RE: Spotted: MVS Venturi 200

[Fittster]

Why take this instead of an Esprit?

[hornet]

JaguarsportXJR said:

Not too keen on the back (looks a little late-70's Italian to me), but for reasons I don't fully understand, I love the front end.

It'd need more power though...

Front end looks rather Japanese - 180SX maybe?

[myhandle]

Rear lights - I think some Venturi 400GTs (the higher performance version with the F40 style wing) had these round rear lights from the factory. I have seen pictures of some with the six lights like this, and also others with the usual rectangular ones. There was a red 400GT at a Lamborghini event some years back which ended up in the trees about one mile down the road from the starting point at Brooklands - I think I read somewhere that this car has now been rebuilt. It had 6 round rear lights before the accident in any event.

[sideways man]

I remember seeing two of these,on display at the Le Mans 24 hr in 1988.
Seemed quite exotic back then,but did drive down in my mate's Ford Sierra company car !

[talksthetalk]

I was thinking about the 'aftermarket' lights.
Do you think they would have been a stocked item down your local MDC?

[Maldini35]

That is gorgeous!

[X5TUU]

Zircon said:

Front end is superb - back end is pants.

Alternative for under £3k (albeit not exclusive at all):

MR2 Rev3 Turbo:

0-60 = 5.2 seconds
Top Speed 155+
Cheap parts



Not that I am biased.....

That's just not pleasant...whereas a 14k pretty rare ex super car wannabe is a steal and pretty highly desirable for the price

[scampbird]

WCZ said:

too slow to excite me

Jesus stting Christ.

[HarryFlatters]

So is it a V6 like it says in the article, or is it a 4 banger like it says in the tech specs at the bottom?

[snowen250]

Want.

Always loved Venturis. One still races occasionally in the GTcup series, by a chap called cope i believe, i always go over and have a long look at it in the pits. Great looking cars.

Simon

[PhilJames]

richb77 said:

In 1988 203bhp from a 2.5 wasnt too shabby.

I bet you wouldnt complain at a Sierra cosworth? 201bhp from a 2 litre.

I like it. But then i like most Venturi's

Edited by richb77 on Tuesday 22 January 12:12

Pretty poor considering it was Turbocharged.
The Esprit was much quicker and better in every way with only a 4 Cylinder 2.2 engine producing more power and 0-60 was over a second quicker.
The Elan Turbo was also quicker 0-60 with a 1.6 turbo engine.

[James P]

HarryFlatters said:

So is it a V6 like it says in the article, or is it a 4 banger like it says in the tech specs at the bottom?

It is the PRV V6 engine. Various specs used by Renault in the 25/Safrane but this version was taken from the R25 turbo where it had around 182bhp.

I wonder whether RHD Venturi's are now more common than surviving RHD R25 turbo's?

[sc4589]

Big Fat Fatty said:

I remember these from playing Gran Turismo 2 but have never seen one in the metal. The 300 Atlantique was better looking imo

Yes! I love these cars. In my top 20 garage for sure, rare as hen's teeth and utterly gorgeous.

http://youtu.be/bCRWCdbXwlo?t=5m42s

VBH's review of one, way back when.

[pSyCoSiS]

Definitely a rare car and one for the collector.

I prefer the looks of the 'Atlantique' models compared to these.

Agree about it being low on power....

Anyone on here driven one so can comment on how they are handling wise?

[rainmasterb]

My best friend's sister's fella had one of these, but an LM400 in full camouflage colour scheme! Was an absolute beast! He bought it off a chap who had alll his toys in camou colours - cars, boats, choppers etc... Think it was claimed to be faster than an F40!

[Leins]

Remember sitting in a new one (an Atlantique IIRC) in a dealership on the Champs-Elysees in the early 90s. Although an Alpine GTA Le Mans was even more exciting to me as a teenager later that day. Like to think I'd still get as excited about seeing these cars parked up today!

[forzaminardi]

Lovely! I've lways liked Venturis - or these 'classic' ones, anyway - as a bit of a stylish, leftfield choice. Good stuff.

[Dodgey_Rog]

We had the Atlantique 3000 back in 98, the grey one from Nick Mee when he tried to import them for a short time. A real shame these didn't take off, they weren't bad actually, i suppose some people were put off with the later versions having a Peugeot V6? A decent alternative to an Esprit, but that was the problem, it wasn't an Esprit. I keep looking for them in the classifieds, but they rarely appear. Nice reminder though.....

[LotusOmega375D]

Dodgey_Rog said:

We had the Atlantique 3000 back in 98, the grey one from Nick Mee when he tried to import them for a short time. A real shame these didn't take off, they weren't bad actually, i suppose some people were put off with the later versions having a Peugeot V6? A decent alternative to an Esprit, but that was the problem, it wasn't an Esprit. I keep looking for them in the classifieds, but they rarely appear. Nice reminder though.....

Back in the day of the OP car, they were imported by long-since defunct Eurotec of East Lulworth, Dorset. He came to our house in a yellow early one like this. They also did a retractable roof spider version. He had a 400GT in his showroom, but never seemed to sell any!

My brother subsequently bought a titanium coloured Atlantique 300 from Nick Mee (I think). Anyway he'll probably be along later if he logs on!

[300bhp/ton]

Very nice and love the interior. Why can't cars today have nice interiors like that?