Fast and forgotten

[sierraman]

Funnily enough last night, couldn’t sleep so was reading a review of the Alpine from 1993, it was tested against the Subaru SVX and a RX7, the consensus was they liked the mid range grunt of the Alpine but less so the floor hinged pedals or the slapdash interior. Some bizarre quirks there as well, door handles on inside were set into the sills. Those bloody French eh!

[Zelandeth]

Funnily enough last night, couldn’t sleep so was reading a review of the Alpine from 1993, it was tested against the Subaru SVX and a RX7, the consensus was they liked the mid range grunt of the Alpine but less so the floor hinged pedals or the slapdash interior. Some bizarre quirks there as well, door handles on inside were set into the sills. Those bloody French eh!

Nobody does slightly strange car interiors that actually work better than the French.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

I actually thought the car in Hertz's post was a Venturi Atlantique, think it was because of the numberplate- the company was originally called MVS.

Why they thought they could sell a plastic Supercar with a mid-mounted PRV V6 attached to a Renault transaxle would be a big seller when La Regie themselves couldn't interest that many people, God only knows.

Although it looks as if at least one made it here.

[Hertz]

I actually thought the car in Hertz's post was a Venturi Atlantique, think it was because of the numberplate- the company was originally called MVS.

Why they thought they could sell a plastic Supercar with a mid-mounted PRV V6 attached to a Renault transaxle would be a big seller when La Regie themselves couldn't interest that many people, God only knows.image.jpeg

image.jpegimage.jpeg

Although it looks as if at least one made it here.

 

I believe they found 12 idiots for the Atlantique's in RHD. There's a chef in Glasgow who has apparently owned most of them over the years.

[Snipes]

I think they look decent. Never seen anything of them outside of Gran Turismo 2.

[sierraman]

Yeah, somewhere I’ve got a Top Gear Road Test of a Venturi, they really rated it but it didn’t have a ‘name’ so to speak so it fell flat on its arse.

[Kringle]

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

A bucket list item is to experience an Activa at ludicrous speed. I'd love to see one on a track and especially the faces of those who spent many more £££'s for their track toy.

[Zelandeth]

A bucket list item is to experience an Activa at ludicrous speed. I'd love to see one on a track and especially the faces of those who spent many more £££'s for their track toy.

 

I think the thing that gets me the most is how it handles rapid weight transitions - like when you go from going around a roundabout to straighten up.  It just seems to disregard the physics involved - which makes it feel as though you're doing at least 20-30mph less than you are.

 

Yes there are quicker cars, there are better handling cars and more comfortable cars...not many can tick all the boxes at the same time though.

 

Yes, some of the current VW Group cars could realistically keep up (my having a very well developed sense of self preservation tends to see to that), but they've made their cars handle like that at the cost of any kind of ride quality whatsoever.

 

Bloody Sinclair C5 rides better than the A5 we've currently got on the drive...and it doesn't even have any suspension to speak of...

 

Said A5 did *not* handle trying to keep up with the Activa on a bumpy twisty back road well.  Watching it in the mirror was akin to watching a drunken hippo on a space hopper.  Sure on a smooth track it would do great...on uneven surfaces with odd cambers and such...not so much.

[alcyonecorporation]

Drive more cars, man. 

[face]

Lancer GTi - I had a booted version like this one, but in red. It was great.

 

Just three OTR, according to HML.

 

[face]

And the Colt CZT. Shares the same platform and engine as the Smart For-Four, a 1.5 Turbo. By all accounts it sounds good and the boost comes on suddenly and all at once. You can get a nice one around £2500 and it is on my list as an option for a weekend hack (I won't be looking properly until back end of next year though).

 

[LessThanEqual]

And the Colt CZT. Shares the same platform and engine as the Smart For-Four, a 1.5 Turbo. By all accounts it sounds good and the boost comes on suddenly and all at once. You can get a nice one around £2500 and it is on my list as an option for a weekend hack (I won't be looking properly until back end of next year though).

 

The JDM version of these is funky and comes with a much nicer interior.

[alcyonecorporation]

The JDM version of almost every Japanese car built is funkier and comes with a much nicer interior.

 

EFA

[forddeliveryboy]

Fastest car I ever had was a dark blue 2 litre 8v turbo Xantia estate, if by fast you mean how little time journeys took, routinely. It vanished under the radar, was comfy enough, quiet, had good enough brakes (once that compression spring under the brake pedal had been replaced with something solid), handled as well as anything else conventionally arranged and had very useable power, all 150hp.

 

Only the numb steering and short squab seats really let it down, the Hydractive of many spheres worked blisteringly well.

 

In contrast, the best part of 300hp in the CX allied with a chassis beyond sublime was so special a car you treated it with reverence, the fukinfast Saab 900 looked so fast nutters in BMWs were always trying to prove the size of their balls whenever it came into sight.

[dozeydustman]

Pug 104 ZS2?

[LightBulbFun]

AC/Invacar model 70, how many of the cars listed here can do 82Mph in reverse gear?! 

 

[alcyonecorporation]

So let me get this right: 

The fastest vehicle ever is a turbo Citroen Xantia? 

[looks around for crack pipe] 

[Guest Hooli]

So let me get this right: 

 

The fastest yet completely forgotten vehicle that loads of people on this 'ere forum own an example of is a turbo Citroen Xantia? 

 

[looks around for crack pipe] 

 

FTFY

[alcyonecorporation]

I have driven an Ariel Atom and remembered it. 

Is this where I'm, nay society, is faltering? 

[John F]

sierraman, on 27 Nov 2018 - 9:41 PM, said:

Yeah, somewhere I’ve got a Top Gear Road Test of a Venturi, they really rated it but it didn’t have a ‘name’ so to speak so it fell flat on its arse.

 

I once spent half a day wandering round the old Geneva airport motor museum... if I could have had any car there I'd have picked the 1990s Venturi they had on display.

 

Anyway, as resident Calibra licker I'm also going to nominate the V6 Calibra as "fast & forgotten". When launched in 1994, the 2.5 V6 was apparently capable of a true 148 mph.

[Timewaster]

So let me get this right:

 

The fastest vehicle ever is a turbo Citroen Xantia?

 

[looks around for crack pipe]

We all know it's a Sprinter van.

 

(Or an Astramax for older viewers).

 

Tut.

[dome]

To be fair, I'd love to do a track day in an Activa on a set of sticky tyres

[dome]

Is the Mazda 323 posted earlier the same as the turbo 4x4?

 

Was always on my radar back in the day, especially after watching one take part in the Scottish Rally Championship.

 

One of those cars that when I had money weren't around and when I didn't one would pop up for sale.

 

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk

[pshome]

Suprised there is no mention yet of the 505 Turbo with it's Tagora engine. 180 PS of driving fun.

 

[Scruffy Bodger]

I don't think anyone has mentioned these little beasts yet, somehow?

 

 

Amazingy tuneable and used to blitz absolutely everything else there in 0-60mph competitions at car shows back in the day.

 

The one pictured https://www.carthrottle.com/post/this-475bhp-nissan-pulsar-gti-r-is-an-affordable-way-to-chase-supercars/ is only* 475bhp 

[barefoot]

I had a couple of Audi 200T which were mentally rapid - when they worked properly.

 

To put this into some sort of perspective, although it was only a three speed automatic, it would do 60, 90 & 120 in its ratios, although I  never took it above 100mph. There was no need, it was still pulling so strongly, I had nothing to prove?

The car used to drop down into first gear at speeds well above 50 mph and spin its front wheels. This would cause it to snap viciously to the right. Then it would change almost instantaneously back up into second at about 5,000 rpm which would make it snatch equally frighteningly to the left.

I remember hitting Sutton Bank, a hill I had never previously heard of, at about 50mph with an Astra GTi mk1 right behind me.

The 200T kept up a steady 50mph in top gear, with a howling and then screaming turbo until I reached the hairpin, when it finally changed down a ratio or two. The Astra, by this time, was long since gone.

My current 944S, although ultimately almost 25mph faster, is no-where near as mentally rapid whilst accelerating.

I owned two green ones & a superb metallic grey example and stashed away a pair of '200 Turbo' accessory, scatter cushions for years.

That's true, 200T's really did come with extra loose cushions to make the rear seat upholstery even more chintzy, but mine are currently no-where to be found...

[omegod]

I remember my 3.0 24v V6 Omega being an absolute animal at times but a perfect comfy cruiser, LPG was a godsend though !

[LightBulbFun]

So let me get this right: 

 

The fastest vehicle ever is a turbo Citroen Xantia? 

 

[looks around for crack pipe] 

 

having been a passenger in Zels Xantia Activa

 

yes, Yes indeed

[alcyonecorporation]

having been a passenger in Zels Xantia Activa

 

yes, Yes indeed

Get lifts in other cars, man.

[twosmoke300]

I’d wager an integra type r would be quicker that’s for sure