aiboart

Direct Injection on a turbo. Now, it seems foil bearings with lightweight turbos.... for almost lag free performance with bullet proof reliability and low maintenance... This is seriously clever design if true. It is much smarter, neater, simpler, cheaper and lighter and more robust than say the BMW 335i TT approach... cool... The power and the delivery characteristics of these new engines is going to be impressive. Regards, aa

Seriously, if you want to go fast another option is to forget about the car for the moment and book yourself into a track day. Go play with your car for a while, pay attention and you will have the time of your life, really, and, even though you will be too busy enjoying yourself to notice, you will go really fast. It's not actually about the car it's about having fun. Get out into that environment and culture for a while and a few things will become much clearer. One is what pushes your buttons in a car, what you condsider fun and the other is the paths you could follow to make the car do what you want. You will quickly notice such things as, the set up for drag racing and track work are quite different - and a road setup is different again. All are great fun, all are fast in their own way. Give them all a try and you will be in a much better position to know the mods you wish to undertake. There is more than enough experience on this forum to enable you to build what you want for the extent of the budget you wish to sink into your hobby. (note - do not for a moment imagine that any of your expenditure into this is an an way an 'investment') Regards, aa

Looks very cool. Is it an issue to remove the boot floor liner to get at the spare? (The back of the setup seems to sit on top of the liner.) Have you considered adding a boot lid liner? Regards, aa

Telionis, the NRA in America runs that line all the time. I must say that I always thought that was a possible but unlikely theory. After Australia experienced a similar shocking event to the one you have just described, we took a national decision remove guns from circulation and to greatly restrict the instance of gun ownership. It certainly seemed like a reasonable action at the time. This is what happened in an experiment conducted on a national scale. Shootings, which were once extremely rare became daily events. In fact we now have several shootings a day. Certain criminal groups became untouchable by virtue of the fact that they carry guns and and are not afraid to use them. The police cannot but defer to these groups nor can the public now defend itself. We had a shameful incident where the police were ordered form stopping a convoy sent to attack particular suburbs due do the fact that they were out gunned and out manned. All these events are well known and the subject of national headline news. The NRA, as crazy as they seem in general, are probably correct in this instance. Regards, aa

Follow the link, check the avatar and then read the post...

Adjustable pedals are a factory fit only option and they are rather rare ASAIK. Tyres do not wear out in 10,000 km on these cars unless the car has been driven in a particular manner. More like 35,000 km is the norm for city driving and that can include a more than a modicum of focused VLPD (very long private driveway) action. The point about the XRT/F6 is that is does fairly fly... and... it goes about it's business without dramatics, histrionics, wheelspin, sideways action, thumping torque peaks or any other melodrama. It therefore does not shred its tyres. The car with the 10,000 km tyre life has spend a good deal of time operating with the traction control off, revving wildly, spinning its wheels and probably going (relatively slowly) sideways... it is all good fun for the... original... owner... Factory options are expensive to buy on a new car and generally, though not always, even more expensive and a PIA to retrofit if indeed a retrofit is possible. The prestige sound, leather and climate control is a case in point here. The Premium/FPV/PBR brakes available for the BA however, if not a Factory option on the car, can be essentially retrofitted for $2,000+. They change the character of the car for the better to almost to the same extent as the turbo changes the character of the NA engine. Get the car loaded the way you want and enjoy. One more thing to look out for is a service record that shows frequent oil and filter changes. Most here would agree 7,500km intervals is mandatory and more frequent can not do any harm. regards, aa

Hi, Does anyone have a lead as to what components constitute the GT-40(th) R spec? What are the part numbers? Are they are available? Are they retrofittable and to what? What do they cost from Ford and are they available from the OEM? Oh, and is it any good? Regards, aa

Will it fit to a 4 speed? Regards, aa

You may care to try this in a VLPD. (very long private driveway) Ensure traction control is On Drive around gently for a while to cool IC and engine bay and to cool the disposition of the software. Engage Performance Mode 2900RPM Ensure lots of room... lots of room is required. Very briskly apply full throttle, and thence immediately tip gearselector forward to initiate downshift. Thence immediately flick selector sideways to select auto mode for upshift... before you hit rev limiter. What should happen. Car will accelerate as if hit by a golf club as revs, (over?)boost and full throttle combine and engine momentum is converted to car momentum by torque converter on downshift. No wheelspin. Acceleration will continue unabated as boost builds and airspeed builds. Airspeed improves cooling to IC and adds small ram air effect. Upchange will again convert engine momentum to car momentum...and the car will continue to accelerate in a most impressive manner... What may happen. Acceleration will be there but not of the golf club variety. Try it again when IC and engine bay are cooler and software is in a better mood. You will get two or three of the golfclub downshifts as described, thence they will be lacklustre by comparison to the first few. Heat and software driveline protection are now affecting performance. Regards, aa

OEM car kits are more expensive than the generic variety, " Porsche 911 Turbo Bill McKinnon, The Sydney Morning Herald, 09/03/07 Main options Five-speed sequential automatic, $8000; fake aluminium interior trim, $3790; power adjustable sports seats, $2990 (with a Porsche crest on the headrests, $490 extra);.... ceramic composite brakes $19,990; telephone module $2190. " and some of them have rather big issues, such as the one for the X5 which costs over $800 as a dealer fit and which only works on a handful of phones.... " BMW X5 Price and Options June 2006 BMW Approved Bluetooth telephones BMW Approved Bluetooth telephones have been tested by BMW for compatibility / functionality in BMW vehicles. The telephones below, with the relevant software versions loaded, are compatible with the BMW X5. Please refer to your BMW Dealer for details of the software versions required. Motorola V3 Motorola V635 Nokia 6230i Siemens S65 Sony Ericsson K750i Sony Ericsson W800i BMW snap-in adapters enable charging of the phone in the car, in-car storage of the phone and connection to the vehicle’s external phone aerial for improved reception. These adapters are available from your BMW Dealer and are suitable for the above phones, except for Motorola V3. Note: Not all Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones are compatible with the Bluetooth interface in BMW vehicles and not all mobile phone " Also played with the latest version of Bluetooth from a current model mid range Lexus the other day... pretty amazing but a essentially a misguided design that relied on complexity for wow factor.... remined me of a 'sports' analogue wristwatch with lots and lots of dials and knobs.... all show and next to useless in application bar the primary function. The GPS touch sceen functionality you are seeking is currently available in a small form factor WM5 PDA phone, the Xda Orbit (UK only ATM). Size is the same as the current 'Atom' series. Hope the hardware reliability is however completely different to the Atom which is an uber lemon. GPS and PDA phones work naturally together as they are connected by the address book. Lastly, possible operational issues noted in an earlier thread with Ford Bluetooth module are resolved. Fix involved minor dealer rectification.... and not keeping the cabin fan on high when calls are in progress. Regards, aa

This is good hard data. I am not sure if that is allowed in an oil thread. Can you add some details? What oil did the dealer serviced car run? (10W30 mineral oil is a common dealer fill for the Turbo) What mods did the worn engine run. What was its peak torque? What transmission? Do you warm your engine prior to driving off? Do you drive in a particular manner when the engine is cool? What about the driver with the worn engine? What is your oil service interval? What is the oil service interval of the worn engine? Regards, aa

Were all the turbo's BF? Any BA's? What brakes are the XRT's and the XR8 allowed to run, standard BF, or BA premiums or something else? Regards, aa

There is another solution to the car bra. Link to 3M paint protection film Each set of films is custom made for the car. Typically applied by a mobile van based service, it is available locally. Material is said to be essentially invisible though I have not seen a set applied, to the best of my knowledge. It's expensive but not as expensive a some of the prices quoted for the car bras. Stone chip protection, material stability and aesthetic performance is said to be up to the ususal 3M standard, I.e. excellent. Regards, aa

The 335i is a cool car. Low boost turbos used to fill in and thence augment what would otherwise be the torque hole in a straight six multivalve vvt engine driving through the rear wheels - usually through an auto box. As a real passanger road car it will almost certainly outshine the V8 M3. I think I may have heard a similar story before somewhere... The rev limit of the 335i is 7500rpm++. Not sure of the capability of the turbos though. If the turbos can keep up the flow at those revs and they decide to let the machine off the software leash this will be an exceedingly potent as well as a very drivable engine some day. Regards, aa

It is only mid sized and has only two doors, it has no spare wheel, it has a boot, not a heavy hatchback, it has a carbon fibre roof, it is RWD not AWD, its suspension was designed to cope with asphalt not aussie dirt roads... it is a focused sports coupe ...and, it still weighs in at 1655 kg! O.K. Sounds like the state of the art weight reduction here.... or cost cutting or something... Also note the old sequential joke gearbox is gone... probably too many whiplash claims... I want to see if it has a sunroof option to go with that carbon roof. Link to new 2007 M3 V8 article BMW reveals quickest M3 yet Jez Spinks, drive.com.au, 05/04/07 Official photos confirm fourth-generation 3-Series flagship is identical to Geneva concept – and BMW says it's the quickest M3 yet. JEZ SPINKS reports. 2007 BMW M3 BMW has released pictures and more details of the fourth-generation M3, confirming it looks identical to the concept car shown at last month's Geneva motor show. The new 3-Series flagship model is still expected to make its public debut at September's Frankfurt motor show, but the first official images show the production car will, as expected, include the M3 Concept's carbonfibre-reinforced plastic roof and 'power dome' bonnet that includes two air vents. A carbonfibre-reinforced roof was used by BMW on the CSL version of the outgoing M3, as well as the current M6, and it helps to reduce weight and lower the car's centre of gravity - which can contribute to improved performance and handling. Quad exhaust pipes, side air vents, flared wheel-arches and deep front spoiler are traditional M-car features that distinguish the M3 from the next most powerful 3-Series, the twin-turbo 335i. The back of the new M3, however, also features an unusual, honeycombe-style rear grille. 18-inch wheels are standard. Under the aluminium bonnet sits the first V8 to power an M3, delivering 309kW at a sky-high 8,300rpm and 400Nm of torque at 3900rpm. The 4.0-litre engine is derived from the V10 used in BMW's M5 and M6, and exactly matches the power output of the rival Audi RS4. The six-speed manual gearbox is the only transmission confirmed so far, but BMW has reportedly said there will be no SMG (Sequential Manual Gearbox) option. It would be an unexpected move by Munich considering the popularity of the paddleshift-style system in some markets, but perhaps suggests the car maker is closer than expected to introducing a double-clutch gearbox. The M3 has again increased in size, gaining 123mm in length (now 4615mm), 37mm in width (1817mm) and 25mm in height (1418). A bigger footprint is also achieved through a 30mm-longer wheelbase (now 2761mm) and wider front and rear tracks – up 30mm and 14mm respectively to 1538mm and 1539mm. Dimension increases, an enhanced equipment list and crash-protection improvements all combine to bulk-up the new M3 by 130kg (to 1655kg) over its predecessor, but it's still quicker from standstill. BMW's claimed 0-100km/h acceleration time of 4.8 seconds makes it the quickest M3 yet. The time is one-tenth and four-tenths quicker than the current, six-cylinder M3 CSL and M3 respectively. Top speed is an electronically limited 250km/h. When not accelerating, BMW's new Brake Energy Regeneration system stores engine power under braking or on a trailing throttle to charge the car's battery when required. It means the V8 can be both more efficient and effective when accelerating. An optional MDrive button allows drivers to change a number of variables, which include selecting between three suspension settings (Normal, Comfort and Sports), three engine-mapping settings to change the V8's response and behaviour, and two power-steering settings (Normal and Sports). The new M3 is based on the 3-Series Coupe, but BMW says only the two doors, bootlid, windows, headlights and rear lights are carried over. Unlike the previous M3, the new model will also be available as a four-door sedan, while an M3 Convertible (with folding metal roof) and Touring (wagon) will create an even broader choice for buyers. The new M3's interior features a sportier, thickly rimmed steering wheel than in other Three models, with 'M' badges placed subtly on the wheel, instrument panel and manual gearlever. BMW Australia says the fourth-generation M3 will launch locally at the end of the year. Expect it to be priced somewhere between the $164,500 RS4 sedan and the third-generation M3 that started at $140,000.

There are coupes and there are coupes. A big coupe is not a sports car, it's just another body type like 4 door or hatchback. If the car is roomy enough and otherwise set up for family duties, that's pretty much what it is. The alleged inconvenience of 2 doors is nothing like what it is portrayed to be and the ergonomics of the style is quite misunderstood. My wife has run a big V8 coupe for years as her version of the family car. When the kids were babies she found the coupe had far better acces to the rear than the Falcon 4 door. She would put the kids into the baby seats in the rear and then stand in directly in fornt of them to strap them in. The front seats had the backrests tilted forward and the bases motored towards the front leaving plenty of room in the rear for skylarking about. When it was raining, she would quickly herd the kids in the rear of the car, shut the door, strap the kids into the baby seats and then step accross the centre console into the drivers seat. This would generate some looks. These days you find that kids ride in the back seat anyway and there is often no passenger in the front seat so access through the front of a big coupe is essentially as direct as access through a 4 door. What is more, if the rear passangers are alighting on the kerb side, access accross the back of the coupe with the passenger side front seat tilted and motored forward is much easier than the same action in a 4 door sedan - unless it is a long wheelbase type. So when it comes to coupes, size matters. Big roomy coupes work just fine for most day to day family applications. Where there is either a driver, a driver and rear passangers only (kids), or just a diver and a front seat passanger the big roomy coupe is at least as practical as the standard four door. The coupe however either large or small with the zero legroom symbolic rear seat is I agree a confused and pointless design. The current crop of hard top convertibles coupes is another matter again. The body style is by its very nature the heaviest design possible, embracing as it does lots of electrics, roof braces, hinges, locks, and, body braces for convertible running. The folding mechanism and roof storage leave essentially zero rear leg room in even very large cars. These should be left strictly as 2 seat personal cruisers. Regards, aa

Easter is the echo of the pagan northern hemispehere spring bonk fest. Hence the allusions to fertility, birth and rebith and the use of fertility symbols such as rabbits, eggs and chickens. Chritianity's idea of 'rebirth' and resurrection then plugged into the existing pagan framework of celebration and ritual. One never completely replaced the other. The persistance of tradition is an intriugign thing and this is the normal way in which religions and other systems partially surplant and partially accreate to each other. The christian traditions themselves are of course modifications of the earlier jewish passover traditions. I bet if you did deep enough you will find Sumerian and Zoroastrian echos in the jewish passoever traditions… there are certainly plenty of other examples of this in the jewish tradition. Consumerism then plugged into the christian an jewish traditions with chocolates and packaged holidays and now all coexist in the glorious chaotic phenonena we know today. Christmas was the northern hemispere mid winter (winter solstice) festival. If you live at high lattitude in a snowy clime and it is light for 4 hours a day and your survival is daily threatened by freezing to death or by simply running out of food the turning point of winter is something to celebrate. Further, you all have cabin fever, A party is a dam good idea. Christians plugged into the existing framework of celebrations. Thence consumerism plugged into that. Coca Cola invented Santa Claus in about 1920. (really) Now the Japanese and Chinese are getting into easter and christmas, I love it. Regards, aa

How many times have you heard someone allude to the virtues of the T only to then say something like, '... but I would buy the V8 for the sound'? Well, ok. Also, you may be aware that a number of component suppliers are busy building devices to recreate the NA aural experience for the Turbo driver. Some of these devices are now ready for market and you can expect to see them popping up on various upmarket 'sports' cars. Well, this aint them. It is however just as silly and very much cheaper and lighter and simpler, and, it will provide the essential NA V8 soundtrack whilst you are busy doing the Turbo experience... Pushing the button sets off a somewhat load acceleration sequence of presumably a Ford V8 complete with gear changes - and the device has a light too, but the noise generator and the light only work in unison - not the best for trying to sneak around in the dark late at night. I think FPV should build it into the current starter button, the one that you push after you use the physical key, but it looks like they may be going to radio keys next year and the starter button will actually become useful, so there goes the opportunity to really layer in some inanity... The gizmo, about $10 at your local Ford dealer... and it's a sure fire method to sent the religious greenies apoplectic. Regards, aa

I have similar G-Tech times for a Mk II BAT (A4) with the same configuration Premo Brakes and 17" wheels as your car. Only mod is the F6 CAI. Software is factory. The same G-Tech unit registed slightly higher times for a BA F6 (M). On another track, I hear from friends in the force that some of the T drivers modify their cars. Your car however sounds pretty normal. Fuel type, wheel size, option load and fuel load are all variable to consider when comparing times for apparently identical cars. A car with 19" rims, sunroof, towbar and a full tank of 95 RON will perform quite differently from a stripper with a half tank of 98 RON. Regards, aa

Zap, If the M5 uses launch control he has a very good chance of going home on a flatbed. Regards, aa

Welcome. Nice ride. As per the post above, later versions of the pads significantly reduce but do not completely eliminate the squeal. Squeal occurs during light braking. The new pads reduce both the frequency of occurance and the intensity of the noise. You still need to wash the wheels every week. The brakes are however brilliant in this application. Regards, aa

Both the 4 and 6 speed auto up shift perfectly. Both the 4 and 6 speed downshift seamlessly in smooth driving. In auto mode during vigorous driving, the six speed downshifts and holds better than the 4 speed. The four speed holds gear OK in performance auto mode. You can largely control downshifts (and up shifts) in the 4 speed by modulating your throttle inputs and signaling your intentions to the auto. Alternatively, for the 4 speed, in instances such as a 15kph hairpin sequence, you can invoke manual downshift by tipping the gear lever forward. (and revert to auto for up shift). If you drive with consideration for the nature of the turbo motor and the fact that the XR6T is a large, albiet exceedly well behaved chassis, then either transmission will do a excellent job in providing smooth driving and impressively high performace as and when required. Regards, aa

That is rather good. Is it a a CG impression, an existing Ford model... or, the Orion? Chrome bits and rubber band tyres suggest an upmarket trim spec model? Regards, aa

Have I misunderstood this? For the same FWKW the a4 is in general quicker than the a6 to 60'? Why is that? Is it due to the stalled up big sloppy a4 converter? Not into drag racing, yet... Regards, aa

They don't. I thought it was just an XR thing, not a MKII thing....so there ya go. Learned something new. ← Actually you know.... they do! You can do track work using this cup holder - loaded with mega mugs of coffee - without any fear of cups tipping over - if you know how the cup holder works... The BA/BF the cup holder is a clever piece of understated industrial design, but you need to read the manual... yes, there is a section on it... The cup holder is designed to be turned around 180 degrees to secure the tallest cups, have the second layer come in and out to secure different width cups and have all layers to pull out for easy cleaning... Pick up the cup holder layer and turn it 180 degrees so that the tall vertical rubber is now at the front. This will now stop any large drink cups or bottles falling out or tipping forward - no matter how you drive. Pulling the second inner layer in or out enables you to fit and secure both wide and narrow cups and bottles. Rubber inlay prevents scratches to mobile phones etc. Pulling the whole assembly out enables easy cleaning. Nothing to break, does everything well and easy to clean. You can buy the lidded assembly if you still want, with or without FPV logo, it is a drop in fit... but seriously, switching to the lidded design it would be a retrograde step. Regards, aa