[Shotimes] Re: (OT) British perspective on the new Mustang

[James F. Ryan III]

The Discovery Channel has a show called "Top Gear" hosted by a few really
annoying Brits - they're "rubbish" (their word, not mine).

Anyway, the really annoying fat old guy is always droning on and on about
the Noble M12.  I haven't been able to determine if it's a production car
(in the UK) or not but, one interesting note is that the UK version is
powered by a 3.0L alumimun-block twin-turbo Ford Duratec V-6 that puts out
352 hp!!!!!  It does 0-60 in 3.7 secs, 0-100 in 8.8 secs, 1/4-mile in 11.9
secs, and pulls 1.156g on the skid pad.  If you order one in the US you only
get a rolling chassis and you must supply and install the engine/trans.

http://www.1gracing.com/


In another episode of Top Gear the 3 hosts each picked what they thought was
the best British car.  The fat old guy picked the Noble M12 of course, one
guy picked a Rover 4-door sedan, and the last guy picked a classic Morgan
roadster.  Not a bad looking car, kinda like the MG's bigger brother.

What's really a cool British car is the Morgan Aero 8.  I saw one up close
at a car show this summer and I fell in love with it.  The headlights are a
bit "odd" at first, but you quickly get used to it (or not).  Photos don't
do it justice; you have to see it in person.

Specs:  2,541 lbs, 333hp/300lb-ft BMW 4.4L with VVT, ZF 6-spd trans, 160
mph, 6-piston calipers, ZF electro-hydraulic power steering, and it's only
$115,000!!!!

http://www.morgancars-usa.com/
http://smogthis.net/indexaero3.html


On a recent episode of Top Gear they did a test drive of a "thing" called
the Ariel Atom.  It's an open-wheel tube-frame thing powered by a
rear-mounted 2.0L Honda iVTEC engine (that puts out 220 hp) coupled to a
Honda 6-spd trans and weighs an RCH over 1000 lbs.  The 300 hp supercharged
version holds the world record for 0-100-0 mph at 10.88 secs.  Cost in USD
is $62,000.  The company web site says that it is a production vehicle.

Almost forgot - on the show they also raced the Atom against a Kawasaki
Ninja type motorcycle around a twisty road course.  The motorcycle got an
early jump but the Atom caught up, flew by, and never looked back

http://www.arielmotor.co.uk/


The Corvette has sold an average of 20,000 units per year since the
mid-1980s.  If any of these British cars can match or exceed that, I'd say
they're doing pretty good.


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Timothy Wright" <buford_sho@comcast.net>
To: "Donald Mallinson" <dmall@mwonline.net>; "'Shotimes'"
<shotimes@autox.team.net>; "'V8List SHO'" <v8sho@v8sho.com>
Sent: Wednesday, September 28, 2005 3:07 PM
Subject: Re: [Shotimes] Re: (OT) British perspective on the new Mustang


> Hey, the original Morgan is back in production. I guess $45k for a sunny
day
> car that still has wooden spoke wheels.
>
> I bet they make 800 a year.  Same elves that make Keebler cookies over
here
> make Morgans except in the UK the elves are in a union.
>
> I want a Chaterham, but I would not use one to drive to work every day, it
> is more of a novelty than a car. Just like those who tow a HD to bike
meet.
>
> I accept that they are sports cars, I would argue that they are not
> production cars. Is a Panoz a production car?
>
> Aston Martin makes good sports cars, even if I hit the lotto I could not
> justify one or fit in it.
>
> Buford
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