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

[Badasp5.0]

Eclipse Ralliart looks amazing! I wish they didn't stop making the Eclipse. The last generation was so good looking.

They should have had a turbo 4 in it. Plus the V6 model was crazy expensive IIRC it was past $30k.

 

[SVX]

I was up north earlier this week, and while I was there I found a Ferrari 365 GTB4 and, what I thought at the time was, a Lotus 7 kit car.

Further investigation when I got back made it clear it was an original car, a 1985 Lotus S4X.

I found the actual car on Google.

The place where I got the picture from had a bit of info on it too, from the owner!:

Howdy - that's mine. Last of the Steel Bros S4 chassis / running gear + Lotus 907 2.0ltr engine & Elan 5-spd gear box. Built by the ill-fated Bainbridges after they 'bought' bits & jigs.

I can't find any other info on it though...

 

[RandomCarGuy17]

I'm trying a game I bought on the Playstation Network called "Absolute Supercars" and I found out about this.

Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Competizione, funny how I wasn't aware of the racing version of the Ferrari Daytona.

 

[RocZX]

I was up north earlier this week, and while I was there I found a Ferrari 365 GTB4 and, what I thought at the time was, a Lotus 7 kit car.

Further investigation when I got back made it clear it was an original car, a 1985 Lotus S4X.

I found the actual car on Google.

The place where I got the picture from had a bit of info on it too, from the owner!:

Howdy - that's mine. Last of the Steel Bros S4 chassis / running gear + Lotus 907 2.0ltr engine & Elan 5-spd gear box. Built by the ill-fated Bainbridges after they 'bought' bits & jigs.

I can't find any other info on it though...

But it is a Lotus 7.

The Steel Bros. brought the rights and chassis from Lotus for the series 4(S4).

I did some searching and found this......
http://www.lotus7.co.nz/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1221

 

[SVX]

But it is a Lotus 7.

The Steel Bros. brought the rights and chassis from Lotus for the series 4(S4).

I did some searching and found this......
http://www.lotus7.co.nz/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1221

So, it's the same as a Caterham is to a Lotus 7, kinda?

Thanks for doing some more research, quite interesting!

 

[Dan]

Never knew about the BMW Z1 until today. Those doors are epic! Thanks, CarThrottle!

http://www.carthrottle.com/if-youve-never-seen-a-door-open-on-a-bmw-z1-prepare-to-have-your-mind-blown/

 

[RocZX]

So, it's the same as a Caterham is to a Lotus 7, kinda?

Thanks for doing some more research, quite interesting!

Both Caterham and Steel Bros. were first 2 companies to buy the rights to the Lotus 7 from Lotus/Chapman.
The Steel Bros. are not that well known.
The only car (other then the same Lotus 7) that I can find is a widebody version of the Lotus 7. Only one of them ever made by the company.

 

[SVX]

How interesting! So this car is extremely rare then?

 

[Tornado]

"What if we were to take the Lotus 7... and make it the most 80s car ever?"

 

[Pupik]

"What if we were to take the Lotus 7... and make it the most 80s car ever?"

Proportionally, it's like a smaller, boxier version of a Dodge Viper.

 

[Tornado]

It looks like a Zimmer golf cart.

 

[RocZX]

How interesting! So this car is extremely rare then?

Kind of, from that I read they only made between 95-100 cars.

 

[Sage Ages]

"What if we were to take the Lotus 7... and make it the most 80s car ever?"

Needs a driver that looks like David Hasselhoff.

 

[SVX]

Kind of, from that I read they only made between 95-100 cars.

Still the rarest car I've seen, other than the Enzo and my dad's Mazda I think.

 

[The Stig Farmer]

MASSIVE PHOTO MEGADUMP

*courtesy of Jalopnik yet again

Toyota Mega Cruiser

Jeep FC-150 Minivan

Lancia Dedra Integrale

Dacon 828

Honda Crossroad (rebadged Land Rover Discovery)

Citroën M35 (rotary-engined Ami coupe)

Volvo 480

​

 

[SVX]

Those 480s look so interesting IRL, surprisingly enough I've seen a few.

 

[ilikewaffles11]

I just came here to post some of that.

My favorite was this, the Geo Prizm GSi. Comes with a 4AGE, which if you're unfamiliar with Toyota engines, is the engine that comes in the AE86 and AW11 MR2s. Suddenly I want one.

 

[Wiegert]

Those 480s look so interesting IRL, surprisingly enough I've seen a few.

I could see this one on a daily basis if I worked in the centre of town.

 

[Pupik]

That Dacon 828 put a smile on my face...aping a Porsche 928 like that. But with 110-some horses with rear-wheel drive, and miniscule...

 

[Sage Ages]

Bentley Arnage

 

[NoobMan DS]

A couple of British-built GT racing cars:

Harrier LR9

Chevron GS8, here being shown at the Autosport International 2014


A German sports roadster called the Roding Roadster 23

EDIT: Here's the road-going Harrier LR9:

 

[RandomCarGuy17]

A Ford GT40 roadster on a GT/111 chassis. It's interesting to see this car in roadster form to me. I found out about it in the suggestion section of GT6.

I also learned about the Vectra Supertouring from wikipedia.

 

[Danny]

Mmmm. Yema SQJ6450.

 

[Wiegert]

Austin Monteg-ew would also be a befitting name, and rolls off the tongue better.

Also kind of disheartened that the Montego is so rare nowadays.

 

[TheCracker]

No it isn't, the montego along with everything else BL or what ever they called themselves at that moment in time, were dreadful.

Thank you Danny for reminding me of their existence

 

[Spacegoat]

Thanks to @Jet Badger 's post in the Ugly But Appealing Vehicles thread. I'm now aware of Mini Scamp kit cars.

 

[Slash]

Shelby GT250. 1971 Mercury Comet "Shelby-fied". It came with a GT40 supplied 289 block and heads that pumped out 350 horsepower, and was faster than the original 1965 Shelby Mustangs. The GT250 featured special front disc brakes, modified suspension and Koni shocks. It had T-10 trans and a Traction-Lok rear with 3.00 Le Mans gears installed, plus Shelby 14"x7" aluminium wheels. 140 mph was possible with this car. The GT250 was first used by Philippe Bervoet, then the business partner (and former Dubois race team driver of a De Tomaso). It was later sold to M. Olcar (Olcar Sales). He sold the car to a norwegian customer of him. He bought a number of cars from Olcar. The Maverick was one of them, but at the time it had a 302 built in, obviously the GT40 289 was taken out at some time.

Engine 289 with GT 40 specs (350HP)
Shelby R-model rims
(probably) Avon tires
Suspension mods like stabilizer, lowered, Koni Shocks, etc.
Scoop
Hood pins
Hood and body side stripes
Rear Trunk filler cap like on the other Shelby Europa
289 powered Shelby emblem on the rear
Claude Dubois tag inside the engine bay

This was the only one built, and unfortunately was scrapped. It's not longer with us.

 

[The Vanishing Boy]

-> ...

A couple of British-built GT racing cars:

EDIT: Here's the road-going Harrier LR9:

^ I spot either Alfa 155 or Subaru SVX tail lights/lamps.

 

[Vegard]

tail lights

Alfa Romeo 164 I think.

 

[MadMike32]

That roadgoing Harrier LS9 looks like a 1989 concept car. Where can one purchase one...?