All Torque!

I promise that never again will I admit to police that I was driving fast!

by Brian G. Thornton

Never!!
Sitting in the co-driver�s seat of a World Rally Championship Toyota Corolla while it is driven by Ireland�s many-times Tarmac Champion Austin McHale at speeds of up to 135 mph on a narrow country lane showed me just how slow I drive!

Of course, this Corolla is different. For a start it is a part of a IR�400,000 three year rally campaign by Austin which began with a win on the Tom Hogan Motors Galway, Ennis & Clonmel-sponsored Stonethrowers national championship round, and next sees him in action in San Remo. He will not contest the Cork 20 International this year.

This Corolla WRC has four-wheel drive, turbo-charged, two-litre power delivering perhaps 330bhp. It�s not the power that is so important, but rather its tremendous torque which gives the engine massive grunt right from the time when the pedal is pressed.

True it normally runs on petrol supplied from Silverstone in England at around �12 a gallon, but a flick of a switch will �get you home� on pump juice surprisingly without too much loss of power.

McHale�s new Corolla injects water into the air intake from a 35-litre tank, ostensibly to reduce air temperature. Technically the rules require a 32mm restrictor on the air intake through its turbo. This increases air temperature and thus would reduce the quantity of fuel that may be injected in the absence of the water.

Naturally, it has sequential gearshifting, and a host of electronics to aid performance. No ABS, but a rev limiter (it goes to around 6,500 rpm) that allows the driver keep his foot flat on the pedal when airborne over a crest and variable settings of anti-turbo lag. Lag is overcome by the backfiring noises often associated with rally cars, and means the turbo stays on full speed ready for the next power demand.

The titanium suspension struts cost around two grand a corner, and must be taken off and dried after each rally. The turbo should last until the next engine rebuild and that occurs after around 1,000 hours of rally stage driving.

TTE does not sell cars to individuals, and in this case, the car came to Toyota Ireland for the many-times Irish Tarmac rally champion who hails originally from Louisburgh, Co. Mayo. Toyota Ireland and its Galway dealer Tom Hogan Motors are the main backers. Built specially by Toyota Team Europe, the new left hand drive car has the latest 1999 technology.

At those speeds, sheep really do look like those grains of rice seen by Bruce from Australia in that radio commercial!

Brian G. Thornton - ([email protected])