Performance Trends

The Ultimate Viper: GTS-R"R-Code" was Ford-speak for a factory race car in the mid-'60s, when the designation adorned 427-enhanced Fairlanes and the competition-ready Shelby GT-350s. In the '90s, Ford has reapplied the "R" to its race versions of the Mustang Cobra, and now there's another R-car in the works: Our sources report that Dodge will have its own race-spec car when the '96 Viper GTS coupe hits the showrooms next year.

Called the GTS-R, this competition version of the Viper coupe will pack a minimum of 420 horsepower, be shorn of the few comfort items Vipers are allotted, and accommodate its occupants with lightweight racing seats and a full rollcage. Carbon-fiber body pieces and modified suspension components will also be used.

Because the Viper GTS is styled similarly to the world-beating, early-'60s Shelby Cobra Daytona coupe, it seems Dodge is determined to give its asp-kicker a similar heritage. Rumors abound of a race-spec series built around the GTS-R, of which approximately 30 are planned to be built and offered for about $175,000 apiece. It'd make a helluva Indy 500 race car, as well.

Give Us LightWhile few enthusiasts give any thought to a car's lighting, the Robert Bosch Corporation has made it its business, and its latest thinking on the subject offers fascinating insight into future motoring.

Though today's headlights invariably point straight ahead, cars aren't always headed in that direction. And sometimes neither high nor low beams are appropriate for a specific environment. The idea behind Bosch's Intelligent Lighting System is to create adaptive light patterns that cast the right amount and shape of light for particular driving situations. For instance, during a right-hand turn more light to the right makes sense, and during high-speed travel an elongated pattern will better illuminate the roadway in front of the car.

Bosch's prototype intelligent headlamp features eight separate bulbs in eight reflectors that can be individually turned on and off to generate the appropriate beam patterns. Those patterns can be determined by a computer in the car analyzing such inputs as speed, steering angle, weather-condition sensors, and ambient light, or can be manually selected by the driver. The number of possible patterns would be limited only by the quantity of lighting elements and the computer's programming.

According to Bosch Director of Sales Fritz Wilke, what holds back development of adaptive systems is the lack of legal guidelines; however, manufacturers in both North America and Europe are anticipating legal acceptance.

This isn't the first time these possibilities have been explored: Remember the '47 Tucker's center-mounted auxiliary headlight that pivoted in concert with the direction of the front wheels?

Performance Test:J&M Performance F-150 LightningThe current Ford full-size pickup has been pretty much unchanged mechanically since 1980; despite styling upgrades, it feels old and, worst of all, its archaic swing-arm front suspension (the famously rugged Twin I-Beams) arcs through a greater camber change than a palm tree in a hurricane.

Still, J&M Performance was undeterred when it spent about $22,500 enhancing the capabilities and appearance of a '94 F-150 Lightning. Functionally, the improvements consist of high-ratio roller rockers, a Vortec supercharger, Bell Tech dropped I-beams, 18-inch diameter Center Line wheels wrapped in 255/45ZR18 front and 285/40ZR18 rear Continental all-weather tires, a custom exhaust, and the independent rear suspension and disc brakes from a late-model Thunderbird.

The most remarkable change J&M has wrought is making the blocky Ford appear almost sleek. Credit goes to Thom Taylor's paint design, and Santini Paint Werks, which in addition to laying on the color, performed miracles with custom bodywork. Mounting flush door handles, smoothing the cowl area, removing the drip rails, filling the taillight area and bed stake holes, integrating a rear roll pan with taillights, and a custom grille are all subtle modifications, but their combined effect is stunning. Only the truck's small window area betrays its ancient design.

Ford did an excellent job with the Lightning's engine, incorporating its best GT40 intake and cylinder heads. Still, its response to supercharging was remarkable. The nearly 2.5-ton truck burned the quarter mile in only 14.4 seconds at 100.5 mph. That's neck-and-neck with recent Camaro Z28s, and more than a full second faster than a stock Lightning. Credit should also go to the Flowmaster mufflers, which added deep bass audio satisfaction to the increased thrust. The engine was also helped in this test by the crispest-shifting Ford AOD-E transmission we've tried yet.

Unfortunately, the suspension changes aren't as successful as the engine hot-rodding. Ford maxed out the old truck's chassis with the Lightning, and it would take resources far greater than J&M's to fully optimize the T-bird rear underpinnings in this application. However, the lowered stance, increased tire footprint, and rear disc brakes significantly improved braking performance-the 60-0-mph distance dropped 15 feet from stock. Also, except for a bit of tire rub up front, the suspension changes apparently had no deleterious effects whatsoever. Ride quality, in fact, seemed a bit better than stock.

The J&M Lightning bluntly illuminates the limitations of the Ford light-truck chassis. The good news is that there's a new Ford truck coming this winter with an all-new A-arm front suspension; a truck designed to compete effectively in the full-size sport-truck market.

Weekend ProjectFord V-8 Intake Manifold InstallationEmissions and fuel-economy standards, plus a performance-hungry marketplace, have forced today's engines to be amazingly efficient. But engine intake and exhaust continue to be compromised. Concerns about noise levels, cost, and ease of assembly often leave car- and truckmakers with little choice but to reduce power production-which is why exhaust and intake systems thrive in the aftermarket.

As long as the parts are correctly designed, installing an aftermarket intake manifold and throttle body is a remove-and-replace operation. The big concerns are making sure that the fuel and electrical lines are adequate and correctly routed, that the throttle linkage continues to work smoothly, and that all necessary sensors for the engine-control computer are hooked up. Use of the proper gaskets and sealants is also a prerequisite for trouble-free operation.

Edelbrock's new Performer Manifolds ($755.95 suggested retail) for Ford 5.0- and 5.8-liter truck V-8s use a modular design with a separate base and a plenum with a removable cover to allow access to the runners for modification. Edelbrock's dyno tests indicate that its 50-state-legal manifold gained 34 pound-feet of torque over stock on a 5.8-liter engine and also broadened the power range. For even better performance, Edelbrock suggests pairing the manifold with either its 56- or 61-millimeter Twin Throttle Bodies ($419.95). The 56-millimeter unit, for instance, can provide 20 percent better flow than the stock 50-millimeter throttle body. Contact Edelbrock Corp., 2700 California St., Dept. MT, Torrance, CA 90503; 310/782-2900.

Performance TestEibach/Momo Civic SiFirst off, we'd lose the ketchup-and-mustard graphics job; it makes the Eibach/MOMO Civic Si look like a companion piece to the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile. But when a car hustles through the slalom at 71.5 mph, we can excuse its goofy looks.

Handling is this Civic's forte-spot a corner and it turns in almost before the steering wheel is touched. These catlike instincts are the result of Eibach Pro-Kit springs (which lower the car by about an inch), Eibach's larger-diameter front and rear anti-roll bars and strut tower brace, a Road-Race Autosport SoloBar (which connects the rear strut towers), Koni shocks, and a set of 205/50ZR16 Yokohama AVS tires around MOMO wheels. The 0.95g orbit on the skidpad and 71.5-mile slalom blast were enough to pull the stitches out of our test driver's latest hernia sutures. However, ride quality deteriorates over rough surfaces to a slap-on-the-coccyx-with-a-2x4 level.

The Eibach/MOMO Civic's quarter-mile estimated time is better than stock by almost a full second due to a Racing Sports Akimoto intake, DC Sports header, MOMO exhaust, and Dinan computer chip. Power and noise are up, making the engine just about equal to the old stock Nissan Sentra SE-R's-and not beyond that.

Inside, MOMO has packed in its thigh-punishing Corsa sport seats and some carbon-fiber-looking bits.

So much performance can be added to a Civic before its functionality is hurt, that it's easy to understand why we can't go 10 minutes here in California without seeing a modified one bounce by. But unless you're 16, don't put mustard on yours.

SourcesJ&M Performance3130 Skyway Dr., Ste. 408Dept. MTSanta Maria, CA 93455800/760-0736

Eibach Springs15311 Barranca ParkwayDept. MTIrvine, CA 92718714/727-3700

MOMO U.S.A., Inc.2100 NW 93rd Ave.Dept. MTMiami, FL 33172305/593-0493