Performance News - 7 August 2001

Speco Thomas Bits 'n' Pieces

Speco wheel nuts and locks are available in various shapes and sizes, including long-shank Cragar to suit steel and mag/alloy wheels, and are offered in four thread sizes (7/16", ½", 12mm x 1.25 and 12mm x 1.50). Mag and steel wheel lock sets number either four or five pieces, making them particularly suitable for 4WD vehicle with a spare mounted on the back. Speco chrome-plated wheel nuts and locking nuts are available in packs or as singles, with packet pricing ranging from around $10 up to $22.

Oxidisation and corrosion have a profound effect on metals in an engine, in particular those formed from aluminium. Ford's Windsor is a case in point, in particular pre-EFI models, where the timing cover degenerates over time with the worst outcome water entering the engine and oil seeping onto the ground. The problem often isn't recognised until it's too late - and the only answer then is to equip an engine with a new timing cover. However there lies a catch. 'Remanufactured' covers are available, but are little more than patched up items aged upwards of 15 to 20 years and which often cost in excess of $150. New factory supplied Windsor timing covers are also available, but only on 'special order' with a wait of several weeks, and a price tag of in excess of $700.

Speco Thomas recognised this problem a couple of years back and were quick to make an allegiance with an American manufacturer of original equipment timing covers. The result sees Speco offer Ford Windsor timing covers (sold as a genuine Ford aftermarket part in the US) through most major automotive outlets including Repco and Autobarn. They sell for around $200.

Formulated and first sold in the release year of Ford's A-model (1928), Silver Seal Radiator Stop Leak has gained a reputation for being the absolute best stop leak agent on the market. Regarded by the radiator industry as a reference product, Silver Seal continues its tradition of providing a genuine means of efficiently blocking holes in radiators and engines with improved formulas designed to work with contemporary additives. It's guaranteed to mix with all anti-freeze solutions, is suitable for all pressurised water systems, contains water pump lubricant and rust inhibitor and does not clog. Best of all a pack costs around $5.00!

Mitsubishi Launches First World Rally Car

Mitsubishi Motors is embarking on a new and exciting chapter in its motorsports history by creating its first World Rally Car. Known as the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution WRC, it will make its first FIA World Rally Championship appearance on Italy's Sanremo Rally (5-7 October). It is designed to be the most advanced, most sophisticated competition car that Mitsubishi has yet produced.

The new car is based on a rich motorsport heritage. Unusually, Mitsubishi first entered motorsport outside its homeland, because there was little motorsport in Japan at the time. After an initial foray into rallying, Mitsubishi turned its attention to Formula 2 single seaters, winning its class in the Japanese Grand Prix. These cars proved Mitsubishi's ability to produce advanced machinery, but with the launch of the Galant in 1970, Mitsubishi headed in a new direction in order to penetrate worldwide markets.

After a review of its competition programme, it came to the conclusion that concentrating on rallying would produce the most direct engineering link between its achievements in the sport and the cars used by its customers. Since then Mitsubishi has positioned its rally activities as an advanced technological development program, an idea which still continues today. The clearest example of this concept has been the Lancer Evolution model. It is a policy that has served Mitsubishi well. Since it unveiled the first Group A Lancer Evolution in 1992, it has won no fewer than 26 World Championship rallies. Finland's Tommi Makinen became World Champion four years running and Mitsubishi won the World Rally Championship for Manufacturers in 1998. Every Evolution model has benefited from the most reliable components and put to the test in Mitsubishi's rallying activities. The Lancer's achievements are also evident in its unprecedented winning streak in the Group N production class.

However, there was a link between the purpose-built single-seaters and the hugely successful 1970s Lancer rally cars that echoes Mitsubishi's new approach for the 21st century. The twin-cam engine technology for the racing cars was adapted for the Lancer's SOHC engine, which triumphed everywhere from Kenya's Safari Rally to the Ivory Coast and Australia.

Switching to the World Rally Car regulations from the established Group A category represents a major change of policy for Mitsubishi Motors. The Group A rules allow significantly fewer modifications to the standard road car, a characteristic that Mitsubishi has welcomed, because it has cherished the direct link between the cars it sells in the showroom and the cars with which it competes around the world long after all other manufacturers decided to produce highly specialised cars purely for rallying. The team feels obliged to adopt a new approach, as Mitsubishi Ralliart Europe Chief Engineer Bernard Lindauer explained.

"Now we have reached the point where the imbalance between Group A and World Rally Car regulations, and the resulting increased performance of World Rally Cars, puts Mitsubishi in the situation where we could not have all the development facilities available. The only way for us to improve performance and to gain more post-development benefit on the standard car was to follow World Rally Car rules," he said.

The Mitsubishi Lancer WRC is closely based on the Lancer Cedia four-door saloon in the Japanese market, but it can exploit the extra freedom offered by the World Rally Car rules in a number of key areas. Mitsubishi Ralliart engineers have been able to change the suspension, some elements of the bodywork and the weight distribution. It will however retain many components from the existing World Championship-leading Lancer Evolution and it is therefore an exciting blend of new and well-proven technology.

The Lancer Evolution WRC was tested for the first time on Tuesday 24 July, by Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart's Belgian driver Freddy Loix, at the Millbrook Proving Ground north of London in Britain. The test went according to plan, the car showing immediate promise.

"It's exciting to be involved in the World Rally Car project and was great to drive the car for the first time," commented Freddy. "The regulations allow us greater flexibility in certain areas and I think this, combined with elements of our current car, mean we can look forward to a really competitive package. Tommi won in Africa last week - the toughest event in the Championship - so we know what we are already using is good, strong and reliable. Combine the two, and hopefully it should be fantastic.

"The engineers have already made good steps with the engine and wheel travel at the front, and the weight distribution is much better. It feels different, not hugely, but still different. The car we plan to launch in Sanremo will be our first evolution and the goal is to learn as much about it as possible. With the intense test programme there will be lots of refinements before Sanremo, and even greater advancements with new technology on the second generation Lancer Evolution WRC."

Test work will concentrate on asphalt in the early stages, as the car is being introduced to the World Championship in Italy on the 11th of the 14 rounds. Ralliart plans to carry out between 3,000 and 4,000 kilometres of testing as it prepares for a new venture in Mitsubishi motorsports history.

"Straight out of the box the new car worked well, but we must be realistic that we have a lot of work ahead of us," added Lindauer after the first running. "Between now and Sanremo there are five tests scheduled and the plan is to have run 4,000 kilometres. Initially we will be concentrating on asphalt because this is the surface of our first two rallies with the car, but we've got a lot of gravel work to do as well.

"With World Rally Car regulations, the weight distribution and increased suspension travel means the car should be a lot better, but there is always a question of reliability with new cars. However, we have always had reliable parts in the past and done simulation tests in conjunction with the Japanese engineers, so hopefully any problems will be kept to a minimum."

After its debut in Sanremo, both Tommi Makinen and Freddy Loix will contest the remaining three rounds in the Lancer Evolution WRC. The Tour de Corse in France (19-21 October), Rally Australia (2-4 November) and the final round in Great Britain (23-25 November) all closely follow Italy's round of the series.

Quickies

• Shu-Roo Australia have released a new model, with 30 per cent improved performance, for the Australian automotive market. The Australian-designed Shu-Roo is designed to do exactly what its name suggests: deter kangaroos and other wildlife from roads, so there is less chance of a vehicle colliding with the animals. The unit creates a 400-metre "safety zone" and performs at night and in daylight, and also when it is raining. www.shuroo.com

• One lucky person could find themselves insuring their car and ending up on an elephant - thanks to Chrysler-Jeep Finance. From now until September 28th, Chrysler-Jeep Finance is offering a trip to Thailand, with the winner and a friend receiving return airfares to Chang Mai and a fabulous package that includes a jungle safari tour on board an elephant. All anyone has to do to be in with the chance of winning is insure their Chrysler or Jeep with Chrysler - Jeep Finance.

• The 'Design Edition' model of the Saab Convertible goes on sale this month. The Saab 9-3 Design Edition Convertible is a special limited edition model from Sweden, with Australia securing just 200 units. The eye-catching Saab 9-3 Design Edition Convertible is distinguished on the outside by its sporty 17-inch alloy wheels, fully integrated aero body kit with colour-matched front and rear spoiler and side skirts, body-coloured windscreen pillars and unique 'Design Edition' badging. The interior is characterised by a titanium-finish dashboard, charcoal grey leather sports seats with blue inlays, special floor carpets to suit, matt-chrome door handle and perforated leather sports steering wheel. The Saab Design Edition Convertible is available in three colours only - Steel Grey, Silver and Black.

• Mazda is introducing a limited edition MPV Traveller. The V6-powered Traveller comes with a sunroof, six-stack CD player, roof rails, front fog lamps, rear spoiler and front and rear floor mats. These additional features are worth about $2700, but the Traveller, at $46,990, is priced at just $1000 more than the standard model.

• Ford Motor Company is lending part of its vast research and engineering resources to unravel one of the greatest mysteries of the 20th century. Nearly 100 years ago, Orville and Wilbur Wright taught the world to fly. How they did it has remained a mystery. During the next 18 months, the Wright Experience, with assistance from Ford and the Experimental Aircraft Association, will research, design, build, test and fly the first authentic, full-scale reproduction of the Wright brothers' 1903 "Kitty Hawk" flyer. Ford is providing computer equipment and support, woodworking and machine shop tools and exclusive access to wind tunnel and material testing facilities. Ford computer programmers and engineers will also help develop a database to record, catalogue and retrieve the massive amounts of data collected from libraries and museums about the Wright brothers' inventions. This collection includes thousands of photographs, newspaper articles and personal correspondence.

• An Australian microdot identification system will feature on BMW cars sold in Australia from September. BMW Australia will use the Datadot system developed by Sydney company Microdata Technology Ltd which has been hailed as the world's most sophisticated response to the trade in stolen cars. Cars are sprayed with over 10,000 microdots which contain the vehicle's identification number and glow brightly under a special light. The system's makers hope it will deter professional car thieves who 'ring' stolen vehicles with new identity numbers or break them up to sell the parts on the black market.

• A ride in one of Ford Motor Company's classic original Model Ts or one of the six new 2001 Model T-100s built for the company's centennial in 2003 is really something special. The differences are obvious right from the start, said Guy Zaninovich, historical and technical consultant, Ford T-100 Programs. Instead of turning a key, you turn a hand crank to get the trusty "Tin Lizzie" - as it came to be known - running. The 20 horsepower, four-cylinder engine may be a bit noisy by todays' standards, but it was state-of-the-art for its time. With a top speed of about 45mph, the Model T quickly became the world's most popular mode of transportation. Then there are the three floor pedals - the shift or clutch, brake and reverse pedals. You shift with your feet, and you accelerate by using a hand lever located on the steering column. Once you get the Model T rolling, steering is a snap, according to Zaninovich. "A Model T weighs only about 1,300 pounds, and because of that, it steers like a child's wagon." It gets between 13 and 21 miles per gallon, and to check the nine-gallon gas tank is full, you'll need a yardstick. Zaninovich said the car featured legendary innovations for its time. "The transmission is actually a forerunner of automatic transmissions. It's a planetary gear set, which is the way we make transmissions now. The throttle is the forerunner of what we call cruise control today and the car also sported breakthrough ignition and centralised lubrication."

• Fabio Taglioni, an engineer and designer who led the transformation of the Ducati motorcycle from its origins as cheap transportation for Italians after World War II to a glamorous, high-performance machine that won racing laurels and the hearts of legions of recreational riders around the world, died on July 18 in his home in Bologna. He was 80.

• A long-awaited scientific study concluded Monday that US auto makers have the ability to significantly increase the fuel economy of sport-utility vehicles and passenger cars, a finding expected to boost efforts in Congress to raise the miles-per-gallon standards for the first time in years. "The committee found a variety of technologies, both new and emerging, that could be implemented in the next 10 to 15 years that would result in significant improvements in fuel economy," said Paul Portney, chairman of the National Academy of Sciences panel that studied the fuel-efficiency issue. However, it turns out that the efforts of the study's authors were wasted: on Wednesday the US House of Representatives rejected tough new fuel economy standards for sport utility vehicles and light trucks. The fuel standard has remained the same at US 20.7 mpg (11.36 litres per 100km) for SUVs since 1975 and, to the relief of manufacturers, after a lengthy debate, and in a remarkable turnaround, the House voted 269-160 against a change. A new standard would have been US 27.5mpg (8.55 litres per 100 km) - the current standard for cars in the United States. This would have meant just one standard for all vehicles. Such a move would have essentially eliminated a distinction in the current Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) law, which holds light trucks like minivans, SUVs and pickups to a lower fuel-efficiency level than passenger cars.

• Volvo Car Corporation and its parent Ford Motor Company say they are making progress with their collaborative four-point seat belt project. The Sweden-based development team is headed by Volvo's senior safety engineer Christer Gustafsson and Ford safety technical specialist David Wagner. The advantages of a four-point seat belt are that they distribute the crash forces over more of the chest which reduces the pressure on the rib cage, heart and lungs. They also help hold the occupant in place during crashes that put limitations on today's belt designs.

• Universal Studios and Toyota have formed a global marketing alliance that will allow the Japanese manufacturer to link its brand to the studio's products. According to the Wall street Journal, Toyota will be allowed to place its cars in the studio's movies, will sponsor Universal theme park rides and will also distribute promotional music CDs through its many dealers. It is reported that Toyota will pay "tens of millions" dollars for the three-year deal.

• Mitsubishi Motors Corp, Japan's fourth-biggest car maker, assured Australian Prime Minister John Howard on Friday that it would not close its plant in Adelaide, South Australia. In a statement issued following a 30-minute meeting with Howard, Chief Operating Officer Rolf Eckrodt said Mitsubishi Motors would build new versions of its Magna and Verada models in Australia.

• Audi has managed to corner the luxury car market in China. The German manufacturer has been making cars in China for more than 10 years and has had a surge in sales. Audi sold 17000 vehicles last year and is moving towards 28000 in 2001, said Kevin McCann, Audi's China director. Audi expects to sell 2000 imports on top of the locally made cars.

• The US market's top sellers last month:

Rank	Vehicle	Sales
1	Ford F-Series pickup	501,031
2	Chevy Silverado pickup	391,672
3	Honda Accord	250,161
4	Ford Explorer	233,295
5	Toyota Camry	230,126

• Negotiations between General Motors and the creditors of the bankrupt Daewoo Motor of South Korea are at a standstill and are in danger of failure, according to people close to the talks. The GM team is awaiting a response to its offer, said a GM spokesman, as Daewoo officials leak details of the talks to the Korean media. According to those reports, GM has offered far less than Daewoo creditors are demanding.

• General Motors has hired Robert A. Lutz, the former president of Chrysler, as vice chairman for product development. The company hopes Mr. Lutz, known for championing distinctive vehicles like the Jeep Grand Cherokee, Dodge Viper and the PT Cruiser, will add some personality to GM's cars and trucks.