VMAX the Legend continues…

CONCEPT

During the late 90’s Yamaha’s VMAX project team started to work on the rebirth of a legend. The team understand just how special the original VMAX is to its owners – as well as those fans who admired the bike without ever riding one. The project team identified a set of four goals that would enable them to create a worthy successor to the legendary original model.

Awesome acceleration feeling together with strong performance
Distinctive, precise and sharp handling
A sophisticated chassis with unique bodywork

With these main aims in mind, the development team have created an all-new powerful state-of-the-art 1,679cc V4 engine providing 200 PS and 166.8 Nm of torque combined with Yamaha’s finest and latest electronic engine control technology such as YCC-I and YCC-T. We’ve also created an all-new low-profile diamond-type frame, which uses the engine as a stressed member in order to deliver the right balance of rigidity, which makes for excellent straight line stability – together with precise and sharp levels of cornering. All packed in a head-turning and forceful appearance.

Owners of the original model – as well as newcomers to the VMAX world – can be sure that the new VMAX delivers an unforgettable combination of innovation and acceleration.

The new VMAX stays true to the philosophy of the genuine hot-rod. Imagine yourself gripping the drag bars and feeling the mega-wide 200/50 R18 rear tyre transfer all the V4’s incredible 200 PS and 166.8 Nm of throbbing torque to the ground – it’s got to the ultimate adrenaline ride. We are proud to say the VMAX is back!

   

   SPECS

It's a genius idea − unite a hi-tech 1,670cc V-twin with an aluminium sports frame and cutting-edge suspension and brakes − and you've got a sports riding revolution.

Engine type	Liquid cooled, 4-stroke, DOHC, 4-valve, V-type 4-cylinder
Engine Cooling	Liquid cooled
Displacement	1,679cc
Bore & Stroke	90.0 x 66.0 mm
Compression ratio	11.3:1
Maximum output	200.1PS / 9,000 rpm
Maximum torque	166.8Nm / 6,500 rpm
Lubrication system	Wet sump
Fuel system	Fuel injection
Starter method	Electric
Clutch type	Wet, multiple-disc
Ignition system	T.C.I
Transmission system	Constant mesh, 5-speed
Final transmission	Shaft drive
Primary/Secondary reduction ratio	1.509/3.082
Gear ratios	1st gear=2.375, 2nd gear= 1.81, 3rd gear= 1.4, 4th gear= 1.115, 5th gear = 0.935
Fuel tank volume	15 litres
Engine oil volume	5.9 litres

Aluminum, Diamond-shaped
Suspension (Front/Rear)	Telescopic fork/Swingarm
Wheel travel (Front/Rear)	120/110 mm
Caster angle	31°
Trail	148 mm
Brake Type (Front/Rear)	Dual Hydraulic disc Ø 320 mm/Single Hydraulic disc brake Ø 298 mm
Tyre Size (Front/Rear)	120/70 R18M/C (59V)/  200/50 R18M/C (76V)

Overall Length x Width x Height	2,395 x 820 x 1,190 mm
Seat height	775 mm
Kerb weight	310 kg
Wheelbase	1,700 mm
Minimum ground clearance	140 mm
Service weight	310 kg

1679cc V4 , FI engine.
YCCI.
YCCT.
Slipper Clutch.

Fully adjustable 52mm inner tube F.fork with black oxidized titanium coating.

Aluminium cast frame.

Speed / Tach meter with shift timing indicator.

18-Inch Front tyre.
320mm floating double wave disk.
Monoblock 6pistons caliper.
ABS.

18-Inch Rear tyre.
298mm wave disk.
ABS.

LED tail light.

OEL Multifunction display.

LAMBORGHINI PREPARES TO UNVEIL ITS FASTEST CAR EVER........

We all knew the 2013 Geneva Auto Show would be bringing us something special from Automobili Lamborghini SpA, in fact the entire 2013 year will be special for the Sant'Agata based factory as it is celebrating 100 years of innovation in 50 years ... being founded in 1963 the company is exactly 50 years old, and that calls or a special celebration.

In May we will see the amazing Giro in and around Sant'Agata, bringing together hundreds of Raging Bulls to enjoy a once in a lifetime event bringing together both owners and enthusiasts as a tribute to one of the most coveted car builders ever, the late Ferruccio Lamborghini just didn't take no for an answer and created what we now know as one of the most innovative makes on the exotic car market ... or as Stephan Winkelmann, current CEO and director of the company puts it :'always different, always Lamborghini'.

Back to the 2013 Geneva Auto Show that will open its doors in a few weeks, usually the stand holds three models, this time we can be fairly sure there will be a MY2013 Aventador LP700-4 with the optional Dione wheels and carbon fiber pack next to the brand new Aventador LP700-4 Roadster, the current flagship V12 convertible ... that has a delivery delay of 18 months by now, while being unveiled only months ago.

But the third model should draw all the attention this time ... a lot of talk has been going round the last few weeks, some sources mention an upgraded LP720-4 evolution as a 50th Anniversary edition, with 20 hp more than the regular models, finished in a special color and with modified bumpers ... in line with the magnificent Diablo SE30 ... and if we take a look at both the 30th and the 40th Anniversary models I think we'll be seeing a custom interior for the 50th Anniversary Aventador edition too.

Earlier Anniversary edition Raging Bulls like the Diablo and Murciélago derivatives were always built in a very limited, numbered edition, the Diablo SE30 was made 150 times, the Murciélago 40th Anniversary was limited to 50 units ... on the other hand the Countach 25th Anniversary was initially intended as a limited edition too, but it left the factory doors 657 times, so we can hardly call it limited now can we.

According to the Lamborghini design director Filippo Perini the 50th Anniversary edition model will be extremely limited, we first heard numbers like 100 units of an Aventador LP710-4, later we learned from an interview with Mr Perini in Miami production would be limited to less than 10 units of something truly special ... naturally with a price to match ... and Mr Perini mentioned most of them were already sold right now ... as usual I guess, the Sesto Elemento was also already sold out by the time Mr Winkelmann announced the limited production of 20 units.

What we did learn from the interview with Filippo Perini is the fact this special edition Lamborghini will be the fastest ever made ... which isn't so hard if you think about it. The current Aventador LP700-4 puts 350 Km/h down as the top speed ... which is the fastest production Lamborghini ever right now ... add 20 or more hp and drop some weight and you will no doubt end up with a Bull that's even faster ... instantly making it the fastest Lamborghini ever made.

You might ask why Lamborghini wants to create such a car in so little numbers ... the answer is as simple as it is logical ... to shock the world as Mr Perini states, and just in case you are wondering about it ... Lamborghini director of research and development Maurizio Reggiani confirmed this new car will be completely street legal, unlike the Sesto Elemento that is a track only car ... and Lamborghini still managed to sell all 20 units of the latter one at a staggering €1.9 million ($2.5 million) a pop.

So despite the economic problems still being around for most of us, there is no shortage of avid fans that can spend a lot of money on a very special car like a limited edition, wild looking Lamborghini ... just look back at the 2012 Geneva Auto Show when they showed the one of a kind Lamborghini J ... the most aggressively styled Aventador yet impressed ... not let's make that 'shocked' the world ... it even overshadowed the competition with their FF at the time. Still it was sold the same day it was unveiled to the VIP invited to the evening show, for a solid €2 million ... and to make things even more impressive ... they had three people ready to pay this amount right there.

So whatever Automobili Lamborghini SpA will unveil in Geneva this years, I'm sure it will sell like hot cakes ... if they make only 10 and put a price tag of €1 million on it I just know it will be sold out before it hits the stand in Geneva ... just look at the Reventón ... same price, even higher production ... and sold out from the start ... history is bound to repeat itself.

Mr Reggiani did state it will not be a totally new model, but more a radical evolution of an existing model, and I sure hope it will remain true to the anniversary models of the past and be based on the V12 flagship model ... so an Aventador 50th Anniversary edition ... and according to Stephan Winkelmann they will continue to invest in special edition cars, he stated: "One-offs and low volume special editions are part of Lamborghini's DNA – they allow us to be purists."

I'm really looking forward to seeing this car in Geneva in a few weeks ... if all goes as planned I will once again be at the press conference on March 5th ...

FUEL INJECTION SYSTEMS

Single-point or throttle body injection (TBI)
The earliest and simplest type of fuel injection, single-point simply replaces the carburetor with one or two fuel-injector nozzles in the throttle body, which is the throat of the engine’s air intake manifold. For some automakers, single-point injection was a stepping stone to the more complex multi-point system. Though not as precise as the systems that have followed, TBI meters fuel better than a carburetor and is less expensive and easier to service.


Port or multi-point fuel injection (MPFI)
Multi-point fuel injection devotes a separate injector nozzle to each cylinder, right outside its intake port, which is why the system is sometimes called port injection. Shooting the fuel vapor this close to the intake port almost ensures that it will be drawn completely into the cylinder. The main advantage is that MPFI meters fuel more precisely than do TBI designs, better achieving the desired air/fuel ratio and improving all related aspects. Also, it virtually eliminates the possibility that fuel will condense or collect in the intake manifold. With TBI and carburetors, the intake manifold must be designed to conduct the engine’s heat, a measure to vaporize liquid fuel. This is unnecessary on engines equipped with MPFI, so the intake manifold can be formed from lighter-weight material, even plastic. Incremental fuel economy improvements result. Also, where conventional metal intake manifolds must be located atop the engine to conduct heat, those used in MPFI can be placed more creatively, granting engineers design flexibility.



Sequential fuel injection (SFI)
Sequential fuel injection, also called sequential port fuel injection (SPFI) or timed injection, is a type of multi-port injection. Though basic MPFI employs multiple injectors, they all spray their fuel at the same time or in groups. As a result, the fuel may “hang around” a port for as long as 150 milliseconds when the engine is idling. This may not seem like much, but it’s enough of a shortcoming that engineers addressed it: Sequential fuel injection triggers each injector nozzle independently. Timed like spark plugs, they spray the fuel immediately before or as their intake valve opens. It seems a minor step, but efficiency and emissions improvements come in very small doses. 



Direct injection
Direct injection takes the fuel injection concept about as far as it can go, injecting fuel directly into the combustion chambers, past the valves. More common in diesel engines, direct injection is starting to pop up in gasoline engine designs, sometimes called DIG for direct injection gasoline. Again, fuel metering is even more precise than in the other injection schemes, and the direct injection gives engineers yet another variable to influence precisely how combustion occurs in the cylinders. The science of engine design scrutinizes how the fuel/air mixture swirls around in the cylinders and how the explosion travels from the ignition point. Things such as the shape of cylinders and pistons; port and spark plug locations; timing, duration and intensity of the spark; and number of spark plugs per cylinder (more than one is possible) all affect how evenly and completely fuel combusts in a gasoline engine. Direct injection is another tool in that discipline, one that can be used in low-emissions lean-burn engines.

TPI: Tuned Port Injection
Is the same system as MPFI, just for more cylinders and a fancier name.

Each basic system has one or more sub systems and that can get confusing.

If you want to be really thorough, and talk GM injection, you could mention the Cross Fire injection system, which was 2 TBI systems on a cross ram intake. Kinda cool really.

Also, as far as Tuned Port goes, from a purely "injector" point of view, it is a stright forward batch fire system. But that somewhat ignores the beauty of the TPI system. Namely, it's tuned length runners, which helped accentuate low end torque.

Also, in the truck world, there is CPI (Central Port Injection). It's sort of a hybrid of TBI and MPFI. It uses cental injector, like a TBI, but this time mounted down inside the intake manifold. Attached to the business end of the injectors is a platic tube assembly, that somewhat resembles a spider. Each leg of that spider runs right to a port where a mechanical poppet style injector is located. When an electrical (central) injector fires, it send pressurized fuel through the spider to the poppets, which open at a specified pressure. On a Vortec 350, there are 2 central injectors, and 8 poppets. It's a neat system that works quite nicely. There was also a varient of this system in the early '90s used on 4.3L V6s that used a tuned intake with an active valve, to change the runner lenghts.