Friday 5th April 2002

Z100WR goes Bang?

We've heard reports that Tiff Needell has blown up one of the engines in the Tiger Z100WR (twin engined, 4WD Tiger). Allegedly he missed a gear whilst filming for Channel 5's fifth gear and over-revved one of the engines resulting in terminal damage.

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[danmangt40]

lol... blew up a car that had virtually no rolling mass.... hehe. must've bent the firewall with that throttle push or something...

[jedi]

Doesnt sound like Tiff at all (he he)
Wouldnt let him out in my car, put it that way.

[kevinday]

I thought the gearbox was sequential, and the two engines operated off one throttle? So, how did he miss a gear and only over-rev one engine? Sounds a bit strange to me.

[PetrolTed]

The gearboxes are sequential and operated by a 'T' like lever than allows you to change up and down both at once (or if you're made to operate them separately). It is possible for one shift not to work. Mr Needell couldn't get the hang of it apparently...

[grahambell]

I don't know - bloody motoring hacks....

[simonranson]

It was quite a mess after it happened! There was a 15cm hole in the side of the block with a conrod poking through!

We think the gear change on the front engine was missed and as a result it was 'pushed' past its rev limit by the back engine which was running in a higher gear.

An unfortunate and expensive 0-60 run!

In light of what happened I'm glad I didn't take my Z100 along for them to do the reversing record.

Simon

[GreenV8s]

quote:We think the gear change on the front engine was missed and as a result it was 'pushed' past its rev limit by the back engine which was running in a higher gear.

I guess it would be a bit tricky to combine the two rev limiters so both engines cut if either over-revs - but it sounds like that might have saved it. It's got to be a continuing risk with this sort of set-up, hasn't it?

[Toretto]

Tiff's the man!!

[gnomesmith]

The self same problem that John Cooper encountered driving the twin engined Mini on the A3.

Whilst the engine stayed in one piece the resultant imbalance threw the car through some iron railings and did him a load of no good.

Unlike the RWD Tiger Twin the 4WD has no mechanical link between the engines relying upon software. Perhaps it would be sensible to have a single gear change rather than a split lever.

[aph]

actually john cooper lost it due to a snapped steering linkage that replaced the steering rack on the rear subframe. twin engines can work as the electronic control of two or more engines being very very easy. Twin engines have even been used by big manufacturers such as vw in the 80's for the pikes race in the states.

[tuffer]

Seem to remember Mercedes did a twin engined A class and gave it to Mika Hakkinen. Pretty quick too....but still as ugly as sin !