Rover 100 'Talon 100RT': You Know You Want To
A left-field alternative to the usual suspects for some cheap track day fun
Spot the side-exit exhaust!
This little Rover, which must be significantly less than 1,000kg, is pushing out 183hp from its 1.8-litre K-Series. It has been helped to that figure with Jenvey throttle bodies, Piper cams replacing the VVC set up and an Emerald ECU. It also has a side-exit exhaust, which immediately makes any vehicle cooler. As the advert states, and which sounds entirely believable, this is a 'VERY FAST METRO'.
There's more, too. Power goes to the front wheels via a Quaife limited-slip diff and an uprated gearbox, there are adjustable front dampers, Metro GTI brakes and the fully welded six-point cage. Note as well there are three Perspex windows and an aluminium rear diffuser, explaining the side-exit exhaust. Even the bonnet and bootlid are fibreglass to save further weight; it's a proper job!
You could take a passenger, but think of the weight...
Of course it won't be for everyone, and it doesn't have the track day kudos of a Renaultsport Clio or an old Peugeot. Certainly you wouldn't want to crash in one of Euro NCAP's lowest rated cars either. But the mega Metro is different, and looks to have been built to a high standard.
That being said, there are still alternatives at this relatively low price point. This Focus is up for £3,500 with a cage already in and a tweaked 2.0-litre engine. You can even get in a track prepared 205 GTI for £2,500, albeit one with an Mi16 engine and that's nearly 10 years older again than the Metro. Or you could spend just £1,500 on a Clio 172 with some track day prep already done...
If you don't want to be like everyone else and get a Clio though, this Rover 100 has a lot going for it. As cheap, fast and interesting track cars go, it certainly stands out. Overtake a bemused M3 driver on a track day and it'll seem like the best £3K you've ever spent!
ROVER 100 TALON 100 RT
Price: £3,195
Why you should: More than 180hp, less than a tonne, LSD, Perspex windows...
Why you shouldn't: ... In a Metro
See the original advert here.
 |
 |
I just don't see why anyone would want to start with a Metro as a base. If I was to do the whole MG/Rover thing for a track car I would go with an MGF Trophy which can be bought for £2k-£3k
There is a Skoda Yeti that frequents trackdays in the South West, it's pretty rapid. I'm sure, for the money, the owner could have purchased a Focus RS and be done with it, but that's kinda missing the point.
I just don't see why anyone would want to start with a Metro as a base. If I was to do the whole MG/Rover thing for a track car I would go with an MGF Trophy which can be bought for £2k-£3k
I just don't see why anyone would want to start with a Metro as a base. If I was to do the whole MG/Rover thing for a track car I would go with an MGF Trophy which can be bought for £2k-£3k
They arent very solid, then, nether was anything else designed in 1978, Fiestas, Novas, polos etc, all death on a s
tty stick, it just went on too long.I drove one not that long ago, my grandads 1.1, no apologies for digging this out again,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rOPtxAD32M
kids had a great laugh in it, until my father in law got upset about the mess in his field, it got stuck in a barn for three years unused, flat tyres, covered in crap and he was about to scrap it, I stepped in and stuck it on Retro Rides and sold it for £100 and it now lives on with an MOT and everything !
- no offence to the owner of that car!...
I'm not sure why some people think a metro would be a poor base for a track car, they were very popular in club level motorsport about 15 years ago. I remember attending an event at Croft and the metro's were some of the quickest cars there, if not the quickest, and also the only cars which could straight line the chicane they'd made using hay bales, looked scary
I'll soon be looking for a cheap and fun car for road use and the odd track day, I'd definitely consider one of these, something a bit different.
The job they appears to be excellent (I'm sure someone will say how they managed to get more power / torque or better braking / handling than the Talon car, but for the guy that just wants to get the work done without all the faff of getting bits to fit etc, it's spot on imho).
And the answer to 'why would anyone want to do this with a Metro'-type questions is quite simply, and other than 'why not?' Is that it's a cheap way into a lightweight track car that can do well on our domestic tracks AND roads.
I've seen a video on YouTube with either a Talon-prepp'd car or one that's similar (if my memory serves me correctly) and it didn't do a bad job at all.
Yes, I'd prefer a Golf, Corrado or similar, but heck, this is pretty good anyway and will probably do as well on track days.
Each to his own, of course....
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff