All of these make plucky cars that aren't too common but are often pretty damn good, even if they don't have much in the way of luxury.
I think the Elise and the Exige look a bit too similar, even though they are obviously different cars... tbh the main difference between an Elise with a hard roof and an Exige is the wing and roof scoop. Europa is a bit more sanitised too but out of the 3 I'd have an Exige, purely coz i think it's better looking than the Elise and a better track car than the Europa (I mean most of the cars these manufacturers make are track biased). And for those who haven't been in an Elise, they are pretty damn fast. Granted, I haven't been in many things to compare acceleration/top speed but this was deffo very fast off the line.
Noble don't have as much to offer as Lotus but that M15 is a achievement if there ever was one. Great looks, great performance, what's not to like?? M12 GTO-3R is on the never-gonna-happen wish list too.
TVR make some decent cars, even if they do fall apart a bit, are they even in business anymore?? I'd quite like a nice blue Sagaris actually.
Some kind of dodgy business deal which meant they went into administration but the current russian owner was able to buy the rights to the name whilst selling off the manufacturing side. Look out for a relaunch with them built elsewhere sometime in the future i reckon.
I never worry about who owns the paperwork, Blair. It's the car that matters. I know people who dislike the fantastic Flying Spur because Bentley isn't British. Absurd.
i dont like it cos its a pig ugly monstrosity that looks like it was styled by a partially sighted korean design team, made out of wax, then half melted........MUCH prefer the old, square rigged mr toad english eccentricity of the less efficient, less powerful and slower, but much more endearing older models.....so no surprise there
I like the Arnage T, of course, but the Flying Spur is one of the most effective mile-eaters on the planet and so nice inside, too. Fantastic bi-turbo W12 engine, as well.
Originally posted by Bamford: I like the Arnage T, of course, but the Flying Spur is one of the most effective mile-eaters on the planet and so nice inside, too. Fantastic bi-turbo W12 engine, as well.
Engine and interior I would agree with BUT the styling doesnt exactly say expensive and exclusive does it?
Originally posted by Bamford: I never worry about who owns the paperwork, Blair. It's the car that matters. I know people who dislike the fantastic Flying Spur because Bentley isn't British. Absurd.
Doesnt bother me either. Chances are Jaguar will soon be TATA but if that means a resurgence of the brand and some decent cars then who cares
Originally posted by Bamford: I like the Arnage T, of course, but the Flying Spur is one of the most effective mile-eaters on the planet and so nice inside, too. Fantastic bi-turbo W12 engine, as well.
as a rule of thumb when discussing jaguar or benley, i think, would billy lyons have liked it??..would w.o approve....???.....for many jags the answer has been a resounding yes, but for many recent bentleys the answer is an unequivocable no...the lightweight continental of the late fifties was, for me, the ultimate bentley..a true gentlemans express, other worldly fasst for its day and beautifully weighted and precise to drive....never bettered in concept...modern bentleys are dfs sofas with roger rabbit styling and german engineering.....sure tim birkin and the bentley boys would love that!!!
the modern day bentleys are fantastic, no doubt, the best cars bentley have ver produced....but at the end of the day, they are just cars...an older bentley was, well, a bentley....
Originally posted by Bamford: I like the Arnage T, of course, but the Flying Spur is one of the most effective mile-eaters on the planet and so nice inside, too. Fantastic bi-turbo W12 engine, as well.
Engine and interior I would agree with BUT the styling doesnt exactly say expensive and exclusive does it?
My fave Brits at he moment would have to be the Farboud and the forthcoming (and gloriously wierd) Connaught.
Quite like the wildly expensive, brutal looking Invicta as well.
_________________________ "Forward", he cried, from the rear, and the front rank died. And the General sat, and the lines on the map moved from side to side.
I'm looking forward to the Connaught too. Both the standard engine and the hybrid. They claim its weight will be 850kg so for a luxury type four seater that will have a nice balance of light weight, performance and economy.
Believe so, Bamfs. They have two versions supposedly in the pipeline. First will be a standard petrol drivetrain with s/charger and a hybrid to follow later.
There's an official website around somewhere that gives updates on launch dates etc. Originally I thought it would be wonderful but ultimately bomb ... but its been a long while in the making and just recently, with the total explosion of attention on enviro-motoring in the press, I reckon it could well be a hit. The low displacement/lots of cylinders is something I'm sure most petrolheads have wondered about for a road car since Enzo entered a Grand Prix with a 1.5 V12 but this is no one trick pony; it's ingeniously engineered with many structures that a "normal" car would consider auxilliary being load-bearing. Futuristic stuff but beautifully basic in concept .... and its things like that that often spell success.
It's a fantasic looking car to boot ..... odd, but really handsome. Same back-to-the-future appeal as the Caparo but a much, much better concept for real life on real-road. Boig really like.....
_________________________ "Forward", he cried, from the rear, and the front rank died. And the General sat, and the lines on the map moved from side to side.
remember the glorious brm 1500cc v16.....classic and sportscar gave away a vinyl of that engine screaming way back when, sent shivers down the spine...
Originally posted by Bamford: I love the idea of the tiny V10, but some will ask what it can do, that an Evolution 2000cc/4 pot cannot!
I'm curious about this as well. But it's good to see all kinds of engines. I reckon we are living in quite a golden time for cars - we've got 4/6/8/12 cylinders. Rotary engined, boxer engined. Turbo charged, supercharged, turbo and supercharged. electric, hybrids, diesels etc...
Originally posted by XNtrikalfaman: remember the glorious brm 1500cc v16.....classic and sportscar gave away a vinyl of that engine screaming way back when, sent shivers down the spine...
nothing glorious about that engine, it was a categorical failure during races, totally unreliable and a complete waste of money for the backers. A small capacity v10 is totally pointless and generates excess friction and will have very poor economy. 500cc per piston is about the optimum.
Originally posted by Bamford: I love the idea of the tiny V10, but some will ask what it can do, that an Evolution 2000cc/4 pot cannot!
I'm curious about this as well. But it's good to see all kinds of engines. I reckon we are living in quite a golden time for cars - we've got 4/6/8/12 cylinders. Rotary engined, boxer engined. Turbo charged, supercharged, turbo and supercharged. electric, hybrids, diesels etc...
Lots to love and enjoy...
That's what i told Palmira. We have never had cars so good, so capable and so cheap and many DO have masses of character.
It's just that the cynics will only see that character, once the car is 20 years old.
I'd quite like a nice blue Sagaris actually.
