Performance News - 3 October 2000

VX HSV Models Released

The new range of Holden Special Vehicles models builds on the hugely successful introduction of the 250 LS1 V8 engine last year. The VX facelift affects all HSV standard wheelbase models including a new GTS launched simultaneously with the new VX range.

• All HSV VX models share several of Holden's premium styling features including upper level VX headlights, rear decor panel and tail lights, further differentiating the HSV range from Holden's own performance models.

• An all-new integrated styling package provides an even stronger HSV identity.

• HSV's most popular model, the ClubSport, gains 18-inch wheels as standard. The new GTS comes with the wildest looking 19-inch alloy wheels seen on a local high performance car.

• HSV's new Touring suspension is now the standard suspension specification for all models except the GTS and Senator Signature. It provides a smoother, quieter ride over a wider variety of surfaces.

• A new R8 Performance suspension, which retains the beefier rear control arm bushes and firmer damping control of the previous system, also delivers big improvements in ride and handling over a wider variety of surfaces. It is optional on XU6, ClubSport and R8. A new Multi-link Performance suspension is exclusive to the GTS. It retains the additional lower control arms of the previous GTS but is extensively re-tuned for greater absorption of road disturbances and to minimise ride sharpness from the new low profile 19-inch wheel and tyre combination now standard on the GTS.

• HSV brakes are upgraded. The standard fitment dual piston front caliper design has police specification pads. HSV's Performance brakes are standard on ClubSport R8, optional on all other models except GTS, and now feature special grooved rotors which provide an avenue for gases generated during braking to escape. HSV's Premium brakes are standard on GTS (optional on other models) with its cross-drilled rotors has a new fast single bleed for each of its four piston calipers.

• The XU6 V6 supercharged engine continues in the same specification as for the previous model with automatic transmission only. It delivers 180kW at 5000 rpm and 380Nm at 3200 rpm on premium unleaded fuel.

• All HSV LS1 V8 engines gain a deeper and higher volume inlet manifold, new Bosch fuel injectors and new engine management software for improved engine refinement. The entry level V8 now generates 255kW at 5600 and 475Nm at 4000 rpm compared.

• The 300kW at 6000 and 510Nm at 4800 rpm figures on premium unleaded fuel for the Callaway engine in the GTS remain the same as those for the previous model.

• HSV has re-calibrated the automatic transmission on V8 models for smoother up shifts and downshifts. HSV's Power mode calibration is less aggressive than before but is still far more performance-orientated than Holden's Power mode. HSV's Normal mode is similar to Holden's for more relaxed shifts and improved fuel economy when desired.

• All HSV models feature Holden's new twin rubber coupling tail shaft for reduced driveline vibration and harshness.

Odyssey Pace Car For Indy 300

Honda is set to add another dimension to the term "people mover" with a radical new Odyssey pace car for the Honda Indy 300 Champ Car race on the Gold Coast on October 15. The V6 Odyssey - clad in striking Standox Monza Red paintwork - will lead the FedEx Championship Series field at the rolling start and during yellow flag caution laps.

Honda has made a number of modifications to the Odyssey to prepare it for its official duties. Sports suspension, upgraded brakes, racing safety equipment and a hefty 150kg weight reduction have helped transform Honda's family car. The suspension was built and developed in a collaborative effort by Honda's world-renowned suspension manufacturer Showa and Honda Research & Development. The suspension improves control and reduces the Odyssey's ride height by 70mm for Type R-style handling. The Odyssey is equipped with cross-drilled brake rotors by Melbourne race equipment specialist Harrop Engineering for enhanced brake cooling. Braking is further enhanced by Mugen brake pads with a unique compound designed to handle brake temperatures of more than 400 degrees Celsius.

The Odyssey's engine has been modified for increased driveability with adjustments to exhaust and induction systems. Inside, the Odyssey's sumptuous six-seat leather interior has been stripped to make way for a full steel rollcage and Sparco race seats with five-point harnesses. The Odyssey's woodgrain trim has been traded for carbon fibre. Vital safety equipment includes an on-board fire-extinguisher system. A TV camera mounted in the rear bumper feeds live pictures to a viewing screen on the Odyssey dash to help pace car officials monitor the Champ Cars behind them.

Aside from the new paint, the Odyssey exterior gets a special aero kit from Honda Accessory Corporation and 17-inch alloy wheels with low-profile Yokohama tyres. After Honda Indy 300, the pace car will make regular appearances at motor shows around Australia, beginning with the Sydney Motor Show on November 17.

Audi A8L 6.0 quattro

Audi has unveiled its awesome new 12-cylinder flagship, the A8 L 6.0 quattro. This luxury long-wheelbase saloon is powered by an aluminium W12 engine with a capacity of six litres developing a 309kW, making it the most powerful production twelve-cylinder engine in a saloon car worldwide. And it also sets standards in terms of torque. The new Audi engine produces 550Nm - this also surpasses any other production saloon in the exclusive twelve-cylinder league.

The A8 6.0 L quattro requires less than six seconds to sprint from 0 to 100 km/h; the most powerful German twelve-cylinder car of the modern age reaches its electronically governed top speed of 250 km/h after scarcely 38 seconds. Audi is currently the only manufacturer to use a twelve-cylinder engine in the form of a double "V" or "W" in series production. This design principle has one inestimable advantage - despite the larger number of cylinder units, despite a clearly higher displacement, the W12 is as compact as a V8 and thus has much smaller dimensions than a conventional V12 engine.

This engine can only be combined with quattro four-wheel drive because of its unusually short length of 513 millimetres together with a width of 690 millimetres. All other twelve-cylinder engines installed at the front of the car can only drive the rear wheels - in this case there is not enough space under the bonnet for additional front-wheel drive components. Another advantage of this compact design - together with the choice of the light metals aluminium and magnesium - is the very low weight of the Audi twelve-cylinder engine.

The new Audi twelve-cylinder engine is unparalleled by past technology - despite the fact that there have already been examples of this W-engine design in automotive history. The legendary 1920s Rumpler "tear-drop" car, for example, for which its designer developed a six-cylinder engine in 3x2 formation. Or, just a few years later, the world record car driven by Campell, Seagrave and Cobb: this was powered by a W12 aircraft engine with a capacity of 24 litres and 502hp. And Audi too has already made use of a W12 engine: it produced 509hp in the legendary Avus super sports car study, presented in 1991.

A direct comparison with these engines clearly reveals the special feature of the Audi engine. Unlike its historical predecessors, it is not a W-engine in the classic sense with three separate cylinder banks. In this case, three connecting rods are mounted on a single crankpin. The new twelve-cylinder engine, which the Audi design engineers have developed together with their Volkswagen colleagues, is different.

A glance at the engine's cylinder blocks shows that two ultra-compact V6 units are combined to produce an engine. Each of the two cylinder rows contains six cylinders at an angle of 15 degrees. This offset arrangement makes an ideal synthesis of the very compact width - compared with the classic V6 - and the very short length of a four-cylinder engine. Joining these two units at an angle of 72 degrees to produce a twelve-cylinder engine has a third advantage: the height of the engine is considerably less than that of a "genuine" W12, which means that the silhouette of the front end of the car can be made flatter and more aerodynamic. Another advantage of this design is the high rigidity of the engine as a whole. This translates into excellent vibrational comfort which surpasses even the high level expected of a twelve-cylinder engine. The heart of the W12 engine is the crankshaft running in seven bearings which weighs just 20.5 kilograms. The crankpins are offset to achieve a constant firing order as on a V6 engine.

The W12 engine has dry sump lubrication. In contrast to conventional wet sump lubrication, the oil pumps supplies the engine with oil from a separate oil tank. This is turn can be optimised in terms of design compared with a conventional oil sump. The oil tank on the Audi W12 engine is situated behind the right headlight - looking towards the front of the car - and is connected to the engine by two hoses. The oil pump is driven by a chain directly from the crankshaft. A water cooler on the left side of the engine near the oil sump ensures efficient oil cooling. This is a system rarely found on production vehicles, in just a few high-performance sports cars. The greatest advantage of dry sump lubrication is that it allows an optimum supply of oil to the engine even at high lateral acceleration levels.

Double overhead camshafts per cylinder bank are responsible for the valve gear. Driven by a single chain, they operate two inlet and two exhaust valves per cylinder via low-friction roller cam followers: a principle which helps not least to reduce fuel consumption noticeably. The camshafts can be adjusted variably - by 52 degrees at the inlet valves and 22 degrees at the exhaust valves - which means that the optimum valve timing can be realised across the entire engine-speed range. It is thus possible to achieve good idle-speed quality, low crude emissions and ample torque across the speed range. Mixture preparation is performed by the Bosch Motronic ME 7.1.1 with electronic, sequential injection. This system includes electronic throttle control, hot-film air-mass sensing, cylinder-selective knock control via four sensors and variable lambda control. Emissions control is the task of four 3-way catalytic converters installed near the engine, plus two 3-way primary catalytic converters in the region of the silencer. Eight heated lambda sensors continually monitor the exhaust gas.

Just a few features suffice to visually identify the twelve-cylinder version of the A8: viewed from the front, these include the original radiator grille that is differentiated from the Audi S8 by the vertical chrome bars. "W12" emblems are located on the radiator grille, on the side rubbing strips and inside the car, above the glove box. At the rear of the car, the model inscription A8 L 6.0 quattro and the original design of the twin tailpipes indicate that you are looking at the flagship of the Audi model range. 18-inch forged aluminium wheels of 10-hole design and with 245/55 ZR 18 tyres point to the new Audi's dynamic potential.

At the moment, there are no plans to introduce the A8 L 6.0 quattro in Australia.

Citroën Hydractive suspension

Citroën has released their 3rd generation Hydractive suspension. This new suspension comprises:

• a built-in hydroelectronic interface (BHI) at the heart of the system
• four carrier elements with new-technology suspension spheres for exceptional durability
• front and rear stiffness regulators with sphere
• electric height sensors linked to the anti-roll bars
• a simplified hydraulic network with new-generation connections.

The new auto-adaptive suspension is able make a precise analysis of the state of the road and current driving conditions thanks to new electronic sensors linked by the multiplexed network to a built-in systems interface (BSI) with considerable computing power.

3rd Generation Hydractive suspension gives the driver a choice between two settings: comfort and sport. Designed to provide independent, intelligent control of each mode, the system automatically adjusts springing and damping at the same time. The control system is designed to switch in real time from a soft mode, with the emphasis on comfort, to a firm mode, with the emphasis on roadholding, according to road conditions and the driver's style. Through an analysis of the driver's style, the system is able to customise the changeover from one mode to the other to strike a balance between comfort and roadholding. The driver can also activate the sports setting manually in order to switch more frequently to a firm suspension and thus place the emphasis on sporting performance.

This new suspension features an innovative function: the height of the vehicle varies automatically according to its speed. This function enhances stability by lowering the centre of gravity (by 15mm at the front and 11mm at the rear) and reducing fuel consumption by improving Cd. On badly damaged road surfaces, 3rd Generation Hydractive can increase vehicle height by 13mm. The driver can also modify clearance manually by means of an electronic push button.

Coming Telematics

At the 2000 Paris Motor Show Audi unveiled its revolutionary new telecommunications service which can deliver tailor-made traffic information directly to the cockpit. Audi telematics helps drivers on Germany's roads to reach their destination quickly and without getting caught up in traffic jams.

Audi telematics users benefit from a unique network of information sources. Around 4000 sensors, operated by the DDG Gesellschaft für Verkehrsdaten, monitor the traffic flow on German autobahns virtually nationwide. Based on the sensor data, the traffic situation is then calculated electronically; traffic jams and congestion are reported to the vehicle's terminal. In emergency situations, Audi telematics makes sure that help is sent out to where it is needed as quickly as possible. In the event of a breakdown, a press of the button is all it takes to connect the driver by telematics telephone to the Audi service centre, which immediately makes sure that on-the-spot assistance is provided. The driver doesn't even have to know where he is; the automatic positioning system leads the helpers to the breakdown vehicle. In an accident, the system even places the emergency call fully automatically: the rescue services are alarmed when the airbag or belt pre-tensioners are activated. The emergency call can also be triggered manually.

In a few months' time, Mercedes-Benz in Europe will also be offering a pioneering information and service system, the "multi-channel portal". At the Paris Motor Show, the company previewed this new development which will offer drivers access to on-line services via a range of channels such as the telephone, WAP mobile or the Short Message Service (SMS) of the mobile phone network.

Mazda Motor Corporation has launched the limited '@NAVI' (pronounced 'at-nah-vee') series of cars that feature, as standard equipment, an advanced car navigation system compatible with 'Mazda Telematics', the driver's information service. All four @NAVI models - MPV, Premacy, Demio (Metro in Australia) and Bongo Friendee (Japan market only) are exclusively for the Japanese market. The advanced car navigation system of the @NAVI models provides static route information by accessing an optical-disk database-DVD for MPV, Premacy, and Bongo Friendee and CD-ROM for Demio-and offers the latest traffic information through 'VICS-FM'. With an optional adapter, the user can access the Mazda Telematics Centre to pull down information on motels, restaurants, gas stations, parking facilities and other sites and attractions through the Internet.

Honda FCX-V3 in Fuel Cell Study

The Honda Motor Co will begin testing the FCX-V3 fuel cell-powered vehicle as part of the California Fuel Cell Partnership program (CaFCP) from November. Honda will join government agencies, petroleum companies and five other motor vehicle manufacturers in an investigation into the future of fuel cell technology. The FCX-V3 is equipped with a Ballard Power Systems fuel cell stack (that is fuelled by hydrogen stored under high pressure) and a new developed ultra-capacitor. The combination of continuous electric power generation from the fuel stack and the ultra-capacitor's instantaneous discharge capabilities give the FCX-V3 improved take-off and acceleration performance. Regenerative energy systems and reduction of discharge loss have been integrated to improve fuel economy and achieve more efficient energy management.

Saab Combustion Control (SCC) system

A new engine control system called Saab Combustion Control (SCC) promises to radically reduce exhaust emissions without impairing engine performance. SCC is a new engine technology to the Saab Variable Compression (SVC) engine concept shown at Geneva earlier this year (and covered by AutoSpeed at "Saab's Variable Compression Engine").

By mixing a large proportion of exhaust gases into the combustion process for the SCC engine, the fuel consumption can be reduced by up to 10 percent, at the same time lowering the exhaust emissions of a conventional four-stroke petrol engine to a value below the stringent American Ultra Low Emission Vehicle 2 (ULEV2) requirements that will come into force in 2005. Compared to today's Saab engines with equivalent performance, this will almost halve the carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrocarbon (HC) emissions, and will cut the nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions by 75 percent.

The SCC system is based on a combination of direct petrol injection, variable valve timing and variable spark gap. Unlike the direct injection systems available on the market today, the SCC system puts to use the benefits of direct injection, but without disturbing the ideal air-to-fuel ratio (14.6:1 = lambda 1) necessary for a conventional three-way catalytic converter to perform satisfactorily.

The three most important components of the SCC system are:

• Air-assisted fuel injection with turbulence generator The injector unit and spark plug are integrated into one unit known as the Spark Plug Injector (SPI). The fuel is injected directly into the cylinder by means of compressed air. Immediately before the fuel is ignited, a brief blast of air creates turbulence in the cylinder, which assists combustion and shortens the combustion time.

• Variable valve timing The SCC system uses camshafts with variable cams to enable the inlet and exhaust valve timing to be varied steplessly. This allows exhaust gases to be mixed into the combustion air in the cylinder, which puts to use the benefits of direct injection while maintaining the value of lambda at 1 under almost all operating conditions. Up to 70 percent of the cylinder contents during combustion consist of exhaust gases. The exact proportion depends on the prevailing operating conditions.

• Variable spark plug gap with high spark energy The spark plug gap is variable between 1.0 and 3.5 mm. The spark is struck from a central electrode in the spark plug injector either to a fixed earth electrode at a distance of 3.5 mm or to an earth electrode on the piston. The variable spark gap together with a high spark firing energy (80 mJ) is essential for igniting an air/fuel mixture that is so highly diluted with exhaust gases.

The Saab Combustion Control system has been developed at the Saab Engine Development Department, which is also the Centre of Expertise for the development of turbocharged petrol engines in the GM Group. The variable spark gap in the SCC system is a further development of the spark-to-piston concept that Saab unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1995. In the air-assisted direct injection system, Saab engineers are cooperating with the Australian company Orbital. The SCC system will be launched in the next generation of Saab cars.

Lancia Show Car

The Lancia Nea, making its world debut at this week's Paris Motor Show, reveals some of the technology that will be seen on the next generation of cars from the Fiat Group.

The new technology includes a radar system that surrounds the car in a virtual safety belt; automatic braking systems; full integration of the internet, e-mail, GSM mobile phones and satellite navigation systems to provide the ultimate driver guidance systems; full voice activation of all controls; electrochomatic windows that automatically darken when the sun comes out and lighten when it sets; multifunction memories that remember everything from each driver's seat position and favourite radio station to their suspension settings and preferred ventilation in the car and a location system that means if you forget where you park the Nea, you can telephone car and it will tell you where it is, either giving directions or, as you get nearer to it, by flashing its lights.

A long-range radar at the front of the car notifies the driver of anything that appears in front of the car while driving. It is also selective, because it can exclude overhead items such as viaducts or objects at the roadside such as advertising hoardings or message boards. A TV camera - also at the front - detects the direction of the traffic lane and the car's position within it with the aid of sensors. It can tell whether an obstacle identified by the radar really lies in the car's path (and is thus dangerous) or otherwise. Another two TV cameras located high up at the sides of the windscreen are able to detect the size of the obstacle (the radar only determines distance with precision, not dimensions) and the area within which the car can manoeuvre in safety to avoid it (they work stereoscopically like the human eye). Six short-range side radars (three on the left side and three on the right) detect the presence of obstacles located in the lanes on either side of the car. Two TV cameras trained towards the rear of the car check blind spots and notify the driver of overtaking cars. Last but not least, the car also comes with three rear view TV cameras and a parking camera.

All these sensors continually monitor the Lancia Nea's area of manoeuvre so as to surround it with a virtual safety belt designed to prevent accidents. Each of the detection systems described comes with its own processing unit that screens incoming data and then relays the most important data to a computer with supervisory functions. This main computer merges and synthesises all incoming information, detects dangerous situations and, when necessary, commands the computer that controls the actuators in charge of brakes, engine, steering and so on to reduce the safety distance, accelerate, avoid obstacles and so on.

The Lancia Nea can brake and avoid an obstacle by itself to avoid an accident without the aid of the driver if really necessary. Some clarification is necessary at this point. As things stand at the moment, the car can only carry out the manoeuvre in a controlled situation such as on a test track and the driver must also take his hands from the steering wheel. The concept car thus allows a very advanced feasibility check to be carried out on the device. It will only be possible to carry out the manoeuvre automatically, with or without the driver's hands on the wheel, on cars that will be built in the future. To achieve the desired result, the car must be driven entirely by wire without any physical connection between the controls (accelerator, brake, gearlever etc) and the actuators that carry out the required manoeuvres.

In a drive by wire system, the driver brakes without acting directly on a hydraulic system. Instead impulses are sent along an electrical wire to a control unit. The control unit is then responsible for instructing the hydraulic actuators to brake. The driver steers but does not control the rack and pinion mechanism directly. An electrical pulse informs the control unit of the driver's intention to turn and the control unit then orders the actuators to turn the wheels through the required angle.

The Nea can also recognise voice commands. The system itself does not rely on a rigid communication structure ("Telephone. Name? Smith", "Navigation system. Location? London") but is able to recognise voice messages naturally. The use of adjectives represents an enormous technological leap. The device recognises a thousand words instead of a hundred and is able to pick the key words out of every utterance ("I'm going to Mr Smith's house in London and want to phone him first").

Quickies

• Michael Andretti will drive a Honda-powered Champ Car for Team Motorola in the CART FedEx Championship Series through to the 2003 season.

• Mazda has 400 Limited Edition 121 Metro's available with $2000 worth of additional equipment for only $600 above the regular recommended retail price. And the latest face-lifted versions of Mazda's sporty four-door and five-door 323 models have made their world debut at the Paris Motor Show. Mazda has made a number of changes to the cars to achieve improved performance, safety, refinement, handling and comfort. They will go on sale in European end of December 2000 with Australian models due in February 2001.