Planet Soarer Videos

Karl Hardy came over to Adelaide for two magazine photo shoots and a dyno day. We went for a drive and shot some amateur videos.

DSCF0013.AVI (2mb) I was supposed to say "go" then press the record button - got that bit wrong! Then half way through the clip I have a nervous glance over the shoulder to make sure I don't get run over!

January 2003

Now for some big videos - I uploaded these with my 56k modem that only connects at 33k, so downloading them for you with one of those download programs that has resume on your fancy broadband connection has got to be easier than me uploading the stupid things!

Three Kings

left to right: The most powerful manual JZZ30 (Emanuel), most powerful UZZ32 (me), most powerful JZZ30 auto (Wayne).

02011003.AVI (4.34 mb) Emanuel (240 rwkW or 320 rwhp - ALSC dyno champion) was in Adelaide recently and Wayne and I met up with him for a bit of a cruise.
Wayne and I decided to show the most powerful Soarer in the ALSC a bit of roll-on action.
We were cruising along at 40 km/hr side by side - Wayne has the camera pointed at Emanuel,
After 2 seconds of cruising I nail it, get the kick down to first gear - right in the meat of cams - and we're off. We got the jump on Emanuel and it's all me me me me me.
The next 3 seconds I am in control, powering ahead, TT eating my V8 dust!
You can just see the shadow of Emanuel's car as I power away.
Then things start to happen.
Wayne and I hear some terrible terrible noises - some bad noises, frightening yet familiar noises - the dreaded Turbo Spool. 3 seconds later Emanuel has overcome the gap and is in front - he went by like a sling shot!
Pretty soon Wayne and I lost sight of him as he disappeared beyond the curvature of the Earth. You can hear Wayne laughing; "Nearly got 'im that time Pete!" - yeah thanks Wayne......

soarerbraking.zip (725 kB) So Wayne and I come up with a cunning plan to show Emanuel that he can't have everything his own way. Emanuel has the basic TT - no ABS and no Active suspension. He has big Supra brakes, I have TT sized slotted rotors etc, he has to save his tyres for the big Nullarbor trip tomorrow, I can just stand on it and let the ABS do the rest - I win!

Uzz32overtakeMny.zip (2.6 mb) Next we take Emanuel down some twisty road he has never seen, I stuff it up the inside, here my V8 growl as it whisks past. Emanuel has custom coilovers, I have Active suspension. We both agreed the cars were a lot different in the handling (we changed cars later). I zipped it because I used an AVI edit program and it didn't turn out quite the way I wanted- the zip made it smaller so away we go.

Two Soarers (me and Steve) going for a drive - shot from inside the Twin Turbo manual with 180 rwkw (240 rwhp). 60 seconds long. Watch the TT smok'em off the line and power up the mountain - the glorious high power TT leaves all in its wake - sounds super sexy. The in car camera shows the TT corner with maximum attitude, tyres squealing all the way up the mountain, the manual gearbox working overtime getting the most out of the high powered Twin turbos screaming to 7000 rpm. An aural and visual delight. Steve drove all the way from Geelong to see this road (my home track!) for the first time.

ActiveandTTcircleWork.mpg (3mb) This is a small clip from 2 hours of Japanese technical video that shows an Active UZZ32 Soarer being lovingly built in a clean room by highly trained Japanese technicians with white gloves. The video then moves on to the test ground to show how excellent the TT and regular V8 model is for handling and top speed.

Then trumpets sound and angels bring the UZZ32 Flagship Soarer down which then proceeds to make the lesser Soarers look very ordinary with its far superior handling and steering.
I love this video!

Of course everyone knows my favourite part is the big circle.
Take one hot as hell fast and furious 5 speed manual Twin Turbo and a stock UZZ32 Active Soarer. Put a race driver with all the gear in the TT and Mr Casual in the Active.
Send them both out to a big circle on a skid pan.
Make them go around and around. Have in car cameras for both and a couple of cameras outside to catch all the action.

There is Mr Casual in the Active, elbow out the window, sucking down a fag, two fingers on the steering wheel, "Girl from Ipanema" playing on the stereo, chuckling to himself and offering encouragement to the struggling TT behind him.

Then cut to a far shot - the Active looks like is is only doing about 15 km/hr - so smooth, rock steady, zero body roll, just tootling around. Then you see the TT behind him, leaning right over, the outside front wheel taking all the weight and squealing and smoking - this gives a indication of the true speed.

Cut to the TT race driver, both hands on the wheel, white knuckles in plain view, swearing in Japanese - "Aaaaeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaeeeeee - awwwwwwwwwwaAAAAAAAAAeeeeeee" - furiously working the steering wheel with both hands desperately trying to keep the TT within sight of the Active.

The Mr casual Active driver relentlessly goes faster and faster much to the chagrin of the TT driver. Now the TT is full on sideways, both rears smoking trying desperately to keep the Active in sight - it is a fruitless battle though - no Soarer ever made can come close to keeping up with an Active. Finally the TT spins out of control and disappears into the bushes. Mr Casual Active driver shakes his head, another hotshot TT driver has bitten the dust.

Did I mention that I LUUURRRVVVE this bit?
That is why "Girl from Ipanema" strikes terror into the heart of every TT driver.
We don't have the full version available for download - Steve Cheetham is sticking the whole thing on CD so hang on for that one.

But since every Soarer owner should see this bit here is a small 3 mB preview to keep you all going (no sound) - Enjoy!

Wednesday 20th November 2002

Andy fired up his Supercharged Soarer and gutsy Lam Tram was there to record it for prosperity. Car started first time after sitting around for 3 weeks - this is the first day the car has been outside with the blower, mild 3 psi pulley.

Andy passing by for the crowd - car sounds great! (Andypassing.mpg 798 kB)

I have a UZZ32 like Andy - no way does it ever never smoke the tyres taking off - and he only has 3psi! (andy burnin rubber.MPG 415 kB)

On the dyno (1.2 mB, Blowerdyno.mpg)

Thursday 19th September 2002

Now these aren't any fancy 900 hp videos from Japan - just regular people doing regular stuff with their Soarers. I reckon there is a bit of interesting stuff in each of them. But really this is pretty much Soarer diehards only....If you have your own Soarer video then sure I would like to see it - let me know what you have. If you have it hosted somewhere on the web already then that's great - I'll link it.

This started out as a scientific exercise dealing with handling, AFR and throttle position, ABS pitching, standard Auto Trans change times and shift points but quickly degenerated into nothing of the sort. Most of them are in the 700 - 800 kB range. Work best full screen, speakers and sub woofer cranked in a dark room :) This was done using a tripod set up in the middle back footwell of the car. Sony Mavica with floppy disk - max 15 sec videos. Elastic straps around headrest and to bottom seat belt anchors to keep it all steady - I'd reach behind and feel the start button with my left to start. Had to edit out my hairy arm pushing the button every time so I used a shareware mpg edit program that worked a treat: honestech mpeg editor http://www.honestech.com/freedown.html the mpeg editor is limited to 5 minutes - more than enough for my little web videos.
	FreestyleSm.mpg 19-Jul-2002 00:29 882k You know what's like, building a bridge, moving a fridge, sometimes after some hard testing you just want to turn up the stereo, put the boot in and zoom past a Rex (video ran out just before that last part). I can't think of any technical points for this last video - perhaps you can find some for me! On the touch screen TV is the ventilation controls.
	LeavingBridgewaterSm.mpg > 19-Jul-2002 00:33 740k Ahh - know for some mood videos. Note the open loop 10 LED AFR go full rich with the kickdown, the change point and change time at 125 km/hr - you can see the dash revs and speed. Stick it on full screen. This will be the Before shift kit video. I now have two LED meters one for each oxygen sensor on each bank - only cost $14 each to make. I took the signal form the wiring loom going into the ECM. (it's not ECU - Toyota call it a module, not a unit).
From the Battered Sav.
	This is my old exhaust - since updated with headers. Mvc-281w.mpg mpeg of me giving it heaps. (793 kb) The idle is still nice and quiet. Being a movie producer you try to give specific instructions to the film crew (that's Andrew my brother) about how you want the shot framed. Ooh no, he wants his new Falcon in the shot and my Australian safety boots! It's so hard to get good help.....
Cornering on 18 inch rims
	MVC-205W.mpg Tiny bit of sideways action Active UZZ32 stays flat!
In these next videos I have taken the 18 inch wheels and tyres off and replaced them with the standard 16 inch wheels and 225 tyres. The 18 inch wheels make an average driver like me look good. The 16's were so much different to the 18's, the car didn't grip nearly as well and was sliding all over the place - not nearly as fast around the corner as the 18's - chalk and cheese. Here my nephew Steven is doing the filming - the first mpg (not here) I assumed he was fearing for his life as the car slid everywhere - I had given him strict instructions to continue filming no matter what happened! (and he did...) he doesn't seem to have a concept of fear! I took him for a drive that makes girls squeal and men grunt and it was all so hohum to him.... :) Cornering on 16 inch rims
	MVC-350W.MPG A neat run with the 16's on - didn't over do it and got around alright - slower than the 18's but still ok. The movies with massive understeer and massive oversteer didn't make the cut.
	Stock UZZ32 Soarer Cornering (only 474kB) A stock UZZ32 Soarer with stock 16 inch wheels and tyres is an amazing car from the Factory. With Toyota Active Suspension and 4 Wheel steer, anti lock brakes and traction control with yaw sensors, height sensors and acceleration sensors, it is one of the safest and easiest cars to drive. A limited edition of only 873 ultra expensive models limited to the Japanese domestic market with 700 of them manufactured in 1991. Body roll is virtually non existent.
From Richard Wang
	2ndlight.mpg (350 kB) In the US they have analog dials on the dash and a louder standard exhaust - Richard has Magnaflow mufflers fitted.