RE: SOTW: Fiat X1/9

[MilesHBrown]

Looks a bit too MK1 Toyota MR2 2 me...although shoving a fiat coupe turbo engine in it would keep that thought out of my mind...

[Caruso]

I've had 2 X1/9s, a black one when I was at university and more recently a modified silver one. Cracking little cars to drive, but they are a little fragile.


Here's mine at the Brighton Speed Trials.

[R39S1]

MilesHBrown said:

Looks a bit too MK1 Toyota MR2 2 me...although shoving a fiat coupe turbo engine in it would keep that thought out of my mind...

Try it the other way round. The X1/9 pre-dates the MR2 by many many years. But a bit like the MX-5 showed what an MGB could have been, the MR2 showed what a bit of update and modern (well back then) technology could do for a mid engined roadster. Mind you I still bought an X1/9 in preference to the MR2.

[stephen300o]

It's heart warming to hear about these little cars being restored and looked after. Not long ago I thought they were going to go extinct.

Edited by stephen300o on Monday 19th January 13:33

[ArranAshman]

I was fortunate enough to own one of these cars back when I was about 19 years old ( approx 24 years ago !) and thought I was the dogs bks sat outside the disco with the roof off waiting for the chicks to come out and swoon at my italian looking super car. Unfortunatly it didnt last long as i rolled it at about 40mph showing off its fantastic handling properties to my mate. When it came to a stop after 2 rolls on its roof, we both climed out through the now empty front screen with no injuries what so ever!!! The fire brigade thought that they would find us both dead after hearing that it was an X/19 that had rolled. I sobbed my heart out ( one because I loved that car and two because I had no money to replace it being on third party fire and theft insurance). The police let me off as I was so upset and said I have learnt my lesson. Very fond memories though...

[VladD]

R39S1 said:

MilesHBrown said:

Looks a bit too MK1 Toyota MR2 2 me...although shoving a fiat coupe turbo engine in it would keep that thought out of my mind...

Try it the other way round. The X1/9 pre-dates the MR2 by many many years. But a bit like the MX-5 showed what an MGB could have been, the MR2 showed what a bit of update and modern (well back then) technology could do for a mid engined roadster. Mind you I still bought an X1/9 in preference to the MR2.

Indeed. I believe Toyota based the Mk1 MR2 on the X1/9.

[flasher]

My first car was one of these. Brilliant fun and like someone else said earlier in thread, it was so much cooler than any of my mates escort Mk1's and fiestas.

Here's one of the only pics I have of it.

[Orangecurry]

An ex-girlfriend had a 1986 C-reg one.

I don't understand the 'poor handling' quotes - it was fantastic.

We drove it from the UK over the Alps via Route Napoleon high passes, had a snowball fight at the top, then dropped down to Cannes.

We were there for the Monaco Grand Prix. On the saturday night before the race, they (used to?) open up most of the track to the public, and you could drive round in convoy....

.......well when I reached the start line, I had to wait (long enough for a gap to open up infront of me), then dropped the clutch executing a perfect double black stripe.

I had to, I tell you.

it did have rather a lot of starting/electrical issues

Edited by Orangecurry on Monday 19th January 13:33

[philcray]

Mine was the same as the gold one in the photo above, and also had the starting problem fixed by cleaning the earthing strap between the engine and body! Reg was MFR777X which I wish i had kept now....

[Twincam16]

VladD said:

R39S1 said:

MilesHBrown said:

Looks a bit too MK1 Toyota MR2 2 me...although shoving a fiat coupe turbo engine in it would keep that thought out of my mind...

Try it the other way round. The X1/9 pre-dates the MR2 by many many years. But a bit like the MX-5 showed what an MGB could have been, the MR2 showed what a bit of update and modern (well back then) technology could do for a mid engined roadster. Mind you I still bought an X1/9 in preference to the MR2.

Indeed. I believe Toyota based the Mk1 MR2 on the X1/9.

Sort of. Toyota wanted to build a mid-engined car that rivalled the X1/9 back in 1979 but at the time they were making godawful barges that didn't handle (Celica aside - sort of - if you like muscle-car-style oversteer). They struck up a deal to provide Colin Chapman with reliable, lightweight parts in return for various engineering projects.

Lotus also wanted a proper 2-seater, 1.6-litre twin cam successor to the Elan, and came up with two concepts built around a new 1.6-litre Toyota engine inspired by the Lotus twin-cam - the M80 (mid-engined) and M90 (front-engined). The idea was to call it the Lotus-Toyota Elan and sell it as a kind of budget joint-badged exotic in the mould of the VW-Porsche.

Anyway, the MR2 was one of two offspring from these projects (the other was the Lotus Excel). As soon as General Motors swept in and bought Lotus in the mid '80s, Toyota co-operation was no longer viable and the 'new Elan' was built around Isuzu parts instead. The MX-5 also forced a rethink.

In short, the Mk 1 MR2 is a Fiat X1/9 developed by Lotus and built by the Japanese. The odd rust trap aside, it's the best of all worlds. The Supercharged one is properly supercar-fast too - 0-60 in 6.9 seconds (as opposed to a not-exactly-shabby 7.5) and a top speed of 140 mph.

In its day the MR2 Supercharged could outrun an Audi Quattro Turbo, BMW M3, Ford Sierra Cosworth - it's a superb car. Still faultlessly reliable too.

[Robbo999]

Shame that a mk 1 mr2 will never be as pretty as a well sorted bumperless X1/9 though. Its just too square and plastic looking. I drive a rev 5 mk 2 mr2 daily and justify the two X1/9s that i have for special occasions - summer days, club meets and blasting round the welsh mountains. As much as I love the toyota reliability nothing puts a smile on your face like an x19.

AND AN MR2 ISN'T ITALIAN!!!

Edited by Robbo999 on Monday 19th January 16:44

[icsunonove]

horton said:

I have always loved the looks of the X19 - but now I am getting old I just think about how much I would not like to crash one - surely everyone who crashes one dies?

No, they won't. The X1/9 was designed to comply with the planned US crash regulations that was suggest in the early seventies. However the US car industry didn't like the regulations, their cars were too far behind, so the crash regulations were softend.

The X1/9 is tested to withstand 50 mph into a barrier, which is probably more than any human being can take. It should also be able to roll, and hold together, at 80 mph. Try that in a Triumph or MG. As far as I know, there was only the Volvo 240 that also complied with the crash standards at that time.

Thus the X is rather heavy for its size, around 900 kg.

[Ferg]

R39S1 said:

The X1/9 pre-dates the MR2 by many many years.

..and, of course, others did it earlier still!
Just a couple of the more common examples.


Unipower GT


GTM Cars Coupe

[Twincam16]

icsunonove said:

horton said:

I have always loved the looks of the X19 - but now I am getting old I just think about how much I would not like to crash one - surely everyone who crashes one dies?

No, they won't. The X1/9 was designed to comply with the planned US crash regulations that was suggest in the early seventies. However the US car industry didn't like the regulations, their cars were too far behind, so the crash regulations were softend.

The X1/9 is tested to withstand 50 mph into a barrier, which is probably more than any human being can take. It should also be able to roll, and hold together, at 80 mph. Try that in a Triumph or MG. As far as I know, there was only the Volvo 240 that also complied with the crash standards at that time.

Thus the X is rather heavy for its size, around 900 kg.

The '70s Porsches (924, G-series 911, 928) complied as well.