Drift with the Supercars at the Monticello Club – Preview Trailer

Ambrose’s wheel falls off, he pulls over but the tyre keeps rolling down the entire strait and end up stacking itself on top of the tyres that border the corner.

Hulme Supercars director Jock Freemantle had to mortgage his home to fund the development of the Kiwi made Hulme Can Am car (read news item), and the launch date has already been pushed back several times. But Freemantle won’t be backed down, and has already announced future variants of the homegrown Can Am. The car will be offered in both closed-roof and open-air versions with a Corvette Z06-sourced V8 replacing the previous BMW unit.

Now, an additional version will follow close behind the launch of the Can Am featuring a higher-spec powerplant in the form of the supercharged LS9 V8 from the fire-breathing Corvette ZR1. In a lightweight package with nimble handling the 640-hp motor promises to return dramatic performance figures. At an estimated price of $1.36m NZ, it is only fitting that this toy for the mega wealthy come in two available speeds, crazy-fast and stupid-fast.

Check back for more news on the progress of the Hulme Can Am.

Ford had 400 bodies left¦ So they created a beast

What you’re looking at here is one of the rarest muscle cars ever to come out of Ford Australia. The Falcon XC Cobra has taken a little longer than the other performance Aussie Fords to be recognised by enthusiasts, but this has all changed now. Cobra coupes are now up there, fetching similar prices to the much sought-after XA and XB Falcon GT coupes, and even so more in some cases.

Perhaps one of the reasons Ford collectors ignored the Cobra for so long was because it is not a GT. Like any true muscle car, a competition pedigree and factory input into racing always increases its value, and the greater the manufacturer’s input, the greater the car’s value. On-track success adds further to the value. Hence the huge figures GT-HOs (Grand Touring-Handling Options?) now fetch. The GT and GT-HOs have direct motor sport links, and other than the XT, XW GT-HO Phase¯I, and XB, all have won the coveted Bathurst 500-mile or 1000-kilometre endurance race.

More Money

There are several reasons GT-HO Phase¯IIIs fetch such huge sums of money now, but perhaps the greatest is that Ford Australia was utterly committed to Bathurst success, and the Phase¯III was the result of that commitment. By mid 1972 the company had cut back on its racing involvement, and in January 1974 it pulled the plug altogether. The company would put some weight behind Allan Moffat’s racing programme on and off throughout the remainder of the 1970s, but this support would be nothing like the no-holds-barred assault of the XW and XY GT-HO days.

The current value of a ’60s or ’70s Australian muscle car usually reflects the on-track success of the model. However, this alone does not complete the story. After all, the GT-HO Phase¯III only won Bathurst once, while the XA GT won it twice, yet Phase¯IIIs fetch far higher prices than XA GTs do. So an important factor must also be how closely related the race cars were to the road cars. The Phase¯II was, effectively, a road car, and competed at Bathurst under the Series Production rules, which allowed for virtually no modifications at all. For a manufacturer to be successful, it had to build an all-out race car, which could be driven on the road and purchased by any ordinary person.

The XA GTs won Bathurst under Group¯C rules, which were introduced in 1973, and which removed the race car somewhat from the road car, so the manufacturers did not have to build a race-focused car which could be driven on the road. Group¯C rules allowed for racing upgrades in areas such as wheels/tyres, exhaust system, carburetion, safety features like a cage, race seat, steering wheel, some brakes upgrades, and some suspension upgrades. However, there was still the requirement to build a car, at least in limited numbers, which was race-focused in the areas in which it could not be modified for racing.

Ford slam dunk

The Allan Moffat/Colin Bond Ford one-two form finish at Bathurst in 1977 is famous. Moffat, his car crawling with brake trouble towards the end of the race, was caught by team-mate Colin Bond, who was told by the boss to drop in behind the ailing number one machine, and cruise to the finish. The overhead helicopter shot of the two Falcons trundling down Conrod Straight on the final lap has been played over and over, and it has to be said, Ford simply crushed its Holden opponents.

However, while Moffat knew Holden was rocked by the hammering it received, he also knew it would come out fighting in 1978, and would be hard to beat. So he pleaded with Ford to increase his budget for 1978. Ford, of course, laughed this off, still smug from the hiding it had just given Holden. Not only had its XC 500 GS finished first and second at Bathurst, Moffat and Bond had finished first and second in the Australian Touring Car Championship. So not only did Ford not increase Moffat’s 1978 budget, no new homologated upgrades were made for the Falcon for 1978.

Moffat was right, of course. Holden dealt to Ford in 1978. The Toranas went faster, and the Falcons fell apart trying to keep up with the pace. And when Ford built the 30 special Cobras required for homologation of the model, rather than upgrading — apart from a couple of exceptions — they simply specified the modifications homologated for the 1977 XC 500 GS race cars.

At Bathurst, despite impressive early race pace, Bond was soon in the pits with a broken gearbox, while Moffat’s car caught fire during a pit stop, and was later retired with low engine oil pressure. Cobra Falcons competed in three other races during that season, with Bond managing a race win at Adelaide, but the car’s career was continuously struck down by reliability issues.

The numbers

Ford Australia produced 400 Falcon XC Cobras. The first, 001, was a 302ci (4949cc) promotional car. Numbers 002-031 were, as mentioned, homologation specials, to allow the car to be raced in Group¯C competition; 032-041 featured 351ci (5752cc) manual with A/C (air conditioning) and P/S (power steering); 042-080 were 351 manual with A/C, P/S and P/W (power windows); 081-200 were 351 auto with A/C, P/S and P/W; 201-300 were 302 manual; 301-360 were 302 auto with A/C and P/S; and 361-400 were 302 auto with A/C, P/S and P/W.

Why were the Cobras built? Simple. Ford was due to release the boxy XD model in Australia in March 1979, and set about doing a special run-out of all XC models, as all manufacturers do when a new model is approaching. The four-door models were still selling well, but the two-door hardtops were trickling, at best. Ford no longer offered a GT in the Falcon line-up; the most sporting Falcon was the GS¯500.

Why were 400 Cobras built? Simple. There were 400 hardtop body shells left. And this is perhaps one of the reasons the Cobra was not as sought after as the GTs. It was not created as an aggressive, race-inspired model. It was created to get rid of the last remaining, unwanted hardtop body shells. That, and the fact its garish, clashing colour scheme was, for a long time, considered quite tacky.

Respected Australian motoring journalist Stewart Wilson said of the Cobra’s colour scheme in his 1993 book, Ford, that the car was “Not very subtle, the colour scheme looked better suited to the 1960s than the 1970s and very quickly dated.” Also, “They — especially the first 30 — attracted exorbitantly high ‘black market’ prices early in their careers, when everyone wanted one but none were around, but they didn’t carry on to become the genuine collector’s item expected. Perhaps the purists have been put off by the colour scheme, but even more to the point is the fact that the Cobra was never regarded as a ‘proper’ Falcon GT, just a paint job and an attempt to create an artificial exclusivity.” Wilson’s comments reflected the general feeling towards the Cobra in the early 1990s, but feelings towards the Cobra have since changed.

Stripes please

Firstly, the colour scheme, while bold, has now dated quite well, and several new performance Aussie and American Fords are now fitted with bold striping. Also, even though Ford Australia is now heavily involved in V8 Supercar racing, a road-going XR8 Falcon has nothing in common with its V8 Supercar brother, other than the silhouette of its body shape. The Cobra, however, barring the modifications allowed under Group¯C rules at the time, is directly related to the competition cars driven by greats such as Moffat, Bond, Fred Gibson, Jacky Ickx, Dick Johnson, Vern Schuppan, John French etc. The Cobra, therefore, has strong, direct racing ties. Not only that, the Cobra is also the last Falcon to race at Bathurst, with direct road car ties, and competition support from Ford Australia.

Many Ford performance enthusiasts were disappointed the Cobra did not receive any additional performance upgrades over the 500¯GS, making it, in effect, a marketing exercise, based on its bold paint scheme, which linked back to the famous Shelby Mustangs of the ’60s. Regardless, the Cobra was the sportiest Falcon you could buy at the time.

The colour scheme is credited to Edsel Ford, Grandson of Henry Ford. Edsel was working at Ford Australia at the time, and he was the one who pushed the designers to come up with something eye-catching to get rid of those last hardtop body-shells. There’s no way the more conservative Aussies would have come up with something so bold. Strangely, rather than having white bodies painted over with blue stripes, the Cobra’s bodies were actually all painted blue, and the white paint was applied over it.

Number 121

ur NZV8 feature Cobra is owned by Darryl Lucas, and is number 121 of 400. It’s one of the 120 351s with auto, air conditioning, power steering and power windows. Of the 400 Cobras made, this variation is the most common. However, being a 351, it’s extremely desirable. That being said, there are thought to be only eight to 10 Falcon Cobras in New Zealand, so regardless of whether it’s a 302, or 351, manual or auto, if you want to own a Falcon Cobra, you have to grab whatever becomes available on the very rare occasions something does. Alternatively you could try to find one in Australia, but as the Cobra is now highly sought-after over there, you’ll likely pay more for one there than you will here. Of the 400 built, it is thought only 75¯per cent have survived.

Darryl’s car is extremely original. It has the vacuum-formed front spoiler, but he never has it on as it only takes one low driveway to waste it. So the spoiler is kept safe in his shed, along with the car’s original Globe wheels, which don’t fill the guards nearly as well as the after market items he currently has fitted. The car was repainted recently but everything else, including the interior, is all original.

This car was imported into New Zealand in 1985. One of its earlier Kiwi owners was John Pope. John had been living in Australia in the early ’80s and spotted a Cobra, which he took a photograph of. When he bought this car in 1987, he checked the photos he had of the Australian car, and discovered they were actually the same car!

Interestingly, not long after Darryl purchased this car, his wife Shelly bought him a Biante¯1.18 scale model of a Falcon Cobra. Like the real thing, the model is a limited edition. Shelly purchased it off the internet. She didn’t even bother bidding, she went straight for the Buy-Now price. Like the real thing, the Cobra models don’t appear for sale very often, so she had to jump at what was available. But this particular model, incredibly, was also number 121, just like Darryl’s car!

Specs

1978 Ford Falcon XC Cobra #121 of 400

Engine: (Original specs) 351ci (5752cc) Cleveland, four barrel carburettor

Driveline: Automatic and Ford nine-inch rear limited slip

Brakes: Power-assisted four wheel discs

Wheels: (Original specs) 15 by seven-inch Bathurst Globe alloys

Performance: (Original specs*) 217hp (162kW) at 4500rpm (*our feature car has several engine mods)

Owner Profile

Darryl Lucas

Age: 47

Occupation: Company director Supreme Blast and Paint

Other Cars: 1973 XA Falcon GT hardtop race car

Words: Steve Holmes | Photos: Jared Clark

Audi A6 with a big heart

It doesn’t seem that long ago when turning on the radio in a car was a simple operation. For decades that slim rectangular shape with a dial or two cemented its presence somewhere in the centre console. The small and indispensable unit was instantly recognisable as our source of music, news and entertainment. But lately things have begun to change.

Parked on Auckland’s fashionable Ponsonby Rd, I had stopped to pick up NZV8’s staff photographer Jared. He explained he would just be a minute grabbing the rest of his gear.

I acknowledged this was no problem as it would give me time to check the weather report, it looked good so far, but I was really hoping it would turn a little ugly.

Inside Audi’s new A6, as in many cars in this segment, you’ll notice the absence of that familiar rectangular device. Instead what you will find is Audi’s MMI (Multi Media Interface).

This system not only incorporates the radio but the CD player, telephone, address book and TV functions too. MMI also has the capacity to control air conditioning flow, interior lighting, sound tones and a full range of other set-up options.

I had only taken possession of the A6 about 10¯minutes ago from European Motor Distributors’ head office, where the very nice Rachel had given me the quick overview of MMI and the car’s basic functions. Now I felt like a contestant on a TV game show, trying to remember what I had seen a few minutes ago. Using the rotary wheel behind the gear lever you can scroll through the main menu and push down to select. Using the surrounding buttons you can return to previous menus. Sounds simple, and to be honest it really is. Just imagine an Apple iPod but with more menu options, that’s pretty much MMI. Needless to say finding the radio menu wasn’t difficult, but finding a station that was giving a weather report proved to more of a challenge.

Quiet 8

With Jared’s gear all loaded up we were good to go. Starting the new A6 awakens Audi’s all-alloy 250kW (335hp) 4.2-litre V8. There’s no angry growl but instead the sound of a gentle rumble, just enough to let you know what’s under the hood. There’s another familiar piece of equipment missing from the A6’s interior, and that’s the hand brake lever.

Audi has cleverly replaced the ageing icon with an electromechanical brake operated by a toggle switch on the centre console. By lifting the switch you engage the brake, pushing down you disengage it. Pulling out into traffic be mindful of the sensitive fly-by-wire throttle, as ‘easy does it’ until you learn the feel of it is the best way to go.

If you need a quick getaway then a stab on the throttle will let the computer know your intentions. Power from the engine is delivered express service, which means you get it right away. Put this together with Audi’s class-leading 4wd Quattro system, and all you get is forward motion — and plenty of it.

Travelling 15¯minutes down the southern motorway on a quest to exit the inner city, we unwillingly took part in one of Auckland’s infamous traffic jams. This was going to be a rather boring article if we kept crawling along at 50kph. Gazing around the interior we started to notice this car has been designed to feed the driver, rather than for general convenience. The seats are comfortable without being too soft, and the all-important driving position suits just nicely. Burl walnut inserts and chrome trims are a nice touch, and with Audi’s usual standard of fit and finish it certainly makes the driver feel welcome any time.

Please rain

As we started to get past the gridlock the traffic thinned out, and we could finally press on. Exiting the motorway on our way to quieter pastures the news just got better as drops of rain begin to scatter across the windscreen. As the saying goes, if you don’t like the weather here just wait 15¯minutes. Unfortunately we only had to wait another five minutes for it to all dry up. I’ve driven other Audis with the Quattro system, including the previous A6, and in the wet its grip is impressive to the point that you wonder when it’s finally going to give it all up.

It’s all thanks to the Torsen Differential, which uses a self-locking worm gear. Torsen stands for Torque and Sensing, and what it basically does so well is build up the lock effect only under drive power, the gearbox allowing different speeds of rotation when applying the brakes and cornering.

Technical touches

Heading for the hills it’s clear that the Audi technicians have been busy under the skin. According to the statistics Audi has increased the wheelbase by 83mm and the track by 67mm up front and 49mm at the rear over the previous model. These figures may seem trivial, but the rewards are increased interior space and smoother ride from the larger dimensions. The front end suspension is made up of an independent four link set-up, and the unique rear trapezoidal link is spawned from the
larger A8.

Negotiating the corners at speed and you start looking for the ‘Welcome to Quattro Territory’ signs. The chassis is more taut but not to the point where it is uncomfortable, however, the real gain here has been in the steering. Feedback is much improved and steering direction much more positive. Revising the ball joints and tossing the traditional vulcanized rubber isolators out in favour of a direct link has paid dividends. Press on around the corners and the A6 keeps asking for more. It’s only when you reach the summit and descend into a fast sweeper that the 50/50 drive split becomes evident with a push pull effect. It makes you wonder how much different things would be if it were 60/40.

Exit the corners and the new six-speed auto gearbox knows just where it wants to be to give the best forward momentum. There’s paddle shift on the steering wheel or optional tip shift on the gearshift if you want to take control. But if you use the D option and plant your foot, it seems to work just as well.

If you need to stop in an emergency then the new A6 won’t let you down. With power-assisted 347mm discs up front and 330mm discs at the rear there’s plenty of stopping power. Get one wheel on the slippery stuff and the electronic aids take care of you without any fuss or bother.

As we stop at a location to shoot a few photos I take the chance to step back and absorb the view from the outside. The blown out guards, extra width and length have certainly made the A6 look more muscular. There’s been some controversy over Audi’s new front face but it suits the car, giving it a much deeper front look. It just makes the previous split front look dated, and now there’s no mistaking that it’s an Audi.

Still, you get the feeling Audi’s new A6 is aimed at people who like something special but don’t want all the song and dance to let you know about it. Sure there are other V8 sedans you can buy with a lot more power in the engine room than the A6. But as the saying goes, if you don’t like the weather just wait 15¯minutes. Things may change dramatically.

Specs

Audi 2006 A6

Engine: Aluminium block, 4163cc, bore 84.5mm, stroke 92.8, compression 11.00:1, intake camshaft with continuous adjustment, five valves per cylinder, Bosch motronic sequential injection, fly by wire throttle control

Driveline: Six-speed Tiptronic with DSP (dynamic sports program), permanent all wheel drive with Torsen centre differential, Electronic Stabilisation Program (ESP), ASR traction control, Electronic Differential lock (EDL), hydraulic torque converter with lock up clutch

Suspension: Front: Four link suspension, upper and lower wishbones, anti roll bar, twin tube gas-filled shock absorbers

Rear: Trapezoidal link suspension, twin tube gas-filled shock absorbers

Brakes: 347mm discs front, 330mm discs rear, dual circuit brake system diagonal split, ABS, EBD, hydraulic brake assist, brake servo

Wheels/Tyres: 18×8 aluminium wheels with 245/40-18 tyres

Performance: 250kW @ 6600rpm, 420Nm@3500rpm

Words: Warren Do | Photos: Jared Clark

This Mustang was born a GTA. Now the A for Automatic has new meaning… Attitude!

If you are looking to be inspired or to be impressed, there is no need to look beyond this Mustang or its owner, Russell. The former dramatically illustrates what can be achieved through planning and commitment that borders upon perfectionism, whilst the latter dramatically illustrates the rewards that can be had from a job very well done.

While still in his late 20s Russell returned from the big OE, having put aside some spare cash with a simple but huge desire to fulfil — ownership of an iconic American car.

After a few choice words with car salesmen (who did not believe he had the cash to back up his inquiries) Russell went off and independently purchased a bright red Mustang. Rumour has it he then returned to the doubting salesmen, giving the engine a big rev and the salesmen the big finger as he departed, leaving them dumb-struck and open-jawed. Having met Russell I can tell you the rumours are very, very likely to be true.

Unfortunately the first Mustang was more porker than thoroughbred, but it was enough to further light the fuse that would lead Russell towards a very impressive white 1967 Mustang GTA convertible. An offer was made to the  owner that was accepted, and Russell found himself embarking on a journey that continues to this day.

If you’re gonna take your top off¦

Upon purchase this Mustang’s body was found to be very sound, with evidence of only a very small patch of rust in the rear near where the soft top lives. Dave Loose, a fellow member of the American Muscle Car Club in Auckland, suggested Russell should deal to this. After some consideration he decided a total strip down would be the way to go, and he let loose (pardon the pun) in a big way! The Mustang was treated to a total disassembly while Russell cast his eye over each and every part. He was not interested in cutting any corners as he worked towards what his heart and mind desired. This Mustang would journey beyond restoration¦ Way beyond¦ Into the world of a custom car that would unbridle challenges, meet them head on, and kick them into the dust!

The stripped Mustang was sent to Heritage Metal Blasters in preparation for panel beating. The panel-beating road was a bit rocky, with the first panel-beater working at a very, very slow pace.

Slow pace is not a term associated with any Mustang — let alone this one — so Russell sent it to Kevin Parker, who worked his magic on the panels, with Southern Mustang and Ford Spares providing replacement door and trunk skins along with a grille, fog light surround and valance.

With the panel work complete the Mustang was carefully re-assembled to allow Kevin and Russell to gauge the look, and to check clearances etc. Kevin’s work must be of the highest standard, because Russell was now a very happy man and the Mustang was ready for its next journey.

You can teach an old horse new tricks!

Terry Bowden at Terry’s Chassis Shoppe was called upon to advise on all things engineering, which would include designing a new front suspension. Terry custom-built a chrome-moly front suspension around the Boyd Coddington rims that has to be seen to be believed¦ It almost made my mouth water as I lay under the front! Not that lying under the Mustang is easy, as it has been lowered a massive 120mm all round. When you are that low your suspension has to be state-of-the-art, and Russell did it right again with his choice of Carrera coil-over shocks up front and Koni Classic rear shocks. Terry was also responsible for a huge amount of other work, including modification of the Hooker exhaust headers to mate to a custom exhaust system.

Terry was provided with more than one laugh by an enthusiastic assistant called Russell. Sent down the road to purchase a handbrake cable Russell came back with a roll of washing-line cable — rumour has it Terry is still rolling on the floor laughing as he reminisces about this J.

Cardwell Racing Supplies supplied Wilwood Ultralite 300mm front rotors and Wilwood Superlite four-pot callipers all round to rein in this re-engineered Mustang, with Terry tying everything together.

Built to celebrate the winning of the 2003 DTM race series in Germany many this is not your usual road car. we found one right here in New Zealand

19s up front. 20s gracing the rear. Huge flared wheel arches. At first glace you could be forgiven for thinking that a boy racer has got his mitts on a Merc and done his best to give it some street cred. Only there is a menacing almost hypnotic atmosphere about this two door Benz that suggests more than boy racer add ons. A closer look suggests this isn’t just a bolt-on go fast kit.

The rear wing even looks like it could actually serve as a functional device. As one slides into a fitting race seat with a six-point harness you soon realise this is not your ordinary Mercedes Benz CLK with a few show off bits. The seat is just one of the many hints that something special is going on here. Once the six points of restraint have been firmly clicked into place I become aware of the carbon-fibre surroundings. It’s everywhere. A quick glance over my shoulder reveals the extent of the lightweight materials use. No longer are there the token back seats.

The ones that convince a buyer of the bread and butter CLK that it can transport more than two in comfort.

Just more carbon-fibre to be found back there¦ And a roll cage! Hang on a second. What’s a roll cage doing in a Benz? And what’s more what’s a roll cage doing in a Benz that is standard, out of the box, come as you are factory type Benz.

Another glance around the cockpit the CLK-DTM starts to reveal more of its pedigree. More carbon¦ And yes more carbon! The paddle shift tucked in behind the steering wheel is a real sign that there is a lot on offer here. The badge on the centre console starts to really sum things up. 1 of 100 it reads. Yep. There are only 100 of these little beasts being made for the world market. And the Yanks are getting none. But we found one right here in New Zealand.

Power to burn

But all this is quickly forgotten when the hand built 5.5 litre SOHC V8 is coaxed into life. No this really isn’t your usual Mercedes Benz. Not with all those ponies lurking under the hood! The overture from the exhaust even at idle would suggest the edict from the top brass at Daimler Chrysler to the engineers was to do as they wish. There is no hiding the fact there is something special lurking up front just waiting to be unleashed. This power plant is built under the AMG ‘one man, one engine’ philosophy.

Each engine has been hand built by just one engineer at the factory. Take one 5439cc-supercharged V8 that powers other modes of transport from AMG, give it that special one on one extra attention; you’ll end up with no less than 434kW arriving at 6100rpm. Of course, having eight cylinders in a vee configuration and a blower, the torque figures are right up there as well. A tree stump pulling 800Nm at 3500rpm to be exact! To top it off 690 of the 800Nm is ready for you to play with at a mere 2000rpm. Needless to say the throttle response is mind altering.

Luxo rocket

Out on the road the ride is quite refined for a mode of transport that can take out the exotic supercars of Italy. With the 5 speed AMG trans selected in full auto mode you can just potter along in the traffic. A supercar beater that you can really take to the corner dairy for the milk. Of course with its rather unsubtle exterior there is a lot of rubbernecking going on that can hinder one’s progress to the dairy. Around the streets of a busy city don’t plan on getting anywhere in a hurry. This is a real traffic stopper. But it’s not the first glance that gets the bystander. It’s the second take when they realise what they have just witnessed.

Once free of other cars the other side of this seemingly mellow beast is free to express itself. And express is the word. With a grin and a flick of the paddle shift the pilot unleashes all 582 units of power. What follows can only be described as pure racecar. It’s often said by motoring journos that a car has race like performance¦ But this CLK DTM really fits that shoe. The delivery of power is instant and relentless all the way up to 7000rpm. At this point the soundtrack is unbelievable. All signs of sound deadening were absent as the carbo fibre interior resonated to the tune of the supercharger.

Touch the redline then select another cog¦ a very fast operation with the AMG tricked box that also makes its home in the SLR¦ and she’ll step out big time and put the Dunlop 285/30/20s to the test. A test that is passed with flying colours as at no point does the car feel like it’s going to do anything that will require a change of ones under garments. One thinks that the electronics on board are doing an amazing job in keep the forward momentum piling on.

Stop

That rate is what the 6 pot front callipers are fantastic at hauling in. 360mm front rotors and 330mm at the rear coupled with ABS bring this pocket rocket to an organ altering halt.

Off camber and pot holes at huge speeds and braking is a breeze¦ and very nerve racking for the passenger, me. I even went for the death grip! All I could think was ‘I’m in a Merc so I should be alright’.

It’s this ability to stop, corner and accelerate that makes this an extremely fast package. In the right conditions (like the awesome Autobahns of Germany) the CLK DTM will hit its limited top speed of 320kph without any fuss. Limited to 320kph one asks. The general train of thought by the world’s media is that left untapped the CLK would outdo the mighty SLR in the top speed stakes. And that just wouldn’t be right now, would it?

Photographers Dream

We arrived in one piece at the chosen location to capture the beast onto the compact flash card of my Canon EOS digital camera. This car is one of those vehicles that photographers dream of shooting. The lines just lend themselves to the lens. Mind you the adrenalin had to settle before a shot could be fired. So at this point another victim was installed in the passenger seat for a ride to remember. The sound track from the outside the car is just as impressive as from inside. As the silver streak disappeared into the distance it sounded like the front row at Bathurst!  Upon its return the smiles couldn’t be any wider. Another passenger that will not forget the CLK DTM in a hurry.

A huge thanks to Rick (thanks for your time) and the team at Armstrong Prestige in Christchurch www.armstrongprestige.co.nz. You never know if you like what you see in this article and you’re quick it just might be yours. Give them a call.

Specs

CLK DTM AMG

Engine: 5439cc SOHC 3 valves per cylinder supercharged V8, 0.85bar boost, 97mm bore, 92mm stroke, 10.5:1 compression, 7000rpm redline

Driveline: AMG SPEEDSHIFT 5 speed auto with sequential shift, multi clutch limited slip diff (60% lockup under acceleration, 40% under deceleration)

Suspension/Brakes

• Front: McPherson three-link front suspension, anti-dive device, spring and shock absorber units with adjustable coil springs and gas-filled shock absorbers, anti-roll bar

• Rear: Multi-link independent suspension, anti-squat and anti-dive device, spring and shock absorber units with adjustable coil springs and gas-filled shock absorbers, anti-roll bar

• Front: 360mm vented disc, sixpot calliper

• Rear: 330mm vented disc, fourpot calliper

Wheels/Tyres

• Front: 19×9 AMG multi-piece alloys, 225/35/R19 Dunlop Super Sport Race
• Rear: 20×10 AMG multi-piece alloys, 285/30/R20 Dunlop  Super Sport Race

Performance: 582hp@6100rpm, 800Nm@3500rpm, 0-100kph 3.9sec, 0-200kph 10.9sec, top speed 320kph (limited)