Project Saker: Tuning the Falcon Dynamo S+
Special thanks to @Chipskate for lending me the car.
Project Saker was the result of a plan to turn the svelte but soft Falcon Dynamo S+ into a harder-edged, track-ready supercar-baiter. Developed by the Northamptonshire-based Norwell Performance Systems, the program resulted in a car that could “take the fight to the 360 Modena, Tuscan Speed Six, and 911 GT3”, according to company owner and CEO Henry Norwell.
The project actually consisted of two upgrade kits. The SR (Sports Racing) package consisted of a comprehensive reimagining of the car, turning a boulevard cruiser into a trackday warrior. Out went the rear seats, stock five-speed gearbox, viscous LSD, 16-inch wheels, standard brakes, all-season tires and semi-active suspension; in went a lightweight sports interior with Recaro seats, a six-speed ZF close-ratio manual gearbox, a Quaife mechanical LSD, 18-inch forged magnesium wheels wrapped in low-profile Michelin Pilot Sport tires, larger Brembo brakes, and fully adjustable suspension at each corner, courtesy of Bilstein. In addition, the standard car’s rear wing and front splitter were replaced by carbon-fibre items.
The most significant changes, however, were to the engine. It was given a more aggressive cam profile, fitted with forged internals, and had its stock intake replaced with a set of individual throttle bodies. In addition, the stock exhaust system made way for a custom 2.25-inch dual exhaust with long-tube headers and straight pipes. Finally, the compression ratio was increased to 11.4:1 on 98RON super unleaded.
This resulted in 381 bhp @ 7200 rpm and 295 lb-ft @ 6200 rpm - well worth the reduction in fuel economy to 20.3 UK mpg (even less if the driver exploited all of the engine’s performance, which was more likely to occur than before since the powerband had now been shifted further up the rev range). Supercharging and turbocharging were not considered because Mr. Norwell wanted to preserve the sharp throttle response that could be achieved with a normally aspirated engine such as that which powered the Dynamo. Even so, with a specific output of just over 100 horsepower per liter, this engine felt like it belonged in a true supercar, which the Dynamo had effectively become thanks to the other upgrades it received, as described above.
Unsurprisingly, the performance gains were obvious and considerable. Top speed increased to 170 mph and the 0-60 time dropped to 4.90 seconds, while the car now weighed just 1380 kilograms. In addition, it could now pull 1.08 g on a 200m skid pad and lap the Top Gear Test Track in 1:22.46.
The ST (Sports Touring) package was very similar to the SR but retained the standard interior (complete with rear seats) and stock aero kit, while 17-inch cast alloy wheels were fitted the SR’s forged items. Also, it was fitted with adaptive dampers and progressive-rate springs. The extra weight of the ST meant that performance was reduced very slightly compared to the more extreme SR, but it was still very fast, and easier to live with thanks to the retention of the rear seats.
Norwell sold 500 each of both kits worldwide between 2001 and 2006. Many of the converted cars are still around to this day, and provide a refreshing, analog contrast to the turbocharged self-shifting banality that has since become commonplace.
In the words of Henry Norwell himself:
“In all its forms, Project Saker has delivered on its promise to transform the Falcon Dynamo S+ into a legitimate supercar rival. The extra power, combined with the reduced weight, upgraded mechanicals and retuned suspension have yielded something that can be wonderful on a track and yet remain enjoyable on the road. I proved this myself when I took one example each of our SR and ST Dynamos to some B-roads in Wales. That’s when I encountered a 360 Modena and 911 GT3, both of which I had benchmarked during the development process. Both Dynamos acquitted themselves well with their significantly improved performance, and in fact neither the 360 nor the 911 could shake off the Dynamos. All in all, it was a very satisfying encounter, and it helped put us on the aftermarket tuning map.”