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onlinecarreview · 7 years

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Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro review - living the American dream

Seeking respite from clogged UK roads, we find solace in the freedom and isolation of California's El Mirage lake bed

Isolation is a difficult concept to truly experience in the UK. Some parts of Scotland manage it, but there’s always a wiggle of tarmac or the bobbing cable of a power line somewhere in your line of sight, evidence that humankind is never that far away.It’s something I’ve always loved about travelling in the US.

Go to the right spot, at the right time, and you might be the only human being on the planet. Stand on the parched, dusty surface of El Mirage, a dry lake bed north of Los Angeles that covers almost 76,000 acres, and as the sun dips behind the mountains to the west and the landscape adopts an eerie silence, it’s just you and your shadow, stretching dozens of metres towards the east behind you. A moment away from work, from emails, a moment alone with your thoughts.

The silence might be even more stark were it not for the shutter click of photographer Aston Parrott’s Nikon, as he captures the descending, glowing orb through the windows of the car we’re here to drive - a Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro. I say car; what I mean is pickup truck, or simply ‘truck’ in local parlance.

Not a style of vehicle evo regularly gets its hands on, but we’re not entirely oblivious to the category either: we’ve run one or two in our long-term fleet, since they make brilliant workhorses for evo’s less glamourous errands.

It’s bigger, feels tougher, looks angrier

The ‘Taco’, as I quickly discovered, is a slightly different beast. What it shares with the pickups available on UK shores is utility, and rather rudimentary construction. There’s a ladder chassis, for instance, and the rear is suspended not by coils but by semi-elliptical leaf springs. Where it differs is almost everywhere else: It’s bigger, feels tougher, looks angrier, drinks petrol rather than diesel, and is - unnatural though it is to use the phrase in this context - more focused.

The focus comes courtesy of TRD, or Toyota Racing Developments. I’m most familiar with TRD through hotted-up Japanese sports cars, having steered numerous Celicas and MR2s around virtual circuits in the Gran Turismo series, but in the States it’s a name associated mostly with trophy trucks and NASCAR. The Tacoma features several TRD bits and TRD-selected improvements, from a naughty exhaust system to some trick Fox dampers and a quarter-inch aluminium skid plate under the front end.

Up front, mounted roughly chest-high if you share my 5ft 9in stature, you’ll find a 3.5-litre, naturally-aspirated V6 making 278bhp at 6000rpm and 265lb ft at 4600rpm. As the numbers suggest, and as I found out not long after leaving the confines of Los Angeles, it’s an engine completely out of step with modern expectations of performance.

The TRD Tacoma isn’t slow as such, but it needs working remarkably hard if you’re used to the relentless thump of something turbocharged. Shortly before heading to the US I’d driven the Mercedes-AMG GLC 43, whose twin-turbocharged V6 makes an extra 84 horses and 119 lb ft, and does so 500rpm and 2100rpm sooner respectively. It’s also around 150kg lighter than the 2007kg Toyota, which allows it to get to 62mph in 4.9 seconds. Toyota doesn’t quote figures for the TRD Taco, but we’d estimate it’s a good three seconds slower to 60.

It’s a difficult car to make a case for on the road too, at least if corners are your thing. The loping highway gait is actually quite pleasant and the high driving position feels purposeful, but detour into the twists and turns of the mountains around LA and you’ll go to sleep that evening with the sounds of tortured rubber in your head, and reeling from nightmares about canyon-seeking understeer. It turns out that off-road tyres aren’t conducive to on-road grip, and turning the feel-free steering in either direction feels like opening the valve on an airlock. With time its responses become predictable, but you have the most fun when you eventually stop.

But that’s not really what I came to America for, and certainly not why I paid my $15 daily fee to enjoy the El Mirage Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Area. Where trackdays are the last bastion of the thrill-seeking UK motorist, Americans get another option: spend a day hacking around in the wilderness, free to do largely as you please.

Within reason - the lake’s custodians take a dim view of firearms and fireworks, and you’re kindly asked not to tear up the lake surface by doing donuts - but beyond that your only real limit is your imagination. Want to zip about on quad bikes or dirt bikes? Go for it. Need somewhere to land your light aircraft? Be their guest.

Want to stage an impromptu race with your mates? That seems to be fine too (and El Mirage is more than suited to it - the Southern California Timing Association, which also runs Bonneville Speed Week, regularly hosts events at El Mirage). And if you simply want to turn up with your buddies and have a barbeque, you can do that too.

My own plan was pretty simple. I wanted to take a truck - the kind of vehicle that millions of Americans buy every year - and see how much fun I could have for my fifteen bucks.

Test number one: Speed. El Mirage is over six miles long from tip to tip, and around two miles wide. It’s also very flat and has a hard, sun-baked surface. And good visibility, so you can pretty much point your nose to the horizon and go. The Tacoma shifts clumsily down its six-speed automatic transmission, clears its lungs and emits a guttural bellow from the TRD exhaust as it heads for the red line.

Each shift is slurred like slushboxes of old, but the pace is definitely increasing. Top speed in the brochure is a limited 113mph; I lift off at a nice, round 100mph on the dial, followed by a mile of fine dust that’s almost certainly ruined the backdrop for the handful of people making what appears to be a low-budget music video.

Yumps next. The one thing we can’t find at El Mirage are proper rolling dunes, so we scout the small, sandy speedbumps that line the lakebed for potential air-worthy candidates. Photographers love jump shots whether you’re testing a Kia Picanto, a 918 Spyder or a two-ton truck.

My first attempt is little more than an uncomfortable thump, but the next is much more promising. Bit of a ramp on both sides, decent height. The TRD’s definitely getting air on this one, but Aston isn’t happy. ‘Faster, Ingram’, he says.

Faster, Ingram goes: I sink Converse to carpet and hit the ramp with a good 10mph more on the clock than last time. The front gets air, pointing the nose skywards, but then the back wheels hit the ramp and send the nose quite rapidly down. Sand replaces sky and I land with a sickening shudder. It’s enough to have set the wipers going by themselves, but a few exploratory wiggles of the steering suggests everything is still functioning.

I loop around to Aston, doubled with laughter as he shows me an image that will no doubt define my career

I loop around to Aston, doubled with laughter as he shows me an image that will no doubt define my career at evo: front wheels tucked into the arches, skid plate on the dirt, and back wheels a startling distance off the ground.

Remarkably, the only visible evidence of the landing is a scuffed skid plate. A BMW X5 would probably have set off all its airbags and auto-dialled for emergency assistance.

We try something a little closer to terra firma. One, solitary hillock standing proud of the surrounding bush looks inviting. Until we get close, that is. The damn thing looks a hell of a lot steeper than it did from half a mile away. Let’s be methodical: Clunk transmission into four-wheel drive, low range, engage the rock-crawling mode, foot off the brake... and up she goes, accompanied by the chunter and chatter of the ABS grabbing individual wheels to maintain traction.

I’m feeling quite proud of myself until it gets even steeper and I chicken out, but plans to fake the top-of-the-hill pictures and reverse back down are dashed when a couple of locals pile up the hill behind me at about eight times the speed I crawled up and park immediately behind. Bugger.

El Mirage is just one of dozens of off-road playgrounds in the area

Thankfully, they’re able to direct me to the top (‘Left a bit, you’ll clear that rock, give it some gas’), I thank them, and they say ‘no problem’, graciously pretending I’m not the most pathetic “four-wheeler” they’ve ever seen. One does take an interest in the truck - he currently drives a battleship-grey Toyota FJ Cruiser on huge tyres, and is looking to trade soon. He also tells me that El Mirage is just one of dozens of off-road playgrounds in the area, before roaring off down the hill again and shrinking to a spec in the distance.

By now the sun is sinking and I’m seeking a different, more traditionally evo kind of thrill. Lining sections of the lake are gravel roads and firm dirt trails, pockmarked by bushes and small dunes. To any self-respecting petrolhead, the rally stage builds itself.

There’s just one problem: while I’m back in rear-wheel drive, the traction control won’t fully disengage. Long, trophy truck-style skids are not there for the taking. But at low enough speeds the electronic nanny’s back is turned and I send thick clouds of ultra-fine dust into the sky as the ‘Yota slews sideways. It feels hilarious, perched so high and throwing armfuls of lock at every slide. Might be the most fun I’ve had all day. Maybe all year.

And the best thing? There’s nobody around to witness, nobody to disturb, and nobody to push passive-aggressive notes through your letterbox. Fifteen bucks doesn’t buy a lot these days. But it can buy you a few hours of blissful, automotive isolation.

#TOYOTA #Toyota taco TRD #auto review #American dream #Cars

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onlinecarreview · 7 years

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The History and Evolution of the Ferrari 458 Italia

The mid-engine Italian sports car, the Ferrari 458 Italia, was produced to replace the Ferrari F430. The Ferrari 458 Italia saw its official unveiling at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2009. Ferrari introduced the Ferrari 488 in 2015 at the Geneva Motor Show, which then essentially became the 458’s replacement.

There aren’t many cars that could even touch the Ferrari 458 Italia when it comes to speed. Its 562-hp V-8 engine, featuring direct fuel injection, paired with the innovative F1-inspired suspension and seven-speed dual clutch, make it the absolute best and certainly fastest sports car on the road today. And, it looks it, too. The styling is intense and it has an interior to match. The body computer system was designed and developed by Magneti Marelli Automotive Lighting. And, for those speed demons who want even more speed, Ferrari also makes a very exclusive 458 Speciale A and it offers an amazing 597 hp.

2015 Ferrari 458 Italia Specifications:

2015 Ferrari 458 Italia MSRP- Starting at $239,340

Engine- 4.5 L V8

Horsepower- 570 hp

Curb weight- 3,274 lbs

MPG- 13 city / 17 highway

Dimensions: 178″ L x 76″ W x 48″ H

Ferrari 458 Speciale A

The Ferrari 458 Speciale A has an “A” on the end because it stands for Aperta, which means “open” in Italian, not awesome as some Americans might think. This particular 458 Italia is a very special exclusive version of the 458 Spider with all the bells, whistles, and special upgrades that have made it such a big hit with fast car enthusiasts. What this means is 398 lb-ft of torque and 597 horsepower provided by 4.5-liter V-8 that makes the Ferrari 458 Speciale A the most impressive spider to ever come out of Maranello. There are a number of factors that are responsible for the increase in power, including reworked intake ports and runners, a new carbon fiber airbox and manifold, higher lift for the exhaust valves and intake, a 14:1 compression ratio, and new pistons. In addition, the gearbox is a revision of Ferrari’s seven-speed dual clutch automatic and it shifts amazingly fast.

With an aluminum deployable lid that raises and retracts in a mere 14 seconds; what’s not to like about the Ferrari 458 Speciale A? According to company estimates, it will zoom from zero to 62 mph in just three seconds flat. There are a few additional carry-overs from the Speciale with a fixed-top, including Side Slip Angle Control, which measures the slip angle in real time for the purpose of adjusting the stability control and the electronic rear differential. There are also a wealth of chassis, steering, suspension, and other upgrades available.

The A model also has the 458 Speciale’s aerodynamic features, which are quite advanced and include a flap in front of the Ferrari logo on the front of the car’s fascia, which circulates air under the vehicle for creating more rear downforce when traveling at high speed. There are also spring-loaded doors in the front that will open when the vehicle is traveling over 105 mph for diverting air from the radiators to vanes that are located at the corners of the vehicle. The normal three-tip central exhaust used on the Spider has been revised to turn into two wider-set cannons for accommodating a drag-reduction setup that is motor-actuated and a large rear diffuser, both of which will be dropping from the rear end’s underside for assisting in achieving Vmax. The Ferrari 458 Speciale A coupe is capable of hitting 202 mph. It debuted in 2014 at the Paris auto show and only 499 of them were built, making every one of them very special indeed.

Ferrari 458 Speciale A Specifications:

2015 Ferrari 458 Speciale A MSRP- Starting at $300,000

Class- Sports car (S)

Available Body Styles- Two door Berlinetta

Two door spider

Engine- Ferrari 4.5 L F136 F V8

Transmission- Seven-speed dual-clutch

Length- 4,527 mm (178.2 inches)

Wheelbase- 2,650 mm (104.3 inches)

Width- 1,937 mm (76.3 inches)

Height- 1,213 mm (47.8 inches)

Curb weight- 1,565 kg (3,450 pounds)

Layout- Longitudinal RMR

Designer- Pininfarina Ferrari

Production Years- 2009 to 2015

Model Years- 2010 to 2015

Predecessor- Ferrari F430

Successor- Ferrari 488

Assembled in- Maranello, Italy

Options

The list of available options from Ferrari is quite extensive. In fact, basically, if you come up with enough cash, you can have a fully customized Ferrari 458 that is customized to your very own personal specifications. One British buyer did just that and he ended up with a one-of-a-kind Ferrari 458 Speciale MM complete with a customized body, custom styling that is much like the 488GTB combined with that of the classic 288GTO, and much more.

$900,000 Auction Price

Many automakers have been jumping on the auction bandwagon with their newest and most exciting cars, offering them at auction while they’re still hotly anticipated by the buying public. Usually, the proceeds go to charity and Ferrari was very charitable when they sent one of their Ferrari 458 Speciale A’s to auction. The car sold for a whopping $900,000 during an extravagant Beverly Hills auction event that brought Ferrari plenty of good will and priceless publicity.

So, how does that price match up to normal prices? Well, the Ferrari 458 Spider sells for approximately $260,000 and the Ferrari 458 Speciale coupe for approximately $300,000. The very first Ferrari 458 Speciale A that was made sold for $900,000, while the LaFerrari hybrid hypercar, which sold out instantly upon its availability, brought in a cool $1.35 million.

#Ferrari #Ferrari 458 #Italia #History #evolution #car #muscle cars #sport cars

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onlinecarreview · 7 years

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Ferrari 812 Superfast Revealed

Ferrari has revealed its latest creation, the 812 Superfast!

In the words of the great William Shakespeare, “What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”

This may very well apply to Ferrari’s latest 812 Superfast. Apart from its name, it does indeed look Superfast and the sweetness is made even sweeter by the fact that it’s powered by the most powerful naturally-aspirated V12 to come from Ferrari. Take a look at the details!

Power figures

The 812 Superfast is essentially a revised F12 Berlinetta, but with more power and torque. Power comes courtesy of a larger 6.5-litre V12 engine that produces 588 kW at 8 500 rpm and 718 Nm of torque, all of which is available from 7 000 rpm.

Those numbers will ensure a zero to 100 kph sprint time of 2.9 seconds and the 812 Superfast is claimed to reach a top speed of 340 kph. Throttle response has been enhanced with specific gear ratios and lighting fast upshifts and downshifts delivered by the 812 Superfast’s dual-clutch transmission.

This is the first Ferrari to feature Electric Power Steering (EPS) and combined with the car’s electronic vehicle dynamics controls and the latest version of Ferrari’s patented Side Slip Control (SSC), the driver is able to exploit every ounce of performance on offer from the 812 Superfast. Another first is the Virtual Short Wheelbase 2.0 system (PCV) that improves handling and reduces vehicle response times.

Design details

The 812 Superfast was designed by the Ferrari Styling Centre with a fastback, high-tail silhouette that is reminiscent of the 1969 365 GTB4. The model features flared wheel arches, full LED headlights and 4 round taillights.

Aerodynamics are enhanced with active flaps found at the front of the underbody as well as an aerodynamic by-pass at the rear to assist with downforce. The 812 Superfast wears a new colour called Rosso Settanta, marking Ferrari’s 70th anniversary.

The Ferrari 812 Superfast will make its world debut at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show.

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#ferrari #812 #car review #super cars #superfas #aerodynamic #EPS #V12

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