I do like the last facelift
Now that Unreal is upon us, I’m gonna try to finish up what I have left for the Kee Universe 
I didn’t spend quite as much time styling these since I’m gonna have to do them all over for Unreal anyway!
The Reverence started out as the third vehicle in Adenine’s 1960s lineup. Pickup trucks were quite a foreign concept to a Brit like Penrose, but he recognized their popularity and usefulness. In order to be competitive with the other American automakers, Adenine needed to have a pickup truck. But there was a problem: the Adenine factory was only capable of producing front-wheel drive, unibody vehicles. Could Penrose design a competitive pickup truck with these limitations?
Penrose had known that this would be an issue early on when he was planning out Adenine’s market strategy. His unibody design had many advantages, but it certainly could not surpass the durability and utility of a ladder chassis. Furthermore, he wasn’t sure if pickup buyers accustomed to 4x4s would appreciate the benefits of front-wheel drive.
Still, retooling the factory again to produce a separate ladder chassis was out of the question. And designing a pickup truck would be easy since the Advent already looked the part. The entire front half of the Advent could be carried over with almost zero modifications. In the rear, the wheelbase was extended to 2.9m and the rear trailing arms were replaced with a solid axle, leaf spring suspension for better cargo capability. Since the solid axle did not need to include the driveshafts and differential, the unsprung weight was greatly reduced - meaning that ride quality was considerably better than standard solid axle trucks of the time. In addition, with no transmission tunnel, the floor of the bed could be made lower for additional cargo space.
The Advent’s chassis was not wide enough to simply drop in the I6 and V8 engines from the Veranda, so Penrose modified them into smaller 3.4L and 4.5L variants. To save tooling costs, both engines used the same 86.2mm bore and 96.9mm stroke. Like the Veranda engines, they used a direct acting overhead cam with a single barrel/double carb configuration. The 3.4L I6 produced over 200hp SAE gross (162hp net) and the 4.5L V8 produced 280hp gross (209hp net). While this was a step down from the Veranda’s output, the numbers were still remarkably competitive with the pickup engines of the time, especially considering their small displacement.
In the later stages of testing, Adenine engineers discovered two potential problems: First, loading cargo into the bed of the truck would shift weight distribution to the rear, away from the driven wheels. Second, when towing heavy trailers, the stresses would concentrate at the corner where the top of the bed met the cab, and the bed could tear away from the cab. In a conventional pickup, these loads would be taken by the frame, and the bed and cab were two separate parts.
Penrose had anticipated the weight distribution issue but the stress issue was an unexpected problem. He decided to make the walls of the bed taller, which would hopefully distribute the stresses better. This, of course, also made it much more difficult to load cargo into the bed, but he thought it would be worth the tradeoff. Still, it was clear that the unibody Reverence would be at a disadvantage in overall utility compared to competitors.
The Adenine Reverence was released in 1967 to a mixed reception. It had one key advantage: its price. With an inflation-adjusted base price of $10000 (20% markup), the Reverence had the power and cargo capacity of a full-size pickup truck with the cost of a much smaller vehicle. This made it a very interesting proposition in the US, which had not yet embraced the compact pickup market. Some have speculated that the low cost of the Reverence drove Ford and Chevy to introduce badge-engineered compact pickups like the Ford Courier (Mazda B-series) and Chevy LUV (Isuzu Faster), although this is unlikely since the 1st gen Reverence never posed a significant threat to the sales of the Big Three.
The styling certainly suited the Reverence far more than the Advent, and its size and specs were on point. The Reverence proved to be successful with casual truck buyers, who only needed the ability to haul large items on an occasional basis. Its handling and ride quality were far above competing pickups, and were often considered to be better than many sedans. In addition, with its powerful engines and low weight, the Reverence was surprisingly quick. The base model with the 3.4L I6 could do 0-62 in 9.2 seconds; a fully loaded model with the 4.5L V8 could do it in 8.1. During this time period, many Americans began buying pickup trucks for lifestyle and image reasons rather than pure utility, and the Reverence’s carlike handling and low cost made it perfectly suited for these customers.
However, heavy-duty users soon ran into issues. Reports of Reverences spinning their front wheels or detaching their beds popped up here and there. People who knew trucks soon learned to steer clear of the “fake” truck made by Adenine, which definitely hurt Adenine’s reputation in the truck world. Luckily, this did not greatly affect Adenine’s sales to average consumers, who weren’t as knowledgeable about such matters. With its low price, Adenine was still able to sell as many Reverences as they built (which, at this point, was not very many).
Still, Penrose was worried about the future prospects for the Reverence. If Adenine wanted to grow, the Reverence would have to be embraced by the hardcore pickup drivers as much as the average consumers. The next Reverence would have to be a 4x4 body-on-frame pickup - but where would he get the money to build a whole new factory?
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If you guys are interested, here’s an in-depth article on the advantages and disadvantages of a unibody pickup truck: http://truckyeah.jalopnik.com/mid-size-trucks-dont-need-frames-1785674405
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In 1973, Penrose was still pondering what to do with the Reverence. He had already sketched out some designs for a more conventional 4x4 pickup, but when the oil crisis hit, any hopes of designing a brand new ladder chassis and factory for the truck went out the window. Penrose feared that the existing FWD architecture would have to soldier on, perhaps with some updated engines.
But out of the darkness, came an opportunity. Mexican automaker Mastin had recently split from its parent company ADM and was struggling in the crisis. Burdened with oversized factories and dwindling sales, Mastin was faced with crippling overproduction. The company was trying to sell everything it could - crate engines, transmissions, and even the ladder chassis from the Borzoi SUV/pickup.
And so, in early 1974, Adenine and Mastin hammered out a deal that would benefit both sides. Adenine would purchase the Borzoi chassis and replace exterior and interior components as necessary. It would supply its own engines and transmissions. Meanwhile, Mastin could expand to the lucrative US market while reducing overproduction.
Penrose was overjoyed to sign the deal with Mastin. The Borzoi chassis was perfectly suited for his needs, with its galvanized steel frame and solid axle, leaf-sprung rear suspension. And he didn’t have to pay any of the costs to develop or produce it! Even better, the longitudinal orientation meant that he could simply drop in the new 3.2L I6 turbo being developed for the Veranda. So a large portion of the engineering for the brand new truck was already done.
The main challenge for Adenine was designing the new 4x4 drivetrain. Penrose hadn’t worked on 4x4s in 30 years, and none of his engineers had experience with them either. Fortunately, Mastin engineers were happy to work with him to integrate their 4x4 system with Adenine’s 4-speed automatic. Anything they could do to sell more components was a plus!
Aside from dropping in the new turbo engine, Adenine didn’t need to make too many changes to the Borzoi chassis. The wheels and brakes were a little different, and the base trim came with no radio to save costs. A more premium interior and the high-end 8-track cassette player from the Veranda were available as options. Higher trim levels also added additional safety features.
The end result was a Reverence that was almost completely different than the one that came before it. Its old-fashioned ladder frame, built for the toughest Mexican environments, was resilient and durable. Combined with RWD and 4x4 capability, the new Reverence was able to withstand heavy loads and towing duties. Serious pickup drivers were satisfied.
However, in making the change to compete with conventional pickup trucks, many of the original Reverence’s unique advantages were lost. The new drivetrain was considerably heavier and more expensive than the compact, space-efficient FWD layout. With a starting price of $12000 (+20%), the new Reverence was quite a bit more expensive than its predecessor. It was also slower (0-62 in 10 seconds) and had poorer handling, largely due to the extra weight and reduced rigidity. In addition, the exotic turbocharged engine raised questions about reliability.
But what was undeniable was the Reverence’s impressive 18mpg fuel economy. In the wake of the 1973 oil crisis, the Reverence offered all the utility of a conventional full-size pickup truck but with nearly twice the gas mileage. In a time when even the largest American V8s were getting strangled by emissions regulations, Adenine’s turbo six balanced excellent power with class-leading efficiency. Highly capable, durable, and economical, the Reverence finally started to gain respect within the pickup truck world. And for that, Penrose had to thank his friends down in Mexico.
The '75 Reverence was a unique combination of automotive engineering from around the world. A classic American pickup truck, built on a Mexican chassis, with an exotic turbocharged heart designed by American and European engineers. During a difficult decade for the US automotive industry, Adenine was able to succeed by turning to creative solutions and people. By the 1980s, Adenine had made enough money to build its own factory for the Reverence, and Mastin was eventually acquired by Meliora Automotive.
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Sorry for the bump, but what about your plans for UE4? It would be great to see your most notable models remade in the new engine. In particular, the Mist, Cadence, Essence, Reverence and Valence deserve the UE4 treatment.
With the successful launch of the Veranda and Reverence, Adenine now had a solid stream of revenue, and its renown was slowly growing. Penrose was ready to get working on the next car in the Adenine lineup, and he set his sights squarely on the fledgling pony car market. The success of the ‘65 Mustang had shown that an affordable, compact sports car could be highly appealing to a wide audience.
The pony cars already on the market achieved their affordability by adding a stylish, sporty exterior on top of an existing chassis, sharing as many parts as possible. Adenine’s pony car would follow the same formula - but its front-wheel drive architecture was totally different.
In order to be competitive in the pony car market, the new car would have to have sexy, sporty styling - quite unlike the other cars in the Adenine lineup. The Mustang had set the guidelines - long hood, short deck, muscular fenders - but Penrose wanted to bring some European flair to the design. He had been carefully following the design of European sports cars like the Maserati Ghibli and the Ferrari 250GTO, and wanted to incorporate their aerodynamic advancements. The exotic Toyota 2000GT was also an influence. Adenine aerodynamicists and exterior designers agreed on a striking new profile for the car. A narrow, slender body and rakish Kammback tail would allow it to cut through the air like no other American car before it.
In order to support the aerodynamic design, the Advent’s chassis was modified to be narrower, and the rear trailing arms were replaced with double wishbones from the Veranda. While the narrow body was great for reducing frontal drag area, it posed a major problem for the transverse front-wheel drive architecture: none of Adenine’s sixes or eights could fit between the front wheels. The Advent’s 2.2L I4 was the only engine that would fit.
Penrose had a plan for this, though. While the four-banger was small, he could wring out additional performance using some newer technologies. The engine was upgraded with forged steel conrods, more aggressive cams, and a freer-flowing exhaust. A special highlight was the use of Weber DCOE carburetors, which delivered snappy throttle response. The new engine could produce 160hp gross (124hp net), competitive with Ford’s straight-six with nearly twice the displacement.
While impressive, this obviously still wasn’t enough to compete with contemporary V8 engines. For the higher-output engine option, Penrose turned to forced induction - foreshadowing Adenine’s later usage of turbocharged four-cylinder engines. The 2.2L I4 was fitted with a mechanical roots-type supercharger, pushing output up to 220hp gross (167hp net). This put it in the same class as Ford’s 4.9L Windsor V8.
Obviously we don’t have superchargers yet so I’m substituting a V6 engine
The original pony cars were intended to be lightweight and compact (at least compared to full-size sedans), with a weight of around 1200-1300kg. However, by the late 60s, America’s thirst for big-block V8s had caused their weights to balloon to over 1500kg. The Vindicator was a refreshing step in the opposite direction, with a weight closer to British roadsters like the Lotus Elan or MGB. Yet it was still able to offer 2+2 seating, largely due to the lightweight and space-efficient FF architecture.
Like the Mustang, the Vindicator was offered with a variety of options in order to suit a wide audience. The base trim came with the naturally aspirated four-cylinder, standard interior and safety, and power steering, but no radio. With the 5-speed manual, it could do 0-62 in 8.9 seconds and a quarter mile in 16.6 seconds. With its grippy sports tires and fully independent suspension, it could corner at well over 0.9g. With a starting price of $10,800 (+30%), it was highly competitive with entry level six-cylinder Mustangs, and offered significantly better performance and fuel economy.
The Sport variant was fitted with the supercharged four-cylinder and a unique, aerodynamic front fascia. It featured signature ‘swiveling’ headlights which gave it a distinct character. The Vindicator Sport could do 0-62 in 6.9 seconds and run the quarter in just 15.2 seconds. This put it in a dead heat with the Mustang GT with its 5.7L V8 engine. But even more impressive was its racecar-like top speed of nearly 150mph - far exceeding even the most powerful muscle cars. Best of all, the Vindicator Sport could be had for just $12,500 (+40%).
Luxury-oriented customers could choose a premium interior, a radio and phonograph player, and advanced safety features. With the supercharged engine and a 3-speed automatic, it did 0-62 in 8.9 seconds and the quarter mile in 16.5 seconds. And it could still reach 140mph. Priced at $16,800 (+50%), it was stylish, comfortable, and well suited to the affluent suburban buyer.
The 1969 Adenine Vindicator was a truly impressive sports car for its time. Penrose had proven that a four-cylinder, front-wheel drive car could be just as fast as a V8 Mustang - and look sexy doing it. Plus, it was fuel-efficient, comfortable, and easy to drive, like any Adenine. The Vindicator had all the key ingredients that made the Mustang so successful - affordability, sporty styling, and fun-to-drive performance. And customers agreed, buying up as many Vindicators as Adenine could sell.
But the Vindicator never quite achieved the iconic status of the Mustang, or even the Camaro. Perhaps it was because it was introduced a little too late, when the pony car market was already becoming oversaturated. Perhaps it was because it was just a little too civil, a little too secure - it didn’t have the tail-happy, burnout madness of a RWD pony car. Perhaps it was just the cognitive dissonance of Adenine’s fastest car having its smallest engine.
Nevertheless, the Adenine Vindicator set a precedent for a new style of sports car in America. The Mustang had shown Americans that a great sports car didn’t have to be expensive - and the Vindicator showed Americans that a great sports car didn’t have to have a big engine. Adenine would refine its sports car formula in many ways over the years, but the Vindicator’s core concept would remain a lasting influence on Adenine engineers.
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At the beginning of the 1970s, Inline Designs was pursuing a fledgling business building high-performance racing engines for local SCCA competitions. They were inspired by the lightweight, high-revving engines used in Formula 1 and Indycar and aimed to bring that type of performance to their own engines. Instead of swapping in big V8s, they preferred to work with lighter inline engines and upgrade internal components to increase power.
Inline Designs’s secret weapon was their experimental turbocharger technology. Ever since turbocharged engines first appeared in the Chevy Corvair, Inline Designs had been fascinated with the concept. The Corvair’s turbo engine was terrible for everyday use, with its extreme turbo lag and poor low-end performance. But Inline Designs recognized that the turbocharger’s top-end power would be well suited for racing, and the lag would not be as big an issue. This was not a new idea, of course; a contemporary turbocharged car won the 1968 Indy 500. But Inline Designs was one of the first to experiment with the technology in production car racing.
Early experiments with a Triumph TR4 were quite promising. Its 2.1L I4 engine, normally producing 100hp, could be boosted to well over 200hp with a turbo - matching or exceeding the output of many pony car V8s. But they soon ran into reliability issues. The extremely hot compressed air caused the engine to knock and overheat. In order to compensate, the compression ratio had to be reduced to around 6.5:1 - partially negating the power boost.
To solve this problem, Inline Designs turned to a technology originally developed for aircraft engines - the intercooler. By fitting an air-to-air heat exchanger before the compressed air went into the engine, the charge air temperature could be significantly decreased. With this innovation, the compression ratio could be increased to around 8:1, greatly enhancing power output.
When the Adenine Vindicator was released in 1969, Inline Designs was very interested. The Vindicator weighed about the same as the Triumph and its engine was about the same size, but its striking aerodynamic profile and well-tuned suspension made it a superior choice. Inline Designs purchased a car and upgraded it with wider 225mm tires, an automatic locking differential, and minor aerodynamic improvements to increase downforce. The rear seats and some interior parts were removed to save weight.
Adenine’s 2.2L I4 then received the Inline Designs treatment. With high-octane fuel and a rich fuel mixture, the engine could handle 1.3 bar of boost and a 9:1 compression ratio. Coupled with a new set of cams and a race intake, the engine was able to produce over 300hp (SAE net) - all while weighing a scant 168kg. It had more power than the Veranda’s 6.0L V8 with half the size and weight.
The modified Vindicator Sport proved to be an unstoppable force on the racetrack - when it wasn’t blowing up, of course. Its excellent power-to-weight ratio allowed it to accelerate to 62mph in just 5.5 seconds and run a quarter mile in 13.62 seconds. It could corner at 1g and had a top speed of 165mph. Inline Designs once clocked a flying lap around the Daytona oval at 59 seconds, equivalent to an average speed of 153mph.
In order to homologate the car for production racing, Inline Designs was required to manufacture 100 cars. The upgrades were inexpensive and relatively simple to make (compared to full-on engine swaps), so this was no challenge. The cars were sold for $18000 (+100%). Of course, the modified Vindicators were terrible road cars that guzzled fuel, blew up often, and suffered from extreme turbo lag. Few are known to be surviving today, but their rarity and historical significance make them highly valuable collector items. The Vindicator race car was the stepping stone to the Adenine-Inline Designs partnership, and it would lend its technology to one of the most important cars in Adenine history: the Adenine Valence.
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I wonder what @nialloftara will have to say about the Centauri Vindicator’s namesake 
(although that Vindicator was quite a bit older…)
I also used the Vindicator name for a totally different car in BFMCC1 (which nialloftara participated in) 
Good to see some SCCA love, great idea for a car. One question though, how much money were Inline putting into this project given how new all this technology was to the car industry back then?
Well they weren’t going at it alone, they had sponsors and clients paying the big bills. I’d guess that they would be most similar to Cosworth, with some elements of Hennessey and Saleen.
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“New”
That stuff was long established in commercial vehicles. Aka Trucks. Cummins ran a 6.6L Turbodiesel at the 1952 Indy 500 and got pole position.
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The Vindicator may well have been the DC2 Integra Type-R of its time - a fast, light and affordable front-drive coupe that turned out to be a giant-killer!
The Daytona laptime has been updated using the most recent version of the track and the flying time.
@DeusExMackia Wildgerman is correct, by this time turbochargers had already become fairly established in racing. The 1968 Indy 500 was won by a turbocharged car (fun fact, several Indycars also used turbine engines during this time). The real challenge was making turbos practical and reliable enough for road use, which Inline Designs wasn’t able to do until they partnered with Adenine
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That makes more sense! And for a good story too 
While the original 1969 Vindicator sold well for Adenine, its success would be rather short-lived. By the turn of the new decade, buyers were already looking toward smaller compact cars, and growing insurance premiums didn’t help. The Vindicator’s smaller size helped it stay afloat longer than the increasingly bloated pony cars, but it was clear that the days of the pony car class were numbered. The 1973 oil crisis was the final nail in the coffin, and the first-gen Vindicator was discontinued in 1974 with no immediate replacement.
However, after sales of the Adenine Valence took off in 1975, Penrose realized that there was an opportunity to bring a sporty performance car back to the Adenine lineup. Once again, the Mustang paved the way for the new pony car of the 70s. The 1974 Mustang II had redefined the class by going back to its roots. Based on the subcompact Pinto platform, the Mustang II prioritized affordability while maintaining a sporty appearance. The small car was much lighter and more fuel-efficient than the outgoing Mustang, even though it was lacking in outright power. In the wake of the oil crisis, the Mustang II became a sales success while many traditional pony cars died out.
The new Vindicator would follow the same formula - a compact sports car with a focus on affordability and economy, built on the Valence chassis. But Adenine would bring its own innovations, such as its turbocharged engine and aerodynamic styling. Inline Designs began with the Valence’s 1.6L turbo four and added a performance intake, more aggressive cams, and Adenine’s first electronic fuel injection system. A three-way catalytic converter reduced back pressure. The modified engine produced 105hp and 110lb-ft of torque.
The Vindicator’s new economy-car underpinnings meant that it would look significantly different than its predecessor. The stylish long hood and shapely rear end were trimmed in favor of more space-efficient short overhangs. But the focus on aerodynamics still remained - hence the rounded corners and arching Kammback roofline. The car was fitted with sportier tires and suspension tuning than the Valence, but its chassis was otherwise nearly the same. On the inside, the car offered the option for either 2 or 4 seats, and power steering was also optional due to the light weight.
With a starting price of $9750 (+30%), the Vindicator was priced almost identically to the Valence. The Vindicator could do 0-62 in 8.3 seconds and corner at 1g. Its turbo-4 had more power than the Mustang II’s 2.8L V6, and it was almost 500kg lighter. The Vindicator was two seconds faster to 62 than the V8 Mustang II and at 16.3s it was more than a second faster in the quarter mile. But perhaps even more impressive was its 32mpg fuel economy, making it the most efficient car in the Adenine lineup.
When it was released in 1978, the new Vindicator proved to be just as big a success as the Valence. Compact, highly affordable, and efficient, it was an even better economy car than the Mustang II. Yet it still maintained the performance ethos of the original Vindicator, with competent acceleration and excellent handling.
Today, the second-gen Vindicator is not remembered quite so fondly. Modern writers derisively call it the “Valence Coupe” and are quick to compare it to faster Adenines of the 60s and 80s. By modern standards, the interior is very cramped, and the engine response is pitifully slow. Its economy-car underpinnings are obvious with a cursory inspection. In the history of Adenine sports cars, the second-gen Vindicator is unquestionably the slowest.
And yet, it was perhaps the most successful of them all. Adenine sports cars have always been niche cars, designed to appeal to a certain type of buyer. In the US market, they have usually been overshadowed by more traditional V8 muscle cars. The second-gen Vindicator was the only one to have appealed to a mass audience - because it was launched at the right time. Like the Valence, the Vindicator was perfectly designed for the 70s; it just traded some comfort for sporty handling. Certainly, it didn’t have the stylish looks of its predecessor, or its supercharged performance. But during an era of soaring gas prices and crippling fuel shortages, the Vindicator had just the right balance of economy and sportiness that buyers were looking for.
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The Vindicator II, even without the bespoke V6 of its predecessor (or even the supercharged four which will never be represented accurately), would have also been a serious rival to the Mk1 Golf GTI, considering the fact that it had a similar amount of power. Am I right, or am I not?
Edit: What if the Vindicator II had also been sold in Europe? Surely it would have sold like hotcakes there!
That’s about right, except that the GTI was not introduced in the US until 1983, when the Vindicator was already nearing the end of it’s product cycle. By the time the Mk2 GTI made it to American shores in 1985, Adenine already had more powerful competition
Great article from Jalopnik on the original 240z:
In retrospect, the 240z probably would have been a much more direct competitor to the '69 Vindicator than the Mustang, but hey, I wanted to write about pony cars 
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