand using a Dremel,” which is some impressive dedication and skill as well. The TWR plate, meanwhile, was pressed, and Shane mounted it where the support for the M20 intake manifold would normally go, and it’s a lovely little extra touch to the engine bay.

Considering Shane’s description of this E21 when he first got it, looking at it now it’s clear he’s put in an incredible amount of work to get it so immaculate. “The boot spoiler is genuine, I paid £900 for that a long time ago,” he tells us. “The front splitter is also genuine and I bought new bumpers for it, which are no longer available. I also got a new grille and bought a new bonnet years ago. I had angel eye headlights on the car, and I couldn’t get original E21 lights so these are actually from a Mk3 Capri 2.8 Laser – the lenses are the same, only the brackets are different,” Shane explains.

Respraying the car in its original color

“I resprayed the car in its original Alpine white, and it’s 2K paint, so there’s no lacquer, apart from on the bonnet, because I got tired of polishing it,” he adds with a laugh. This E21 looks factory fresh, and the work Shane has done to restore it to its former glory is amazing. But there’s so much more to this 3 Series than meets the eye.

“I etched the Alpina text onto the door handles myself, then I sprayed them black,” says Shane. This is where we get into those individual touches he’s added that look so good that unless you’re an absolute Alpina aficionado you won’t even notice. “I had the stripes re-made as you can’t buy them anymore,” Shane continues, “and I put a boot badge on the splitter to match the one at the back. The doors would have originally had the Alpina text in black, but I’ve had it done to look like the badge and the splitter, and the mirrors and sills should be black,” explains Shane, but we love what he’s done. And, on his parcel shelf sits a model of an E21 C1 Alpina, and it also has white sills and mirrors, so they’re a perfect match.

Alina E21 restomod interior

Heading inside, it’s clear that Shane has been just as busy with the interior as he has with the rest of the car. “I’ve fitted E21 Recaros retrimmed in beige leather, which is considered to be sacrilege because they should be finished in brown cloth with the Alpina stripes,” he chuckles. “The door cards were black, but I trimmed them to match the seats, though I wish I’d left them alone as they were more original,” he sighs.

Even though the leather is not original, the interior looks fantastic, and there are still plenty of original features in here. “I’ve got the original Alpina gear knob with the badge showing a side-draft injection throttle body and the original Momo Alpina steering wheel, with the horn button with the dual carb and cam on it,” says Shane. He also found an original Blaupunkt head unit, speakers and covers for the interior. The handbrake, meanwhile, is another of Shane’s own creations, with the Alpina text etched into the handle, and it’s painted black like the door handles.

Alpina E21 chassis and wheels

This Alpina E21 restomod sits beautifully on those iconic multi-spoke 15s, and Shane has done plenty of work beneath the surface to ensure this 3 Series handles properly. “The wheels are original Alpina ones, and they’ve been finished in BMW Bright silver with diamond-cut lips. I’m also running the wider 7” rears all-round, as, normally, the fronts would be 6” wide,” he explains.

On the suspension front, he’s fitted Spax adjustable dampers along with uprated springs, and that combo has given this E21 a drop of 60mm up front and 40mm at the rear. He’s also fitted a front strut brace, which has been enhanced with the addition of an Alpina boot badge, and there’s a rear strut brace as well. The brakes, meanwhile, are an interesting combo, but it delivers plenty of stopping power. “Up front, I’ve got a set of 1975 Volvo 240 Girling four-pot calipers, and at the rear, I’ve got E30 325i calipers, and I’m running EBC discs and Redstuff pads all-round,” Shane says.

“I’ve had it too long,” chuckles Shane, “nearly 20 years as I was 19 when I bought it,” and this Alpina E21 restomod project has been a real labor of love. “My favorite part of the car is probably all the different little mods I’ve done. Like the Webers that match the steering wheel badge, the diamond-cut lips, the TWR badge, the stance,

I love all these things that make it stand out,” he smiles. “It’s OEM, but the mods have been done tastefully,” he adds, and we absolutely agree.

Future plans?

And while the styling and chassis are exactly how Shane wanted them, he’s got some different engine upgrades on his mind. “I was thinking about a 2.8 M20 build with an M52 crank, but I’m not sure it will happen,” he muses. “It’s a huge undertaking for another 100ccs – I’ve done it in the past, and I got halfway through one for this car, but then my dad passed away, and things changed. I was going to turbo it, but that takes the ’70s character away,” he adds. “It’s like an old racing setup as it is now – it has an attitude problem,” he laughs. “It misfires because it’s set up for high revs and keeps flooding when you’re driving it slowly, but it has personality like this,” he enthuses.

“As it is, it made 206hp on the dyno, but it needs an ECU and coil to advance the timing, and I could get more power that way,” says Shane, so we reckon he’ll be tweaking the engine before too long.

Everything about this Alpina E21 restomod is just glorious. It looks magnificent, it’s packed full of individual touches that really make it stand out, and Shane has put so much work into it over nearly two decades. As a restomod, a slice of sheer classic modded goodness, and a car that holds memories of his dad, it’s just a really special E21 all-round and an absolutely wonderful build

Photos: CRBN.MEDIA

The post Alpina E21 RestoMod: Old School Rules! appeared first on Fast Car.

Before the M3 became the pig-faced heavyweight that it is today, the nameplate was easily one of the most adored performance monikers across the entire automotive landscape. Older folks with glasses tinted in a rose hue will tell you that the original E30 M3 is the best of the lineage, and given that car’s roots as a homologation special, it’s an argument that isn’t too outrageous. In reality though, the E46 walks all over the E30 if you’re measuring them by how good they are to drive. Which is why we think it’s one of the best used cars to buy.

Another possible contender to the M3 throne is the E9x generation, which came straight after the E46 and packed a fierce high-revving V8 under the hood. However, the newer car is bigger and heavier, while the E46 is a more focused, more raw, and arguably more engaging machine that delivers a slightly ‘purer’ driving experience. With all that in mind, it’s easy to understand why the E46 is so popular. And we haven’t even mentioned the way it looks yet…

The chassis is exceptional and the S54 is a masterpiece of an engine that will never fail to stir your soul with its soaring straight-six soundtrack. It’s a comfortable car, too, and decent on fuel. What we’re trying to say is, if you want a brilliant all-rounder, the E46 is one of the best used cars you could choose. So, how did it all come together so well?

BMW M3 E46 History

Following the lukewarm reception that the E36 M3 received, BMW knew that they had to restore some of the responsiveness and sense of urgency that had been lost since the E30 was phased out. After all, improved comfort is great, but not if it comes at the expense of the car’s soul.

To make up for this, BMW’s team of M engineers endowed the E46 with a much improved chassis, more brawn under the hood, and the aggressive looks to match. Compared to a regular 3-Series coupe, the M3 wore stocky flared arches to house its wider wheels and tires, a broader grille, and lightweight aluminum hood with a distinct ‘power bulge’ alluding to what lay beneath. The 3.2-liter S54 straight-six gained revised camshafts and an 11.5:1 compression ratio, resulting in an output of 343hp at 7900rpm.

In order to build a chassis worthy of the powertrain, BMW made a host of upgrades to the regular 3-Series coupe platform. These included a wider track for better stability and forged aluminum wishbones for a stiffer front end. In addition, the M3 received steel ball joints, stronger subframe and suspension anchor points, and stiffer anti-roll bars, springs, and dampers. Overall, the concoction went down a treat, not only with the motoring press, but also with customers – despite a price tag which eclipsed that of the Porsche Boxster.

Revival of the CSL

The M3 was back, in a big way. But that wasn’t the end of the story. See, if the E46 M3 is the king of all M cars, the CSL is the king of all E46s.

Those three letters are something which BMW holds dear, only dusting them off and brandishing them on the tailgate of cars that it deems ‘worthy’. Cloaked in motorsport pedigree, the CSL badge represents the ethos of what a true driver’s car should be: much lighter than standard, powerful, and incredibly responsive to driver input. You could argue that the modern-day M4 CSL falls short of those requirements, but the same certainly cannot be said of the E46. Mind you, upon its launch, it certainly had its haters.

On face value, there didn’t seem like an awful lot of change to warrant the increasingly hefty price tag that BMW charged for its featherweight crown jewel. However, as time passed by, it became clear that the small edits made all amounted to a driving experience that few M cars can hold a candle to.

CSL specs

Aesthetically speaking, it takes a trained eye to pick out a CSL from a hoard of regular E46 M3s – its lower stance and unique 19-inch alloys are the main giveaways, as is the small front-left intake which regular M3s don’t have. That little device channels air into a heavily revised induction kit, which helps boost the S54 up to 360hp at 7900rpm, while the redline is also marginally higher: 8200rpm rather than 8k. On top of that, the suspension was stiffer as well as lower, and the rear of the car now featured a slightly more aggressive camber. Steering ratios were quickened (which had been one small gripe with the regular M3) and BMW also beefed the brakes up. Countless other small alterations were made too, totaling a weight loss of 110kg.

However, no car is perfect, and for many people, the CSL’s low point is its gearbox. Only the much-maligned SMG automatic was available as standard, so if you wanted a manual, you were out of luck. That said, there is at least one manual conversion in the world right now…

Common Problems

We’ll go into more detail about what to look out for when buying a used E46 M3 later on in this article, but as a starting point, here are some of the key common problems to be aware of:

• Rust – especially on the arches
• Cracked rear subframe components
• SMG auto gearbox pump and software issues
• Vanos issues, head gasket, rod bearings

What to pay

Whichever regional market you’re in, the cheapest E46 M3s available are always going to be the convertible variants with the automatic transmission. As of right now, the average price for one of those in the United States is around $22,000 – though you could easily find tired examples for $15,000 or potentially even less if you’re feeling mechanically brave. Convertibles with manual gearboxes are generally more expensive – about $25,000 on average, which happens to be roughly the same sort of price you can expect to pay for an SMG auto-equipped coupe. In the UK, you can certainly find some bargains. There are a whole host of convertibles and ropey coupes available for £10,000-£15,000, but you should expect to pay between £15,000-£20,000 for a genuinely nice example, whichever gearbox you opt for.

Naturally, it’s the manual-equipped coupes which are most sought after. The average US price of a standard one is $32,000, but the same rules apply as with the convertibles: you can certainly buy the coupes cheaper if you don’t mind examples with higher mileage and/or some TLC requirements. In fact, that figure is distorted by the high end collector cars too, so don’t be surprised to find a nice one around the $25,000-mark. Across the pond, prices start just below £15,000, but ideally you’ll want to be spending more than that to get a good example. You could be looking at anything from £20,000-£30,000 depending on factors like mileage and gearbox; remember the SMG autos are cheaper.

Special Editions

Something else to be aware of is the Competition Pack ZCP (also known as the CS in the United Kingdom). These were essentially the bridge between the standard M3 and the rare CSL. You got the standard 343hp powertrain rather than the more powerful CSL variant, but could enjoy plenty of the other goodies found in the halo car. For instance; the 19 inch rims, the quicker steering, and the stiffer suspension. Importantly, the ZCP/CS was also available with a manual transmission, unlike the CSL. As such, you might consider it the smart choice. You can pick up a good one for around $40,000 in the States, but oddly, there doesn’t seem to be too much of a mark-up in price on these in the UK.

What to look out for on the BMW E46 M3

The E46 is, generally speaking, well-built and reliable but with age and higher mileage, problems start to creep in. So, you need to go into any potential purchase with your eyes open. General E46 problems revolve around electrical gremlins and suspension components but the biggest problem you’re going to have is with rust. This is a major issue for E46s now – the main area where it seems to occur is on the arches, so make sure you inspect any potential purchase carefully.

Next up we have the infamous rear subframe issue, where the rear axle carrier cracks and tears and this will happen so you either need to prevent it from happening (preferable and cheaper) or you have to repair it, but either way, you want the PSDesigns repair/reinforcement plate kit for $/£145 plus fitting.

If you’ve got an SMG car then you can experience problems with the pump, control unit, shift unit and gear position sensors among others.

With the S54 itself, you’ve got various Vanos problems, head gasket failure and the rod bearings are also a weak point and need to be replaced as a preventative measure.

Modifying a BMW E46 M3

The E46 M3 has almost limitless potential. The stock brakes are okay. Aftermarket rotors, pads and hoses help though, or you could even go for a BBK (big brake kit) if you want serious stopping power – expect to pay around $1k at the cheaper end, over $2.5k for a front set at the top end.

We’d definitely invest in some decent lowering springs but if you’re buying a higher-mileage car it’ll be worth going for coilovers to get some fresh shocks on board.

Want more power? Go for a remap and intake for small gains (20-30hp), or a carbon air box for big money (over $3k) but lots of noise. On balance, the PSDesigns velocity stack kit ($1500) with Alpha-N map for epic noise and good power gains would be our choice.

For serious power go with an off-the-shelf supercharger kit and there are plenty to choose from – for just over $5000 you can pick up an ESS 475hp kit; the 525 kit is just over $6000, the 550 around $7000, while the 575hp kit breaches the $8000-mark. VF Engineering also offers several kits, starting from $6000 for 420hp, 480hp for about $8000 and 570hp for $9000. Turbo kits also exist – RHD is tricky but doable, budget around $10k.

Verdict

The BMW E46 might just be the M3 sweet spot. It offers an awful lot of car for your money; the size, power and chassis combination is simply wonderful and it’s hugely engaging and thrilling to drive. There are some expensive repairs but if you’re looking for a modern M machine that feels exciting and engaging to drive, it’s hard to beat the E46 M3.

Tech Spec: BMW E46 M3

Engine: 3.2-litre straight-six S54B32
Transmission: Six-speed manual, six-speed SMG II
Power: 343hp
Torque: 269lb ft
0-62mph: 5.1 seconds

Guide from Performance BMW. Words: Elizabeth de Latour & James Bowers. 

The post BMW M3 E46 Buyer’s Guide & Most Common Problems appeared first on Fast Car.

You’ve bought all the top products to wash your car, but what happens when it comes to drying? What car detailing covers is the whole process, not just cleaning.

When it comes to car drying towels, there are a few things to look for. What you want is something super-soft, so it won’t scratch the paint. Something super-absorbent, so it sucks up all the water from your car’s bodywork. And something large, so it can easily dry even the biggest of panels with ease. You also need the proper technique – take a look at our guide to drying your car.

As Fast Car’s Detailing Product Tester, I’ve used a lot of drying towels in my time. Plenty of them have been consigned to the detailing fault. And only a few have made it into regular use. I know what makes a good drying towel, and what makes a bad one. I’ve selected eight of the most popular drying towels to see how they compare.

Best Car Drying Towel At A Glance

• Best Overall and Editor’s Choice: The Rag Company Liquid8r. RRP: $24 / £25.95. Buy The Rag Company Liquid8r here.
• Approved: – Auto Finesse Aqua Deluxe XL. RRP: $32.95 / £21.95. Buy Auto Finesse Aqua Deluxe XL here.
• Approved: – Meguiar’s Microfibre Duo Twist. RRP: $19.99 / £30.00. Buy Meguiar’s Microfibre Duo Twist here.
• Best Value: – Gtechniq MF2 Zero Scratch Drying Towel. RRP: $11.95 / £7.46. Buy Gtechniq MF2 Zero Scratch Drying Towel here.

The Rag Company Liquid8r – Best Overall and Editor’s Choice

RRP: $24, buy now. £25.95, buy now.

Pros:

• Huge
• High GSM
• 70/30 microfiber blend
• Dries incredibly well

Cons:

• Nothing

The Rag Company Liquid8r serves up some impressive stats before you’ve even started drying. This twist loop drying towel measures a massive 36×25”, with an 1100gsm 70/30 blend construction. It also has a hemmed ‘hidden’ edge, making it the only towel in this test with this design. It made a very good first impression, and I was impressed by its size, feel and design the moment I unpacked it. And when it came to the drying experience, I was honestly blown away.

The Rag Company Liquid8r is a beast: it’s so nice to use, absorbs water effortlessly, and leaves panels bone dry. The twist loop construction means it sucks up water incredibly well. Meanwhile, the size means it can hold a lot of moisture without becoming overwhelmed. It’s such an impressive drying towel, the clear winner, and my favorite. The Rag Company Liquid8r is my new go-to drying towel of choice.

Check out our full review of The Rag Company Liquid8r drying towel.

Auto Finesse Aqua Deluxe XL – Approved

RRP: $32.95, buy now. £21.95, buy now.

Pros:

• Nice and big
• Very soft
• High GSM
• Dries well

Cons:

• You might not like the color…

Auto Finesse brings out the big guns with this drying towel. XL by name and XL by nature, it measures a massive 37×22”. Thanks to all that surface area, it makes light work of drying any panel you point it at. The 1200gsm microfiber pile makes it ultra-plush, so it’s safe for all surfaces.

This is a good-sized towel, very soft, and very absorbent. It dries well There’s very little to dislike here, and it’s a very nice drying towel.

For more info on the Auto Finesse drying towel, check out our full review of the Aqua Deluxe XL. 

Meguiar’s Microfibre Duo Twist – Approved

RRP: $19.99, buy now. £30.00, buy now.

Pros:

• Large
• High GSM
• Impressive drying performance

Cons:

• Quite expensive

Meguiar’s Microfibre Duo Twist drying towel is a bit different. It’s certainly got the size, measuring a hefty 35×20”. It also boasts a 1200gsm microfiber construction, which means it’s nice and soft. However, as its name suggests, it uses duo-twist microfibers. This means that each drying fiber is two strands twisted together. Rather than the soft, fluffy, plush structure, it feels a bit more like a bath towel. I was a little skeptical of how well it would perform, but I needn’t have been.

The Meguiar’s Microfibre Duo Twist dries really well. It absorbed way more water than I expected it to and I was very impressed with how little moisture was left behind. It’s a little pricey compared to its rivals, but that’s honestly the only real downside. A very strong choice of drying towel.

Here’s Buffy’s full review of the Meguiar’s drying towel. 

Gtechniq MF2 Zero Scratch Drying Towel – Best Value

RRP: $11.95 / £7.46. Buy Gtechniq MF2 Zero Scratch Drying Towel here.

Pros:

• Good size
• Excellent drying performance
• Very nice to use

Cons:

• Feels a bit thin

On the face of it, the Gtechniq MF2 drying towel is a little disappointing. It’s a good size, and measures a generous 35×23”. This makes it comparable to the largest towels on test. However, its low 450gsm makes it almost one-third as plush as the fluffiest towels on this list. It feels very thin and very light and doesn’t look like it’s going to do a very good job. But I couldn’t have been more wrong.

The Gtechniq MF2 performed incredibly well. It dried with minimal smearing and absorbed way more water than I ever expected. Because it’s thinner, it’s also a little more maneuverable and less heavy. Throw in the bargain price, and you’ve got yourself a stunningly good drying towel.

Check out the Gtechniq MF2 drying towel full review. 

Liquid Elements Silverback XL

RRP: £14.49. Not available in the US. Buy Liquid Elements Silverback XL here.

Pros:

• Very soft and plush
• High GSM

Cons:

• Not as big as its rivals
• Doesn’t dry that well

I bought the Liquid Elements Silverback XL based on reviews I’d read myself. It certainly has some impressive stats. You’ve got 1200gsm of plush chenille fibres, so it’s off to a great start. At 31.5×20”, it’s big, but not quite as big as the largest towels I’ve lined up here. It’s very soft and has a safe edge like its rivals.

But something is missing here and it’s never dried quite as well as I wanted it to. The Silverback XL good, but it’s my backup towel, rather than my main choice. This drying towel is still worth a look, but you can do better.

Autoglym Hi-Tech Microfibre Drying Towel

RRP: $27.06, buy now.  £20.99, buy now.

Pros:

• Feels nice

Cons:

• Thin
• Small
• Doesn’t dry well

Autoglym offers three different car drying towels, and its Hi-Tech Drying Towel is its top-end towel. This microfiber drying towel measures 24×24”, which makes it one of the smallest towels here. There’s also no mention of gsm, and its construction feels basic, with very short fibres. It’s very thin, too. While I like a lot of Autoglym’s products, sadly the Hi-Tech Microfiber Drying Towel fell short of the mark.

First of all, it really is small, so it struggles with drying. It quickly became waterlogged and was overwhelmed. I’d certainly consider it for drying glass, where the short fibers would be beneficial. But it’s a disappointing drying towel, even more so at this price.

In2Detailing Drinker XL V1 Drying Towel

RRP: £14.95 (V2), buy now. Not available in the US.

Pros:

• Huge
• Plush and soft
• Holds loads of water

Cons:

• Drying performance could be better

The Drinker XL has been my drying towel of choice for years, now. At 35×24”, it’s big and boasts an 1100gsm construction. It’s thick, plush and very soft, everything you’d want in a towel. I’ve always been very pleased with its drying performance in the past but, honestly, it felt a little outclassed here. Initial pickup is good, but it has a habit of leaving behind damp streaks that take multiple passes to clear. Also, despite its size, by the end of a drying session, it feels like it’s struggling a bit.

I tested my old V1 Drink XL here, and it’s since been replaced by the V2. It features a revised design and a much higher gsm, so I want to get my hands on one to see how it performs. I still love my Drinker XL V1, but it’s just not as good as the best towels here.

Chemical Guys Big Mouth (Miracle Dryer)

RRP: $16.29, buy now. £14.99, buy now.

Pros:

• Large
• Good material blend

Cons:

• Poor drying performance

Chemical Guys offers such a huge range of drying towels that it’s hard to know where to even start. I opted for a mid-range towel for this test in the shape of the Big Mouth (aka the Miracle Dryer). At 36×25”, it’s certainly not short on size and is one of the biggest towels on test. It’s blended with 70/30 microfiber, which is definitely what you want. It also has two naps for added versatility. Both are good for drying, while the high pile is perfect for catching dust and debris without scratching the paintwork.

On paper, it sounds good, but in practice it underperformed. It just didn’t dry very well, leaving lots of moisture behind, and quickly became waterlogged. It just wasn’t very nice to use, really, and was outclassed by the best towels in this test.

How Each Product Was Tested

The car I was using for testing was washed and rinsed, and then each towel was used to dry a panel. I checked to see how much water each drying towel absorbed on the first pass. After this, I inspected how much moisture was left on the panel. Finally, I then finished drying the panel to see how effective each towel was. While using each one, I also noted how heavy it felt, and how easy it was to use.

What To Look For When Buying The Best Drying Towel

When it comes to shopping for a drying towel, size matters. The bigger the towel, the more easily you can dry your car. A bigger surface area means it can also absorb more water before it gets overwhelmed. The GSM (grams per square meter) is also important. The higher the GSM, the thicker, softer and more absorbent the towel will be. This means quicker, safer and better drying performance. A good drying towel will also have soft edges to protect your paint.

The material ratio of a microfiber towel is also very important. Most microfiber cloths and towels are a blend of polyester and polyamide. Generally speaking, polyester is the scrubbing element of the towel, while polyamide is the absorbent component. Polyamide is more expensive than polyester, which is why cheaper towels might be up to 100% polyester. The more polyamide there is in the blend, the softer the towel will be.

Ideally, you want a 70/30 towel – this means it has a 70% polyester to 30% polyamide blend. Even 80/20 towels can leave behind micro scratches on soft paint due to the higher amount of polyester. A 70/30 towel, however, will not, as well as being softer and more absorbent.

The post Best Car Drying Towel In 2024 appeared first on Fast Car.

How We Tested Liquid Elements Silverback XL

I used the Liquid Elements Silverback XL towel to dry my car after washing it. The first thing I checked for was how much water it absorbed on the first pass, then I inspected how much moisture was left on the panel. From there, I dried my car fully, making sure to take note of key factors like the quality of the end result and how heavy the towel felt to use along the way. I also took into account the feel of the towel, how plush it felt, as well as its size. It’s important to have a larger drying towel to ensure you can dry your car without needing multiple towels.

Editor’s Note:

You’ve probably come across Elizabeth’s work before on Fast Car, and that’s because she’s one of our most experienced contributors. She also loves car detailing, making her the perfect person to conduct these reviews!

RRP: £14.49. Not available in the US. Buy Liquid Elements Silverback XL here.

First Impressions

The Liquid Elements Silverback XL is the sort of drying towel most people will think of when someone says drying towel. It’s big, soft and fluffy, and feels incredibly plush. It certainly feels like the kind of towel that will dry like an absolute beast, and just keep on drying. The Liquid Elements Silverback XL measures 31.5×20”, and uses 1200 GSM chenille fibres.

What’s It Like To Use Liquid Elements Silverback XL

Everything about this towel is good, but it feels like it could be a bit better across the board. And I say that as someone who bought this towel to use based on the reviews I had read. I have zero complaints about its weight, as at 1200 GSM it equals the best drying towels I’ve tried.

And it’s certainly very soft and plush. But some of its rivals are bigger, and size matters when it comes to ultimate drying performance. Which is decent, but it just doesn’t dry quite as well as you’d hope. It doesn’t absorb water with the eagerness you’d like, and there’s always some smearing after wiping. It does also get quite heavy when wet, and it’s thick, which makes it less maneuverable.

Verdict

The Liquid Elements Silverback XL is a little bit disappointing. Perhaps not because it’s bad, but because it’s not quite as good as you’d expect it to be. It just falls short of being really great across the board, meaning that while it’s not a bad towel, it’s a little hard to recommend when rivals do everything better.

To find out who won our drying towel group test, be sure to check out our Best Car Drying Towel guide.

The post Liquid Elements Silverback XL Drying Towel Review appeared first on Fast Car.

Once you’ve understood how suspension works, be sure to check out our guide to the best car suspension brands in 2023.

What are suspension springs?

In a very basic view of the suspension system, the springs support the weight of your car. They control the ride height and its vertical motion over bumps. They do this by storing the energy used to compress them by bumps in the road and then releasing it back into the car in a controlled manner thanks to the dampers.

What is suspension spring rate?

The spring rate, usually referred to in lbs/in (though you’ll also see kg/mm), dictates how much a spring will compress depending on the load applied. For example, a spring with a linear rate of 250lbs/in simply compresses one inch for every 250lbs load applied to it. So a load of 125lbs will compress it 1/2” and a 500lbs load will compress it 2”. A spring with a progressive rate gradually gets stiffer as the load increases. A 150/500lbs/in spring will compress 1” with a 150lbs load on it, but may need 250lbs to compress the next inch and then 400lbs for the third inch until it reaches 500lbs load to move another inch. Looking at it the opposite way, as the load increases, let’s say 150lb at a time, the spring compresses less and less until 150lb may only compress it a further 1/4”.

The wire diameter, material and number of coils determine the spring rate of any spring. The larger the diameter of the wire the higher the spring rate. However, the more coils the spring has the lower the spring rate. Progressive springs rates are possible on a single coil spring by tapering the wire so that the thinner wire has a lower spring rate than the larger diameter wire. Most high-performance cars use the system of ‘stacking’ coils of differing rates on a coilover shock absorber. This allows both progressive and digressive suspension set-ups.

What are progressive springs?

Altering the coil diameter as opposed to the wire diameter creates progressive springs. These are used for ease of manufacture and cost. On coilovers, however, stacking two or more springs on top of each other create progressive rates. A progressive spring rate starts soft and then ‘progressively’ gets harder. As the suspension starts to travel, the spring rate is soft and comfortable, soaking up small bumps and keeping the tires in contact with the road. As load increases, the spring rate also increases allowing for control in more spirited situations.

This brings us to the use of a stacked pair of springs for optimum performance using a lighter spring for soaking up smaller bumps, known as a ‘tender’ spring, fixed-rate or progressive. It is designed to fully compress into coil bind and then allow the main spring to deliver the final spring rate. There is also another type of spring used in a stacked spring setup called a ‘helper’ spring, which has a very low spring rate and is designed to retain the main spring onto the spring perches during full suspension travel only or when the suspension is ‘hanging’, having virtually no effect on the spring rate of the combination.

How do height-adjustable springs work?

If you’re happy with a fixed drop in ride height then lowering springs are great but if you want height adjustment you’d normally go down the coilover route. However, if you’ve got a car with electronically adjustable dampers, like those found on most modern performance BMWs, and you want to retain these for their functionality but also want to lower your car and have adjustable ride height then you need a height-adjustable spring (HAS) kit.

Now, obviously, you can’t adjust the height of the spring itself as such as a coil of metal does not have settings you can just select, so these kits actually use adjustable spring perches. These use the same sort of collar adjuster that you’d find on a coilover setup. It offers the same easy adjustment method and a wide range of adjustment, allowing you to obtain the perfect ride height on more of a budget.

What are dampers?

When your car hits a bump, energy from the wheels transmits to the suspension springs. These compress, storing the energy until the bump is passed. Then the spring returns it by extending back to its original installed length. As the spring does this, it will extend past its original position until the car returns the energy to the spring. This will set up an oscillation in the car and it will continue to bounce, uncontrolled, for a long while.

These uncontrolled bounces will significantly affect the handling of the car. So, there needs to be some way of controlling the spring, and this is the function of the damper. It resists the fast movement of the spring by absorbing the energy of the spring. This is usually through heat absorption, and dampers are there to stop the spring from bouncing uncontrolled.

How do dampers work?

A damper is a tube filled with hydraulic oil and with a piston rod inside it. At one end of the piston rod there is a piston valve with holes in it. These holes dictate how quickly the oil can pass through them and therefore how quickly the piston can move. By altering the size of the holes in the piston and by stacking discs on either side of the piston to generate a pressure drop, you can adjust the bump and rebound resistance to movement. The hydraulic oil needs to be temperature stable or the thinning of the oil due to increases in temperature during use will result in reduced damper efficiency. They must also have an anti-foaming additive because any aeration of the oil will have a drastic effect on the dampers’ effectiveness because the trapped air will be compressible.

Dampers can use a monotube or twin-tube design. A monotube damper contains a piston housed within a single tube and this type of damper has several positive features. First of all, you can mount the damper at almost any angle and because the tube containing the oil is in direct contact with the surrounding air it helps to cool the oil inside the damper more effectively, which means you can drive harder for longer without any drop-off in suspension performance. A twin-tube damper is effectively a tube inside a tube with a valve at the bottom. The inner tube functions similarly to the monotube damper with a piston and orifice valves, but the outer tube acts as a reservoir of oil.

What are coilovers?

If you’re looking to go low and improve handling, coilovers are what you need. Coilovers are just coil springs fitted over dampers. However, they offer more than a simple spring/damper combo with even the most basic coilovers coming with height adjustment. Most coilovers will offer some form of damping adjustment. As the price increases, so does the level of functionality offered by a setup. With most coilovers, the lower you go, the more you’re reducing spring travel by compressing it and the more you’re stiffening your ride.

Pretty much all coilovers will offer one-way damping adjustment. This usually combines compression and rebound behaviour into one adjuster. Increase your front damper rates and you’ll up understeer by increasing rear-end grip; increase rear rates and you’ll increase front-end grip, but reduce rear end grip.

Two-way adjustable dampers will let you independently control compression and rebound settings; compression (or bump) dictates how the damper will react to the initial encounter with a bump. Too firm and the ride will be harsh and could cause bouncing. Too little damping and the car might dive under braking and roll heavily through corners.

Rebound affects how quickly the damper returns to its normal height. A high rebound setting will cause the piston to move a lot more slowly and can even cause the car to leave the ground like on touring cars; too low, and you’ll get wallowy suspension. Four-way dampers can adjust for high- and low-speed compression and rebound independently.

Coilovers aren’t the cheapest suspension upgrade, but they do allow you to lower the car while while improving handling.

For a more in depth look at coilovers, check out our coilovers guide.

Passive, semi-active, active, adaptive suspension – what are they?

When it comes down to the job of controlling the vertical movement of the wheels, there are a few variations. These are active, passive, semi-active, and adaptive suspension. It sounds complicated, and while they certainly can be, understanding what they do isn’t too hard at all, so here goes…

What is passive suspension?

Passive suspension is what most cars come with from the factory. It’s also what almost all race cars use too; it’s the good old gas/oil fitted shock absorber and coil spring combo. Passive suspension is light, simple, and effective. Passive basically means it not adjustable or adaptable to changing situations without stopping and physically adjusting parts yourself.

What is semi-active/adaptive suspension?

Semi-active and adaptive are basically the same thing. They are certainly the most common type when it comes to production vehicles with trick suspension designs. While there’s a huge amount of variations, they all do the same basic thing, enable the shock absorber to stiffen or soften while on the move. Many cars with semi-active suspension allow manual in-car adjustment via switches. The main function of all designs is to help prevent body roll when cornering. It is also used to combat squat under acceleration, and dipping under cornering, without the need for stiff suspension.

Differentiating between ‘semi-active’ and ‘active’ is hard, as exactly what constitutes what depends who you listen to. Most people consider anything that offers in-car ride height adjustability to be ‘active’. This covers aftermarket air and hydraulic kits, not to mention things like the hydropneumatic system fitted to many large Citroens. However, some people consider ‘active’ suspension to be purely systems with fully automatic height adjustability. Which brings us neatly on to…

What is fully active suspension?

Exactly what is active is open to debate. One thing for sure is it means adjustable ride height. This can either be manually via in-car switches, or automatically via a series or sensors and clever ECU.

Height adjustable suspension is used for countless reasons. Think aftermarket hydraulic and air suspension kits we all know and love; self-levelling systems that use it to prevent the vehicle from being lower to the ground when carrying heavy loads; systems that facilitate ride height changes to allow the vehicle to traverse differing surfaces; or even on things such as buses and trailers to simply allow easier loading or unloading. Active kits can vary massively in speed and effectiveness. They can be adjusted with air, hydraulic fluid, and in some sophisticated systems even electromagnets. The result is the same; easy and super-quick height adjustability.

What is OEM active adjustable suspension?

While standard air suspension often bares little resemblance to the aftermarket, it’s been around for over 100 years!

It was the 1950s that really brought about the biggest changes in active suspension though.  Some production cars brought in automatic adjusting and self levelling regardless of load or driving surface; most of these kits were also in-car height adjustable. The most famous setup is the Citroen hydropneumatic system. This used a mix of hydraulics and compressed gas, and they still use this same basic design to this very day on some vehicles. Many manufacturers have used the system too, under licence. These include Rolls Royce, Maserati, and Mercedes. From the 50s there have been literally hundreds of vehicles some form of active air suspension.

In the ’90s there was a trend, especially on large Japanese sports cars such as the Toyota Supra and Soarer, to have semi-active systems fitted, though it’s been quickly forgotten about and many owners don’t ever realize. By now, most have been replaced with aftermarket passive suspension kits. Since 2000, active suspension technology has really taken off on production cars. Even many small hatchbacks have a ‘sport’ button to stiffen the suspension. Many vehicles use modern computer technology to adjust the suspension height and stiffness in a fraction of a second to suit any surface and driving style.

Guide from Performance BMW. Words: Gerry Speechley, Elizabeth de Latour   Photos: Eibach, ST Suspensions, KW, Ground Control, BC Racing.

The post Suspension Guide: How To Improve Your Car’s Handling appeared first on Fast Car.

Even if you think you’ve got the best dash cam already, getting to your recorded footage can be a hassle if it’s a traditional wired model. Not everyone has a computer or even access to one. Even if you do, getting the memory card out of your dash cam is more effort than anyone needs. A wireless dash cam makes life so much simpler.

With built-in Wi-Fi, you can quickly and easily connect your phone to one of these dash cams. From there, you can access your video recordings, download them and share them. This means you can get a dash cam without a screen, which takes up a lot less windscreen real estate. Basically, having a wireless dash cam will just make things that much easier and better. We’ve picked five of the best wireless dash cams that are well-specced but still affordable.

How we chose these products

While not all of the products below have gone through our usual rigorous testing, they have been selected based on a number of features you should expect to find in the best products.

The cameras which have been tested first-hand have been recommended by James, who’s overseen all of the dash cam reviews on our site so far. As such, he’s got a good understanding of which ones are worth your time and money.

How we tested the products

For those which we’ve been able to test first-hand so far, we felt it was important to get a well-rounded view of what ownership with each of these cameras should be like. That meant covering everything from installation, to user ergonomics, and of course product performance. We’ll give you an overview of our findings here, but we’ll also include a link to each individual review so that you can learn about each camera in more detail.

At a glance:

• Garmin Live LTE – RRP: $399.99, buy now. £349.99, buy now.
• Z-Edge Z3D-2K – RRP: $99.99, buy now. £143.99, buy now.
• Thinkware U3000 – RRP: $549.00, buy now. £399.00, buy now.
• Rove R2-4K – RRP: $173.99, buy now. £289.99, buy now.
• Nextbase 622GW – RRP: $399.99, buy now. £269.00, buy now.
• Wireless vs. Wired dashcams
• Benefits of wireless dash cams

Best Wireless Dash Cam In 2023

Garmin Dash Cam Live

RRP: $399.99, buy now. £349.99, buy now.

At the moment, the Garmin Dash Cam Live with LTE connectivity (catchy name, eh) is probably the most capable wireless dash cam on the market. Its app not only allows you to remotely access video footage stored on the cloud, but also to view all sorts of data which could be vital in a legal or criminal situation. Speed, location, and time data validates your account when you make a claim or defend yourself in court. Plus, if you hook it up to a constant power source, the Garmin app will let you view a direct feed of the dash cam’s view when you’re away from the car. That remote live video feature could prove to be especially useful in conjunction with live location tracking, should your car ever be stolen.

As for the image quality, the camera records in a resolution of 1440p at 30fps, through a 140-degree angle lens. So overall, the footage you get holds up very well in day and night. There is a catch though. And that’s the subscription fee. Yep, if you want to retain full access to remote live video and vehicle tracking, you’ll need to pay $9.99 per month, or more, depending on which tier of subscription you fancy. To learn more, read the full review here.

Z-Edge Z3D-2K

RRP: $99.99, buy now. £143.99, buy now.

The Z-Edge Z3D-2K gives you two cameras in one great-value package. The front camera offers 2K 30fps recording with a 155° viewing angle. The rear camera records in 1080p at 30fps and has the same 155° viewing angle. That means you’ve got four lanes of camera coverage front and rear. The Wide Dynamic Range means clear recording in all lighting conditions. Meanwhile, the Superior NTK96670 CPU boosts low-light settings for improved image quality at night. The Z3D-2K also comes with built-in GPS, plus a G-sensor and parking monitor. Packed full of features, the Z3D-2K is an excellent wireless dash cam.

Thinkware U3000

RRP: $549.00, buy now. £399.00, buy now.

The Thinkware U3000 is firmly on the other end of the price spectrum compared to the Z-Edge above. So, what has it got to show for it? Well, the app that comes with the U3000 is pretty cool. As well as being able to remotely access your files, you can also tune into a livestream taken directly from the dash cam when you’re away from your car (assuming you’ve hardwired it, or are feeding it power through the OBD2 port). That means that, like a baby monitor, you can check in on your car at anytime to make sure it’s still where you left it, and isn’t in any sort of peril.

The camera quality is good – it records in 4K Ultra HD ensuring you get a crystal clear image, and if you opt for the rear camera add-on, that’ll record in 2K. If you didn’t like the sound of Garmin’s subscription service, you’ll be glad to know that there are no additional costs with this high-end item. So although you pay a lot up front, that’s *all* you pay. Read the full review to find out more.

Rove R2-4K

RRP: $173.99, buy now. £289.99, buy now.

With Ultra HD recording, the Rove R2-4K is an impressive piece of kit. You only get one camera, but it records 2880x2160P at 24fps and has a 150° viewing angle. The six-glass lens ensures superb clarity aided by the Wide Dynamic Range. Meanwhile, the combo of NT96660 and Sony IMX335 sensors delivers excellent nighttime recording. There’s also built-in GPS, plus a G-sensor and parking monitor. The Rove R2-4K is a compact wireless dash cam that delivers impressive performance at an excellent price.

Nextbase 622GW

RRP: $399.99, buy now. £269.00, buy now.

Nextbase dash cams are consistently excellent. The 622GW in particular packs an impressive punch. The camera records 4K at 30fps, but you can turn the resolution down in favor of up to 120fps if you wish. It also has a 140° viewing angle and the 6G glass lens ensures you get crystal-clear video quality. What we really like is the built-in polarizing filter, which reduces glare and reflections. This really improves video clarity in bright conditions, and helps out in urban environments at night too. There’s a 3” touchscreen IPS display, and the powered Click&Go windscreen mount makes attaching and removing the 622GW so easy. There’s GPS, an intelligent parking mode, and an adjustable G-sensor.

What sets the 622GW apart from its rivals, however, are the extra features it offers. There’s Amazon Alexa built-in, which allows you to get directions, play music, check the weather and lots more. There’s also an Emergency SOS function, that will contact the emergency services in case of an accident. It might be more expensive than some of the lesser-known brands, but the 622GW makes up for it in lots of ways. This is a very impressive wireless dash cam that doesn’t disappoint. Check out our in-depth review of it to learn more.

Wired vs Wireless dash cams

If you’re unsure what the difference between a traditional wired and wireless dash cam, we’re here to help. Technically speaking, no matter what dash cam you opt for, it will most likely need powering by a wired connection.  Without a wired power connection, a internal battery would only be able to record a limited amount of footage without running out of power. The “wireless” part is referring to how the footage is stored. There are two methods here:

• Store the footage locally on a memory card
• Upload footage automatically to a cloud storage service

If the dash cam only supports storage locally on a memory card, then this would be considered a wired dash cam. You need to plug the dash cam into a PC in order to obtain your footage. If the latter option, whereby footage is upload to the cloud, this becomes a wireless dash cam, as you don’t need to connect your dash to a PC via a data transfer cable. It’s important to note that a dash cam can feature both, the ability to store locally on a memory card as well as provide a backup on a cloud service for the best of both worlds.

What are the benefits of a wireless or internet-connected dash cam?

The first, and arguably most important, is that you can access footage in real-time. This means that if you’re involved in a collision, you can quickly access your footage for evidence should you need it. Often, dash cams can detect rapid deceleration in the event of a collision instantly and upload a period of footage to the cloud without you needing to do a thing.

The second benefit is that the footage uploaded to the cloud is saved securely in one area, meaning you don’t have to search around for the memory card, or a device to connect to the dash cam. It also means that older footage of an incident can be accessed quickly and securely should you need the footage as evidence. Often, the cloud databases are encrypted, meaning you and only you can access the footage.

And finally, a wireless dash cam has much greater storage capability. While a wired dash cam is limited to the physical space on a memory card (or set up to overwrite older footage automatically), a wireless dashcam is only limited to the cloud storage available, which is usually multiple GBs of footage. It also means you don’t have to compromise on camera quality. While you might be encouraged to only record at 720p on your wired dash cam to save space on your memory card, a cloud service allows you to record in full HD or even 2K/4K resolution to ensure the truest picture is painted.

Words by Elizabeth de Latour and James Bowers.

Love cars? We’re putting on a whole host of modified car fun this summer with our premier events. Be sure not to miss out. Visit our events page for more information.

The post Best Wireless Dash Cam In 2024 appeared first on Fast Car.

Gtechniq has been one of the leading brands in car detailing for quite some time now. While famous for its ceramic coatings, I decided to put the impressively large drying towel to the test to see how it fares. Having a decent drying towel for your car is a necessity, without something that’s super absorbent, you risk leaving the car still damp in places, leading to water marks and other potential blemishes.

How We Tested The Gtechniq MF2 Zero Scratch Drying Towel

After my latest car detailing session, I tasked the Gtechniq MF2 Zero Scratch Drying Towel with the drying duties. I checked to see how much water it absorbed on the first pass. After this, I inspected how much moisture was left on the panel. Throughout the process I also factored in how heavy the towel was, and just generally how nice it was to use. Naturally, my biggest concern though was the end result.

Editor’s Note:

With many years of car detailing and automotive writing experience under her belt, Elizabeth was the natural choice when picking someone to review cleaning products for Fast Car. For that reason, you can put trust in her expert opinion.

First Impressions

Honestly, a little disappointing. It’s big, comparable in size to the largest towels I’ve used. However, it feels very thin and light. It just doesn’t feel like it’s going to do much drying at all. But, it’s well-made, at least, as you’d expect from Gtechniq.

Features

This towel measures a sizeable 35×23”. It also features a 450 GSM construction and promises to be a non-scratch towel, giving you piece of mind when drying.

What’s It Like To Use The Gtechniq MF2 Zero Scratch Drying Towel

I had very low expectations for this drying towel. Sure, it’s big, but I just didn’t expect something this thin and with such a low GSM to be any good. But, clearly, there’s some sort of black magic going on at Gtechniq, because this towel is incredibly good.

From the first wipe to the last, it eagerly sucked up the water off every panel. It left minimal moisture behind with minimal smearing and just kept on drying. I would never have expected such a thin towel to perform so well. Also, because it’s thinner, it remains lighter, even when wet. That means it’s more manoeuvrable and doesn’t feel overly cumbersome to dry with as you start getting to the end of your session.

The Verdict

The Gtechniq MF2 Zero Scratch Drying Towel is unreasonably good considering how thin it feels. It dries so well and keeps drying even when it’s wet. It’s never heavy to use, and is very soft and lovely to dry with. It’s also incredible value for money, too. All in all, an excellent offering from Gtechniq and a superb drying towel.

To which product came out on top in our drying towel test, head over to the Best Car Drying Towel guide.

The post Gtechniq MF2 Zero Scratch Drying Towel Review appeared first on Fast Car.

How I Tested The Auto Finesse Plush Mitt

For my Auto Finesse Plush Mitt review, I took into account the size, softness, length and density of the cleaning fibers. Fit, comfort, and features, like different washing surfaces, as well as price, were also taken into account. I then tested the Auto Finesse Plush Mitt by cleaning my car, where I observed how it felt in use. I also took into account how heavy it felt and how much shampoo it could hold. Finally, I also considered how the Auto Finesse Plush Mitt felt in use and how easy it was to wash with.

First Impressions

The Auto Finesse Plush Mitt certainly looks and feels like a nice wash mitt. As it should, because it’s very similar to the Gtechniq WM2 wash mitt that I really liked, and it’s impossible not to draw comparisons between the two. It feels nice and soft and is well-finished. I prefer the edges on the Auto Finesse mitt, but overall its Gtechniq rival feels a little better put together in terms of finish.

Features

You get plenty of microfiber strands of varying lengths with the Auto Finesse Plush Mitt. I like that even the shorter ones are nice and long, and it makes the mitt feel like it will be great at trapping dirt away from the bodywork. But run your fingers through them and you can see the mitt material underneath, so they’re not that dense. The foam also feels a little thin. I like the design of the cuff, it’s soft and feels like something you’d get on a winter coat.

Put your hand inside the mitt, and you’ll find it has a split sewn down the middle. This is designed to give you improved control over the mitt while washing. It feels a bit weird, but the idea is sound. And at 11.4×7”, the Auto Finesse Plush Mitt is a good size that will accommodate a wide range of hands. But not all at the same time…

What’s It Like To Use The Auto Finesse Plush Mitt

I have no complaints about how the Auto Finesse Plush Mitt actually performs when washing. It’s comfy, and that split for your fingers really does give you more control of the mitt, and it means your hand doesn’t flap around inside. It’s a good size, so you can clean panels quickly and easily. The thinner-feeling foam core means it doesn’t hold quite as much shampoo as some other mitts I’ve used. But it will still hold more than enough to wash any panel on the car, so it’s not a big deal.

The Verdict

In isolation, the Auto Finesse Plush Mitt will impress you. It is a very nice wash mitt that’s lovely to clean your car with. But after having handled some other mitts, you notice where it doesn’t quite manage to match up to its rivals. There are the less dense fibers, the thinner core, and the slightly cheaper-feeling overall construction. These all count against it. However, It’s still a very good mitt, and it has a lot of features I like. It’s one I’d happily wash my car with any day.

The post Auto Finesse Plush Mitt Review appeared first on Fast Car.

How I Tested The Gtechniq WM2 Microfiber Mitt

For my Gtechniq WM2 Microfiber Mitt review, I took into account the size, softness, length and density of the cleaning fibers. Fit, comfort, and features, like different washing surfaces, as well as price, were also taken into account. I then tested the Gtechniq WM2 Microfiber Mitt by cleaning my car, where I observed how it felt in use. I also took into account how heavy it felt and how much shampoo it could hold. Finally, I also considered how the Gtechniq WM2 Microfiber Mitt felt in use and how easy it was to wash with.

First Impressions

The Gtechniq WM2 Microfiber Mitt is exactly the sort of quality product you’d expect from Gtechniq. It feels very nicely made, and everything about it says quality. From the feel of the fibers to the cuff, and the quality of the stitching inside.

Features

The Gtechniq WM2 Microfiber Mitt features a mixture of longer microfiber strands, and shorter, more densely-packed fibers. These different lengths of strands make this wash mitt better at capturing dirt and keeping it away from your paintwork. There’s an inner foam core, which has been designed to absorb a large amount of shampoo for easier washing. That also allows you to wash larger areas of the bodywork in one go. On top of that, Gtechniq says that it’s got ultra-low-friction glide characteristics, which help minimize swirl marks.

What’s It Like To Use The Gtechniq WM2 Microfiber Mitt

Everything about this wash mitt is very good and it’s really nice to use. It’s a good size that fits a wide variety of hands, but isn’t too big and doesn’t feel too loose. It’s the perfect size for efficient washing, as well as being easy to squeeze into tighter spaces. The foam core really does suck up loads of shampoo, which means you can easily clean large areas of the bodywork in one go.

The elasticated cuff is a little loose, but that makes it easy to spin the mitt around when you want a clean side. It’s also got a little grab strap inside, handy for when you need more grip on your mitt. I would have liked to see some sort of scrubbing surface, but it’s a very minor gripe.

The Verdict

The Gtechniq WM2 is a superb wash mitt. It’s plush, super-soft, and is lovely to use. It honestly does everything so well. It’s good value, too. A scrubbing mesh would have helped it get a perfect score, but it’s a very minor gripe. You honestly can’t go wrong with this wash mitt.

The post Gtechniq WM2 Microfiber Mitt Review appeared first on Fast Car.

How I Tested The Armor All Microfibre Wash Mitt

For my Armor All Microfibre Wash Mitt review, I took into account the size, softness, length and density of the cleaning fibers. Fit, comfort, and features, like different washing surfaces, as well as price, were also taken into account. I then tested it by cleaning my car, where I observed how it felt in use. I also took into account how heavy it felt and how much shampoo it could hold. Finally, I also considered how the Armor All Microfibre Wash Mitt felt in use and how easy it was to wash with.

First Impressions

On paper and in photos, the Armor All Microfibre Wash Mitt looks like it’s going to impress. And then you get your hands on it, and you realize that it’s tiny. It’s so much shorter and narrower than any other wash mitt I’ve tried. It’s under 7” wide and barely 8” long. It feels thin, too, but the actual materials and construction feel surprisingly good, especially considering the price. 

Features

The Armor All Microfibre Wash Mitt features one washing surface covered in microfiber noodles. On the other side, there’s a mesh surface for scrubbing away stubborn dirt. It also features a finger split, for more control of the mitt when washing.

What’s It Like To Use The Armor All Microfibre Wash Mitt

In terms of features and performance, this is an excellent wash mitt. Because there’s only one soft washing surface, the noodles are very tightly packed, and there are a lot of them. The scrubbing mesh surface is fantastic for shifting those stubborn marks and stuck-on dirt. The finger split means the mitt is very easy to steer across your car’s bodywork.

However, its size is its undoing. Being so short and narrow, your hand barely fits inside, and it always feels like it’s sticking out. The cuff is really tight, too, and makes it even less comfortable to use. All of this is really annoying because the wash mitt itself is so good. If only Armor All had made it suitable for adult human hands.

The Verdict

The Armor All Microfibre Wash Mitt has all the makings of a top-tier wash mitt. Apart from being big enough for most people to be able to actually use. Being smaller means it also holds less shampoo and requires more effort to clean your car. This could have been a contender for one of my favorite wash mitts, but, sadly, it’s not one I’ll ever be using because it’s just too small and uncomfortable. 

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How We Tested The Autoglym Microfibre Car Wash Mitt

For my Autoglym Microfibre Car Wash Mitt review, I took into account the size, softness, length and density of the cleaning fibers. Fit, comfort, and features, like different washing surfaces, as well as price, were also taken into account. I then tested the Autoglym Microfibre Car Wash Mitt by cleaning my car, where I observed how it felt in use. I also took into account how heavy it felt and how much shampoo it could hold. Finally, I also considered how the Autoglym Microfibre Car Wash Mitt felt in use and how easy it was to wash with.

First Impressions

The Autoglym Microfibre Car Wash Mitt is without a doubt one of the best wash mitts I’ve ever handled. From the moment you pick it up, it feels like an incredibly high-quality product. It’s clear that a lot of thought has gone into (most of) the design of this mitt, and it’s paid off.

Features

The two main washing surfaces are covered in a densely packed field of microfiber noodles. This means you get a lot of cleaning surface area for better washing performance. The noodles also feel incredibly soft and silky to the touch, which means they’re great for keeping your paint safe. The Autoglym Microfibre Car Wash Mitt also comes with two mesh scrubbing strips on the sides to help with removing stubborn dirt and marks on the bodywork. This is a very clever way of offering a scrubbing surface, while also giving you two full cleaning sides to use. I love that design.

What’s It Like To Use Autoglym Microfibre Car Wash Mitt

In terms of actual cleaning performance, this wash mitt is flawless. It’s a good size, so covers large areas of the bodywork with ease. The noodles help you get into all sorts of nooks and crannies. They help the wash mitt hold loads of shampoo, which makes washing quicker and easier. The scrubbing mesh sections are nothing sort of genius, as they don’t rob you of one whole washing surface, as most of the mitts that incorporate a scrubbing mesh surface do.

But, there is a but… I find it unfathomable and unforgivable that Autoglym put so much effort into designing this wash mitt, and made it feel so incredibly nice and expensive… And then ruined it with quite possibly the worst cuff of any wash mitt I’ve ever used. It’s hard, stiff, horribly uncomfortable, and will rub your skin raw while you wash your car. It ruins the whole mitt for me, and I’m honestly so annoyed. It’s so nice to use and wash with, but then you’ve got this horrible rough cuff that spoils the whole experience.

The Verdict

The Autoglym Microfibre car Wash Mitt is a superb wash mitt, let down massively by one cheap bit of design. It’s frustrating because with a softer, more comfortable cuff, this wash mitt could have picked up perfect scores all-round. If its rivals can offer much better cuffs, Autoglym has no excuses. It’s still a very good wash mitt, and if you’ve got wrists made of Kevlar, you might enjoy using it more than I did. If you can get on with the cuff, you’ll love it, but if not, it will spoil the experience for you.

The post Autoglym Microfibre Car Wash Mitt Review appeared first on Fast Car.

UK car care expert Dodo Juice offers some seriously good detailing products. Dodo Juice Born To Be Mild car shampoo sounds impressive on paper, but how does it perform in reality? Check out our review to find out.

How I Tested Dodo Juice Born To Be Mild

First, I diluted Dodo Juice Born To Be Mild shampoo according to the individual instructions. Then I observed the amount of foam it produced and assessed how slick it felt on the panel. Finally, I carried out a visual and physical inspection to see how much dirt, if any, was left after washing. The price and how much shampoo is needed per wash were also taken into consideration.

First Impressions

Dodo Juice Born To Be Mild has been part of the Dodo Juice lineup since the company’s launch. It must clearly be doing something right. The bottle is home to purple shampoo, dispensed via a handy flip-top lid, which I am always a fan of. As for the smell, it’s a sweet and delicious scent, albeit a mysterious one. I couldn’t place it, but it definitely made me keen to get stuck into the testing.

Features

As you’d expect, Dodo Juice Born To Be Mild is a pH-neutral shampoo, so it’s coating-safe. As it’s also free from wax and silicone/glaze oils, you can use it on glass and matt finishes without any problem. What makes it stand out is the fact that it contains limescale inhibitors to help soften wash water.

As I’ve said before, hard water and spotting after washing are an absolute nightmare for keen detailers. What I also really like is Dodo Juice’s honesty about Born To Be Mild. The company doesn’t try and give it the big sell and claim you’ll get a perfect spot-free finish.

The website says: “This doesn’t mean a completely spotless wash, but it does improve the situation and is a real bonus in hard-water areas.” And that makes this shampoo’s credentials that much more believable.

What’s It Like To Use Dodo Juice Born To Be Mild?

The dilution instructions for Dodo Juice Born To Be Mild are quite complicated. If you’re using a small bucket, it’s two capfuls. For a big bucket, which I assume is what most of us would be using, it’s four capfuls. If you’re in a hard-water area, add another capful, and if your car is very dirty, add another one on top of that.

A capful is around 0.42 fl. oz, so that means you’re going to be realistically using between 1.7-2.5 fl. oz per wash. That’s quite a lot compared to other shampoos, where 1 fl. oz is usually the smallest amount you need.

Luckily, I have no complaints about how Dodo Juice Born To Be Mild performed. It delivered loads of foam and was really slick on the paint. The cleaning power was impressive, too. It’s just a lovely shampoo to wash with.

The Verdict

I really like Dodo Juice Born To Be Mild a lot. It’s really nice to use, and the limescale inhibitors are a huge bonus. The only downside is that you end up having to use more of it than you would with some other shampoos. But I can’t be mad at Dodo Juice for being honest about how much you need to get the best out of it. Dodo Juice Born To Be Mild is going straight into my detailing collection.

If you’d like to add it to yours, check out price comparisons for the 500ml bottle (as reviewed) for your region below:

The post Dodo Juice Born To Be Mild Car Shampoo Review appeared first on Fast Car.

How I Tested the Meguiar’s Super Thick Microfiber Wash Mitt

For my Meguiar’s Super Thick Microfiber Wash Mitt review, I took into account the size, the softness, and the length and density of the cleaning fibers. Fit, comfort, and features, like different washing surfaces, as well as price, were also taken into account. I then tested the Meguiar’s Super Thick Microfiber Wash Mitt by cleaning my car, where I observed how it felt in use. I also took into account how heavy it felt and how much shampoo it could hold. Finally, I also considered how the Meguiar’s Super Thick Microfiber Wash Mitt felt in use and how easy it was to wash with.

First Impressions

There’s a real feeling of quality with the Meguiar’s Super Thick Microfiber Wash Mitt. It’s very well made and immediately impresses you. The cuff is nice and soft, there’s plenty of foam padding, and it’s a good size, too.

Features

The 10×8” Meguiar’s Super Thick Microfiber Wash Mitt has a tightly packed microfiber surface. There are some longer strands, but mostly it’s a sea of soft, short fibers. This makes it very different to most wash mitts, which either use much longer fibers or have noodles. The elasticated cuff is soft and stretchy but still holds the mitt over your hand nicely.

What’s It Like To Use the Meguiar’s Super Thick Microfibre Wash Mitt

This is a very nice wash mitt to use. It holds a lot of shampoo, so you can comfortably clean large sections of bodywork in one go. The cuff is strong enough to keep it sitting nicely on your hand, even when it’s fully loaded. And while I wasn’t sure about the shorter fibers, they actually give you a more direct washing experience, which I like. As there’s no scrubbing surface on the wash mitt, it’s nice to be able to apply pressure to wash off any stubborn dirt.

The Verdict

While I went in with slightly lower expectations, the Meguiar’s Super Thick Microfibre Wash Mitt ended up impressing me. It’s lovely to use, soft, absorbent, and just really impressive. I still prefer longer fibers and a scrubbing surface for added versatility on my wash mitts. However, in terms of value for money and overall performance, plus how nice it is to use, I can’t complain. The Meguiar’s Super Thick Microfibre Wash Mitt is an excellent choice of wash mitt.

The post Meguiar’s Super Thick Microfiber Wash Mitt Review appeared first on Fast Car.

RRP: $19.99, buy now. £30.00, buy now.

How I Tested the Meguiar’s Microfibre Duo Twist Drying Towel

After washing and rinsing my car, I decided to use Meguiar’s Microfibre Duo Twist Drying Towel to finish up the job. When using the towel, I observed how much water it absorbed on the first pass, along with how much moisture it failed to pick up. Then, I finished drying the car to see how effective the towel was overall. The towel’s weight and ergonomic value were two other aspects I had in mind when assessing its performance.

Editor’s Note:

In addition to being a highly experienced automotive writer, Elizabeth takes pride in detailing her cars well at home. As such, she’s the perfect contributor to assess products like this for Fast Car.

First Impressions

This is another drying towel that foregoes plushness. But just because it’s not as fluffy as others, that doesn’t mean it’s no good. It’s got loads of duo-twist microfibers, and it’s big, too. In a world of brightly-colored drying towels, it’s a little dull, but if that’s all I’ve got to moan about, it’s not exactly a big deal.

Features

This drying towel measures 35×20”. That means it’s big, but not quite as big as some of its rivals. But it’s still an exceedingly large towel. While it might look thin, it boasts a 1200 GSM construction, which is very impressive, and means it’s nice and soft. Its duo-twist construction means that each drying fiber is two strands twisted together. Rather than the soft, fluffy, plush structure, it feels a bit more like a bath towel.

What’s It Like To Use the Meguiar’s Microfibre Duo Twist Drying Towel

This towel dries really well. I honestly didn’t expect too much from it, but it really impressed me. It absorbed way more water than I expected it to, and I was very impressed with how little moisture was left behind after just the first wipe. It proceeded to happily soak up all the water and did a very impressive job.

The Verdict

The Meguiar’s Microfibre Duo Twist drying towel is very impressive. It’s very nice to use and dries very well. There’s really nothing to complain about here. Other towels are a little softer and bigger, but this towel is still an excellent choice.

Be sure to check out our best drying towel guide where we put 10 of the top products together in a group test to find out who the true winner is. 

The post Meguiar’s Microfibre Duo Twist Drying Towel Review appeared first on Fast Car.

How I Tested the Microfiber Madness Incredipad XL

For my Microfiber Madness Incredipad XL washpad review, I took into account its size, the softness, and the length and density of the cleaning fibers. Fit, comfort, and features, like different washing surfaces, as well as price, were also taken into account. I then tested the Microfiber Madness Incredipad XL by cleaning my car, where I observed how it felt in use. I also took into account how heavy it felt and how much shampoo it could hold. Finally, I also considered how the Microfiber Madness Incredipad XL felt in use and how easy it was to wash with.

First Impressions

Well, it’s clearly not a wash mitt, which makes the Microfiber Madness Incredipad XL stand out in a sea of wash mitts. The company does make wash mitts, but this wash pad caught my attention a long time ago. And that’s no surprise because it’s a very different car cleaning product. It’s a big, square microfiber pad with a distinctive blue and white color scheme, and it feels lovely and plush. It’s very well made, and immediately feels impressive, which it wants to at this price point.

Features

As its name implies, the Microfiber Madness Incredipad XL is seriously hefty, measuring 9.5×9.5”, and 2” deep. It features long, thin strands, and shorter, more densely packed fibers. This combo delivers superior cleaning, and better dirt retention, to help keep your paint safe from swirls and scratches.

What’s It Like To Use Microfiber Madness Incredipad XL

It’s a workout, that’s for sure. Once it’s loaded with shampoo, this washpad gets seriously heavy. It’s bigger than your hand, so you can’t grip the edges while washing. This means that in some places, especially on vertical surfaces, you might even need two hands to stop it from slipping out of your fingers. The flip side of it being so big is that it makes washing your car – pretty much any car – so much easier. It covers such a large surface area, that all it takes to clean a panel is a few swipes.

It also soaks up a huge amount of shampoo, so you can easily clean large areas in one go, just flipping the pad halfway through, without the need to refuel with shampoo. The Microfiber Madness Incredipad XL cleans really well, too, capturing dirt and safely locking it away in those mixed-length fibers. And despite its size, it’s surprisingly easy to squeeze it into tighter spots, so no area will go unwashed.

The Verdict

I love the Microfiber Madness Incredipad XL. Yes, it can be a little cumbersome when fully loaded with shampoo. And its weight when it’s wet makes every wash feel like an upper-body workout. But when it comes to cleaning it’s awesome. It just makes washing fast and easy, and it’s very satisfying to use. This is my personal favorite car washing implement.

The post Microfiber Madness Incredipad XL Washpad Review appeared first on Fast Car.

RRP: $32.95, buy now. £21.95, buy now.

How I Tested Auto Finesse Aqua Deluxe XL

I detail my car regularly, so after one session I used the Auto Finesse Aqua Deluxe XL to dry it. When evaluating its performance, I checked to see how much water it absorbed on the first pass. After this, I noted how much moisture remained on the panel. Then, I finished drying the car to see what sort of end result you could expect from the Auto Finesse Aqua Deluxe XL. Weight and ease of use were other factors worthy of assessment too.

Editor’s Note:

Having been an editor of various BMW magazines for many years, Elizabeth is a trusted voice within the car community. She’s also well-versed in car detailing, so these are the opinions of somebody you can trust.

First Impressions

The Auto Finesse Aqua Deluxe XL is a lovely towel. It’s big, it’s very soft and very plush. This is what you like to see in a drying towel, and it immediately fills you with confidence that this will be a good drying towel. And while the pile is short compared to some other drying towels, it’s very dense. Also, It feels lovely to the touch, the quality is good, and it looks nice, too.

Features

The Auto Finesse Aqua Deluxe XL measures a hefty 37×22”. That definitely puts it up there with the biggest drying towels I’ve tried. It features a super-soft and super-plush 1200gsm microfiber pile. Auto Finesse doesn’t mention the blend construction, but I’d be very surprised if it wasn’t 70/30.

What’s It Like To Use Auto Finesse Aqua Deluxe XL

The Auto Finesse Aqua Deluxe XL is a superb drying towel. It has everything you want to make drying quick, easy and efficient. Its sheer size means it will effortlessly tackle the largest of cars with ease. It’s so soft and plush that you know your paintwork will be safe under its delicate microfiber caress. Also, the Auto Finesse Aqua Deluxe XL is super-absorbent and sucks up water like a champ. Above all, this towel pleasure to dry with and just keeps on going, even once it starts getting very wet.

The Verdict

The Auto Finesse Aqua Deluxe XL is such a nice towel. Big, super-soft, ultra-plush, all the things you want from a towel. It dries really well and feels great to use. This is a very easy drying towel to recommend, and one that deserves to be in your car-cleaning collection.

Be sure to check out which product one our best car drying towel test. 

The post Auto Finesse Aqua Deluxe XL Drying Towel Review appeared first on Fast Car.

Believe it or not, there’s more to car detailing that just the products you use to wash your car. Drying the car can be just as important as the wash process. As the water from the tap isn’t pH neutral, water can remain on the bodywork and will dry and form dirty marks. It’s important to use a soft, absorbent drying towel so that you can thoroughly dry the car, while also not damaging your paintwork in the process. Although hopefully you’ll have removed any dirt from the car during your wash process.

The Rag Company Liquid8r promises to be a great product. So it’s time to put the drying towel to the test.

How I Tested The Rag Company Liquid8r

After washing and rinsing my car, I used the Rag Company Liquid8r to dry it. I checked to see how much water it absorbed on the first pass. After this, I inspected how much moisture was left on the panel. Finally, I finished drying the car to see how effective the Rag Company Liquid8r was. While using the drying towel, I also noted how heavy it felt, and how easy it was to use.

Editor’s Note:

As well as being a highly experienced automotive writer, Elizabeth has been an avid car detailer for many years. To us, that makes her the perfect person to test car cleaning products for Fast Car.

First Impressions

A lot of drying towels opt for the ultra-plush design, which makes them feel like big blankets you want to snuggle under. The Rag Company Liquid8r is different. The twist loop construction feels less soft to the touch, but it has a huge surface area. This towel also feels thinner in your hands. But it’s huge, and the quality of the construction is really excellent.

Features

The Rag Company Liquid8r measures a massive 36×25” in size, which makes it clear that it’s up for some serious drying. The 1100 GSM construction also means it’s thicker than it looks. The 70/30 blend construction means no corners have been cut, either. And finally, there’s a hemmed ‘hidden’ edge that means this towel has soft rounded edges all around.

What’s It Like To Use The Rag Company Liquid8r

This really is a superb drying towel. The twist loop construction means it sucks up water incredibly well, and that makes drying so much quicker and easier. It absorbs water effortlessly and leaves panels bone dry with minimal effort. Even after one pass, there’s very little water left to go back for.

And because it’s so big and has such a high GSM construction, that means it keeps drying without being waterlogged. Even when you’re getting to the end of your drying session, it’s still eagerly sucking up water. And because it’s a little thinner, it’s always easy to fold up and maneuver around the bodywork, even when it’s really wet.

The Verdict

Simply put, the Rag Company Liquid8r has become my new personal drying towel of choice. It’s so nice to use, dries so well, feels really high quality, and really impresses. It also came out on top in our drying towel group test. The results of which you can see in our best drying towels guide.

The post The Rag Company Liquid8r Drying Towel Review appeared first on Fast Car.

Auto Finesse Avalanche is this very popular British detailing brand’s snow foam offering. We see if it deserves to be in your detailing lineup.

How I Tested Auto Finesse Avalanche

First of all, I performed a swipe test on my car with a simple cotton pad, with the intention of seeing how dirty it was as a baseline. I then applied Auto Finesse Avalanche via a snow foam lance. I also ensured to stick to the manufacturer’s recommended dilution and dwell times. Finally, I rinsed the foam off and performed another swipe test in the same area to see how much dirt was left.

First Impressions

Auto Finesse does presentation well, with its black bottles and stylish labels. Any detailing fan will instantly be able to recognise an Auto Finesse product. Remove the screw top and Avalanche delivers a lovely citrus scent, which gets a thumbs-up from me.

Features

Specifics for Auto Finesse Avalanche are a little thin on the ground. Auto Finesse says it’s citrus-infused, but it’s not clear if that means it uses some sort of additional citrus cleaner, or if it’s just for the smell. The website says that Avalance uses “a specially-developed combination of cleaning agents and advanced surfactants to pull contamination off of surfaces on a molecular level. These surfactants are classed as “polar’ molecules that are both hydrophobic and hydrophilic.”

This all sounds very impressive, so I was interested to see how it would actually perform. And, while there’s no mention of pH, Auto Finesse states that Avalanche is safe for all exterior surfaces, including wraps, and is coating-friendly.

What’s It Like To Use Auto Finesse Avalanche

I’ve certainly got no complaint about the amount of foam that Avalanche produced. It definitely puts the ‘snow’ in snow foam, and it remained on the panel for an impressive amount of time. And while I perhaps didn’t expect too much from it, it performed surprisingly well. It doesn’t deliver the cleaning power of much stronger snow foams, but it definitely took some dirt off the car.

However, I really don’t like the incredibly vague dilution instructions. Auto Finesse says you should use 1-2” of product in a 1-liter bottle, but how much is that, actually? I measured this on the six different snow foam lances, and it was a different amount in each one. This ranged from around 3.38 fl. oz (100ml) to over 17 fl. oz (500ml). No one is going to be using 17fl. oz for one wash, that’s the whole of the smallest bottle you can buy. I’d much prefer a clearer indication of how much cleaning product I should be using.

The Verdict

Auto Finesse Avalanche certainly isn’t a bad snow foam. It cleans well for something gentle, plus it smells very nice. However, the vagueness of the instructions is annoying. Depending on your snow foam lance, you might end up using more product than you really need. It’s well priced, though, and if you’re looking for gentler pre-wash, Auto Finesse Avalanche might be for you.

Be sure to check out our guide to the best snow foam for your car. 

The post Auto Finesse Avalanche Snow Foam Review appeared first on Fast Car.

Using the right products will make detailing your car so much easier. But with so many products to choose from, it can get a bit overwhelming, and our guide is here to help. We’ve picked the best detailing products, and there’s something here for everyone. Whether you want the best shampoo, the best vacuum cleaner, or the best snow foam, you’ll find it all here. And once you’ve got the gear, our guide on what is car detailing will turn you into a pro detailer in no time. And now, read on for our guide to the best detailing products.

Best Detailing Products In 2024

How we chose these products

We’ve tested many of these products first-hand as part of wider group tests, and as such can confidently claim that they represent better value than their rivals. However, for the products included here which we haven’t yet sampled ourselves, their presence is based upon our own knowledge and direct experience of the automotive detailing industry and the hierarchy of brands within it, as well as an understanding of what factors are important in the construction of each product.

Best Snow Foam Lance

Hydro 360

Buy Hyrdro 360 Snow Foam Lance. 

Very keenly priced, the Hydro 360 is a superb lance. The wide neck makes filling easy, while the wide base keeps it steady. Its bottle has multiple scales, and the feed tube features a filter. Finally, it delivers loads of lovely thick foam.

MJJC Foam Cannon Pro V.20

RRP: $95.00 / £65.00. Buy it here.

It’s not cheap, but this is a top-tier foam lance. It’s got the wide filler neck and base we love. There are also fill markers on the bottle, and the flexible feed tube features a weighted ball. It also boasts a 360° adjustable spray pattern, and it serves up seriously thick foam.

Best Snow Foam

Bilt Hamber Touch-Less

RRP: $54.95 / £22.95. Buy it here.

No fancy scents or pretty colors, just full-on cleaning power. Touch-Less doesn’t do dramatic foam, but it does obliterate dirt. Road grime simply melts away, and your car will look cleaner before you’ve even started washing it.

Gtechniq W4 Citrus Foam

RRP: from $21.95 / £13.99. Buy it here.

If you want a pH-neutral snow foam, this is an excellent choice. C4 Citrus Foam ups its cleaning game by combining a citrus degreaser with a foaming agent. This gives it an extra kick that helps it clean well while still allowing it to be gentle.

Best Car Pressure Washer

Titan TTB1800PRW

Buy Titan TTB1800PRW pressure washer. 

Plenty of power at a low price makes this a winner. This Titan boasts 140 bar water pressure and a 440lph flow rate. You also get a 6-meter supersoft PVC hose and a quick lock and release anti-tangle system. It might not look fancy, and it’s a little basic in some areas, but it’s incredible value for money.

Turtle Wax TW110

RRP: $/£89.99. Buy it here.

If you want a pressure washer but don’t have much storage space, this is the perfect pick. The TW110 might be small, but it doesn’t scrimp on features or performance. 110 bar of pressure and a flow rate of 330lph make it more than powerful enough for car cleaning. It only weighs 3.6kg and has a footprint just a little bigger than an A4 piece of paper. Small, portable, powerful, and pretty much perfect.

Best Car Shampoo

Mothers California Gold Car Wash

RRP: $12.99 – $23.99 / £8.49-£21.99. Buy Mothers California Gold Car Wash here.

Size: 437ml, 946ml, 1892ml.

Now this is a good shampoo. Mothers has created a shampoo that suds up with ease, and cuts through tough dirt. Safe to use on cars with ceramic coatings, the pH balanced formula leaves your paintwork shining and smooth to touch.

Best Car Polish

Meguiar’s Ultimate Polish

RRP: $10.99 / £17.56. Buy now.

Size: 473ml

If you want a pure polish, this one is hard to beat. Ultimate Polish will refine your paint to an incredible degree. It delivers stunning depth, mirror-like reflections and leaves you with gorgeous wet-look paint. A fantastic polish for use after correction and before applying wax.

Autoglym Super Resin Polish

RRP: $23.00 / £15.95. Buy now.

Size: 325ml, 500ml, 1 liter

A superb all-in-one that delivers instant results. Super Resin Polish will gently remove light swirls and abrasions, even by hand. It contains fillers that temporarily mask paintwork imperfections for instantly enhanced bodywork. Finally, it leaves behind a wax coating for added gloss and protection. A versatile product that’s hard to beat.

Best Car Wax

Mothers California Gold Carnauba Wash & Wax

RRP: $7.99. £8.95. Buy now.

Size: 16 oz

The Mothers California Gold Carnauba Wash & Wax offers a two-in-one solution for car cleaning and waxing. This wax is infused with carnauba wax and polymers that provide a high-gloss shine and long-lasting protection against the elements. It is safe for use on all types of car paint and can be used on a regular basis to maintain the car’s shine. The 64 oz. bottle costs around $10.99, making it an affordable option for those who want a convenient and effective car wax.

Meguiar’s Ultimate Paste Wax

RRP: $22.98 / £37.50. Buy now.

Size: 226g

A lovely wax that delivers excellent results. It might not boast the best longevity, but Ultimate Paste Wax makes up for that in other ways. It’s lovely to use and goes on and comes off easily, even in direct sun. Gloss is glorious, and it delivers awesome beading too. This is a very nice wax that’s equally easy to recommend.

Best Ceramic Coating

Gtechniq C1 Crystal Lacquer

C1 Crystal Lacquer combines exceptional durability with ease of use. It’s been designed to be easy to apply and will offer protection from minor scratches. It’s also suitable for both gloss and matt finishes. Best of all, it will last for up to five years, making this a very impressive ceramic coating.

GYEON Q2 Pure EVO

Q2 Pure EVO strikes the ideal balance between ease of application and durability. You can get up to 36 months from this coating, which is impressive. The thick formulation means you only need a single layer, which makes it easier to use. And it can be applied outdoors, which is great news for anyone without a garage. An excellent coating all-round.

Check out our full guide to the best car ceramic coatings.

Best Headlight Restoration Kit

Meguiar’s Two Step Headlight Restoration Kit

The Meguiar’s kit is really effective and provides long-lasting UV protection. There’s no need for any tools; you simply clean the oxidation off by hand, so it’s very straightforward. Then you just apply the headlight coating, and your headlights will be protected for up to a year. A highly effective headlight restoration kit.

Turtle Wax Headlight Cleaner And Sealant

For sheer simplicity and value for money, this is hard to beat. All you get is a bottle of Headlight Cleaner And Sealant, and it does everything you need. It removes surface oxidation while applying a protective coating at the same time. You need a bit of effort, but this is a great product at a bargain price.

Check out our full guide to the best car headlight cleaning kits.

Best Tire Dressing

CarPlan Tire Slik

Incredibly quick and easy to use, this is a great dressing. The spray can makes application simple, and it’s easy to be accurate. It leaves a nice glossy sheen that’s not overwhelming, and durability is also impressive.

Autoglym Instant Tire Dressing

Super-convenient and easy to apply, you can’t go wrong with Instant Tire Dressing. Our favourite thing about this dressing is that you can apply it to wet or dry tyres. And while it leaves a glossy finish, if you give it a wipe, you get a matt finish instead. An excellent dressing.

Check out our full guide to the best car tire dressing.

Best Car Glass Cleaner

Auto Finesse Caramics Glass Cleaner

Impressive cleaning power and hydrophobic protection make this an excellent glass cleaner. Caramics Glass Cleaner’s fast-flash formula makes like work of dirt and leaves behind a layer of ceramic protection. This helps water to bead away and keeps your glass cleaner for longer. A superb choice of glass cleaner.

Autoglym Fast Glass

Simple, versatile and effective. Fast Glass delivers powerful cleaning while also being gentle enough for use on perspex, acrylic and plastic windows. You can also use it to remove wax and polish from trim. And on top of all that it’s very well-priced, too. A great-value glass cleaner that really delivers.

Check out our full guide to the best car glass cleaner.

Best Interior Detailer

Chipex Factory Finish Interior and Dashboard Cleaner

Easy to use, this interior detailer also delivers impressive performance. Factory Finish Interior and Dashboard Cleaner is solvent-free and safe to use on all surfaces. There’s no need to buff – simply spray and wipe to enjoy the satin finish and new car fragrance. Best of all, the anti-static formulation helps to repel dust, keeping your cabin cleaner for longer. An excellent interior detailer.

Buy Chipex Interior Cleaner.

Meguiar’s Ultimate Interior Detailer

A versatile and extremely effective interior detailer. Ultimate Interior Detailer is gentle enough to be used on all surfaces, including screens. It also boasts superior UV protection and Scotchgard protection. It cleans well and dries quickly and it’s a superb interior detailer.

Check out our full guide to the best interior detailer.

Best Car Vacuum Cleaner

Kärcher WD 2 Plus

Powerful, versatile and incredibly useful. The Kärcher WD 2 Plus is perfect for use at home and in your car. It can suck up liquids and has a 1.8-long flexible hose for getting into tight spots. The 1000W motor delivers powerful suction, and there’s a blower function too. It’s very well-priced, too, and it’s an excellent vacuum cleaner.

Bosch UniversalVac 18

This chunky handheld vacuum boasts loads of features. The UniversalVac 18 weighs just 1.3kg and offers a runtime of up to 18 minutes. It also has a generous 500ml dust container and no fewer than three nozzles and two extension hoses. It performs well and offers great value for money, making it a superb little vacuum.

Check out our full guide to the best car vacuum cleaners.

The post Best Detailing Products In 2024 appeared first on Fast Car.

On paper, the Hydro 360 is a feature-packed snow foam lance, but how does this detailing tool perform in reality? Here’s our hands-on review.

How I Tested The Hydro 360 Snow Foam Lance

I used the Hydro 360 snow foam lance during one of my frequent detailing sessions. As ever, using my favorite snow foam, I observed how easy the lance was to use and how well it performed. It’s always good to see lots of foam from a lance, and plenty of nice additional features that make detailing easier. So, that’s what I looked out for when deciding whether this was a snow foam cannon that I personally would want to use again. 

Editor’s Note:

Elizabeth has long been into car detailing, and has plenty of automotive writing experience. That makes her the perfect person to conduct tests like this for Fast Car.

First Impressions

The Hydro 360 snow foam lance impressed me the minute I took it out of the box. It looks good, feels solid, and immediately seemed like a snow foam lance I was going to enjoy using.

Features

The Hydro 360 snow foam lance ticks just about every box you could want from a snow foam lance, and there’s a lot to like here. The bottle has a nice wide base, which means it’s stable and won’t fall over when not in use. The bottle also has a good-sized opening, which makes filling easier and less messy. I also love the bottleneck indent, which makes it easier to pick up and hold, even with wet hands. And this is even textured for extra grip, which is a nice touch.

The pick-up hose features a filter, which is always nice to have, but the hose itself is a little stiff. Finally, you get both horizontal and vertical spray adjustment via the chunky nozzle, which rounds off a seriously impressive list of features.

What’s It Like To Use The Hydro 360 Snow Foam Lance?

I had very high hopes for the Hydro 360 snow foam lance, but it just falls short in terms of actual performance, which was disappointing. Foam levels are impressive, and it also has the biggest spray angle adjustment range of any snow foam lance I’ve tried. So far, so good. However, the multiple nozzle adjustment is incredibly stiff. This makes it very hard to adjust the spray pattern without also moving the horizontal/vertical adjustment portion.

This makes it frustrating to use as the nozzle keeps rotating whenever you adjust the spray pattern. It’s not the end of the world, but it’s just irritating. It also makes it hard to make small adjustments to the spray angle. On top of that, the measuring markings on the bottle don’t start until 200ml, which is annoying. Even more so is the fact that the markings stop at 800ml when 1 liter is the norm. This makes filling it up frustrating because you have to use a measuring beaker to accurately dilute your snow foam beforehand. 

The Verdict

The Hydro 360 snow foam lance is an excellent piece of detailing kit. It’s absolutely loaded with features and is one of the most impressive snow foam lances I’ve used. However, that makes its shortcomings all the more frustrating. The stiff nozzle isn’t a deal-breaker, but the poorly thought-out measuring scale combines to hold this snow foam lance back. However, it’s still a really good snow foam lance and worth a closer look. 

The post Hydro 360 Snow Foam Lance Review appeared first on Fast Car.

How I Tested Masterson’s Mystic Snow Foam Auto Wash

A swipe test is a useful method to assess how dirty a car is before cleaning it, so I began by doing that so I could get a genuine idea of how the foam performs. I then applied Mystic Snow Foam Auto Wash via a snow foam lance and followed the instructions for both dilution and dwell time. Finally, I rinsed the car off and conducted another swipe test for comparison.

First Impressions

There’s a lot going on with the name of Masterson’s snow foam. I was immediately intrigued if it would be able to live up to its own hype. The flip lid is handy and makes pouring easier, so I like that. The snow foam liquid is blue, but whatever you might guess the scent to be, you’re wrong. Unless you guessed marzipan, because it’s marzipan. That almond scent is gorgeous and had me excited to give this snow foam a go.

Features

As its (rather long) name implies, Mystic Snow Foam Auto Wash is another dual-purpose product. You can use this as a regular shampoo, or put it through your foam lance as a snow foam. Strong snow foam is not stuff you want to get on your hands, so this immediately suggests the cleaning power has been turned down. As if to confirm my suspicions, it’s pH-neutral.

That’s good for coatings, but it just can’t shift dirt like an alkaline pre-wash will. However, you can use Mystic Snow Foam Auto Wash in direct sunlight, which is a big plus, and it promises to leave behind no streaks or spots.

What’s It Like To Use Masterson’s Mystic Snow Foam Auto Wash?

You need 1-2 fl oz in your snow foam lance. I opted for the lower dilution ratio to see how it compares to other snow foams that ask for a similar amount. The foam it produced was decent, perhaps a little watery, but it clung onto the panel well. Its cleaning performance was only okay, as I expected.

It did remove some dirt, but this would not be my snow foam of choice for cleaning a very dirty car. It rinsed off cleanly, though, as promised, leaving no streaks behind on the sunny day I tested it on. At the higher concentration, I expect it would clean better, but then you’d be using a lot of product. At that point, I’d rather just use a better snow foam.

The Verdict

Masterson’s Mystic Snow Foam Auto Wash delivers average performance. It’s not bad, but there are much better snow foams out there. Using 1 fl. oz per wash, it’s very good value considering how cheap it is to buy, so that’s a bonus. I also like the fact that it doubles as a shampoo. And being able to use any product in direct sun is always good.

For cleaning cars in hot climates, it’s worth considering. But it’s not going to be part of my personal detailing lineup.

The post Masterson’s Car Care Mystic Snow Foam Auto Wash Review appeared first on Fast Car.

How I Tested The Mothers Microfiber Chenille Wash Mitt

For my Mothers Microfiber Chenille Wash Mitt review, I took into account the size, softness, length and density of the cleaning fibers. A good wash mitt has to feel nice on your hand, too, so I’ve taken into account fit, comfort and features,  like different washing surfaces. I’ve also considered price point, too, as I’ve found that price does not always equal quality when it comes to the best car wash mitts. I then tested it by cleaning my car, where I observed how it felt in use. I also took into account how heavy it felt and how much shampoo it could hold. Finally, I also considered how the Mothers Microfiber Chenille Wash Mitt felt in use and how easy it was to wash with.

RRP: $9.99, buy now. £11.95, buy now.

Mothers Microfiber Wash Mitt First Impressions

The Mothers Microfiber Chenille Wash Mitt is virtually identical to the the Chemical Guys wash mitt. The noodle arrangement and spacing are the same, but the cuff design is different. The quality of the finishing also seems to be a little bit better on the Mothers mitt.

Features

You get an 8×10” wash mitt covered in super-soft microfiber noodles on both sides. And to keep your hand from slipping out, there’s an elasticated cuff, as you’d expect. And that’s about it as features go.

What’s It Like To Use The Mothers Wash Mitt

Now, I was expecting this wash mitt to feel identical to the Chemical Guys one as the two are so similar. However, there is a noticeable difference. While the on-paper measurements of the two are the same, comparing them side-by-side, the Mothers was mitt is longer and wider. On the one hand (literally) that’s a good thing because it means you can clean the car faster as you’re covering a bigger area with every swipe.

However, unless you’ve got massive bear-like paws for hands, it’s almost too big. Your hand will flap around inside, making the mitt harder to steer, especially when it’s wet and heavy and loaded with shampoo. This is a wash mitt that would really benefit from a sewn-in finger compartment for added control.

Mothers Microfiber Chenille Wash Mitt Verdict

Mothers Microfiber Chenille Wash Mitt has all the makings of a good wash mitt. It’s got the soft noodles, it’s a good size, and it cleans well, but it’s just a bit too big for most hands. It’s slightly better value than its noodly rival from Chemical Guys, and is better quality, too. But its size counts against it and it doesn’t perform as well, as a result. It’s not a bad noodle mitt, but it’s flawed.

The post Mothers Microfiber Chenille Wash Mitt Review appeared first on Fast Car.

We feature a lot of amazing cars but occasionally something so special comes along that it leaves us truly breathless. Willy Izaguirre’s modified BMW E9 CSL tribute with a turbocharged S52 is one such modified car.

Every year SEMA is full of absolutely incredible builds but even among such god-like creations there are a few cars that manage to stand out and elevate themselves to the absolute zenith of modified car culture, and this E9 is one such machine. It was without doubt the modified BMW of the show and one of the cars that everyone was talking about, regardless of where their modifying allegiances might lie. It’s just awesome, that’s the only way to describe it, an incredible build with near-universal appeal that leaves you in awe and we’re kind of in love with it, if you couldn’t tell.

Willy’s Modified Car History

It’s hard to know where to even begin with a car like this, which has undergone such a complete and absolute transformation, but really it all starts with owner. So, who is Willy Izaguirre? A legend of the modified scene? Owner of his own modifying empire? Well, no; he’s just a car guy, but one with a bit more vision and drive than most of us. He’s originally from Guatemala but these days resides in New York; he’s an electrician by trade but quit his job two years ago to start doing CNC work, laser-engraving and making some of the most unique gear knobs we’ve ever seen; and this is hist first Euro build. We’d say he’s done a pretty good job with it…

Throughout his motoring life it’s been Japanese machinery that has been Willy’s focus, from his first a car (a 1988 Toyota MR2 ) to his fully-restored 1968 Datsun Fairlady running an SR20DET swap, which he currently owns alongside this E9, but the seeds for what would blossom into his full-blown love for BMW were sown when he just a boy. “I’ve been interested in BMWs since I was a kid back in my home country circa 1990. Next to my house was a BMW repair shop and I always spent lots of time after school at the shop,” he says and he got the taste for BMW ownership with a 2002 and an E30 before he went big with his E9 build.

The Modified BMW E9 Build Idea

Clearly Willy has an interest in the classics and that’s what drew him to the idea of this project; “I decided to get to the roots of BMW’s racing history by building a resto-mod of the iconic 3.0 CSL. A good friend sold me the car, a 1973 3.0 CS, and it was a rust bucket… The floors were rotted straight through, you could see the road underneath!” he exclaims and having seen some pictures of how the car looked when he bought it we’re even more amazed with the end result.

“I drove it for two months and fell in love with it… however it was quite slow and needed major surgery to get it repaired, that’s why I decided to do the resto-mod,” he explains. “At SEMA 2016, Jon Sibal made a render of a CSL and I reached out to him to ask if I could use his render to build a SEMA 2017 project. He gave me the green light and the madness began,” he grins.

Problems

Willy didn’t waste any time and got stuck straight into the build but unfortunately it didn’t get off to the most auspicious of starts… “The project started about 18 months ago when I brought the car to a shop not too far from me to do the engine swap,” Willy tells us. “After a long eight month period they called me to tell me that it was ready. When I got there I saw the car and was very disappointed; the engine was crooked in the engine bay, they had ‘hockey pucks’ as motor mounts, the transmission and intake manifold did not fit. I took the car out of that shop and brought it to Redline Restorations to fix everything,” he says, and fix everything they did.

“We made custom engine and transmission mounts, the whole engine bay was stitch welded and the bottom of the car was reinforced with a 2×4 steel beam,” Willy explains and that did the job of bringing the car up to standard and sorting out all the maladies.

Modified BMW E9 Engine Swap

You can’t have missed the engine swap that Willy mentions because there’s no bonnet on the car and it’s one of the first things you notice and that smoothed, stitch welded bay really shows it off at its very best. The engine itself is an S52B32 from a 1998 E36 M3 and Willy says that it’s had some minor mods carried out, though we get the feeling his idea of minor might be slightly different to most people’s… Everything is built around that turbo (because why wouldn’t you turbocharge your S52?), which is a Precision 62/66 with a T51R mod by OCD Works and it’s bolstered by an uprated head gasket, ARP head studs, uprated injectors and an uprated fuel system, an aftermarket intake plenum and VAC Motorsports oil cooler.

The exhaust manifold, exhaust, screamer pipe and intercooler piping were all fabricated by hand from titanium and the the exhaust and turbo have been ceramic-coated. You might also have noticed that there’s no rad in the engine; cast your eyes to the rear of the car and that’s where you’ll spy the cut out in the boot lid that feeds air to the boot-mounted radiator, with all the pipework for this having also been fabricated by hand from titanium. An incredible amount of incredible work has gone into this engine and engine bay and it’s all just, well, incredible really.

Performance

That engine bay might well be one of the cleanest we’ve ever seen and the engine is spectacular, it’s dream build stuff, really. This car would have been utterly spectacular regardless of what was nestling in the engine bay, but the fact that Willy has gone for a full-on performance engine build makes it even more awesome. In case you were wondering, it does have plenty of performance; once tuned Willy is expecting to see 500-600hp, which should be enough to make things interesting…

BMW E9 Bodywork Changes

Dragging ourselves away from the engine bay we have to remember that this car started out life as a narrow-body E9 and that’s when you learn that almost all the body panels you see before you have been custom-made. “I always like to build something unique; my friend Lance Medina at Clason Point Collision did all the body work and paint,” says Willy and he’s done a hell of a job creating the custom Group 4 wide-body kit, which looks absolutely perfect and just utterly spectacular. The CSL Batmobile is one of the widest, wildest BMWs ever built and Willy’s tribute captures and recreates every aspect and element of the original racer perfectly and then takes it even further.

You’ve got your period-correct details, such as the wind splitters up front and the classic BMW badges but then you’ve got all the carbon aero elements that Willy has added, which not only look fantastic but work so well with that custom minty paint. The roof spoiler is made from carbon as is the aerofoil of the rear wing, then there are the carbon headlight covers and even the vents mounted on top of those massive rear arches are fabricated from carbon and are fully functional – look closely and you’ll see the rear tires and tarmac through the slats.

Every scoop and vent is fully-functional and not just for show, apart from the side grilles which are simply attached to the front wings, exactly as they are on the actual CSL racer. The whole thing is so good that it doesn’t look like a resto-mod tribute, it looks like the real deal which someone has lovingly restored and that speaks volumes about the quality of the work involved and the attention to detail that’s been lavished on this build.

Modified BMW E9 Wheels & Chassis Upgrades

Now, we have to talk about the wheels; obviously we were going to anyway but just look at them. They are the most perfect wheels imaginable for this car and those rears are just insane, so wide, so much dish, just incredible. “Since I was building my own version of the Batmobile I wanted to use period-correct wheels,” says Willy, “so the decision for a set of BBS magnesium center locks was made,” and this was unquestionably the right decision. Racing BBS wheels are so iconic, so desirable and so sexy, they work so well on the CSL and in magnesium center lock form they achieve absolute wheel perfection. Willy’s got 17s on the car and they measure 9.5” wide up front and – brace yourselves – 15.5” wide at the rear; they’re almost as wide as they are large!

Seeing them on this car, with those gold centers, massive widths filling out those arches so perfectly, you become acutely aware of the fact that choosing anything else would have been sacrilege. Perfect wheels need perfect suspension to complement them and here Willy turned to CAtuned for a set of the company’s coilovers, which offer 30-way damping adjustment alongside their height adjustment and here they deliver the perfect drop.

Interior Modifications

The outside is outrageous but when it came to the interior Willy also had some serious plans in mind. “I wanted no interior at all,” he says, “just two carbon fiber seats and a carbon fiber dash made by my buddy Tony Spitaleri at Carbon Fiber Element,” and that really is it, there is basically nothing else in the cabin of this CSL, which is wholly appropriate really and ties in perfectly with the whole racing car tribute concept. While there might not be much there, what there is is to die for.

You’ve got those two sexy single-piece carbon buckets complete with M tricolor stitching, which dominate the otherwise barren, fully-stripped and grey-painted metal interior; that lush Nardi wood-rimmed steering wheel and one of Willy’s own custom gear knobs, finished in a blend of wood and mesmerizing resin. Then you’ve got the carbon dash which is simply sensational; it’s this big slab of glorious black weave that is draped across the entire width of the interior and features a double gauge cluster pod that houses the custom Speedhut gauges for oil temperature, water temperature and boost pressure as well as the speedo and rev counter, set in a brushed metal plate and between which sits an AEM AFR gauge. All of it is simply stunning.

Completing The Modified BMW E9 Build

Considering that this car has just been “finished” it is, of course, not finished. Willy has plenty more plans for it but with the SEMA deadline and having lost eight months of build time at the start of the project to the company that first had a crack at the car and failed to deliver, it wasn’t 100% done at the show.

We jumped on it straight away because we simply couldn’t help ourselves so we can’t show you the custom aluminum panels that Willy will be fitting inside or the custom roll-cage that will also be installed. Those are the short-term plans that were on the to-do list all along, but the long term plans are rather more grand. “We have plans to add a sequential transmission, APR race jacks and a BBK,” says Willy and those additions will take this build to the next level, if there even is a next level above a build like this…

With this extraordinary CSL tribute, Willy has built his dream car, achieved everything he wanted to do, the way he wanted to do it and the results speak for themselves; you can’t build a car like this without passion and that is the very essence of this entire project.

Tech Spec: Modified BMW E9

Engine & Transmission:

3.2-litre straight-six S52B32, uprated head gasket, ARP head studs, uprated fuel system and injectors, ceramic-coated Precision 62/66 turbocharger with T51R mod, titanium exhaust manifold, aftermarket intake plenum, intercooler with titanium pipework, VAC Motorsports oil cooler and cap, rear-mount radiator with titanium pipework, RK Tunes map. ZF five-speed manual gearbox

Chassis:

9.5×17” (front) and 15.5×17” (rear) BBS magnesium center lock wheels with gold centers and 255/40 (front) and 315/35 (rear) Toyo R888R tires, CAtuned coilovers

Exterior:

Custom blend paint, custom Group 4 wide-body kit, wind splitters, carbon rear roof spoiler and boot spoiler aerofoil, carbon rear arch vents, carbon head light covers

Interior:

Carbon single-piece bucket seats with M tricolor stitching, vintage Nardi wooden steering wheel, custom Nostalgic Grains gear knob, custom carbon dash, custom Speedhut gauges for oil temperature, water temperature and boost pressure, AEM AFR gauge

With thanks to Performance BMW. Photos: Viktor Benyi.

The post Modified BMW E9 CSL Showstopper appeared first on Fast Car.

How We Tested Autoglym Foaming Car Wash Shampoo

The first task with reviewing any detailing product is to follow the manufacturer’s instructions. First up, then, is diluting the Foaming Car Wash Shampoo, which Autoglym says is two capfuls per 2.6 gallons.  Given it’s a foaming car wash soap, I observed quite how much foam was produced, and then how slick the product felt against the car’s bodywork. This was followed by a visual and physical inspection of the car to see how much dirt, if any, was left after washing. The price and how much shampoo is needed per wash were also taken into consideration.

RRP: from £9.99. Not available in the US.

Autoglym Foaming Car Wash Shampoo First Impressions

The classy white bottle, the classic label, the Royal Warrants – picking up an Autoglym product makes you feel like you’re in a good place. It also makes you feel reassured that you’re about to be detailing your car with a quality product. Autoglym Foaming Car Wash certainly makes you feel that way, while the sensational marzipan scent is just unreal. A strong start for this shampoo.

Features

Autoglym Foaming Car Wash is another shampoo that doesn’t offer any special features. It’s just about good cleaning performance. It is pH-neutral, as you would expect, and, as you would also expect from its name, has been designed to deliver lots of lovely foam.

What’s It Like To Use Autoglym Foaming Car Wash

Autoglym says to use two capfuls per 2.6 gallons. Having done some measuring, that means you’ll be getting through around 0.7 fl. oz per wash. This makes Autoglym Foaming Car Wash shampoo good value for money as you’ll get approximately 50 washes from even the smallest bottle.

As I was hoping, it produced lots of foam, and I certainly had no complaints about its performance. It felt lovely and slick beneath my wash mitt, which is absolutely what you want, and left the paintwork lovely and clean.

Verdict

Autoglym Foaming Car Wash is very easy to recommend if you’re looking for a solid shampoo offering. It’s not a shampoo that will impress you with fancy features, it just cleans well and is very nice to use.

The post Autoglym Foaming Car Wash Shampoo Review appeared first on Fast Car.

Chemical guys are a big player in the car detailing world, and while I’ve tried most of the products in their lineup, the premium microfiber wash mitt, that promises to be scratch free, isn’t one I’ve used before. As a result, during my testing to find the best car wash mitt on sale today, I added the Chemical Guys Chenille wash mitt to the contenders.

How We Tested The Chemical Guys Chenille Microfiber Premium Scratch-Free Wash Mitt

For my Chemical Guys Chenille Microfiber Premium Scratch-Free Wash Mitt review, I took into account the size, softness, length and density of the cleaning fibers. A wash mitt has to fit nicely, feel comfy and have features that allow for different washing styles. It’s price point is also a big factor. For the physical testing phase, I cleaned my car using my favorite car shampoo and observed how it felt to use on the paintwork. I also took into account how heavy it felt once the shampoo mixture was absorbed, and quite how much was absorbed during each plunge into the bucket.  Finally, I also considered how it felt in use and how easy it was to wash with before judging the results. 

RRP: $10.79, buy now. / £12.49, buy now.

Chemical Guys Microfiber Wash Mitt First Impressions

This wash mitt certainly grabs your attention, with its luminous green color scheme. But it’s not that impressive when you handle it. It just feels a little cheap overall. Yes, it has plenty of noodles, but they’re not very densely packed at all. Also, it doesn’t feel very well made. The stitching around the cuff is slapdash, and the cuff itself feels a bit stiff. It just doesn’t feel very impressive.

Features

The Chemical Guys Chenille Microfiber Premium Scratch-Free Wash Mitt measures 10×8”. It features 70/30 blend microfiber noodles, for safer, softer washing. And there’s a double-stitched elasticated cuff as well.

What’s It Like To Use The Chemical Guys Chenille Microfiber Premium Scratch-Free Wash Mitt

Ultimately, this is not a bad wash mitt when you’re using it. It picks up enough shampoo, the size is good, and the noodles wash well. Even the cuff, which looks and feels a bit cheap, is actually pretty comfortable once you’re wearing the mitt. I can’t criticize it for being bad at washing, because it’s not, and it’s decent the use.

Chemical Guys Microfiber Wash Mitt Verdict

The Chemical Guys Chenille Microfiber Premium Scratch-Free Wash Mitt is not bad. It performs the function of a wash mitt well enough. My criticisms all arise when I compare it to other mitts that are better. The widely spaced noodles, the cheap feel of it, these things really let it down. This is another mitt that is fine in isolation, but you can do much better, and its shortcomings become more apparent when you compare it to better rivals.

The post Chemical Guys Chenille Microfiber Premium Scratch-Free Wash Mitt Review appeared first on Fast Car.

RRP: From $9.99 / £9, buy now.

How I Tested Griot’s Car Wash Shampoo

To test Griot’s car wash shampoo as accurately as possible, I made sure to adhere to all of the manufacturer’s instructions. This meant diluting 1fl. oz of Griot’s Car Wash for every two gallons of water. After applying the product to the car, I then observed the amount of foam it produced and assessed how slick it felt on the panel. Next, I carried out a visual and physical inspection to see how much dirt, if any, was left after washing.

When choosing the best car shampoo, the price point of the product as well as the dilution rate should also be taken into account. As a result, I’ve added that as an extra testing element in this review.

Griot’s Car Wash Shampoo First Impressions

Griot’s products have a unique look that really sets them apart, and I’m a fan. The liquid lids feature a funky pull-up design that makes pouring easy, which is always nice. Not only does Griot’s Car Wash shampoo look orange, but it smells orange too. Well, at least it has a lovely tangy citrus scent, so close enough.

Features

It’s pH-neutral, and Griot’s says it delivers loads of subs and high lubricity, so it certainly sounds good.

What’s It Like To Use Griot’s Car Wash Shampoo

You need to use 1fl. oz of Griot’s Car Wash for every two gallons of water, so that means around 1.5 fl. oz per wash. That’s perhaps a little more than some others, but it’s certainly not bad. While there was plenty of foam as promised, it didn’t really make it onto the panel, but that’s no big deal as it was very nice to wash with. My wash mitt slid across the surface gracefully with the aid of Griot’s Car Wash shampoo, so it was certainly slick, and it cleaned well too.

Griot’s Car Wash Shampoo Verdict

Griot’s Car Wash is a solid choice. It smells lovely and cleans well. It doesn’t have any special features that make it stand out, but it’s good at being a shampoo. If you want to try something you might not have used before, give it a go.

The post Griot’s Car Wash Shampoo Review appeared first on Fast Car.

Over time, plastic headlight lenses turn yellow and cloudy. This is caused by the original factory UV protection wearing off, allowing UV light to cause oxidation. Not only do cloudy headlight lenses ruin the appearance of your car, but they also reduce light output. Choosing the right kit is tricky, though, as there are so many available. Some are designed to be used by hand, and some make life easier with drill attachments. It’s also essential that you seal your headlights afterwards to prevent them from turning cloudy again. Here’s our pick of the best headlight restoration kits. For more detailing tips, be sure to check out our guide on what is car detailing.

Best Headlight Restoration Kit In 2024

Meguiar’s Two Step Headlight Restoration Kit

RRP: $21.24/£32.49, buy now.

This offering from Meguiar’s foregoes the need for a drill, relying on elbow grease to get results, and it does. The first stage involves using the cleaning solution with one of the supplied cleaning pads to remove the layer of oxidation. Once that’s done, you spray on the supplied headlight coating, and that’s it. Your headlights will now be protected and remain clear for up to one year. The only negative is that if you want to use your drill to make life easier, there’s no backing plate supplied. That’s a minor point though, as it’s extremely effective applied by hand. This is an excellent kit that works very well and is very easy to recommend.

Turtle Wax Headlight Cleaner And Sealant

Size: 300ml
RRP: $19.44/£6.50, buy now.

If you want something cheap, cheerful and easy to use, then look no further. The only all-in-one on our list, Turtle Wax’s offering is perfect if want something that works with minimum fuss. There’s no kit here, just a bright green bottle, so you have to use your own cloths. You simply pour some of the solution onto a cloth or applicator pad, then rub it over the headlight. It removes yellow surface oxidation, leaving behind a protective layer to prevent future yellowing. Simply buff the headlight lens, and it’s job done. Of course, it does require a bit of effort to get results. And it’s not as effective as the more aggressive kits. However, it’s superb value for money and so simple to use that you can’t go wrong.

Armor All Headlight Restoration Wipes

RRP: $11.98/£11.99, buy now.

Where most restoration kits involve sanding off the layer of oxidation, the Armor All wipes take a different approach. The wipes are impregnated with a strong chemical that strips the yellow layer off. You just need to rub them across the surface of your headlights, and the oxidation will come off. Then you use the sealant wipe to apply a layer of long-lasting UV protection to keep your headlights clear. The Armor All wipes work well, though they aren’t as effective as full-on polishing kits. However, for the money, minimum effort and sheer simplicity, they are really good.

Autoglym Headlight Restoration Complete Kit

Size: 100ml
RRP: £34.49 (not available in the US), buy now.

There’s a good reason this is called a complete kit, and Autoglym wasn’t messing around with this one. With eight components in total, this is a very comprehensive kit that’s been designed to get results. Designed to work with any electric drill, the Autoglym kit quickly gets your headlights looking like new. It comes with a headlight restoration compound, a drill backing plate and four different grades of sanding discs and pads. These allow you to progressively refine the finish to get the best possible results. The only downside is there’s no sealant included, meaning you have to apply your own UV protection. But apart from that, it’s a very impressive headlight restoration kit.

Quixx Headlight Restoration Kit

RRP: £15.02 (not available in the US), buy now.

This German kit is another one designed for hand application, and it comes with all the gear. You get plastic polish, three different sandpaper grades, a sanding block and polishing cloths. Elbow grease is required, but you get an excellent finish thanks to the progressively finer grades of sandpaper. The sanding block makes life easier, and the polishing compound prepares the headlights for sealing. Usefully, you also get a tube of that, ensuring all your hard work does not go to waste. This kit is definitely a little more involved, but the results are well worth the effort.

Holts Headlight Restoration Kit

RRP: £22.99 (not available in the US), buy now.

The Holts kit is the most comprehensive drill-based one on our list. You get an electric drill backing plate, four grades of sandpaper, headlight polish and a polishing pad. The drill attachment means you don’t need a lot of effort, and the various polishing components really get results. You just have to keep the headlight surface wet while using the sanding discs to avoid burning it. Once you’re happy with the finish, the included sealant will ensure your perfectly polished headlights are protected. This kit performs really well and is well worth a look.

Now you know the best products on the market, be sure to check out our step by step guide on how to clean car headlights.

The post Best Headlight Restoration Kit In 2024 appeared first on Fast Car.

How We Tested Meguiar’s NXT Generation Car Wash

First, I diluted Meguiar’s NXT Generation Car Wash shampoo according to the individual instructions. Then I observed the amount of foam it produced and assessed how slick it felt on the panel. Finally, I carried out a visual and physical inspection to see how much dirt, if any, was left after washing. The price and how much shampoo is needed per wash were also taken into consideration.

RRP: from £8.45. Not available in the US, but there are plenty of other Meguiar’s products to choose from.

First Impressions

Meguiar’s NXT Generation Car Wash looks suitably advanced and futuristic thanks to its labelling. The purple shampoo looks somewhat alien in origin. Open the bottle and you’re greeted by a pleasant citrussy smell. I can’t tell you what fruit Meguiar’s was aiming for, but it’s tangy and fresh.

Features

Meguiar’s NXT Generation Car Wash does not scrimp on features. First off, it’s pH-neutral, definitely what I want to see in a shampoo. Next, synthetic lubricating oils deliver exceptional slickness. Meguiar’s says that this shampoo will loosen and emulsify even the toughest dirt and road grime, and I certainly hope so.

Finally, engineered water softeners help reduce deposits in hard-water areas. Water spots in hard-water areas are a keen detailer’s worst nightmare. Knowing you’ve got a shampoo that will help you achieve a spot-free finish is a massive bonus.

What’s It Like To Use Meguiar’s NXT Generation Car Wash

The dilution instructions are a little odd. The bottle says you need 2 capfuls (0.7 fl. oz) per gallon, which is an odd measurement as that’s not a lot of water. Realistically you’ll be using 3 gallons or so, which means 2 fl. oz per wash. That’s quite a lot compared to other shampoos. But it’s worth it because Meguiar’s NXT Generation Car Wash is very good indeed.

It feels exceptionally slick on the paintwork and delivers superb cleaning. The water softeners are the icing on the cake, and they give this shampoo an edge over its many rivals.

The Verdict

I like Meguiar’s NXT Generation Car Wash a lot. Yes, you need to use a little more than with other shampoos, but it’s worth it. It washes so well, and I love the addition of water softeners to help you out. This shampoo has gone straight into my personal detailing lineup. If you want to add it to yours, check out price comparisons for the larger bottle (as tested) below:

The post Meguiar’s NXT Generation Car Wash Shampoo Review appeared first on Fast Car.

I tested this shampoo as part of a group test to find out what was the best car shampoo of 2023. To do so, I diluted Mothers California Gold Car Wash shampoo according to the instructions printed on the bottle. Then, I assessed how much foam was produced, and how effective that foam was at cleaning body panels. As such, I took note of how dirty the surface was both before and after using the shampoo. The price and how much shampoo is needed per wash were also taken into consideration.

Size: 16 fl. oz (437ml), 32 fl. oz (946ml), 64 fl. oz (1892ml). RRP: $12.99-$23.99 / £8.49-£21.99. Buy Mothers California Gold Car Wash here.

First Impressions

California Gold by name, California gold by nature with this suitably colored shampoo. Mothers Car Wash has more of an old-school vibe about it, I’d say, and I have no problems with that. There’s that flip-up spout for added convenience, which I always like to see. And, finally, there’s the smell. Man, does this shampoo smell good. I can’t put my finger on it – bubblegum, maybe? – but it’s sweet, sugary, and delicious.

Features

Nothing to see here beyond being pH-neutral, but that’s fine. Mothers says that the shampoo also resists water-spotting and delivers loads of foam, but we’ll see about that.

What’s It Like To Use?

Very, very nice indeed. It felt incredibly slick beneath my wash mitt, and it really glided over the paintwork effortlessly. Cleaning power was very good, too, and it’s a really nice shampoo to wash with. However… the dilution ratio brought me back down to earth with a bump.

You need 1 fl oz. per gallon, which means around 3 fl. oz in the average bucket, and that’s a lot of shampoo. That means you’ll get through your bottle of Mothers California Gold Car Wash shampoo at a serious rate, which is no good. It’s pretty cheap, but that isn’t enough to outweigh how much you have to use in each wash.

Mothers California Gold Car Wash Car Shampoo Verdict

Mothers shampoo is lovely to wash with. It’s slick, cleans well, and smells gorgeous. But you have to use a lot of it for each wash, and that really stings.

The post Mothers California Gold Car Wash Car Shampoo Review appeared first on Fast Car.

I tested this shampoo the same way as I have done very other shampoo that you’ll find reviewed her eon the Fast Car website. That means I’ve taken note of how much product you need to use in the dilution, analyzed its cleaning performance, and also considered cost and ease of use factors. I’ll get into detail about how this Auto Finesse product stacks up shortly, but if you want to know what I crowned as our shampoo champion, be sure to check out our guide to the best car shampoo. 

Size: 16.9 fl. oz (500ml), 33.8 fl. oz (1 liter), 84.5 fl. oz (2.5 liters), 1.3 gallons (5 liters). RRP: From $18.95/£11.95. Buy Auto Finesse Shampoo here.

First Impressions

You know where you are with Auto Finesse. Classy black bottles, flip-up lids, solid detailing products. Auto Finesse Lather is no different and ticks all those boxes. I wasn’t keen on the smell, though. It’s citrussy but has a weird sort of chemical tinge to it. Not my favourite-smelling shampoo.

Features

Auto Finesse Lather is a pH-neutral car shampoo, as you would expect. Auto Finesse says it serves up a combo of advanced surfactants with highly concentrated lubricants, and that makes for easy and safe washing.

What’s It Like To Use Auto Finesse Lather Car Shampoo

Auto Finesse says you need 2-4 capfuls in your bucket. According to my measurements, one of those is about 0.5 fl. oz, so that means 1-2 fl. oz per wash. That’s about average, so I’m happy with that. You get a lot of rich foam with Lather, as its name suggests you might, and it doesn’t disappoint in terms of the washing experience. It’s lovely and slick to work with and delivered good cleaning performance. No complaints here.

The Verdict

Auto Finesse Lather is a really solid shampoo. While it perhaps doesn’t have anything that really makes it stand out in a very crowded marketplace, you can’t go wrong. It’s a really good all-rounder that you’ll be very happy with.

The post Auto Finesse Lather Car Shampoo Review appeared first on Fast Car.

How We Tested Adam’s New Car Wash Shampoo

First, I diluted Adam’s New Car Wash Shampoo according to the individual instructions, opting for a medium dilution ratio where a range was suggested. Next, I observed the amount of foam it produced and assessed how slick it felt on the panel. I’m looking for a product that produces a good amount of foam in the bucket, and one that performs well on the paintwork. Finally, and most crucial, I carried out a visual and physical inspection to see how much dirt, if any, was left after washing. It’s worth noting that I also took the price point of the shampoo as well as how much shampoo is needed per wash into consideration in my verdict.

Adam’s New Car Wash Shampoo RRP: from $12.74, buy now. £9.99, buy now.

First Impressions

Adam’s eye-catching label immediately gets your attention. I love the pull-up dispenser, which makes pouring and measuring Adam’s New Car Wash Shampoo that much easier. The bright blue liquid has a wonderful Wildberry scent that makes it smell good enough to drink. But refrain from doing that, please.

Features

Adam’s New Car Wash Shampoo has a couple of tricks up its sleeve that really make it worth your attention. First of all, you can use it in direct sunlight, which is something most shampoos warn against. This means that even if you don’t have any shade, you can happily wash your car, even in the middle of summer. Secondly, Adam’s says its New Car Wash Shampoo will not water spot, even when washing with hard water. And of course, it’s pH-neutral, as you would expect, making it coating-safe.

What’s It Like To Use Adam’s New Car Wash Shampoo

You can use this shampoo as a pre-wash snow foam, but I’ve tried it’s not got enough muscle for that. Just stick to using it purely as a shampoo and you will not be disappointed. The preparation process is a little different.

Rather than just pouring Adam’s New Car Wash Shampoo straight into a bucket, you pour it straight onto your wash mitt. Then you put this in your bucket and pour the water directly onto the mitt. I’m not sure what the point of that is, but who am I to go against the instructions? It does mean that the first time you apply your wash mitt to the paint, it’s absolutely loaded with shampoo, which can only be a good thing.

You need 1-2 fl. oz per wash, which is about average, and you can easily stick to just 1 fl. oz if your car isn’t especially dirty. As promised, there’s loads of foam, and it hangs about for ages. On the panel, it feels lovely and slick, and it’s a pleasure to wash with.

On very hot days and in direct sun, it will dry on the bodywork, but there’s no residue left after rinsing and drying the car. You don’t have to fight against stubborn spots, everything just wipes away, so it really does do what it promises to do.

Adam’s New Car Wash Shampoo Verdict

Adam’s New Car Wash Shampoo really is excellent. Full disclosure, I’ve been using this shampoo myself for years now. It’s been my personal summertime go-to shampoo and it’s never let me down or left me disappointed. There’s honestly nothing I don’t like about it. I highly recommend this shampoo. Check out price comparisons below and pick up a bottle for yourself!

RRP: from $12.74, buy now. £9.99, buy now.

The post Adam’s New Car Wash Shampoo Review appeared first on Fast Car.

British car care expert Gtechniq knows a thing or two about detailing. We take its W1 GWash shampoo for a test wash to see how it performs.

How We Tested Gtechniq W1 GWash

First, I followed the instructions and diluted Gtechniq W1 GWash shampoo to the degree specified. Then, I tested it on one of the panels of my car, noting how much foam it produced and how it felt across the metalwork. Finally, after the wash, I inspected the panel to see how much (if any) dirt remained. The price and how much shampoo is needed per wash were also taken into consideration.

First Impressions

I’m a fan of Gtechniq’s products and presentation. Its bottles are smart, and I like its logo, which makes you feel like you’ve got a cleaning product that’s backed by science. Gtechniq W1 GWash smells gorgeous, serving up a lovely grapefruit scent when you open the bottle. It’s a good start for this shampoo, for sure.

Features

It’s a shampoo, that’s about it as far as features go. It is pH-neutral, though, so that’s always good. But apart from that, there’s nothing here apart from a shampoo that’s focused on cleaning performance.

What’s It Like To Use Gtechniq W1 GWash

I have no idea how big the buckets are at Gtechniq’s HQ because the dilution instructions appear to be for people who mix their shampoo in a bathtub. Gtechniq says to use two to four capfuls (06.-1.2 fl. oz), depending on how dirty your car is, in a 5.3-gallon bucket. That’s massive. You’re more likely to be using a bucket around 3.2 gallons in size. That’s still more than enough water for a thorough wash on just about any car.

With that amount of water, you’ll be using around 0.4-0.7 fl. oz per wash. That’s not bad at all, and it makes Gtechniq W1 GWash a frugal shampoo. While there was lots of foam in my container, hardly any of that transferred to the bodywork during washing. Gtechniq W1 GWash was very slick, though, and it felt lovely under my wash mitt and cleaned very well too.

The Verdict

Gtechniq W1 GWash is an excellent shampoo and another excellent offering from Gtechniq. It smells lovely, cleans well, and it’s very economical too. While it’s light on features, and you can’t use it in direct sun, it’s still a very good shampoo and a solid choice.

Have a look at the price comparisons below if you want to pick up a bottle for yourself:

The post Gtechniq W1 GWash Car Shampoo Review appeared first on Fast Car.

Master of no-nonsense detailing products, Bilt Hamber Auto-Wash is designed to wash your car as best as any shampoo can. Read our review here.

How I Tested Bilt Hamber Auto-Wash

First, I diluted the Bilt Hamber Auto-Wash shampoo and observed the amount of foam it produced from the quantity instructions on the bottle. Then, I assessed how easily it ran across the panel. Finally, I inspected the amount of dirt, if any, that was left after washing. The price and how much shampoo is needed per wash were two other factors I made sure to keep in mind when writing this review.

First Impressions

Bilt Hamber’s bottles are very clean and simple, and give you a good idea of what to expect from its products. There are no frills or thrills here, just solid cleaning power. There’s no smell, either. It’s not a glamorous shampoo, but it’s performance that counts. You do get a little flip-up spout, which I really like, and it makes pouring the shampoo much easier.

Features

Bilt Hamber Auto-Wash is salt, wax and additive-free. It’s also free from colorants, perfumes or thickeners. This is about as pure as a pure shampoo gets. What Bilt Hamber Auto-Wash offers is anti-corrosive properties. That makes it especially good for washing older cars that might have stone chips and exposed bare metal. Bilt Hamber says that Auto-Wash offers class-leading long-term anti-corrosive protection on steel, which is impressive.

What’s It Like To Use Bilt Hamber Auto-Wash

Plenty of shampoos claim to be concentrated, but there are other shampoos, and then there’s Bilt Hamber Auto-Wash. You only need 0.17 fl. Oz in a 2.6-gallon bucket – that’s one teaspoon. That’s simply incredible. When other shampoos are telling you to pour 1-2 fl. oz or even more into your bucket, it’s mind-blowing to find a shampoo like Bilt Hamber Auto-Wash. There wasn’t loads of foam, but that’s not really a big deal. As you’d expect from Bilt Hamber, its shampoo delivers very impressive cleaning, and you won’t be disappointed with its performance.

The Verdict

I tried Bilt Hamber Auto-Wash in the past and wasn’t that impressed. Perhaps it’s been revised slightly because I really like how it performed. It’s not my favorite shampoo, there are others I’ve used that make cleaning a little easier thanks to a few tricks they have up their sleeves. But if you’re looking for the purest of pure shampoos, Bilt Hamber Auto-Wash is the perfect choice. Add in those anti-corrosive properties, plus how incredibly good value it is, and you’ve got a top car shampoo.

If you want to pick up a bottle, check out price comparisons below:

The post Bilt Hamber Auto-Wash Car Shampoo Review appeared first on Fast Car.

How I Tested Gyeon Q²M Bathe

First, I diluted Gyeon Q²M Bathe shampoo according to the individual instructions. To gauge how well this product works, it’s important to follow the manufacturer’s instructions. The next step was to observe the performance. Here, I’m looking for a good amount of foam and how it feels against the car’s paintwork. Finally, I carried out a visual and physical inspection to see how much dirt, if any, was left after washing. The price and how much shampoo is needed per wash were also taken into consideration.

Gyeon Q²M Bathe (1 liter) RRP: $27.99, buy now. £15.84, buy now. 

Gyeon Q²M Bathe First Impressions

I love Gyeon’s funky angular bottles. The company is known for its quartz-based paint coatings, and the bottles are suitable crystalline in their design. It certainly makes this shampoo stand out, and it makes it feel like a high-end product. It also comes with a pump dispenser, which is a really nice touch. The shampoo itself is very pale blue gel, and very runny compared to other shampoos. The scent, however, is not so impressive. It’s a weird, sickly sort of citrussy smell. It just reminded me of cough and cold syrup from when I was little, and I really didn’t like it.

Features

Gyeom Q²M Bathe is a very straightforward shampoo with no gimmicks or extra features. It’s been designed to be very slick because the slicker the shampoo the less risk of marring occurring during washing. And it’s pH-neutral, specifically having a pH level of 6. And that’s all there is to it.

What’s It Like To Use Gyeon Q²M Bathe

This is another excellent shampoo that’s lovely to wash with. You only need between 0.5-0.7 fl. oz in your bucket, which makes it very economical. It produced a nice amount of foam that stayed around for a long time. It felt very slick under my wash mitt, which just glided over the paintwork. And it cleaned really well, too. No complaints here.

Gyeon Q²M Bathe Verdict

Gyeon Q²M Bathe is a very good shampoo. It’s really lovely to wash with and will last you a good while thanks to how little you need per wash. There are no special features and I certainly didn’t like the smell, but it’s a solid pure shampoo choice. Gyeon Q²M Bathe is a shampoo I will happily be using again. Pick up a bottle for yourself by checking out the price comparisons below:

Gyeon Q²M Bathe (1 liter) RRP: $27.99, buy now. £15.84, buy now. 

The post Gyeon Q²M Bathe Car Shampoo Review appeared first on Fast Car.

How I Tested The MTM Hydro PF22.2

Just as with the other snow foam cannons I’ve tested, I used the MTM Hydro PF22.2 during one of my regular car detailing sessions at home. I filled it up with my favorite snow foam and observed how well it performed, on top of how easy it was to use. I’m looking for lots of foam to be produced, as well as any nice features that make detailing easier. I’ll also be judging the quality of the lance too, as well as its design and how easy it is to fill the bottle with snow foam.

MTM Hydro PF22.2 RRP: $84.99, buy now. £85.91, buy now.

First Impressions

I had incredibly high hopes for the MTM Hydro PF22.2 snow foam lance. Its on-paper first impressions are very impressive and it packs a load of features. It should tick all the boxes. But getting it out of the box I was immediately disappointed with how incredibly cheap the bottle felt.

The actual spray assembly feels very solid, though, and everything is very well designed. The action of all the parts is very satisfying, especially the adjuster knob, which has lovely soft clicks when you turn it. I had very high hopes that this would be my new favourite snow foam cannon.

MTM Hydro PF22.2 Features

The MTM Hydro PF22.2 features both horizontal and vertical adjustment, which is what I would expect to see at this price point. The design of the bottle is, for the most part, really good. It has a nice wide base for stability and a narrower, textured section that makes it easy to grip.

It also has the best measuring scale of any snow foam cannon I’ve tried, with 50ml increments. This allows for very accurate measuring without the need for separate beakers.

What’s It Like To Use The MTM Hydro PF22.2

Unfortunately, the MTM Hydro PF22.2 is disappointing and frustrating to use. First of all, you’ve got that narrow neck. This makes filling the bottle difficult and often messy. There’s no pick-up hose filter, which is disappointing at this price point. One plus, though, is the nozzle.

It has the best action of any snow foam cannon I’ve used. The switch from horizontal to vertical is lovely and smooth and the nozzle clicks into place. And the spray pattern adjustment features a little indicator to show you which way to turn it for a narrower or wider spray, as well as horizontal or vertical. This is a really clever little touch that makes it easier to use.

The biggest problem, though, is the actual spray pattern. It’s incredibly narrow, and even on its widest setting gives far too little coverage. This means you need a lot more effort to coat your car in snow foam than with any other snow foam cannon.

MTM Hydro PF22.2 Verdict

The MTM Hydro PF22.2 is a very frustrating snow foam cannon. Some things about it are great. I love the nozzle action, the measuring scale and the bottle shape.

But I hate the narrow neck and the narrow spray pattern range. Meanwhile, the lack of a pick-up hose filter and the cheap-feeling bottle really let it down compared to its rivals. The final nail in the coffin is the price. I could forgive some of these flaws if it was a bargain, but it’s very expensive, and just plain overpriced for what you get. A very disappointing snow foam cannon overall.

RRP: $84.99, buy now. £85.91, buy now.

Looking to know which foam cannon we think is best in 2023? Check out our guide to the best snow foam lances.

The post MTM Hydro PF22.2 Snow Foam Cannon Review appeared first on Fast Car.

There’s more to it than just vacuuming your carpets when it comes to cleaning your car’s interior. The various surfaces, like the dash and doors, get dirty and dusty. And, while you can use generic products, a dedicated interior detailer will make your life much easier. Our guide will help you pick the best interior detailer. Give our introductory guide a read if your looking to find out more about what car detailing is in general.

How I chose these products

Although I haven’t tested each and every one of these products first-hand, I’m a keen car detailer myself. As such, I know which brands are worth your time, and which traits are important to have in a good interior detailer solution.

Best Interior Detailer In 2024

Chemical Guys Total Interior Cleaner

Size: 16oz / 473ml
RRP: $17.99 / £15.99. Buy Chemical Guys cleaner here.

Chemical Guys Total Interior Cleaner is capable of effectively removing dirt and grime from various elements of your interior as well as protecting it. You can use the stuff on virtually everything in the cabin, from the dashboard to door panels, carpets, seats (both leather and fabric), steering wheel and more.

It protects by using a UV blocker in the formula, this stops plastics from fading and cracking over time. Additionally, the product is environmentally friendly and biodegradable, making it a safe choice for those who care about the environment. Overall, Chemical Guys Interior Cleaner is a reliable and effective solution for maintaining the cleanliness and appearance of a vehicle’s interior.

Meguiar’s Ultimate Interior Detailer

Size: 450ml
RRP:  $10 / £14. Buy Meguiar’s cleaner here.

Meguiar’s has a lot of interior products to choose from, but I can’t ignore one called Ultimate. Ultimate Interior Detailer has been designed to be used on all interior surfaces. You can spray it on your doors and dash, your center console, and even screens. The non-greasy formula cleans quickly and effectively. Ultimate Interior Detailer has superior UV protection to keep your interior looking cleaner for longer and now features Scotchgard protection. It dries quickly and leaves you with a smart, satin finish. You can’t go wrong with Meguiar’s Ultimate Interior Detailer.

Chipex Factory Finish Interior and Dashboard Cleaner

Size: 500ml
RRP: $32.95 / £12.95. Buy Chipex cleaner here.

Chipex might be better known for its touch-up paint, but it also produces car care products. We’re big fans of its Factory Finish Interior and Dashboard Cleaner, and it’s a great detailer. Naturally, it excels at removing dust, dirt and contaminants. It’s also solvent-free and safe to use on all surfaces. Application is super-easy, too – simply spray and wipe, and there’s no need to buff. It leaves a satin finish and has a fresh new car fragrance. But our favorite thing is the anti-static formulation that repels dust and keeps your interior cleaner for longer. It’s an excellent interior detailer and one that’s definitely worth checking out.

Autoglym Interior Shampoo

Size: 500ml
RRP: $14 / £10. Buy Autoglym cleaner here

Autoglym Interior Shampoo is an extremely versatile interior detailer. It’s safe to use on all interior fabrics and hard surfaces. You can use it on your doors, dashboard, switches, and pedals, as well as mats and headlining. It quickly and easily cuts through dirt and grime, leaving you with a fresh, clean smell. The low-foam formula is easy to apply and wipe off, and it makes cleaning your interior a breeze. Autoglym Interior Shampoo is a great detailer that performs very well, and it’s a great choice.

Auto Finesse Spritz

Size: 500ml, 1 liter, 5 liters
RRP: $17.95 / £9.95. Buy Auto Finesse cleaner here

Auto Finesse Spritz delivers in a big way and ticks all the boxes. It lightly cleans and protects plastics and vinyl in one step. It features a water-based formula that’s easy to use, quickly getting your interior surfaces clean. UV inhibitors protect against fading, while the anti-static formula keeps your interior cleaner for longer. It gives surfaces a matt finish and leaves you with a gorgeous scent as the finishing touch. Auto Finesse Spritz is an excellent interior detailer, and it’s a great buy.

303 Interior Cleaner

Size: 473ml
RRP: $25 / £10. Buy 303 cleaner here.

303 Interior Cleaner is another interior detailer that does everything you need in one bottle. It’s tough enough to tackle stubborn stains, lifting dirt away from the surface. Its formula will also help repel dirt and dust to keep your cabin cleaner for longer. But it’s also gentle enough to be used on any surface. 303 Interior Cleaner will happily clean vinyl and plastic, rubber, fabrics and upholstery, and even leather. You can use it on your carpets, LCD screens, and interior glass, too. It leaves no residue and has a lovely fresh scent as well. It’s a superb detailer that does everything well and is definitely worth a look.

Now you know the best interior detailers, check out our step by step guide on how to clean your car’s interior.

The post Best Interior Detailer In 2024 appeared first on Fast Car.

If you’re looking for a way to keep your car looking its best for as long as possible, a ceramic coating is the way forward. Most ceramic coatings are applied by professional detailers, but there are plenty of consumer-friendly products out there. While they might seem a little daunting, there’s no reason you can’t apply a coating yourself and get great results. With a little preparation and the right product, you can ceramic-coat your car with minimal effort. We’ll help you pick the perfect one with our guide to the best ceramic coating. And if you’re looking for more general car-cleaning advice, check out our overarching guide on car detailing.

How I chose these products

Testing each of these isn’t something I’ve been able to do yet, but rest assured, these aren’t just blind recommendations. I’ve intently kept on top of developments in the car detailing scene for many years, so I’m well-placed to suggest brands and point out the important elements of each product, and explain why they’re important.

Best Ceramic Coating In 2024

Gtechniq C1 Crystal Lacquer

Size: 30ml, 50ml, 250ml
RRP: $88/£54.99, buy now.

For many people, Gtechniq is synonymous with ceramic coatings. The British company has a huge range to choose from, but our pick is its C1 Crystal Lacquer. The reason we’ve gone for this coating is that it’s been designed to be easy to use. Applying ceramic coating can be a little daunting, and there’s a lot of prep work involved.

Any product designed for newcomers to ceramic is always going to be a great choice. C1 Crystal Lacquer is the perfect choice for first-timers while also delivering impressive performance. The crystalline film it forms helps protect your paintwork from minor scratches that can happen due to improper washing. While it doesn’t add much gloss, this makes it great for matt finishes. And it offers good gloss retention, so your car will look great. Finally, it will last for up to five years, making it a fantastic choice of ceramic coating.

Gyeon Q2 Pure EVO

Size: 30ml, 50ml, 100ml
RRP: $54.99/ £75, buy now.

Another company well-known for its ceramic coating, Gyeon has a huge range to choose from, and we reckon Q2 Pure EVO is the pick of the bunch. It strikes the perfect balance between ease of application and durability. Q2 Pure EVO delivers incredible gloss, while the thick formulation means you only need a single layer. This makes application easier and quicker. The ergonomic applicator makes the process even faster, while the extended wipe time makes it easier to work with. Q2 Pure EVO can be applied outdoors, making it perfect for anyone without access to a garage. You can expect up to 36 months of durability, and this is another superb ceramic coating.

CarPro CQuartz UK 3.0

Size: 30ml, 50ml
RRP: $74.99/ £56.99, buy now.

CarPro’s CQuartz UK 3.0 coating has a lot of impressive features that make it easy to recommend. First of all, application is simple, and no matter how cold, hot or humid it is, CQuartz is easy to work with. Anything that makes life easier when applying a ceramic coating is always very welcome. It has minor swirl-filling abilities, which means that minor paint imperfections will be masked after application. A lot of coatings require you to carry out paint correction before application, so this is another bonus. Naturally, gloss levels are very impressive, and CQuartz has self-cleaning properties to make washing your car quicker and easier. It can last up to two years and will protect your paint from minor scratches, bird droppings and acid rain. This is a ceramic coating that’s definitely deserving of your attention.

Shelby Ceramic Coating

Size: 50ml, 100ml
RRP: £29.99 (not available in the US), buy now.

You might know Shelby for its cars, but the company also makes detailing products, and its Ceramic Coating is excellent. Once again, this coating has been designed to be easy to use. While Shelby does offer a list of ideal application conditions, they are pretty lenient. This means the application is easy and forgiving, which we like to see. One layer is all you need, though you can add additional layers to enhance the gloss further still. The Shelby coating will conceal minor scratches and swirls, and it’s rain repellent in just 20 minutes after application. That’s a big bonus for outdoor application. It’s very reasonably priced, too, and should last for a couple of years. It’s easy to see why this excellent coating made it onto our list.

Sonax Profiline CC36

Sizes: 60ml, 75ml, 100ml. 
RRP: £89.95 (not available in the US), buy now.

While it might look intimidating, this German offering is actually not hard to work with, just a little complicated. The Sonax Profiline CC36 ceramic coating kit comes with no fewer than three bottles, two applicators, a microfiber cloth and a pair of gloves. Trust the Germans to make a complete kit that has everything you need. It comes with a surface degreaser, BaseCoat and GlossCoat, and while the application process is more involved, the results are fantastic. It ticks all the ceramic boxes, with stunning gloss, resistance to minor scratches, and easier cleaning. Beading is also fantastic, and it fends off road salt and tar, as well as offering UV and chemical resistance. Properly maintained and given an annual service clean, CC36 will last up to 36 months. A superb ceramic offering from Sonax.

The post Best Ceramic Coating In 2024 appeared first on Fast Car.

Opting for forced induction with the Cooper S R53 was a big-brain play by Mini. It meant a small engine could output a decent amount of power without having to be a high-revving unit, along with plenty of torque, and choosing supercharging over a turbo made it a unique offering among its rivals. Naturally, factory forced induction also meant that when it came to extracting more performance from the 1.6-litre four-pot, options were plentiful, and gains were impressive.

However, while superchargers are great at delivering lag-free power and the Mini’s positive displacement setup serves up a lovely spread of torque, if you’re hunting for really big numbers then turbos rule the roost. That’s why, when you lift the bonnet of Oliver Aitken’s R53 you will find a snail in place of a supercharger, and this homebrew build is serving up some serious boost.

Family Ties

“I’ve been interested in Minis for about five years,” Oli begins as we chat, which is, funnily enough, how long he’s owned his Cooper S. “I always liked the R50/R53 first generation of BMW Minis as my parents had one from new. A couple of mates of mine had some and when I realized the R53s were very cheap, I saw my opportunity to own one and got this one for £1300,” he smiles.

“I decided to get one because I kind of knew the R53 was a unique and solid platform for an enjoyable hot hatch. It wasn’t until I got one that I realized its true potential,” Oli grins.

“The models have aged very well and still stand up considering some are 20 years old now. Tritec over-engineered this engine, so it can easily push double its factory output with the right mods. The car handles very well when standard, too,” he adds, and those are just some of the reasons why we love Minis.

While Oli has owned and modded a selection of cars before acquiring his Cooper S (his first car was a Polo that he dropped on some coilovers) when he picked up his bargain R53 he certainly had no idea that it was going to become a serious project. “I didn’t really have any plans, just coilovers and wheels I guess – I definitely didn’t think it would end up this far,” he laughs, but that’s all part of the modding journey.

First Mods

Oli wasted no time in getting stuck into the mods, opting for a set of BC Racing coilovers for their adjustable damping and ride height. He fit them on his first night with the car, then got straight into the performance upgrades.

“Firstly, back when it was supercharged, I did all the bolt-on mods, starting with a 17% pulley. I knew the easiest way to increase performance out of my R53 was to reduce the ’charger pulley and wanted to see what all the hype was about. I did that, and the car didn’t seem to be any better. After a bit of head-scratching I realized the bypass valve was broken and stuck wide open,” he laughs. “I fitted a new one from 1320 Mini and, wow, what a difference! The next addition was an Airtec top-mount intercooler and a Newman Phase 2 camshaft. I chose that cam for its top-end punch, which was great for a drop-in,” Oli enthuses.

“After this, I got a ported cylinder head from Pro-werx, as the standard exhaust ports restrict this engine quite a bit. Then I swapped the earlier gearbox for a BKL facelift gearbox for the limited-slip differential with shorter ratios (well worth the money). Finally came tuning at 1320 Mini, along with some Bosch 550cc injectors, and the car left with 230hp,” says Oli.

Turbo Conversion

That’s a healthy number, but he’d got a taste for power, and he wanted more. “Despite the 230hp I still wanted more grunt, and after seeing all the turbo R53s I knew that was the only way to go if I wanted some big power and serious performance,” he grins. So, Oli and his dad began the turbo build, which took them a year to complete.

“I bought a supposed ‘turbo kit’ off Facebook and pieced together all of the missing items. The kit I bought consisted of a Garrett GT2871R turbo, 3” downpipe, top-mount ABF manifold, GRS intercooler and pipework and a couple of bits and bobs, the basics,” says Oli. “The engine came out, I sold all the supercharger parts and then began fitting the manifold, turbo and auxiliaries. It could have stayed in but was easier for some of the more tricky jobs,” he explains.

“Luckily, I had someone who lived close by that could do some alloy welding for the sump oil return, oil feed and inlet throttle body plate. One of my good mates refreshed all the bottom end bearings and fitted the APR rod bolts on the engine while I was at work. Top bloke,” he grins. “I used the Cooper water pump, alternator tensioner and belt system for reliability, and once the engine was back in and starting on the key, I opted for a full Airtec front-mount intercooler and rad package that fitted nicely and was a great addition to the build,” Oli says.

ECU Tuning

“When it came to mapping, I was set on getting the Cooper S tuned back at 1320 Mini, but I realized St Neots was just too far and expensive to get the car trailered there, so I started looking around for somewhere a little closer to home. I noticed a company in Somerset called PV Engineering that had a compound ’charged R53, which seemed like madness, so I figured they were the right people for the job,” Oli smiles.

“After talking to the guys at PV Engineering, I decided I should go for a Link G4 ECU, as the stock ECU would start to struggle and limit power. We used a MAC 3 bar map sensor for boost control. The car left PV Engineering with 307hp and 251lb ft of torque, but they capped the outputs for safety due to the 550cc injectors. Hopefully, I’ll be back next year for some 1000ccs and 340hp+. But for now, it’s plenty!” he laughs.

“The drive home was immense, considering I had been driving a 50hp Skoda for the past year! The ECU tune completely transformed the car, which now makes all the right noises,” grins Oli, and we totally get where that grin is coming from. A lot of work went into this conversion, and a lot of time too, but the end result was absolutely worth the wait. Even though there’s still more potential to unlock, Oli is over the moon with his turbocharged Mini monster.

Handling Mods

While the engine dominates this build, Oli has not neglected the rest of his Cooper S, and this is very much a complete build.

The BC Racing coilovers sorted out the handling and the stance, but with Oli less than impressed with the stock brakes, they soon made way for a set of R56 JCW Brembo front calipers along with Ferodo rotors and pads, plus braided lines. Oli found the Advanti Racing wheels for £100 on Facebook Marketplace and deemed them too much of a bargain to pass up. That they suit the look of the build perfectly is a bonus, but what matters is that he wrapped them in Toyo R888R rubber.

Aesthetic Mods

In terms of styling, Oli gave this modified Mini Cooper S R53 a few tweaks, but he was keen not to go too far. “I wanted the modifications to be very subtle, just to look like a standard JCW 210, really. It’s nice to see the look on people’s faces when it moves and makes turbo noises,” he laughs.

This Cooper S has got Aero bumpers front and rear, along with Aero grilles, angel eye sidelights and a GP rear wing, giving it a little more presence without going overboard. On the inside, meanwhile, Oli has added a pair of extremely sexy Cobra recliner bucket seats, and they are the only seats you will find in the car as the rears have been removed. The battery has been relocated to the boot to aid with weight distribution, there’s a Coolerworx short-shifter with a red gear knob, and the finishing touch is a boost gauge to the right of the rev counter.

This modified Mini Cooper S R53 is an extremely impressive build for so many reasons. There’s the fact that this is Oli’s first Mini, so he’s set the bar pretty high, and the fact that almost everything was done by him and his dad in the family garage, which makes the end result all the more satisfying. And what an end result that is.

When Oli fits a set of 1000cc injectors next year and cranks the power up to 340hp the project will be truly complete, but there’s no rush – his main priority is to enjoy the fruits of his labours, and we bet they taste pretty sweet.

With thanks to Performance Mini magazine. Photos: Rich Pearce.

Tech Spec: Modified Mini Cooper S R53

Engine:

1.6-litre Tritec, Garrett GT2871R turbo, Pro-werx ported and polished cylinder head, stock valves, Airtec R53 turbo front-mount intercooler and radiator kit, Newman Phase 2 camshaft, ABF 3” downpipe, 3” R56 exhaust, Vibra-Technics engine mount, ABF top-mount tubular turbo manifold, modified OEM inlet manifold, Majesty seven-row oil cooler, Mishimoto 85°C oil thermostat, stock pistons and rods, ARP rod bolts, Victor Reinz head studs, King big end bearings, Bosch 550cc injectors, 8mm HT leads, NGK spark plugs, SuperPro poly bush upper and lower engine mounts, OMP strut brace, R50 dipstick, Link G4+ ECU, Link CAN lambda, MAC 3 bar boost solenoid

Power and Torque:

307hp and 251lb ft

Transmission:

BKL LSD facelift six-speed manual gearbox, Clutch Masters FX400 clutch, TTV lightened flywheel

Suspension:

BC Racing coilovers

Brakes:

R56 JCW Brembo front calipers, Ferodo discs and pads, R56 braided brake lines, R53 rear calipers with EBC Greenstuff pads

Wheels & Tires:

17” Advanti Racing wheels with 215/45 Toyo Proxes R888R tires

Interior:

Cobra recliner bucket seats, Coolerworx short-shifter, rear seat delete, battery relocated to boot, boost gauge

Exterior:

Aero bumpers and grilles, GP rear wing, angel eye sidelights

The post Modified Mini Cooper S R53 With 300hp appeared first on Fast Car.

Does the Chemical Guys Sticky Snowball snow foam do enough to impress Fast Car’s resident detailing enthusiast? Here’s Buffy’s in-depth review…

How I tested Chemical Guys Sticky Snowball Ultra Snow Foam Car Wash

First of all, I used a cotton pad to perform a swipe test to get an idea of how dirty my car was before. Then I applied Chemical Guys Sticky Snowball via a snow foam lance. I followed the instructions for both dilution and dwell time, using the smallest amount of product the instructions recommended. Finally, I rinsed it off and performed another swipe test in the same area to see how much dirt was left.

First Impressions

You can’t deny that Chemical Guys certainly knows how to present its products well. From the smart-looking label to the shimmery, iridescent liquid in the bottle, it all makes a very good first impression. Then there’s the flip-lid bottle, which is good for easier pouring. And finally, there’s the lovely marzipan scent. It all makes you keen to give the product a go.

Features

Chemical Guys Sticky Snowball is advertised as being both a shampoo and a snow foam. I like the versatility because it means you don’t necessarily need to buy a separate shampoo. This immediately makes the product good value for money. Chemical Guys says Sticky Snowball is pH-balanced, which I assume means it has a pH of 7. This means it going to be coating-safe.

Sticky Snowball also features gloss enhancers designed to leave a just-waxed shine. The marketing information also says that it has paint conditioners that help it resist water spots and streaking while drying. I have to admit that it certainly sounds impressive, and I was eager to see how it would perform.

What’s It Like To Use Chemical Guys Sticky Snowball Ultra Snow Foam Car Wash

I tested Sticky Snowball as its lowest recommended concentration and it was disappointing. Perhaps it would fare better used as a shampoo, but as a pre-wash, it just doesn’t cut it. While the foam it produced was certainly very clingy, it didn’t seem to do much cleaning. The point of a snow foam is to make washing easier, and Sticky Snowball did not impress me here.

It’s well-priced, at least, and good value. But only if you use it in its lowest concentration. At 1 fl oz per wash, you’ll get just over 15 washes from 16.9 fl. oz, which means 30 per liter. Even the higher concentration of 2 fl. oz will give you 15 washes per liter of product.

However, based on its performance, you’d need to use it at its highest concentration to get any sort of meaningful results. As a shampoo, Chemical Guys recommends 1-2 fl. oz per 5 gallons, so you could use 0.5-1 fl. oz in half that amount of water. That’s very good, so you’ll certainly get your money’s worth with Sticky Snowball.

The Verdict

Chemical Guys Sticky Snowball Ultra Snow Foam Car Wash is not a good pre-wash. It just doesn’t have the cleaning power you need, and it’s disappointing. A little goes a long way, though, and I’m confident it would perform well when used as a shampoo. So, if you want it for that purpose, be sure to check out price comparisons for your region below. However, as a pre-wash, it is simply outmatched by its many more powerful rivals.

The post Chemical Guys Sticky Snowball Snow Foam Review appeared first on Fast Car.

I took Angelwax Fastfoam Snow Foam for a thorough test to see if its performance is heavenly, or whether it needs to be banished to detailing Hell.

How I tested Angelwax Fastfoam Snow Foam

After performing a swipe test to see how dirty my car was to start with, I used a snow foam lance to apply Angelwax Fastfoam. I followed the dilution and dwell instructions to make sure I mixed everything together correctly, and then used the smallest amount of product the instructions recommended. Finally, after rinsing the car down again, a second swipe test would see how much dirt was left.

First Impressions

Angelwax Fast Foam comes in a big, industrial-looking bottle, filled with green liquid. It’s not sexy, but certainly looks like it means business. It looks like something a comic book villain would have in their secret factory. Whether that’s a good thing or not is up to you to decide. And is Angelwax Fastfoam heaven-scent? No. A quick sniff reveals it has a very chemical smell. That’s fine, Bilt Hamber’s snow foam offerings are also no-frills products, and they are my favourite pre-washes. All Angelwax has to do is impress me with its cleaning power, the fancy bottles and pleasant smells don’t count for anything here.

Features

Honestly, I have no idea. The Angelwax website is very light on information about Fastfoam. There’s no mention of pH, so I’m not going to hazard a guess here. All I can tell you is that Fastfoam is super-concentrated, according to the website. Also, it has been designed to deliver a thick blanket of foam that sticks to the bodywork.

What’s It Like To Use Angelwax Fastfoam Snow Foam?

Angelwax Fastfoam is billed as ‘Professional, Detailing Foam’, so I had high hopes. Despite its claims, I didn’t get the thickest of foam. It did cling to the panel well, though, and lasted for quite some time. After rinsing, the swipe test revealed that it had managed to shift some dirt. In terms of value, used at a ratio of 1:9, you’ll get 10 washes from the 1-liter bottle, which is not bad.

The Verdict

Angelwax Fastfoam snow foam was fine. That’s all I can say, really. Its cleaning performance was pretty average. Its value for money is okay. There are certainly worse snow foams out there. But there are also much better ones. It’s not bad, but there are some products that clean better and others that are better value. So it’s hard to recommend this, to be completely honest.

That said, if you do fancy picking it up, you can check out price comparisons for your region below:

The post Angelwax Fastfoam Snow Foam Review appeared first on Fast Car.

How We Tested The Autoglym Polar Blaster Snow Foamer

I took this snow foam lance for a test drive during one of my regular car detailing sessions. The first job was to fill the bottle up with my preferred choice of snow foam, Bilt-Hamber, which won our best snow foam test. When applying it to the car, I observed how easy it was to use, how much adjustability the nozzle has, the overall quality of the product and how it performed. When conducting these tests, I’m always on the lookout for lots of foam and nice features that make detailing easier.

Editor’s Note

Having served as the editor of Performance BMW and now Total BMW, Elizabeth certainly knows her cars. She also loves detailing them too, which makes one of us on the team… This makes her the perfect person to test detailing products like this one.

Autoglym Polar Blaster Snow Foamer RRP: $50.77, buy now. £45.99, buy now.

First Impressions

The Autoglym Polar Blaster Snow Foamer has a very distinctive look. There’s the dark purple color scheme, which I’m a big fan of. Then there’s the nozzle, with its angular ridges for grip. Above all else, it feels very solid and expensive, as it should at this price point. Handle this snow foam cannon, and you feel like it justifies its asking price.

Features

Unfortunately, this is where the Autoglym Polar Blaster Snow Foamer falls short. There are definitely a lot of things I like about it. I really like the neck grip, which makes the wide bottle easy to grab and hold with wet hands when it’s full. Also, the bottle opening is huge, which makes it very easy to fill. In addition to that, the adjuster knob makes it clear to understand which way you need to turn for more foam. And the nozzle has a lovely, slick action, and is smooth and easy to use.

The pick-up hose is softer than others, but it lacks a filter. There’s no horizontal or vertical adjustment, either. And, worst of all, there’s no measuring scale on the bottle whatsoever. I appreciate that Autoglym intends the Polar Blaster Snow Foamer to be used with its Polar range of products. However, people are going to want to use it with other snow foams.

This means you have to use a measuring beaker when filling it. Or you can draw a scale on the side like I did. At this price point, that’s a massive oversight.

What’s It Like To Use The Autoglym Polar Blaster Snow Foamer?

The lack of features is even more frustrating when you realize how nice this snow foam cannon is to use. It produces loads of foam, and everything about it is so satisfying. The bottle design is great, the nozzle feels so nice to adjust, and it’s virtually impossible to fault in that respect.

I also get the feeling that it won’t suffer from damage overtime if looked after, although only time will tell on that aspect.

Autoglym Polar Blaster Snow Foamer Verdict

The Autoglym Polar Blaster Snow Foamer feels expensive and is lovely to use. However, it lacks the sort of features you expect to see at this price point. And the lack of a measuring scale is just baffling. It’s a very nice snow foam lance in principle, but it’s also very hard to recommend for this price.

However, if you’ve seen enough to convince you it’s the right snow foam lance for your particular detailing setup, you can buy below:

RRP: $50.77, buy now. £45.99, buy now.

The post Autoglym Polar Blaster Snow Foamer Review appeared first on Fast Car.

When it comes to car detailing, having a good performing snow foam makes the job a whole lot easier. Let’s take a moment to think about this. Despite using a pressure washer, you won’t be able to tackle the dirtiest areas until you begin your contact wash with shampoo. The issue here is that no matter what wash mitt you use, you’re still making contact with dirt on the car’s paintwork, leaving it vulnerable to paint damage and light scratch marks. The job of the snow foam is to start to lift the dirt from the body so that when you come to use the pressure washer to remove the mixture, the dirt lifts off with it. As a result, there is a lower chance of you damaging the paintwork during the contact wash.

How I Tested Koch Chemie Gentle Snow Foam

Initially, I wanted to see how much dirt was on the vehicle before I used any product. To do this, I used a clean cotton pad and performed a swipe test to gauge the cleanliness. I used the manufacturer’s recommendations when it came to both dilution and dwell time and used a snow foam lance to apply the snow foam. Finally, I rinsed it off and performed another swipe test in the same area to see how much dirt was left.

Koch Chemie Gentle Snow Foam (1-liter) RRP: $30.99, buy now! £17.65, buy now!

First Impressions

Koch Chemie’s no-frills yellow and grey bottles have a sense of Germanic seriousness about them. The smallest size of Gentle Snow Foam you can get your hands on is a hefty 1-liter. Open the bottle, and you’re greeted by a delicious cherry scent that caught me off guard. I was expecting someone far more business-like in scent, like Bilt Hamber’s Touch-Less, so the tasty cherry scent was a welcome surprise.

Koch Chemie Gentle Snow Foam Features

Koch Chemie Gentle Snow Foam is a dual-purpose product that doubles up as a snow foam and shampoo. That’s great if you’re on a budget, as you can potentially just buy one product that does two jobs for you. However, from personal experience, I have found that detailing products that can be used as both pre-wash and shampoo are never that great at both those functions.

Snow foam that cleans properly is pretty aggressive stuff, and you certainly wouldn’t want to be sticking your hands in it while washing your car, so there has to be a compromise somewhere. The fact that this is called Gentle Snow Foam and is a coating-friendly pH-neutral pre-wash meant I immediately wasn’t expecting stellar cleaning performance.

What’s It Like To Use Koch Chemie Gentle Snow Foam?

Koch’s snow foam impressed me with its good levels of foam, and it had an impressively long dwell time. It looked like it would have happily stuck around on the bodywork for a lot longer. However, as I expected, the cleaning performance just wasn’t there. It did remove a bit of dirt from the paint. But this would not be a snow foam I would ever reach for if heavy-duty cleaning was required.

Where it really impressed me, though, was in terms of value for money. You only need 0.7 fl. oz of the snow foam in a 1-liter snow foam lance. At that dilution ratio, you’ll get 50 washes from your 1-liter bottle, and that makes it exceptional value for money.

Koch Chemie Gentle Snow Foam Verdict

While its cleaning performance is only average, you can’t ignore Koch Chemie Gentle Snow Foam’s value for money. Its dual-purpose design is also worthy of note. It’s not a snow foam I’m going to be using personally. However, if you’re on a budget and your car is never that dirty, it’s worth a look.

Koch Chemie Gentle Snow Foam (1-liter) RRP: $30.99, buy now! £17.65, buy now!

The post Koch Chemie Gentle Snow Foam Review appeared first on Fast Car.

How I Tested The MJJC Pro V2 Snow Foam Cannon

Simple – I used this snow foam cannon during one of my frequent detailing sessions. I used it to apply my favorite snow foam and observed how well it performed, and how easy it was to use. I want to see lots of foam, nice features that make detailing easier, and a snow foam cannon that I want to use. As this cannon is on the more expensive side, I wanted to see extra features and plenty of adjustability. Remember, a snow foam cannon is only as good as the snow foam you’re using. So for advice on those, be sure to check out our guide to the best snow foam.

RRP: $89/£46.95.Buy Now

Editor’s Note:

Elizabeth is the perfect person to test detailing products for Fast Car. She takes pride in detailing her own cars to a high standard, and has been an automotive writer for more than a decade.

First Impressions of the MJJC Pro V2 Snow Foam Cannon

From the moment you handle this snow foam cannon, it impresses. Everything about it feels solid and well-made. This is a snow foam cannon that feels like it’s going to last. As you can see, it’s got a bottle with a wide base, which I consider an essential foam cannon feature.

There’s nothing worse than a cheap foam cannon with a narrow bottle that topples over all the time. A wide base makes it nice and stable, so you can happily pop it down while you’re detailing. It does mean your foam cannon takes up a little more space when you’re storing it. But that’s barely even a gripe.

I like that the foam adjuster makes it clear which way you need to turn it to get more foam. It might seem like a simple thing, but it takes the guesswork out of using this snow foam cannon. The adjuster has ridges that are easy to grip with wet hands, too. The bottle has a nice wide neck, too, which makes filling it easier and less messy.

Features

A top-level snow foam cannon needs some fancy features, and the MJJC Pro V2 delivers. First of all, you get horizontal and vertical adjustments. This might seem like a gimmick, but detailing is about working smarter, not harder. Anything that makes your life easier and makes washing your car quicker, is always welcome.

I absolutely love the action of the adjusters. The spray pattern adjuster is a little looser, so it’s easier to turn mid-wash. The horizontal/vertical adjuster, meanwhile, is tighter. This means that you won’t accidentally change the spray orientation while adjusting the pattern. That’s the sort of attention to detail I appreciate.

The pick-up hose is also excellent. It’s soft and flexible and also has a weighted filter at the end. First of all, this helps to keep any dirt and debris out of the lance. Secondly, the combo of soft hose and weighted filter means this snow foam cannon will always be able to pick up your foam solution.

Whichever way you tilt it, the pick-up hose will always fall towards where the snow foam solution is pooling. This makes it incredibly satisfying to use and makes your life that little bit easier.

What’s It Like to Use The MJJC Pro V2 Snow Foam Cannon

In terms of performance, the MJJC Pro V2 snow foam cannon does not disappoint. It delivers plenty of foam and has a wide range of spray pattern adjustments. It’s conveniently sized and doesn’t topple over under it’s own weight. That sounds silly, but when you’re pouring solution into the container and it starts to topple over, you end up wasting the solution and getting it all on the outside of the bottle. Which over time dries up and leaves a smell… That being said, it’s not all plain sailing for the MJJC Pro V2.

Downsides to the MJJC Snow Foam Cannon

The only downsides I can think of are the lack of a neck grip on the bottle. As it’s quite wide, it can be a bit slippery to hold with wet hands.

The measuring scale on the bottle only goes up in 100ml increments and only has numbering at 500 and 1000ml. This means it’s a little fiddly to work out smaller dilutions and to see exactly how much you’ve poured in. But these are incredibly minor moans.

MJJC Pro V2 Snow Foam Cannon Verdict

The MJJC Pro V2 Snow Foam Cannon is absolutely superb. It’s packed with impressive features, and it’s great to wash with. It’s easily the best snow foam cannon I’ve ever used, and worth every penny. I voted it the best overall product in our snow foam lance test for the fact that it genuinely is the best on the market.

Check out regional price comparisons below:

The post MJJC Pro V2 Snow Foam Cannon Review appeared first on Fast Car.

How We Tested Griot’s Garage Foaming Surface Wash

First of all, I used a cotton pad to perform a swipe test to get an idea of how dirty my car was before. I then applied Foaming Surface Wash snow foam via a snow foam lance. I followed the instructions for both dilution and dwell time. I then rinsed it off and performed another swipe test in the same area to see how much dirt was left.

RRP: $21.99, buy now! £24.99, buy now! 

Griot’s Garage Foaming Surface Wash First Impressions

Griot’s Garage uses distinctive bottles that look like no one else’s, and I like that individuality. The design makes them a little unwieldy, but I admire the commitment to brand identity. There’s no two ways about it – Foaming Surface Wash looks weird. It’s milky and watery, and, much like the packaging, it’s unlike any snow foam I’ve tried before. It smells glorious, though, and its scent matches its color, serving up a rich coconut aroma. I love it.

Features

So what we have here is a pH-neutral snow foam, which immediately makes me concerned. PH-neutral products never have the punch of their more alkaline counterparts. That means pH-neutral pre-washes are at something of a disadvantage from the get-go. However, Griot’s Garage Foaming Surface Wash does have a trick up its sleeve. According to the website, it features a dual-layer foam composition. Honestly, while I understand the principle, I’m not quite sure how that actually works.

Griot’s says that this delivers a longer dwell time and better cleaning action. The primary foam softens the road film and traps dirt, allowing the secondary foam to carry it away. I must admit, I was somewhat skeptical, but there was nothing to do but test it out.

What’s It Like To Use Griot’s Garage Foaming Surface Wash?

There are lots of different instructions on the bottle for applying Foaming Surface Wash using different methods. I opted to follow the instructions for the Griot’s The Boss Foam Cannon as it looks like a normal snow foam lance. That required me to use 1.6 fl. oz in my snow foam cannon. Despite looking so watery in the bottle, the foam had a nice consistency. And while I may have been skeptical of that dual foam business, it seemed to work.

Foaming Surface Wash stayed on the panel for a long time, and despite its pH-neutral formula, it delivered impressive cleaning performance. I was honestly surprised at how good it was, and it gave really good results. And at this dilution, you’ll get 20 washes per liter, which is not bad at all.

Griot’s Garage Snow Foam Verdict

I started out skeptical, but after using Griot’s Garage Foaming Surface Wash I came away impressed. It cleans far better than I expected, smells gorgeous, and offers good value for money, too. The ultimate accolade for any product I test is that it makes it into my detailing collection, and Griot’s Garage Foaming Surface Wash has done just that.

RRP: $21.99, buy now! £24.99, buy now! Check out regional price comparisons below:

The post Griot’s Garage Foaming Surface Wash Snow Foam Review appeared first on Fast Car.

Auto Finesse have been a hugely popular brand over the last 5-10 years, and they make some cracking products. Today, I’m testing the Auto Finesse Snow Foam Lance to see how well it stacks up against the competition.

How We Tested The Auto Finesse Snow Foam Lance

I detail my cars quite regularly, so I used the Auto Finesse Snow Foam Lance during one of those sessions. I filled it up with my favorite snow foam and observed how well it performed, and how easy it was to use. The things that make for a good snow foam lance include lots of foam being dispersed and nice features that make detailing easier. Having the option to widen the nozzle is useful, as is the option to thicken or loosen the mixture coming out. 

Editor’s Note: 

With a huge passion for car detailing and more than almost two decades of writing experience under her belt, Elizabeth is the ideal candidate to take care of Fast Car’s detailing product reviews.

Auto Finesse Snow Foam Lance First Impressions

If you’re on board with Auto Finesse’s distinctive color scheme, then this is arguably one of the sexiest snow foam cannons around. It’s got a sleek and aesthetically pleasing design that other lances lack. It also looks big, and that’s because it is, much bigger than other snow foam cannons. It’s very solid and feels like a high-quality piece of detailing kit.

Features

Unlike most snow foam cannons, which usually have a 1-liter bottle, Auto Finesse’s Snow Foam Lance has a 1.5-liter bottle. While 1 liter has always been enough for me, having the extra capacity is useful.

If you want to clean more than one car or are cleaning something very large, then this is the perfect snow foam cannon for you. It also has a nice wide base for stability and a decent-sized filler neck. The pick-up hose also has a filter, which is a nice bonus.

What’s It Like To Use The Auto Finesse Snow Foam Lance?

I have no complaints about how the Auto Finesse Snow Foam Lance performs. It serves up plenty of nice thick foam, which is just what you want. I love the action of the spray pattern adjuster, and it’s nice and big and easy to grip and turn. The lack of a neck grip on the big bottle is a bit annoying, though. It’s big and heavy when full, which makes holding it with wet hands a little tricky. Matt, editor of Fast Car, uses the older style Auto Finesse snow foam lance, which is narrower and taller. It suffers a similar fate however as it’s top heavy it doesn’t always stand. The newer design is welcomed. 

There’s no horizontal and vertical adjustment here, and while it’s not essential, you’d expect to see it at this price point. Also, the measuring scale is vague, only starting at 250ml and only having markers at 250ml increments, which is annoying.

Auto Finesse Snow Foam Lance Verdict

The Auto Finesse Snow Foam Lance is very nice, and I came away really liking it, despite the lack of features. It feels really nice to use, and I like the fact that you’ll (probably) never run out of snow foam. But the various minor gripes add up to stop it from being really excellent. It’s still good, but a few tweaks to the design would make it great.

You can get your hands on one directly from Auto Finesse’s website for $62.95 here. For UK customers, it retails at £35.99.

The post Auto Finesse Snow Foam Lance Review appeared first on Fast Car.

According to the 2023 World Happiness Report, Finland ranked as the world’s happiest country. In fact, Finland has been named the world’s happiest country for five years running now. Finland is also home to a large number of huge-horsepower turbocharged BMW builds. Coincidence? We think not…

We haven’t met Mikko Q, the owner of this modified BMW E30 turbo, but we can imagine him being a very happy person indeed. How could you possibly not be when you’ve built yourself an epic turbocharged E30 on this scale? It’s not just stupidly powerful either, we love the way it looks. It’s got poise and purpose like it’s about to launch itself at the horizon at any moment, which it probably is.

BMW love affair

Mikko’s day job is, in his own words, “IT stuff.” With what we imagine to be a sensible and strait-laced 9-5 (actually, most Finnish companies work 8-4, there’s a handy fact for you), we can picture him eagerly awaiting the weekend so that he can blow off some steam in his E30, and we can’t imagine a better form of stress relief than this. It’s certainly quite the step up from his first car, a 1991 Toyota Carina II, but BMWs are unquestionably a serious passion of his.

“I have always liked the look of the two-door E30 (and especially the M3),” says Mikko as we chat. “I don’t know why BMW, but for some reason, after acquiring the first one, I have slowly ended up in a situation where there are no other cars other than BMWs in the household,” he grins, and that’s what we like to hear. And, when Mikko says his is a BMW household, he really isn’t kidding.

Previous cars

“The other BMWs are three E30s (one project, one for parts, plus one for driving on the ice in wintertime), an E28 which might end up as a project one day, and an E38 (which will be dismantled for parts and is donating its engine for my future project). The daily drivers are an E39 530d Sport Touring and an E60 530i,” he says with a smile, and that’s the sort of dedication to the blue and white roundel we like to see.

Of course, what we’re really interested in is this E30, and while we’ve already established that it’s a bit special, there’s a lot of detail to get into with this build. “This E30 is actually the first BMW I bought,” smiles Mikko as we chat. “A long time ago, I decided that as soon as my life situation allows and I would have premises where I could work, one should be acquired for a project. The pieces fell into place in the summer of 2012, after which I could start the hunt for a suitable candidate,” Mikko explains.

Buying the BMW E30

“I wanted a two-door, original 325i, pre-facelift – I searched for more than half a year but with no luck. At the beginning of 2013, I got word that a friend of a friend of a friend of mine had an unfinished project E30, which could be for sale at a reasonable price. This information turned out to be correct, and I arranged a meeting with the owner to see the car.

“The car was a two-door pre-facelift 323i, and the inspection papers had a note about a larger displacement engine swap in the early 1990s. The person selling it had owned the car for more than six years, out of which the last five years it hadn’t been driven and was a project. Virtually everything that could be removed was removed and what was left was the bare shell, along with the chassis.

Lots of corrosion repairs had been done, and a full roll-cage was about 85% fitted. After that, the motivation for the project faded away, and the car had been left on axle stands in the garage, awaiting its fate. Given the amount of work already carried out on the project, the current condition of the chassis, and the asking price, I simply couldn’t refuse, and the deal was done. However, I was a little nervous about the fact that I hadn’t dismantled a car by myself before, and I had no prior experience with E30s, so how would I get it all back together…” says Mikko, but that clearly wasn’t a problem.

Turbocharging the modified BMW E30

“Once the chassis was moved to my garage, the only clear vision I had in mind was that the car would become a turbocharged summer toy,” grins Mikko. “Turning that vision into reality eventually took about two and a half years to complete.

At that stage, I had no idea what it really meant to build a car from those starting points. It took a lot more time than I could have ever imagined to make the car the way I wanted it to be. The chassis came with a very limited number of parts so, for example, I ended up buying a second donor car for the project plus dismantling parts from at least half a dozen different donor cars around my area. As a result, my circle of BMW acquaintances/friends expanded quite a bit,” he chuckles.

No part left unturned on the E30 project

“The approach I took with the project was clear: if it was a used part, it was thoroughly inspected and reconditioned. All the worn-out parts were replaced. My bank account balance really liked this approach,” he laughs. “The goal during the project was also to do as much as possible by myself and not just buy finished bolt-on parts, though I had only limited previous knowledge/experience. Fortunately, I had some friends who already had some knowledge of car building at that point, from whom I got some good tips and help,” he says, and when a project brings in your friends, it becomes that much more special.

The biggest part of this modified BMW E30 Turbo is, without a doubt, the engine. It’s not just what makes this car so awesome, it’s also been the driving force behind the project, and what’s kept Mikko pushing for ever more power, taking this E30 further and making it faster at every turn.

Engine tuning on the modified BMW E30 turbo

The initial build saw Mikko hit 500hp in 2015, and after pouring an incredible amount of time and work into the modified BMW E30 turbo, that was a thrilling moment for him. “In the same summer, I went (out of pure interest) to try out the standing mile for the first time at the Lappeenranta Aviation Days. I did a couple of runs, and the best one was measured at 282km/h (175mph).

After that event, I could say that something changed in me, and I set myself a new goal: to try and break the 300km/h mark. In retrospect, this can be said to have been the moment when the focus and mindset had shifted towards a top-speed build,” says Mikko, and that determination has shaped the car you see before you.

Top speed runs

Mikko’s first time hitting – and exceeding – his goal was in 2017, when the car, in 755hp trim, smashed the 300km/h barrier. “The radar reading was 312 km/h. My friend, who was sitting in the passenger seat during the run, swore that he would never get into the car again,” he laughs. And that’s where this story could have ended, but with this build, it’s fair to say that Mikko was in too deep to see a way out, so all he could do was to keep going.

“The goal had been achieved, I thought. I had more than enough long days and nights in the garage, I thought. Maybe I should concentrate on something else than cars for a while, I thought,” he says. “Well, as you might have guessed, on the drive home from the event, I delighted(?) my wife with an idea: ‘What if it was just a little bit faster?’” he laughs, and that is what resulted in the car reaching this stage in its evolution.

Chasing records

“I spent a ‘few’ evenings in the garage over the following winter,” Mikko chuckles. “I upgraded all the brakes, replaced the camshafts, built a new dual-plenum-style intake manifold and made other minor repairs. In the spring, during a two-day dyno tuning session, I also upgraded the intercooler. All that work paid off, and the result was over 900hp in the modified BMW E30 turbo. The summer of 2018 was memorable,” he smiles. “In the spring, I did a new personal best in the standing mile when the car reached a speed of 325 km/h.

I won the top speed competition at Bimmerparty (the largest BMW event in the Nordic countries) with a very close gap to second: only a 1km/h difference in my favor. In the autumn, I decided to participate in one more standing mile event before the long winter ahead. The first run’s result: 335 km/h! That was enough to make the car the fastest BMW over a standing mile in Finland (and it still is),” he smiles proudly, and that’s over 208mph in an modified BMW E30 turbo!

The funny thing is that since his insane top-speed run, Mikko has carried out some further mods, taking the car to an unbelievable level of performance. The engine is a mix of M50 and M52, with forged JE pistons, Eagle H-profile con rods, Enem cams, King Racing bearings, and the aforementioned dual-plenum-style intake manifold. There’s a twin-scroll exhaust manifold for the massive 72mm turbo, a huge 600mm custom front-mount intercooler running a Garrett core, and a seriously beefy E85 fuel system, which features one Carter and two AEM pumps, a custom ReWoN Motors fuel rail and monster 2200cc injectors.

Transmission issues

Having blown a gearbox after his record-breaking run Mikko’s new transmission has been built to ensure it can handle what his engine is putting out. The ’box itself is a six-speed GS6-53DZ that’s been mated to a custom flywheel with a Tilton twin-plate cerametallic clutch, there’s a custom 3” propshaft, a BMW Type 210 LSD with modified ramp angles and a custom-made diff mount, and custom PPF driveshafts. Finally, there’s a transmission and flywheel safety blanket and three driveshaft safety loops to ensure that should anything go bang, no one is going to get hurt.

Dyno sessions for the modified BMW E30 turbo

After carrying out his upgrades, it was time to get some numbers down on the modified BMW E30 turbo. “The dyno trip, which had become a tradition almost every spring, began to take on tragicomic elements by the time the fourth pair of rear tires (borrowed from the daily driver) were fitted. The previous three pairs had given up on the rollers in different ways as the tuning and dyno sessions had progressed. With the last available pair of tires I had, the increase in boost pressure above 2.5 bar finally brought the desired result: over 1000hp and over 1000Nm (738lb ft) of torque. Maybe that’s enough for the time being…” he chuckles.

We see a lot of powerful BMs gracing this website, but we will always be impressed when we see numbers that big because they’re just incredible, and Mikko’s build is an absolute beast.

Chassis modifications

Of course, power is nothing without control, so there have been plenty of additional mods applied beneath the surface to ensure that the rest of the E30 can cope when Mikko unleashes hell, and that includes the E36 steering rack that’s been fitted and modified for increased steering angle. “I wanted to have plenty of adjustability, so that’s why I went with the BC Racing suspension and H&R anti-roll bars,” he explains. “Some of the modifications have been dictated by some other mods I have chosen to do. For example, to fit this size of exhaust system on an E30 required some ‘adjustments’ to the firewall and passenger-side footwell,” grins Mikko.

Where most people would be winding their coilovers down to get their BM sitting as low as possible, this modified BMW E30 turbo build is very different, and so the suspension has been set up to deliver what is best to get all the power to the ground, and we love the raked stance it results in. The brakes, meanwhile, utilize E36 325tds calipers with 284mm discs up front and 272mm items at the back, along with Ferodo DS2500 brake pads, HEL braided lines, and there’s also an E32 750iL master cylinder.

Modified BMW E30 turbo styling upgrades

In terms of styling, there’s a lot to like here. “Many of the exterior-related decisions are coming directly from the M3, like the bumpers and rear spoiler,” says Mikko. “I didn’t want to go full-on replica with the car, though, because at the end of the day (sadly), it is not an M3. I just wanted to have some elements from it, and the rest I decided whatever looked good in my eyes,” he explains, and it works for us.

As well as the M3-look front and rear bumpers, Mikko has added OEM E30 Touring side skirts, he’s had the front and rear arches widened, the side moldings have been removed and smoothed, the lights have been blacked out across the car while a pair of AeroCatch fasteners hold the bonnet in place, and the whole car has been treated to a respray in its original shade of black.

And then, of course, we have the wheels. “In my opinion, those wheels fit perfectly for an E30. I just love the look,” says Mikko, and we wholeheartedly agree. He’s opted for a set of 16” Borbet As, measuring 7.5” across at the front and 9” across at the rear, and they look awesome. They are iconic period wheels which are just perfect for this car, especially wrapped in fat rubber for that purposeful square sidewall look.

Interior upgrades on the modified BMW E30 Turbo

Finally, we come to the interior or, as Mikko laughs, “Interior? What interior?! As the previous owner had already started fitting a full roll-cage, I basically started following that path and kept the interior kind of ‘race-spec’. I haven’t really regretted that decision as it turned out to be a very good call after I got excited about driving fast on the standing mile,” he adds. As Mikko says, the interior has been fully stripped to keep things nice and light, and everything that has been fitted has been added for the purpose of driving this E30 as fast as possible.

A pair of Sparco Pro 2000 seats ensure that Mikko and passenger are kept snugly in place, secured by a pair of matching four-point harnesses, with a Sparco steering wheel also added. Lightweight aluminum door cards replace the stock items, the fusebox has been moved from the engine bay to beneath the dash, and the car’s electronics have been mounted in place of the glovebox. A trio of auxiliary gauges show boost, AFR and oil pressure, and there’s also a hydro handbrake and a Coolerworx shifter.

What’s next?

By Mikko’s calculations, it took about two and a half years and over 1000 hours to get the car to its 500hp incarnation back in 2015, and you can see how much more work has gone into this build since then. It’s been a huge commitment and a huge part of Mikko’s life for a very long time. “I can’t name a single modification as a favorite one,” he muses as we chat. “I’m pleased with the whole thing: the way it looks and what it can do. And most importantly, many things I have done by myself without any prior knowledge or know-how, so I have really learned a lot during the years,” he adds with a satisfied smile.

“I doubt I’ll ever call it ‘finished’,” Mikko continues. “I have a Stroud Bonneville-spec brake parachute, which was a gift from friends in 2019 and is still on the shelf waiting for installation, plus a homemade front strut brace, a fire suppression system and 101 other plans,” he laughs. Not only that, but Mikko is currently building a second E30 for his wife, so he’s going to have his hands full for the foreseeable future. But, that’s no hardship when E30s are your passion, and you’ve built yourself an incredible top-speed machine on this scale. And, with life returning to normal, you can bet Mikko and his beast of a build are going to be setting some new records together very soon.

Tech Spec: Modified BMW E30 Turbo

Engine:

M50/M52 straight-six hybrid; JE forged pistons with custom dimensions; Eagle H-profile con rods; Enem camshafts; double valve springs with custom Chromoly retainers by Rasis; Athena Cooper Ring head gasket; ARP bolts; 6mm steel support girdle for the main caps; King Racing crankshaft and con rod bearings; race-spec timing chains and oil pump with E36 M3 cam chain tensioner; chain tensioner added to oil pump chain; uprated crankcase ventilation system with custom homemade catch cans etc.

Homemade dual-plenum-style intake manifold; homemade twin-scroll exhaust manifold; homemade stainless steel exhaust comprising 4.5” downpipe and 4” piping to single rear silencer; 72mm turbo; 3” homemade boost pipes; 600x300x100mm homemade intercooler with Garrett core; JAZ safety fuel cell; homemade swirl pot; 1x Carter and 2x AEM fuel pumps; Nuke fuel filter; 0.5” PTFE fuel lines; ReWoN Motors custom fuel rail; Fuelab pressure regulator; 2200cc/min fuel injectors; running E85 only; ATDriveBoard ECU; IGN-1A coils; NGK surface discharge spark plugs.

Power & Torque:

1000hp+ and 738lb ft

Transmission:

BMW GS6-53DZ six-speed manual gearbox; custom flywheel by @mikkeee7; Tilton twin-plate cerametallic clutch; Coolerworx Pro short-shift; homemade 3” propshaft; BMW Type 210 LSD; modified ramp angles; homemade custom rear diff mount; PPF custom-made driveshafts with 128mm Chromoly CV joints; uprated OEM E30 rear axle and trailing arms; transmission/flywheel safety blanket; three driveshaft safety loops.

Chassis:

7.5×16” ET 20 (front) and 9×16” ET 15 (rear) Borbet A wheels with 205/45 Kumho Ecsta LE Sport KU39 (front) and 245/45 Toyo R888R (rear) tires; BC Racing BR Series suspension; H&R anti-roll bars; Powerflex bushes throughout; E36 steering rack modified for increased steering angle; E36 325tds calipers with 284mm (front) and 272mm (rear) discs; Ferodo DS2500 brake pads; E32 750iL brake master cylinder; HEL Performance braided brake lines all-around; hydraulic handbrake.

Exterior:

Full respray in original Jet black; widened arches front and rear; side-mouldings removed and smoothed; bonnet roundel removed and smoothed; homemade boot roundel; OEM E30 Touring side skirts; E30 M3-look bumpers modified/adapted to fit with other body modifications; E30 M3-look rear spoiler; tinted lights all-around; E46 side repeaters; AeroCatch bonnet fasteners.

Interior:

Fully stripped; full roll-cage; Sparco Pro 2000 seats; four-point harnesses and steering wheel; lightweight aluminium door panels; boost; AFR and oil pressure gauges; fuse box relocated beneath dashboard; electronics located in glovebox; firewall and passenger-side footwell modified to accommodate exhaust system.

Photos: Jape Tiitinen.

Prefer your modified E30s to have a cleaner style? Check this one out next!

The post Modified BMW E30 Turbo With Over 1000hp appeared first on Fast Car.

How I Tested Gtechniq W4 Citrus Foam

First of all, I used a cotton pad to perform a swipe test to get an idea of how dirty my car was before. I then applied W4 Citrus Foam via a snow foam lance. I followed the instructions for both dilution and dwell time. I then rinsed it off and performed another swipe test in the same area to see how much dirt was left.

RRP: $21.95, buy now! £13.99, buy now! 

First Impressions

Gtechniq’s packaging looks pretty science-y, which I’m sure is a technical term. Open the lid, and you are greeted by a gorgeous citrus scent. That might not help it clean any better, but let’s be honest, we love nice-smelling detailing products. And it immediately makes you want to get some W4 Citrus Foam in your foam lance.

Citrus Foam Features

Gtechniq’s W4 Citrus Foam snow foam is a coating-safe pH-neutral formula. Generally speaking, pH-neutral pre-wash products simply won’t be able to clean as well as more alkaline solutions. However, W4 Citrus Foam has a secret ingredient up its sleeve. It combines a citrus degreaser with a foaming agent, which gives it an extra kick. You can use a citrus pre-wash before applying snow foam for superior cleaning. By integrating it into the snow foam, Gtechniq has upped W4 Citrus Foam’s cleaning power significantly without making it more alkaline. And by keeping it pH-neutral, that means it won’t degrade any wax or coating you’ve got on your paintwork. 

What’s It Like To Use Gtechniq W4 Citrus Foam

W4 Citrus Foam comes out of the snow foam cannon looking a little watery, but that’s never a reliable indicator of cleaning power. Despite not being especially thick, it does a good job of clinging to the bodywork to break down dirt and grime. I didn’t expect much from a pH-neutral snow foam, but, honestly, W4 Citrus Foam impressed me. The combo of citrus degreaser and foaming agent really helps it to shift dirt. It performed really well and did a noticeable job of removing dirt on the car. Using Gtechniq’s recommended dilution ratio, you’ll get 10 washes out of a 1-liter bottle, so that’s not bad at all. 

Verdict

Gtechniq W4 Citrus Foam snow foam is a very strong offering. Its cleaning power is surprisingly good, much better than I expected. It’s reasonably priced, and you get a decent number of washes per bottle. And being pH-neutral, your coatings are safe. It smells great too. This is a snow foam that’s very easy to recommend. 

Check out regional price comparisons below:

The post Gtechniq W4 Citrus Foam Review appeared first on Fast Car.