Sydney AutoSpeed Cruise #4
Saturday 11th of December was the date for Sydney Cruise 4. The meeting place was Pennant Hills McDonalds at 9 am. As it happened, a Monaro club of some sort also chose this as their meeting place. As Death Invader, PeterD and Sash pulled up, we saw the familiar AutoSpeed sticker on the back of rs-turbo's (funnily enough) RS Turbo! So once cars were parked and idled down, we headed inside to get some breakfast and get out of the sun. Jolt77 turned up to have a chat before leaving for a wedding. Brett from www.discpads.com also turned up to meet a few readers, as well as try to flog off some of his (very discounted) products. The departure time was 9:30 am, so at ten past ten we decided we should start!
While in the carpark, we all listened intently to Twin Turbo Legacy about how he turned a GX Impreza into an STi powered rocket. We made our way up the Pacific Highway, leaving civilisation and, we hoped, the boys in blue. We were in for a surprise when we passed, with exhausts rumbling, an army of motorcycle police (about 8-10) and highway patrol (about 3-4 cars). This put a slight dampener on our activities - for now anyway. Before we could think too much about this, Uncle Dave in the XR8 and PeterD in a MX6 had dropped off. We stopped and turned around, having found out the power steering had chucked a tantrum. On the way to the strickened Ford, Sash doing about 140 in a 70 zone, passed one of the aforementioned motorcycle cops. Not having a radar in hand, all the two-wheeler could do was point a finger at him with a stern face. Let off the hook - this time
Once the power steering problem was rectified, it was back into hoon mode, with some very impromptu oversteer sliding by Death Invader and Sash. We were starting to get into the rhythm when a Highway Patrol, with side-mounted radar, came buzzing past. About 5 minutes later, he came blasting up behind, lights ablaze. He passed rs-turbo, then PeterD, then Sash, and then the others, continuing onto the highway. Scare number two over, we continued on our hooning way.
Then with Peter D dropping back at an increasing rate, we all pulled over. When he reached us, we were informed of his loss of braking performance, with a sinking brake pedal. Much discussion, a trolley jack, and a syringe from rs-turbo (he assured us it was to refill his petrol-powered remote control car) and we came to the conclusion that it was the master-cylinder. With no other option but to pull out, our cruise was reduced to 5 cars. We continued thus untroubled except for a few bits of traffic, and Twin Turbo Legacy complaining about his 180km/h speed limiter. We stopped at a local area of shops to have some lunch. Once again, we ate at a pie (pastry) shop, just like Sydney Cruise III. With everyone fed and cars refuelled, we continued on our way.
All this time, we weren't actually on Putty Rd, which was the original reason for this cruise. Nonetheless, the roads were enjoyable and also challenging. About 500m of road was dirt, and so most of us went along this quite slowly, trying to avoid stone chips. But not rs-turbo, who seems to be a great rally fan from the huge dust cloud that he left behind. We were told of the cabin getting filled with rocks from his four wheel power slides!
Once onto Putty Rd, we continued our journey, enjoying the smooth surface and sweeping corners that it had to offer us. Some traffic forced us to a BBQ area so we could build up a bit of a buffer. The dirt and gravel was too much for rs-turbo, and so he let loose (pun intended!) with a rock-spitting 4WD burnout/slide. The first time being a practice, the second captured on digital video. It was viewed on the camera, but during transfer onto the laptop, the disk got corrupted and the four-wheel-spinning liberty was no longer. L
We continued along Putty Rd and thus concluded Sydney Cruise 4. It was enjoyed by all, with quite a few amazed looks from passers, as well as one wannabe competitor - a stock blue Falcon. To all those who said they'd come but couldn't - SUCKED IN! Hopefully you can make it to the next Sydney Cruise, number 5, which is planned for late January/early February. For more details, go to the AutoSpeed Shootouts Discussion Forum.
Mazda RX-Evolv Concept Makes North American Debut
Offering room for four full-size adults in a compact, high-performance, four-door package, the new rotary RX-Evolv gives an insight into the future direction of Mazda. With its potent new RENESIS rotary engine, front mid-ship layout, four-wheel independent suspension and ideal 50/50 weight distribution, the RX-EVOLV is Mazda's vision of the sports car of the future. The RENESIS (Rotary Engine GENESIS) twin-rotor engine delivers a potent 200kW, the highest output ever achieved by a normally aspirated rotary engine, and revs to an astounding 10,000 rpm. This performance is the result of the RENESIS engine's side port layout and lighter rotors, which also contribute to its increased fuel efficiency and reduced emissions.
The wheels of the RX-EVOLV are pushed out to the corners of the vehicle, providing short overhangs and a long wheelbase. At the front, a chrome Mazda brand symbol sits just above a stylised five-point grille opening. Extremely thin Micro-HID (High Intensity Discharge) lights reside in the narrow grille opening. The RX-EVOLV uses a wide stance and has pronounced wheel arches. The greenhouse is separated from the rest of the car by a strong shoulder line, and the roof incorporates a variation on Mazda's twin-bubble "Aero-Wave" roof found on the third-generation RX-7 sports car. The rear roof pillar is reminiscent of the first-generation RX-7. The dual round taillights incorporate two round elements, a hallmark of Mazda sports cars.
The four-door layout provides exceptional access to the interior. The unique Freestyle Door System means there is no centre pillar to interfere with ingress and egress. The front doors feature a double action hinge - the door first extends out and forward, then rotates to open. The rear doors open to the rear and swing out 90 degrees for full access to the rear seats.
The instrument panel is driver-oriented, with two large pods housing the tachometer and speedometer prominently located in front of the driver. Auxiliary gauges are housed in a multi-mode display in the centre console, as are the controls for the audio and ventilation systems. The centre console also houses the rotor-shaped joystick control for the six-speed auto-shift manual transmission. This joystick allows the driver to select one of two modes - clutchless automatic shifting or manual shifting using the wing shift controls mounted on the steering wheel (similar to the paddle shifters used on Formula One race cars). The wing shift selectors allow the driver to make quick fingertip shifts without removing his or her hands from the steering wheel.
The RX-EVOLV features a solid chassis that employs hydroformed high-strength steel tubes in the side sills, pillars, roof rails and door edges. This gives the body of the RX-EVOLV the same rigidity as a conventional sedan with a centre pillar. The engine and transmission are solidly connected to the rear suspension by a carbon-fibre Power Plant Frame similar to the design used on the MX-5 and third-generation RX-7.
The RX-EVOLV uses four-wheel double-wishbone independent suspension to keep the wheels firmly planted on the road. The quick ratio rack-and-pinion steering is electronically controlled. Large, 19-inch ventilated disc brakes use six-piston calipers up front and four-piston calipers in the rear, and the braking system features four-wheel Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) and Dynamic Stability Control (DSC). The lightweight five-spoke 20-inch alloy wheels are shod with unidirectional asymmetric-tread low-profile run-flat tires. Low-pressure sensors alert the driver to a loss of tire pressure.
Other advanced technologies incorporated in the RX-EVOLV are:
- An Active Cornering Brake system that allows the driver to control the brake force at each wheel individually, thus permitting the driver to alter the handling of the vehicle depending on his or her preferences (from understeer to oversteer).
- An ID Access Card that locks and unlocks the doors and starts the engine. The card also stores driver information and can be used to vary the level of engine output and actuation of the Active Cornering Brake system based on driver skill level. It can also transmit medical information in an emergency.
- A one-touch parking brake system that engages and disengages the parking brake at the touch of a button.
- Push-button controls for engine start and kill.
- A rear seat slide mechanism that moves the rear seats fore and aft, depending on passenger or cargo needs.
- A multi-zone audio system with 10 ultra-thin speakers integrated into the door trim, roof pillars and roof trim for concert hall-quality sound in a lightweight, space-efficient package.
Grand Vitara Cabrio
The Suzuki Grand Vitara Cabrio has gone on sale in New South Wales and the ACT with a recommended retail price of $28,990 which includes standard air conditioning, power windows, remote central locking, power steering and a two piece folding soft top. The Grand Vitara Cabrio is powered by a 1.6-litre, DOHC, 16-valve in-line four-cylinder engine. Maximum power is 69kW at 5,200 rpm with maximum torque of 174 Nm at 2900 rpm. A five-speed manual transmission is standard while a four-speed electronic automatic transmission with two switchable modes - either normal or power as well as mechanical lock-up in top gear - is available as an option at extra cost.
Wild Neon!
Recently unveiled in the US, the Dodge Neon SRT concept is the most powerful Neon ever, with a supercharged, 2.0-litre, 16-valve engine that generates more than 200 horsepower. "The Neon SRT concept is intended to stimulate the imagination of 18- to 25-year-old drivers as to what they could do with the right accessories if they owned the Neon," said a Chrysler spokesperson. Neon SRT has a boldly styled front fascia, projector-beam fog lamps, a bonnet air scoop and an imposing rear spoiler. Its 2.0-litre, SOHC, four-cylinder engine develops 208 horsepower and 180 pound-feet of torque. By comparison, the production Neon has 132 horsepowerIn addition, SRT is 1.5 inches lower than the production Neon. It has four-wheel independent suspension with Eibach custom springs, Tokico performance-tuned struts, heavy-duty front and rear sway bars, racing tires and 17-inch aluminium alloy wheels.
Rolls-Royce Corniche convertible
The unveiling of an all-new Rolls-Royce is a rare event, so it is an auspicious occasion for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars to announce its latest, all-new convertible - the Corniche. The Corniche is built only to order, each car individually commissioned to match precisely the personal needs and tastes of its owner. Interior furnishings and appointments of the Corniche demonstrate natural, hand-finished fine wood veneers, featuring subtle cross-banding and boxwood inlay. Upholstery is in finest, hand-stitched Connolly hides. Deep-pile Wilton wool carpets grace the floor.
The company modestly chooses to describe the performance of its Corniche convertible as "more than adequate". That has to be something of an understatement when it has a Crewe-built, 6.75-litre, light pressure charged V8 engine with prodigious reserves of torque - no less than 738 Nm between 2,100 and 2,300 rpm. The Corniche is capable of accelerating from 0 to 60 mph in a 8 seconds and it will whisper on, should a suitable occasion arise, to a maximum speed of 135 mph.
Jaguar F-Type
Jaguar's new F-TYPE CONCEPT roadster was recently unveiled at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Jaguar designers set out to create the ideal, compact Jaguar roadster, evoking the spirit of the legendary E-type. The F-TYPE CONCEPT, the most compact Jaguar sports car in more than forty years, presents the company's ideas for a roadster that would take Jaguar into a new segment of the global market. Presentation of the car at international auto shows will help gauge the public's reaction to the concept of a dynamic, technically advanced, Jaguar roadster.
The design team set out to produce a shape that is contemporary, functional and distinctively Jaguar. To fulfil Jaguar's core engineering value of equal weight distribution for excellent dynamic performance, the concept dictated both a long bonnet and a cockpit which sits in the ideal position relative to the wheelbase. The resulting design achieves the balanced proportions of a traditional Jaguar sports car, evocative of the seminal E-type.
The F-TYPE CONCEPT features aerodynamic aids for optimum dynamic performance. The nose of the car carries a 'splitter', a low-set aerofoil designed to move automatically with increasing speed in order to increase downforce. At the rear, a fixed diffuser tunnel also uses increasing speed to generate additional downforce. The distinctively styled headlamps employ an adaptation of the latest 'Baroptic' light guide technology in a unique multiple-element cluster. The ultra compact rear lamps, pioneered in the XK180, use LED technology to deliver high performance and a unique 'jewel-like' appearance.
The new Jaguar is designed to accept a range of powertrain options, starting with the 240 horsepower AJ-V6 engine successfully introduced in the S-TYPE saloon, while a supercharged version with around 300 horsepower is also a possibility. Automatic or manual transmissions would drive the rear wheels, while all-wheel drive is a production-feasible option.
All-New Volvo V70 and Volvo V70 XC
Volvo has unveiled an all-new wagon range claimed to feature advances in safety, environmental care, performance, versatility and comfort. The wagon, which will continue with the current model designations V70 for the two-wheel drive model and V70 XC for the all-wheel-drive, was released at motor shows in Detroit and Brussels. Both the Volvo V70 and Volvo V70 XC will be sold in Australia later this year. The high-performance turbocharged Volvo V70 T5 and the Volvo V70 2.4T with a light-pressure turbo are expected to be released here in May, followed in August by the normally-aspirated Volvo V70 20-valve. The Volvo V70 XC, fitted with the same engine as the Volvo V70 2.4T, is scheduled to arrive in November. The Volvo V70 and Volvo V70 XC are based on the floorplan of the award-winning Volvo S80 sedan, but are the first Volvos to be designed uniquely as wagons.
Quickies
- Volvo Car Australia today announced it will not compete in this year's BOC Gases Australian Super Touring Championship. Managing Director Jan Eriksson said he had regretfully decided to withdraw the official team of two Volvo S40 Super Touring cars in line with a similar move by Volvo Car Corporation of Sweden not to compete in the 2000 British Touring Car Championship.
- Mercedes-Benz has again shattered its Australian sales record with a bumper 1999 result. It posted a record 8773 sales - which was up 15.5% on 1998 which was also a record year.
- Motor racing legend Allan Moffat will lead one of the major Ford Rally convoys into Melbourne in late March as a highlight of the company's 75th anniversary celebrations in 2000. The four times Bathurst winner will be at the wheel of a thundering 'Vermilion Fire' 1970 Falcon GTHO Phase II similar to the car in which he scored his memorable first Bathurst victory for Ford 30 years ago in 1970.Moffat's 'Pied Piper' role is expected to inspire thousands to join his convoy, which will gather Ford enthusiasts from Western Australia, South Australia, the Northern Territory and Western Victoria during the last week of March. Another major Ford Rally convoy will bring Ford owners to Melbourne from Queensland, New South Wales, the ACT and Central and North Eastern Victoria. After arriving in Melbourne on Friday March 31, Rally participants will be offered a special tour of the Broadmeadows Plant and Falcon assembly line. Full details on the Ford Rally can be obtained by calling 1 800 000 751 free call.
- Honda plans to introduce its super-efficient petrol-electric hybrid engine technology to other mass market models within several years, Honda President Mr Hiroyuki Yoshino announced recently at the North American International Auto Show. Honda also announced its next-generation series engines would be introduced to America in 2001. The family of new 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder engines will achieve SULEV, or Super-Ultra Low Emissions Level, and a boost in fuel efficiency of up to 20 per cent, as well as increased performance and improved low-speed torque. The engines will make their debut in Japan later this year.
- Kia Motors has appointed Ateco Automotive Pty Ltd to handle the importation and distribution of its range of cars and commercial vehicles with effect from 1 March 2000, taking over from the Itochu Corporation who have held the Kia Franchise for Australia since its local debut in 1997. The change in Australian distribution comes as part of a global policy change by Kia aimed at clearly separating the Kia brand from its new partner, Hyundai so that both brands may fully maximise their sales potential. Ateco Automotive already imports Alfa Romeo and Citroën products nationally and it is the New South Wales and ACT importer for Suzuki.
- Audi has announced that will not only contest the Le Mans 24 Hours, but the entire Le Mans series in 2000. The North American International Motor Show in Detroit was the venue for Dr. Wolgang Urich, head of Audi Sport, to announce Audi's participation in the championship which concludes with Adelaide's Race of a Thousand Years on December 31 this year.
- For the first time in its history, French car maker Citroën delivered more than one million vehicles in 12 months with deliveries rising six per cent to 1,010,000 units in 1999.
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