seduced

One less gear, but twice the cylinders and twice the turbos... 1100Nm of torque is epic!

http://www.caradvice.com.au/5416/brabus-v12-biturbo-c-class/ I'd take one of these instead...

Thought my generic 10psi C&V tune was safe until a cold winter night saw 17psi up on the boost guage. Other factors could be involved such as actuator etc, however, a custom tune would have found and fixed any issues...a generic tune assumes the rest of your engine is perfect. I dont run the 10psi anymore... back to stock until I can be bothered spending $1800 on a custom tune and injectors. Running the stock injectors so close to the limit all the time leaves no room for variables. Even if a dyno says your AFRs look ok. A bad batch of fuel on a cold night could see then end of your fun...

Yes Gm have an LS9, but will HSV ever see it? As if HSV would release anything more powerful than their $150,000 w427 for a few years... especially a clubsport. I think FPV is playing it safe to avoid media attention. Imagine if the GT came out with 430kw off the line. The media would have a fit! But if they gradually increase the power, they can sneak it past. Either way, power isn't everything. The FPV's are a much nicer car to drive, and for 98% of the time, you're not going over 120km/h. I wish Australia's bogans would get off the "more power means its better" bandwagon. Who gives a crap if the HSV makes 2 more KWs? Yet people believe a higher KW figure equals better car. Lets be honest, if it weren't for import taxes, we'd all be in euro or jap cars....

New pistons, rods, crank, that we developed here to start with. Then all assembled in Australia, the only part we get from the US is the block and head. Its like when the xr6T first came out, there was always potential for it to make 350kw+, but they started low and built from there. The same will apply here. Also, the NA motor makes less torque than the current 5.4L Boss. Ford were never going to release a new engine that was less powerful than the 5.4L while HSV were releasing more powerful versions. So, bolt on a blower and yes, its only 25 more KW, but now its 570Nm of torque with a flat-as torque curve, and with newer models that will be over 600Nm... The GT should eat the HSV everywhere now, and even if HSV release a 350kw version, just wind up the boost, and Ford is on top again.

Of course there's more room for power. But like all engines, you start low and increase power with updated/special models to keep the interest. As HSV play catchup, FPV will just keep outdoing them easily with a little more boost. If they went straight to 465kw, where would they go from there? As for the rubber, you may have run 275s for the past 2 years without any problems, but remember Ford has to honour a warranty for the Grandma driver aswell as the lead-foot. It has to outlast the worst driver. Yes, Expensive Daewoo have achieved it, but check out how many clutch issues they have at the moment... There is always one sacrificial part in a driveline, and frankly, Ford has chosen the cheaer option for the buyer. A set of tyres vs a clutch?

Would cost more than a few grand... and more than a couple of bushes. The NVH would also be affected. Cheaper to keep replacing bushes under warranty. But nothing stops the buyer from buying new bushes and big tryes. Just don't expect Ford to replace all the other weak components you were too cheap to replace yourself.

Show me one HSV buyer who won't look at the "oversteer angle" screen while driving... Yes its logs, but in reality, there will be eyes glued to this thing as it shows real time data. Imagine the warranty process... "the diff is very noisy and clunky" - dealer pulls up the oversteer screen and sees consistant 100 degrees of tyre frying oversteer. Warranty denied. Then the court case about how HSV voided the warranty yet admit their cars can handle track work by fitting a track-logging computer... I'd read the fine-print before purchasing one. I'd also have to be blind to buy one.. those body kits remind me of Need for Speed Underground..

Reminds me of the Dell Palm computer that came with the HSV 5000 a few years back. Logged all sorts of crap that you really don't need. Just a gimmick to sell more. Who is seriously going to say "whoa dude, check out that last bend, I got 5 degrees more angle on the exit......sweeeeeeeeet!!!!" If they were serious about it, it would be a heads-up display that you could actually read while driving. Who is going to look way down in the centre console and flick through a number of screens while driving flat out at a circuit? I reckon Harold Scruby will be all over this saying it encourages too much fun.

Why is this in the Grange? A strecthed out heavy luxo-barge with a v8? What Grange buyer wants to know how much throttle he applied during that last corner? Shouldnt this be in the clubsport?

Keep learning, after a year or two you'll be right. But please, do not watermark your photos with "suchandsuch photography"...This really cheapens the whole photo. You are not a pro, nor a business. You are an ametuer starting out. It drives me mad that anyone with a DSLR these days thinks its cool to refer to themselves as "blah blah photography". Meanwhile, ACTUAL photographers get lost in the mass of ametuers prentending to be pro. You don't plant tomato plants in your yard and all of a sudden become a farmer. You don't strap your car around a track and all of a sudden become a racer. You don't take photos on a DSLR and all of a sudden become a photographer. Learn the skill first! /rant On a positive note, get your photos right naturally first using your CAMERA not a computer, don't be tempted by the "meh, fix it in photoshop" crowd. Photography is becoming a lost skill these days, photoshop and cheap DSLR's are the cause. Concentrate of the skill of it and you will go far. If you really want to test yourself, buy a film SLR and learn from that.. there will be no preview shots, you will have to trust in your ability! But don't give up. The world needs skilled photographers! Go forth and keep learning!

Different tyres wont improve it. The Falkens are more than capable of a good flogging if the car is set up right. Too many people blame their tyres when its actually a poorly set up suspension. Some stiffer springs, sway bars and lower shocks doesn't automatically mean better handling. Unless they are all tuned and chosen for a specific feel, its all for looks and brag factor. A rear sway bar will help alot, and so will negative camber in the front. It sounds like your spring rates in the front maybe too stiff though.

At first I was like, "meh, that's not too bad apart from the red.." and then I saw it... hahaha! Based on that alone, I would not buy one. That would drive me crazy grinning at me all day..

I would prefer the BA MkII standard xr6 rim in 19inch if they made them. Best looking Rim IMO.

She has to go. If Rudd's incompetence was over ill-thought out and executed policies, then she will be alot worse. This arrogant government has to go. What happened to a democracy? Where is the consultation? This is just a ploy to grab votes from the low-income earners (who won't be able to afford the new car anyway) and people who believe cars are killing the planet. Julia is dangerous. She has to go.

Police now targeting: Holdens. No surprise that they are the most impounded car by a massive margin.

datjas, everyone here loves to help, unless you want an NA to go as quick as a turbo or you want to install a turbo timer. The reason they said BF over BA is because of the stronger bottom end in BF2s. No need to go to FG if you want big power. Just ask the question, I've asked heaps of stupid ones, but if you dont ask you'll never know. And no-one here gets off the computer, writes down your username and then goes around telling everyone what a moron you are for asking some advice. You are missing out on a wealth of information!

Ariel Atom with an EVO engine and AWD system.

Bunna? Are you able to confirm this? Sounds like a Ford dealer trying to harvest some more work with 'stiff' bushes... I'd rather trust fulcrum.

You can slam anyone you want on a billboard as long as you sign it with your name. That way it becomes an opinion and is a nice loophole in the legal side of it. You could have: "Amount of money taken from you by speed cameras - $130 million Number of lives saved by speed cameras - 0 Total amount of that money invested back into driver training - $0" I like what the NSW opposition had to say about the cameras when they were discussed in parliament. After the budget was read, and the treasurer indicated a further $138 million in revenue will be received by cameras this year, the opposition responded: "It worries me that the fiscal position of this government relies on its citizens breaking the law..." With Victoria's road toll up 13% this year already, obviously speed isn't the killer.... As for the cameras, if everyone carried a fold up billboard in their car, and when they spotted a camera, they went back about 100m and set up the board with "revenue raising speed camera ahead - 100m" written on it, it would effectively make the camera a liability, not an asset for the government. If this doesn't work, do as the UK citizens do, vandilise the cameras. Then the cost of fixing them endlessly is far more than what they make from them.

Of course Castrol recommends 0w-40 for the FPV. The only oil they have in that grade is their expensive 'Edge' synthetic oil that they claim is for performance engines, therefore they wouldnt recommend a taxi-spec 15w40 oil, not because its worse for your car, but becasue they need to make money from car enthusiasts who care about oils. Look up ANY performance car on their site and they will recommend the same oil. At start-up, what is the difference between an XR6 NA and a Turbo? None, yet Castrol recommend two different oils. I'll stick with what the makers of my engine recommend. 10-15w40.

Would love to see a SCv8 Territory. that's an SUV that I would buy! Too bad we didn't score the 3.0L diesel....

These aren't ferraris. They are mass produced engines with mass produced tolerances. I use Penrite 15w40, works for me.

Audi RS4 V8, bored out with twin turbos. Aston Martin designed Body Nissan engineered Chassis Exhaust by ASton Martin Bose Prototype suspension Porsche Ceramic brakes Lexus electronics Steering by Lotus And some crazy good Manual box Designed by italians, R&D by the Germans, Approved by the British and Built in Japan. :D

O Trader - Leave it stock and it will last forever. They only start having issues when people lower them heaps (tailshaft) or begin to pump massive power without upgrading any drivline/suspension components. There are a number of guys on here that modify properly and never have issues, Whilst some are cheap and only want power and looks at the cost of reliability. Your ute will be fine. Remember, no-one starts a thread about how awesome and reliable their stock ute is. You only ever see threads on problems or threads on modifications. There are thousands of falcons running fine without any issues that you'll never read about.