RE: Melling to launch £100,000 supercar
Discussion
ATG said:
Well it makes a bit of a differnce if you're claiming he said it on the record ... sort of the difference between what he did say, and what he didn't say.
To the Rochdale Observer Melling said:
Cars with my engines have been successful at the Le Mans 24-hour race on six occasions. But it’s always been my wish to go back to France with my own car and my own engine. And next year I’m going to do just that with the Hellcat. The car will be launched at next year’s Motor Show at the NEC.
>> Edited by BossCerbera on Friday 26th May 09:33
Dare I say it, I am actually rather bored with these automotive ego trips.
Let me explain:
The only market for a car like this is middle eastern oil rich sheiks who will buy it and put it in their huge underground garages along with a hundred other cars they never use.
The number of these sold will be minute, and it will have no discernible effect on the development of sports cars at all.
Every year, a number of wealthy or well meaning individuals set up companies to build "supercars" that there is no real market for, and within a year or so the project fades away.
Building a fast car for £100,000 is not difficult. Hell, give me a small team and I could do it. Just use Chevy V8 or similar, and modify. The car will be quick, look ok, and handle reasonably just using off the shelf parts.
Build a cracking sports car that sells for 30-50k though, and that is something I would get excited about. Lotus do it, TVR do it, Noble do it, even Porsche do it.
Most of them modufy existing proven engines - except TVR and most of their PR problems result from developing complex engines on insufficient budgets. A lesson to be learned?
This pointless "Hellcat" will be outperformed in every area that matters by a Noble at half the price.
Let me explain:
The only market for a car like this is middle eastern oil rich sheiks who will buy it and put it in their huge underground garages along with a hundred other cars they never use.
The number of these sold will be minute, and it will have no discernible effect on the development of sports cars at all.
Every year, a number of wealthy or well meaning individuals set up companies to build "supercars" that there is no real market for, and within a year or so the project fades away.
Building a fast car for £100,000 is not difficult. Hell, give me a small team and I could do it. Just use Chevy V8 or similar, and modify. The car will be quick, look ok, and handle reasonably just using off the shelf parts.
Build a cracking sports car that sells for 30-50k though, and that is something I would get excited about. Lotus do it, TVR do it, Noble do it, even Porsche do it.
Most of them modufy existing proven engines - except TVR and most of their PR problems result from developing complex engines on insufficient budgets. A lesson to be learned?
This pointless "Hellcat" will be outperformed in every area that matters by a Noble at half the price.
BossCerbera said:Ah right, fair enough. In the Sky News puff piece he quite clearly says he's planning on taking the car to Le Mans in 2008 for its first outing and hopes to be competitive at the 2009 race.
Well it makes a bit of a differnce if you're claiming he said it on the record ... sort of the difference between what he did say, and what he didn't say. To the Rochdale Observer Melling said:
Cars with my engines have been successful at the Le Mans 24-hour race on six occasions. But it’s always been my wish to go back to France with my own car and my own engine. And next year I’m going to do just that with the Hellcat. The car will be launched at next year’s Motor Show at the NEC.
>> Edited by BossCerbera on Friday 26th May 09:33
was a really bad piece of reporting by sky "show it driving by camera and popping and f**ting on overun and driving slowly round a track" that could have been anything under the skin didnt show the engine under the bonnet blacked out windows ie no interior load of rubbish if you ask me!
For the record. The reporter in question is one of my best mates, Frazer Maude. The car is still in early development stage hence no "real" detail. I gather there will be a more comprehensive press report later in the year.
I just love the British attitude to people that have a go, negative, judging by the majority of threads on here. Anyway, more information will filter through in the Autumn. So in the meantime I say good luck to the guy. And if he fails, so what, at least he'll have failed trying to do something positive for the British motoring industry. I say the world is a better place with characters like this.
Only my 2pp
>> Edited by ///m-power on Friday 26th May 12:56
I just love the British attitude to people that have a go, negative, judging by the majority of threads on here. Anyway, more information will filter through in the Autumn. So in the meantime I say good luck to the guy. And if he fails, so what, at least he'll have failed trying to do something positive for the British motoring industry. I say the world is a better place with characters like this.
Only my 2pp
>> Edited by ///m-power on Friday 26th May 12:56
anonymous said:
[redacted]
very negative .i say the more the better .thats what the english spirit is about surely.the noble is proven to be a good fast road and track car at a good price.but i like the fact this dude is thinkin in american terms of huge engine ,huge horsepower and no weight. ie-american mentality. it will make me proud if he sucseeds , plays those yanks at there own game and makes something better than they could do. after all there is no substitute for cubic inches!
master h said:
anonymous said:
[redacted]
very negative .i say the more the better .thats what the english spirit is about surely.the noble is proven to be a good fast road and track car at a good price.but i like the fact this dude is thinkin in american terms of huge engine ,huge horsepower and no weight. ie-american mentality. it will make me proud if he sucseeds , plays those yanks at there own game and makes something better than they could do. after all there is no substitute for cubic inches!
Shame that attitude has killed UK engineering and manufacturing eg? Never mind though, at least we can still bask in the glory of us pluky Brits valiently losing to the big boys but at least trying to give them a bloody nose!
Some of us are trying our level best to repair the damage, but we are boring, we cost too much money, we only make "bad" things and we are either too European, not European enough, too American, no longer British or we dont compete with the usual British sense of fair play, but instead employ the same tactics as everybody else. Still, at least we produce the best in the world even if the Torygraph keep trying to shoot us down.
RUSSELLM said:
It's been almost 18 months
Who do I pay my deposit to ?
Well, this link says:Who do I pay my deposit to ?
Viper Melling Corporation said:
The 700 HP Carbon Fiber Melling Hellcat and 500HP Melling Griffon will be unveiled at the Autosport International, which takes place from the 10th - 13th January at the NEC Birmingham, UK and are scheduled for production in the fall of 2008, with racing at Lemans planned for 2009.
Unfortunately I can't seem to find Melling on the exhibitor list for Autosport International...skwdenyer said:
Viper Melling Corporation said:
The 700 HP Carbon Fiber Melling Hellcat and 500HP Melling Griffon will be unveiled at the Autosport International, which takes place from the 10th - 13th January at the NEC Birmingham, UK and are scheduled for production in the fall of 2008, with racing at Lemans planned for 2009.
Unfortunately I can't seem to find Melling on the exhibitor list for Autosport International...
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