Toyota has announced that its box-fresh entrant to the small-SUV market will hit our shores in the first quarter of 2017, with two variants, two drivetrains and a single turbocharged engine available.
The entry level model will be simply called ‘C-HR’, while the range-topper brings a new badge to Toyota showrooms: ‘Koba’, named after the car’s lead engineer, Hiroyuki Koba.
The exterior styling shown in the pre-production images is relatively adventurous for Toyota, with the front bearing a strong family resemblance to the RAV4 while integrating that look with bold sculptured horizontal curves, raised ground clearance and fastback rear end somewhat similar to the Nissan Juke.
Squint, and it looks like a sporty coupe. A sloping roofline leads to an aerodynamic spoiler and the rear door handles are hidden where the doorframe meets the C- pillar.
Toyota is also talking up the C-HR’s performance, saying its aggressive looks will be complemented by a powerful yet efficient turbocharged engine. Toyota Australia doesn’t make mention of powertrain specifics, however there’s only one turbo petrol option available in overseas markets – a 1.2-litre 85kW turbocharged four-cylinder.
That engine is mated to either a 6-speed manual gearbox or a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT), though it’s unclear whether Toyota Australia will offer both or adopt a CVT-only strategy for the C-HR. The local range will, however, be available in either front- or all-wheel drive.
Toyota Australia’s executive director sales and marketing Tony Cramb said the C-HR represents the next step in the evolution of SUVs by putting less importance on the ‘U’ of off-road utility.“C-HR advances the very definition of SUV by emphasising the ‘S’ that stands for ‘sport’ and ‘style’,” said Cramb.
Advanced safety features will be available including a pre-collision system with autonomous braking, adaptive cruise control, lane departure alert with steering control, automatic high beam and a reversing camera viewed through the 6.1-inch touchscreen.
These will optional in the base model C-HR but will come standard in the Koba, which will also have heated seats, keyless entry and ignition, privacy glass and 18-inch alloy wheels.
The C-HR will come in eight exterior colours, including a new radiant green, which buyers will be able to choose at the showroom using new car configuration technology.
Prices and full specifications will be announced closer to launch.
First published in the October 1994 issue of Wheels magazine, Australia’s best car mag since 1953.
Tickford’s performance Falcon is affordable, sticks like glue and, says a gleeful Bob Hall, goes like stink.
This may be a vintage year for Australian performance cars. Autumn saw the anything-for-a-rush HSV GTS 215i, the 5.7-litre Commodore – now Spring roars in with Ford’s substantial re-do of the already hot XR6!
Let’s not beat about the bush: the new XR6 may be the best balanced and best volume car to ever come from an Australian manufacturer at an affordable price. It goes like stink, handles delightfully and won’t eat you out of house and home while doing it.
It is faster than HSV’s 185i Clubsport and its own V8 brothers, the XR8 and limited-run XR8 Sprint.
Since its introduction in October 1992, the Falcon XR6 has become a fixture in the Australian carpark. Now in its third iteration, the success of Ford’s muscular six-pot has even outpaced the greatest expectations of the Broadmeadows boys.
Tickford Vehicle Engineering’s massage of the XR6 sedan and wagon as well as the XR8 sedan has genuinely improved the breed. The only bad news concerns the two seater – the Blackwood-derived XR6 ute is essentially unchanged (new wheels are on offer).
Of course the HSV 215i’s impressive performance – it sprints from stop to 100 clicks in 6.6 seconds and covers a standing start 400 metres in 14.8 seconds – comes with an impressive price tag, around $60,000.
The bent-eight brigade may never wear a mere six as a substitute for an eight, but Tickford’s XR6 is there for the currency-challenged to whom performance counts more than a roll-call of cylinders. After all, the latest EF version of the XR6 starts at a mere $34,584, spare change for HSV owners and very attractive when they learn that the XR6 reaches 100 kays in 7.5 seconds and covers the standing 400 metres in 15.5.
This succinctly describes Tickford’s way of doing things. Unlike some of the German tuning shops, Tickford is more interested in developing a car with a balance of performance the owner can use and appreciate… which is probably why Tickford Falcons lack gold badges, 21-inch wheels and twin-scroll turbos.
In lieu of forced induction, the engine development team at Tickford headquarters in Milton Keynes UK (there’s a little cred for import fanciers) took a long hard look at the EF’s revised 4.0 litre in-line six and went to work improving output within realistic cost targets.
Perhaps the most notable (but least apparent) change is the increase in exhaust valve size. When the valve size was increased from 39 to 41 mm there was an opportunity (and need) to do some housekeeping in the port itself, so gas flow was improved considerably.
Removal of some material when the combustion chambers get reprofiled also necessitates milling the head to bring the compression ratio up to near that of the regular 4.0 six (9.3:1 for the standard 157 kW engine, 9.35:1 for the XRs). Valve springs were given a five per cent higher pre-load than standard. When all is said and done, improving the XR6’s engine has created gas flow to rival the best Japanese multi-valve four cylinder engines.
Considering how good some BMW two valve sixes are, that’s high praise indeed. With a new camshaft optimising valve lift and operation, cooler plugs, recalibration of the knock sensor and alteration of ignition andd fuel curves through the EEC-V control system (the EEC-V limits top speed of automatic sedans and all wagons, by the way), the end results are awfully impressive: 164 kW at 5000 rpm and 366 Nm at 3000 rpm.
But there’s more to the figures than the numbers alone: the torque curve’s flatter than the Nullarbor – between 2750 and 3500 rpm, torque ranges from a ‘low’ of 365 Nm to a ‘high’ of 366 Nm! – and the transmission ratios of the five speed box use that torque. Taking the car to redline in each gear will put you smack in the middle of the torque curve when you change up into the next gear.
Driveability is eye-opening, particularly if you’ve been driving buzzy 16 valve fours.
The transmission hasn’t been messed with. Borg-Warner’s evergreen T5 carries on without alteration. The optional four speed automatic has had the shift algorithms altered to provide faster shifts at higher rpm when the transmission is in the normal mode; economy mode shift characteristics are unchanged. The automatic now has lock-up in third, enhancing throttle control and performance over tighter roads with a reduction in hunting and shifting, something perhaps best appreciated on unpaved surfaces.
The six has a neat, meaty exhaust snarl and tends to make all the right noises, though it is noticeably thrummier than the low(er) output six in regular EFs. Whether it’s due to additional sound deadening in the nonsporting models, the XR6’s manual transmission rather than the automatic in all the EFs we’ve driven so far, or the tuning of the XR’s spunky six, we were mindful of it.
Previously, the XR8 shared its prime mover with the rest of the range, but positioning a 165 kW V8 against a 164 kW six might be, er, difficult. The V8 is imported assembled, limiting Tickford’s modifications, but still it extracts an additional 5 kW (to 170 at 4500 rpm) and torque by 10 Nm (398 at 3000 rpm). A larger air intake snorkel and lower restriction exhaust system provide the gains: The XR8’s manual gearbox – making it the only current Falcon with an eight and a
manual transmission – is also carried over, though the final drive ratio has been raised from 3.27:1 to 3.23:1 (that of the automatic has been lowered to 3.45:1).
The XR8 automatic now benefits from slicker shifting protocols lifted straight from the XR8 Sprint automatic.
The already well pinned down chassis of the XR6 has been finessed to provide improvement in ride without compromising the car’s handling, and on the whole Tickford has met these disparate goals –Japanese manufacturers take note.
The front spring rates on all XRs are softer up front. Front coils have had their rate lowered from 69 N/mm to 66 N/mm which is still almost a third firmer than those found in regular EFs.
The XR sedans and wagons ride 23 mm lower than GLi, Futura and Fairmont.
Tickford is also using a progressive rate rubber bushing at the front with a washer which provides better control and less deformation during high G loadings. There’s also an extra degree of caster in the XR front suspension relative to the base Falcons and Fairmonts, as well as 0.75 degree less camber and two degrees more toe-in.
The rear geometry of the XRs differs notably from that of the regular EF sedans, with relocated front pivots for the upper longitudinal locating arms. The two main reasons for this were as a method of reducing noise from the differential (which, thanks to the reduced ride height, sits closer to the cabin) and, more importantly, to control roll oversteer.
When Ford began using the 27mm front anti-roll bar on the EF range, it inadvertently cranked in a touch of roll oversteer which accounts for the EF’s slightly twitchy feel after quick turn-in.
With the rear suspension mods to the XRs, this twitchiness has been purged, so the XR6 has greater stability without the EF’s occasional “here comes the rear end” feel.
Crisp and linear turn-in hasn’t been sacrificed in the process. With the front and rear suspension mods, the chassis balance of the XR6 is awfully good, even on unpaved surfaces.
Dearborn would be proud of the car’s road manners. Good one, Tickford!
The standard XR tyre and wheel combination is a set of 15 x 7Jcast alloy wheels with 205/65VR15 Michelin MXVs. Optional for all XR sedans and wagons are Michelin Pilot XGT Vs in hefty 225/ 50VR16 size – on even meaner looking wheels. They aren’t exactly cheap at $2048, but they sure look good. Oh, and they make the XR6 stick like a limpet slathered with superglue. The ride doesn’t deteriorate too badly with the low profile rubber, either.
As with straightline performance, there is indeed a handling difference between the XR6 and XR8. Adhesion is virtually identical to the XR6, though the eight has a somewhat vague, slightly sloppier feel. This manifests itself most prominently in transient response which is distinctly duller than the 30 kg lighter six cylinder car.
The braking system is one of the few places the car hasn’t been changed, and considering how well the EF’s stoppers work, that isn’t at all bad. And the centre-pull handbrake is an even more welcome addition here than it was in the newly-released EFs.
Reasonably crisp and direct, the power steering is lifted straight from the rest of the Falcon range, and works well with the chassis enhancements. The low mass of Ford’s airbag steering wheel is a real benefit in the XRs, even if it does look dorky with a black leather rim that matches little else in the interior save the shift knob, radio bezel and instrument faces.
Other than the potential for some cloud making from the tyre-blistering performance, the most overt differences the man on the street will spot are the cosmetic ones, and they are numerous.
The quad-lamp theme continues, but in an all-new, and dramatic, form. The new XR snout races forward with an aggressive sweep that appears as a smooth continuation of the EF’s sloping bonnet line.
As with the rest of the EF range, the XRs are ‘bottom-breathers’, but unlike the Falcon range, there is not even the hint of a step between the bumper bar and the leading edge of the bonnet – the facia-cum-headlamp surround rolls straight to the top of the bumper.
The effect is pretty dramatic and, we suspect, polarising. It seems as though a big hunk of the market research for the original XR6 which said the target buyers wanted a car that was “distinctive but not outrageous” has been left by the wayside. A reservation about the styling: some “Wheels staffers think the extreme nose treatment may age quickly.
Time will tell.
The XR sedans and wagons use the bonnet pressing of the Falcon series with a pair of air extractor outlets mounted roughly midway. They are more subtle than those we saw on the limited-edition Falcon GT, but they still stir a bit of controversy in the Ford and Tickford organisations. We like ’em, but they mightn’t be everyone’s cup of hemlock.
The XR identity carries on with the cherry red inserts in the bumpers and bodyside moulding (which are colour-keyed to the body now) on all but red cars, which get black inserts.
Two things you notice: the inserts are considerably taller, and as a result more extroverted than those of previous XRS; the cherry red is an acquired taste when mixed with some body colours. The restricted XR colour palette continues: red, white, cobalt blue, Polynesian green and black. People who like washing their cars hourly should queue now for a black one, as the colour is scheduled to be replaced shortly by an anthracite metallic.
The XR6 we used for testing was fitted with the $2098 body styling kit which consists of bodyside sill, front spoiler and rear skirt extensions, all offered on Falcons and Fairmonts as well as XR8 sedans. Like the rear bumper on all EFs, the rear extension has a knock-out for a towbar. At “Wheels the
jury’s out on the styling kit, though we lean slightly towards the idea that the money might be best spent on the 16 inch wheel and tyre combo.
At the rear, the decklid lip spoiler of previous XRs has been replaced by a rear wing, complete with LED high-mount brake light. The wing was originally to be a Fairmont Ghia part to provide series differentiation between the two Fairmonts!
Better it ends up here…
Between the four-eyed nose and the bewinged butt is the cabin where, beyond the previously mentioned black leather steering wheel, the only other deviations are the EF seats, the standard power front windows and the sedan’s optional $839 CD changer. Like the Falcon GLi, you can get any interior colour you want, so long as it is Lunar Mist (though the snazzoid seat fabrics are exclusive to the XRs).
So if you haven’t already gotten the idea, the XR6 is even better than the car we raved about two years ago, and it isn’t only because it has a proper handbrake now.
Tickford has both impressively built upon the improvements Ford brought to the table with the new EF series, and moved into new territory.
The six’s output comes close to its 170 kW limit thanks to the combination of Ford’s new 12-counterweight crankshaft and variable length inlet runners and Tickford’s optimisation expertise, yet it has greater driveability than before.
Disregarding the chassis improvements on both cars, the strength of the XR6 puts the validity of its big brother XR8 in doubt.
Ford’s US-built 5.0 litre pushrod V8 is rumoured to be heading for retirement – it’s already been replaced in most US passenger car applications by Ford’s expensive Modular OHC V8, and trucks will follow shortly.
Now that a six performs better than the eight in virtually every area, and has superior fuel economy and crisper, more sure-footed handling, the question is – who needs the eight anymore?
Large SUVs are clearly perfectly suited to a large continent such as Australia, and they’re hugely popular with buyers both in the ‘burbs and the bush.
Luxury versions are driving the biggest growth in the segment that is the third-largest locally, behind only medium SUVs and small cars.
The more mainstream models are the biggest sellers, though, naturally – with the top four currently comprising (in sales order at the end of August 2016) the Toyota Prado, Toyota Kluger, Subaru Outback and Holden Captiva.
Here, WhichCar provides a guide to any changes planned or expected for these four models during the next 18 months – to help you pick the perfect timing for buying one.
Holden’s big SUV has been plugging away for a decade in Australia but the Captiva nameplate will be retired in 2017. In its place comes the vehicle’s all-new replacement that will be revealed in the very near future and using the the Equinox name. It is expected to be a five-seater, with Holden covering the current Captiva’s seven-seater offering with the Trailblazer and, from 2018, another Chevrolet-sourced model, the Acadia.
A major facelift for the second-generation version of Toyota’s more suburban-focused SUV cousin to the Prado is due here in mid 2017. Design changes are subtle but mechanical updates are more significant. The Kluger’s 3.5-litre V6 gains direct fuel injection and is now paired with an eight-speed rather than six-speed automatic gearbox. There’s improved power, fuel economy and refinement as a result. Toyota Australia will confirm local pricing and specifications closer to the vehicle’s launch, though WhichCar wouldn’t be surprised to see some of the range-topping Grande’s active safety features such as Blind Spot Monitor and Land Departure Warning filter down to lower trim grades as options.
The 150-series Prado has been around since 2009, though there are no clear signs yet of an all-new successor. A late-2013 update introduced styling tweaks, a new dash design and the introduction of additional features, while a heart transplant in August 2015 inserted a new 2.8-litre turbo diesel engine. A special edition may be more likely to be seen in showrooms before the fifth-generation Prado materialises.
Subaru’s famous jacked-up, body-cladded Liberty-based wagon has been on sale in its latest, fifth-generation guise since late 2014. The Japanese brand has been shrinking its product lifecycles in recent years, though that still means the next iteration is unlikely to be seen before 2019. In early 2016, its accident-limiting Eyesight technology was added to automatic versions of the diesel variant, while Premium and 3.6R versions gained blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert. A subtle suspension upgrade was also part of the mix.
Two of Australia’s most popular utilities have been recalled, with Ford and Mazda each issuing recall notices for dual-cab variants of their popular Ford Ranger and BT-50 4×2 and 4×4 utilities.
The Mazda BT-50 and Ranger, which are built in Thailand off a common platform with many shared components, both use the same rear seatback latch, which may malfunction and not lock in an upright position.
Accordingly, the seatback may release and cause injury to backseat passengers. Mazda’s recall notice says that should the latch return spring break, “an abnormal noise may occur and the rear seatback may not be locked in the upright position and may fall forward and down when braking”.
Those using their utes as family transport should note that the faulty backrest latch may also interfere with child seat restraints, potentially causing young kids to become unsecured in a collision.
The recall affects all dual-cab Ford Rangers built between November 30, 2012 and November 3, 2015, and all dual-cab BT-50 models sold from 19 September, 2011 and 17 December, 2015. A total of 33,655 BT-50s are affected by the recall, however Ford Australia has not supplied a precise number for how many Rangers are being recalled.
Both Mazda and Ford will contact affected customers by mail, with owners required to take their cars to a dealership for repair.
Ford recommends that owners of recalled cars don’t use the rear seat until repair work is complete, but says that owners can check whether the latch is functioning properly by sharply pulling the backrest toward the front of the car.
The recall does not affect the 2+2 Super Cab or Freestyle Cab variants of the Ranger and BT-50.
Mitsubishi has previewed a bold-looking plug-in hybrid SUV which will make its world premiere at this month’s Paris Motor Show.
The Ground Tourer GT-PHEV Concept has striking looks, similar to the eX Concept revealed at the last year’s Tokyo Motor Show. It is a departure from the Mitsubishi ASX’s relatively bland aesthetics, with classically-inspired design that includes a more aggressive take in Mitsubishi’s ‘dynamic shield front styling’ plus striking horizontal lines and angles.
There are no pictures of the interior, but Mitsubishi says the GT-PHEV has a spacious cockpit-like interior with the instrument panel and high centre console wrapping around the occupants to provide a sense of protection. It apparently oozes leather trim, which will be colour co-ordinated with the exterior roof finish.
New connection and infotainment technology will combine information networks, on-board sensors and cameras to inform the driver of what’s ahead while managing electricity consumption and fuel economy and providing suitable all-wheel control settings to match road and weather conditions.
The GT-PHEV is powered by an advanced plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) system with a new high-capacity drive battery package that Mitsubishi says will give it an electric-only range of 120km and a hybrid cruising range of more than 1200km.
The triple-motor configuration – one unit at the front and two at the rear – enables Super All Wheel Control (SAW-C) integrated vehicle dynamics control system to provide improved handling stability.
Mitsubishi is coy about the combustion engine that will comprise the rest of the hybrid affiliation but says it is specially designed to improve electricity generation and “motive performance”.
The Grand Tourer Concept is Mitsubishi’s third hybrid or electric-powered concept vehicle to be released at as many international shows.
These include the lightweight XR PHEV II concept revealed at Geneva last year and the aforementioned eX Concept, which was a more compact electric-powered two-door SUV.
Renault Australia has served up its Megane GT sporting entrée priced from $38,990 plus on-roads around a year before the fourth-generation max-sports main Megane RS is due.
Although technically a ‘warm’ hatchback, the Megane GT’s 1.6-litre turbo four-cylinder still produces 151kW and 280Nm – only 4kW short of a pre-2013 Mk6 Golf GTI.
It shares the basics of its engine with its Clio RS sibling, and likewise singularly mates to an Efficient Dual Clutch (EDC) automatic transmission but with an extra gear now tallying seven. A portly 1392kg kerb weight does, however, restrict its 0-100km/h to 7.1 seconds.
Renault Sport has thankfully tuned the spring and damper rates, gearbox modes and electronic stability control (ESC) calibration for the five-door-only Megane GT, which in Australian specification also gets no shortage of kit.
Standard are 18-inch alloy wheels, twin sports exhaust, front and rear parking sensors with automatic park assist, rear camera, auto keyless entry, dual-zone climate control, 7.0-inch touchscreen with nav and digital radio and front sports seats with cloth/Alcantara trim.
At that price the Renault eclipses a certain other French model, the Peugeot 308 GT at $41,990 (plus orc), which matches the Megane GT in more than just the name.
It may not make an RS of itself but the Megane GT looks to make sporting promise enough on paper – and a wagon joins this hatchback from early next year.
Subaru will turn its back on the diesel engine, with the company’s senior management reluctant to continue developing its oil-burning boxer engines and favouring downsized turbocharged petrol engines instead.
Subaru debuted its first diesel model in 2008 when it introduced a 108kW/350Nm 2.0-litre turbo diesel into the Forester line-up, finally giving Subaru SUV buyers a torquey powertrain option that wasn’t the thirsty turbo petrol powerplant used by the performance-oriented Subaru Forester XT.
But since then, very few changes have been made to that motor. Dubbed the EE20, the two-litre boxer diesel makes the same torque output today as it did when it first appeared eight years ago, while peak power has only risen by 2kW (and only in the Outback diesel; the Forester diesel still produces 108kW).
And according to Masahiko Inoue, project manager of the new Subaru Impreza, the company has already given up on developing the EE20 any further.
“With diesel it is too difficult to keep the exhaust gas clean,” Inoue said to WhichCar at the Japanese launch of the new Subaru Impreza.
“We have already stopped developing it. Diesel is a difficult question for us. Officially, some European dealers or members request us to continue to make it, but our top management direction is to discontinue diesel.
“We are discussing this with the European side, the US side and others, discussing what we should do. But in future I think we will not have diesel.”
And when it comes to engines with big torque, the diesel isn’t the only Subaru engine on the chopping block. As more Subaru models transition onto the new SGP platform that sits beneath the 2017 Impreza, Subaru’s naturally-aspirated 3.6-litre flat-six petrol engine, which currently serves in the Subaru Liberty and Outback, will likely be culled in the process.
“We are investigating whether to keep it,” Inoue revealed.
“My personal opinion is that six-cylinder is very difficult to match to the crash absorption area, its weight is too heavy and the fuel economy is not there.”
With big-displacement six cylinder engines and diesel powerplants falling out of favour, Inoue confirmed that Subaru was looking toward adopting a similar strategy as many other manufacturers, with downsized turbo petrol engines and hybrid powertrains being a key part of its future product plan.
“A small, lightweight, high-performance turbo is a better solution,” he said. “Our direction is downsizing with turbo, plus hybrid. We can get a turbo engine to perform the same as a 3.6-litre naturally aspirated [engine], but with two litres.”
“We’re now investigating hybrid also. We have a partnership with Toyota that allows us to use their hybrid technology.” Inoue said.
Subaru has already begun putting its low-capacity turbo strategy into practice, debuting a 1.6 litre turbo version of the new Impreza’s 2.0 litre flat four in the Japanese and European-market Levorg wagon last year.
With 125kW of power and 250Nm of torque, the 1.6 turbo – called the FB16 internally – boasts 10kW and 54Nm more than the new Impreza’s 2.0 litre naturally-aspirated flat four and would be a worthy motor for sportier or high-grade versions of that car, however Inoue disclosed to Which Car that more engineering work needed to be done to integrate it with the 2017 Impreza’s new modular chassis.
Inoue also confirmed that unlike Ford and BMW, Subaru would not be reducing its cylinder count below four, citing concerns about the noise and refinement of a two-cylinder boxer engine.
Mercedes-AMG has lopped the top of its GT sports car, with the soft-top Roadster set to arrive in Australia in the second half of 2017.
Local pricing and specification is still some way from being finalised, but internationally the al fresco GT will be offered in two flavours, both of which will utilise the coupe’s familiar 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 and seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox.
The base GT Roadster will output 350kW/630Nm, however the range-topping GT C Roadster lifts those numbers to an impressive 410kW/680Nm, 35kW/30Nm more than its GT S coupe cousin.
Some of the extra weight will be due to the extra body strengthening required, however the GT C also features some of the choice goodies from the hardcore GT R.
These include the electronically-controlled limited-slip diff, pumped rear guards to accommodate the wider track and wider wheels and rear-wheel steering, the details of which you can read here.
Other exclusive GT C appointments include a full nappa leather interior with AMG performance steering wheel.
GT Roadster pricing will be announced early in 2017, but we’d expect a circa $315,000 ticket.
5 Fantastic features on our Bang For Your Bucks fiscal favourite, the VW Polo GTI.
1. Grunty Engine Torque aplenty yet keen to rev, this boosted 1.8 makes the polo GTI the muscle car of the mini hot hatch brigade.
2. ‘Box Fresh Reintroducing the manual gearbox was a master stroke on VW’s behalf. It’s a light, easy shift and an extra 70Nm certainly doesn’t hurt.
3. Button Up Adaptive dampers offer the best of both worlds, a more compliant ride yet sharper cornering when the going gets twisty.
4. Tartin’ Up Call us sentimental, but there’s a lot to like about tartan cloth seats. You can keep your leather and your burned thighs, thanks.
5. Fiddy Cent For VW to include adaptive dampers as standard for no extra cost is an uncharacteristic sign of generosity from a major car company.
Tuning an AMG CLK Black Series, eh? It’s not for the faint of heart or the thin of wallet, but you only needed to hear this City Performance-tuned version redline once to know that whatever money is tied up in the thing is absolutely well spent.
This CLK isn’t tweaked in any major way, but what mods have been carried out work well. And as it’s built for straight-line work, and regularly pumped down the quarter, that’s where we’ll start.
We’re talking 0-100km/h in the CLK Black taking just 3.96 seconds and a very handy 11.9 at almost 200km/h for the 400m dash. The remarkable thing is that it does this with just a cold-air intake, a custom exhaust and a tune of the ECU.
Oh, there’s also a clever piece of (simple) engineering called a Power Pulley. Figuring that the engine is going to see its share of high revs, the pulley on the end of the crankshaft that underdrives the power-steer pump, alternator and whatnot is replaced by a smaller one, effectively consuming less engine power to drive all those gubbins.
It isn’t for lack of hardware, though. Starting with the stiff two-door bodyshell, City Performance added H&R coil-overs, a top-shelf Brembo braking package and Michelin Pilot Sport Cups.The seats are the stock Black Series fare and the roll-cage is there for when it finally cracks a 10sec quarter and ANDRA demands monkey-bars.
The relative lack of trap speed at the circuit is down to the CLK not getting out of (or through) corners as fast as would be nice. In our fast-corner speed trap, it records 119.06km/h and in the slow corner it posts 48.07km/h, well down on its competition in the over-$150K category. All of this means its motorkhana time of 59.1sec, which is the slowest of the lot, is no real surprise.
Were you to build a car specifically to crunch the Hot Tuner shootout, you probably wouldn’t build one like FRS’s GT3. And yet, such is the brilliance of the basic GT3 package (let alone the optional factory RS version here) that it’s quite capable of running with the best of them.
For starters, the dyno run is a big part of the shootout, but beyond its Evolve Technik tune and a better set of headers and cat-back pipes, it’s a stock GT3. So the 246.5kW number brings only a marginal gain over the factory set-up.Yet it’s faster than a stocker. Here’s why.
Bilstein springs, 18-inch R-spec Dunlops and Pagid pads keep it all nice, but it’s the car’s balance that you keep coming back to. And that is shown up most clearly by the lap of The Creek. Against cars with much higher horsepower, the GT3 rattles off a 2:04.3 lap time – almost four seconds quicker than its stablemate, the GT2!
The Porsche GT3 is quicker than the GT2 in both fast and slow corners, too, and scores in the top three outright down the Eastern Creek chute, its 224km/h V-max is bettered only by blown V8s.
Across at the motorkhana, the same demons are exposed that plague pretty much anything else on the day with dry-weather hoops, a stiff set-up and two-wheel drive. Even so, 54.8 is a gutsy effort. And, if anything, this is the car that makes us curse the rain the most because in the dry, it might just be the one to beat.
One insanely fast factory hero car that has benefitted from forced induction this time around is the Evolve Technik-tuned BMW M3. And there are a lot of curious onlookers on hand once the Fitzy-fettled M coupe is strapped to the dyno.
There’s more than 30-grand’s worth of G Power blower and plumbing under the lid of the BMW, and in Stage 2 trim (as it is here) the V8 is copping a 0.6-bar wallop. Making the most of that is a combination of an Evolve centre-section exhaust and a Milltek cat-back arrangement.
But looking at the spec sheet, there’s also been a lot of attention paid to the M3’s aero package, too.There’s a carbonfibre front spoiler with an extended lip and a matching rear diffuser.
With a 2:05 lap, clearly the same problem of two-wheel drive and a soaked surface is hampering the M3 to an extent. But while its slow-corner apex speed is nothing special, maybe all that aero kit is doing its job at higher speeds, because its high-speed corner pace is right up there.
With loads of low-down supercharged grunt, throttle-by-wire and distinctly dry-weather oriented tyres (19-inch Pirelli P Zero Corsa) the M3 should, by rights, make a real meal of the motorkhana. But not so. And while 53.6 isn’t as quick as some of the daintier opposition, in this over-150K category where R-spec tyres are the norm and horsepower is measured in multiples of 100, the M3 is top of the tree.
A quick skim of the Mustang Motorsport S302 Extreme will put a smile on the dial of any hard-boiled street machiner. Regardless of its current-model status, the Stang is a real old-school hottie.
Its five-litre lump is topped off with a twin-screw supercharger and blows 0.8bar down the V8’s gullet. There are flowed cylinder heads, forged slugs, titanium springs and retainers, a high-volume oil pump, deep Moroso sump, twin fuel pumps, a big radiator and low-restriction exhaust. Grandad would love it.
On the strip, the twin-plate clutch keeps things together, but even with big rear grip the Stang slithers its way up the track to record a 0-100 time of 4.45 and a 400m of 12.4 at 196.3km/h. As with the WP GTS, this comes back down to physics. No matter how much output you have underfoot, getting a heavy two-wheel-driven vehicle off the mark is often a hiding to nowhere.
With a rolling start, the Mustang would have been one of the faster cars on the day, but as it is, the first 60 feet kills its chances of a super-low number. Then, of course, it rains. And our pilots can’t get it around The Creek any quicker than a 2:12.0.
Still, this agility doesn’t translate to the motorkhana, where the Mustang get its shapely butt kicked around by the others. Then again slick, wet concrete and nearly 500 neddies at the treadies is never going to be a happy combo here.
You kind of have to wonder a bit about the bloke who wakes up one morning and says: “You know what? I reckon my GT2 is a bit underdone”. But that’s precisely where we are with the Fitzgerald Racing Services-tuned GT2.
The engine does hang together for the next two days (despite the MOTOR crew’s best scientific efforts) and that’s because we’re not talking about just wiring the wastegates closed to achieve the required boost pressure. Nope, this thing has “clever integrated” written all over it.
For a start, the stock snails are ditched in favour of a pair of modded VTG pumps with built-in dump valves. Then you bolt on a set of tuned-length headers and big-flow cats. Add an Evolve tune and, hey presto, it’s mega-muscle heaven.
You wouldn’t think the dragstrip would be a rear-driven Porsche’s domain, but at this year’s event the GT2 owned the strip. Its 4.05 to 100km/h wasn’t the quickest, but it flashed over the 400m mark in 11.72 at 205.28km/h. That’s a fast enough time to nab outright honours.
Its 2.08:1 around The Creek isn’t indicative of its outright potential, but the same goes for everyone. Call it third-quickest among its $150K-plus rivals, some 3.8sec slower than its FRS-tuned GT3 stablemate. Neither was its slow or fast corner apex speeds indicative of what this car is ultimately capable of in the dry.
And the GT2’s overall performance is pretty indicative of the whole Hot Tuner field. The rain hamstrung its forte events, and it shone in disciplines where it perhaps shouldn’t have. But at the end of play, if you like a bet…
