JET FUEL ONLY
Lexus have entered the performance super saloon sector to take on the likes of the M & RS with this purposeful V8 tagged the IS-F. Because of strict Japanese Laws which govern power output, top speed limits & fuel emissions in Japan, Japanese manufacturers were in the past reluctant to produce V8 muscle cars. However it seems like these laws are starting to evaporate in the land of the rising sun. The power output law in Japan until just recently restricted production cars to 206Kw. The IS-F is part of a renaissance belting out 310kw & 487Nm of torque. Lexus have decided to attack the German saloons with this very capable 5litre V8 tuned to tear up the tarmac at a top speed of 296km/h. The Lexus brands pursuit of perfection has won it quality awards exceeding the standards laid out by the Germans in two of the worlds biggest car markets: US & UK. Due for world wide release early next year let’s hope we see this fresh alternative in our local stoeps.
Can we expect a TRD edition Supraman?
The first production car to produce 750Kw per tonne. It’s the Caparo T1 weighing in at a meager 550Kg, a Formula 1 car for the road & every speed freaks dream come true. The power to weight ratio makes this tarmac missile equivalent if not the closest thing to an F1 racer. It’s capable of revving upto 17000 RPM but is governed by a 10000 RPM limit & will bullet to 100 Km/h in 2.5s. More like a super bike on 4 wheels. The British engineered car constructed out of carbon & aluminium footed with steel suspension is likely to retail well over 1.5mil. The good news is distributors have been appointed in South Africa. The bad news is in independent testing this car was quite unreliable lets say it suffers from F1 dynamics with cornering tricky as you need to generate enough speed for down force to give you grip- huh .
Power: 425Kw & 420Nm @10500 rpm
Performance: 0-100Km/h in 2.5s – Top Speed: 320Km/h
Some good magazines out for December, I had flip thru most of them, starting with Top Car they’ve got a test & top speed run in an Audi R8 also a shootout between the M3 & 335i at reef altitude, check it out the M3 just pips the twin turbo by a fraction. Car magazine has a hot hatch shoot out which include the MPS & Renault Megane F1 & the low down on the Tokyo motor show. The Speed n Sound looks jam packed, featuring a very cool looking Alfa GTV6 with classic WORK wheel, for beemer fans a Savspeed E36 M3 turbo. I personally went for the Max Power which has plenty of Jap Spec machines including the Nissan S15 turbo with a floppin awesome VOLK racing wheel, 10 years of Honda’s Type R & some Italian style in the form of the Alfa GTA race car. Plus a floppin 325Kw Toyota Mr2 turbo- SupraPunk > Go Get One…
Clarkson’s new Super Car Shoot out video has also arrived, good stuff here featuring the LP640, 599 GTB, GT3 & Veyron amongst many others. If you have enough bandwidth download it!!
Those Top Gear maal trups were at it again & doing it at there best. They lined up a Bugatti Veyron against a Jet Fighter in an unusual & enchanting dice. The Veyron had to cover a 2 mile distance back & forth in a straight line, that’s 1 mile each way, whilst the Jet Fighter had to take off as quickly as possible and cover a 1 mile distance vertically then back down & across the start finish line. Dubbed the horizontal-vertical drag race.
A quick look at the comparative figures:
Bugatti’s thousands horses vs. Euro Fighter‘s twin engined 20000 pound boost.
Top Speeds 410Km/h vs. 1500Km/h
The Hamster vs., Pilot
Good fun as the Jet fighter pipp’d the Veyron at the finish, but the BUG nailed the JET off the line.
Hot Spots – This Friday 30th Nov – Ferodo DS Illegal 2 Legal at Wesbank
Mr. B – Will return next year – holidays coming up remember don’t ZOLL & drive
nismaniac@gmail.com
Anonymous
November 29, 2007 at 10:11 amMr B.
Can you give us your comments on the recently announced nominations for SA Car of the Year?
Anonymous
November 29, 2007 at 10:46 amI heard that the car of year in SA is rigged. Manufacturers pay to get exposure for their cars
How reliable is it?
Anonymous
November 29, 2007 at 12:15 pmThat may have been true in the past (rigging the result) however nowadays it is a very rigorous process that involves a 32 member jury from the SA Guild of motoring journalists who independently score shortlisted cars after comprehensive tests that include testing performance at Gerotek as well as looking at things like quality of paintwork and other stuff like safety and how environmentally friendly it is. Because each member is scoring individually the jury themselves don’t know the overall winner until all the scores are tallied and the winner announced in March.
But you never know, even after this process a manufacturer can still target members of the jury with freebies.
Maybe Mr. B can give us some insight. Mr B is probably chuffed as his beloved Nissan has made it to the shortlist (Nissan Qashqai 2.0 Accenta). Nissan send you any freebies lately Mr.B? I see you’ve been promoting that Porsche wannabee the “Nissan GTR” …get real maybe.. SHIFT EXPECTATIONS!!!
Anonymous
November 29, 2007 at 12:30 pmCar of the year Finalists
Fiat Bravo 1.4 T-Jet Sport
Land Rover Freelander TD4 HSE Auto
Honda CR-V 2.2 i-CTDI
Lexus LS460
Mazda2 1.5 Individual
Mazda5 2.0 Active
Mercedes-Benz C220 CDI Classic
Nissan Qashqai 2.0 Accenta
Toyota Corolla 1.8 Exclusive
How come no Tata, no Mahindra, it’s a flippin conspiracy!!
First they leave our okes out of the cricket team then they leave our cars out of the shortlist, now its getting personal!! Don’t mess with a chaaro and his cab
Anonymous
November 29, 2007 at 2:39 pmJudging from past winners of car of the Year I dont suspect any rigging. The Audi 2.0T Sportback won it in 06 & Civic 180i vtec in 07, these are well built quality cars. The VW 2.0 Turbo motor is highly acclaimed by motoring analysts worldwide.The civic also picked up a couple of awards in the states. Not too mention Honda’s excellent reputation in reliability surveys.
where is sato let him fight the nismo battles.
Mr B
Anonymous
November 29, 2007 at 3:03 pmflip dat honda man, what about the new corrola the only car in its class to offer keyless entry.
as for the lexus the TRD edition will feature uprtated brakes & clutch, stiffer suspension-sway bars, tuned exh & more a track tuned beast.
supraman