Cars you didn't know existed...

[GIYess]

Hashtaggggg said:

loudlashadjuster said:

GIYess said:

Haha We had a serena when I was small. Looked more like this though...

Still the slowest "car" I think I've ever driven. Borderline dangerous!

Did you ever try the people carrier version? now that was dangerous fully laden with luggage

2.5 NA, RWD. I never drove it other than up and down the drive but my dad said it was completely gutless. I do remember that any sniff of snow or frost beat it and it was incredibly thirsty. Oh and it was pretty bouncy in the back and had some sort of rev limiter that wouldn't let you rev it as it slowly increaced the revs and slowly decreaced them.

Fuel pump gave up eventually and he traded it in for a Primera.

[AppleJuice]

Spumfry said:

AppleJuice said:

Developed over 1987/1988, the engine was there to give BMW engineers their head - their 'look at what we can do' moment. The engine was canned because BMW didn't want to get in to a power war/arms race (ironic!). Based on the SOHC M70 V12, the engine developed 300 kW (408 PS; 402 bhp) and 615 Nm (454 lb ft) - similar to Mercedes-Benz's 6.0-litre V12 launched a few years later in 1992.

The 6.7-litre V16 was rumoured to be trialled in Mulsanne in the 80s. How true this is, I do not know.

The N73B68 V12 petrol engine shares its internal dimensions (92.0 x 84.6) with the 9.0-litre (8999cc) V16 developed for the Phantom VII.

But does it sound like two V8s?

Might sound like this (more refined, though)

[rodericb]

talksthetorque said:

When my dad used to own Volvos in the early 80s i remembered waiting with him in the showroom for the car to be serviced and vaguely remembered a biiiiig volvo brochure. Just had a sniff round and I think I found it.
The 264 TE ( Top Executive - which sounds a bit of a JDM name now) based on a 264 butstretched.

20 cm longer than the current a8, which can be completely covered by that front bumper and the same weight as a 2006 xk8 cabrio


https://www.volvoclub.org.uk/pdf/brochures/264TE-B...

No wonder they didn't sell many - check out the haphazard mounting of the front numberplate in that brochure!

Interesting to see a younger Flavio Briatore remonstrating with the help about the suitcases...

[AppleJuice]

Things that make your teeth itch...

[NomduJour]

They (and the stretched Transfer estates) were fairly popular - Honecker was a fan of the TE.

[Chris Rees]

Spumfry said:

Abarth Scorpione, based on the Autozam AZ-1:

Remarkably, this car was designed by Lorenzo Ramaciotti of Pininfarina for a Japanese Abarth collector - you can just make out the 'Pininfarina' badging

[BFleming]

richb77 said:

Quite a few BMWs that never reached Britains shores as the famous Z1.

50 Z1's were officially imported into the UK. There's about 110 now though, imports after the fact etc.

richb77 said:

... i am not 100% sure if the GLK is available in the UK (Common as dog chod here).

It was never available here thank God. Possibly the most awful looking Merc ever, but I'm sure that 4matic all wheel drive is handy for German winters.


Hope you're enjoying Germany; I spent almost 6 years there and loved it.

[BFleming]

GIYess said:

Hashtaggggg said:

loudlashadjuster said:

GIYess said:

Haha We had a serena when I was small. Looked more like this though...

Still the slowest "car" I think I've ever driven. Borderline dangerous!

Did you ever try the people carrier version? now that was dangerous fully laden with luggage

2.5 NA, RWD. I never drove it other than up and down the drive but my dad said it was completely gutless. I do remember that any sniff of snow or frost beat it and it was incredibly thirsty. Oh and it was pretty bouncy in the back and had some sort of rev limiter that wouldn't let you rev it as it slowly increaced the revs and slowly decreaced them.

Fuel pump gave up eventually and he traded it in for a Primera.

This reminded me of a nice sunny Sunday we spent in Eynesford (near Swanley, Kent) which has a very picturesque ford in the middle of the town. These Land Rovers were plodding through the ford, whilst lesser vehicles were using the adjacent bridge. Along came a Nissan Serena driven by a woman, and 4 kids as passengers. She followed one of the Land Rovers, egged on by her kids, and when the Serena got half way through there was a gurgle followed by lots of steam. I guess she learned where the engine was as she was being fireman-lifted from the car. One of the Landies towed it out, but there was no way it was starting again. Ever, probably.

[Pericoloso]

BFleming said:

This reminded me of a nice sunny Sunday we spent in Eynesford (near Swanley, Kent) which has a very picturesque ford in the middle of the town. These Land Rovers were plodding through the ford, whilst lesser vehicles were using the adjacent bridge. .

I used to deliver to a small business on the other side of the ford using a 12T lorry.

That ford is now VERY deep and I feared for the water getting into the intake.

I assume the Land Rovers you saw had a proper "snorkel" air intake.

The depth gauge is also apparently inaccurate.

[RJG46]

Pericoloso said:

BFleming said:

This reminded me of a nice sunny Sunday we spent in Eynesford (near Swanley, Kent) which has a very picturesque ford in the middle of the town. These Land Rovers were plodding through the ford, whilst lesser vehicles were using the adjacent bridge. .

I used to deliver to a small business on the other side of the ford using a 12T lorry.

That ford is now VERY deep and I feared for the water getting into the intake.

I assume the Land Rovers you saw had a proper "snorkel" air intake.

The depth gauge is also apparently inaccurate.

Know it well, you'd be nuts to go through the ford in a car.

[AstonZagato]

Lorry Crossing the Ford, River Darent, Eynsford Village, Kent by Barry Marsh, on Flickr

[talksthetorque]

AstonZagato said:

River Daren't

Appropriate apostrophe added

[AppleJuice]

AstonZagato said:

Lorry Crossing the Ford, River Darent, Eynsford Village, Kent by Barry Marsh, on Flickr

Looks like a Volvo (FL) to me...

[LuS1fer]

AppleJuice said:

Looks like a Volvo (FL) to me...

We were all waiting...

[Halmyre]

RJG46 said:

Pericoloso said:

BFleming said:

This reminded me of a nice sunny Sunday we spent in Eynesford (near Swanley, Kent) which has a very picturesque ford in the middle of the town. These Land Rovers were plodding through the ford, whilst lesser vehicles were using the adjacent bridge. .

I used to deliver to a small business on the other side of the ford using a 12T lorry.

That ford is now VERY deep and I feared for the water getting into the intake.

I assume the Land Rovers you saw had a proper "snorkel" air intake.

The depth gauge is also apparently inaccurate.

Know it well, you'd be nuts to go through the ford in a car.

Something odd with the Google streetview coverage there.

[anonymous-user]

Isuzu Bellet GT- R (or GT Type R):

[Balmoral]

Looks like an Austin Maxi 2dr Coupe

[shakotan]

Balmoral said:

Looks like an Austin Maxi 2dr Coupe

It bloody doesn't!

Also noteworthy is the Corona RT45 Coupe.



and the Hino Contessa Coupe, one of the prettiest cars (IMHO) to come out of Japan.

Edited by shakotan on Saturday 24th November 16:21

[richb77]

BFleming said:

richb77 said:

Quite a few BMWs that never reached Britains shores as the famous Z1.

50 Z1's were officially imported into the UK. There's about 110 now though, imports after the fact etc.

richb77 said:

... i am not 100% sure if the GLK is available in the UK (Common as dog chod here).

It was never available here thank God. Possibly the most awful looking Merc ever, but I'm sure that 4matic all wheel drive is handy for German winters.


Hope you're enjoying Germany; I spent almost 6 years there and loved it.

Oh yes. Loving it here. Big house, clean air and more disposable cash than in the UK. Brexit is the onky hickup i could live without.

As for tge GLK. I quite like them. Nice roomy interior and different enough from other merc offerings. I nearly bought one but chose a Subaru forester (2012) instead as the merc was older, higher km and more expensive. Never questioned my decision. 😉

[Blown2CV]

i really like the look of the GLK!! The white one above looks a bit unfortunately specced and photo'd from an unflattering angle! it is a bit of a box but then what is the G-wagen?