Street-legal Red Victor One does 0 to 60 in one second

Sometimes we feel its not nearly often enough we get to write about "normal" gas-eating cars here on Engadget. It's even more rare that we get to write about a car of this caliber. Meet the Red Victor One, the pride and joy of automatic transmission specialist and car buff Andy Frost. This 45-year-old Briton has spent what he estimates to be £100,000 ($187,000) souping up this 1971 Vauxhall Victor to include a 2200bhp 9.3 liter V8 engine. What does that mean? This street-legal (we repeat, street-legal) ride can go zero to 60mph in one second, or can travel 1/4 miles in 7.8 seconds. It even comes with a really sweet racecar-style interior and seatbelts. Our words really can't do it justice, so just zoom on over to the YouTube vid already.

[Via digg]

[James @ Oct 20th 2006 5:12AM]

I saw this on Fifth Gear. Shouldn't they be getting some credit for having Andy on the show?

[CL @ Oct 20th 2006 5:18AM]

Also saw this on Fifth Gear, no offense but how is this related to Engadget? This is not AutoBlog.

Anyway, you can strap a rocket to a log and make it go 0-60mph in 10ms, but it's still going to drive like a log and about as sophisticated as a log.

[LittleJoe @ Oct 20th 2006 5:29AM]

They have hillbillies in Britain too? haha. Sorry I couldnt help myself.

Regardless I will take the Million-dollar Veyron over this any day (even though its only half as powerful)... I mean cmon... I bet the interior on that thing sucks :P

and yeah... engadget worthy material??? I think not.

[doublej @ Oct 20th 2006 6:06AM]

tough crowd

[Ebzy @ Oct 20th 2006 7:32AM]

"Sometimes we feel its not nearly often enough we get to write about "normal" gas-eating cars cars here on Engadget."

I hope to God that this isn't a fettish that grows

[Skorn @ Oct 20th 2006 8:04AM]

I have been to santa pod twice, and usually I would say that the car is fairly unimpressive compared to the Top Fuel Dragsters, but what really sets it apart is that it is road legal.

[MP34 @ Oct 21st 2006 1:47PM]

thats the whole point

[Jake @ Oct 20th 2006 8:27AM]

Bitch, bitch, bitch.

Sometimes I wonder why you guys even have the comments section. 90% of it is people bitching about the blog -- which no one is being forced to read.

Guys, its their damn blog. They can write about whatever the f*ck they want to write about. If you don't think it belongs, you can go piss in the wind. You have nothing to say about it. The rest of us with testicles (no offense to the 1 lady who may be present) will continue to read and appreciate the cool stuff--most of it electronic, some of it not--that Engadget faithfully brings to our attention.

And if your first thought upon seeing this post was "what is engadget doing blogging this?" and not "SWEET! I want a ride!," then sign up below so we can find you and revoke your Man Card.

That is all.

[Eric @ Oct 20th 2006 9:51AM]

Well said Jake. See what we're witnessing here is what the internet makes some people say when they're behind a keyboard. Since no one knows who they are, they can make themselves look like the biggest a-holes when in reality they come thru as dumbass nerds who can't appreciate anything else that is not "computer" related. Even then, they still bitch about something. Would these idiots say the same in real life? No, they'll probably get their ass beaten or better yet, they're probably too pu$$y to say something.

"Also saw this on Fifth Gear, no offense but how is this related to Engadget? This is not AutoBlog."

How about you don't read it then? Did you sign some sort of agreement with Engadget that stated you MUST read all blogs/stories and that they MUST be related to computer items and NOTHING else. Step away from your computer and realize that there are other things out there in the world. Did you ever think that the Engadget guys might like other things too besides computers/digital stuff?

[LittleJoe @ Oct 20th 2006 12:04PM]

I love it when people b*tch about people b*tching.

[Glen @ Oct 20th 2006 8:49AM]

Hate to burst the bubble here, but there are thousands of 'street legal' cars that do the quarter mile in lots faster time then 7 sec.

[Alan @ Oct 20th 2006 9:15AM]

Sorry Glen, not sure what cars you're thinking of but we are talking standing start quarter mile times here, there aren't too many purpose built competition only dragsters that can hit the sort of times Andy is running, never mind something that's taxed, tested and HAS to complete a mandatory road trip, on pump gas not race fuel, to include a hot start and whatever the weather. The last round it was lashing down with rain and dark by the time the cars got back to the track.
Credit where credit is due I think.

[Timmah!!! @ Oct 20th 2006 10:22AM]

yeah, Glen, my 89 Reliant K-car could do the 1/4 mile in under 7 seconds at 129 mph, as long as it was being pushed downhill with a tailwind by a Ferrari.... we're talking standing starts, here.

[strider_mt2k @ Oct 20th 2006 9:26AM]

Looks like a huge cool gadget to me!

(A frilly dress and panties for the whiners above please)

[Big Fudge @ Oct 20th 2006 9:50AM]

My mullet grew an inch after reading this. Awsum.

[Richard @ Oct 20th 2006 10:13AM]

What, people can't have an opinion? As long as you only write a short note to let the engadget editors how you feel about this kind of content that should be fine.

For what its worth, I read the story and liked it.

[zoara @ Oct 20th 2006 10:40AM]

Santa Pod? Ahhh, the memories. I used to live about 20 minutes from there, in the closest decent-sized town. Had some good events there. November 5th is usually good - massive bonfire, loads of fireworks, and jet cars. What more could you ask for?

Never got around to going up the track myself in my old beat-up beetle. I might have made the quarter mile in under a minute or so. Feel the speed.

[Shaft @ Oct 20th 2006 10:52AM]

Good story. NOT street legal in New York unfortunately (racing slicks don't have minimum tread depth, open headers don't cut it with law enforcement, doesn't meet emissions standards etc etc.) Still nice though.

[MP34 @ Oct 21st 2006 1:47PM]

theyre not open headers its fully muffled and its got treaded tyres to standards, minimum 1.6mm tread but will be quite a bit over that

[Nikita @ Oct 20th 2006 11:02AM]

...and can you keep your teeth in your mouth at that speed?

[monkeyboy @ Oct 20th 2006 11:05AM]

Exactly. I can't speak for that side of the pond, but in the old US of A the DOT doesn't look to kindly on wrinkle wall slicks, and a parachute.

The only way a motor like that passes smog is because it is exempt.

But it is one fast car. I can respect that.

So what do I have to do to my 550 hp 1967 Ford Fairlane to make it gadget worthy? I don't need navigation to find my way down the quarter mile.

[MP34 @ Oct 21st 2006 1:47PM]

theyre not wrinkle wall slicks theyre treaded drag radials, when will you people listen?

[Tim @ Oct 20th 2006 11:47AM]

Going 0 to 60 in one second with constant accelaration, is 2.7 G's. That's pretty cool...

[misterbleepy @ Oct 20th 2006 11:47AM]

slick tyres aren't legal in the UK either - I think the racing series that this car competes in requires the use of treaded street legal tyres.
On the emissions side, cars registered before 1973 (I think) are exempt - the emissions test just requires them to not make 'visible smoke'.
Sound wise, I would guess there may be a switchable silencer / muffler in there somewhere - or the MOT tester has a very light right foot ;-)

[Evan @ Oct 20th 2006 12:13PM]

Its not even close to street legal. Accelerating that fast comes down to grip over horsepower, and that car is using full drag racing slicks.

There are plenty of truely street legal AWD cars in this country that perform similarly. Im really surprised that car made it on fifth gear, its really not the least bit impressive.

[Nutsfullabeer @ Oct 20th 2006 12:32PM]

Uh, if this car doesn't impress you must be singing falsetto in the boys' choir.

[MP34 @ Oct 21st 2006 8:46AM]

wtf?? if your not impressed what does impress you? huge body kits and NOS stickers?

yes it is street legal, fully, and was using treads for the and every run it does

and there are no AWD cars anywhere that perform anywhere near similarly to that

[Mrfreezie @ Oct 20th 2006 12:29PM]

Are we sure that it's 60 MPH and not 60 KILOMETERS?

[MP34 @ Oct 21st 2006 8:46AM]

yes 60mph

[Inferno @ Oct 20th 2006 4:38PM]

Not impressive? The only way most cars go that fast is to freefall off a cliff. Even then, I think it takes a bit longer in 1/4 mile. (No, I didn't actually do the math, which someone is bound to do). Anyway, that is extremely impressive. I go to the track a lot, I have seen fast cars, but nothing quite that fast. And maybe the slicks aren't street legal, but if the rest is, it is still impressive. Don't know that I would spend almost $200k on it though.

[John Doe @ Oct 20th 2006 4:46PM]

How the hell does it get traction? I mean 0-60 1 second??

[macona @ Oct 20th 2006 4:46PM]

I dont know about other states but here in Oregon the maximum allowed HP to be steet legal is 600hp. I think this may be a national law as well, not sure though.

[penski @ Oct 20th 2006 8:10PM]

I've lurked here for a long time and only now feel compelled to post.

Okay, to clear things up for the ignorant among us:

Red Victor 1 runs on FULLY TREADED, STREET-LEGAL TYRES. Please excuse the capitals, I feel that they are necessary in this instance.

It has a full UK MOT (Ministry of Transport) certificate of roadworthiness. Not an easy achievement for such a heavily-modified machine.

It runs on 93 octane fuel straight from the pump.

It doesn't have CO2, Methanol or N2O injection...

A quote from Andy himself:

"Since the turbo conversion it has done 8 passes.

There is so much more to come.

At the moment it is launching on 3psi and ramping to 19psi at the end of the run.

Engine will go to 28psi..."

So...What do you reckon with the full 1.93 bar?

Something very, VERY important to remember about this car is that it can (and does) get driven to the track, make 7.8 second runs all day long and then be driven home. With ZERO changes made to the car.

Personally, I applaud him and his achievements.

Andy organised the World Street Race last year - four British street-legal cars flew over to No Problem Raceway in Belle Rose, Louisiana to take on the best that North America had to offer.

To prove the entrants' worthiness of the 'street legal' title, they had to complete a 30 mile 'cruise' including hot starts, they had to run on normal unleaded from the pump and they had to have fully-treaded tyres.

The result of the event?

A walkover for blighty. ;)

As for Red Victor 1's worthiness for Engadget?

I'd love to own it, it's very geeky and isn't understood by most of the peons...So to me it is most DEFINITELY a gadget.

*n

[Mark @ Oct 21st 2006 12:21AM]

This thing is awesome.. I would love to get a ride on that thing. The G forces of going from standstill to 100 KM/h would be absolutely incredible. The only comparable feeling I've had to this is riding the "Dodonpa" ride at Fujikyu Highland, southwest of Tokyo. It goes from zero to 172KM/h (106mph for the only people in the world who still don't use kilometers) in like a second and a half or so. But, it was a rollercoaster.. not a car.

Oh yeah, my comment to those complaining... I thought Engadget readers were only guys? I mean that was my assumption anyway. I guess there are some fruitcakes in the crowd? That's ok, nothing wrong with that. I'm open-minded - but keep your pussy comments to yourself pleaze...