With many cars today adapting racing design and technology and with all the effort to bring the spirit of racing to road cars, a lot of present day drivers are given a taste of what it is like to feel the joy of cruising in speed. Images of modified Nissans and Toyota’s fill our minds when we think of racing, thanks to movies like Gone in Sixty Second and The Fast and the Furious. For any serious racer who has experienced the tracks, however, nothing can beat driving in the tracks in a vehicle especially designed for it. These groups of drivers cannot deny that the road set-up still takes away from the driving experience that track driving on a race car offers.

This is perhaps why dream cars like Kellforms’ Retoga exist; to differentiate the driver from the serious race car performer. Built for enthusiasts and motor racing aficionados, this two-seater mini Le Mans offers the thrill of driving that no regular road car can offer.

Kellforms Woodmaster, though unknown to many is a major player in the Automotive and Aerospace industry serving more popular clients like Jaguar, Ford, Nissan and Aston Martin. Combining more than four decades of expertise in model making and pattern gauge making with the latest in Cad/ Cam technology, Kellforms has succeeded in giving us a perfectly designed speed machine that does not only look good but performs as well. More so, the Retoga is designed by the legendary Gary Gunn of Loaded Gunn Racing, who manufactured and developed its prototype chassis.

Over the years the Retoga has evolved and progressed to become better at providing its owners with the best driving and racing experience they can get. From previously sporting a 150 bhp Yamaha R1 engine, it now houses an “OrangeBoom”, Ford Zetec/Sigma 1.6ltr engine coupled to an Elite 5 speed sequential transaxle. This is a perfect fit for the race car aside from boasting of a power rating of 170 bhp. Other improvements include rear wings that are now connected to the chassis and extra 100mm for its wheelbase to give extra stability in rounding corners in speed. It also includes full independent suspension on all four corners, a sequential gear box, and a “five speed dog engagement system with reverse wrapped in an aluminum gear case”.

The Retoga is also all beauty, with its lightweight round tubular space frame design which are gusseted and tig weldedfor extra strength, not to mention the anodized uprights, track rods and small finishing which make it a true eyecandy. Race drivers who have tried it have praised the attention to detail in its design as well as its top notch materials.

Getting in the cockpit, the driver is offered an awesome fishbowl windscreen that offers 360 visibility when paired with a rear view camera. Other amiable special features inside are adjustable pedals and steering to accommodate drivers of different heights, quick release steering wheel, electronic dash display with shift lights, adjustable rear wing, and front and rear ventures for ground effect. This race car’s ability to take in another passenger is also another come on, though news of putting the driver in the center of the cockpit is in the works to provide a much better driving experience.

Driving the Retoga in the track, motor racers have noted its efficiency at going quick and stopping both in straight roads as well as in corners. Truly, this vehicle does not offer the traditional fun driving experience, but instead gives a more sophisticated drive offering precision controls and great speeds. Indeed, the Retoga lists itself with power vehicles to the likes of the Westfield XTR4 and the Radical 1100 Clubsport.

The dynamics of the Retoga never miss to rouse the driver’s blood in anyone who sees it. Little boys would dream of becoming grown race car drivers and grown men would act like little boys at the sight of it. Then again, it has more than just the looks. This is actually a car that delivers its promise and lives up to its design while the driver races in it with passion.

About the Author

Chris Arines is a car enthusiast and blogger for Auto Parts for Brains, the official blog for discount auto parts store, Auto Parts Place as well as a contributor for countless blogs online. When not writing about four wheeled vehicles or about the latest gadgets, he is usually trekking on his mountain bike or trying to figure out how to bend spoons with his mind.