Tag Archives: Car

Li’l Pink Pony – Ford Mustang

The forth generation Ford Mustang was launched in 1994 featuring sounded styling not dissimilar to the contemporary front wheel drive Ford Probe which very nearly became the fourth generation Mustang. But for vocal objections from Mustang owners to the front wheel drive and lack of a V8 option the Probe would have become the 4th generation Mustang.

In 1998 the forth generation Mustang was face lifted with “New Edge” styling as seen on today’s example built in 1999.

Today’s featured car appears to be fitted with the base 190 hp 3.8 litre / 232 cui overhead valve 90 degree Essex (Canada) V6, which, it has been speculated with out any hard evidence, was reverse engineered from a similar Buick motor albeit the Essex (Canada) V6 has aluminium heads.

The owner of this car shipped it over from Illinois in 2009, it comes with pink underlights, pink and white seats, parking sensors and reversing camera for those not to good on spacial awareness.

This car recently changed hands on e-bay, the previous owners thoughtfully included the following message in their advertisement, “BE PREPARED TO GET LOOKED AT IN THIS VEHICLE A REAL HEAD TURNER!”

Thanks for joining me on this “Li’l Pink Mustang” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres”, I hope you will join me again for Ferrari Friday tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

Modern Style, Top Technology – Zastava Type 102 / Yugo 45

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Like the Zastava Type 101 “Stojadin” I looked at last week the Zastava Type 102 is a design unique to Zastava built on a FIAT chassis pan and running gear.

The FIAT chassis and engine designs for the Type 102 are from the FIAT 127 hatchback which was manufactured from 1971 to 1983.

Type 102’s were also marketed with a myriad of different names in different markets, the Yugo 45A seen here in Malta bears no exterior Zastava identification marks at all.

Originally sold with a ‘Modern Style, Top Technology‘ strap line, the first Type 102’s were built in 1980 and appear to have been made available for export the following year. the 45 designation indicates this car has a 903 cc / 55 cui motor with a four speed manual gearbox.

The red ‘GTi’ pin stripe suggests this particular car dates from somewhere around 1989. Like the Type 101 the Type 102 survived the disintegration of Yugoslavia and was manufactured in Serbia under the Zastava Koral until
FIAT took over the Zastava plant in 2008 and immediately halted all Zastava production, bar a few pick ups.

Thanks for joining me on this “Modern Style, Top Technology” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

Rocket Powered Unicycle – MG TF XPower 500 #SARRDWBGBWD034240

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Just like I write “Gettin a li’l psycho on tyres”, because I find it quite irresistable it would appear when MG Rover got ditched by BMW MG went and built today’s unique, as in only one of, MG TF XPower 500 for exactly the same reason.

Sensational and equally outrageuous the MG TF XPower 500, was first shown to the public at Le Mans in 2001 alongside it’s Lola LM780 chassis Le Mans challenger.

Sitting on low profile 17″ road tyres and wheels the MG TF XPower 500 has a seam welded MG TF body which incorporates a racing standard survival cell, flared wheel arches and some aerodynamic aids to help keep the car on the ground.

Go for the MG TF XPower 500 comes from the same source as MG’s Lola MG Le Mans challenger namely a mid monunted Cosworth 2000 Le Mans XP20 2 litre / 122cui 4 cylinder turbo charged motor that produces 400 hp which transmits its power to the rear wheels through a 6 speed X-Trac sequential gearbox. Racing 4 pot AP disc brakes are used to slow the car down which has a ‘theoretical’ top speed in excess of 180 mph depending on the gear ratio’s used.

When Tony Dron tested the car with former Le Mans winner Mark Blundell he obseved the front wheels don’t do much in the corners and he was advised by Mark to suggest “Just think of the back end”. Tony noted “He’s right: imagine a rocket-powered unicycle and you get the idea.”

Thanks for joining me on this “Rocket Powered Unicycle” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres”, I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

Wheels & Ears – Lotus Esprit S2 Type 79

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The pace of innovation and development at Lotus was far too high for organised record keeping to be a strong point and some how the Lotus Type 79 number ended up being given to both the 1978 World Championship winning Formula One car and the otherwise unrelated Lotus Esprit S1 & S2 variations.

The second iteration of the Giugiaro designed Esprit, launched in 1978, featured a wrap around bumper which brought down the aerodynamic measure to Cd 0.355 and improved the handling in cross winds.

The Gotti alloy wheels of the original Elite were replaced by Lotus designed alloy wheels manufactured by Speedline. Inside wider seats were fitted along side new instrumentation and switch gear illuminated by fibre optics, the external rear view mirrors became remotely operated too.

Ears behind the rear 3/4 window were used to feed air into the carburetor on the left and into the engine bay on the right.

The Rover SD1 sourced rear lights now incorporated high intensity fog lamps. 1061 Esprit S2’s were built with the original Type 907 2 litre / 122 cui motor that gave the car a top speed of 124 mph. A further 88 S2.2’s were built with the an identical body, galvanised chassis and Type 912 motors of 2.2 litre / 134 cui with the same 160 hp but much improved torque which made the Esprit much easier to drive around town.

Thanks for joining me on this “Wheels & Ears” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

Supercharged Striped Snake – Ford Mustang Shelby GT500

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In 2005 Ford introduced the “retrofuturist” fifth generation Mustang, engineered by Hau Thai-Tang, with exterior styling, which took its cues from the late 60’s fast back Mustangs, by Sid Ramnarace.

In 2010 the fifth generation Mustangs received a face lift, today’s featured car is the face lifted Shelby GT 500 of which 2000 examples were built with unique to the limited edition functional vents in the bonnet / hood…

… which keep the 540 hp supercharged 5.4 litre / 329 cui motor temperatures under control.

2010 limited edition Shelby GT 500’s are only available with one transmission option six speed manual / stick shift, topped off with suitably striped gear knob, which gives the vehicle a rest to 120 mph in 9 seconds capability.

Despite the competition performance figures 2010 GT 500’s are fitted with air conditioning and six disc CD changers.

GT 500 specific 19 inch forged alloy wheels with Brembo disc brakes, traction and stability control all help keep the GT 500 firmly attached to the road though hazing the tyres is possible for the more experienced driver in the right environment.

The rear spoiler acts as a functional Gurney flap and was also unique to the GT 500 Mustangs in 2005.

True to it’s roots the fifth generation Mustangs still use solid axle rear suspension, there are rumours this will be replaced on the sixth generation Mustang with independent rear suspension for the 2015 model year.

Thanks for joining me on this “Supercharged Striped Snake” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again for Ferrari Friday tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

Hot Rover #3 – MG ZT-T

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Like the MG ZR and MG ZS models the MG ZT was based on a Rover model in this case the Rover 75 and like the smaller ZR and ZS it was launched in 2001 and face lifted in 2004.

The ZT-T is the estate / station wagon version of the ZT and today’s face lifted car is said to have been completed on the 20th of January at 13:19 making it the 11th ZT to be built in 2004.

The cars chassis plate shows this car to have been intended to be biomorphic green however it was finished in shot silk chromescent, like only two other ZT-T models, one of which also has a chassis plate showing the intended colour was biomorphic green.

On 5th April 2004 the car was registered to MG Rovers Press Fleet and was subsequently used by MG Director Dr Chris Millard who had many updates and extras retro fitted to keep the car up to date with all the latest developments barring an electric sunroof.

Shot Silk Chromescent paintwork was part of MG Rovers Monogram Personalisation Programme which offered customers an exclusive opportunity for MG and Rover customers to realise their personality through automotive style.

Power for this car comes from a 129hp Turbo Diesel motor which is connected to a 5 speed automatic transmission which gives a rest to 60 mph time of 11.4 seconds and a maximum speed of 117 mph.

Just over a month after MG Rover called in the receivers in April 2005 ownership of this ZT-T transferred to the Royal Bank of Scotland before being sold on to a salesman.

My thanks to The Rover 75 and MG ZT Owners Club for the details about today’s car which is seen at the The Classic Motor Show held at the NEC, Birmingham a couple of weeks ago.

Thanks for joining me on this Hot Rover #3 edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

Championship Clincher – Talbot Sunbeam Lotus (Type 81)

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In 1977 the European division of Chrysler launched the Chrysler Sunbeam hatchback which was financed with Government aid that was part of a strategic plan to keep jobs at Chryslers Linwood factory in Scotland where the Hillman Imp production had come to a halt in 1976.

The new hatchback used the floor plan of the Hillman Avenger, another model manufactured at Linwood, of which sales were falling and which was to be discontinued in 1981.

In 1978 Chrysler commissioned Lotus to develop a competition version of the Sunbeam hatchback, which appears to have shared the same type number ’81’ as the Lotus Ford ’81’ Formula One car.

Incidentally this appears to be the third of two completely unrelated projects have shared a Lotus Type number, I have read suggestions this occurred because some one lost the book in which the Lotus projects were recorded, I have also seen suggestions that what ever Lotus type numbers vehicles have now, they were not necessarily the same as those that appeared on the original Lotus drawings.

The Sunbeam Lotus was produced with a 150 hp for road trim and 250 hp for competition rally trim both versions using variants of the Lotus Type 907 motor first seen in the Lotus 62 sports racing car and later in the Lotus Elite, Type 75, road car.

The Sunbeam Lotus was first seen in early 1979 but by the end of the year Chrysler had sold it’s European operations to Peugeot for US$1 (One US Dollar) which came packaged with all of Chrysler Europe’s debt. For 1980 all of Chrysler Europe’s models including the Chrysler Sunbeam Lotus were rebranded as Talbots and all of the road going Sunbeam Lotus models appear with Talbot badges.

In 1979 a works Chrysler Sunbeam Lotus team entered selected World Championship Rally events in anticipation for a full scale onslaught in 1981. The following year the now Talbot entered team scored three wins two for Henri Toivonen one on snow and the other on gravel, while Frenchman Guy Fréquelin partnered by Jean Todt, since of Peugeot and Ferrari management and now president of the FIA.

In 1981 going into the final rally of the season the RAC Rally Guy and Jean led the World Rally Drivers Chanpionship and Talbot the manufacturers championship despite only managing to score one overall victory. For some reason Guy never got to grips with his second RAC Rally start and he retired while Ari Vatenen his only challenger finished second in a Ford Escort behind Hannu Mikkola in his Audi. After Henri Toivonen also retired the manufacturers championship was clinched for Talbot by Swedes Stig Blomqvist and Bjorn Cederberg in the #14 Swedish Dealer Team entered Talbot which carried the registration/license plated LAC999V.

However I can’t be sure that the car shown in the two photos above is the same car because all thought the car above carries the LAC999V plates it is painted in the factory Talbot Sunbeam Lotus colours which were not the same as the colours carried on Stig’s car in the 1981 RAC Rally.

Thanks for joining me on this “Championship Clincher” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at a Rolls Royce. Don’t forget to come back now !

Gettin' A Li'l Psycho On Tyres

Art Tidesco blogs on all things motoring

Tag Archives: Car

Li’l Pink Pony – Ford Mustang

Modern Style, Top Technology – Zastava Type 102 / Yugo 45

Rocket Powered Unicycle – MG TF XPower 500 #SARRDWBGBWD034240

Wheels & Ears – Lotus Esprit S2 Type 79

Supercharged Striped Snake – Ford Mustang Shelby GT500

Hot Rover #3 – MG ZT-T

Championship Clincher – Talbot Sunbeam Lotus (Type 81)