Car manufacturers that did something wild

[anonymous-user]

cerb4.5lee said:

The current one is nowhere near as ghastly as this one for me. It always takes Porsche a while to get the styling of their cars right imo. I didn't like the styling of either the Cayman or Boxster when they first came out, but the current models are better now.

Original Cayenne looked like a VW Toerag with a pseudo 911 nose grafted on, which was handy as that is what it techncially was!

I think the wildest thing Porsche did was water cool the 911...

We still don't hear the end of that from the Porsche massive.

[LordHaveMurci]

I guess you could say McClaren with the central driving position in the F1.

[akadk]

[Chris944_S2]

LordHaveMurci said:

I guess you could say McClaren with the central driving position in the F1.

Usually the poor spelling of McLaren leads to “comedians” posting pictures of a pram. Fortunately you got it wrong in the wrong way

There was that Talbot a few posts earlier that had the 3 seats with central driving position, pre dating the F1.

[samoht]

Matra Rancho - the original crossover, an FF family hatch rebodied as a tough-looking, practical family wagon.


Mini - Transverse engined FF, gearbox in engine sump, ten-inch wheels, tiny but with the seating and performance of a real car. Quite a departure in 1959.


Fiat Panda - flat glass, utilitarian design re-purposed as italian style


Fiat Multipla - three-abreast seating an original answer to the MPV question, emphasised by even more original styling. Good enough an idea for Honda to copy (although they cloned their styling from BMW)

[anonymous-user]

LordHaveMurci said:

I guess you could say McClaren with the central driving position in the F1.

Not the engine bay lined with gold then?

[Equus]

Chris944_S2 said:

LordHaveMurci said:

I guess you could say McClaren with the central driving position in the F1.

There was that Talbot a few posts earlier that had the 3 seats with central driving position, pre dating the F1.

If you're referring to the Matra Simca Bagheera (and its successor, the Talbot Matra Murena), then it wasn't a central driving position.

I am surprised, however, that Gordon Murray managed to get a patent on the central driving position with seats staaggered backward on either side, when this had done it years before him:

[surveyor]

First of it's kind.

[Pericoloso]

njw1 said:

I also thought of the Sierra Cosworth and then I remembered the RS200, an actual rally car for the road.

Ford motorsport decided on an almost clean sheet of paper design ,rather than chopping up their hatchbacks ,205,Metro and Delta style.
Almost clean as it used Sierra screen and doors or part of.

[Pericoloso]

We've had the Z1,what about attempting to collaborate with Lamborghini and ending up with this.

[Pericoloso]

Enzo Ferrari trying to convince the FIA that the 250 LM was an evolution of the 250 GT when it shared very little.

[Chris944_S2]

Equus said:

Chris944_S2 said:

LordHaveMurci said:

I guess you could say McClaren with the central driving position in the F1.

There was that Talbot a few posts earlier that had the 3 seats with central driving position, pre dating the F1.

If you're referring to the Matra Simca Bagheera (and its successor, the Talbot Matra Murena), then it wasn't a central driving position.

I am surprised, however, that Gordon Murray managed to get a patent on the central driving position with seats staaggered backward on either side, when this had done it years before him:

Ah you're right, I forgot that.
That Citroën concept is ace, I've not seen it before!

[williamp]

Amateurs compared to Rover.

They were making worthy but staid cars like the P4, quality up there with rolle royce...




But were also developing jet engined cars. Their prototype is still in the science museum. And they even entered one at le mans...



And their P6 had an engine bay designed for the tubine engine, de dion rear suspension et al. Masivelg advanced spec then and impressive today.

Then they launched the V8 engine, when others were just about managing with 4 cylinders. Where would the British motor industry be without the Rover V8????

Then in 1970 the launched this..



The first (only??) Vehicle to be displayed at the Louvre museum for its design.

Before British Leyland got involved, Rover were one hell of a company...

[donkmeister]

OverSteery said:

LarJammer said:

Chrysler Turbine car, 22,000rpm idle speed.
Thread winner.
https://youtu.be/b2A5ijU3Ivs

Edited by LarJammer on Friday 23 August 08:29

A car I was only dimly aware existed - Great link

Wild; yes.
Original... No.
Rover built JET1 (effectively a turbine powered P4) in 1949. Understated and British, there was no need to adorn her with sci-fi prop tat, her performance (and noise) told you everything you needed to know about her magnificence.
ETA I was too quick to respond, it's all been said above. The Rover love is strong today.

Edited by donkmeister on Saturday 24th August 01:25

[donkmeister]

What about the Ssangyong Chairman? In a departure from building whatever it is Ssangyong builds, they built a luxury car based around the Mercedes W124 E-class platform. Even the engine and gearbox were MB.

Skoda Superb hasn't come up yet has it? Take a brand associated with communism and cheap utilitarianism, then use it to market a luxury model that has more space than the more upmarket brand version (with the Superb being a stretched Passat platform).

Ok, neither of those are particularly wild but they are definite diversions from core business.

[unsprung]

donkmeister said:

OverSteery said:

LarJammer said:

Chrysler Turbine car, 22,000rpm idle speed.
Thread winner.
https://youtu.be/b2A5ijU3Ivs

Edited by LarJammer on Friday 23 August 08:29

A car I was only dimly aware existed - Great link

Wild; yes.
Original... No.
Rover built JET1 (effectively a turbine powered P4) in 1949. Understated and British, there was no need to adorn her with sci-fi prop tat, her performance (and noise) told you everything you needed to know about her magnificence.
ETA I was too quick to respond, it's all been said above. The Rover love is strong today.

Edited by donkmeister on Saturday 24th August 01:25

. dripping with arrogance

You're dismissing quite a lot, you know:

The US car you speak of was fitted with the fourth turbine engine for Chrysler automotive applications -- work that had begun before the War.

Before the winsome example that's well known in popular culture, Chrysler engineers had crisscrossed the US in earlier iterations -- thousands of miles from coast to coast and north-south.

In the end: 50 units produced. 200+ public users driving them daily for three-month stints. People from more than 100 cities and towns over more than two years of real-world use.

It's no wonder one turbine car is far more advanced, more real world, and, yes, more well remembered than the "other".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysler_Turbine_Car

[caelite]

You know what, I'll go out on a limb:


Yeah it's not as wild as a Clio V6 or Autozam

But, producing a body on frame, solid axle 'proper' 4x4, to fit in the footprint of a miniscule city car. It is a vehicle which, really doesn't have much of a none-enthusiast market, it is too small for practical purpose for towing or real off road work, it is less efficient and handles worse than just adding a lift kit to a Ford Ka or Vauxhall Corsa, which pretty much every other manufacturer is doing nowadays.

The jimny's only real purposes is as a runabout for (very) rural people who commute on unmade tracks & want something that doesn't need it's tracking done every 6 months, or for off road enthusiasts looking to build a mini-rig. Obviously the latest generation has drummed up some mass market appeal on it's classic looks, but as a practical proposition a Jimny doesn't tick the boxes for many people.



The official angry dad mobile. Putting the underpinnings of a hot hatch into a car derived 7 seater people carrier was an interesting business proposition, it's a shame it didn't last in my mind.

[coppice]

Chevy Corvair- from the land of the rwd V8 came a flat six , rear engined compact - and some even had a turbo, 15 years before Saab 99 had .

Oldsmobile Toronado - behemoth , but compellingly styled Yank tank with obligatory monster V8 - but with front wheel drive , in 1966???


For all the talk of boring Audis let's not forget NSU was part of Audi , and the Ro80 was extraordinary ; wonderful styling (still looks great ) , semi auto box and a wankel engine- in 1967 !

Jowett Javelin -Bradford's finest- and a flat four powered , aerodynamic saloon in 1947 was a beacon of light in a sea of grey porridge Morrises

Mercedes C111 - more wankel power , and in a mid engined sports car too , in 1969

Rover BS - mid engined 3.5 V8 quirky styled sports car. Could have been a winner with some new clothes

Rover 2000 - lots of staid stuff around in 63. But here's an ohc engine (rare back then ) ultramodern styling in and out , 4 individual seats (no benches ) and suddenly Rover was cool

Honda S800 - screaming quad carb 8000rpm jewel engine in tiny sports car made MGs look prehistoric

[Zetec-S]

surveyor said:

First of it's kind.

That's what I was thinking.

[Zetec-S]

williamp said:

Then they launched the V8 engine, when others were just about managing with 4 cylinders. Where would the British motor industry be without the Rover V8????

Playing devils advocate here, but if they'd binned the V8 and focused on 4 cylinder engines and better build quality would we have more British (mass) manufacturers around today?

(but agree with what you said in your post)