Appalling 'Levante': in name and appearance

Appalling 'Levante': in name and appearance

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Discussion

ggdrew

Original Poster:

242 posts

123 months

Wednesday 18th November 2015
quotequote all
Come on! Some-ones got to point at the emperor's lack of trousers on this one..
Aside from a monumental drive train, the appearance just shouts 'pre-pubescent berk' with a shocking front wing and rear wings made out of cardboard boxes. I'm not buying the aerodynamic guff - it must be the boss who's done a Homer Simpson on it. It's not the price putting people off!

Even the name has that self-conscious wannabe-Italian, new kit-car ring to it. It's all so un-Caterham IMO.

Sorry, but I've not read a comment on the look of those things as yet, so now it's off my chest.

Edited by ggdrew on Wednesday 18th November 21:35

ewenm

28,506 posts

244 months

Wednesday 18th November 2015
quotequote all
Is there a new Levante or is this post a few years late?

BBL-Sean

336 posts

175 months

Thursday 19th November 2015
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ewenm said:
Is there a new Levante or is this post a few years late?
"B"

nigelpugh7

5,996 posts

189 months

Thursday 19th November 2015
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I suspect the OP has only just now managed to see one hence his comment,,even if he is a few years late to the party.

However you would,have to agree, I always thought the Levante looked like it had been beaten with an ugly stick.

It always reminded me of one of those cringe worthy - a designed and built it myself kit car look a likes that you often see at the Stoneleigh kit car show, and most of those are generally only good for one thing, a skip!

There is of course some very nice technology on the Levante though, and the engine installation is a very professional installation.

If only they could have just left it looking like a pretty standard bodied seven, they might have even sold some more and not gone out of business so quickly!

Gingerbread Man

9,171 posts

212 months

Thursday 19th November 2015
quotequote all
nigelpugh7 said:
I suspect the OP has only just now managed to see one hence his comment,,even if he is a few years late to the party.

However you would,have to agree, I always thought the Levante looked like it had been beaten with an ugly stick.

It always reminded me of one of those cringe worthy - a designed and built it myself kit car look a likes that you often see at the Stoneleigh kit car show, and most of those are generally only good for one thing, a skip!

There is of course some very nice technology on the Levante though, and the engine installation is a very professional installation.

If only they could have just left it looking like a pretty standard bodied seven, they might have even sold some more and not gone out of business so quickly!
I agree. The looks aren't it's strongest point.

Although on an off point, I'm quite liking the new nosecone with mesh top.

Pdelamare

659 posts

127 months

Thursday 19th November 2015
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Some look better than others. The yellow V6 one looks very standard, the white one at Sevens and Classics is one of the first and has everything.

I don't have the front wing or the same lights or cage, the only difference to a regular S3's bodywork are the rear arches, CF panels and air scoop.

Here's mine.




rubystone

11,252 posts

258 months

Thursday 19th November 2015
quotequote all
nigelpugh7 said:
If only they could have just left it looking like a pretty standard bodied seven, they might have even sold some more and not gone out of business so quickly!
Where'd you get your facts about them going out of business from?

k20erham

372 posts

125 months

Thursday 19th November 2015
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RUSSELL STEPHEN SAVORY
Information from appointment at R S PERFORMANCE ENGINE DEVELOPMENTS LIMITED
Address
C/O TINDLE'S LLP SCOTSWOOD HOUSE TEESDALE SOUTH
THORNABY PLACE
STOCKTON ON TEES
CLEVELAND
ENGLAND
TS17 6SB
A different address is used for appointments at:
MOTOPOWER LIMITED
244 other people also use TS17 6SB in their address (this might be a mail forwarding service address)
60 companies are also registered at TS17 6SB
Information from Public Register
Date Of Birth:Mar-1954
Age:61 Years
Nationality:BRITISH
Country of Residence:UNITED KINGDOM
Occupation:MOTOR ENGINEER
Current Appointments
Company Role Appointed Status
MOTOPOWER LIMITED Director 20 Feb 2003 Active Details
R S PERFORMANCE ENGINE DEVELOPMENTS LIMITED Director 27 Nov 2006 Active
RUSSELL SAVORY PERFORMANCE LIMITED Director 27 Jan 2012 Company Dissolved Details
SMA OPERATIONS LTD Director 12 Mar 2009 Company Dissolved Details
STOW MARIES GREAT WAR AERODROME LTD Director 28 Nov 2011 Active Details

Kawasicki

13,041 posts

234 months

Thursday 19th November 2015
quotequote all
Pdelamare said:
Some look better than others. The yellow V6 one looks very standard, the white one at Sevens and Classics is one of the first and has everything.

I don't have the front wing or the same lights or cage, the only difference to a regular S3's bodywork are the rear arches, CF panels and air scoop.

Here's mine.



nice!

k20erham

372 posts

125 months

Thursday 19th November 2015
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Great engineering exercise with a very painful gestation period,must agree they all have questionable looks and quite sad really considering what they cost, but hats off to all those that have made an idea come true. IMHO it's a thoroughbred bitsa, does it earn the right to have Caterham on the V5? not too sure, if one starts going down the road of if Caterham don't make it and only assemble it or sell it as a kit/self assemble from outsourced suppliers then it's a Caterham, the Levante is the same I guess? could you ever have ordered one from Caterham?

Pdelamare

659 posts

127 months

Thursday 19th November 2015
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Kawasicki said:
nice!
Thanks. beer


k20erham said:
Great engineering exercise with a very painful gestation period,must agree they all have questionable looks and quite sad really considering what they cost, but hats off to all those that have made an idea come true. IMHO it's a thoroughbred bitsa, does it earn the right to have Caterham on the V5? not too sure, if one starts going down the road of if Caterham don't make it and only assemble it or sell it as a kit/self assemble from outsourced suppliers then it's a Caterham, the Levante is the same I guess? could you ever have ordered one from Caterham?
All the magazine articles I've read, and there's quite a few, all mention that it was a collaborative effort. The chassis is standard SV (S3 in the rare case of mine) with some minor modifications, it has a Caterham chassis plate and there are a lot of Caterham parts on them. Obvious the motors detract massively from Caterham standard fare.

http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/meet-v8...

rubystone

11,252 posts

258 months

Thursday 19th November 2015
quotequote all
k20erham said:
RUSSELL STEPHEN SAVORY
Information from appointment at R S PERFORMANCE ENGINE DEVELOPMENTS LIMITED
Address
C/O TINDLE'S LLP SCOTSWOOD HOUSE TEESDALE SOUTH
THORNABY PLACE
STOCKTON ON TEES
CLEVELAND
ENGLAND
TS17 6SB
A different address is used for appointments at:
MOTOPOWER LIMITED
244 other people also use TS17 6SB in their address (this might be a mail forwarding service address)
60 companies are also registered at TS17 6SB
Information from Public Register
Date Of Birth:Mar-1954
Age:61 Years
Nationality:BRITISH
Country of Residence:UNITED KINGDOM
Occupation:MOTOR ENGINEER
Current Appointments
Company Role Appointed Status
MOTOPOWER LIMITED Director 20 Feb 2003 Active Details
R S PERFORMANCE ENGINE DEVELOPMENTS LIMITED Director 27 Nov 2006 Active
RUSSELL SAVORY PERFORMANCE LIMITED Director 27 Jan 2012 Company Dissolved Details
SMA OPERATIONS LTD Director 12 Mar 2009 Company Dissolved Details
STOW MARIES GREAT WAR AERODROME LTD Director 28 Nov 2011 Active Details
So the company was dissolved. It didn't go out of business because it chose not to build as many cars in S3 form - only possible when the V6 was fully productionised.

Pdelamare

659 posts

127 months

Thursday 19th November 2015
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RS didn't go out of business, he wound it down in order to concentrate on his airfield and wildlife photography.

Honda Rush

122 posts

206 months

Friday 20th November 2015
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Having had the pleasure to meet Russell Savory a couple of times and enough time to fully view Peters car, it is only then that you fully understand the time and effort which has been required to complete these individual cars, Russell is a brilliant designer / engineer and to create just one of these cars would be more than one enthusiasts dreams but to put them into limited production is way beyond most of us. Russell has now moved on to another love in his life to restore the Stow Maries airfield and record the wildlife within the area, So just like any other car, production has to come to an end sometime.

culminator

576 posts

208 months

Friday 20th November 2015
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I had a good look at the White Levante at Sevens and Classics and whilst the mechanicals and general engineering are really impressive, it looked like it had just crashed into a Halfords accessories store. Pig ugly and cheap looking....

nigelpugh7

5,996 posts

189 months

Friday 20th November 2015
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I had forgotten just how bad some of the options were on some of the Levante creations, take a look at these mirrors, they look like they are off a motorbike? And the mounts for them seem to be some sort of afterthought when they realised they could not mount them on the scuttle?



Peters car looks fantastic by comparison,,just the right amount of subtly added parts to a great engineering installation of the engine and other added design touches.

Orange Blackbird

98 posts

166 months

Friday 20th November 2015
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Whilst I fully appreciate the engineering that goes into these cars they are a bit OTT for me. Don't like the front and rear wings think round ones would have looked better. Did a Brands GP trackday a couple of years ago with a v6 Levante and the driver was having real problems controlling all the power and he was lapped by most of us. Imagine if you had F1 driver talents then it would be difficult to beat unless you were in a Radical.

nigelpugh7

5,996 posts

189 months

Friday 20th November 2015
quotequote all
Pdelamare said:
Some look better than others. The yellow V6 one looks very standard, the white one at Sevens and Classics is one of the first and has everything.

I don't have the front wing or the same lights or cage, the only difference to a regular S3's bodywork are the rear arches, CF panels and air scoop.
I thought that the Levante models were based on the SV chassis Peter? So is yours based on a std S3 chassis then?

Edited by nigelpugh7 on Friday 20th November 17:51

rubystone

11,252 posts

258 months

Friday 20th November 2015
quotequote all
nigelpugh7 said:
I thought that the Levante models were based on the SV chassis Peter? So is yours based on a std S3 chassis then?

Edited by nigelpugh7 on Friday 20th November 17:51
Having read your contributions to this thread, Nigel, I can now understand why quite a lot of people I speak to consider you a dhead.

Apologies, all, I just had to get that off my chest.

Pdelamare

659 posts

127 months

Friday 20th November 2015
quotequote all
Orange Blackbird said:
Whilst I fully appreciate the engineering that goes into these cars they are a bit OTT for me. Don't like the front and rear wings think round ones would have looked better. Did a Brands GP trackday a couple of years ago with a v6 Levante and the driver was having real problems controlling all the power and he was lapped by most of us. Imagine if you had F1 driver talents then it would be difficult to beat unless you were in a Radical.
It needs finess and an experienced driver. The motor makes its power in a very linear way and so is quite possible to hurry it along, but if you're a bit ham-fisted (or footed) you'll be in all sorts of trouble with it. They all have traction control, except mine, haven't quite got around to fitting it yet, but I haven't missed it. I'm at Silverstone on Sunday with the car, this should be the first time I really get to lean on it properly as all the issues have been ironed out, hopefully. The forecasted 4 degree temperature might dull proceedings slightly.

From previous track days I can honestly say it's mind-bendingly fast, passing a flat out Ferrari 458 GT Series race car along Hanger straight at 160mph one time.


nigelpugh7 said:
I thought that the Levante models were based on the SV chassis Peter? So is yours based on a std S3 chassis then?

Edited by nigelpugh7 on Friday 20th November 17:51
They are, mine is a one-off started as a project by the late Richard Lee (RiF Carbon) and RS, I bought it half completed and finished it off. It's been tough, taken two years and a whole boat load of money, but it's almost there. The chassis is modified by Arch to accept the motor and a few other bits, like the SPA dashboard. It also has a superwide Freestyle front end and SV de Dion back end.

Standard Levantes weigh in around 600kg or so, mine is 530kg.