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Thrustmaster |
This is my favourite Soarer. I drove it and just love it. So much power - it is so addictive, fabulous big brakes, tonnes of grip - driving it is such a big buzz.
Check out this Soarer at the ALSC dyno day:
ALSC Melbourne Dyno
Day July 2003
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Thrustmaster |
by Peter Scott
Karl's car is also featured in Speed Magazine Number 08 - click here to order a copy: http://www.isubscribe.com.au/title_info.cfm?prodID=2659
This is Karl Hardy's car (importacar.com.au). I love driving this car. Race seats and belts and a 6 spd Supra box and big cat and low emissions make this a super street car. Once the power comes on serious from 5000-7000 rpm it is an absolute blast - stupid acceleration up top - a beautiful car to drive around town and open country sports blasting.
Every car looks great under fluoro light tubes - take you car down to service station at night and take a couple of shots - always looks great. Did I mention I love driving Karl's car?
This ain't no prettyboy car. It's more of a modern day MadMax thing. We took the fast food packets and crushed beer cans out for this shot. This is where Karl's Rottweiler usually sits (no joke).
The Bride seats and 4 point harness hold you in good and tight. The car is a delight to drive - 6 speed supra gearbox a gem. The black buzzer below the big tacho is adjustable - it goes off pretty low at the moment - about 5500 rpm. Drving the car it all seems fairly normal, it's ok above 3500, gets strong from 4500, 5000-7000 rpm it's plain stupid - but I love it - I dream about this car.
First thing I noticed one I drove it was the noise - fuel pump buzzing away. The clutch was a easy to use - so was the gearbox. The OS Giken (however you spell it) is an $8000 item - this blew me away - everything is so dear on this car. The engine is commonly called a 1.5JZ - a 2JZ block with a 1JZ head. Can't believe I'm driving it.
The car is so bouncy - the suspension is hard - but I get used to it. Every car I drive seems bouncy to me. Drving my Active you feel the car stays still and the wheels move, drive other cars and the whole car seems to move and bounce up and down with the bumps.
Taking off is a walk in the park - driving it is easy. Not much power is first impression - press the throttle and not much happens - not like my V8 - but it has to be driven completely differently. The car makes enough power down low to get around town no problems. I reckon normal driving you would never know how hard it can go. Idle is high at 1700 rpm. Few more revs and the car starts making more power - you can feel it coming on strong.
But hit 5000 rpm and all hell brakes loose. The buzzer goes off. The car completely changes tone - it sounds all different - louder - it just blasts ahead - absolutely destroying my V8. It is savage acceleration - you try to describe it to people and they do their best to imagine what's it's like - then they still get blown away by it when they experience it. It is astonishing. Shift light comes on and grab another gear and kaboom! away we go again - it is a great car to drive.
Karl don't need no stinkin'' stereo - he has big speakers but no head unit - yet. First thing you notice is the fuel pump - turn car on and the whole cabin is just one big fuel pump noise. Lot's and lots of fuel is needed. Remarkably it still gets damn close to 10 litres / 100km when cruising interstate.
Saturday night was family night - down to Noarlunga to see Matrix Reloaded. Since Karl was a long way from home he had to spend family night with me. Karl took Shaun, Steve and Jess for a ride in the car - one at time (roll cage means back seat isn't for people). They all saw the shift light - they are all closer to God now. Karl's car is a religious experience. Jess had a bit of trouble seeing out of the car.
Amazingly SPEED magazine asked Karl to give his engine bay a bit of a clean - the cheek! Karl's car is for daily blasting - not for whimpy car shows - he drives it in the rain, on dirt roads and races it at Phillip Island.
The SPEED magazine shoot took 11 hours!!!! Here are a few shots of the studio being prepared. Karl's car just might be on the front cover. The day before Karl did a shoot for High Performance Imports.
