Melling Wildcat: The Griff is safe
Discussion
Autocar this week drove th Griff clone (Wildcat). Looks ok but £3k-££5k for leather, heating and audio equipment(Come on !!)
Comes with a hood that clips onto the rear frame by studs and side protection is by MGA style side screens if you want them.
Performance is good at sub 4 seconds but its currently running small block with carb.
Dash looks like a kit car, but they reckoned it rode well and went well.
Not exactly the product I was hoping it might be.
Comes with a hood that clips onto the rear frame by studs and side protection is by MGA style side screens if you want them.
Performance is good at sub 4 seconds but its currently running small block with carb.
Dash looks like a kit car, but they reckoned it rode well and went well.
Not exactly the product I was hoping it might be.
Yes I stood in Sainsburys at lunchtime reading that too....
Article
http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsArticle/TVR-Grif...
Some pics (linked off above article if you read that first)
http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsGallery.aspx?AR=...
Article
http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsArticle/TVR-Grif...
Some pics (linked off above article if you read that first)
http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsGallery.aspx?AR=...
Edited by Barkychoc on Wednesday 27th August 17:29
It's an appalling mimic of one of the greatest car designs (as recognised by the British Design Council award) that I've ever seen.
I also understand it uses a live rear axle, why ?!?! . . . . It's a total pipe dream and hopefully will not get off the ground.
It seems out of proportion, ill thought out and perhaps even cynical.
Shocker.
How does he believe he's going to get the doors to fit better than TVR ever did then with no cut away to draw the eye line and hide the difficulty of almost straight lines in FG ?
What happened at the back, does it have an infection where by the car seems to have swelled for little to no reason.
I understand a 'modern' Griffith as a concept, but bodging up something with the design cues of the orginal without going the whole hog just seems a waste of time.
Anyone got any head on shots ?
I also understand it uses a live rear axle, why ?!?! . . . . It's a total pipe dream and hopefully will not get off the ground.
It seems out of proportion, ill thought out and perhaps even cynical.
Shocker.
How does he believe he's going to get the doors to fit better than TVR ever did then with no cut away to draw the eye line and hide the difficulty of almost straight lines in FG ?
What happened at the back, does it have an infection where by the car seems to have swelled for little to no reason.
I understand a 'modern' Griffith as a concept, but bodging up something with the design cues of the orginal without going the whole hog just seems a waste of time.
Anyone got any head on shots ?
Edited by Johno on Wednesday 27th August 18:15
Better pics in this article http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/co...
Stig said:
Being live axled doesn't consign it to the engineering bin you know!
Agreed, but it depends on the market you're going for. If it a predeliction (sp) for Americans that great, but I can't see it being that great in the UK on normal roads.Those pictures do make a better impression, but it is just a shameless rip off.
Got to say - the pictures from the Rochdale paper show the car does look pretty excellent.
If his main market is America - then I think he will do well.
It seems a shame that a guy has done all the hard work and actually produced a great looking car (proto type) and you guys are knocking it..
It's still a proto type and may yet turn out to be the car that TVR should have been making for the last 4 years since stopping the Griff.
If his main market is America - then I think he will do well.
It seems a shame that a guy has done all the hard work and actually produced a great looking car (proto type) and you guys are knocking it..
It's still a proto type and may yet turn out to be the car that TVR should have been making for the last 4 years since stopping the Griff.
V8 GRF said:
Hmm nice and that's because it still looks like a Griffith. Just one question though, how do you get at the engine other than through the tiny removable bit round the airscoop? 
Maybe the whole front hinges forwards like the Triumph GT6?This Wildcat is to the Griffith what those crap Lambo kitcars are to a Lambo - a poor imitation.
rev-erend said:
Got to say - the pictures from the Rochdale paper show the car does look pretty excellent.
If his main market is America - then I think he will do well.
It seems a shame that a guy has done all the hard work and actually produced a great looking car (proto type) and you guys are knocking it..
It's still a proto type and may yet turn out to be the car that TVR should have been making for the last 4 years since stopping the Griff.
Here here,well saidIf his main market is America - then I think he will do well.
It seems a shame that a guy has done all the hard work and actually produced a great looking car (proto type) and you guys are knocking it..
It's still a proto type and may yet turn out to be the car that TVR should have been making for the last 4 years since stopping the Griff.
Lets wait and see what the final version is like,first.I can remember that during all the debate when TVR had just gone bang,that so many people would have liked to have seen a new griff as the way forward,and a way to resurect TVR,so it shows that people want something like this.Fair play to Melling for getting this far with it,i'd like to see it in the flesh,which is the least you need to do to get an idea of what it's really like imho.1) The Griff was a design classic because it had purity and sleekness - this one seems to have something out of the Demon Tweeks catalogue (or rather its American equivalent) stuck to its bonnet for starters. And if Autocar is right, much the same goes for the interior.
2) The Griff sold because it was practical with a useable roof - this one reverts to camping techniques to make it sort of weatherproof. Erm, the market has moved on since the days of the Big Healey and MGA y'know...
3) The Griff sort of had a claim to chassis sophistication back when it came out by its use of a derivative of a purpose-built racing car chassis (although they never quite sorted the sprimging/damping and wheel geometry) - 17 years on, this one makes do with a cart axle.
In a market that has moved on like it should in a decade and a half, Melling tries to sell a 'Griff' that constitutes a retrograde step compared to the genuine article in several key aspects. Somehow I'd think this would rather limit its market potential.
2) The Griff sold because it was practical with a useable roof - this one reverts to camping techniques to make it sort of weatherproof. Erm, the market has moved on since the days of the Big Healey and MGA y'know...
3) The Griff sort of had a claim to chassis sophistication back when it came out by its use of a derivative of a purpose-built racing car chassis (although they never quite sorted the sprimging/damping and wheel geometry) - 17 years on, this one makes do with a cart axle.
In a market that has moved on like it should in a decade and a half, Melling tries to sell a 'Griff' that constitutes a retrograde step compared to the genuine article in several key aspects. Somehow I'd think this would rather limit its market potential.
Edited by 900T-R on Thursday 28th August 11:28
900T-R said:
1) Somehow I'd think this would rather limit its market potential.
Having seen some of the other projects Al melling has proposed to bring to production,i dont think he does mass market stuff......... all very niche,very expensive and mnostly very unsaleable so dont happen.The interior was horrible (IMO) very kit car with instruments that faced up at an angle and a metal panel in the centre console with a 1960's plastic flip switch on it.
Just plain unacceptable at £45k.
Like the idea of the V8 and the car will accept other V8's apparently (mainly BMW's)
Just plain unacceptable at £45k.
Like the idea of the V8 and the car will accept other V8's apparently (mainly BMW's)
Ribol said:
V8 GRF said:
Hmm nice and that's because it still looks like a Griffith. Just one question though, how do you get at the engine other than through the tiny removable bit round the airscoop?
Maybe the whole front hinges forwards like the Triumph GT6?As per an earlier, I agree a modern Griffith 'could' be fantastic if you could apply the outline principles and capture the reasons of why the Griffith was such a stunning introduction at the '92 show.
Maintaining those principle would ensure high levels of interest and possibly sales.
However, it's just too contrived currently. I am sympathetic to it's prototype status, but it's got long way to go to seperate itself.
The bonnet currently has 4 quick clasp set in to it, so it looks like it lifts off completely.
The front end on shot really reminds me of early Fezza's and Mazza'a and that's fantastic, it's great looking, but then the rer haunches are completely out of proportion, the roof design unacceptable and all the adournements unneccessary.
Maintaining those principle would ensure high levels of interest and possibly sales.
However, it's just too contrived currently. I am sympathetic to it's prototype status, but it's got long way to go to seperate itself.
The bonnet currently has 4 quick clasp set in to it, so it looks like it lifts off completely.
The front end on shot really reminds me of early Fezza's and Mazza'a and that's fantastic, it's great looking, but then the rer haunches are completely out of proportion, the roof design unacceptable and all the adournements unneccessary.
V8 GRF said:
Ribol said:
V8 GRF said:
Hmm nice and that's because it still looks like a Griffith. Just one question though, how do you get at the engine other than through the tiny removable bit round the airscoop?
Maybe the whole front hinges forwards like the Triumph GT6?
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