日本語
The Autopolis International Racing Course in Oita Prefecture commands a view of nearby Mt. Aso. The low and powerful rumble of an engine emanated from one corner seems to be coming from an iQ. The iQ is a new type of microcar with a total length of just three meters and fun proportions that seem to be something out of a comic when viewed from the side. The car before our eyes, however, is quite different from what the advance reviews have dubbed a “premium compact.” That unexpected quality might be the origin of the “hot hatch.”
Unlike a high performance car designed as such from the outset, the hot hatch is based on an ordinary compact passenger car. When a souped-up compact car zips about, the exhilaration is something else. For this reason, the iQ lends itself perfectly to “seasoning.” The more adorable the car to begin with is, the more noticeable the difference is after it has been “seasoned.”
In addition, the iQ has a reputation for a refined ride that is completely unexpected of an ultra-compact vehicle. As long as you don’t look in the rear view mirror, you will be completely unaware of how short the car actually is. From the viewpoint of Toyota’s Hiromu “Top Gun” Naruse, however, “there is still plenty of room for seasoning.” So he directed his know-how towards the car as a sort of workout. This is the GAZOO version of iQ, unveiled at Autopolis.
“This has not been finished yet. There wasn’t enough time. This is just the start of deepening the flavor.” Naruse has long espoused the concepts of “anticipatory taste,” “real taste,” and “aftertaste.” First of all, the iQ has a great deal of “anticipatory taste,” as it is a car that Naruse finds interesting and has wanted to take for a spin since first seeing it. As a result, he wanted to apply his skills to the vehicle on Toyota’s Higashifuji test circuit.。
Let’s take hold of the steering wheel and experience the “real taste,” that is, let’s see how the vehicle actually handles. The key elements are the springs and dampers. They were readjusted according to Naruse’s preferences, the overall height was reduced slightly, and large-diameter, flat, 16-inch tires were fitted. Together with the body, seemingly drawn in an avant-garde calligraphy style with cut sheets, it creates a completely different and interesting impression.
“The height seems a bit lower, but it doesn’t make it a harder right. It feels more settled and steady. Tracing the surface of the road to give the passengers a stronger feeling of security is the true job of the suspension.”
It is certainly true that the sense of a “settled, steady” ride could be felt as soon as the car started moving. Even though it has an extremely short body, the iQ remains surprisingly level during rapid acceleration and braking and when flying through corners. Even when driving on uneven stone surface to simulate driving on a public road, the vibration is much less than expected.
The sudden movement of the vehicle from moment to moment is exhilarating. It may be thanks to the wider tires, but when the steering wheel is turned, the direction changes so sharply that the nose of the car seems to toss to one side. Even so, there is absolutely no sense of instability. This may be the result of extending the width (and tread) of the car to its maximum permissible range. Also, the suspension was tightened slightly to create a small pause when changing from one position to the next, resulting in stability at all times. This effect can be felt even more strongly when flying into a corner and applying the brakes. With a normal iQ, the stability of the rear would be a problem and it feels like it can’t do any more, but the GAZOO version seems able to hold its own as going into the corners, even under race conditions.
This type of tuning is at a more sophisticated level than basic changes. Just like in cooking, simply putting additional flavors is not enough; delicate adjustments are needed. It is here that Naruse’s decades of experience shines, enabling him to determine the best tuning almost at once. This only re-emphasized the high degree of perfection of the standard iQ. If the vehicle body is not just right, the balance would be upset with even a minor tightening of the suspension.
This all means that there may be more developments concerning the iQ that we can look forward to. There is a likely to emerge a “compact luxury car” that emphasizes its “premium” nature as well as a sports version, developed from this GAZOO model that accentuates agility and responsiveness.
“Actually, I want you to drive this iQ not just on a racetrack, but on ordinary roads as well. This is a specially modified vehicle for the racetrack, so it is anything but quiet. If you were to drive a quiet “seasoned” model, you would get a better feel for the tweaked suspension.” I’m looking forward to that very much.
It has truly been a treat. The “aftertaste” of the GAZOO version iQ is extremely pleasant.
Text by Shigeharu Kumakura
What is “Automotive Seasoning”?
- Part 1: Interview
- Part 2: Talk on “Automotive Seasoning”
- Part 3: Race Circuit Impressions
- Review of “Automotive Seasoning”
"Seasoning"
Round-table Discussion
