Last week’s video of the Renault Espace F1 got us thinking a lot about fast vans, and while the Espace is undeniably cool it wasn’t the first crazy van project. If you head back to the early 1970s, you’ll find Ford’s first Supervan, a concept which was tried a few times over the years. We’ve covered the third edition of Supervan (a reinvention of Supervan II) in the past – but sometimes you just can’t beat the original. Because, how can you not like an old school Ford Transit with GT40 bits underneath?! This period film from Ford is as good as Supervan itself, with swinging music and some great footage of Supervan doing everything from drag racing at Santa Pod to racing Escorts in the rain.
All these videos have got me thinking that it’s due time for another take on the Supervan/Espace formula. What would you like to see from a modern, off the wall van project? I know I can come up with some pretty crazy ideas…
Mike Garrett
Instagram: speedhunters_mike
mike@speedhunters.com
Photo: Ford
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There's an XJ220 powered Transit van, i saw it at Goodwood Festival of Speed a few years ago
http://www.greatbritishsportscars.net/xj220-transit-van/
VW Caddy with the 400R driveline
"it’s due time for another take on the Supervan/Espace formula. What would you like to see from a modern, off the wall van project?"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXVN_-DYlig
More of this...
I think this must surely qualify - long build thread but worth the read!
http://www.pistonheads.com/xforums/topic.asp?h=0&f=47&t=1188309&mid=412567&i=0&nmt=Lexus+V8+with+NOS+in+a+Renault+Espace+-+yeah+lets+do+it+%21+&mid=412567
Lifting the inside wheel on turn in, wtf? In a van with all that body roll, the driver clearly must have a very large pair.
This is another great video find. Keep these vintage clips coming.
Do not forget the XJ220 powered Transit. Hard to find any decent videos of it but here is the TG Ashes drag race it participated in
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSAWrswE3Yo
Derelict I've tried to set up a feature on that before, it's run by Don Law who's an XJ220 specialist. I must try harder!
afroguy That thing is hilarious, and another reminder that we need to get to Poland!
anyone tried drifting with a van sofar, maybe a driftvan would look crazy, but I guess it'd be quite hard to get somehing like this working.
jdmRob https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXVN_-DYlig And once again , it's a Ford
Supervan 1 a awsome peice of kit with those comedy carlos fandango wide wheels fitted!!!!!
Suprvan 2 is a awsome peice of kit saw it at donnington in 84 between the truck racing quality livery too.
aussieANON That would be incredible... this has been my fave for a while:
While not to the same level of wacky, Hennessey has been building the "Velociraptor", which is an SUV version of the Raptor off road pickup. To think that you could jump offroad with 8 people on board is just nuts!
I'm a big fan of the Toyota Previa mini vans though. There was a good setup for drifting (the rear diff could be a bit stronger though), and they had those curved lines that look great sideways.
There was the type 2 bus posted last year too that had a great lap around the SPA racetrack.
Also, the F355 2CV
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZzNDzy9710
Novac Darius this looks awesome, thx for the vid!
An idea that I have always had is a spaceframe or a Carbon monocoque with the external body of a 1977 ford F100 pickup truck in two tone paint (maybe red and white) and with a porsche 962 c group engine transmission and suspension, and also some ground effect, with those beautifull BBS turbofan wheels painted in white... imagine the looks of it... a slammed f truck with BBS 80's recing wheels....
Volkswagen T5 with Porsche GT2RS Engine!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1D32roazuQk
OMG YES.
MartinZini Sounds like you have a garage project to get started... You might have picked a more rare engine to get your hands on though.
This. Has done One Lap of America, Pikes Peak, and is about to race in Honda Challenge.
More info on it here: https://www.facebook.com/HMARaceTeam
Posche 993 GT2 powered T1:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZGGtmNzC_w
The one that everyone forgets is my favourite of all, purely because it was built to Supertouring regs and actually competed. The Peugeot 806
Quality control seems to have improved a SIGNIFICANT amount since then. Some of those fuel lines looked old as this video. Valve covers looked unfinished as well.
Mazda bongo van with 4rotor .... Mad mike are you listening?!
New Transit Custom running a V8/KERS combo.
DAT wheel-cock, DAT stance, DAT body roll!
Tire lift at 5:55!!
that bodyroll!
VW transporter with Audi R8 V10 running gear???
Awesome
Weren't they up to Supervan 3? and Supervan 2 ' Went Missing ' ? Octane Mag had a story on them awhile back...
Anthraxxx How about Supervan 4? Maybe a new Transit Connect body over a Ken Block style Fiesta?
Mike Garrett Anthraxxx I'd rather see a Nissan Cube Supervan. Love the Nissan Cube.
This is the automotive equivalent of a mullet.
God bless you, Supervan.
My buddy owns an RA1 Odyssey with a reverse head H22 and 5 speed swap.
http://www.hondatuningmagazine.com/features/1306_1995_honda_odyssey_lx/
Check the stretched tyres! Bad for performance people keep telling me
This sounds amazing up close as i there is an original shell and gt40 lump put together in production at the moment it may be old styling but it is a stunning piece of kit