You learn something new... - Cars you didn't know existed, until now!

[niky]

I can't believe Ford had such a nice little car ready to go and they ended up giving us this ugly thing instead.

If you squint really, really, REALLY hard, they're indistinguishable!

 

[05XR8]

I can't believe Ford had such a nice little car ready to go and they ended up giving us this ugly thing instead.

Now, now... The EXP wasn't that bad. They(the Mercury LN7 as well) were like a smaller fwd Mustang & Capri. While it wasn't a Dodge Daytona, at least it wasn't a Pontiac J- car.

 

[ToyGTone]

9/10 @Spitfiredwod You've done it again, was going to post the M300 myself for the same reasons .

View attachment 650346
HKS Zero-R

Thanks to @Michelin Man, now I just found out about possibly one of my favourite R32's right now...

Taken from Speed Hunter:
"Back in the early nineties HKS decided to do what RUF in Germany was doing with Porsches, and started to create a high-performance bespoke version of the BNR32, the Zero-R. The idea was to inject the tuning knowhow HKS had accumulated after years of tuning the RB26 and help the GT-R achieve its fullest potential. The idea was great, in theory, but in practice it didn't really work out. After building four Zero-Rs the time came to register them as one-off models not tied with the Nissan brand, which is where the problems began. Due to regulations back then they were required to crash-test a few cars in order to submit homologation approval. HKS decided to abandon the project as it would have proven too expensive even at the proposed ¥13,000,000 ($145,000 at today's exchange) per car. HKS kept three Zero-Rs while the fourth was sold off to the Sultan of Brunei who shipped it off to his Far-Eastern haven to join his immense car collection. The cars HKS kept were stored at the main factory in Shizuoka.

But in 2006 HKS discovered that registering the Zero-R nowadays would be very easy and the decision was made to bring the semi-abandoned cars back to life. The job to spearhead this project was given to Kikuchi-san of HKS Tokyo Factory who immediately announced his plans in a small article in GT-R Magazine. He was instantly flooded with phone calls from interested enthusiasts willing to purchase one of these three remaining legendary Zero-R. As Kikuchi-san explained however, there was no way the old original car, developing 450HP and 363 lb/ft of torque would cut it in today's market. The idea was to completely rebuild them from the ground up fitting the best HKS products currently on sale to create the ultimate street registered GT-R.

More on here.

 

[Michelin Man]

Thanks to @Michelin Man, now I just found out about possibly one of my favourite R32's right now...

Taken from Speed Hunter:
"Back in the early nineties HKS decided to do what RUF in Germany was doing with Porsches, and started to create a high-performance bespoke version of the BNR32, the Zero-R. The idea was to inject the tuning knowhow HKS had accumulated after years of tuning the RB26 and help the GT-R achieve its fullest potential. The idea was great, in theory, but in practice it didn't really work out. After building four Zero-Rs the time came to register them as one-off models not tied with the Nissan brand, which is where the problems began. Due to regulations back then they were required to crash-test a few cars in order to submit homologation approval. HKS decided to abandon the project as it would have proven too expensive even at the proposed ¥13,000,000 ($145,000 at today's exchange) per car. HKS kept three Zero-Rs while the fourth was sold off to the Sultan of Brunei who shipped it off to his Far-Eastern haven to join his immense car collection. The cars HKS kept were stored at the main factory in Shizuoka.

But in 2006 HKS discovered that registering the Zero-R nowadays would be very easy and the decision was made to bring the semi-abandoned cars back to life. The job to spearhead this project was given to Kikuchi-san of HKS Tokyo Factory who immediately announced his plans in a small article in GT-R Magazine. He was instantly flooded with phone calls from interested enthusiasts willing to purchase one of these three remaining legendary Zero-R. As Kikuchi-san explained however, there was no way the old original car, developing 450HP and 363 lb/ft of torque would cut it in today's market. The idea was to completely rebuild them from the ground up fitting the best HKS products currently on sale to create the ultimate street registered GT-R.

More on here.


View attachment 650362
View attachment 650363

Yea, the Zero-R is quite the beast, love it's wide-body looks, one of the best bespoke creations of the R32 IMO. It's really interesting that HKS decided to go down the "create your own car" route, much like RUF, as the Speedhunters article mentions.

Or even Tommy Kaira, who if anything, would've been their most direct competitors, what with their own versions of classic Skylines, like the R30, and R32 based Tommy Kaira M30's or R33 based M25.

Whilst we're on the subject of HKS, as much as I adore HKS, for being one of my favourite tuning companies, I didn't realise, until now, that they had a stab at creating their own F1 engine in the early 90's.

The HKS 300E

In an attempt to get into F1, in 1992 HKS decided to create an engine for the (relatively by then) new 3.5L regs, to be potentially used by a customer team. The engine itself was a 3.5L (obviously) V12, that apparently made circa 650-680BHP.

Sadly in never actually got as far as being put into the back of an F1 car and used in competition. Instead it only got as far as being put in the back of a Lola T91/50 F3000 car, where it was tested at Fuji.

The Lola T91/50 test car

Although at around 680BHP tops, it would've been down on power compared to the other engines in F1 at the time, where even the Ford HB V8's were apparently making even more HP.

There's rumours that is was supposedly going to be re-badged as a Mitsubishi engine, where there would've been a view to use it in the Lola T92/10 prototype in IMSA GTP, but that never occurred either. Shame the engine went to waste really, as it' would've been awesome to see it used in something like a prototype beast at the time.


EDIT: Found a promo video showing the V12 in action at Fuji in the Lola F3000


(you get to hear it on track at the 1:04 mark)

 

[RandomCarGuy17]

EMC Dacia Logan (um, good news?)
I honestly am having a hard time finding good pictures of these things. Apparently there was plans for an electric car company to bring electric versions of these Dacias into the US. (Warning: You might not like the music.)

 

[TheCracker]

1982 Ford Ghia Shuttler Concept

1.3 liter engine, a Mazda GL, going by the markings, so it's likely built on a Mazda Familia floorpan. The year is right.

That's a Ford Kent engine. Those strut tops are identical to those on an 80's Fiesta too, so i bet it's Fiesta-based.

 

[Dennisch]

Hmmm. Kent engine. As long as it rattles, you're good. Indestructible.

 

[MedigoFlame]

Stumbled upon something called the Puma GTi on craigslist. Never heard of this one before.

The one from CL:

https://boston.craigslist.org/nos/cto/6153530305.html

 

[ToyGTone]

Toyota X Runner Ute Concept:

 

[Niku Driver HC]

Stumbled upon something called the Puma GTi on craigslist. Never heard of this one before.

The one from CL:

https://boston.craigslist.org/nos/cto/6153530305.html

It's a Brazilian-made sports car. Think TVR, but mostly with VW engines and parts, with some having 6-cylinder Chevrolet engines. That GTI is the evolution of the GTE, by that time based on a VW Brasília platform. They lasted for a while before Brazil made the entry of imported cars much easier and killed off the chances of their own brand (not to mention severe cases of mismanagement within the company itself)...

And apparently you can still get the original Puma as a kitcar. I found out that in Brazil the brand is also back, but A) only as a track car and B), well;

It's not that elegant of a proposal.

 

[Dennisch]

but mostly with VW engines and parts,

Basically a rebodied Karmann Ghia.

 

[Niku Driver HC]

Basically a rebodied Karmann Ghia.

Early on yes, but later on they were rebodied Brasílias. Cars like the GTI/GTE are examples of the latter as opposed to the former...

 

[JR98]

2003 Ford Focus RS8 Concept

While this may look just like the Focus RS hot hatch that debuted in 2002, this is actually one of the greatest sleeper cars out there. Replacing the turbo 4 from the normal RS is a monstrous 5.0 V8 "Cammer" crate engine producing over 420 HP (more than the 2003 Corvette Z06). Obviously, it would've been pointless to put that engine in a Focus and keep it front wheel drive, so this RS8 has been converted to rear wheel drive. The RS8 also has a brand new suspension system to handle the power.

 

[Razor440]

2003 Ford Focus RS8 Concept

While this may look just like the Focus RS hot hatch that debuted in 2002, this is actually one of the greatest sleeper cars out there. Replacing the turbo 4 from the normal RS is a monstrous 5.0 V8 "Cammer" crate engine producing over 420 HP (more than the 2003 Corvette Z06). Obviously, it would've been pointless to put that engine in a Focus and keep it front wheel drive, so this RS8 has been converted to rear wheel drive. The RS8 also has a brand new suspension system to handle the power.

That's the most insane thing I've heard of all day- wouldn't be surprised if it was a joke.

 

[JR98]

That's the most insane thing I've heard of all day- wouldn't be surprised if it was a joke.

Unfortunately it was only a SEMA concept, none actually made it to production.

 

[Razor440]

Unfortunately it was only a SEMA concept, none actually made it to production.

>SEMA concept

That explains the V8.

 

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

Whilst we're on the subject of HKS, as much as I adore HKS, for being one of my favourite tuning companies, I didn't realise, until now, that they had a stab at creating their own F1 engine in the early 90's.

View attachment 650408
The HKS 300E

In an attempt to get into F1, in 1992 HKS decided to create an engine for the (relatively by then) new 3.5L regs, to be potentially used by a customer team. The engine itself was a 3.5L (obviously) V12, that apparently made circa 650-680BHP.

Sadly in never actually got as far as being put into the back of an F1 car and used in competition. Instead it only got as far as being put in the back of a Lola T91/50 F3000 car, where it was tested at Fuji.

View attachment 650424
The Lola T91/50 test car

Although at around 680BHP tops, it would've been down on power compared to the other engines in F1 at the time, where even the Ford HB V8's were apparently making even more HP.

There's rumours that is was supposedly going to be re-badged as a Mitsubishi engine, where there would've been a view to use it in the Lola T92/10 prototype in IMSA GTP, but that never occurred either. Shame the engine went to waste really, as it' would've been awesome to see it used in something like a prototype beast at the time.


EDIT: Found a promo video showing the V12 in action at Fuji in the Lola F3000


(you get to hear it on track at the 1:04 mark)

I read about this engine some years ago, it wasn't all that great, nor were many of the engines from Japanese manufactures of the time. Isuzu also had an attempt as well during the same time. And the more well known failed Yamaha V12.

 

[Turbo]

1974 Skoda 200 RS Typ 734

​

 

[RandomCarGuy17]

Porsche 911 Club Coupe, another 911 variant I didn't know about.
https://www.pca.org/news/2015-01-21/pca-and-porsche-unveil-2015-911-gts-club-coupe

 

[ToyGTone]

On much less interesting find and more of a feature than a car, it turns out that the 4th gen Toyota Cressida (Or Mark II X80) did come with a Manual option thanks to a really old Toyota Ad on Youtube. I always hear people saying that the Automatic was the only option for this car:

Now thinking about, i only recall seeing it once with a Manual in my entire life as most people tend to buy auto's even back in the day.

---------------------------------
Turns out, RUF did make something that's not based on a 911 or Boxster but the Panamera instead...

RUF RXL

Sadly it seems to have not appeared anywhere else apart from Geneva 2012.

 

[VXR]

The ugly pig was put back under its sheet and never seen again.

 

[homeforsummer]

I read about this engine some years ago, it wasn't all that great, nor were many of the engines from Japanese manufactures of the time.

I'm guessing you're talking specifically in Formula 1, rather than in road cars, right?

 

[Obelisk]

in Formula 1, rather than in road cars,

I definitely think that's what he meant. A majority of Japanese engines for the road have been absolutely bulletproof since the 1980s (AFAIK).

 

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

I'm guessing you're talking specifically in Formula 1, rather than in road cars, right?

Yes

 

[homeforsummer]

Thought so, would have been an odd statement otherwise! But yeah, nothing too special in F1. Renault dominated for much of the 90s which ruled out the Japanese firms and pretty much everyone else too.

 

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

Thought so, would have been an odd statement otherwise! But yeah, nothing too special in F1. Renault dominated for much of the 90s which ruled out the Japanese firms and pretty much everyone else too.

I mean we all know that only one manufacture from Japan did good in F1 then, and that was Honda. I wonder what happened to them?

 

[Michelin Man]

What I find fascinating, is that at that time in F1 (late 80s/early 90s) is how many companies and manufacturers were having a go at F1, with their own conceived ideas and plans. Whilst many were really awful; e.g. Life F1, some were more succesful than others i.e. Jordan.

I like the engineering side of things the most, when many attempted to build their own unique engines, with the Subaru flat-12 Coloni being one. Just interests me that the likes of HKS even had a crack. Just think it's a shame their V12 wasn't used in something else, like a prototype racer of the time.

 

[Tornado]

It was because the engine rules were so enjoyably lax at the time.

 

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

What I find fascinating, is that at that time in F1 (late 80s/early 90s) is how many companies and manufacturers were having a go at F1, with their own conceived ideas and plans. Whilst many were really awful; e.g. Life F1, some were more succesful than others i.e. Jordan.

I like the engineering side of things the most, when many attempted to build their own unique engines, with the Subaru flat-12 Coloni being one. Just interests me that the likes of HKS even had a crack. Just think it's a shame their V12 wasn't used in something else, like a prototype racer of the time.

What @Tornado said, and to further that because the FIA had it to where you could cross over into WSC at the time, especially when the 3.5 L rules came out.

 

[Michelin Man]

Yea that was it really wasn't it, some nice relaxed engine regs allowed for the variation, something sadly missing from modern F1. Plus, again as you mentioned @LMSCorvetteGT2 the FIA set the 3.5 N/A Formula so one could cross from WSC to F1, plus it was probably/definitely done to curb the rise in popularity WSC was beginning to have over F1 at the time.