Cool Car Award -- Venturi 400GT!

The Venturi 400 GT was an amazing car, and still is even today.  Why?  Because it was simply a race car in road-legal form.  It was derived from the 1993 400 Trophy, which was truly a beast in the form of a car.  When Venturi decided to make a road-legal version of the 400 Trophy, they were deciding to make one of the greatest cars ever.
          The Venturi had a V6 that was developed by Renault, which fact alone should make it respectable.  When you realize, however, that it was not only Renault, but also Peugeot and Volvo who helped develop the engine, it should make you want to run away.  But of course you wouldn't be able to.  The 400GT could do the 0-60mph run in a mere 4.7 seconds and go on to a top speed of 181mph, which rivals the Ferrari's of the day.  The 400GT was also the first production car ever to come with standard carbon brakes, which were still a novelty under construction back then.
          To this day, the Venturi 400GT is still the highest-performance French production car (unless you count the Bugatti as a French brand), which is really saying something, considering what the French are known for (i.e. hot hatches).  Wait, what?  Oh, never mind.  If you want the full performance specifications, then you should look at the chart below.

Venturi 400GT performance specs
Horsepower -- 402hp
Torque -- 383 lb-ft
Engine -- 3.0L V6
0-60mph -- 4.7 seconds
Top Speed -- 181mph
Weight -- 2,513lbs.
Units made -- Under 100, from 1994-1996
Price -- N/A

MCE MC1; The Lotus test mule that never was

In 2007, a mystery supercar prototype was seen testing in the UK.  Rumors surfaced that it was the new Lotus sports car, or a future Noble supercar, but no actual details emerged about this mystery car, except that it was apparently registered as having a 7.0L engine, which made some people think it had a Corvette engine, and that some Lotus paperwork was also spied inside the cabin. 
          Then, in 2008, the MCE MC1 was revealed to the public, with a 600hp V10 engine (and, of course, those awesome butterfly-wing doors).  It was designed by David Hilton, the same person who designed the Ford S-Max and Focus RS, and production of the MC1 was supposed to start in 2011.  Everyone took it for granted that that was what had been seen testing.  And it may have been.  But I have other ideas. 
          Before I even saw this post on iedeiblog.com, I got to thinking, first of all, this; "That couldn't have been the MCE MC1 prototype, look at where the exhaust exits!" and then, "That really looks like a De Tomaso Pantera!  In fact, an ARES Design Panther!  The front scoops even match!"  And then I happened upon the previously mentioned post, and this basically confirmed my suspicion.  A video (see here), uploaded to YouTube in May 2011, showed the exact same car exiting the De Tomaso factory grounds!  Now I'm wondering this; Why Lotus?  Lotus paperwork was seen in the mystery car's cabin, but if this was really the ARES Design Panther, then why was Lotus paperwork spied?  This leads me to believe this; There is an unknown supercar still out there. 
          Think about it.  Well, actually, let's go on a rabbit trail temporarily, and think about the Apollo car company.  Why?  Because they are the ones who bought the rights to the De Tomaso name in 2014.  It would follow that they now own the factory, right?  Maybe.  They are going to start production of the P72 hypercar this year, and they may use that faculty.  But maybe not, I don't know.  OK, now let's think about ARES Design.  They do not own that factory, neither do they have the rights to the De Tomaso name.  They will build the Panther in another place, as far as I know.  Now, about Lotus.  As far as I know, and can find online, Lotus has nothing to do with either ARES Design or Apollo.  But they may have something to do with another unknown company.  And now I'll tell you what I'm driving at.  The team at Apollo does a lot of things, so mightn't they help develop a new car?  Probably so!
          So, what do I think about this all?  I think that there is either (a); A supercar out there still being developed and waiting to be unveiled, or (b); The ARES Design Panther.  Which one is it though?  Personally, I think that it was the ARES Design Panther test mule, or even a final attempt by De Tomaso to revive the brand, but whatever it was, it almost definitely wasn't the MCE MC1.

MCE MC1 supercar gallery

The prototype that was seen

 

Automotive History; Chevron Cars Ltd.

Those of you who associate the Chevron with oil or toy cars with cheesy smiles, you are missing out.  Chevron was one of the greatest names in racing history once upon a time.  It was founded in 1965 by a man named Derek Bennett, a racing entrepreneur and mechanic.  He founded it at first because demands for his Clubmans replicas were getting high enough that it would justify him creating a company.  Below are the most famous Chevron racing cars.

1.  Chevron B8
The B8 was a GT/Group 4 racing car produced from 1968-1970, with 44 units ever produced. It was powered by a 1998cc BMW B4T 0125 four-cylinder producing 200hp.  Below are the specs.

Power -- 200hp
Torque -- N/A
Engine -- 1998cc BMW B4T 0125 four-cylinder
0-60mph -- N/A
Top Speed -- 150mph
Weight -- 1,300lbs.
Price -- I cannot find what the original price would have been, but nowadays, you can get one for anywhere from $92,000 to $200,000.

2.  Chevron B16
The B16 was developed for use in the 1969/1970 Le Mans Group 5/Group 6 races.  It was powered by a Cosworth-modified BMW four-cylinder engine with only 1,790cc, but producing 225hp.  Below are the known specifications.

Power -- 225hp
Torque -- N/A
Engine -- 1790cc BMW four-cylinder
0-60mph -- 4.5 seconds
Top Speed -- 170mph
Weight -- 1,200lbs.
Price -- N/A

3.  Chevron GR8
The GR8 is the most recent of all Chevron cars.  It was produced from 2010-2011 for the British GT racing series.  It is not road-legal, and can only be used on track.

Power -- 255hp
Torque -- 190 lb-ft
Engine -- 1999cc inline-four
0-60mph -- 4.8 seconds
Top Speed -- 150mph
Weight -- 1,322lbs.
Price -- $76,069
  
So, there you have it.  A very brief history of Chevron Cars.  Next time, the featured car company will have a longer post, I just couldn't find much on this one.  'Til next time!

Image Gallery

 1968 Chevron B8

1968 Chevron B8

1970 Chevron B16 Coupe

1970 Chevron B16 Coupe

1969 Chevron B16 Spyder

2010 Chevron GR8

2010 Chevron GR8

1969 Fiat 125S Samantha by Vignale

The Fiat 125S Vignale was a limited-production car built by Carrozzeria Vignale from 1967-1971.  Just an estimated 100 units were ever made, and of those, only a handful still survive, making it one of the rarest twin-cam Fiats of that era.
          It was based on a basic 125S donor car, using the same four-cylinder and 5-speed transmission, and therefore having the same performance (0-60 in 13 seconds, a top speed of 106mph), which wasn't exactly high-performance in it's day, just mildly sporty.  Some of the most recognizable design features are the three portholes on each C-pillar, and the front end that kinda looks like a cheap Miura clone, but only if you have seen (as I have) numerous exotic car clones based on Honda Accords.
          Carrozzeria Vignale was a well-known and respected automobile designer, responsible for many beautiful cars, such as the Ferrari 212 Coupe, Cunningham C-3, Fiat 750 Vignale, Cisitalia 808XF, Abarth 205, the 1993 Aston Martin Lagonda Vignale concept, Fiat 1100 Vignale, Fiat 2100 En Plein Vignale, Maserati 3500 Vignale Spyder, Tatra 613, and many, many others.  More recently, they have collaborated with Ford to produce the S-Max, Focus, Mondeo, and Edge Vignale versions, all well-designed cars, but by no means as nice to look at as Vignale's previous products.  Vignale's past was glorious, and while it's future still looks bright, meaning it won't go out of business anytime soon, it's glory days are long gone.