Road Test: FPV F6 Typhoon

By Feann Torr - 22/Feb/2006

The showdown between HSV and FPV - two of Australia's most popular home grown performance car tuners - has reached another level as HSV dumps an even chubbier V8 into its range.

But despite the fact that HSV (Holden Special Vehicles) now has a more powerful mechanical heart driving its hero models, FPV (Ford Performance Vehicles) still has an ace up its sleeve, and that's a blown 6-cylinder model.

HSV's last 6-cylinder model was the often-overlooked supercharged XU6 of 1998, and since then it has concentrated on its 8-cylinder models. Which is where the fire-breathing, stump-pulling, and generally mad F6 Typhoon comes in, giving fans of 6-cylinder large performance sedans something to sing about.

And sing they will, because this bad boy is, um, very bad. In a good way. Even though it's not the most expensive model in the FPV range, it's arguably the fastest, with internal testing putting the 0-100km/h figure at under 5.5 seconds, and also making it the quickest Falcon in Ford's history.

All this despite no changes to the engine since the hi-po turbo F6 arrived in early 2004 - though it should be said that a new 6-speed ZF automatic gearbox makes the cut, once the exclusive domain of Jags and Aston Martins - as does a new suit and few electronic aids under the new bodywork.

But will this be enough to keep HSV at bay?

Make: Ford Performance Vehicles
Model: F6 Typhoon
Price: $61,060
Transmission: 6-speed automatic w/sportshift
Engine: 4.0-litre, inline 6-cylinder, turbo, petrol
Seats: 5
Safety: 4 airbags (front driver/passenger, front sides (thorax)), ABS, T/C

Road Test: Mitsubishi Evolution IX

By Feann Torr - 29/June/06

Having driven two Mitsubishi Evolution cars before this one, I must say that I absolutely loved them. Based on the humble Mitsubishi Lancer, their short footprint and 4WD nature made them real drivers cars, and how about the way the torque ungracefully slams into action when the twin scroll turbocharger spins up? As anyone whose driven one will know, it's an utterly intoxicating mixture.

Indeed, they are highly strung sports sedans that have forgone a lot of creature comforts for sheer speed and incredible levels of cornering grip. Cult cars, some call them, built for the enthusiast, and not really targetted at the mainstream.

If you were looking at buying an Evo, you could forget a decent stereo, climate control or reverse parking sensors - you'd be lucky to get five seats. These things got in the way of four-wheel power sliding and break-neck acceleration, or hampered aerodynamics, or made it too heavy.

This car is about tenths of seconds on the race track and heart-in-mouth moments on the road.

Instead the extras list reads like a racing car, including things like a reinforced body, super-light alloy wheels, Brembo racing brakes and an engine that would get so hot you could pop the bonnet and witness the exhaust headers glowing red-hot. Though it may look a little plastic-fantastic to some drivers, make no mistake - the Evo is one of the world's quickest cars through a corner.

But wouldn't you know it, Mitsubishi has done the unthinkable. They've made the new Evo IX more cost effective, fetching $56,789 in Australia to compete directly with the WRX STI, and the banzai four-banger has better road manners too, making it a lot easier to live with on a daily basis. Even the cabin has been upgraded to offer a modicum of comfort. Should the Evo die-hards and long time fans be worried; has Mitsubishi's hero car lost it's "go hard or go home" attitude?

There's only one way to find out, and I'm happy to report that such a method involves fanging the thing into the ground - come rain, hail or shine. Check it out:

Make: Mitsubishi
Model: Evolution IX
Price: $56,789
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Engine: 2.0-litre, inline 4-cylinder turbo, petrol
Seats: 5
Safety: 2 airbags (driver and passenger airbags), ABS, EBD, S-AYC

Your Extreme Luxury Car Info

Mercedes re-styles a proven formula

2003 Mercedes CLK-Class Coupé Very much a coupé - two doors are a givaway... CLK Coupés feature a multitude of driving aids CLK 500's 5.0-litre V8 makes 225kW Frameless rear-windows

With the manic Mercedes Benz SLR in the final stages of production, the German automaker isn't happy with just a flagship sports coupe.

Not at all, which is why the new CLK-Class Coupé (C 209) was developed. Filling a gap between the C and E-class Mercedes, the new 2003 CLK-Class Coupés represent two-door luxury motoring, something that the automaker is touting keenly.

It would be fair to say that Mercedes wants to offer something a little sportier, but also wants to accommodate those who don't want to go all out with the stiffer ride of an AMG-enhanced model. So, in essence, the new Coupés could be described as a pleasant mix between comfort and performance.

The new look alone will sell the new CLK-Class Coupés, and other variations on the traditional Merc theme will please many. For instance, the new frameless side/rear windows give the car a more striking profile - plus they can be fully lowered for a unique al fresco look.

From the front, the Coupés look very Mercedes, with the twin-headlamp face largely unchanged. The curved roof and steeply raked windscreen add a more sporting edge, while the new-look alloy wheels with low-profile rubber add a hint of menace.

The rear-end is perhaps the only area of the car that could have been bettered. Sure, it's not ugly, but the tail lights in particular don't instantly scream Mercedes. Perhaps the order of the day was to make the Coupés look 'different' from behind. That they are...

Distronic and Keyless-Go access have been borrowed from the S-Class, the former an automatic criuse-control of sorts, which uses sensors to keep a specified distance when behind other cars. Keyless-Go access is just that - no need for keys.

There are four models of the CLK-Class Coupé to choose from, based on engine capacity. All are fairly similar in features and equiment levels, though the larger engined models get a few extras, like COMAND (Sat Nav), automatic climate control and bigger wheels.

New to the Coupés are re-jigged chassis, with Mercedes Benz claiming to have made the bodies some 40 per cent stiffer than the older models. This extra torsional rigidity makes the CLK Coupés handle more positively, depsite their 1600kg kerb weight.

Adding to the theme of better ride and handling is a redesigned suspension setup, with new three-link McPherson struts at the front and multi-link independent rear suspension, with anti-rolls bars fore and aft.

In a bid to make driving safer, the new Coupés are equipped with a host of nifty driving aids. ABS is at the top of the list, with an Electronic Stability Program (ESP) gifting the cars with improved traction. Using a number of sensors, the ESP can correct over and understeer by applying the brakes to individual wheels, and also by reducing torque to the driving wheels.

The entry level model is the CLK 240 Coupé, which derives power from a 2.6-litre V6. The fuel-injected engine is worth 240 Newtons @ 4500rpm and 125kW @ 5500rpm, with a redline of 6000 revs. The CLK 240 Coupés top speed is 210km/h, and hits 100km/h from standstill in 9.5 seconds.

Next up is one of Mercedes most popular engine capacities - the 3199cc engine, which is at the heart of the CLK 320 Coupé. Making a more credible 160kW @ 5700, the 320 is still quite bulky, recording a 7.9 second 0-100km/h run.

The CLK 500 Coupé with the new 5.0-litre V8 (up from 4.3-litres) makes a Gen III-like 225kW of power @ 5600rpm, with a similar 460Nm of torque @ 2700rpm. Like all the other CLK-Class Coupés, it's interesting to note that the engine has only three valves per cylinder - two intakes and one exhaust, which are actuated by a single overhead camshaft. This combined mechanical intrigue allows the CLK 500 to make 0-100km/h times of just 6.0 seconds.

But what would any Mercedes line-up be without a flagship AMG model? As such, the Germans lads dropped a 5.4-litre V8 into the engine bay and called it the CLK 55 AMG Coupé. This bad-boy will really impress your friends, accelerating from standstill to 100km/h in 5.2 seconds and electronically limited to a top speed of 250km/h.

To be precise, the 5439cc powerplant develops a whopping 510Nm of torque @ 4000rpm and 270kW of power @ 5750rpm. Like all the other Coupés, power is put to the ground via five-speed auto transmissions, while the AMG model comes with the fancy SpeedShift (tiptronic) feature. The AMG model also gets sports suspension and high-performance brakes.

The new and improved CLK-Class is an integral part of Mercedes' planning. For example, the CLK-Class is a proven performer: in the first year of production, 54,000 models rolled off the assembly lines. 18 months later, the figure had risen to 135,000. Today, the total stands at over 230,000.

Interestingly, around 40 per cent of CLK buyers are new Mercedes customers, which just goes to show how important the class is to the German automaker. Mercedes MD, Matthias Lührs, had this to say about the new CLK-Class Coupé: "The introduction of the attractive and elegant new CLK Coupé will ensure we continue the growth of luxury Mercedes Coupé sales in Australia.

"Thanks to the CLK's appealing design, more powerful engines, refined luxury, higher level of standard equipment and increased production supply, we predict customer demand for Mercedes Coupés to increase, resulting in a doubling of CLK Coupé sales volume during the vehicle's life-cycle."

Bold words indeed, but luxury car buyers have plenty of new reasons to get excited. The new CLK 320 and 500 Coupés will arrive in Australian Mercedes dealerships on June 28, 2002, while the CLK 55 AMG and CLK 240 will be available later in the year.