Michigan Motor Works presents the 2003 Redwood FireSport, the ultimate street truck.
Brand new for 2003 is the Roadrunner 4.6 liter DOHC V8 making 350 hp, replacing the old 5.5 OHV unit. Transmission choices include a five-speed sport manual gearbox and a four-speed automatic. Only a regular cab, short bed configuration is offered for the FireSport.
First, a message from your friend Joe Sumida,
How fast is Sumida G Max Gsport V8? How’s 950 Miles per hour? (Sounds like a lie)
Even “Joe Sumida” can’t resist to do the “Bullet catch” in this G Max Gsport V8.
Alright! Time to close the submissions, the winner has arrived!
26 mpg, 0-60mph in less than 5 seconds.
It’s the…
Asagao Sunflower
time to get binned for being too small
Powered by an 8L V10 engine, producing 413hp and 639nm, the Avatar GTX does indeed come with a strong heart and no fear… of sideswiping a tree that is. Offered with RWD and a manual 5 speed transmission as standard and available with 4WD and an automatic 5 speed transmission, any owner will find themselves one with their Avatar as they drive it. With a long bed, an optional tow hitch and a large engine, the Avatar also can be a hard worker and a utilitarian beast with a tow anything attitude. But when you want to have fun, just shut off the traction control, drop it down into first and put your foot down. Whether you want to perform a graceful slide, light up the tires or tow bulldozers, rest assured the Avatar GTX will not disappoint.
Yes, this is not a truck, more of a mini-ute. I messaged you and would be OK with a resub, based on the cab + bed needing to be a separated. That’s a true truck (at least in this competition.)
Arion Hercules 402S Extreme '03
Striking sports truck built specially for the US market.
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Introduced in 1990, the Arion Hercules was a step up for Arion into the American market. It was offered with 3L I6, 5L V8 or the largest V8 Arion had made ever: 8L V8. It was somewhat well-received, though the “smaller” I6 was more popular in the UK than USA.
For the year of 1999, a new special edition was released: Hercules 402S Extreme, a high-performance variant of the 8L V8 powered truck, featuring 402hp, 6-gear manual transmission, lower ride height, side-exhausts, sports bodykit, bonnet, and wing, as well as a geared differential. However later update in 2003 provided a minor boost to horsepower and overall quality.
It was by no means the fastest sport truck around, able to get to 157mph and a 0-60 in 5.7s was still quite astonishing for a close to 2-ton truck. Even as a sports truck, it could still haul 2221kg of load weight, and 1700kg of towing weight, whilst also achieving just under 16mpg (UK).
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(Collab with @AndiD for engineering!)
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Well damn, ok
So you want a work horse ? What about a work stallion ?
The mid-range 3.5L I6 has been reworked and been given a new breath with a turbo, and is now producing 440hp and 780 Nm of torque. Paired to a 5 speed manual and our All Wheel Drive System, the Apalache SXT can go from 0 to 100kph in less than 4.5 seconds, and flirt with speeds above 250kph. All while maintaining 11L per 100km.
Take a standard Franklin Marshall Overlander and transplant the 400bhp i5, from the HiWay GT, and you get this…
…and it will still go well offroad!
With a 6.0L all-alloy OHV V8 sending 350bhp and 375 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels via a 6-speed manual and geared LSD, plus more than a metric ton of load and towing capacity, you’ll never be late for deliveries ever again.
It seems to me the ideal winner in the ‘Flatout Races’ nomination. Excellent collab.
I also really liked the design of the headlights in the style of the Chevy Express.
Well coded car.
Issues with towing figures not showing, and then showing, not sure of the issue. I’ll use tow and load figures together as a number which should work out.
The Cheval Boxer Superfast, a 400hp, RWD, six speed manual truck featuring a 6.1l v8 and some awesome graphics and a big ole wing. it also tows stuff! so buy it, NOW!
The PWR generally elicits one of 4 reactions in people; you either don’t like it, hate it, really hate it… or love it with all your heart.
With its over 4000lbs of load capacity (and 3000 more of towing), as well as its top-of-the line reliability and environmental resistance, you can claim that this thing and its V8 is “sensible” and “not useless.”
But we all know why you really need it: for that 6.6 second 0-62 and sub-15 quarter mile.
With 250hp, an LSD, and brakes that cannot fade no matter how hard you try, there is only one rule to driving the PWR; if it’s not sideways, you’re doing it wrong.
i certainly like it 
Fowler Lumberjack (mk4) 211 Turbo
In a bid to appeal more to younger buyers it was decided to add a sporty Sport trim to the new-for-2003 mk4.
A big lazy V8 was considered not “hip enough”, so with the help of some Swedish meatball enthusiast tuning company, the small block 211cid was given a breath of life with twin turbos. Whether the twinturbo was actually better than a proper atmo bigblock was debatable, except in fuel economy.
Anyway, it does run a quarter mile in 13:74 seconds with the 5-speed manual. A 4-speed automatic also available for those with a less hands-on approach to driving. While light on interior amenities, the Turbo trim includes som QoL extras including a sunroof, aircon, cargo cover and side cargo rails. A Blue Line V8 Awareness pinstripe, special badging, a more aggressive grille and some…towhook mounted spherical fashion statement (optional dealer delete), together with a set of obnoxious paint options (as submitted Fun Yello) distinguish the Turbo from less overpowered trims.
100% made in Best North America!
Coming up on the weekend leading up to the final submission day. No Automation updates that I can see yet which is good. Shall I stick with the Nov 13th deadline? We have a decent field so far, will get specifics out with pings later after work.
Thanks
My car tows 1432 KG instead of the required 1500. I tried higher ride and stiffer springs, did not work.
Will it be an instant bin? If not, please tell me, then you*ll get another entry tomorrow. Everything else looks nice and competetive.
Unfortunately, the interior is very basic slapped together, but I had to work overtime today…
Are you using a ladder frame along with leaf suspension? I have a post regarding towing that @abg7 answered in that post.
