Fast and forgotten

[sierraman]

It was a XR 4x4 that put Frank Williams in a wheelchair.

 

You are in good company.

It wasn’t, it was a bog standard GL he had hired. He’d just watched a race and went off to the airport, somewhere along the way he got a bit giddy and somersaulted the Sierra roof down into a ploughed field. Seat trapped him against the roof and broke his back.

[AMC Rebel]

These are all very nice cars, but having owned an XR4x4 and a BX GTi at the time (late 80s early 90s) I can categorically state that any such car came with a BMW 316 and/or a Vauxhall Astamax welded to the boot.  Those really were the fastest.  Or maybe the most recklessly driven?

[NorfolkNWeigh]

 

These in 24v manual flavour were never going to be popular in the UK, I don't even think they made every dealership register one, which is a common trick to at least get a few on the road.

I actually drove one and it was a strange beast, pretty quick, probably faster than an auto Senator . But felt a bit like a Rover 827 with decent suspension, all the controls a bit too light and vague for a fast car. Lovely cruiser though, probably* sit at an indicated 150 for the length of the M45, not bothered by the nasty dips at all.

The one I used a few times was a fleet demo and the previous place to have it was Scotland Yard, I know this because there was a list of access codes for the underground carpark in the sun visor!

Don't know if it was for evaluation as a response/ pursuit car or what, presumably they didn't buy any, neither did my company.

None on the road according to HML?

It's green blooded sister didn't fare much better, but at least there's one left!

Never drove one, but I hope they did something about the brakes, I almost came to grief once in a 2.0 Sei auto when pressing on a bit and the brakes faded like an SD1's.

[Supernaut]

Fiat Coupes 4 and 5 cylinders 16 or 20 valves n/a or turbo.

 

Nissan Almera GTI

 

For Cort. BMW 320si

No, we haven't forgotten about the 320si thanks to cort's posts in the low cost big liability thread.

 

Also, they aren't fast either.

[SierraMikeHotel]

A friend of mine had a quick version of the Volvo 340. I know absolutely nothing about them, can't even remember what it was called, but it looked very smart in black with red pin striping.

 

I just love the incongruity of them making a fast 340 - usually seen as a giffermobile.

[sierraman]

Rear mounted transaxle for perfect balance on those Volvos.

[sierraman]

Forgotten in the UK mainly because only 68 idiots bought them new.

 

Marcus Tandy from Eldorado had one!

[Marm Toastsmith]

A friend of mine had a quick version of the Volvo 340. I know absolutely nothing about them, can't even remember what it was called, but it looked very smart in black with red pin striping.

 

I just love the incongruity of them making a fast 340 - usually seen as a giffermobile.

 

GLT. My aunt had one in white with black stripes, I used to wash it for her. Wish I'd had it off her when she sold/practically gave it away.

[Marm Toastsmith]

These are my favourites... Not sure how forgotten, but certainly rarely seen. Too rusty by the time I was old enough/had the money - I had the brochures for both when I was a kid, and I've kept them.

 

 

[Fabergé Greggs]

As others have mentioned- the Charade GTti was amazing and the first quick car I ever drove. I can’t believe I’ve never had a turbo car. The way the boost came on, accompanied by a flickering light on the dashboard was unforgettable as an 18 year old.

 

The same mental mate had a CRX V-tec at 18 that felt pretty insane for the time. I distinctly remember the feeling that as the revs rose up to the range where other cars were running out of puff, the V-tec just taking off seemingly into oblivion!

 

Also later 90’s but my old man struck a fine balance between practical family wagon and weapon when he bought an 850r brand new. The way it overtook whilst wheelspinning at 70mph was pretty memorable.

[sierraman]

I was always surprised they never did a properly fast 340, a 2.0 Turbo one would have been a right machine in the vein of the SAAB Turbo.

[face]

I had a Mazda 323GT - pretty rare in the UK. Mine, like this one pictured, was the facelifted model. I have never seen another one on the road. Mine was red and didn't have the '1.6i' like the one here has.

 

 

It had electric everything and a wonderful interior. The dash was kind of sculpted and the front door cards created a kind of wrap-a-round effect. Can't find an interior shot, but it did have this digi-dash:

 

[Tadhg Tiogar]

These are all very nice cars, but having owned an XR4x4 and a BX GTi at the time (late 80s early 90s) I can categorically state that any such car came with a BMW 316 and/or a Vauxhall Astamax welded to the boot.  Those really were the fastest.  Or maybe the most recklessly driven?

 

....and then there were the Royal Mail Sherpa vans, all queuing up to pass you.

 

A friend of mine had a quick version of the Volvo 340. I know absolutely nothing about them, can't even remember what it was called, but it looked very smart in black with red pin striping.

 

I just love the incongruity of them making a fast 340 - usually seen as a giffermobile.

 

University friend had the 360GLT 3-door in black with silver side stripes. "A285 SYH". Sounded a bit rough and coarse compared to the Audi 90CD that I had.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

41e990ab-acb8-4a23-8c53-474ebfacdab9.jpg

44989844_905563332971354_3914950505205334016_n.jpg

 

Believe it or not, this is one of the rarest E34 ever. It's rarer than the M5 Touring. It's not on Wikipedia and I doubt many Western E34 literature have featured it.

 

It's just a normal fucking E34, I hear you chant. And it is. But the badge 520is on the back doesn't exist anywhere else in the world. Only here in the weird and wonderful place. And it is not just a badge on a slightly sporty trim either. Under the bonnet there is not the expected M20B20 engine producing measly 129 horsepower.

 

The history goes that the M20B20 was so naff that BMW Thailand had to do something about it. So what to do?

 

They basically come to the future and look at hot rod M20. They took the M20B27 block of the 325e and put freer flowing head of the B20 engine on. The end result was 160 horsepower. Combined with 4.5 something diff ratio this thing was quite spritely back in the day. It would have top speed of only about 200km/h but it's been said that not many people do that anyway so the point is moot. Acceleration is where it's at.

 

This would have been that had BMW Thailand not thought to do it even better. They improved the B20 head further by increasing port size and polish. Another, even rarer version was badged simply with a gold "S5" font. 190 horsepower was on offer. All of these engine was hand assembled and modified.

 

But after 1991 all of this point was mooted. BMW launched the M50 DOHC engine that produce just about the same amount of horsepower.

 

Only a few hundred of these 520is and S5 were produced. And a lot of them survived better than the 520i because that was too naff. 520is was also the last 5-Series you could've gotten with manual transmission here.

 

BMW then later debore the 525i down to 2.4-litre for tax reason. But this ad hoc situation just isn't as meaningful as the 520is debacle.

 

It's not really forgotten, is it? More like it's never existed in the first place.

 

 

There are quite a few 2.4 litre E60 525i cars in the UK. Fuck knows why?

[Guest Hooli]

I was always surprised they never did a properly fast 340, a 2.0 Turbo one would have been a right machine in the vein of the SAAB Turbo.

 

Because they were fucking awful? I had a 1.4 & that was over powered for the utterly wank handling* The only good thing about them was the comfy seats.

[Guest Conan]

There are quite a few 2.4 litre E60 525i cars in the UK. Fuck knows why?

Want to learn of more weird shite?

 

2.4 started with E34 525i. Then when they went to E46 and E39 you could get 323i and 523i with the same M52 2.4l. What's even weirder is the early 528i E39 which was actually 2.4 also. Seems fucked up, right? What if I say you could also got 528i with M52B28 too but they're rare.

 

In 2005 they sold 325i as a runoff model with M54 2.5l however and after then there was no more tax nerfed 2.4. So E60 and E90 was 2.5. (But it was when they introduced the 20d so most people got that instead).

 

If you were one of those really mad person you could also had the 530i E34 with V8 for about twice the price of 525i 2.4.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

2005 is when the N52 arrived also for the E90 and E60 so the end for the old M54. The M54 2.4 crank was unique initially but BMW used it to make the 2.0 into a 2.2 for Europe and USA.

[djoptix]

BX 16v. Not the same as a GTi

[davocano]

From a time when Škodas were the butt of many an hilarious* joke; look how fast this one is leaving a boot sale.

 

[NorfolkNWeigh]

[Timewaster]

It wasn’t, it was a bog standard GL he had hired. He’d just watched a race and went off to the airport, somewhere along the way he got a bit giddy and somersaulted the Sierra roof down into a ploughed field. Seat trapped him against the roof and broke his back.

Well I've scoured the internet trying to find a shred of evidence for my XR4x4 theory and found none.

 

Don't know why I thought that, but I was quite sure until now.

 

Anyway, a hire car is the fastest car you can get

[sierraman]

I can feel a BMW knowledge face off coming on here!

[Zelandeth]

I defy pretty much anything short of an Aerial Atom to keep up with this on a twisty road.

 

 

 

Absolutely *destroyed* one of my previous cross country records in it, which was previously held by my Suzuki Cappuccino - only thing which had previously come anywhere close to it was a Jag XJ40.

 

They were 150bhp from the factory, but with the boost turned up just a bit sees somewhere around 170-180 and that makes a massive difference, and makes it feel properly brisk. Especially as it results in the properly 80s experience of the brief pause followed by the addictive shove in the back as the thing comes on boost.

 

Has seriously surprised a few folks.

 

It's astonishing what levels of grip can be generated by 205 section tyres when you've taken body roll totally out of the equation. 0.98 lateral G anyone?

 

I'm really looking forward to blasting it around a track one day to see where the limits actually are...well beyond the levels generated by dodging that idiot reversing into a 70mph dual carriageway from the garage forecourt last weekend anyway.

 

The 20V version of the Fiat Coupe is a good contender for forgotten cars that were downright rapid...sounds good too with that five pot woofle

[Jazoli]

Give over with your atoms, Activa's handle well but a standard 2006 golf gti would be right up your chuff and passing you on the straight bits, to be truly fast on a public road you need to do silly things and take huge liberties with your own liberty, I've had my arse handed to me by several low power cars over the years simply because the drivers of them are prepared to take more risks than me.

[RoadworkUK]

Marcus Tandy from Eldorado had one!

Until it morphed into a TR7 in the fiery crash scene:

 

[Mrcento]

Fiat Punto HGT

 

The turbocharged Mk1 gets all the recognition, the mk2 HGT totally forgotten. 1.8 16v, same engine as the Barchetta, "only" 130ish bhp, but the car itself only weights about 1000kg

 

The 0-60 figures aren't too hot, but having owned one briefly, i can confirm that they are genuinely rapid in gear if you wind the engine up and the VVT kicks in.

[bramz7]

Fiat Marea 155 20v.

 

Bloody rapid for what I'm normally used to. Loved it, and that five cylinder warble was immense.

[5speedracer]

A few that spring to my mind are

 

 

Fiat Tipo sedicivalvole

Red-Fiat-Tipo-2.0-16v.jpg

 

Citroen ZX 16V

IMG_5142.jpg

 

Reanult 19 16v chamade

 

2065051.jpg

 

Renault 21 turborenault_21_turbo_1_000000000d090910.jpg

16v Tipo, forgot about those. Oh Fiat, whatever happened to you?

 

Sent from my Redmi 4 using Tapatalk

[Snipes]

I defy pretty much anything short of an Aerial Atom to keep up with this on a twisty road.

 

IMG_20180128_111802.jpg

 

IMG_20171124_223611.jpg

 

Absolutely *destroyed* one of my previous cross country records in it, which was previously held by my Suzuki Cappuccino - only thing which had previously come anywhere close to it was a Jag XJ40.

 

They were 150bhp from the factory, but with the boost turned up just a bit sees somewhere around 170-180 and that makes a massive difference, and makes it feel properly brisk. Especially as it results in the properly 80s experience of the brief pause followed by the addictive shove in the back as the thing comes on boost.

 

Has seriously surprised a few folks.

 

It's astonishing what levels of grip can be generated by 205 section tyres when you've taken body roll totally out of the equation. 0.98 lateral G anyone?

 

I'm really looking forward to blasting it around a track one day to see where the limits actually are...well beyond the levels generated by dodging that idiot reversing into a 70mph dual carriageway from the garage forecourt last weekend anyway.

 

The 20V version of the Fiat Coupe is a good contender for forgotten cars that were downright rapid...sounds good too with that five pot woofle

Pulls more Gs than an NSX!

[ProgRocker]

Are these forgotten? If you've forgotten about them, then I suppose they are.

 

29080576980_33e853fe0e_o.jpg

 

IIRC anyone who wanted to buy one of these had to sit a 'driving test'.