Jonathan Hogg and his family have always had an interest in cars and racing. He started on his first major project in 2006, building an ALMAC Lotus 7 as a road car with his two teenage sons. The car quickly found its way onto club racing circuits, starting their passion for competition. The next step was a Saker SVS that was purchased as a partially completed kit and transformed into a road-ready car.

The BMW first caught Jonathan’s eye in 2010 when it was listed for sale by RaceFX. However, it was beyond their budget at the time. A second chance came in 2013 when the car was re-listed as a rolling shell, and this time, they purchased it. RaceFX gathered the necessary parts, assembled the car, and in August 2014, Jonathan brought it home to begin its next chapter.

The Lotus 7 was sold to make way for the BMW CSL race car project. The Saker was eventually sold as well, replaced by a Honda Civic for racing while the BMW build progressed.

After rebuilding the fuel system, engine, and gearbox to bring the car up to racing standard, the BMW was raced regularly and reliably for nearly a decade.

While the BMW had been reliable, it did have its moments. Leading a televised race at Taupo, Jonathan was on track for victory when a front suspension arm failed with just half a lap to go.

After nine years of racing with very little in the way of issues, Jonathan realised that it was time for a full refresh. The engine, gearbox, differential, electrics, and even the engine bay received a complete overhaul from Llama Engineering. The car was returned to Jonathan and the results exceeded expectations.

 

 

With the car performing better than ever, Jonathan is keen to keep pushing it on the track, do more racing with HVRA, attend South Island events, and “Wear it out before I wear out.”

  • Manufacturer: BMW Germany
  • Year of Build: 1973
  • Engine: BMW M88/3 3500cc Inline-6, Twin-Cam, 24-Valve
  • Transmission: Getrag 265 Dogleg
  • Brakes: AP Racing 6-pot 362mm front, 2-pot 330mm rear
  • Tuner & Engine Build: Llama Engineering
  • Preparation: HRT Motorsport / GC Performance – Palmerston North