Wednesday 31st October 2012

SEMA highlights

A Mazda for going round corners, a twin-turbo Mustang for straight lines and a supercharged Honda hybrid for 'eco' skulduggery

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The Speciality Equipment Market Association is a very dry description for a show that celebrates all that’s wild and wonderful in the world of American tuning and performance. Suffice to say, this is not a show where talk of downsizing, hybrids and fuel cells takes centre stage. Which sounds like a refreshing change from ‘mainstream’ shows like Geneva, Frankfurt and Paris.

No replacement for displacement? Oh, hang on...

We’ve already had a look at the Hot Wheels Camaro and there’s a lot of talk of fast Ford GTs about too. In keeping with more traditional American tastes Ford Racing is showcasing a new Mustang Cobra Jet concept for all you straight line heroes out there. These are factory-built, off the shelf drag racers for quarter-mile enthusiasts to go out and prove themselves with, the new concept bringing things up to date with a twin-turbo version of the Mustang’s latest 5.0-litre V8. This picks up from the existing Cobra Jet with its more traditional 5.4 and belt-driven supercharger, itself high tech compared with the old-school 7.0-litre, four-barrel carb powered Cobra Jets originally sold in the late 60s.

The new engine might be down on displacement (sshhh!) but given that the 2.9-litre supercharger (yes, supercharger) can require as much as 100hp of the engine’s power on full boost turbos offer more bang for your buck and the ti-bladed, 150,000rpm units on the Cobra Jet are based on the turbo in the Focus ST. And, er, developed using expertise gained in the building of Ecoboost engines.

Let's have it then!

See it in action here.

So, yes, even at SEMA, even with a twin-turbo drag racer you can’t escape the eco thing. Oh well.

This slightly odd collision of speed and tree huggery can also be found over at Honda, where a further development of the supercharged CR-Z concept first seen last year is on display. There’s little in the way of hard facts, other than to say Honda Performance Development has “made enhancements to improve acceleration, handling and stopping by adding a sport exhaust, developing a sport suspension, designing wheels with high performance tires and adding sport brakes.” Last we heard the supercharged CR-Z was knocking on the door of 200hp, finally perhaps making good on the promise of the CR-Z’s looks. Now if they could just dump the battery pack and electric motors too… And perhaps avoid the temptation to sticker up Accord coupes like GT3 RSes too. Ew.

It's a GT3 RS! No, hang on, it's an Accord coupe...

More back to basics fun over at Mazda meanwhile. The Super25 MX-5 is built to go racing, expanding on the track day focused Super20 previously seen at SEMA in various guises. A brace of lights on the nose are a clue but Mazda says the Super25 is built to go endurance racing. Much like Mazda does here in fact, occasionally with PH at the wheel!

Boasting the same ‘55’ racing numbers as the Le Mans winning 787b the Mazdaspeed press release spends a lot of time obsessing over the details of colour, trim and tuning upgrade parts – for example it apparently looks “handsomely poised on 17-inch Volk Racing T37 six spoke matte black wheels suited in BFGoodrich g-Force™ R1™ 225-45ZR17 tires” – there’s little in the way of hard facts on offer.

Racy little Mazda looks a whole lot of fun

Still, looks like a bit of a hoot and it goes to show an MX-5 can hold its head high with no emotional (hand) baggage, even among twin-turbo, drag racin’ Mustangs.

We’ll spare you the beach cruiser Fiat 500 concept though…

 

 

 

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More on the Cobra Jet Mustang here:

 

[M@1975]

That Mazda looks good!

[daveknott5]

seconded. Loving the look of that.

[Mark Wibble]

Good economy and high power are, to an extent, 2 extremities of the same technology, extracting the most bang from your squirt, as it were. So not surprised the 'Stang engine borrows from the Ecotech. Am I being over-simplistic?!

[vdubbin]

I like that lightpod on the 5…

[j_s14a]

The Mazda looks fantastic and fun, the Mustang looks Pony...

[mizx]

A properly tyred MX5!, although why the choice of 225s, and the large increase in rolling radius, over 235 section given it seems aimed at track work?

This is how one should look and sit Mazda, the GT Concept looks awful sitting tall with its standard width wheels, lets ignore the eyewatering price of the Volks though.

[donteatpeople]

That 500 beach cruiser looks great in my opinion.

[joshleb]

TE37s look awesome on pretty much any car!

Love to take the mx out on some back roads at night, would be a right laugh!

[Tartan Pixie]

Article said:

Last we heard the supercharged CR-Z was knocking on the door of 200hp

Does anyone know if the CR-Z (or indeed any hybrid) is using electric power for forced induction or if it's all mechanical?

I know electric superchargers get a bad rep but I would have thought that with the extra battery power in a hybrid you could use an electric motor to overcome the shortcomings of a super or turbo charger?

[WorAl]

PH article said:

A brace of lights on the nose....

OH RLY????? Apart from the main headlights, I count an additional 4.

[80085]

So there was an mx5, a mustang and a couple of hondas, that's it?

[John_S4x4]

I am waiting on the PH write up about the VW Beetle at SEMA

[bobberz]

That Miat... I mean, MX-5 looks the business! I'd love a go in one, who cares about the hackneyed "girls car" comments? I'm surprised PH is even still regurgitating that crap.

As far as the 'Stang, who wants to have a bet that the next GT500 will have the same TT 5.0L configuration as the new CJ? The blown 5.8L of the current car must be the "swan song" of the big displacement Mustangs, if reports of the next gen Mustang being downsized are accurate.

Interestingly, the "massive" 5.8L is 351 cubic inches, so really only a small block compared to the 390/428/429 inch mills of the '60s.

[GC8]

The Miata name was dropped after the Mk1.

[Petrol_fumes]

80085 said:

So there was an mx5, a mustang and a couple of hondas, that's it?

I'm hoping there's more than that! I'm currently sitting in a bar in Vegas waiting to hit the show in the morning! I'll stick up some pics tomorrow night (my time) if the PH thread takes a while coming

[Verde]

I've been a fan of turbos ever since the Saab 99 turbo and the great 900 Turbo all-black version. The concept of on-demand power without dragging around a big engine when not needed seemed correct then, and more so today. Despite concerns about lag, and other non-linear behaviors, the modern digitally controlled turbo engine provides nearly the same throttle response as a NA model with much more efficiency when measure across a street-like driving cycle.
So I salute Ford as the first U.S. car company to totally embrace turbo design from a three-cylinder (and smaller) to this new 5 liter beastie. Very cool.
V

[bobberz]

GC8 said:

The Miata name was dropped after the Mk1.

Depends where you live. In the U.S., the Miata name stuck around until the NC generation. In Japan, it was called Eunos Roadster for the NA and NB, and simply "Roadster" for the NC, IIRC.

[GC8]

As far as I recall: NA Miata, NB MX-5 Miata and NC MX-5. My point was that it was changed for the NB and only retained as a suffix for the purpose of continuity.

We both agree that referring to an NC as a 'Miata' is both incorrect and rather lame, though.

[bobberz]

GC8 said:

As far as I recall: NA Miata, NB MX-5 Miata and NC MX-5. My point was that it was changed for the NB and only retained as a suffix for the purpose of continuity.

We both agree that referring to an NC as a 'Miata' is both incorrect and rather lame, though.

Yeah, my original comment was my attempt at "tongue-in-cheek". I guess I shouldn't quit my day job to become a comedian...

[GC8]

I see; sorry.

For your future reference though, MX-5s arent a laughing matter here.