Meet the Mannic Beattie: a 600bhp jet-engined hillclimb hero built in a shed
This hillclimb specialist is a record-breaker with a unique turbo. Here's how owner Nic Mann built it in his garage Skip 8 photos in the image carousel and continue reading
Nic Mann hands me a turbine blade. This, he says with a gleam in his eye, was originally part of the Rolls-Royce Olympus 593 turbojet that powered Concorde. Nic worked on that fearsome engine during his time at the aerospace giant in the 1970s, and remains transfixed by turbines. So much so that he's used one to circumvent the lag in his hillclimb special, the Mannic Beattie.
Except that 'special' doesn't even get close to describing this thing. Nic is supremely modest but his creation is close in spirit and execution to an F1 car. The kicker is, he designed, engineered and built it in his Berkshire garage for about £20k.
Advertisement - Page continues below
A beloved statesman of the hillclimb scene, Nic transformed his mother's Morris Minor in phases until it was running a turbocharged V8 with throttle modulated nitrous injection to the tune of about 550bhp. It was hooked up to a Jaguar XJ6 driveline and its torque outputs would regularly overwhelm the gearbox. Nic ran a 30.07s up Shelsley Walsh in the Moggie in 1986, only half a second slower than World Rally champion Hannu Mikkola in a works Audi Sport Quattro.
Photography: Huckleberry Mountain You might like
He sold the Morris in 1990 and used the funds to start the next project. Nic wanted to create a record breaker, and inspired by the Mallock U2 single seater, all the usual parameters came into play – go big on the mechanical grip while reducing the centre of gravity, optimise the weight distribution, minimise the effects of lateral weight transfer. It would be all-wheel drive, have a flat floor and huge wings. After which, Nic headed down a more idiosyncratic path.
The engine is a four pot 1.7-litre Cosworth BDT (a staple of many a fast Ford, including the Group B RS200), canted over at 25° on the intake side to help the centre of gravity. That was good for about 400bhp, which meant Nic needed forced induction to make the numbers he wanted. And that meant lag, which he didn't want. Enter a compact gas turbine, originally used as an auxiliary power unit in helicopters.
Advertisement - Page continues below
Watch the car in action and you'll detect a distinctive whooshing sound as Nic prepares to launch himself up a hill. That's the turbine, spinning at 90,000rpm. It's started by compressed air using an external starter but only after the main engine has been fired up. An ingenious but complex solution, my head spins almost as fast as the turbine as Nic explains how it works. Basically, it runs separately from the ICE and delivers air to it at a constant pressure independent of the main engine speed. Ergo, zero lag, and an overall power output of 600bhp (give or take).
The transmission is from the Ford Sierra XR4x4, a tidy setup that features epicyclic transfer gear and a viscous coupling. The front and rear diffs are from a Lotus Elan, the front suspension uprights a MkII VW Golf GTI, the rears from a Ralt single seater. Nic fabricated the chassis from CDS steel tubing, and laid up the composite panels on the front wings himself. Yep, that's homemade carbon fibre. The big aero parts are made of sheet aluminium, the sidepods of birch plywood.
You'll detect a whooshing sound, that's the turbine spinning at 90,000rpm
When Nic became acquainted with former BAR and Ferrari F1 aerodynamicist Willem Toet, himself a successful hillclimber, it helped finesse his instincts on downforce. He also verified his thinking using F1 grade computational fluid dynamics tools (thanks to Miqdad Ali). Which is how Nic's home brew racer ended up with a blown rear diffuser that helps drop the ride height by 40mm at 140mph, a high rake stance not dissimilar to the 2021 Red Bull RB16, and an aerodynamic centre of pressure that would get Adrian Newey's attention.
Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Look out for your regular round-up of news, reviews and offers in your inbox.
Get all the latest news, reviews and exclusives, direct to your inbox.
At 100mph, it produces well over its own weight in downforce, Nic says, so somewhere in the region of 750kg. The car has also set and broken all sorts of records, and holds the Shelsley specials record with a time of 25.47 seconds. That the man is still chasing tenths at the age of 73 is just as impressive. 'But it's time to hand it over to someone else, which is one of the reasons I'm talking to you,' he says a little ruefully. 'If anyone gets in touch, let me know.' Top Gear is happy to help...
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
38 minutes ago
- BBC News
Wales' sisters doing it for themselves (and Nant)
Women's Rugby World Cup 2025: Scotland v WalesVenue: Salford Community Stadium Date: Saturday, 23 August Kick-off: 14:45 BSTCoverage: Live on BBC One, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport Online and BBC Sounds You will be hard pushed to find a prouder rugby club in Wales right now than Nant north Wales club has produced not just one but two sets of sisters for Wales women's 2025 Rugby World Cup and Branwen Metcalfe have been named alongside Gwenllian and Alaw Pyrs in Sean Lynn's 32-player group which will kick-off their campaign against Scotland later this while the Pyrs sisters are getting used to packing down together, it will be a new experience for the Metcalfes, with Wales Under-20s captain Branwen yet to make her senior debut. "I'm lost for words to be honest, everything that's happened in the past year has been a whirlwind," said Branwen."I haven't trained much with the squad yet, but it's been really great coming into this environment, I'm learning a lot as I go."Everyone is really nice and it's nice to come in as a young player with all these experienced players."Asked who she looks up to in the camp, Branwen said: "Definitely Al Cal [Alex Callender] and Kate Williams, they're just role models, the way they play, the way they talk, I just want to be like them."Hopefully I can make a breakthrough at some point, I'm just trying to learn at this time."Nel said she was delighted for her not so little sister."The family is buzzing," she said."People have asked 'how do you feel?'. I couldn't be prouder. I've seen how hard she has worked, she deserves this."I would say I do look out for her [in camp] and check she's ok, but she can handle herself, everyone has been pretty welcoming." Humble beginnings Wales is no stranger to having siblings run out together, Horgan twins Claire and Louise both won international honours against France in two sets of sisters is something quite special, even more so when they all come from the same grassroots Alaw, Nel and Branwen all got their start at Nant Conwy, a community rugby club nestled between the villages of Llanrwst and Trefriw."They are always so supportive of us whatever we do," said Nel."It's just everything about Nant, it's not just a club, it's the whole community, everyone knows each other."That sense of belonging is underlined by Branwen: "Growing up we were probably there every day," the younger Metcalfe adds."The club has been such a big part of, not just our journey, but our whole family. It's really nice that we can do this together."The siblings will find out if they will play alongside each other when Wales announces its team to face Scotland next Thursday. Nant Conwy RFC chairman Marc Jones said it was with a "heartfelt sincerity" that they celebrated the success of their former players."Congratulations to the girls, their achievements are down to their total dedication and commitment," he said."Their success is intrinsically linked to their coaches, staff and our whole club ethos. "Being part of the Nant Conwy community, it was only a matter of time that major representation was achieved. They will through their achievements, I'm sure, be a catalyst for all of our players moving forward."Tudor Roberts leads the girls section, Ceirw Nant, and he too is "immensely proud" of the girls for making the Wales squad from "humble beginnings". "It certainly spurs the young ones on, and shows that the pathway is there and through hard work and commitment it is possible," he said. "We wish them all the best of luck and will be cheering them on for sure."The standard of girls rugby in north Wales has bloomed, with quality games being played weekly. It's only a matter of time before more girls from north Wales start putting their hand up for selection."
Top Gear
39 minutes ago
- Top Gear
Electric Car Grant: here's every car in the UK that gets the discount
Good news: the Electric Car Grant has returned! As surely everyone is thinking, ain't no party like an ECG party. And like all good ECG parties, this one comes with fun like: rules! Stipulations! Eligibility criteria! The government of the United Kingdom has introduced two bands in order to obtain this ECG: Band 1, which offers a fat £3,750 discount for those cars with the lowest CO2 manufacturing footprint, and Band 2, which offers a less fat £1,500 discount for those cars above a certain threshold. The government of the United Kingdom has not yet confirmed what those thresholds are, and… no electric car in the United Kingdom currently qualifies for the fat £3,750 discount. So for now, here's a big list of every car that gets the less fat £1,500 off. Advertisement - Page continues below The hot version of the new Renault 5 supermini. How much of the grant applies? £1,500 (Band 2). So what does it cost after the grant? From £32,000. What do you think of it? It's a very different experience to hot Clios of old, but still a good one… there's a sense of humour, good looks, usable performance, gadgets to play with and it's well priced. Read the full review here You might like It's the electric version of Citroen's best-selling car ever, the C3. How much of the grant applies? £1,500. So what does it cost after the grant? From £20,595. What do you think of it? There's a lot we really, really like about the Citroen e-C3… and not a lot we don't. Read the full review here Advertisement - Page continues below Essentially a slightly larger, raised version of the standard C3 supermini. How much of the grant applies? £1,500. So what does it cost after the grant? From £21,595. What do you think of it? It fulfils its brief as a slightly roomier C3 without becoming too posh or too expensive. Read our full review here Good question. It's still a hatchback, but slightly taller. Not tall enough to be an SUV, and too sleek of boot to be a crossover. How much of the grant applies? £1,500. So what does it cost after the grant? From £26,150. What do you think of it? It's an interestingly styled hatch with a very reasonable asking price. Read our full review here Largely identical to the e-C4, only with an elongated rear end. How much of the grant applies? £1,500. So what does it cost after the grant? From £27,215. What do you think of it? Could do with a slightly firmer setup for better body control: the extra weight (over 200kg vs the hybrid) means it suffers from a bounce and a wallowyness that isn't there in the hybrids. Read the full review here A big, friendly Citroen, now in its second generation and freshly electrified. How much of the grant applies? £1,500. What will it cost? From £32,565. What do you think of it? We've not driven it yet, but it sits on the same bones as the Peugeot e-3008 and e-5008, and both of those are decent... Read the full story here Advertisement - Page continues below A van-based car that offers immense practicality and loads of space. How much of the grant applies? £1,500. So what does it cost after the grant? From £29,740. What do you think of it? Enormously practical and built for family life, the Berlingo does all you could realistically ask of it. Read our full review here Only Nissan's second attempt at an electric car since it introduced the Leaf in 2010 and stole a march on everyone. How much of the grant applies? £1,500. So what does it cost after the grant? From £33,500. What do you think of it? Looks fun, but drives a bit more like you'd expect a Nissan to. If you're after an electric family SUV with a decent amount of range, then you could do a lot worse. Read our full review here Advertisement - Page continues below Everyone's favourite learner car, here reimagined as an electrified supermini, ready to be silently dinged into oblivion by an entirely new generation of drivers. How much of the grant applies? £1,500. So what does it cost after the grant? From £21,495. What do you think of it? We've yet to drive the new one, but it's the based on the 'AmpR Small' platform that underpins the award-winning Renault 5. Find out more here Closely related to the wonderful Renault 5 EV, but with an 8cm longer wheelbase. That's why it's a little more expensive than the R5, even if their names might make you think the prices are the other way around. How much of the grant applies? £1,500. So what does it cost after the grant? From £25,495. What do you think of it? There's goodness in the R4 that goes beyond design: the interior is sublime, the tech is well executed, it's value for money and (most importantly of all) unfailingly uplifting to drive. Renault has hit another home run with this. Read our full review here More than just a simple electric supermini, this is a small car you desire rather than merely decide upon. How much of the grant applies? £1,500. So what does it cost after the grant? From £21,495. What do you think of it? It feels consistent: as charming to drive as it is to look at and to sit in. Your first love should last. Read our full review here Renault's family hatch, designed and built all-in for battery power. How much of the grant applies? £1,500. So what does it cost after the grant? From £30,995. What do you think of it? The Megane is conventionally desirable, handsome, well-finished and easy to use... there's very little wrong with it. Read our full review here It's a long-ish wheelbase, long-range electric family car. How much of the grant applies? £1,500. So what does it cost after the grant? From £35,495. What do you think of it? Space, efficiency and superb tech count in the Scenic's favour. But it's also good-looking on the outside and well-finished within. Read our full review here It's an Astra. And specifically, the Astra Electric. There aren't many more recognisable names in the heartland of British motoring these days. How much of the grant applies? £1,500. So what does it cost after the grant? From £32,630. What do you think of it? We like the eighth-generation Astra, and the electric one is the best of the lot… we're just not head-over-heels in love with it. Read our full review here In case you hadn't guessed yet, it's the fully electric version of one of Britain's best-selling cars. How much of the grant applies? £1,500. So what does it cost after the grant? From £25,280. What do you think of it? It's significantly less peacocky than its Honda or Mini rivals, and it'll go further and has bags more room for people. Read our full review here Vauxhall Combo Life Electric The same van-based car as the Citroen e-Berlingo and the Peugeot e-Rifter. How much of the grant applies? £1,500. So what does it cost after the grant? From £30,690. What do you think of it? The Combo is well judged for family life and makes no misguided attempts at sportiness. Read our full review here Vauxhall Frontera Electric It's the new Vauxhall Frontera, making its return after a 20-year absence. How much of the grant applies? £1,500. So what does it cost after the grant? From £23,995. What do you think of it? It feels well judged. Its driving manners exceeded our expectations, it blends the company's now familiar image with the kind of rugged looks people favour these days, and above all there's no arguing with the cost. Read the full review here Vauxhall Grandland Electric It's the second-generation Vauxhall Grandland, available for the first time with electric power, in case you hadn't already guessed by the name. How much of the grant applies? £1,500. So what does it cost after the grant? From £34,555. What do you think of it? This is a car you'll buy with your sensible shoes on, and not those fluorescent trainers you got on a whim and haven't worn since. Read our full review here Vauxhall's smallest crossover. How much of the grant applies? £1,500. So what does it cost after the grant? From £30,180. What do you think of it? What the Mokka does is make a Corsa-sized crossover more interesting than it has any right to be. Read the full review here
Top Gear
39 minutes ago
- Top Gear
How good does this Callum Vanquish Shooting Brake look?
Ian Callum has been playing with the Vanquish again. Won't somebody let him make this thing? Remember Ian Callum's updated take on the original Aston Martin Vanquish? Well, he wants to make it more… practical. We approve, because what better way to improve a supercar than by making it possible to bring dogs along for the ride? We first saw a single angle of this VC25 Shooting Brake concept back in May 2023, but now it has been rendered in a lovely new colour and looks pretty much ready for production. Unfortunately, Callum says that it is still 'purely conceptual' for now, but that interested parties should get in touch.
