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Black 'n' Blue
.....came out at 7.25 and 10.2 seconds respectively. 40-60 came up in 5.9 seconds, 40-80 in 15.1 and 60-80 in 9.2 - all in third gear, and approximately 3 seconds quicker through the range than a stock 1300S. Fuel consumption for the test period averaged out at 28'/2mpg, which included the test track thrash, many miles of rush hour traffic and a high speed trip up the motorway to Billing and back. Top speed was an indicated lOOmpn at 5750rpm.
The great thing about the X-Pack Fiesta is that it can be ordered brand new from any Rallye Sport dealer. If you were going for a similar spec as the test car, then this package would cost you just a shade over £1900 plus VAT and labour. This is broken down roughly as follows. £800 gets you the 1.6 engine, exhaust manifold, resonator box and oil cooler, £380 the complete suspension kit, £50 the larger diameter discs, £520 the wheels and tyres and £180 for the steering wheel, arches and spoilers. Taking a standard 1300 Fiesta at about £4100, an extra £2180 odd (including VAT) will see you with your own factory not rod. Mind you, you'll have to fit all the bits yourself at that price. Also of importance when using RS parts, is the fact that if you're using a new base vehicle, then your warranty is unaffected. There are Rallye Sport dealers throughout Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland; contact RS headquarters on South Ock-endon 3434 to find your nearest.
BLOWING IN THE WIND
The Turbo Tork car is mechanically very similar to the X-Pack, but is in addition fined with a turbocharger and higher gearing.
Starting with what is essentially the same car as the X-Pack then, the Turbo Tork offering, in addition, has a Garrett AiResearch turbocharger blowing through a Minnow Fish carburettor. In other words, the air is pumped into the carb, unlike a more conventional setup where the turbocharger is positioned between the carb and the engine and force-feeds the air/fuel mix into the combustion chambers. The 'charger runs a maximum boost pressure of lOlb and is coupled with a compression ratio of 7.5:1.
While the X-Pack car has the stock 3.84:1 ring and pinion gears, the Turbo Tork Fiesta is equipped with the 'Federal' spec 3.58:1. Higher gearing is also effectively achieved by the use of 14 inch diameter wheels - these being 6'/2 inch wide split-rim Compomotives shod with 195/60 P6s.
Visually, the car's something of a pseudo-racer with its split-rims and IMSA style arches. The arches and air dam are glassfibre mouldings, and were in fact designed by Bill Town - the man responsible for styling the Aston Martin Bulldog. Although the arches were actually a touch too wide than they needed to be on the test car, they certainly didn't look out of place. The air dam incorporates recesses for the number plate, and should you wish to run them, driving lights.
Whereas the 1600 X-Pack is a great town car and a good motorway car, the Turbo Tork Fiesta is just the opposite. Its long-legged characteristics are naturally due to the turbocharger and the higher gearing - Turbo Tork claim a top speed of 122mph (3) 6000rpm coupled to a bhp figure of 135 at the wheels. Unfortunately, a dodgey carburettor produced what appeared to be a fuel starvation problems at anything above an indicated lOOmph. The same problems were responsible for the poor fuel consumption - as low as 14 during the test track session, rising to 20 for mixed use - as well as the engine bogging occasionally when pulling from low revs in second. Presumably we were just unlucky, as Turbo Tork have been running the car in this form for 30,000 trouble-free miles.
The acceleration figures were impressive - there certainly aren't any other everyday cars that'll touch it. Using pretty much the same procedure as for the X-Pack, the Turbo Tork Fiesta clocked 0-50 in 6.3 and 0-60 in 8 seconds dead. This compares with the X-Pack's figures of 7.25 and 10.2 respectively. Naturally, a turbocharged car really shows its true colours higher up in the rev range when the boost comes on. Interestingly enough, the blow-through system didn't produce any turbo lag as such, and there was therefore little of the traditional stomach being wrapped around the spine sensation when things started to happen. No boost gauge was fined, but you could feel the turbo coming in at around 4000rpm. As an example of how the turbocharger works best at high revs, 40-60 in top was achieved in a somewhat slow 14.5 seconds, while the same speed range was covered in just 5.4 seconds in third gear. Sure it's going to be quicker in the lower gear anyway, but to such a degree? The remainder of the figures (X-Pack times in brackets) are 60-80 in top, 8.9 seconds (12.4), and 40-80 in third, 12.0 (15.1). All in all, quite an impressive little car.
So what does this piece of mini-exotica cost? A replica of the test car (less the electric windows, stereo and centre console) would set you back £7435 (plus £470 VAT on parts and labour) assuming that the base vehicle starts out as a 1300, or if a 1600 car can be obtained through Rallye Sport, this conversion then costs £956 less. If you want the electric windows, stereo and centre console, then you need an extra £440 plus VAT. Should you already have a Fiesta and feel that maybe it too could benefit from a turbo/carb conversion, then the guys at Turbo Tork will be happy to carry out the necessary work for £750. Contact them at 347 Finchley Road, London NW3 6ET. Tel 01-431 0280.
In summing up the Fiestas, it's very difficult to compare the two fairly as they aren't really in the same class performance and costwise. When it comes down to it though, it's a case of what you want and whether you can afford it!
Captions -
Middle - X striping and 1600 lettering says it all Turbo Tork car still had its 1.3 badge
Bottom - Latest Fiesta from Ford - the Firefly. Basically a 1300S with X-Pack spoiler and arches, 6 x 13 RS wheels and low profile tyres. 3000 are to be built
Clive Househam
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