Eco-Friendly 600 Horsepower Falcon Muscle Car Heading To AIMS
This year's Australian International Motor Show will host a handful of world-first unveilings.including the expected new models and show-car concepts. But there's also this: ZERO'D, a 600hp (450kW) beast billed as the world's f
Eco-Friendly 600 Horsepower Falcon Muscle Car Heading To AIMS
This year's Australian International Motor Show will host a handful of world-first unveilings.including the expected new models and show-car concepts.
But there's also this: ZERO'D, a 600hp (450kW) beast billed as the world's first eco-friendly custom-built muscle car.
Based on a 1967 Ford XR Falcon, ZERO'D is powered by a turbocharged 7.3 litre V8. Where does the 'eco-friendly' title come into the picture?
It's a stretch, but the claim comes from the car's 'zero emissions footprint' in construction, the use of reused and recycled components and its monster bio-diesel engine.
According to Green Homes Australia owner Mick Fabar, the man behind the ZERO'D project, this Aussie muscle car features numerous recycled and waste-material components in its build.
All of the car's external panels are second-hand, and the hand-stitched black leather interior trim comes from hide off-cuts and 'seconds' normally bound for the scrap pile.
Only a handful of new parts were used, such as the rubbers and glass, due to replacements not being available in appropriate condition.
The radiator and intercooler had to be specially made to suit the custom front end, while a low-emission base paint and tyres free from Distillate Aromatic Extract oils were also used.
The big Ford Powerstroke V8 engine is fueled by commercially available bio-diesel, reducing exhaust emissions by up to 70 percent.
"I did some research into biodiesel fuels and figured we should put that into a car and see what horsepower we could get. It really didn't cost anymore to build this car; it just required applying some basic principles," Fabar said.
The engine puts out a huge 450kW and 1000Nm of torque, and power is sent to the rear wheels through an Allison four-speed automatic transmission.
Fabar says the project took 11 months to plan and complete, working with Queensland's Bond University to monitor the 'zero footprint' carbon emissions of the production.
The 2012 Australian International Motor Show will be held at the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour and will open daily at 10am from October 19 to 28.
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