Daihatsu Charade Turbo, A Tiny Car with Super Power
Friends looking for fuel-efficient cars will surely choose a compact-bodied car. However, performance will definitely be sacrificed as its speed will be very slow. Unlike the Daihatsu Charade Turbo which uses a reliable engine with monster power.
In 1982, Daihatsu participated in the Group B formula competition. At that time, major brands simultaneously created a small car with super power. Even though it only took the 1,300 cc class, Daihatsu proved itself in the competition and managed to penetrate the European market with its flagship car, the Charade Turbo.
Daihatsu Charade Turbo is Daihatsu's breakthrough in transforming the image of the compact Charade from a slow car into a small monster capable of running fast. The Daihatsu Charade is equipped with a CB60 engine and an IHI turbo.
Although this car's engine has a capacity of only 1,000 cc, the power produced can reach 68 horsepower for Daihatsu cars marketed outside Japan. Even cooler, cars for the Japanese market have a stronger power of up to 80 horsepower.
New Model Daihatsu Charade Turbo
In 1985, Daihatsu introduced the latest series of Charade at the Tokyo Auto Show. This car was named Daihatsu DeTomaso Charade 926R. This car is a variant of the DeTomaso Charade 926 Turbo which is the homologation version of the Group B rally championship.
The Daihatsu Charade 962R comes with a new design that caused quite a stir in the automotive world at that time. This car places the engine in the middle. This new design minimizes the moment of inertia that occurs. By placing the engine in the middle, it means distributing the weight on the left and right sides, making the car more balanced.
The engine used in the Charade 962R series is the CB70 Turbo Twincam 12 valve. Several modifications were made to the engine to increase power and performance while driving. Eventually, this car has a power of 120 horsepower with a torque of 147nm.
Daihatsu also provided double wishbone suspension for each wheel. This makes the car's handling more stable and responsive. Not only that, Daihatsu also used several car parts from well-known Italian automotive companies. For instance, Vitaloni for the mirrors, Carello for the fog lamp, 15x6JJ Campagnolo wheels, and Pirelli P700 tires.
In the interior, Daihatsu installed a shift knob and pedals from Momo, as well as Veglia indicators. They also wrapped the 350 mm diameter steering wheel in leather to make it more sporty. To keep its weight at 800 kg, this car is not equipped with AC and Audio.
Unfortunately, a tragedy on the Group B championship track in 1987 led to regulations halting the championship. This also affected the cessation of the production of the Daihatsu Charade 926R at that time. Fortunately, Daihatsu still retained the CB70 engine and continued it to the next Charade Turbo series, the G100 GTi.
Daihatsu Charade Turbo in Indonesia
The Charade Turbo entered the Indonesian market in 1986 after several non-turbo series had been present a few years earlier. At that time, the engine used was the CB23 with a capacity of 1,000 cc. The power that can be produced is 68 ps at 5500 rpm. The turbo series also uses 5 speeds, unlike the standard series which only has 4 speeds.
For the Indonesian market, this series is known as the Daihatsu Charade Turbo G11R. The car sold in Indonesia uses 4 + 1 doors (passenger and trunk). Unlike the series released in several other Asian countries and Europe which only provide 2 passengers and 1 trunk door. Until now, the Daihatsu Charade Turbo can still be found in usable condition.
Author: Rizkita Darajat
