Apart from being desolate and decidedly saline, the Bonneville salt flats in Utah are best known for being a suitable haunt for the likes of rocket-propelled land speed record-seeking cars and their like. Now, the chaps at Suzuki have decided to have a crack at the salt track….with a Kizashi.
Although the company’s provisio for the Kizashi is primarily to take on such sporty saloons as the Subaru Impreza four-door and Mitsubishi’s Lancer, the stylish newcomer hasn’t escaped the attentions of those with a penchant for outrageous tuning and modifications – remember Road Race Motorsport’s 217 kW Kizashi Turbo Concept?
Now Suzuki is looking to go one better by handing the Kizashi over to Richard Holdener and Tom Habrzyk of Advanced Product Engineering for a spot of salt flat-friendly modification. Although the car has received the requisite aerodynamic aids (you’ve got to like those streamliner wheels) and plenty of cooling ducts, the stock 2,4-litre petrol engine has been retained. Before you do a double-take, it has to be stressed that the motor does come with a Turbonetics turbocharger generating 20 psi of boost to squeeze a remarkable 373 kW from the little 4-cylinder unit. A new clutch and pressure plate, as well as a new 3,5-inch exhaust pipe and roll cage are among the other accoutrements.
This one-off Kizashi model will hit the Bonneville salt flats on August 14 with Road & Track magazine’s Sam Mitani at the helm. Competing in the Blown Gas category (read turbocharged petrol engine), Mitani hopes to pilot the Kizashi to the 322 km/h benchmark in that segment.
The standard Suzuki Kizashi is destined for the local market by the beginning of next year.
