Some of you have asked questions about the Murtaya so I thought a thread on it would be best:

I had a VXT and then a VXR and I believe I saw a thread on the VX220 forum about the Murtaya a Subaru based kit car. I went down to Newquay where the company Adrenaline Motorsport is based and had a go in the demo car and was really very impressed, Neil the MD, can REALLY pedal a car but even when I had a drive I could get a good turn of speed out of it. Getting back into the VXR seemed like I was getting into a cheaper, rattlier less well made vehicle with real wind noise problems!
A few months later I was gently following a lady in her Scoob wagon around a roundabout in the rain and as she went around it I had one of those 'moments'! I pretty much decided that I had had my time in the VXR and did not want to be the t*sser who crashes one of only 65 cars.

So I got a Murtaya.

Delivery took a while but I was prepared for that and made it clear that delays were no bother while I had something to trundle about in (Mondeo). Plus the guys would send pics over every now and then of how my car was doing. I went down for a 'fitting' for seat position etc and to make sure I was happy with the car. I did take a LONG time to decide on colour, in the end it was between dark green and dark blue. I wanted something that would not say to the Bib "Hello, please nick me!". It ended up being blue that I chose!

So what is it like:
Well some of the issues are the same as the VX -
- Water tightness is more of a very nearly but not quite at the moment
- Getting in and out is nearly identical
- Passenger door has dropped a little bit but that now seems sorted
- I end up thinking of reasons to go for a drive just cos...


However,
- Boot has great access and is larger
- 4wd makes cornering in the wet and with standing water much less pant threatening
- The alarm does not go off when someone rings the neighbours doorbell
- Modifications are pretty much expected and there is a very lively Subaru modifying scene
- I don't hit the horn when going round a corner
- I don't have a dent in my head from holding up the bonnet
- The sound is really incredible
- Tax and especially Insurance are MUCH cheaper.

So what is it?
It is a GRP composite monocoque with a 2.5l race spec Subaru block with lightened flywheel, Steel crank and Forged pistons. The donor Subaru was a type RA and so I had the DCCD torque split control and type RA gearbox from that which has now been replaced by a WR1 box still with the DCCD. The hard top lifts off and even when travelling at speed with the top off wind noise is incredibly low.
The whole things weighs about 900kg and now has ~370+bhp and 395 lb/ft with a switchable map to 'economy'. 'Economy' power can be translated as insane and the full lot is bonkers³ in the extreme - the AMS demo car weighed more than mine and had less power (340bhp) and managed a timed run to 60 of 3.5s with two gear changes.

What's it like to drive?
It is not as numb as I thought 4wd and power steering would be at all, it is very much a car you pick up and throw down the road hooligan style and I get the impression it would be much happier if I went sideways everywhere. The power is really insane, it is just SO quick and feels more like a motorbike in terms of overtaking. The whole thing is very planted and solid feeling.

I did not want to build the car myself so instead I asked for some stuff to be left not finished so that while I can drive around there are still things I can do so that I can tinker about in a pathetic kind of way, so little bits of trim here and there get done every now and then which is nice to do knowing that I am not messing with a 'standard' car and no-one will tell me I should have done this or that.

I did love the VXs a lot, they really are very pretty cars too, I know the Murtaya isn't (to guys anyway) ALL the girls I know say the Murtaya is much better looking than the VX but then, what do girls know? The performance in the Murt is unbelievable, 'epic' as the Clarkson would say so I am happy with my choice.
Plus no more Vauxhall dealers!!

Hiya, are you the guy we met at the Pistonheads Kent Run, aboit 5am? Nice car. We were in a dark green MX5 as my R1 Phoenix did not want to get up as early as us! The power-to-weight must be incredible, ENJOY!

Thank you for sharing your experience. I would love to build one of these, but don't know if I could find the time.

Subaru ownership is addictive, and I'm sure that the Murtaya is even more so.

Should be a proper weapon with that spec! Looks good in that blue, very similar to my Legacy - Subaru colour 14L?


ETA: I reckon a shooting-brake style Murtaya coupe would look even better too if they made one

Saw your car today at the Sunday Service .. looked very nice.

Are the door handles not on the door and actually near the front wheel arch?

Thanks for sharing.

Good to hear--Well, all but the leaks...Where is the water coming in? Between the side windows and the roof, or the windscreen and the roof? Apparently you can adjust the side windows' angles in and out so as to keep the windows tight as the rubber seals soften over time...But I've been curious about this myself.

Glad you're enjoying it! The color was a great choice--Dark but still light enough at angles to show of the features. Feel free to post more pics

Mike

P.S.--it looks like you fit in some extra lights in the front vents--nice!

Mike - don't worry leaks are not serious and are being brought under control, one was between roof and top of windscreen - sealing rubber needed a bit of relieving (?!) I think that one is sorted now. The other is where the side window meets the roof/meets the top of the window and both my VX's leaked there and so does the Elise, Elan S2 and a few other bigger named cars. I have plans for that bit, it is not that serious, only a few drops every now and then. Bigger problem was leaving the window open in the p*ssing rain!!!!
No extra lights behind the grill, that is a cold air feed direct to the air filter - reduced the intake temp by quite a few degrees!
I am also considering a slit in the front of the bonnet, kind of similar to the GT2 to get more cold air over the top of the block.

Big thanks to those at Goodwood who gave me a bump start - I was a tw*t and had knocked a wire off the starter motor, it is back on now and all is good!
Never let me near a car!

Gnits, firstly, nice car! .

For your bonnet intake, would a bonnet intake piece from a Mini Cooper S work? If the contours match up it could be a nice ready made solution, instead of cutting and moulding something in from scratch. Just an idea.

your car looks great-the frustration waiting for my car is doing my head in as promised in may 2009 and needs remedial work done iva still not done and adrenaline in administration are all not helping the situation,how long did you have to wait for your car-12 months seem minimum period-i was promised 4 months! and who did your engine build
martin

mine should not be too much longer hopefully,my car was mapped by andy at triton for emissions
martin