Aurion Trd Joins The Police Force

[f-wolf]

Aurion TRD Joins the Police Force

24 Jul, 2007

The first few of the as yet unreleased Toyota Aurion TRD?s have already been snapped up by Queensland police taking 11 for highway patrol work. They will accompany a fleet of Aurion Sportivo V6s already in police paint.

The already potent 200kW 3.5L Quad Cam V6 engine has been fitted with a new Eaton twin-vortices supercharger packaged in Melbourne by Harrop Engineering. Final power output has not yet been revealed, however Toyota has commented that the ?TRD Aurion is quicker than expected?.

With the fuel efficiency of a V6 and power to worry a V8, the Aurion TRD is favourable among highway patrol applications due to its forgiving front wheel drive arrangement.

The TRD Aurion is confirmed to be released within the next four months, with the TRD Hilux scheduled for a November debut.

?Total engine performance is one of the key positives of the TRD Aurion package,?

TRD Australia chief engineer Stephen Castles says.

?The TVS unit has performed really well and definitely helped deliver the engine performance we need.?

[mbjunior99]

Through front wheel drive

[RIPGMH]

Looks the goods but no match for the red typhoons in QLD high way patrol

[LUMO]

NICE!!!

[Venom XR6]

They will be spending 10k+ extra for a car slower than a cheaper XR6T.

[saleen]

They will be spending 10k+ extra for a car slower than a cheaper XR6T.

How do you know it will be slower?

[mbjunior99]

Because it's toymota

[tmac450]

How do you know it will be slower?

Because, front wheel drives have a power limit before they become undrievable. As with the Mazda 3, the thing would have to restrict power down low so you can get off the line without using the gutter to keep it going forwards. Then try to get the thing through a corner with the power on. No thanks.

If it was 4WD, then that would be a different story.

[alereon]

Very nice looking car.

[benmwhite]

...this from earlier in the year....

Toyota's new performance sedan is one step closer to fruition with the TRD Aurion on display at the Melbourne International Motor Show.

Toyota Style Australia finalised the look of the TRD Aurion under the direction of exterior designer Lee Moran and interior designer Anthony Cheung. The exterior aesthetic took inspiration from Toyota's Formula One car. Those influences are most evident in the graphic of the front splitter, the wheel design and the 'diffuser'-style rear. Get the inside story straight from Lee in his video interview.

To continue the F1 theme, Mr Cheung said the team worked on performance-oriented styling with a European flavour. "The entire vehicle has a purposeful, high tech style with refinement and attention to detail. The graphic break-up on the steering wheel echoes the hand grip areas on the Toyota F1 wheel� he said.

The vehicle's seats suggest a styling evocative of a racing seat, with high lateral support and material changes that work with the driver. We have incorporated high-grip materials in key areas to brace the occupant. The interior is performance-focused, but in a very refined way." said Mr Cheung.

Toyota chief engineer Stephen Castles completed mechanical specifications for the vehicle, which include the use of a locally developed supercharger assembly. �At the planning stage of the TRD Aurion we analysed where best to spend our development dollars to give the maximum benefit to the TRD customer. The most immediate differences are the styling enhancements to the exterior and interior: but it's the dynamic performance of the TRD Aurion that really separates it from the standard vehicle. We have put a lot of effort into improving the engine performance and driveability, brake performance and vehicle handling. Most importantly, we concentrated on integrating all of the elements which impact on the driving experience into a balanced and agile vehicle package," he said.

TRD Aurion will boast a supercharged 3.5-litre dual VVT-I V6 engine that has been developed with a target of producing at least 235kW. Power will be transmitted via a six-speed automatic transmission and through multi-spoke 19-inch wheels. Upgrades to braking and suspension systems have also been incorporated.

Mr Castles explained that the vast majority of components developed for the TRD Aurion were sourced locally. �There is a great amount of experience and expertise within the local supplier base in developing and manufacturing performance products. Our engineering team has worked closely with a number of suppliers to develop designs, manufacture and evaluate prototype components and conduct on-vehicle evaluation. Two of these suppliers are Harrop Engineering, who developed the application of the Eaton TVS supercharger, and PBR, who developed an outstanding brake package for this vehicle."

Vital testing and integration of components was completed by Toyota with technical assistance from the Orbital Engine Company. "The work of Orbital Engine Company in testing our engine modifications and working with our calibration engineer to establish engine ECU mapping has been critical to the success of this project. "We see the collaboration with key local suppliers as crucial to maintaining the Toyota DNA of Quality, Durability and Reliability," said Mr Castles.

He said the TRD engineering team is made up of car enthusiasts who "embrace the additional freedoms of working on a niche vehicle when compared with mass-production vehicles".

Get the inside story on how TRD is changing the performance car market. Go behind the scenes.

The TRD Aurion is scheduled for launch in August 2007.