Performance News - 25 September 2001

ATS Performance Turbochargers

Australian Turbo Sales (ATS) has released the 'Bubba' and 'Ballistic' range of turbos. These proven performers are already in use by most of Australia's front running drag racing teams thanks to their outright boosting ability and reliability, and ATS's hybrid building ability.

Australian Turbo Sales new 'Bubba' range consists of ball bearing turbochargers with a capacity to supply the demands of engines developing anywhere from 600 to 800 horsepower and are suitable for both road and race use.

The 'Ballistic' range is claimed to be in a league of its own. Extremely robust and offering a very high quality thrust system, all Ballistic turbos can be equipped with a range of exhaust housing styles and sizes. ATS claim that not even a T66 or T76 cuts it against ATS Ballistic turbochargers!

ATS is located at 20 Assembly Drive, Tullamarine, Melbourne. Ph 03-335 1254

MG Rover Reveal Range-Topping Sports Cars

The newly independent British car maker MG Rover Group has unveiled a stunning new high performance MG sports car at the 2001 Frankfurt Motor Show. Presently codenamed X80, the luxury coupe is set to challenge the established world sports car market with a dynamic technical specification and high performance characteristics at an indicative UK price starting from under £50,000.

Styled by world-renowned design director Peter Stevens, the MG X80 benefits from a high-technology super-formed aluminium body mounted to a steel box section chassis. X80's outstanding chassis engineering has evolved from the Qvale Mangusta, acquired by the company in June 2001. A variety of power outputs will be available for the rear wheel drive X80, from 260 to 385hp (190 to 283kW) produced from 4.6-litre V8 engines.

The MG X80 is a 2+2 seater coupe and will be launched in the UK in mid-2002, giving MG a world class product in the high performance luxury sports car sector for the first time. It will be joined later by a roadster version in both manual and automatic versions.

Rob Oldaker, product development director commented: "MG X80 is a true flagship for the exciting MG product range. MG is recognised throughout the world as the definitive affordable sports car brand and with the MG X80, we now have another thoroughbred in our stable."

At the 2001 Frankfurt Motor Show, MG also unveiled the MG ZT 385 - a high performance sports saloon also due on sale in Europe by mid-2002. With a price of less than £40,000 it will deliver an incredible 'power for money' ratio with performance capable of propelling it to 100kmh in less than 5 seconds and on to a potential 280 km/h maximum speed.

The ZT 385 is powered by a supercharged all-alloy 4.6-litre V8 engine, producing 385hp (283kW) and 522Nm of torque. It drives the rear wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox. Massive 18-inch wheels and integrated spoilers and skirts make up styling that takes its cues from an awesome MG X-Power Extreme concept, developed to produce 500hp to confirm chassis and installation engineering integrity. Suspension, brakes and transmission that incorporates a Hydratrak torque control differential, are all substantially upgraded.

Kevin Howe, chief executive of MG Rover Group, said: "Since our last international press conference, at Geneva in February, the company has continued to deliver on our business plan and commitments. Some of you were probably taken aback when we announced the purchase of the Italian subsidiary of the Qvale Automotive Group. And I remember a few were in disbelief when I announced that we would be introducing a complete range of MG saloons, including a rear wheel drive V8.

Not only have we developed and launched 3 new MG sporting saloons and a sports wagon, today we are revealing the MG X80 and ZT 385 that will further extend the power for money promise of the MG brand."

Both the X80 sports coupe and the ZT 385 saloon will join the popular MGF roadster and the other new MG sports saloons (ZR, ZS and ZT) and ZT-T sports-wagon that have recently been introduced Europe-wide.

MG Rover Australia will be previewing the MG ZR and ZT at the Sydney Motor Show opening on 11 October 2001, as well as launching the MGF Trophy 160 roadster and adding the Rover 75 Tourer to its successful luxury saloon range.

Volvo Integrated Starter Generator

Reducing fuel consumption is one of the top-priority environmental goals at Volvo Cars and one of the most promising projects in this sphere is the Integrated Starter Generator (ISG) demonstrated at the Frankfurt Motor Show 2001.

Hans Gustavsson, who heads the Research, Development and Purchasing unit at Volvo Cars states: "In urban driving with its many stops and starts, ISG can cut fuel consumption by as much as 20 percent, and thus also reduce the emissions."

The ISG unit is installed between the engine and gearbox, linked directly to the crankshaft. ISG replaces both the starter motor and the alternator. The ISG system employs 42-volt technology and has a separate battery placed in the spare wheel bay in the luggage compartment.

"There is no need to develop a new car model or significantly modify an existing car - ISG can be integrated with most of our current car models. It's a very cost-efficient system compared with other solutions designed to benefit the environment such as hybrid cars," says Hans Gustavsson and adds: "A Volvo with ISG behaves pretty much like today's Volvo's. The only noticeable differences are that the engine stops as soon as the car comes to a standstill, and there are longer intervals between visits to the petrol station."

Instead of continuing to use fuel at idling speed - for instance when waiting at a traffic light, the engine of a car with ISG switches off completely when the car is no longer in motion. When the traffic light turns green and the driver presses the accelerator to move off, the ISG car starts up instantly and almost noiselessly. ISG supplies the engine with power at the moment the car moves off, and also during acceleration - when the car would otherwise require an extra portion of fuel to be injected into the engine.

For the user who drives a lot in urban traffic, there is clear evidence of the ISG car's environmental benefits. The engine simply is not used when the car is not moving.

ISG remains active throughout the driving process, for example during overtaking or at other times when extra power is needed.

"In certain situations, the ISG-equipped car feels even more alert than a corresponding car with conventional power. For instance, you can drive at low revs in a high gear. The basic principle behind ISG is that the combustion engine should work as little as possible in order to cut fuel consumption and exhaust emissions," says Hans Gustavsson.

When you lift off the accelerator pedal to slow down, the car's forward movement powers the ISG unit, which in turn recharges the 42-volt battery with free energy.

ISG is far more efficient than a conventional alternator, and this is another contributory factor to the low fuel consumption. This also means that systems such as the power steering and air conditioning, which in today's cars are powered by the combustion engine, can be powered by electricity instead. The air-conditioning system thus continues to remain active even when the engine switches off.

Quickies

• Audi has substantially boosted the power output of the S3 to 165 kilowatts. The more powerful Audi S3 will be available in Germany in mid-September, however no details are available for its introduction in Australia at this point. The S3 gains an extra 11kW, now boasting the same 165kW engine used on the quattro variants of the Audi TT range. With its 1.8-litre displacement, two charge-air intercoolers, a type K04 turbocharger and a maximum boost pressure of 1.1 bar, this engine develops powerful torque of 280Nm, available as early as 2200rpm and maintained right up to 5500 rpm.

• Mazda Motor Corporation has announced Moray Callum as its new head of design worldwide to lead in the creation of a new generation of vehicles. Callum is an international designer with extensive experience working in Europe and North America. He has worked for a number of leading brands including Ford, Ghia and Peugeot-Citroen PSA. His work ranges from concept sports cars to some of the largest passenger vehicles in the world.

• Honda's CR-V and Civic models have topped a vehicle reliability survey in Australia's leading consumer publication, Choice magazine. Honda Australia's most popular vehicle - the CR-V - was the highest-ranking vehicle between 1997 and March 2000. Meanwhile, Civic was graded the most reliable of the 1994 to 1996 model category and ranked closely behind CR-V in the 1997 to March 2000 category.

• Nissan Motor Co has announced a new operational management relationship between Nissan Australia and Nissan New Zealand. From 1st April 2002, Nissan New Zealand will report directly to Nissan Australia.

• With the launch of the sports-oriented Barina SRi, Holden introduces the biggest performing version yet of its smallest market entrant. The three-door 1.8 litre SRI model joins the all-new Holden Barina line-up introduced earlier this year. More information: "The Stylish 1.8 Litre Barina Sri"

• Toyota has produced its one millionth RAV4 - just seven years after launching the popular light 4x4. Toyota produced the one-millionth RAV4 early this month. Last year 147,252 RAV4s were produced. More than 42,000 RAV4s have been sold in Australia, in three body styles.

• Swedish carmaker Saab Automobile may cooperate more closely with Cadillac, its fellow General Motors Corp subsidiary, Saab Chief Executive Peter Augustsson has been quoted as saying. In fact, three of four new Cadillac models planned for launch in the next 18 months will be sold throughout Europe by a combined Saab-Cadillac dealer network.

• General Motors Corp has said that the 2004 model year will be the last for Oldsmobile cars and trucks, ending speculation over when the carmaker would kill the 104-year-old brand. GM announced in December that it would phase out the unprofitable brand in a few years, at the end of the life cycle of the current vehicles, or if market demand fell below economically viable levels. But Oldsmobile continues to lose money, and therefore the decision was made to end production with the 2004 model year.

• Honda has opened a new plant in Britain as it pushes to increase its production from the current 2.56 million cars a year.

• Antonov used the Frankfurt Motor Show to reveal the all-new 6-speed Antonov Automatic Drive (AAD), which has been developed for small to medium size cars with transverse engines and front-wheel drive. The AAD is only 250mm long, which is shorter than a normal 5-speed gearbox. Antonov says that research indicates that the more fuel-efficient 6-speed gearboxes will become the major fitment on small cars, where such products were deemed to be too bulky and heavy in the past. Antonov claims that the new gearbox is 30% more fuel efficient, but will also cost considerably less than more standard gearboxes, possibly by as much as one-third. The first manufacturer to specify the new 6-speed gearboxes is likely to be a major Japanese car manufacturer.

• Australian automotive parts and accessories company Speco Thomas now has a web site - www.speco.com.au

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