Motosport

The Legacy of Speed: A Look Back at Ford SVT

March 17, 2024March 17, 2024 VD

The Legacy of Speed: A Look Back at Ford SVT

For many car enthusiasts, the letters “SVT” hold a special place. Standing for Special Vehicle Team, SVT was a performance division within Ford responsible for creating some of the most iconic and exciting vehicles in the brand’s history.

Birth of a Legend (1991):

Founded in 1991, SVT aimed to inject a dose of performance into Ford’s mainstream offerings. Their philosophy revolved around four key principles: Performance, Substance, Exclusivity, and Value. The first two vehicles to wear the SVT badge were the 1993 SVT Mustang Cobra and the 1993 SVT F-150 Lightning. These models instantly captured the attention of performance enthusiasts, offering significant power upgrades, improved handling, and unique visual cues compared to their standard counterparts.

A Decade of Dominance (1990s):

Throughout the 90s, SVT continued to churn out iconic vehicles. The Mustang Cobra R became a track monster, revered for its raw performance and limited production numbers. The SVT Contour surprised many with its sporty handling and impressive acceleration, offering a unique performance sedan option. Other notable additions included the SVT F-150 Lightning with its supercharged V8 engine and the SVT Focus, a hot hatch that delivered a thrilling driving experience in a compact package.

Beyond the Mustang (2000s):

While the Mustang remained a staple in the SVT lineup, the 2000s saw the team explore new territories. The SVT Lightning returned in 2001 with even more power, while the SVT F-150 Raptor emerged as a dominant off-road performer. The SVT Focus ST continued its legacy of offering a practical yet thrilling driving experience.

The End of an Era (2008):

Sadly, due to various factors including the financial crisis of 2008, Ford decided to disband the SVT division in 2008. However, the legacy of SVT lives on in the hearts of enthusiasts and the numerous performance models they created.

The SVT Impact:

SVT’s impact on the automotive industry cannot be understated. They played a crucial role in reinvigorating Ford’s performance image and offering enthusiasts exciting alternatives to traditional muscle cars. Their vehicles continue to be sought after by collectors and enthusiasts, serving as a testament to the passion and dedication of the SVT team.

Even though the SVT chapter is closed, Ford Performance continues to carry the torch, delivering high-performance vehicles and pushing the boundaries of innovation. Stay tuned for future blog posts exploring the current Ford Performance lineup and exciting developments in the world of Ford performance!

What Makes A Car Best Fun to drive car?

March 10, 2022March 10, 2022 VD

Every car enthusiast always dreams of owning a sports car as they are fast, they look awesome, they thrill but they are expensive. If you are a person who loves sports cars, who loves driving, or who watches popular car shows you might have heard the terms Driver’s car or fun to drive car or an enthusiast car. Let’s understand what the mean and what makes a car really fun to drive. These cars can bring a smile to your face while driving no matter how frustrated you are. Even a small cars can bring serious fun while driving. Fun to drive cars offer you speed, performance, control and excitement while driving.

Here are the characteristics of Enthusiast cars.

Steering Wheel Feedback

Good characteristics of a real Drivers car is good steering wheel feedback. Good steering feedback is basically the movement of a steering wheel in your hands when the car goes over bumps and when the car goes over an undulating surface of the road. Another good characteristic of the steering wheel is when you rotate the wheel the more weight it gains as the car speed increases. There is more pressure on the steering wheel. A good steering wheel allows drivers more information and when drivers have more information; drivers can drive more safely. If you are driving on rough terrain or irregular surfaces you can slow down your car and take necessary precautions.

High Performance Tires

Tires are like shoes, different types of shoes available for different purposes similarly car tires are available for Racing, Off-Roading and all season for daily driving. Driver’s cars have performance tires that can offer you top notch performance with maximum grip and traction. High performance tires have stiffer sidewalls that are reinforced with steel or Kevlar that reduces rolling of the tire when you make steering inputs and that transmit more motion through the steering wheel. They have directional asymmetrical tread pattern. Speed and sharp cornering is no problem with performance tires. They can withstand higher temperature and give you maximum ability on tracks. You can extract maximum potential of performance vehicles with these tires. If you want to accelerate the car quicker, the car should have high performance tires. High performance tire even reduces braking distance.

Suspension set up

Most people think suspensions are used for rider comfort which is not true but the role of suspension is to maintain constant contact with the road and ensure there is traction to move the car forward. Suspension is always tuned as per the road condition where the car will be driven. To get a better steering feel and handling characteristics, the car should have better suspension set up. Performance cars use stiff springs. Body roll and lean can be controlled with stiff suspension. Performance cars have low ground clearance for low center of gravity and hence low suspension travel. Maximum aerodynamic efficiency can be achieved with specific ride height. Stiffer suspension doesn’t change the height of the vehicle. Performance cars should ride at constant ride height and for that stiff suspension set up will help. Performance oriented vehicles like Hyundai N, Ford Fiesta RS are also being driven on tracks and tracks are smooth and don’t have any rough patches.

Brakes

Braking should be more powerful than car speed, time to stop the car should be much lesser than time to accelerate the car. This stands true in the case of fun to drive cars. Fun to drive cars are made for outstanding performance out of the car whether on daily driving condition or on tracks and hence Performance cars should have high performance braking systems. Braking system, especially rotors, tends to get hot during harsh braking. Braking pads are designed for maximum performance in severe driving conditions. Braking pad compound is different in performance vehicles. There are many manufacturers like Brembo, Stoptech who manufacture performance braking components. Most people also prefer to do occasional track days, they need additional performance from the car hence the car should have improved braking. With fun to drive vehicles you drive a little faster and hence cars require brake upgrades.

Weight Distribution

When a car has perfect balance it massively improves the vehicles stability when cornering and it consistency of performance. Perfect weight balance is achieved when all four wheels of the vehicles is press down the road with exact amount of force. When a car has 50:50 weight distribution that means car has perfect handling. Weight distribution includes front and rear ratio, side by side ratio and cross weight ratio. Car weight always moves around its center of gravity When car is braking, Turning or even accelerating. The weight moves its direction of the car due to the suspension. When you turn the car to the right then weight moves to opposite direction and increase weight on left tires. When you drive straight and brake hard then front suspension is compressed and weight moves to front of the car. During sudden acceleration the rear of suspension compressed and weight moves to rear of the car this results in understeer of the car. Enthusiast cars have perfect weight balance that greatly improves the car handling.

Power to Weight Ratio

Car reviewers always talk about horsepower per ton or power to weight ratio. Power to weight ratio is a vehicle’s ability to accelerate faster. Imagine a truck and a small car standing at a signal when the light turns green. Performance cars makes more power for its weight than regular cars. These cars have higher BHP per ton weight of the car. Most modern performance cars have small capacity turbo engines like Hyundai GDI Turbo or VW TSI turbo that makes more power per ton which reflect into solid performance on highways and tracks.

Let us know in the comment box below which is your favourite fun to drive car.

Everyday Sports Car: Hyundai N Performance

February 15, 2022February 15, 2022 VD

One of the things that sets the Hyundai N Cars apart is excitement and the thrill that drivers get when he/she is behind the steering wheel. N is the official name of Hyundai High performance vehicles division. Hyundai N brand is similar to BMW’s M, Mercedes AMG and Ford Performance.

Hyundai has an R & D Center at Namyang in South Korea and test center at Nurburgring in Germany hence the N stands for Namyang and Nurburgring. High performance N Models are being developed at these two locations. N logo symbolize chicane of a race track, a sharp bend created to form an obstacle on motor track or on a road where driving skills and the car balance are tried and tested which reflects N. Hyundai N series cars are agile, fun to drive and symbolize thrilling driving experience in any condition whether you drive on a race track or on public roads.

It all started when Hyundai showcased Sports looking car in 1989. In February 1990 Hyundai Launched Scoupe which was the milestone of its first performance based vehicle. Later in the year 1996 Hyundai Tiburon was launched which was a sports coupe powered with 2.0 Litre beta Engine. Due to its stability and reliability, Tiburon received good response which led to the launch of Hyundai Tuscani which was powered with the most advanced technology of that time the all-new 2.7 Litre V6 delta engine. The success of Scoupe, Tiburon and Tuscani gave birth to Hyundai’s first Rear Wheel Drive sports Coupe Hyundai Genesis with better weight distribution. Prior to that all vehicles were Front Wheel Drive (FWD).

Hyundai began participating in WRC in the year 2014 after unveiling the Hyundai i20 N World Rally Championship concept at Paris Motor show in the year 2012. The Hyundai World Rally Team won its first Podium at the Mexico Rally. Hyundai started participating in high level motorsports activity Nurburgring 24-Hours Endurance race in 2016 with Hyundai i30N. Data gathered during motosports activity was ultimately used in development of high performance vehicles. The Hyundai N brand was born out of the World Rally Championship. All learning from motorsports is used in the development of road cars. Hyundai i30N was the first mass production N model launched in the year 2017 which was powered by a turbocharged GDi engine. Second model under Series was Veloster N launched in the year 2018. Later in 2018 i30 Fastback launched.

Hyundai N’s ultimate goal is to deliver enjoyment while driving. N offers an uncompromised performance that matches the various needs of different lifestyles. Many brands focus only on the fastest cars but Hyundai N cars are fun to drive. Many manufacturers use RPM metric to test their vehicles but Hyundai N uses beats per minute that measure how the driver gets excited while driving a Hyundai N car. Daily driver’s sports car is developed by maintaining focus on corner rascal, race track capability and Everyday sports car. Hyundai bought everybody right from suspension experts, tuning experts, Tire & wheel experts, engineers, designers under one roof at Nurburgring test center. It takes lots of involvement, technologies and inspiration to make a real fun drive vehicle that Hyundai N has achieved.

The heart of the car, engine and gearbox is calibrated for top notch performance. Being a performance car there will be a challenge to make performance a little bit closer to the edge. If you are talking about sports car you should not forget the engine sound. Engine sound is a crucial part of a sports car character. Engine sound really influences the driver. Hyundai N makes sure that the engine sound is just right that excites drivers during acceleration, cornering and rev matching. Hyundai has also developed a new 8 speed DCT transmission and three drive modes Power Shift, Grind Shift and Track Sense Shift that adds high octane characteristics to the car. The driver also has flexibility to shift manually using the paddle shifters or the gear shift knob. N brand is developed for enthusiasts who want a slightly different car than normal road cars. Every car is tested right from the suspension system, Steering system, Braking system, engine system and Transmission. The N cars have the best power to weight ratio.

N vehicles deliver comfort and convenience with power, performance and handling. Vehicle stability and responsiveness is enhanced by a high performance braking system, rack mounted motor driven power steering system and stability control. Various motorsports inspired features like electronic controlled suspension which further improves driving experience. A sports car will never be called a sports car until its handling and maneuver excites the driver hence N cars have ESC control systems, high performance braking, traction control, launch control. Electronic Limited Slip Differential and Traction Mode Selector that ensures excellent performance while cornering. N Vehicles have features primarily designed for race track driving like launch control and N Grind shift that ensures vehicles race track capabilities. Front grill of N vehicles are inspired by the checkered flag. Car has less aerodynamic drag thanks to its 10 millimeter lower stance. 19-inch alloy wheels, high performance Pirelli Tyres, large air intakes, triangular brake lights, N Logo on upper grill and Sports Seats lifts aesthetic appeal and vehicle stance. N series cars feature Sports seats with integrated headrests also inspired from WRC. The Aesthetic appeal of Hyundai N Line is enhanced with cosmetic sports update.

These fun to drive machines are second to none in terms of safety features like Blind Spot-avoidance Assist, Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist, and Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist. N Series cars interior also offers a sporty look and feel. Under N, Hyundai also sells performance parts like Carbon Fiber molding, Rear Diffuser, Rear spoiler, Gear Knob, Parking lever, Metal scuff plate, floor mat, steering wheel, alloy wheels, Air intake Kit, CRPF Strut bar, Brake Calliper to name a few.

N series cars are not only race capable but they are sporty, agile and fun to drive that will satisfy your daily driving needs.

4W Racing Events

November 27, 2021November 27, 2021 VD

Start Date

End Date

Event

Type

Venue

November 2021

11 NOV

14 NOV

MECO FMSCI National Karting Championship 2021 - Rotax Classes - Round 2 & 3

Karting

Meco Kartopia ,Bangalore

13 NOV

14 NOV

Deccan Time Attack

Autocross

Hyderabad

13 NOV

14 NOV

FMSCI Indian National Regularity Run Championship 2021 - Qualifying Round South

Regularity Run

Chikmagalur

18 NOV

21 NOV

24th JK Tyre FMSCI National Racing Championship 2021 - Round 2 (LGB Formula 4)

Racing

KMS, Coimbatore

18 NOV

21 NOV

JK Tyre Novice Cup 2021 - Round 2 (LGB Formula 1300)

Racing

KMS, Coimbatore

20 NOV

21 NOV

V12 Autocross

Autocross

Coimbatore

20 NOV

21 NOV

Jangalmahal on the Move 3: JK Tyre FMSCI Indian National Regularity Run Championship 2021 - Qualifying Round East

Regularity Run

Durgapur / Bankura

20 NOV

21
NOV

Unite Autocross 2021

Autocross

Bangalore

25 NOV

28 NOV

MECO FMSCI National Karting Championship 2021 - Rotax Classes - Round 4 & 5

Karting

Meco Kartopia , Bangalore

27 NOV

28 NOV

Monsoon Drive-10 : R3 East Zone Qualifer of JK Tyre FMSCI Indian National Regularity Run Championship 2021

Regularity Run

Howrah - Haldia

27 NOV

28 NOV

Speedway Motorsports Tarmac Autocross 2021 - 3rd Edition

Autocross

Chicane Circuit, Hyderabad

28 NOV

Race Wars Autocross 2021: S3

Autocross

BIC, Greater Noida

28 NOV

Fist of Five 2021

Autocross

Thrissur

December 2021

2 DEC

5 DEC

24th JK Tyre FMSCI National Racing Championship 2021 - Round 3 (LGB Formula 4)

Racing

KMS, Coimbatore

2 DEC

5 DEC

JK Tyre Novice Cup 2021 - Round 3 (LGB Formula 1300)

Racing

KMS, Coimbatore

3 DEC

5 DEC

The Valley Run 9th Edition 2021

Drag Race

Aamby Valley City

3 DEC

5 DEC

The Valley Run 9th Edition 2021

Drag Race

Aamby Valley City

4 DEC

5 DEC

WISA's TSD Run of Nasik 2021

Regularity Run

Nashik

4 DEC

5 DEC

21st Kaviguru Rally 2021: R4 East Zone of JK Tyre FMSCI Indian Natl Regularity Run Championship 2021

Regularity Run

Kolkata

10 DEC

12 DEC

MRF MMSC FMSCI Indian National Car Racing Championship 2021 - Round 2

Racing

MMRT,Chennai

11 DEC

12 DEC

JK Tyre FMSCI Indian National Regularity Run Championship 2021 - Qualifying Round West

Regularity Run

Mumbai

12 DEC

13 DEC

Asia Auto Gymkhana Championship (AAGC) India Round

Slalom

Mumbai

17 DEC

19 DEC

Rally de Vizag : R1 of FMSCI Indian Natl Rally C'ship 2021

Stage Rally

Vizag

18 DEC

19 DEC

Chander Memorial Rally : FMSCI Indian National Regularity Run Championship 2021 - Qualifying Round South

Regularity Run

Coimbatore

25 DEC

28 DEC

Gumball 2021

Touring Assembly

Kanyakumari-Agra

January 2022

7 JAN

8 JAN

JK Tyre FMSCI Indian National Regularity Run Championship 2021 - Qualifying Round North East

Regularity Run

Guwahati, Assam

13 JAN

16 JAN

24th JK Tyre FMSCI National Racing Championship 2021 - Round 4 (LGB Formula 4)

Racing

BIC, Greater Noida

13 JAN

16 JAN

JK Tyre Novice Cup 2021 - Round 4 (LGB Formula 1300)

Racing

BIC, Greater Noida

15 JAN

16 JAN

21st Kaviguru Rally 2021: R4 East Zone of JK Tyre FMSCI Indian Natl Regularity Run Championship 2021

Regularity Run

Shantiniketan

21 JAN

23 JAN

MRF MMSC FMSCI Indian National Car Racing Championship 2021 - Round 3

Racing

Coimbatore

22 JAN

23 JAN

JK Tyre FMSCI Indian National Regularity Run Championship 2021 - Qualifying Round West

Regularity Run

Goa

28 JAN

30 JAN

K-1000 Rally 2021:R2 of FMSCI Indian Natl Rally C'ship 2021

Stage Rally

Bangalore

28 JAN

Vroom Drag Race - 5th Edition

Drag Race

Taneja Aerospace, Hosur

29 JAN

Vroom Drag Race - 6th Edition

Drag Race

Taneja Aerospace, Hosur

29JAN

30 JAN

JK Tyre FMSCI Indian National Regularity Run Championship 2021 - Qualifying Round West

Regularity Run

Pune