Thrill of the Ride

A British firm named Ilmor Engineering, with offices in the UK and Michigan, have designed and proven a radically new engine design. They have developed a turbocharged gasoline powered 5-stroke internal combustion engine that will (should) help revolutionize the industry. It is amazingly efficient. You might recall the efficiency of engines I talked about in an earlier blog. This one, however, is in another league altogether. Their prototype produces 130 horsepower and 122 ft. lbs. of torque from just .7L of displacement (with the help of a snail, of course). What that equates to is 186 horsepower per liter. By comparison, if this engine was the size of a 350 small block Chevrolet (5.7L) and kept that same level of efficiency, it would produce over a thousand ponies. What I haven’t mentioned yet is this is a 3 cylinder engine. How’s that for a stereotype-killer?

You can check out all the details for yourself on Ilmor’s site.

http://www.ilmor.co.uk/concept_5-stroke_1.php

Alright guys, I’ve been having a bit of trouble creating posts on here for the past few days. Everything’s working fine now, so I should be psoting like usual again. I’ve been working on the rear suspension of my 260Z and finally got it back together today. I’ll have to post some pictures of that pretty soon. Actually, I need to do a blog on the car in general. I’ll wait a while on that, as the top story on the site at the moment is of a Z car, as well. Z-overload? I’ll spare you……..for now. Be on the lookout for a new E-Interview in the next few days. You’ll like it.

-Grant

     First, I’ll let Dave tell the story of how he was matched up with his Z, and then we’ll finish the question and answer segment.

     My love of all things Datsun started after I blew up my 75’ Mustang 2, for the second time. Two motors, three C-4 trannies and two rear-ends later, that car had had enough of me and vice-versa.  It turns out, you’re not supposed to shift an automatic like a manual tranny on a daily basis. So off to the local car lot we went. My mother promised to help buy my first car and since I purchased the Mustang and all its extra parts myself, she decided that the next car I buy, she’d help me out with.  The only budget minded 5-speed on the lot was a 1978 Datsun 510 Hatchback for $1500.  After my mom pointed out to the salesman the cracked windshield, lack of any clear coat on the paint, ripped seats, faded carpet, bald tires and 200,000 miles on it, she talked him down to $750 out the door, tax, license and all. She’s cool like that and the poor salesman didn’t know what hit him.
      Over the next four years I found out what kind of potential these little cars had.  Rip out the emissions, throw on a 2 barrel Webber carb, and you’re golden.  This thing would light up the tires in 1st, 2nd and 3rd gear.  I went through tires like a kid going through a box of Otter Pops on a hot day.  I finally painted it using white spray paint and Ford Blue spray paint for stripes. It even had a Mustang hood scoop and a Camaro rear spoiler.  Then I decided to buy a Nissan Motorsports Catalog from the local Nissan dealer. This thing had more eye candy than I knew what to do with. But what really caught my eye was all the 240Z’s in the book.
      They were all race prepped and looked a lot more sporty than my 510. I’d barely ever seen any around town till I got that catalog, then I started to spot them here and there.  I then decided that I would own one someday and go nuts on it.  A few months later, a friend pulled into my driveway with a rusty, primer gray 1972 Datsun 240Z.  My heart about stopped at that point.  I talked him into letting me test drive it and he agreed half heartedly.  My drive around the block turned out to be a drive around town.  I stopped over at the local high school to finish up my analysis of the Z.  I looked around for cops and the coast was clear.  I revved it up to about 4000RPM and dropped the clutch. BIG mistake!! That little 240Z roared to life, shot sideways and into a couple 360’s. After straightening the wheel out I found out how well the brakes worked because that fence in front of me was about to be part of the front end.  
    I thought that now would be a good time to get the car back to my buddy.  It took 2 miles and 6 minutes for my heart beat to regain a normal rhythm.  I gave him back the keys and started planning for when I finally got my own Z.  12 years and three cars later, I divorced my wife of 9 months (yes, mine months) and started a collection.  She said I never spent enough money on her, but after 2 months of not having her around, I saved enough money to buy a whole car.  After 2 minutes in an Auto-Trader, I found my next life partner, a 1970 (8/70’) reddish orange 240Z for $2800.  The owner was divorcing his wife and said “I’ll be damned if she’s getting it” So 2 signatures and a cashiers check later, I drove home the love of my life.  I always tell people that I got this car for my ex-wife, “Pretty good trade huh?”

    
     Interesting story, to say the least. Z-for your wife sounds like a good trade to me. (I’m single; I can say that and not fear for my life.) Now, let’s finish up the last few questions I had for Dave.
    

     Q4: Does your Datsun have a name? If so, what is it?
 
     A4: I call it “The Little Red Nightmare” but my wife calls her the “Mistress” cause I spend almost as much time with the Z as I do with my wife. And probably spend more on the car. I know, I know, BAD Dave.
 
     Q5: Do you or have you owned any other Z cars?
 
     A5: The red Z was my first but I also owned a white 72’ which turned into a parts car.
I have also owned a Corvette Yellow 71’ 240Z that I sold to a kid in need of a replacement. At the moment, I have a 74’ 260Z under complete teardown and rebuild in my garage, and hope to have her, “The Money Pit,” on the road come April? of 2010. You can watch the progress at 

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/3195135 
 
It started with the stock SU’s then I went to a triple Weber DCOE setup, then back to the SU’s. I got tired of trying to tune the Webers but really miss that sucking sound under heavy acceleration.

      Q6: For those interested in your products, where can they go to get a better look at and purchase them?
 
      A6:  My Headlight and parking light upgrade harnesses, as well as the ZXP 280zx alternator adaptor and SCP Sidemarker conversion plugs are all available at Motorsport Auto here… http://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/CTGY/SRC19

My products have been written about at www.classiczcars.com and www.hybridz.org  You can also buy them directly from me at wolfin32z@yahoo.com

   
Also, be sure to check out Dave’s Cardomain  homepage at  http://www.cardomain.com/id/DatsunDave07

     In the first segment of E-Interview here at TOTR, we have Dave Irwin’s gorgeous red 1970 Datsun 240Z. The car has been highly modified, although still retains a daily driver appeal as evidenced by this truncated list of specs:

- KYB struts

- Eibach progressive rate lowering springs

- 23mm front and 19mm rear anti-roll bars

- 4 piston front calipers and all braided stainless hoses

- Beautiful Triple Weber DCOE carbs

- Mallory Unilite Optical dizzy with Mallory Promaster Supercoil

- 280ZX turbo R200 rear differential

- 280ZX 5 speed transmission

- Griffin 2-core aluminum radiator

- Power windows and locks

- Modern H4 style headlight conversion

- LED lights all around

- Two MTX 10” subs in the spare tire well

- 6 modern speakers all around

- 800 Watt Pioneer / Coustic Stereo system

     I asked Dave a series of questions about himself and his car. Here are some of the ones I thought you might enjoy.

     Q1: What is your favorite modification that you’ve added to your Z?

     A1: Call me crazy, but I gotta say that my power windows are my favorite modification. It adds such a convenience to the daily drive. So why do they call it a “Creature Comfort”? Never understood that one.

     Q2: What is your favorite location/road to drive your car on?

     A2: That’s an easy one. Me and my wife went on a driving tour with the local Zcar club ZCCW and ended up on the Columbia River, in both Washington and Oregon. That was the most beautiful drive we’ve ever been on. And to top it off, we (ZCCW) ended up renting the private road called Maryhill Loop Road, or something like that. Look it up on Youtube under “zccw maryhill” in the search box.

     Q3: What’s the most interesting thing/fact about your Z?

     A3: There are only 2 incandescent bulbs in my parking light circuit…  Everything else is LED. I could go on and on about power windows, power locks, numbers matching block, 800 watt stereo with 2 subs in the spare tire well, custom made aluminum grill or the fact that the Z was my first paint job and I did it in my garage.

     Now, I have to say that I disagree with Dave on his answer to question number 3. For those of you who have played Forza Motorsports 2, you probably already know what Dave’s car sounds like. The most interesting thing about his car, for me, is the exhaust note was recorded and used in the game. You can hear it once you acquire a modified 240Z in FM2. If you don’t have the game (or if you suck at it), you can just watch this video and be aurally pleased. (also, check out the sexy LED tail lights)

http://video.cardomain.com/VideoPlayer.aspx?id=653515

Stay tuned for part 2 of the E-Interview as I finish the question/answer segment and we learn the interesting story of the origins of Dave’s Z. (more pictures too!) It will be posted later today.

     For those of you worried about the future of performance-oriented 2 door Cadillacs after the discontinuation of the XLR, don’t fret. The 2011 CTS-V coupe will more than fill the void. Making its debut in May of next year with a 2011 model year designation, it proves that even in the present market, there is interest and ability to build high performance with only a couple doors. After doing a little research, I assume that it will provide an overall performance level somewhere between the base Corvette and Z06. In the acceleration department, expect that level to be closer to the latter. Very close.

     With the newest version of GM’s LS series V8s, the LSA, it will put down an expected 556 horsepower and 551 wall moving ft. lbs. of torque. That same oomph moves the 4 door CTS-V sedan to 60mph in 3.9 seconds, so I expect a near Z06 time of 3.6-3.7 for the coupe. The quarter mile, according to rumor, will also be oh-so-close to the Zed at 12 seconds flat. With the sedan weighing in at a touch over 4,200 pounds, I sincerely hope that the coupe will dip a noticeable amount below the 2-ton mark. While final specs and details are yet to be announced, we do know that it will use a similar Magnetic Selective Ride Control system from the CTS-V sedan (also an adapted Corvette item). This system will help maintain Cadillac’s historical comfort while having the ability to stiffen up when you throw it around a bit.

     In the styling department, look for the same face of the sedan. However, if you’re into big rear ends, you’ll prefer the coupe. Its trunk lid seems likely to be chest level with most of us. Let’s hope a fancy rear view camera system is implemented, as the only thing you’ll see out the back glass will be too far behind to matter. Look for the long-anticipated CTS-V coupe in showrooms next summer at an estimated bargain of $65K. At that price, it’s a worthy and responsible replacement for the $100K XLR. Here are a couple shots of the concept and a spy shot of a late-development model which cements the similarities, courtesy of Left Lane News.

     Bottom-line: Everyone can stop griping about the Chevy Corvette interior and build quality now. I’m sure Caddy’s Vette will soon suffice.  

     “Kit car.” It’s a phrase met with drastically different connotations in the automotive world. Some think of kits from the 70’s and 80’s that sent backyard carbillies to the local scrapyard to lift parts from crushed, rust covered trucks and vans for various important bits to complete the build. Others, more rightly so, think of small, lightweight cars with great power-to-weight ratios and (usually) superb handling and styling. The latter hits the nail on the head for Japan’s new Supasse V, built by Suzusho. With their extensive background in Lotus 7 replicas, you can bet this car will perform exquisitely.

     The cute little thing will be powered by a turbocharged 2.3L version of Mazda’s MVR I4 with VVT (variable valve timing) and its relatively new DISI (direct injection spark ignition) technology. You might already be familiar with the engine, as it currently has homes in the Mazdaspeed3 and Mazdaspeed6. In those applications, it produces 260 HP and 280 ft-lbs. In the Supasse V, it will be tuned up a tad to 270 hp. Now, I’ll do the math for you. That’s 117.4 horsepower per liter. By comparison, GM’s revolutionary LS9 V8 produces 102.9 hp/liter. The engine is quite a revolutionary one. Why we haven’t heard more about it before is unknown to me. I’ll do it justice by giving it its own blog soon.  ;)

     The Supasse V weighs in at a featherweight 1,874 pounds. That’s over 600 pounds lighter than a Miata. It accomplishes this with its aluminum twin-tube monocoque spaceframe construction and fiberglass body. With a Mazda sourced 6 speed gearbox, that you get to operate, you can bet that there will be no shortage of fun. Styling wise, I’m largely undecided. The front looks not entirely unlike a bubbly Ferrari. It’s hood gills even look akin to those from a Ferrari FXX or Enzo. (see picture links below) The rear looks stylish, although I’m quite tired of the Mclaren F1-esque dual taillights that everyone seems to copy these days. (see picture links below) Other than the “Lambo doors,” I don’t really have any other gripes about the exterior. It seems to be an overall acceptable design, and I expect it will be a thrill to drive.

FXX hood gills: http://www.carmaster.com.mx/FerrariFXX.jpg

F1 tailights: http://www.turnermotorsport.com/image/McLaren/mf1_rear.jpg