12 July 2025, Ronalds

Filip Hartman surprised the autocross world in Nová Paka by winning the Buggy 1600 class with a 939cc turbocharged Ford engine — in a field dominated by big-revving motorcycle motors. We asked him how he did it!

First of all, congratulations on your impressive win in Nová Paka! How does it feel to stand on the top step of the podium in such a competitive round of the European Championship?

"Thank you so much — I truly appreciate it.
Standing on the top step in Nová Paka was the best feeling in the world. What made it even more special is that Nová Paka is my home track, and this was my very first win in the European Championship."

Your win has caused quite a stir in the paddock — not just because you won, but how you did it. Most of your competitors run high-revving motorcycle engines like the Suzuki Hayabusa, yet you claimed victory using a small 939cc turbocharged car engine from Ford. Can you tell us the story behind this bold technical choice?

"The story behind the car isn’t very long — unless you count the nearly two years we waited for the engine!
We simply wanted to do something different. If you look at the Buggy 1600 entry list, it’s packed with Hayabusa engines. So we thought, 'Nah.'"

Now that you’ve shown this concept can win at the highest level, do you expect others to follow your lead? Could we be witnessing a shift in technical trends in the Buggy 1600 class?

"Of course, you never know what to expect when you make such a dramatic change. But finally, our car has reached a power level that can truly compete — even with the much lighter, bike-powered buggies.
That said, we still have a long road ahead to fully match their power-to-weight ratio."

If you could change one regulation in the Buggy 1600 class to allow even more technical creativity, what would it be and why?

"As for the future of the class — that’s an interesting question.
If I could change the rules, I would allow more freedom: things like hybrid turbos, twin-turbo setups, direct fuel injection, or different types of transmissions. There’s so much technical potential still waiting to be explored."

We thank Filip Hartman for taking the time to share his insights and congratulate him on this groundbreaking achievement. We wish him the best of luck in the future — and we’ll be watching closely to see what innovation comes next.