Friday 27th February 2004

Elfin MS8

Holden surprise Melbourne Show with racer

---

Holden are best known for big, brutish saloons and pick ups. So when they unveiled a sleek racer at this week's Melbourne Motor show it came as a very pleasant surprise to most.

Two cars are on show, the Elfin MS8 Clubman and Streamliner. Both are based on the same running gear, but with different bodywork configurations. They are manufactured by Elfin with Holden providing design input and the power plants.  Bill Hemming, Joint Managing Director of Elfin Sports Cars, said the Streamliner and Clubman MS8 project made the best use of each organisation's strengths.

"This project successfully leveraged Holden's design know-how and resources with Elfin's specialist skill in hand-built racing chassis production ," he said. "The synergy between us was amazing. I guess that's what happens when one bunch of car buffs meets another ," said Hemming.

"Elfin will take all enquiries and orders from prospective buyers and we'll build the vehicles at our production facility in Murrumbeena (Victoria). Elfin owns the intellectual property rights to the vehicles and we will manage all sales, marketing and warranty issues ," Hemming concluded.

Aimed squarely at the weekend club racer and historic vehicle enthusiast market, the V8 roadsters will be hand-built to order by Elfin with production expected to begin later this year.

The cars are powered by a Holden Gen III 5.7 litre V8 pumping out around 330bhp via a six speed 'box. The cars are constructed around a tubular space frame chassis.

Drivetrain

• Holden 5.7 litre Gen III alloy V8
• From 245 kW (engines prepared to purchaser specification)
• Holden 6-speed manual gearbox
• Holden limited slip differential

Safety

• Traction control
• ABS braking system
• Cruise control

Suspension

• Fully independent rear suspension with top and bottom wishbones plus toe link adjustment
• Front suspension with top and bottom chrome moly, unequal aerofoil wishbones
• Fully adjustable race specification rose joints throughout
• Elfin alloy uprights (front and rear), fully adjustable for camber, caster and toe
• Coil over Koni shock absorbers, adjustable for bump, rebound and ride height

Brakes

• Slotted and ventilated four wheel disc brakes
  • Front: 32 x 343mm discs
    Elfin aluminium billet machined 6 piston calipers
    
  • Rear: 18 x 315mm discs incorporating handbrake
    Elfin aluminium billet machined 4 piston calipers
    

Steering/Pedals

• Rack and pinion with adjustable steering column
• Fully adjustable alloy pedal box with brake bias adjustment

Wheels/Tyres

• Alloy 18" wheels
• 245 x 40 tyres

Construction

• Jig assembled, hand crafted multi-tubular space frame
  (Square tube frames are a design characteristic of the Elfin Sports Car Company)
• GRP body panels

Link : www.elfin.com.au

[900T-R]

One word: wow.

[stevenrt]

Square tubes don't have as high strength as round tubes for the same weight.

[daydreamer]

stevenrt said:

Square tubes don't have as high strength as round tubes for the same weight.

I also thought that most tubular chassis were constructed from tubes

Also - cruise control on a race car :rolleys:

However, it does take it to the legions of bike engine cars that are making their way onto tracks in the UK. Makes you wonder why the Westfield sEight has fallen out of favour really.

Do I want one - Course I do

Rich

[dinkel]

stevenrt said:

Square tubes don't have as high strength as round tubes for the same weight.

Chassis looks like a ScrapyardRally (National Geographic?) project . . . But the red body is a stunner. With a more refined engine (a Beemer screamer, S2000 or VW 3.2) I would want one.

[johnny senna]

Love it.

[chrisjl]

stevenrt said:

Square tubes don't have as high strength as round tubes for the same weight.

Overall, maybe. But square requires much less work for angled joints, and is stiffer in four directions. And square has been the shape of choice for many racecars in the past (Lancia Stratos being one).

[cotty]

Lovely - ill have a silver one please.

Is the front of the red one ugly or something, why no propers pics

[cotty]

cotty said:

Lovely - ill have a silver one please.

perhaps not at $85,000 (GBP35,000) I would rather get a Caterham

[MGV8]

Looks very good and like nothing else out there (will almost).......
Who gives a s**t what kind of tube it is made from what dose it drive like?

[gnomesmith]

How nice it is to see the name Elfin again.

The original clubmans cars were attractive, competitive and made a change from the hoards of Lotii, Elva, Chevron and U2. I was a Terrier fan myself but thats a different story.

I wonder where the name Elfin came from? We have a road in Teddington called Elfin Grove but that was named after the Builder E L Flynn who built the original cottage hospital there 100 or so years ago, I don't think there is any connection with the cars.

[dinkel]

ELFIN CLUBMAN (Lotus 7ish)
ENGINE: Toyota 1.6 litre double over-head camshaft four cylinder
POWER: 125kW@7800revs

[murcielago]

[medic_02]

see thats the problem.... 128kw. I mean the thing would fly, but with a holden V8? Not a bad block, having driven one myself. This thing would be a rocket!

[mrmaggit]

What about a two seater rag-top?

[cobaltdawn]

I can't decide whether i like this or not, i look at it once and i like it, i look again and i find it really ugly. But never the less i won't deny that this is an interesting and origonal car.

[Zillatron]

stevenrt said:

Square tubes don't have as high strength as round tubes for the same weight.

Have a read of this:
www.elfin.com.au/msport.htm

I was there, in most cars he would have been dead. The driver walked (hobbled) away from a 200Kmh+ smash - thats strong enough for me!

Zillatron