Big Rizza

Hey, you are right! That ain't no Sil80! I should really expand images before I comment on them.

Yeah I'm liking that Sil80 too. Would be a sweet ride. I'll swap my 16" rims for those 18" rims for FREE as well

Just for the record, my RB20DET hits the L on the fuel guage after about 400km, which is when I fill up. Last tank I got 10.52 l/100km with a lot of highway kilometers, which I was pretty happy about.

I bought something very similar just the other day. See: kidding

Surely that makes it even better for a stealth car!!! Just modify the SR20 a bit and it will be ultimate. No one expects a "diesel" to be running 12's Yes, every Australian Bluebird came with the 112kw KA24DE engine, which is similar to the engine used in the USA spec 180SX (appropriately renamed 240SX to reflect the "upgrade" from CA18 to KA24). The various SR variants were Japan only. Both the Jap spec and Aus spec models had HUD as an option, but I think it was an expensive one. And no I don't have one (I have a 32 sedan), but they used to be eligible for import under the old laws, so there are a few around from back then. I had a check on CarSales.com and they had three for sale, so they cannot be too uncommon. Bluebird 1 Bluebird 2 Bluebird 3 Next year I will be moving out from home, and I will be needing to get a practical automatic car (as i will be living with my girlfriend who drives auto only), and the SR20 bluebird will be high on my list (along with the stagea of course ).

Just make sure you also save some money to upgrade from the nat-atmo spec suspension, brakes, diffs etc. At the very least put the brakes and LSD from the turbo model on it.

Um... In what situation would someone turn off the car while you are still rolling?

I can see your point. A BASE chaser over here might be sold for mid $30k mark based on comparative Australian/Japanese prices, and the 1JZGTE would maybe compete with HSVs and FPVs on price and performance. They'd be a lot closer in performance than a supercharged camry/avalon anyways. But with no turbo engines anymore, it will never happen. But non-turbo is no problem . Most japanese manufacturers) have improved their nat-atmo engines greatly over the last 5 to 10 years, and are now a viable alternative to their older turbo charged engines (in standard form - turbos are still waaaay more cost effective to modify). I think it is because NA is easier to meet emmissions standards than turbo, so it is cheaper for them to design and tune atmo engines than turbocharge an engine for the same power. This is shown by many manufacturers moving away from forced induction - Mercedes AMG and Audi RS cars are moving away from turbos and superchargers, the Nissan Z cars and skylines are now non turbo, etc. Many Japanese manufacturers are looking at using Hybrid technology as a performance tool, as the electic motors can provide a power boost as well as reducing emmisions and fuel consumption. Lexus and Honda are both looking at this for their future luxury models. Based on this, I don't know how Toyota justified developing a supercharged engine for the Camry/Avalon then. Surely a 250kw tuned Lexus V8 would drop straight in to power the front wheels, with 50kw or so of electric motors powering the rear wheels . That might keep up with an HSV/FPV. Beware the torque steer!

I prefer grip to drift, so I put down AWD. But that preference is very slight. I would prefer a well set up sophisticated and balanced RWD like an FD RX7 to a simple, mediocore AWD like an Audi A4 (understeer, understeer, understeer...).

I don't think you have to redo your hours, just do another driving test

I'm pretty sure HICAS works by either steering the rear wheels out of phase with the fronts to sharpen turn in response at low speeds, or in phase to reduce understeer at high speeds. They don't turn much, only a couple of degrees, but you can definitely feel the rear end moving around with the HICAS working.

You could always go the Nissan Bluebird SSS with SR20DET AWD instead of the VR4 as there is more SR20 parts back up in Australia IMO.

Don't think they came as an automatic. Plus there might be issues with power to weight ratio for P Platers. The Bluebird came with SR20DET AWD in automatic guise though. It still might not be P plate lagal though. EDIT: According to http://english.auto.vl.ru/catalog/23967/, the turbo AWD bluebird comes in at 110kw/tonne, so it might scrape in as P-Plate legal. But I don't know the full story with the restrictions as I'm in W.A. where the new 1000 horsepower Bugatti Veyron will be P Plate legal . Actually, that is a little scary

Sorry, link isn't working for me. Nat-atmo Silvias are generally pretty reliable I have found, provided oil changes have been done regularly. My mates '92 Silvia is on the verge of death after 200,000kms on the rev limiter, with only minor maintenance being undertaken (spark plugs, coolant, oil changes etc.) I've never known someone to thrash their car so hard and at 190,000kms it was running just as well as my old 190,000kms Hyundai Lantra, which had been pampered it's entire life (been in the family since new). So provided that the previous owners weren't insane, and the kms aren't rediculous, you should be fine. It would probably be easier to fix than a bimmer anyways

Why do people think Just Cars are bad? I got a few internet quotes for insurance and they seemed pretty reasonable. Note that I am 20 with no driving offences living in a good area of West Aust. I have found that their rates are lower than most others, and would insure me for cars that others wouldn't. Replys would be great as I was looking at insuring my R32 through them when my current policy (with suncorp) expires.

I don't know why, but I really like those "rims." Normally I really don't like the "bling," but I think that those rims could be applied tastefully and look really good. And yes, a big brake package is required before those rims can be used.

Give Suncorp a call.

An STi driver who isn't willing to launch hard will be lunched by just about anything off the line. They got nuthin below 4k. Hell, my mate in his pintara (all 82kw) with a good launch managed to keep ahead of one until, maybe, 40km/h. Maybe 30km/h... But the point is, a well driven car with a little grunt can beat a poorly driven STi (with lots of power) to 100km/h. Would get run down over the quater mile though. And destroyed on the freeway. One thing I don't like about the boxer engine note is when people take the stock non-turbo imprezas and put on fully sick 'zorsts. They sound like a Volkswagen Beetle with a hole in the muffler. If I wanted a nat-atmo boxer engine, I'd go a 911 for only 10x the price! EDIT: I guess the good driver vs. bad driver applies to pretty much all cars, but the massive traction of the STi combined with the massive torque hole seems to magnify the effects of poor driving.

I remember when Wheels (or was it Motor? It was ages ago now...) tested the R34 GTR N1. They ran 0-100 in 4.4 and the 1/4 in 12.6 if I remember rightly. 206kw my ass EDIT: (Maybe 206kw at the wheels...)

BMW have some sensational 6 cylinder engines in their 3 series (and now a good V8 in the upcoming M3 too), but I reckon their 4 cylinder engines are lacking. Tag that with an auto tranny and you won't be going anywhere fast at all. so I definitely would have to say no to the 318i. If you go a bimmer, I would have to say get a 325i or higher or else you will be very disappointed in the performance. If you can afford an SMGII transmissioned BMW //M3 for, oh, around $110k second hand, that would be ideal if you go for the 3 series . Actually, would it even be legal for someone to drive a sequential clutchless manual on an auto lisence? There's no clutch, but it's still technically a manual. My recommendation is go for something with a bigger engine. It may sound stupid on first glance, but auto transmisions really sap small engines of their power, much more so than big engines I have found. So something like a Magna sports might be a good idea. Or something with an RB25 in it

I had a think about this and got a few ideas. I already said my 350 chev into a Volvo 240 idea, but here are some more: E32 BMW 750iL Purchase Price: Start at under $10k! This was BMW's flagship car in it's day, and has every luxury feature imaginable. But what is really interesting is under the bonnet. A 5.0 litre V12 churning out 220kw!!! I stole this from autospeed.com: Once (the) basic breathing mods have been performed, it's up to you what comes next. Tuning parts are available in Germany, but often it's more practical (and cheaper) to execute some custom mods locally. The compression ratio could easily be raised by more than half a ratio (so long as you run PULP at all times) and a more modern programmable management system could be used to maximise power. Problems may be encountered with running the fly-by-wires and other operating systems, however. Heading even more extreme, we've recently seen a BMW V12 stacked with nitrous and another one with a twin-turbo conversion! Power figures are unavailable, but we'd guess that a twin-turbo'd BMW V12 (with a full engine build) could easily generate anywhere up to 400kW. Those people that are extra adventurous may also look into the possibility of fitting the DOHC, 24-valve heads as were fitted to the M1 limited-production racecar (very rare and very, very expensive!). JZX81 Toyota Chaser Purchase Price: From about $7k These might not look like much, but they came with the fabled 1JZGTE as standard!!! This give the car not only huge performance right off the bat, but also huge tuning potential. For about $10k all up you could have a seriously quick weapon and passers by would be none the wiser! The only drawback is that those who want manual transmission might struggle to find them! Mitsubishi RVR Purchase Price: Start under $12k A van with what is essentially Lancer Evolution running gear. All wheel drive and a turbo charged 160kw engine with plenty of mods available in a car that to passers by looks like a regular people mover! Perhaps slap on a front mount 'cooler and get rid of the bonnet scoop for added sleeper appeal. Saab 9000 turbo Purchase Price: From about $10k Comes with a 147kw 2.3 litre turbo engine with a great spread of torque, which gives it decent performance right off the bat. This engine could be modified for 40-50kw more without too much difficulty. Beyond that, the lack of tuning support would likely mean importing from Europe which would get expensive, so it's probably best to leave it to the basic 'cooler, 'zaust, intake style of modification. Being a largish front wheel drive, standing starts wouldnt be the strong point, but you could upset a few people with rolling races on the highway! No one expects to be destroyed by a Saab! Any Kei car Purchase price: From under $5k These little cars only make less than 50kw, but weight is the key! Modifications are cheap as you can use standard parts from bigger cars, ditch the useless back seats, and you've got a seriously good power to weight ratio! These little cars come in numerous configurations from different manufacturers, including turbo all-wheel-drive models. They're never going to beat a worked skyline or commodore, but you can have fun on twisty roads nipping at their heels! Something like the Mitsubishi Minica Dangan ZZ-4 would be awesome. Constant AWD, intercooled turbo, DOHC, full engine management and 5-valve-per-cylinder breathing!!! Renault Espace This is Renault's idea of the ultimate sleeper. They took 1 of their espace people movers, and one of their Formula 1 cars, and I think you can see where this is going. The 800 hp V10 gives 0-100km/h in 2.8 seconds and a top speed of over 300km/h! The ultimate sleeper? Perhaps, but the costs involved in building such a machine puts it well and truely out of the scope of our "cheap" stealth car comparison. It's fun to dream though!! Anyways, there are a few of my ideas. I have more, but I'm sure people are starting to get bored of this lengthy post already. The stagea idea is good too, but as they become more common their sleeper appeal will diminish slightly. But to the unaware they could still be a lot of fun! Other fast sedans like the Galant VR4, Liberty RS etc. are all ideal candidates also. All I hope is that SOMEONE reads this entire post so that I haven't wasted my time. Bored now...

Apparently Toyota looked at getting the Chaser, but opted for the Avalon instead as the Chaser was too small in the back seats. Maybe now that the Australian market is moving away from large cars they will change their minds? (not likely...)

Toyota sports cars in Australia currently consist of Soarer (Lexus SC430), MR2, and Celica, none of which are very good IMO. Japan sees some other sporty models in the Chaser and Altezza selection. They also currently have a V10 supercar inspired by their Formula 1 participation in the works. Toyota insiders also state that this is NOT a Supra replacement, which is apparently being worked on seperately. So the future is looking better than the present. I'm hoping the new GTR doesn't come here as well because the Japanese used car market devalues quicker than the Australian market. If the GTR comes out here there will be no cheap imports! I don't think I could spend my own money on a supercharged Camry/Avalon. Just not my cup of tea.

Instead of a "Lexus" Chaser, Toyota should put the 2JZGTE VVTi in the Lexus IS300 in place of the atmo 2JZ it comes with. That would eat chasers for breakfast. But with the IS and 2JZ so close to the end of their life cycles it is not a viable option unfortunately. But maybe I could do a conversion myself Back on topic, I think making the Camry 4cyl only will help Avalon sales signifficantly, as V6 Toyota buyers will be forced into it, but I think total sales will suffor. The supercharged V6 should give the Avalon a much needed image boost though. And as for big front wheel drives not handling, I've heard good things about the new Mitsubishi 380, but ultimately it still isn't my cup of tea. If I wanted a $35k+ big car, I'd go second hand, rear wheel drive and German, not new, front wheel drive and Australian. Mid to late 90's BMW 7-series come in at around those $$$ (I strayed off topic again )

Hahaha sorry Shyster, didn't mean to get you worked up! It wasn't anything personal against you I assure you. I was merely stating my opinion that you cannot predict engine specs based on the number of tail pipes. Guess I got a bit carried away, but it was all in fun and nothing I said was in anger. Plus I've heard motoring journalists say some stupid stuff before, so I never fully beleive their predictions.