Customer Car of the Year: The winners & updates
Tina Playle
On January 15, 2021
https://www.safelyinsured.co.uk
We have some good news and bad news regarding the Customer Car of the year competition. Let’s start with the bad news; we are sorry to say that we are postponing our annual Customer Car of the Year competition this year.
However, (here’s the good news) we are pleased to confirm a similar competition will be launched later this year. We’re hoping that it will be even bigger than what’s come before. So fear not, there will still be an opportunity to showcase your cars and potentially win amazing prizes.
Since the beginning of this annual event, we’ve seen so many fantastic cars. The winners are definitely the cream of the crop. So decided to revisit all of the winning cars from our prestigious competition!
So, let’s go back to a simpler, pre-Covid time and start with 2016’s winner….
Customer Car of the Year 2016 winner: Jamie’s Nissan 200sx
Let’s kick things off by throwing it all the way back to 2016, when we launched our very first Customer Car of the Year competition.
The front runners included Jamie’s Nissan 200sx with 615 votes, Bob’s Nissan Skyline R34 GTR with 354 votes and Jamie’s Challenger SRT8 with 354 votes. There was sturdy competition but Jamie’s Nissan 200sx reigned supreme.
“I have always been involved with cars, even from a very young age” recalls Jamie in our interview. “My dad has always been crazy about cars and has owned some fine examples. I spent most my time being driven around in Jaguar XJS’s and BMW E28’s as a kid.”
The Nissan 200sx itself had gone through the ultimate transformation. Modifications included: 800hp stainless elbow, Apex adjustable camber arms, R33 GTR BMC (BM57), Chargespeed + 25mm front wings and some JDM Recaro recliners.
To read the full feature on Jamie’s car, click here
Take one look at Jamie’s Instagram page and we can see his love for Japanese cars is everlasting. Additionally, the Nissan 200sx looks to be even more impressive in 2021.
2017’s winner – Karl’s Toyota Supra
In 2017, our customer Karl and his stunning Bayside Blue Supra won by a landslide. It received 27.32% of all the votes that year. We’re not surprised it went that way after taking one look at the modifications list.
The modifications at the time included a ZjZ-GTA engine swap, 6 speed V161 manual gearbox conversion, single turbo conversion, Borg warner SXE 66mm Turbo, Garage Whifbitz twin scroll manifold, ASNU 850cc injectors, Walbro 450lph fuel pump, Twin Turbosmart wastegates with twin screamer pipes, Turbosmart Raceport BOV, Syvecs S6 ecu, Garage Whifbitz 4” front mount intercooler, Garage Whifbitz 264 cams, Garage Whifbitz ally radiator, the list went on and on… Full details can be found on Karl’s feature blog.
We checked in with Karl to see what he’s been up to since winning in 2017. We were happy to hear that the Supra has been through even more modifications.
The list includes CCW classic wheels with Toyo R888R tyres, Precision 6870 gen 2 Turbo, Fully build bottom end with Manley pistons and rods, SSI intake manifold, dual fuel pumps, 4” garage Whifbitz exhaust, 5” garage Whifbitz intercooler and ID1300 injectors.
If you’re a fan of the Supra, you can follow Karl’s Instagram page to follow it’s journey.
2018’s winner – Craig’s Ford Focus RS
2018 was another exciting year, with Craig’s Ford Focus RS coming out on top. With an equally impressive Mazda RX-7 FD3S RS-R coming in second.
After seeing the before and after shots of Craig’s Ford Focus RS, it’s not hard to see why it won 35% of the final vote. There was a great deal of work put into this RS, including Carbon Fibre Wing Rails, Carbon interior, custom wrap by Blueprint, Roose Boost and Coolant Hose, Jamsport Roll Cage, Carbon bucket seats, JS Custom big crossover pipe, BC racing coilovers, Momo Snap off steering wheel, Screamer pipe and so much more. At the time, the RS was running 670BHP with 702 torque. Wow.
Read the full winner article here.
When we caught up with Craig we unfortunately learned that he had to sell the RS on, which is a shame. However, he now owns a Stage 3 Ford Fiesta ST that’s currently running 350BHP, with full roll cage bucket seats and more!
Go to Craig’s Instagram page to follow his Fiesta ST journey.
2019’s winner – Paul’s Ford MK5 Ford Mondeo
Moving onto 2019, our most recent competition was won by Paul and his Ford Mondeo.
Winning 496 votes, Paul’s MK5 stormed into the lead, which had been remapped to 280BHP and 400 torque by AmD tuning, had Steeda Cat-back exhaust system manufactured by Magnaflow, Steeda progressive rate lowering springs, Steeda rear anti roll bar, OZ Racing Leggra HLT 20” allows and a high-flow cold air intake system.
See more of Paul’s Ford Mondeo in his winner article
We caught up with Paul like many fellow car enthusiasts, his 2020 was full of car show cancellations. However, he did take the opportunity to get the alloys refurbished with a new colour which looks amazing. It particularly stands out in his most recent photoshoot. . Paul’s got his fingers crossed for the 2021 car shows, including Ford Power live at Brands Hatch, Isle of Wight takeover and the North Coast 500 Road Trip. We sincerely hope for Paul and all car lovers that car shows get the go-ahead this year!
We really enjoyed checking in with these winners and seeing what they’ve been up to. It does prove that even after winning competitions and being crowned the best of the best, there’s always more work to be done. The life of a car enthusiast!
As we mentioned previously, the 2020 Customer Car competition will be replaced by something of a similar vein is in the pipeline. So keep watching this space!
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Insurance for modified and performance cars
The Customer Car of the Year competition is just one of the ways that we get to celebrate the brilliance of specialist cars.
Such extensive work deserves to have the right protection. Our modified and imported car insurance policies cater for different needs compared to a standard car insurance policy. We can offer:
Introductory DiscountsDiscounts for Affiliated Car Club MembersSecond Car DiscountsLimited Mileage DiscountsLike for Like Modification CoverBreakdown Cover
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