World's wildest Suzuki Grand Vitara
You won't see this SUV in the parking lot at your local grocery store, although Gran Turismo fans should recognize it. It's the unlimited hillclimb version of the Suzuki Escudo (Grand Vitara), driven by Nobuhiro "Monster" Tajima, the Chairman of Suzuki Sport, the motorsports arm of Suzuki Motor Corp. This past weekend, Monster Tajima drove the Suzuki Batmobile to a record seventh win in New Zealand's "Race to the Sky" hillclimb, setting a new course record in the process.
Monster's ride has some impressive specs:
- 2.7-liter V6 twin-turbo, producing 995 hp at 8,100 rpm
- steel space frame
- carbon/kevlar body
- sequential six-speed gearbox
- all-wheel drive
- mammoth downforce-generating aerodynamic aids, including supersized front splitter, rear wing and underbody diffuser
- all-up weight (including driver and fuel) of only 2,244 lb!
[Sources: Suzuki Sport via gizmag.com]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Fabulo 3:53PM (4/19/2006)
This looks as close to a production Vitara as a Ford Fusion running Nascar to a real Ford fusion.
Kudos for squeezing out 995 Mph out of the engine.
What's wrong with 56 years old(!)? Now if ti would be 85, we'd be surprised he can drive without the left blinker on at-all-times.
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Dustin Tarditi 3:53PM (4/19/2006)
"Looks like it can fly"
"Time to unpimp ze auto"
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rip 4:02PM (4/19/2006)
The 85yo would be driving a Lexus.
Going 50mph in the left lane.
And have the right turn signal on, thereby slowing 2 lanes instead of just one.
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Nick 4:08PM (4/19/2006)
That's a scale model or something, right? That picture looks phony.
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mike 4:14PM (4/19/2006)
this is a toy-sized model
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bryan 4:16PM (4/19/2006)
it looks like a kids toy. but it was fun to drive in gran turismo.
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Finished.Law.School 4:35PM (4/19/2006)
I hate the old people that are mentioned by rip in post #3.
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Michael 4:52PM (4/19/2006)
Twin turbo, twin engined Vitara...
Heck yeah!
M!
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hhsohn 5:03PM (4/19/2006)
One of the Suzuki's fixed up Grand Vitaras had a twin-turbo set up. I wonder how many horse power that thing makes...
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Ford Mustang 5:04PM (4/19/2006)
OMG That thing is ugly.
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Max 6:37PM (4/19/2006)
I got this car up to 287 mph! in GT3. This and the TVR Speed 12 were the fastest cars in the game. This is the 1st time I've seen this car and it wasn't virtual :-). Fast ride nonetheless!
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PJ 12:31AM (4/20/2006)
Oh, I recognize it all right... this thing was as close as you could get to a cheat code in GT2. (Yes, I am an unapologetic nerd.)
Suzuki is such a tease. They build this, and the sportiest thing we get in the States is a Reno?
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CoffeeJedi 2:00PM (4/20/2006)
/scratches head
why a Vitara? i know that at its heart its a car, but wouldn't something with a lower center of gravity to start with be a better choice? (not that this thing shares a single component with a 'real' Vitara anyway, but still, its the same NAME as their cute-ute)
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MoJo 5:03PM (5/06/2006)
Suzuki is known more for their 4x4's than their cars. The Vitara was not based on a car, it was a body on frame design that was never used in any of the Suzuki cars. They have had good luck in other markets with turbos, They should put some pressure on the 2.7 in the US market Grand Vitara.
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alun toyoaji 5:45PM (6/17/2006)
Nice...if you`ve ever playin grand tourismo, there is another suzuki`s "monster", aerio pikes peak, but the vitara is better than the aerio...
mmm, i want to learn more about underbody diffuser, this car is definitely use an underbody diffuser, because those large spliter at front&huge rear wing will be useless without an underbody diffuser..
can everybody or anybody give me an internet address or any literature so i can learn more about underbody diffuser, with picture will be better:)
thanks a lot anyway for everybody...
peace&please regards this monster, becase a ferrari has a massive speed caused by its 5000cc engine, so does the mustang, and this car, 2700cc engine and almost a thousand horse power..can you imagine how bad the engineer working on this car..so give your respect!!
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