Here’s a unique way to burn a little extra cash if you’re really into racing simulators but don’t want something that looks fresh from a movie. It’s called The Classic Car Trust (or TCCT for short) classic, and it’s one hell of a way to enjoy a Sunday drive all by yourself—and bask in your oistful nostalgia and single-seat race-car dreams.
Think of the classic as a re-bodied racing simulator—although it’s not for Forza, Assetto Corsa, Gran Turismo, or any of the other racing sim programs or games available to the masses. The setup was developed in cooperation with Racing Unleashed, a Swiss company that builds its racing sim software and holds virtual championships. The software has been adapted from what TCCT says is normally “used by race drivers for training purposes” into a retro-cool classic-car driving experience.
The body of the simulator rig itself has been designed in conjunction with both Pininfarina and Zagato to look like a monoposto racer from the 1930s or ’40s. Imagine having a Bugatti Type 51-esque sled in your living room that you can hop into and take for a virtual spin any time. All without the massive maintenance and insurance costs that come with owning a multimillion-dollar car almost a century old.
If you end up shelling out for an eClassic, you’ll also get access to TCCT’s eClassic Racing Club, which includes training programs and coaching sessions to help you sharpen your skills, all from the safety of your own home. There’s no word on the price, but we don’t imagine this thing is cheap, so prepare to cut a big check—still, it’s probably cheaper than a period Bentley. Just sayin’.
Motorsports was surprisingly inclusive in the early days, but it quickly became a boy’s club and remained that way for decades. Although pioneering women have broken through here and there, it is unquestionably a male-dominated sport. This century, however, things have slowly begun to change; this decade, change is picking up speed.
Cyan Peels Back
It’s hard to argue the appeal of a good restaurant build. They can be the perfect combination of classic style and modern performance amalgamated into a unique driving experience that can’t easily be had in any other vehicle. The Volvo P1800 Cyan GT may just be the epitome of that concept. Not unlike Singer, Cyan’s P1800s are made to order, and it can take anywhere from 12 to 15 months to complete a build. Recently, the company pulled the curtain back on a customer’s Volvo P1800 Cyan GT build and shared many of the juicy details.
Things started with a donor car which was stripped down to its bare chassis so that Cyan’s engineers could reinforce it with “high strength” steel and prep it for an updated independent suspension. After getting anti-corrosion coating the chassis was fit with a new carbon fiber body. From there, it was sprayed with a deep red hue, and its interior was clad in sand-colored upholstery.
Under the hood is a custom-built 350 horsepower 2.0-liter turbocharged engine mated to a five-speed Holinger transmission. All the old factory wiring is completely replaced with a modern loom with a bespoke CAN-bus-based PDM-controlled system made by Cyan.
The taillights, hood latch, handbrake switch, and chassis floor are the only original P1800 parts that remain when the build is done. All the switch gear inside looks original but are replicas produced by Cyan. This particular customer, it’s said, opted for even moresound-deadeningg material, likely for longer, more comfortable rides.