SEMA show: Toyota C-HR goes ballistic

NOT content with dishing up a one-off 354km/h LandCruiser at last year’s Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show in Las Vegas, Toyota this year has produced a pimped C-HR small SUV show car capable of blowing the wheels off your average supercar.

Produced on Toyota’s behalf by Californian race team and car modification specialist Dan Gardner Spec, the C-HR R-Tuned belts out 447kW of power and 750Nm of torque, and is said to be faster around California’s Willow Springs International Raceway than cars such as the McLaren 650S Spyder, 911 GT3 RS and Nismo GT-R.

The vehicle – billed as “the world’s fastest crossover utility vehicle (CUV)” – can round up 100km/h in about 3.0 seconds and generate up to 1.7g of lateral force in the corners.

But do not rush down to your Toyota dealership just yet – the C-HR R-Tuned has been built just for SEMA where crazy is the norm from global car-makers.

It is one of 18 cars to be displayed by Toyota at the Las Vegas show this year.

Others include a flock of new Camrys revved up by Toyota NASCAR drivers and the C-HR Beat Box that allows passengers to belt out their own drum tracks by touching points inside the car.

The undoubted star of the Toyota stand will be the C-HR R-Tuned with its huge – and hugely effective – rear wing that helps to generate more than 130kg of downforce at speed.

The vehicle was masterminded by Dan Gardner, a three-time United States road racing champion and Toyota works driver.

In all, Toyota lists 46 modifications to the C-HR, most of them taken directly from the race track.

The developers stripped out the standard 1.2-litre turbo four-cylinder engine and replaced it with a beefed up 2.4-litre 2AZ-FE four-cylinder engine – as used in the previous-generation Camry – fitted with a humungous Garrett turbo, custom intercooler, high-performance exhaust, cold air intake, race electronics and dozens of other modifications.

To keep the engine from flying into a million bits, it gets forged conrods, forged pistons, stainless steel intake valves, race valve springs and race bearings.

The standard continuously variable transmission (CVT) is replaced by a five-speed manual gearbox from Toyota’s transmission arsenal. Unlike the engine, the gearbox has stock internals.

Race suspension, fat 18-inch alloy wheels with Toyo RR 275/35R18 race tyres, and race brakes with 355mm front discs and four-piston callipers also aid performance.

Apart from the big rear wing, the C-HR gets an adjustable front splitter on a race-style front air dam and side skirts.

A roll cage and six-point race harnesses complete the fit-out in the stripped-out cabin.

The 2017 SEMA show started yesterday at the Las Vegas Convention Centre and runs until November 3.