Tuesday 31 October 2017

Meet the 600-HP Toyota C-HR that Beats a McLaren around a Track

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If we were to guess what current crossover utility vehicle would be the most likely basis on which to build the “world’s quickest CUV,” we might not have picked the Toyota C-HR. But that was the goal for the C-HR R-Tuned, which Toyota claims has turned in a faster lap time at Willow Springs International Raceway’s Big Willow track than a McLaren 650S Spider.

The R-Tuned was introduced at the 2017 SEMA show in Las Vegas. It retains the stock version’s powertrain layout, with a four-cylinder engine and front-wheel drive, but little else. In place of the standard 2.0-liter engine is a 2.4-liter to which is bolted a Garrett turbo running 23.0 psi of boost. It’s fortified with forged pistons and connecting rods, stainless-steel intake valves, Inconel exhaust valves, race bearings, and racing valve springs, among other bits.

You probably won’t be surprised to learn that the stock C-HR’s continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) did not make the cut; it is replaced with a five-speed manual transmission. It uses a Centerforce clutch and flywheel, while the front axle gets an OS Giken Super Lock limited-slip differential. Brakes by Brembo feature four-piston billet-aluminum monoblock racing calipers.

A new suspension includes remote-reservoir coil-over dampers, racing springs, adjustable rear camber arms, and a three-way-adjustable rear anti-roll bar.

The most obvious body mod is the towering rear wing with a Gurney flap, along with a front splitter and a vented carbon-fiber hood. Eighteen-inch wheels are wrapped with 275/35R-18 Toyo Proxes RR tires.

An eight-point roll cage and six-point harnesses are fitted into the stripped-out interior.

The result of all the mods is “beyond” 600 horsepower, a claimed zero-to-60-mph time of 2.9 seconds, and 1.70 g of lateral acceleration. (That’s against 11.0 seconds to 60 mph and 0.81 g in our testing of the factory version.) Oh, and the car’s 1:25.22 lap time at Willow? It not only beats the McLaren, but also the best times posted to fastestlaps.com (Toyota’s source for its info) for the Nissan GT-R and the Porsche 911 GT3 RS.