Suzuki Kizashi topples 200 mph at Bonneville for new Land Speed Record

The ASMC modified 2010 Suzuki Kizashi Bonneville Special has now entered the record books, as it achieved a 203.720 mph run at this year's Bonneville Speed Week, exceeding the previous record of 202.301 mph. The 203.720 mph record was achieved by calculating the average of a two-way pass on August 18, 2010.

To get to the record-setting speed, the Bonneville Special Kizashi used a Turbonetics turbocharger at 16 psi and an air-to-water intercooler to boost the 2.4-liter four-cylinder over 500 horsepower. Other modifications included a new intake manifold, a tuned 'long tube' header and forged rods and pistons for high rpm endurance, a new set of coilover shocks, seam welded steel wheels, high-speed Goodyear tires, an air dam for better aerodynamics at speed, a parachute system to slow the car, and a dual fire system in the event of a mishap.

Technical Specifications – 2010 Suzuki Kizashi Bonneville Special

Engine: 2.4 liter, turbocharged four-cylinder, 16-valve DOHC engine
Turbo Boost: 16 psi (Turbonetics)
Horsepower: 383 kW @ 7,700 rpm
Torque: 698 Nm @ 5,500 rpm
Transmission: 6-speed manual

The Japanese company is set to launch the Suzuki Kizashi AWD in Australia next month but there is confirmation of a turbocharged or V6 variants just yet. Either way, the capacity of the Kizashi to perform such a task goes to show the car has the right chassis and build quality to be a solid performer in the medium-size sportcar market.






Press Release

Suzuki Kizashi Tops 200 mph Mark, Breaks Land Speed Record at Bonneville

Suzuki sport sedan and Road & Track's Sam Mitani rewrite record books in Blown Gas Coupe (F-BGC) category.

WENDOVER, Utah, Aug. 18 - Piloting American Suzuki Motor Corporation's (ASMC) modified 2010 Suzuki Kizashi Bonneville Special, Road & Track's Sam Mitani injected the Kizashi into the record books (and himself in the 200 mph club) with his 203.720 mph run at this year's Bonneville Speed Week, exceeding the previous record of 202.301 mph. Despite a multitude of records - and record attempts - achieved by Suzuki motorcycle riders, this was the first official crack at the Bonneville Salt Flats by American Suzuki's automotive arm.

Conditions for the Kizashi's record-setting Bonneville run were exactly as the build team, Advanced Product Engineering's Richard Holdener, Tom Habrzyk and Scott Bailey, expected. With temperatures topping 100 degrees, the Kizashi was running at a density altitude on the flats of 6,303 feet. After passing inspection, the 2010 Kizashi provided Mitani, Road & Track's international editor, a perfect platform for qualifying with the Southern California Timing Association (SCTA), the sanctioning club for all Bonneville records. The 203.720 mph record was achieved by calculating the average of a two-way pass at 8:40 a.m. MT on August 18, 2010.

2010 Suzuki Kizashi Bonneville Special

Beginning with interior safety and instrument modifications, the Suzuki Kizashi Bonneville Special underwent additional refinements to make it salt-ready. Once the work was completed, the team installed the SCTA-approved roll cage, an aluminum bulkhead in the rear, racing seat, seat harnesses and window net. Next, it was time to take a look under the hood. The motor was disassembled to confirm the stock measurements, while the cylinder head was flowed and ported. The Kizashi Bonneville racer benefits from a new intake manifold, a tuned 'long tube' header and forged rods and pistons for high rpm endurance.

With up to 16 pounds of boost from a Turbonetics turbocharger, the Kizashi's increased horsepower required air-to-water intercooling (and snow water/methanol injection) - while its increased output demands a new ACT clutch and pressure plate. A scattershield is added, the oil pan is welded for a new drain fitting and a new 3.5-inch exhaust is fabricated aft of the turbocharger. Additional protection for the high-boost, high-rpm turbo motor is provided by full synthetic 5W-20 racing oil from Lucas Oil.

The Kizashi platform - and its Nurburgring heritage - is morphed into a salt-specific recipe with new coilovers, steel wheels seam welded, and speed-specific 15x7-inch Goodyear Front Runner® rubber. An air dam keeps the Kizashi's nose planted, window straps and hood pins ensure the hood and glass stay in place, and a parachute can bring the high speed show to a controlled and shortened stop. Finally, a dual fire system provides the extra assurance so important for Mitani, with more than 500 boosted horses but only a few feet in front of his high-speed capsule.

To learn more about the 2010 Suzuki Kizashi Bonneville Special's record-setting run, race fans can visit www.facebook.com/suzukiauto or www.suzukiauto.com/allpoints/events/bonneville.

Technical Specifications - 2010 Suzuki Kizashi Bonneville Special

Wheelbase: 106.3 inches
Overall Length: 183.1 inches
Overall Width: 71.7 inches
Engine: 2.4 liter, turbocharged four-cylinder, 16-valve
DOHC engine
Turbo Boost: 16 psi (Turbonetics)
Horsepower: 513 wheel hp @ 7,700 rpm
Torque: 515 lb.-ft. @ 5,500 rpm
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Brakes: Front ventilated disc brakes/Rear disc brakes
(and parachute)
Tires: 15x7-inch Goodyear Front Runner(R)

Ferrari 458 Challenge at Vallelunga

The fine tuning of the newly born Ferrari 458 Challenge continues and, based on the production 458 Italia, is already undergoing testing to help get it ready for full competition. The test site: Vallelunga. The drivers: Maurizio Mediani and Jaime Melo.

No matter, considering any word on the latest challenge car from Maranello is worth noting. The lighter track model is based on the production 458 Italia, which 0-60’s Chris Harris recently called “a paradigm shift in the way Ferrari approaches the subject of performance cars.” Look for the first 458 Challenge to grace future rounds of Ferrari’s one-make championship series.




Press Release

The fine tuning of the newly born Ferrari 458 Challenge continues and, as from yesterday, it was at the Vallelunga circuit for a test, with two drivers, the Italian Maurizio Mediani and the Argentine Jaime Melo, taking on the role of test driver, as they took turns at the wheel of the Prancing Horse sports car. At the end of two days at the Roman circuit, both men were pleased with what had been achieved.

According to Mediani the 458 Challenge is “very quick and extremely good fun,” its handling inherited from the road going car from which it is derived, combined with modifications made for its specific use in racing. Melo, just back from the fifth round of the American Le Mans Series, in which he races a F430 GT2 run by Team Risi Competizione, highlighted how much the driving experience is enhanced by the electronics systems operated with the now classic manettino on the steering wheel, a first for a car used in the Ferrari one-make series. “I am sure that Prancing Horse competition owners will be very pleased with this car,” commented the Argentine before leaving the circuit to prepare for the next ALMS round, which takes place on 7 August at the Mid Ohio circuit.

Ferrari 458 Challenge debuts at Maranello

Ferrari has officially unveiled today the 458 Challenge racing prototype that will compete in the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli in the 2011 season.

Based on the 458 Italia, the Challenge features a modified dual-clutch F1 gearbox, an 'E-Diff' electronic differential, and an 'F1-Trac' traction control system with settings for wet / dry conditions. Other goodies include a race suspension (with solid aluminum bushings, stiffer springs, and single-rate dampers), high performance Brembo CCM2 brakes (from the 599XX), and 19-inch wheels outfitted with Pirelli tires.

The new 458 Challenge also has a specific suspension set-up with solid aluminium bushings, stiffer springs, single-rate dampers, centre-nut 19” racing rims, larger dimension Pirelli slicks and a ride height lowered by 30mm all round. It is also equipped with the new generation Brembo CCM2 brakes which debuted on the 599XX, Ferrari’s extreme experimental laboratory car, and which are integrated with an ABS system that features two configurations – low grip and high performance for dry surfaces.

The 458 Challenge is also much lighter than the 458 Italia, thanks to a thinner body shell and the extensive use of carbon fiber and Lexan.

The 458 Challenge will run alongside its 430 Challenge predecessor in the 2011 Series, while the latter is phased out. Ferrari also plans to expand its Ferrari Challenge series next year, adding a new series in the Asia-Pacific region.


Press Release

The 458 Challenge has made its world premiere debut in Maranello during the Annual Dealer Meeting, a traditional event that brings together the representatives of Ferrari’s international sales network.

The new berlinetta, which will flank the F430 Challenge in the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli in the 2011 season, is the fifth model used by Ferrari in its one-make championship which, next year, will be extended to include a new Asia-Pacific series.

Coming just a few months after the Frankfurt Motor Show unveiling of the 458 Italia on which it is based, the 458 Challenge introduces a number of important modifications to adapt it for competition use.

The direct injection 4497 cc V8 remains strictly in production tune, with an output of 570 hp at 9,000 rpm. That said, modifications have been made to the gear ratios and calibration of its dual-clutch F1 gearbox to guarantee higher torque at lower revs. The 458 Challenge is also equipped with the E-Diff electronic differential already employed on the road-going version, a first for Ferrari’s track-only cars.

Significant work has also gone into cutting the car’s weight. This focused on both the exterior and interior with Ferrari’s engineers concentrating in particular on reducing the thickness of the bodyshell panels and on using lightweight materials, such as carbon-fibre and Lexan.

The new 458 Challenge also has a specific suspension set-up with solid aluminium bushings, stiffer springs, single-rate dampers, centre-nut 19” racing rims, larger dimension Pirelli slicks and a ride height lowered by 30mm all round. It is also equipped with the new generation Brembo CCM2 brakes which debuted on the 599XX, Ferrari’s extreme experimental laboratory car, and which are integrated with an ABS system that features two configurations - low grip and high performance for dry surfaces.

Another first for a Ferrari Challenge model is the adoption of the F1-Trac traction control system, the most sophisticated of its kind. Developed in-house by Ferrari, the F1-Trac system constantly monitors levels of grip for maximum high-performance road-holding. Two specific track-biased calibrations – wet and dry - have been developed for this application, with control logic and strategies derived from Ferrari’s extensive racing experience in the F1 and GT championships. The F1-Trac is completely integrated with the E-Diff to guarantee maximum acceleration out of corners.

The required ABS, F1-Trac and E-Diff calibration settings are selected via the manettino on the steering wheel, the first time this solution has been adopted on a model developed for the Ferrari Challenge series. The driver can thus either chose from the WET or DRY configurations. In high grip conditions it is also possible to select CT-OFF to de-activate the F1-Trac traction control.

In the course of the intensive development sessions involved in honing the 458 Challenge for the track, the engineers also managed to improve the car’s lap time at Fiorano by two seconds over that of its predecessor, resulting in a new record of just 1’16.5”. Equally impressive is the amount of lateral grip the new car generates – up to 1.6G.

With the new 458 Challenge, Ferrari is offering its sportier clients - professional and gentlemen drivers alike - a car that is extremely responsive, with great performance and superb handling. This mid-rear V8-engined berlinetta will allow Ferrari Challenge participants to enjoy to the full the exhilarating cut and thrust of the race weekends on the world’s leading circuits, as well as the passion that has always been an integral part of Ferrari’s one-make championship.