Getting the Bristols out this Summer
New Fighter nearly ready - check it out in Kensington
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Bristol are nearing the completion of their futuristic Fighter project. The huge leap forward in design for the cobweb laden company is now available to see in London.
This new chassis will be on view at the Kensington showrooms this week until Wednesday 2 April and the completed Fighter will be available for deliveries starting in May.
The car's been designed from a clean sheet of paper, so it may be devoid of many of Bristol's traditional idiosynchrasies. The eight litre V-10 engine and transmission have been specially developed to suit Bristol's requirements whilst the chassis is an all new design.
Bristol have worked hard on the aerodynamics in order to achieve their desire of building a car capable of more than 200mph.
A curvaceous aircraft style canopy has been used to reduce lift and drag whilst gull wing doors have been employed to provide easy access to the low car.
Inside, contoured leather sports seats cosset drivers from 4’ 11" up to 6’ 7" tall in an interior that is claimed to offer ample space.
It all sounds too good to be true and light years away from the Bristols of today. Interesting times ahead for one of the most traditional British manufacturers.
The picture in Autocar shows the rear, it looks good and has hints of the Bristol Le Mans cars, I hope the front looks better in the metal than the model, I look forward to seeing the real thing.
I will have to start planning a strategy to get a drive, probably marginally easier than winning the lottery and buying the beasitie.
What is this talk about Bristol being eccentric, they are normal it is the rest of the world's motor industry that is out of line.
Biased, what me?
It apears to have lower wishbones, so I can't see how a live axle would work with this arrangment on both sides
gnomesmith said: I'm puzzled by the rear suspension, it certainly looks like a 'live axle' but both the blurb and the spec suggest something else, the angle of the photo makes it impossible to fathom so I suppose a visit to Olympia is on the cards to sort it out.
the only way I can see it working is having a variable length drive shaft (like a Tiv propshaft, splined so it can move in and out) or a couple of very short drive shafts (why do this though still ) Either way the suspension isn't going to be fully independant, how very odd
Any more ideas Gnomesmith ?
Looking carefully at the axle it is possible that 'tubes' are in fact a cast beam. There is a possible upper wishbone mounting visible near the top of the offside damper.
There does not appear to be much room for the propshaft to be deflected upwards before it meets the handbrake saddle.
The 1938-39 GP Merc used a De Dion in which the tube was variable length (al a Rover 2000) and relied upon a slot and peg to provide lateral location, the same sort of location was used on the Stangullini FJ and if memory serves certain Maserati 250Fs and the four cylinder BRM.
If the Fighter's beam like structure is mounted on the chassis in a similar fashion which permits vertical motion and there are sliding ujs at each end it could sit within a double wishbone layout without compromise to unsprung weight. Bristol are almost fanatical about minimising unsprung weight, a fact that helps explain their supurb road manners.
I doubt whether there are many axle units on the shelves of Halfords or Parts r Us that could cope with the torque of the modified Viper unit so perhaps this is a cunning way to make use of an axle from the Ram, or similar looney pick-up without having to chop it up.
However it works it looks bloody clever and I can't wait to get over to Kensington (Not Church Street though, thats all Antiques and pseudes not Bristols).
I love a good mystery, where did I put my Deerstalker?
>> Edited by gnomesmith on Wednesday 26th March 16:43
No evidence on the nearside though (unless we're looking at differenct things) I'm assuming the blueish bit is an antiroll bar although it's not actually bolted to anything
gnomesmith said: There is a possible upper wishbone mounting visible near the top of the offside damper.
The plot thickens, now wear's me violin
The anti roll bar runs through chassis bushes and then seems to be linked to the top of the hub carrier.
If there is no top link or wishbone there will need to be a Watts linkage or similar to prevent sideways movement of the axle, there is no evidence of that.
We can only hope that Steve Cropley's obvious friendship with Bristol will lead to a full technical write up in Autocar.
Looking again although it isn't entirely clear there is an A shaped wishbone mounted on the chassis and the pivot is not that far from wheel centre height, there are further lower links on spherical bearings so perhaps we are looking at a classic double wishbone set up albeit one where the top link is lower than normal.
The thick plottens!
like it 
With all the Viper bits I wonder where they source the Vindscreen Vipers?
>> Edited by gnomesmith on Thursday 27th March 21:30
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