After the long winter break Modified Live is back! Over the past six months it’s been a busy time for everyone involved in the Modified Live show, from the Time Attack competitors rebuilding and refreshing their race machines right through to the Kleers show cars undergoing extra mods and detailing to give them the edge over their rivals!

2012 kicks off at Cadwell Park, one of the best circuits for punters thanks to the huge gradient giving a fantastic view of the track including key action spots such as Hall Bends used by the EDC drifters. The huge field areas also mean each club has plenty of space for their stands and display cars meaning more people can be part of the show than ever before! As well as the usual action from the Time Attack and EDC series, Modified Live 2012 also welcomes the Civic Cup which, just like the mighty minis last year, results in some fantastically close racing thanks to the near-identical specs of each car competing. In between this action, Kevin Carmichael was back to perform a series of stunts displays on his range of motorbikes, a crowd favourite from the 2011 season.

With Modified Live being one of the first major events in the UK show season, it’s always refreshing to take a walk around the array of car clubs and tuners on display showcasing exactly what they’ve been upto during winter. With the weather finally dry it’s brought along plenty of punters who, thanks to the Great British attitude, aren’t fussed about a bit of mud when there’s such a quality event underway. In between the EDC and Time Attack pits it’s an absolute hive of activity with trade stands, car clubs and sponsor stands all on display. Time Attack welcomed both Petronas Oil UK and KW Suspension to their 2012 line up, both getting right into the Modified Live spirit bringing along stands and products for punters and competitors to check out!

Kleers once again held their ‘Show and Shine’ competition attracting over 30 entrants with a huge diversity of cars – just check out that classic hot rod with the engine completely uncovered, brave given the weather! In 2012 the Euro look is still as popular as ever but we’re seeing even more non-euro cars following this trend. It’s always good to see some of the classic show parked alongside those more extreme show cars gleaming in the sunshine – if there’s one thing Modified Live represents, it’s ALL aspects of car culture.

Throughout the morning both Time Attack and EDC warm-ups take place as well as the new Civic Cup qualifying. These Hondas aren’t exactly slouches – during their qualifying the fastest times even exceed some of the Club Class Time Attack laps – all while battling against one another out on track! Straight after the Civic Cup qualifying it was time for Kevin Carmichael’s crazy stunt bike display and If you’ve never seen him perform you’re in for a serious treat! One of his most popular stunts is to wheelie a huge Harley Davidson cruiser – and we don’t mean some 10mph crawl, Kevin bangs through the gears upto and over 100mph on one wheel, all while waving to the crowd like nothing’s going on. What’s more, with the Great British weather opening up literally at the start of his performance, Kevin continues to wheelie, donut and endo all while on semi-slick bike tyres in the wet. We’re not sure whether he’s entirely sane, but there’s no denying the sheer skill this man has!

Unfortunately for those Show and Shine competitors the raincloud during lunch has undone all their morning’s cleaning work – not that this bothered the majority! One of the competitors even told us, ‘It’s only a bit of water. It’s not like I’m about to go and do some donuts in the field! Plus it gives me an excuse to clean the car again which isn’t too bad.’ That’s some dedication right there, but hardly surprising when you consider the time, effort and money these guys put into making their car look as best as possible all through the year.

With the day coming to a close there was just enough time to announce the Kleers ‘Show and Shine’ winners. Just like 2011, Kleers award trophies within a variety of classes including Euro, JDM, Classic and Performance. As well as these, a final ‘Best in Show’ trophy is awarded to the car that exceeds every other competitor on display. ‘We’ve been blown away by the turnout today’ explains Kleers director Rob Barnes. ‘Given the weather it’s fantastic to see so many people put in the effort and enter the competition – we look forward to Round 2!’

Those winners from Cadwell Park include:

Best JDM – Adam Robinson, Mazda RX7

Best Euro – Josh Howell, Citroen C2 GT

Best Retro – Claire Scott, Ford Escort Cab

Best OEM – Mike Popperwell, VW Golf GTI

Modified & Best In Show – Joseph Williams, Fiesta ST

After the Time Attack finals Round 1 of Modified Live was over. Despite the initial weather Cadwell Park turned out to be a fantastic start to the season with new competitors, new trade stands and clubs all coming out for the day. We look forward to heading upto Knockhill for Round 2 on June 10^th – for more information please visit modifiedlive.co.uk

Car Audio Security is the largest electronic and bricks and mortar combined dealer of ICE in the UK I reckon. They are also the home of JBL in car products distribution for the UK and they employ a small army of capable lads to do stuff. On their recent open weekend, you would go in, checkout your heart’s desire in the display area then move to the till where one bloke takes the order and sorts out the despatch bloke to go and fetch the item from stock, before handing over to the bloke who is just manning the till and nothing else.
It’s so slick that when my mate had decided on his headunit (he went for a Sony rather than the Kenwood in the same area as it went better with his dash layout he felt.) he also went for a bass box. A ready made from JL Audio, they were doing deals as it was show weekend and it was an unassailably keen price for a very sexy bass box. It was there with a chap and a big old upright barrow awaiting him as he paid at the till to take it to his car.

But these events each year, most assuredly to promote the business in general, have become the coolest show in the year for those in the know. If you are truly passionate about car audio, then these are the events to get to, as every maker who has a demo car worthy of the name makes sure it is at CAS for this one weekend each year. It means there is a better concentration of cool car audio metal at this show than just about any other. For being such a big dealer, CAS has clout and every maker sends their best rides.

There has long been a bass contest at CAS, with them running their own CASper competition format with tones but last year they had the Propper Droppers format chap, Marcos Barnes show up to run one day (and will be again later in the year) and then they would run their own. However, this year, I managed to hook the CAS guys up with Andrew Ackerley who is boss of EMMA UK. Thus, for the first time, the Car Audio Security Open Weekend saw a Sound Quality sound off as well as the bass day for EMMA run a slew of heavy duty SQ classes.

…and just check out this daft vibrating number plate action!

But it was the lads like the new chap to the scene from down south and Mr. Dave Legg, erstwhile sound off legend coming out again to help educate people in the technical side of things and just to let some lucky types actually sit in their cars and hear a better system than any they had heard before that warmed the cockles of my heart. It was great fun to witness. I would badger another show goer into getting in and trying it and you could see them holding their hands up in the air in front of them, as they talked to the owner. It was a bit like when you wave a hand in front of you at an IMAX 3D screening…

There were some astonishingly loud cars there, with a newbie from Highdown that is well into the rolling P.A. system bracket and Ed Elson’s Audi, stuffed with Ground Zero ordnance was just mentally loud and clear. Everybody is using bullet tweeters at this level and I fear for their hearing health. I’m definitely going to offer Ed and the Highdown golf up as possible additions to the professional Rock & Roll sound and light rental company just up the road from CAS, called Entec sound & Light. I’ll let you know if we get any bookings.

Saturday was pretty good but Sunday was a damp wet day that we knew was coming, which is why it was deeply cool of the Guv’Nor to simply stump up for another acreage of marquee to keep the sound off side dry. Good on him!

 
So if you see this one coming up next time around, seriously, drop stuff and go. You won’t get a better access to that many cars of that quality of sound installation at any other show.

some more shots…

tough job…

 
Fast Car sent Si Gray, top nobby snapper

FOUR JL Audio W7′s  lucky GIT!

 
Steve SIlman brought his dad Paul and his brother James with him.

 
From Geordieland to Heathrow and back in a Smart – with phat Fusion bass

 
Pioneer Smart car with DJ Doin’ It

 
Genesis Amplifier P15 arty goodness!

 
And results time!