Is there a version of 'Knight Rider; in your timeline? the Stellavem would look exceptionally terrifying in black with one of those Cyclon Eye lights in front going 'woosh-woosh'
Is there a version of 'Knight Rider; in your timeline? the Stellavem would look exceptionally terrifying in black with one of those Cyclon Eye lights in front going 'woosh-woosh'
- Name: Volkswagen Sharia
- Manufacturer: Volkswagen-Audi AG
- Model type: Multivan / All-wheel-drive SUV
- Model lifetime: 1998 - 1999 *
- Origin: AutoEuropa Palmeia, Portugal / Volkswagen Wolfsburg, Germany
- Engine: 2.8L 6-cylinder, 24 valves petrol
- Power: 174 hp (127Kw)
- Drivetrain: Front engine, Volkswagen Syncro automatic all-wheel drive
- Transmission: 6-speed automatic
- Weight: 1869kg
- Top Speed: 110 mph (175 Km/h)
- Number Produced: 872**
Excerpt from "They should have known better: disasters in marketing Chapter 4:Cars"
Chapter 6: Volkswagen Sharia
It has been a given that Volkswagen always was better at building cars then at marketing them and this was especially so in the global world economy of the 1990's. True, Volkswagen already had its mishaps with international sales in the 1970's when it tried to sell its Passat to the French and its Favella to the Spanish speaking world (See chapter 3). Yet whereas the trouble with the Passat and Favella simply stemmed from words with different meanings in different countries, by the 1990, even a halfway world-savy German engineer would know to stay away from a name like 'Sharia'. Yet, when in 1998 Volkswagen released an all-wheel-drive version of its Sharan 7-person luxury van, it named the new car just that.
All in all, the Volkswagen Sharia was not a bad car, sharing the space and luxury of the Sharan with off-road capability and horsepower to spare. With some better marketing, the catr could even have broken into the US SUV market and given the BMW X-5 a run for its money. Unfortunately there was the name. The fact that the car was first introduced in double-page newspaper ads reading (translated) "For wherever life takes you: Sharia" did not make things easier. If after that, there still was doubt about the name, it disappeared three weeks after the introduction of the model when French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo featured its own (fake) ad offering a 'full-car burka' for the unfortunate minivan under the title" A faithful Volkswagen keeps her good looks to herself."
Faced - again- with public ridicule, Volkswagen did what it always does best: shrug it off and carry on. Production of the Sharia continued, albeit on a slow pace. Only 872 units were ordered, virtually none of them from Germany or France. So in the end, Volkswagen decided to hide the Sharia under its proper nomenclaturic burkha: as for the model year 2000, the first generation Sharan MPV got a mid-life facelift to make it look more like the other cars from the Volkswagen lineup, the Sharia was unceremoniuosly dropped from the name list. Instead Volkswagen now offered a new all-wheel version of its renewed Sharan as the "Sharan VR6 Syncro". In essence this was the old Sharia with new headlights, but with a name that was simply cumberson instead of outright politically incorrect. As the VR6 Syncro, production of the car continued until 2005.
Up to this day, Volkswagen refuses to answer all questions about who was responsible for the disastrous naming of the Sharia. The company however did issue a statement saying that contrary to popular belief the person responsible did NOT flee to Saudi-Arabia
* 2000-2005 under the name of Sharan VR6 Syncro
** total production Sharia and Sharan Syncro 1998-2005: 8684
Suspension: (Front/Rear) Triple Wishbone (Virtual Pivot Point) with Coil Springs and Magneto-hydraulic shocks and anti-roll bar/Multilink (Integra-link) with Coil Springs and Magneto-hydraulic shocks and Anti-roll bar
Engine: W9, Compacted Graphite Iron Block, Aluminum Silicate Heads[iii]
Crankshaft: Forged Steel
Connecting Rods: Forged H or I-Beam Steel
Pistons: Forged Steel
Displacement: 3975cc/242.5ci
Valvetrain Layout: Dual Overhead Cam/36 Valves
Variable Valve or Cam Timing? Neither; engine computer only controls fuel map and spark timing
Aspiration: Three Visteon Twin-Scroll Turbochargers, Water-to-Air Intercooled
Max Boost: 18 PSI
Turbo Size: Small enough for packaging purposes, but large enough to stay in the green for reliability
[ii] Technology easily extrapolated from the Delorean and various ‘80s family cars (like the Chevy Celebrity/Pontiac 6000 and Chevy Cavalier/Pontiac Sunbird)
[iii] The former dates to 1965, the latter to the mid-late ‘70s, especially the Porsche 928
[iv] Volkswagen may have patented it in 1995, but it was the crochet hook of transmission designs.
[v] The front drive architecture is based on the rear drive system of the current generation (2016) Ford Focus RS, but is so simple in practice it could have happened any time in the last 40 years
1L/61ci: Harley Davidson Raceabout, Harley Davidson Dirtster, Ford Fiesta/Mazda 121
Inline 4
2L/122ci: Ford Focus/Laser/Mazda 323, Ford Lynx, Ford Transit Connect/Mazda E Series, Ford Futura/Mondeo/Mercury Margay/Mazda 626, Ford Probe/Mazda MX-6, Ford Ranger/Mazda B-series, Mazda 525, Mazda MPV/Mercury Villager, Ford GT20, Ford Escape/Mazda Tribute, Ford Scorpio, Ford/Mercury Capri/Mazda MX-5 Miata, Land Rover Defender IV 90
2L/122ci Turbo: Ford Focus GT/RS/Mazda 323 GTLi, Ford Lynx RS, Ford Capri RS/MazdaSpeed Miata, Ford Transit Connect/Mazda E Series, Ford Scoprio
Inline 6:
3L/183ci: Volvo 760, Volvo 960, Jaguar Mark II, Jaguar F-Type, Jaguar XK6
3L/183ci Twin Turbo: Volvo 960 GLT Turbo, Jaguar F-Type, Jaguar XKR6, Aston Martin DB Series
Inline 8:
4l/244Ci Turbo: Ford New Holland Tractors, Mazda Flip-Top Trucks, and Volvo Heavy Trucks
825cc/50ci: Ford Fiesta/Mazda 121 (Japanese(Kei-Car), Korean, French(Quadracycle), British(Supermini), and East Bloc/Third World Markets Only) , Harley-Davidson Runabout
1.3L/82ci: Ford Fiesta /Mazda 121, Ford Focus/Laser/Mazda 323, Ford Lynx/Mazda MX-3, Ford Econovan/Transit Courier/Mazda Bongo Ford Escape/Mazda Tribute (Western Europe and East Asian markets only)
1.6L/101ci: Harley-Davidson Large Cruisers and Cruising Tourers, Mazda Bongo Brawny
V6:
1.6L/101ci: Harley-Davidson SuperSportster, Ford Lynx GT/Mazda MX-3 ES
2.7L/162ci: Ford Futura/Mondeo/Mercury Margay/Mazda 626, Ford Probe/Mazda MX-6, Ford Ranger/Mazda B series, Mazda 525, Mazda MPV/Mercury Villager, Ford GT27, Land Rover Defender IV 90, Land Rover Defender IV 110 Ford Escape/Mazda Tribute
2.7L/162ci Twin-Turbo: Ford Futura GT/Mondeo XR6/MazdaSpeed 626, Ford Probe GT-T/Mazda MX-6 Turbo, Ford F-150 (South American Market)
3.0L/181ci: Ford Mondeo/Mercury Margay/Mazda 626/Lincoln Zephyr, Ford Taurus/Falcon/Scorpio/Mercury Ocelot/Mazda 828, Ford Country Squire/Galaxy/Mazda Constellation, Ford Ranger/Mazda B series, Ford Bronco II/Explorer/Mazda Navajo Lincoln Continental, Ford Econoline/Club Wagon/Transit, Ford Mustang/Mercury Cougar, Land Rover Defender IV 110
3.3L/201ci: Ford Taurus/Falcon/Mercury Ocelot, Ford Ranger/Mazda B series, Lincoln Continental, Ford Country Squire/Mercury Grand Villager/Mazda Constellation, Ford Bronco II/Explorer/Mazda Navajo Ford F-Series, Ford Econoline/Club Wagon/Transit
3.3L/201cI Twin Turbo: Ford Falcon XR6, Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe, Mercury Cougar XR6, Mazda 929
W9:
2.4L/149ci: Mazda MX-3 RS, Lincoln Zephyr Mark series
4.0L/242ci: Lincoln Zephyr, Lincoln Zephyr Mark series, Ford Mondeo/Mercury Margay XR9, Ford GT40, Ford Ranger/Mazda B series, Ford Bronco II/Explorer/Mazda Navajo
4.0l/242ci Triple-Turbo: Ford GT40 Turbo
5.0/303ci: Ford Ranger Lightning, Range Rover Sport, Range Rover, Land Rover Adventure, Land Rover Defender IV 110
V12:
5.3L/323ci: Jaguar XKR-12, Jaguar F-Type R, Lincoln Continental, Lincoln Continental Mark Series, Aston-Martin DB series
5.3L/323ci Twin Turbo: Jaguar XJR-220
6.0L/362ci: Range Rover SuperSport, Lincoln Town Car, Daimler Double 6, Lincoln Navigator
6.6L/402ci: Lincoln Town Car LSS, Lagonda Vignale
W18: Strictly Marine, Commercial, Industrial, and Motorsports Crate Motor, used in Ford, International/Navistar, and Volvo heavy trucks and busses, and sold to coachbuilders and boatwrights
3.4L/208ci: Volvo 980, Ford Thunderbird/Mazda MX-9, Jaguar XK8, Aston Martin Virage
90⁰V8:
4.6L/280ci: Ford Taurus/Falcon/Mercury Ocelot, Lincoln Continental, Lincoln Continental Mark Series, Ford Crown Victoria/Fairlane/LTD/Mercury Grand Marquis, Ford Mustang/Mercury Cougar
5.0L/305ci: Ford Taurus SHO/Falcon XR8/Mercury Ocelot XR8, Ford Mustang GT, Jaguar XKR-8, Lincoln Town Car, Ford Bronco/Expedition/Lincoln Navigator, Ford F150, Ford Econoline/Club Wagon
5.2L/318ci Flat-Plane Crank: Ford Mustang BOSS 5.2/Mercury Cougar Eliminator, Ford Falcon GT, Ford Cobra
V10:
5.8L/351ci: Ford Mustang BOSS 5.8, Ford Falcon GTHO, Ford Cobra, Ford F-150 Lightning
6.3L/381ci: Ford F-Super Duty, Ford Econoline/Club Wagon
V12:
7.0L/427ci: Ford F-Super Duty, Ford Econoline/Club Wagon Super Duty, Ford Cobra 427
Timeline: Any
Photo: None
Make: Ford
Model: Probe
Type: Compact commuter/sports coupe
Model years: 1985-
Engine:1.5L EFI turbocharged and inter cooled I4, 225 HP
Drive train: RWD
Electronic driver aids: Yes, first Ford product with full suite of adjustable electronic driver aids
Transmission:5 speed auto or manual, '85-93, 6-speed '93-07, 7-speed manulal or auto, semiautomatic on Touring GT.
Weight: 2,700-3,000 lbs
Weight distribution: 51% front, 49% rear
EPA fuel ecomony: 35 city, 44 highway
Top speed: 150 MPH
0-62 MPH: 5.0 sec. Auto, 4.7 sec. Manual, 4.3 sec. Semi-auto
Base MSRP: $25,000 (2017)
Okay, folks. Thought I'd do a little something real quick, in the hopes of finally reviving the thread.
1. Timeline: None in particular. Hypothetical only.
2. Manufacturer/Model Name: Pontiac GTO/Ventura
3. Model Type: 2 door sports coupe
4. Model Year: 1974
5. Nation of Origin: U.S.
6. Production run: 1974-77
7. Number built:
8. Engine: 455ci V8
9. Horsepower: 300 hp @ 4,800 rpm (455ci)
10. Drivetrain: FR
11. Transmission: 4 speed manual
12. Weight: ~3,700 lbs.
13. Top Speed: ~150 mph (highest gear ratio)
14. Description: If Pontiac had been a little braver.....
15. OTL Equivalent: Same car. Pontiac even had a GTO of this model IOTL.....but only in '74.
· Model Name: Jowett Star Car (later Chrysler Star Car)
· Manufacturer: Jowett Cars (later Chrysler UK)
· Model Type: 2/4-door saloon
· Model Lifetime: 1936-1953 (later 1953-1968)
· Origin: Bradford, UK
· Engine: 750-850cc air-cooled Flat-Twin
· Power: 30+ hp
· Drivetrain: Front-engined, Front-wheel-drive
· Transmission: 3/4-speed manual or 3-speed automatic
· Weight: 700-800kg (?)
· 0-60 mph: -23 seconds (?)
· Top Speed: 81+ mph (?)
· Number Produced: 1.2 million+ (?)
Originally developed by Chrysler, the design was sold to Jowett Cars in the mid-1930s (on top of Chrysler acquiring a small stake in Jowett) with the 30 hp 1100cc radial engine replaced by a more viable Jean-Albert Grégoire developed air-cooled Flat-Twin displacing 750cc though short-lived consideration was given to using a Scott Motorcycle-derived 3-cylinder two-stroke engine.
However the build up to WW2 prevented civilian sales of the Star Car from taking off, though the car managed to find success in the post-war era to the point where Chrysler decided to increase their stake in Jowett Cars and sell the Star Car as a Chrysler in North America. With the Star Car later receiving a facelift featuring a 5-speed gearbox and an uprated 850cc Flat-Twin engine that resembled the (ATL) Naum Gabo styled Jowett Javelin.
The Star Car was eventually replaced by the Chrysler 1100, essentially a British built version of the Simca 1100 (including a 4-door saloon variant) though not before Chrysler gained full control over Jowett Cars during the 1960s (after saving the latter in the early/mid-1950s) and renamed it to Chrysler UK (with Chrysler also having acquiring French Simca, German Borgward and Spanish Barreiros to form Chrysler Europe).
Timeline: And It's Race Time
Model Name: Audi RS-F1/08
Manufacturer: Red Bull Audi Sport
Model Type: Formula One
Model Year: 2008
Origin: Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone, UK
Engine: Audi-Cosworth RS08-10 3500cc V10
Power: 925 hp @ 12500 rpm(972 hp at season end)+ 120hp KERS
Torque: 540 ft-lbs @ 8900 rpm
Drivetrain: Mid-engined / rear-wheel-drive
Transmission: Hewland seven-speed semiautomatic 'Quikshift'
Weight: 1423 lbs(645 kg)
0-100 mph: 3.2 seconds
Top Speed: 184 mph - 221 mph (depending on aerodynamics)
MSRP: N/A
Number Produced: 6(Five originally built and a sixth built for a very, very wealthy customer
Drivers: Sebastian Vettel, Mattias Ekstrom, Tom Kristensen(subbed for Ekstrom for seven races)
Rivals: Prodrive AMR-02, Ferrari F2008, Tyrrell Mercedes 036-AMG, Sauber C27-Mercedes, McLaren MCL23-Chevrolet
Fresh off four consecutive Le Mans victories, Audi wanted a fresh challenge, especially with the rapid expansion of the VW Group, and a longing desire to finally enter F1 after failing to do so in 1985.Inking a co-agreement with engine builder Cosworth, and with a budget of £120 million, which was simply voluptuous at the time, the team entered F1 in 2006, with Jacques Vileneuve and Mattias Ekstrom at the wheel, and while the former was very much out of his depth, returning to Indycars before season's end, Ekstrom proved to be impressive right off the mark, scoring eleven consecutive points finishes and even getting on the podium at the high-speed Hockehnheim circuit, flexing the muscles of the Audi V10, but it was clear that the rest of the package still needed some work.
Before the end of 2007, Red Bull stepped in, wanting to promote their next big things in motorsport. Mark Webber, Vileneuve's replacement for the final three rounds, had left for Sauber, and Audi were left in a bit a quandary. Thankfully Red Bull flipped their cola cans and reckoned the 2006 GP2 champ/a young kid from Heppenheim would do pretty good for himself.
His name was Sebastian Vettel.
In 2007, Audi stepped up their efforts, bringing in Ferrari refugee Ross Brawn to lead the effort, and moving their workshop to Silverstone, right in F1-land. Vettel and Ekstrom did pretty good too, the engines being as powerful as ever but still sorely lacking in the aero department, with a second place apiece for Vettel and Ekstrom at the Red Bull Ring and Road America being the best they could achieve. But 2008 was the time things would finally click in, and in pretty spectacular fashion.
With Dallara being brought in to provide some help, Audi were as good as the top guns on the grid, and with the engine now being some 25hp more powerful than everybody else, even at times the best on the grid by some stretch, aided by a KERS system by Schaeffler that was the most developed of the field's iterations. Vettel would rack up four race wins heading to the final round at Philip Island, and despite Mattias Ekstrom's heavy shunt at Belgium in September which knocked him out and ruled him out for the rest of the year, Audi-backed Le Mans and multiple ITCC champion Tom Kristensen stepped up to the plate, scoring a podium at Suzuka and managing to fend off the attacks of Prodrive's Jenson Button and Lotus's Juan Pablo Montoya, Vettel's main title rivals, which set the tone for an exciting finale Down Under. Heading to Philip Island, Button, Montoya, Vettel, Ferrari's Felipe Massa, McLaren's Lewis Hamilton, Robert Kubica's Sauber Mercedes, and Vettel's childhood hero Michael Schumacher in the Tyrell Mercedes came into that Sunday smelling a world title. Schumacher won that race, but with third Vettel was able to clinch his first title after Button suffered hydraulic failure, Massa suffering a massive puncture wrecking his suspension while Montoya proceeded to make contact with Lewis at Lukey Heights while fighting for the win, ending their championship aspirations, meaning Vettel won by just two points over Button, with the German sobbing in joy as Schumi embraced him on the podium. It certainly wasn't going to be his last title, and as the F1 circle rolls into 2019 he will certainly be looking to raise that forth finger come Interlagos....
Timeline: Streets of Detroit / Transport America Redux / The Land of Milk and Honey Model Name: McLaren F1 GTR Evolution / F1 GTR Long-Tail Manufacturer: McLaren Automotive Model Type: GT1-class Racing Car Model Year: 1997-1998 (GTR Evolution), 1999-2001 (Long-Tail) Origin: Woking, Surrey, United Kingdom
Engine: BMW S70/3 6064cc V12 Power: 650 hp @ 8600 rpm (1997-98), 675 hp @ 8800 rpm (1999-2001) Torque: 534 ft-lbs @ 5600 rpm (1997-98), 545 ft-lbs @ 5500 rpm (1999-2001) Drivetrain: Mid-engined, four-wheel-drive Transmission: McLaren Wiesmann 6-speed manual with sequential shift (1997-98), McLaren Wiesmann 7-speed manual transaxle with semi-automatic shift (1999-2001) Weight: 1,175 kg (2,594 lbs) minimum (1997-98), 1,200 kg (2,648 lbs) minimum (1999-2001)
0-100 km/h: 3.4 seconds Top Speed: 225 mph est. (1997-98), 250 mph est. (1999-2001) MSRP: $1,220,000 (1997-98) Number Produced: 46 (including all models of the McLaren F1 GTR)
The McLaren F1 may have been designed as the greatest road car of all time, but after its success in the BPR Global GT Series, IMSA GT Championship and All-Japan GT Championship in 1995 and 1996, the F1 GTR had established itself as the king of the world of Grand Touring racing world, even by late 1996 first the Porsche 911 GT1 (which was ultimately booted from the GT1 category out of a desire to keep it as being a category for cars designed for the road that had been adapted for the track, something the 911 GT1 most certainly was not) and then by Ferrari F50 GT1 and Chrysler Viper GTS-R, both of which had been designed to knock the McLaren off of its throne.
Knowing what was coming, McLaren and its factory teams developed the GTR Evolution for the 1997 season, including a wider track, flat underfloor, more downforce, better braking and improved shift response. The upgrades kept the F1 GTR competitive against the awesome F50, even as the thundering Viper came on later in the 1997 season, and by the end of the 1997 season the sporadic appearances of the Nissan Skyline GT-R R-Spec and the Toyota Supra Version R made sure the rest of the world was paying attention to the Japanese land bullets. McLaren team GTC Racing came away with the 1997 BPR title, but Ferrari racers BMS Scuderia Italia lost to them by just three points, and Canaska Southwind Racing's Viper GTS-R came away with the IMSA title.
1998 was a straight-up slugfest between the three kings of the mountain, with Toyota Team Europe's Supras frequently playing a spoiler role and the end of the season seeing the arrival of the Chevrolet Corvette C5-R, with the return of the Lamborghini Diablo to the BPR and IMSA being a running storyline. The McLaren was the fastest of the cars in a straight line (which at first glance might have seemed surprising when one considered the Viper's gigantic 8.0-liter V10 engine and its thunderous bark), but the F50 performed like a real throughbred and the Viper proved on plenty of occasions that brute force had a quality of its own. The Italian team came away as the BPR champions in the last year before the series became the FIA GT Championship, and with the ever-faster pace of the series, McLaren decided (helped by BMW Motorsport, which began working with McLaren on the GT efforts in 1998) to make a radical change to the F1 for the 1999 season, taking advantage of the 'escalator' clause in the rules.
The 1999 McLaren F1 GTR Long-Tail was a very different animal in terms of aerodynamics, and with rules changes allowing anti-lock braking and traction control for 1999, both were included (as were on everyone else, of course), and the transverse transmission of the previous cars became a longitudinal transaxle, along with the addition of new carbon-ceramic brakes and massive aerodynamic revisions. Power went up to 675 horsepower from the big BMW V12, and the new car drove closer to a prototype thanks to the chassis and aerodynamic revisions.
It turned out to be a wise call. French sports car aces Team ORECA had joined the development team for the Viper GTS-R and it showed as the car's abilities, and Ferrari themselves wanted the F50 GT1 to remain a winner, the Corvette C5-R combined a 7.0-liter V8 with an impressive-handling chassis and Nissan's new R34 Skyline GT-R proved a scary piece of hardware from the go, and by the end of that season the world of racing knew the Porsche Carrera GT and the Pagani Zonda were on the way. The McLarens of GTC Racing, David Price Racing and Parabolica Motorsport in the FIA GT Championship, Team Yellow Force in the JGTC and Compass360, Pfaff Performance and Michael Shank Racing in IMSA slugged it out with rivals, but the Japanese team was outclassed by the Japanese rockets it raced against and the FIA GT Championship racers ended up being bested both by BMS Scuderia Italia's F50s and the Team ORECA Viper GTS-Rs (in the end, the Vipers came out on top), but second-year team Michael Shank Racing were the GT1 champions in the 1999 IMSA GT Championship, surprisingly besting both ORECA and Corvette Racing's C5-Rs.
The arrival of the Porsche Carrera GT in 2000 combined with the ascendancy of the American monsters and the Skyline GT-R's incredible handling to make both the F50 GT1 and F1 GTR Long-Tail more or less uncompetitive, with Team ORECA coming out with the title for a second season in a row, with Porsche Motorsport on their heels. BMW had by then moved into the prototype categories, and the McLaren was looking increasingly old, despite the car's unquestioned pace. McLaren developed a 2000-spec F1 GTR Long-Tail, which was used to great effect by Michael Shank Racing's only just missing out on a title defense in the GT1 category in IMSA.
2001 was the last year for the car in the FIA GT Championship, but even then two race wins for GTC Racing showed the old rocket still had plenty of pace, and the car would - and usually did - run away from cars like the Skyline GT-R and Carrera GTR on faster circuits and had little trouble racing with the Corvette C5-R and Viper GTS-R. Having seen the F50 GT1 become uncompetitive, Prodrive Racing showed up late in 2001 with the Ferrari 550 GTS and stunned the factories by blitzing the entire field in the final two races at Kyalami and Adelaide, and GTC Racing and Parabolica both moved on to the Ferraris for 2002.
A 1996 McLaren F1 GTR Evolution
A 1999 McLaren F1 GTR Long-Tail race car being demonstrated at the 2012 Goodwood Festival of Speed
Thanks guys 🙂 I've been on a bit of a car kick lately, and I've discovered Abimelec design, which is a damn platinum mine for awesome ideas, as well as trying to incubate another racing TL idea, this time what would be if GT1 hadn't turned into a manufacturer war and then flamed out so quickly. Got ideas on that one, but having to do some research and do a little thinking for it. In the mean time, I have a few new ideas for cool cars on the way, but I don't want to get into trouble for too many images posted in a day and killing the board's bandwidth. 😃 More stuff on the way, though....
· Model Name: Nissan Nymph
· Manufacturer: Nissan
· Model Type: 2-door 2-seater sportscar
· Model Lifetime: 1966-1988 (3-4 generations)
· Origin: Japan
· Engines: 988-1598cc Nissan A OHV later Nissan E OHC and Nissan CA16DE DOHC
· Power: 66-124 hp
· Drivetrain: Front-engined, Rear-wheel-drive
· Transmission: 4/5-speed manual or 3-speed automatic
· Weight: 700-900kg (?)
· 0-60 mph: 12.6-7.4 seconds (?)
· Top Speed: 95-124 mph (?)
· Premise: Nissan attempt a mid-1960s Sunny-based MG Midget / Austin-Healey Sprite rival beneath the Datsun Sports / Datsun Fairlady
Derived from Nissan Sunny (B10/B110/B210/B310) mechanicals and componentry, the Nymph was Nissan's answer to small lightweight British sportscars like the MG Midget, Austin-Healey Sprite and Triumph Spitfire as well as the short-lived and initially more technically advanced Honda S800 with Nymph diehards even claiming it is the true inheritor to the small British sportscar (typically citing Nissan's post-war links with Austin/BMC to back up their point).
Over time the Nymph over the years also growing to become Japan's answer and successor to the Lotus Elan slotting below Nissan's larger Silvia and Z-Car models by the time it was replaced by the all-new GA/QG/SR-powered Nissan Nymph II in the late-1980s. The later Mazda MX-5 was be the Nymph's first serious front-engined RWD sportscar challenger (outside of the Nissan CA18 powered Reliant Scimitar SS1 and the Lotus Elan-inspired Evante).
The original Nissan Nymph was available in 2-door 2-seater roadster, 2-door coupe and 2-door speedster bodystyles with later versions also including 2-door 2-seater Targa Top / T-top bodystyles.
From the mid/late-1970s the Nymph would be rebodied to feature styling cues from the 1975 mid-engined Nissan AD-1 concept that some claim was to be the new Nymph and believe to be a missed opportunity (like the later V6 powered Nissan MID4), the exterior would be further refined from the early-1980s in featuring cues from the front of the 1983 Nissan NX-21 concept and OTL Nissan EXA. The Nissan Nymph II meanwhile would resemble a rough composite of the Nissan 300ZX Z32 at the front with the fixed headlights and the Lotus Elan M100 at the back (being reputedly derived from a shortened modified Nissan S platform in the manner of how the Mazda RX-7's F platform served as the basis of the mk1/mk2 Mazda MX-5's N platform ).
1. World:Aeroverse 2. Model name/Manufacturer:Mellt Llusern (Mellt is a marque of Mynydd Eryr Ffatri Cerbyd) 3. Model types: 2-door, 3-seater coupe electric passenger car / 2-door, 2-seater folding-top runabout electric passenger car 4. Model year: unknown 5. Nation of origin:Kingdom of Kymria 6. Production run: manufactured during the last 17 years (from the perspective of the "present day" point) 7. Number built: 7 435 (6 725 coupe variant, 710 runabout variant) 8. Engine: 48 volts (early production series), 60 volts (current production series), powered by an array of 12-cell nickel-iron batteries with aetherium solution or aetherium sludge, the range is ca 50 miles (80.46 km) in a single charge for the 48 volt version, and ca 60 to 70 miles (96.56 to 112.65 km) for the 60 volt version 9. Horsepower: 1.75 bhp (1.30 kW), top speed ca 40.23 kph / 25 mph (coupe variant) or 0.75 hp (0.6 kW), top speed ca 48.28 kph / 30 mph (runabout variant) 10. Drivetrain: 2wd, centrally-located engine 11. Transmission: three speeds (as it's an electric car, it doesn't use typical manual transmission) 12. Weight: ca OTL 430 kg or 950 lbs (coupe variant), ca OTL 290 kg or 650 lbs (runabout variant) 13. Description: Kymrian carriage, horsetram, motorcar and tram builder Mynydd Eryr Ffatri Cerbyd [1] was founded half a century ago by rising and well-known Kymrian enterpreneur, Bedwyr Kardos-Hrajnoha. The Mellt Llusern [2] is one of the most successful passenger car forays manufactured by the corporation, under the Mellt ("Lightning") car marque. Compared to the electric passenger cars available on the market in the even more industrialised and more wealthier countries than the old, mountainous kingdom of Kymria, the Llusern is a somewhat humbler cousin. In production and gradual improvement for over a decade and a half at this point, it is now one of the most common passenger motorcars in the whole country. Currently, it comes in two available versions: The standard, enclosed coupe version with static cab and windows (giving it a lantern-like appearance, hence its model name "Lantern") and the more rarer, runabout version, open to the elements and with a folding-top roof. One of several peculiarities of the Llusern is the fact that it does not use a steering wheel at all, but instead a side-mounted steering rudder at the driver's side of the internal seating. The car comes equipped with a trunk for small cargo and maintenance tools and has several smaller storage compartments in the passenger cabin. 14. OTL equivalent:Baker Electric
([1] - literally "Eagle Mountain Carriage Factory" in Kymrese
[2] - literally "Lightning Lantern" in Kymrese/Kymrian)
1. World:Aeroverse 2. Model name/Manufacturer:Barrow Voltaic (also sold in some markets as the Barrow Aethercar) 3. Model types: 2-door, 3-seater coupe electric passenger car 4. Model year: unknown 5. Nation of origin:Empire of Victinya 6. Production run: manufactured during the last 20-25 years (from the perspective of the "present day" point) 7. Number built: 12 487 (Victinya is a large country with a large market, including many of its overseas possessions) 8. Engine: 80 volts (at 10 bhp), powered by an array of several nickel-iron electric batteries with aetherium solution or aetherium sludge, the range is ca 80 miles (130 km) in a single charge 9. Horsepower: 10 bhp (7.45 kW), top speed ca 40.23 kmh / 25 mph 10. Drivetrain: 2wd, centrally-located engine, bevel-geared, shaft-driven 11. Transmission: five forward and reverse speeds (as it's an electric car, it doesn't use typical manual transmission) 12. Weight: ca OTL 440 kg or 970 lbs 13. Description: Victinya has one of the largest, most advanced and diversified motorcar industries in the entire known world. The Barrow Motorcar Corporation (BMC), founded by dynamic business duo Isambard Quincy Barrow and his wife Winifred, is currently one of the most popular brands of passenger car manufacturers in the country, and also a major company on Victinya's electric car market. The car's aetherium solution (or aetherium sludge) battery array can be simultaneously recharged from a local electric network by using a factory-supplied battery recharger and connecting it to a plug-in receptacle of the car. This allows recharging the car faster than recharging each of its batteries from the battery array separately. Like its Kymrian cousin, the Llusern, the Voltaic is controlled not by a steering wheel at all, but instead a side-mounted steering rudder at the driver's side of the internal seating. 14. OTL equivalent:Detroit Electric
1. World:Aeroverse 2. Model name/Manufacturer:Bedeau Belette 3. Model types: 2-door, 2-seater folding-top coupe passenger pedal car 4. Model year: unknown 5. Nation of origin:Republic of Avion 6. Production run: manufactured during the last 25-30 years (from the perspective of the "present day" point) 7. Number built: around 10 000 8. Engine: pedal-powered mechanical car (based on bicycle principles); there have been some experimental attempts by the manufacturer (and a few home tech tinkerers) to add a small battery-powered electric engine for assist propulsion 9. Horsepower: depends on the driver (and depending on the model, the co-driver, as it can be equipped with dual pedals), the experimental small electric engine assist version reached a top speed of ca OTL 21 mph (33.79 kmh) 10. Drivetrain: 2wd, driver and co-driver pedals, bicycle chain, rear-wheel-drive layout (standard version), rear-mounted engine (experimental assist engine version) 11. Transmission: none (though there is a project for adding an early, rudimentary form of bicycle transmission for greater elevations) 12. Weight: ca OTL 75 to 80 kg 13. Description: One of the biggest surprise success stories in the history of both bicycles and motorism so far has been the humble Avionese "velocar" (pedal car), created and produced by respected bicycle manufacturer Bedeau (founded by the Bedeau brothers, Jacques and Thierry). A four-wheeled, open-air vehicle with a windshield, folding-top and a cargo trunk at the back, the Belette is a good choice for rural and urban people who either can't afford or don't need/want to purchase a passenger motorcar, but still need something better enclosed than a typical bicycle, and less animal-dependent as a horse-drawn buggy. Given the quantitative success of the Belette alone, it's rather safe to say that this "little vehicle that could" has found its social and economic niche in the ever-busier world of modern road vehicles and road transport. Nowadays, the Belette (and its home-made and unauthorised knockoffs) has become a common site not only in Avion, but also many other countries on the continent... 14. OTL equivalent:Mochet et Cie Velocar
(The vehicle's name translates literally to "Beadle Weasel" in Avionese. Bedeau is a surname with the same meaning as "beadle".)
These are technically not from a mere historical ATL, but from a fictional universe, though one patterned on the early 20th century (ca 1900-1920). My Aeroverse is a steampunk/dieselpunk style setting, though with a grounded world (no magic, no weird creatures, just some early science fiction and geographic adventures). One of its notable aspects is that it has undergone something of an electric propulsion revolution, thanks to a mysterious mineral ore known as aetherium. Substances developed from this ore have made it easier to produce more powerful and longer-lasting batteries cheaply, and it's caused a revolution not only in early motorism, but also in early aviation. (In fact, aetherium ore can even be processed into a gasseous product and then used as a lift gas in airships. This has allowed such things as aetherium gas lifted and aetherium battery powered airships, and also battery powered aeroplanes.) Besides electric cars, various forms of bicycles and bicycle-derived vehicles are also popular on the highways and byways of this universe, alongside the more traditional animal-drawn vehicles. These three cars represent just a few examples form this particular setting. All three countries, and plenty of others, have various early velomobiles, early motorcars (increasingly electric-powered), both passenger and cargo types. Steam-powered and petrol-powered cars, tractors and steam-powered road locomotives also occur.
Timeline:
None so far, but as a massive car freak I couldn't resist posting in this thread.
Vehicle type: 2 door sports car, coupe/spyder
Country of origin: Italy
Year(s) of production: 2002-2007
Engine configuration(s):
2002 GTS model: 4.5 litre naturally aspirated V8 engine, producing 485 horsepower
2002 GTS-R racing model: 4.8 litre naturally aspirated V8, FIA GT2 regulation engine, producing 513 horsepower
2006 GTS model: 4.5 litre naturally aspirated V8 engine, producing 519 horsepower
Number produced: 8,739
Drivetrain: Rear-wheel drive
2002 Rivazza Volpe GTS, in sponsored mock racing livery
The low-volume, high-price Italian supercar firm Rivazza had always commanded exclusivity and prestige in the motoring world. The intense rivalry between themselves and fellow Italian marque Vittorio was woven into the fabric of sports car legend, and Rivazza's Formula One team spoke of numerous victories in its long history, including the 2000 constructors' title won by drivers' champion Harald Berg, and his teammate Roberto Malveiro. Rivazza had been known for decades as an automaker to that sold beautiful and rapid supercars in incredibly low volumes: yearly sales rarely exceeded triple digits.
Which is why, when the Volpe GTS was unveiled at the 2001 Amsterdam Motorshow, there was a collective intake of breath. The car's gorgeous, smooth and rounded styling seemed completely at odds with the angular and aggressive lines of Rivazza's flagship supercars, and the 485hp 4.5 litre V8 lacked the usual screaming redline of the oldschool Rivazza V10's and V12's. The Volpe - meaning fox in Italian - was clearly meant as a entry-level supercar, a lower doorway into Rivazza ownership and the expansion of the brand. Of course, the GTS-R racing version was unveiled right beside it, cementing Rivazza's motorsport pedigree.
The Volpe GTS officially went on sale in March 2002 for both Spyder and Coupe versions, and right from the outset, supply struggled to meet demand. The car's beautiful styling, designed by famed French designer Francois Bouillard, and high-revving V8 engine attracted great numbers of customers - for every detractor of the new 'common' Rivazza, there seemed to be fifty more people waving money around and bidding insanely high prices at any auction that appeared. The Volpe GTS's sales were boosted by the GTS-R racing counterpart's success in the 2002 FIA GT2 championship, where the factory team of Bertaggia/Daly/Morini won the opening round of the season in Tsukuba and added six more wins and twelve podiums to storm the championship title.
The Volpe GTS sold far higher numbers than any Rivazza before it, and for 2003 and 2004 Rivazza majorly expanded production operations to meet demand. Comparisons to Vittorio's own 'entry-level supercar', the Bisonte, were duly made, and the infamous war between the two companies was again relighted, with Rivazza and Vittorio desperately attempting to outdo each other in pricing terms.
The Volpe GTS-R handily won the 2003 GT2 title, although fierce competition from the Bisonte GT2 and the British Hawk KZR meant that Rivazza ended up losing the 2004 championship to the Hawkmoto factory team. Rivazza promptly pulled out of GT2 at the end of the 2004 season, and was alleged to be a major factor in the GT2 division's collapse in late 2007.
In 2006, Rivazza decided the Volpe GTS was getting long in the tooth, and announced that the car's replacement would be released in 2009, with Volpe GTS production ending in August 2007. To celebrate the marque's most popular model of all time, Rivazza revealed the facelifted 2006 model at the Melbourne Auto Concourse. Sporting a power upgrade from 485hp to 519hp, an updated and wider front grille, and a redesigned rear end, the 2006 Volpe GTS was available in coupe format only, went on sale in June 2006 to widespread acclaim.
The last Volpe GTS rolled off the production line in Bologna on August 29th, 2007. In total, 4,297 Coupes and 3,188 Spyders, plus 1,254 facelifted 2006 models were sold, bringing the total to 8,739 cars. The Volpe GTS was far and away the best selling Rivazza ever at the time: more Volpe GTS's were sold between 2002 and 2007 than cars had been sold in the company's last 30 years.
Following major pressure from Rivazza owners and investors, the successor to the Volpe GTS, the Lince V10, was unveiled in December 2009, to critical acclaim.
Interesting read. However for me, in this timeline the Volpe made his Debut just before the September 11th 2001 attacks and production ended just before the 2008 recession. I was expecting something like "plan for the Volpe II were announced in 2007, a concept car was presented in 2008, but production never started because in 2009 the economic crisis caused the market for high-end luxury cars to crash.... Rivazza survived by the skin of their teeth through a strategic Partnership with Fiat, but had to drop it's plans for an entry-level supercar for good....."
