It doesn’t matter which Gatebil occasion you attend, strolling by means of the paddock at all times turns up vehicles with fascinating tales to inform.

At Gatebil’s 2024 Main Event held at Rudskogen Motorsenter in Norway, the paddock didn’t disappoint.

There are a number of the reason why a Gatebil paddock is so particular, one being the exceptional number of vehicles.

Strolling by means of this automotive maze, you’ll encounter the whole lot from closely modified avenue vehicles…

…to custom-built, high-performance race vehicles, like Kai Roger Bakken’s Gatebil-iconic Lotus Esprit.

One other particular facet is the paddock’s unrestricted entry. Gatebil guests can meet and work together with drivers and their groups, making it a social gathering spot the place automotive fans of all ranges can share their ardour.

It’s not daily you’ll be able to stand up shut and private with Components Drift Professional-spec drift vehicles like Ola Jaeger’s MkIV Toyota Supra.

No matter your automotive experience, the Gatebil paddock is each inclusive and extremely instructional. I don’t say this to be inspirational, however moderately as a result of I can spend hours speaking to drivers, asking how they accomplish driving sure feats. This typically happens when inspecting what’s underneath the hood of those exceptional vehicles.

If Scandinavians are good at one factor, it’s placing engines in locations you wouldn’t look forward to finding them Of all of the engine swaps, the Toyota 2JZ is the commonest, which has rather a lot to do with accessibility and price. It’s not the latest swap pattern, however many of those builds will seize and maintain your consideration.

Have you ever ever seen a 2JZ-swapped Hyundai Veloster? This was a primary for me.

If the 2JZ swap is just too mainstream for you, how a few 500hp Nissan VQ35HR-swapped BMW E36?

Or maybe a Nissan 180SX with a turbocharged Mercedes-Benz M104 diesel engine is extra your vibe?

It’s at all times thrilling to see concepts that you just wouldn’t assume would work, do precisely that.

In case you’re not a fan of cross-manufacturer engine swaps, Gatebil at all times has a wide selection of automotive builds that keep loyal to their model roots.

Insane V8-powered time assault Chevrolet Corvettes are a factor in Scandinavia, too.

Does anybody acknowledge this? Generally you get an opportunity to fulfill a hero from the previous, that you just may need solely examine. That’s the way it was for me with this twin-engined Toyota Starlet, which a decade on remains to be a Gatebil standout.

One other basic function automotive nonetheless making waves is Kjell Frykås’s Ford Anglia. Its unique retro-fitted Volvo B230 four-cylinder engine has been changed with a Ford Cosworth engine, and new physique elements have been added. The rebuilt Anglia debuted its new motor final 12 months and has emerged as a high contender within the hotly-contested Gatebil Excessive sequence.

Whether or not it’s a brand new construct or an present one which continues to evolve, there’s at all times one thing to find within the Gatebil paddock.

That’s it for my occasion protection from the 2024 Gatebil Fundamental Occasion, however keep tuned for a number of automotive options shot at Mantorp Park and Rudskogen Motorsenter over the summer season season.

Alen Haseta
Instagram: hazetaa