Canadian man and his 850-hp Buick wins Detroit's top hot-rod honor

Motoramic                    

By Alex Lloyd

 

 

 

 

 

 
How do you create a hot rod capable of winning the coveted Ridler Award? If you ask J.F. Launier, owner of JF Kustoms in Osoyoos, British Columbia, attention to detail is key.

 

That meticulous eye helped Launier become the first Canadian to win the award since 1987, dazzling the crowd with his custom 1964 Buick Riviera.

As the main attraction of the Detroit Autorama, the Ridler Award is one of the two most sought after honors in all of hot rodding, along with the slightly older America's Most Beautiful Roadster award. Both require contestants to spend endless hours — and a whole lot of money — developing a car that shows ingenuity, an ability to stun, and above all else creativity.

 

Named after the late Don Ridler, the promotional genius behind Autorama in the mid-1950s, eligible hopefuls must bring an entirely new creation to compete.

 

Launier has competed before, but his Riviera, nicknamed "Rivision," was all-new — a product of 20,000 hours of labor over six years. It's estimated that more than $300,000 will have been injected into the project.
 

Inside the 2014 Ridler Award winner

 

Losing its four-seat capability, the award-winning Riviera makes do with two, featuring a 6.2-liter GM-sourced LS-series engine, good for 850 hp thanks to its twin-turbos. Power to the rear wheels arrives via a six-speed manual transmission. The waste gates and turbos are located in the trunk, with heat vents blended into the rear tail lamps. The front fenders feature additional venting, along with a hot-air exit in the hood. It's far from the stock Riviera it once was, but to win this prize, that's a necessity.

Launier's creation undoubtedly succeeds at stunning, but the attention to detail lies in the under-body. The twin exhaust pipes form together to feed both turbos equally, and combined with the trick oil pan and smoothed transmission, the entire floor appears Adrian Newey approved — seamlessly integrated for aerodynamic efficiency.

 

The car created a mass of attention prior to judging, with many picking it as a clear winner before any adjudication took place. Others deemed it too over the top, but perhaps that's what it takes — verging on overboard, while tying it together with details? (It's also rare for a car of such recent vintage to win; no newer model has won since 1995.)

 

After winning the award, one would expect the machine to be bubble-wrapped and preserved, eventually hitting the stage at Barrett-Jackson to redeem its invested cash and then some. But not Launier's. No, he plans on autocrossing his custom Riviera, along with a promise to find a road long enough to hit 200 mph.

 

For now, America's famed hot rod award resides in Canada. But to keep it for more than 12 months, Launier will need a new creation. And topping "Rivision" will be no easy task.