Project Car / Motorbike thread. Let's see 'em.

beeb

Dr. Beebenson, PhD HA, ST, Offset (hons)
They’re claiming a 50%+ reduction in co2…
In the chart @Flow-Rider attached they're claiming 27% (I'm also dubious), the rest of the 50% seems to come as a combined value from their carbon credit scheme. And we all know how trustworthy those are.
 

Flow-Rider

Burner
In the chart @Flow-Rider attached they're claiming 27% (I'm also dubious), the rest of the 50% seems to come as a combined value from their carbon credit scheme. And we all know how trustworthy those are.
Yeah, 1ltr does a 2000 ltrs, most of the well branded stuff is around 1ltr to 1000 ltrs to start with and up to 6.5% increased economy. Most problems with diesels are when the injectors wear and pumps lose the ability to make high pressure from old age, then you get a lot of the black smoke occurring because of the poor atomisation of the diesel.
 

Haakon

Keeps on digging
And from what i understand, cetane boosting has a similar effect to octane boosting on petrol engines - ie STF if the engine hasn't been tuned for the higher number.
 

Asininedrivel

caviar connoisseur

Flow-Rider

Burner
Ken oath, we made some seriously sweet concept cars. Remember that Torana thing circa 2004? Also the hybrid Commodore in the late 90s that was about a billion years ahead of its time.

This LSD inspired (presumably) Matra rip off Holden did in the late 60s was pretty cool too:

View attachment 394556
I often wonder if the US CEO's put a stop to a lot of these cars because it would have taken profits away from the US parent company.
 

Asininedrivel

caviar connoisseur
I often wonder if the US CEO's put a stop to a lot of these cars because it would have taken profits away from the US parent company.
I think that was certainly the case with Ford. I remember an old Road and Track article where a group of American journalists clandestinely organised a test drive with a selection of Falcons and Territorys out here and collectively lost their shit over them, thought they'd sell like hot cakes in the US. But Dearborn never would have supported it.

Holden not so sure, GM's head of product in the US in the early 2000s was certainly keen on Holdens and instrumental in getting the Monaro then Commodore over there as rebadged Pontiacs. But the GFC killed that expansion.
 

Haakon

Keeps on digging
I often wonder if the US CEO's put a stop to a lot of these cars because it would have taken profits away from the US parent company.
I understand that’s what killed ideas of selling they BA Falcon in the US.

The Victorian government gave Ford a lot of money to go to engineering the BA for LHD (jobs and growth in Geelong ;) ), but it was considered by Detroit where they sent a bunch of them for evaluation that it would heavily erode sales of US made models - it was RWD and very attractive to US consumers who were being fed a range of tepid front drive shitboxes at the time.

Hence no sale.
 

Asininedrivel

caviar connoisseur
very attractive to US consumers who were being fed a range of tepid front drive shitboxes and dinosaur Crown Victorias at the time.
Amended cus you forgot grandpa's axe (I mean yes it's also a shitbox but at least it's RWD)

Boring fact: the Ford Crown Victoria has the honour of being the most common vehicle featured in cinema.
 

Dales Cannon

lightbrain about 4pm
Staff member
I think that was certainly the case with Ford. I remember an old Road and Track article where a group of American journalists clandestinely organised a test drive with a selection of Falcons and Territorys out here and collectively lost their shit over them, thought they'd sell like hot cakes in the US. But Dearborn never would have supported it.

Holden not so sure, GM's head of product in the US in the early 2000s was certainly keen on Holdens and instrumental in getting the Monaro then Commodore over there as rebadged Pontiacs. But the GFC killed that expansion.
This is what killed off the next generation Focus RS. If you dig into the background specs* this was going to be a proper sports car killer in a hatchback. Hybrid drive to the rear axle and so on and so forth. Ford were more interested in the improvements to the ecoboost 4 for the Musthangshit that good old boys wanted and who cares about Europe and the rest of the world.

* Not sure what public info is out there but engineers had let slip a few things in various places. I would have bought one. I had a deposit on it with my local dealer.
 

Haakon

Keeps on digging
Amended cus you forgot grandpa's axe (I mean yes it's also a shitbox but at least it's RWD)

Boring fact: the Ford Crown Victoria has the honour of being the most common vehicle featured in cinema.
Was always curious to drive a crown Vic. Been in a few yellows ones NYC though.
Can’t be worse than the 2010 Chevy Impala I was unluckily enough to get as a rental once in Florida. Horrific pos…
 

Flow-Rider

Burner
Was always curious to drive a crown Vic. Been in a few yellows ones NYC though.
Can’t be worse than the 2010 Chevy Impala I was unluckily enough to get as a rental once in Florida. Horrific pos…
If there ever was a car that truly handled like a boat, it was the Impala.
 

Haakon

Keeps on digging
If there ever was a car that truly handled like a boat, it was the Impala.
It was pretty bizarre. Even on wide straight Florida highways it was actually really hard work as it wandered so much! And the seats and driving position were awful - clearly designed for the “larger” person, and did horrible things to my lower back.
I suffered for about two days and took it back and swapped for a Sonata (i45) which was a massive improvement…
 

link1896

Mr Greenfield
The Baja 1000 2022 has just been run, and outright win was by Luke McMillin and Rob MacCachren in a 1100hp trophy truck. These things are NUTS. I’ve been taken for a blast in a 600hp buggy out in the desert up Cardy’s way and was left dumbfounded how hard a proper setup can go in the rough stuff, the suspension designs are next level exotic.

Trophy trucks are next level again over a buggy. This year, out of 40 starters in the Trophy Truck category, 16 finished. It’s a brutal race.

Suspension systems on the trophy trucks is bat shit crazy, this level of motorsport pushes the r&d along hard. The two big players are Fox and King. Fox has the majority of teams using their products. Coil over compression dampers, seperate rebound dampers, adjustable bottom out dampers. Big ass straps for top out limiting. They are geared pretty short, too speeds are around 160km/h with averages over 16hrs of racing around 95km/h.

Here’s some suspension working hard:


And this is what it looks like from the outside

 
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