#We’re switching over
From now on, this thread will be known as the Erin and ErinSport Historical Thread. Here, all and any Erin related stuff that isn’t to do with the company’s newest cars will be posted.
All new car stuff can be found on the new showroom threar, where I’ll be gradually rolling out the updated range of cars.
I’ve been neglecting this thread, so here’s some nice shots of the sporty version of the Mk 2 Merna sporting some custom modern black rims and duck-egg blue paint.
This is of course has absolutley, definitley, nothing whatsoever to do with this or this. I swear!
Now that more bodies have been added and the new fixture system has been fully implemented, I’ve been able to start to create some Erin’s in UE4 properly…
1986 Erin Scarlet X (Mk 1)
The first entrant in the company’s definitive Scarlet marque, the Mk 1’s smooth design smooth design lines created a sleek, understated sports car that packed plenty of punch. This top of the range X-tuned model, with its 3.6l V8, was good for 0-60 in 5.5 seconds and a top speed of 160 mph.
1983 Erin Merna (Mk 4)
The Mk 4 Merna was a radical depature from previous Erin’s and a much needed replacement to the dull and outdated Mk 3. Styled by Chris Famerley, the aim was to make something that felt new - at the time - yet contemporary. Today, it’s more recognised for its uber-Eighties charm.
1968 Erin Merna (Mk 2)
The car that cemented Erin’s position as an actual car maker and not just a race team; the Mk 2 was the most ‘normal’ car Erin had made to date, and would do well both with sales and out on the track. Today, it’s the company’s most popular classic car, with around 7000 still on the road.
Not to be mean, but Merna Mk2 looks quite funny with those design choices 
It’s a quirky little car. Fun and practicality in an economic and affordable package!
With the return of their Scarlet sports car in 2016, it wasn’t going to be long before ErinSport got their hands on it. The Scarlet GTE marks the end of a 15 year absence from the world of GT racing for ErinSport. Factory teams ran in this year’s Asian Le Mans Series and European Le Mans Series.
Like its road-going variant, it has all-aluminium construction and the same all-round double wishbone suspension. Its 2.6m wheelbase and compact size make it nimble, making up for its lower-than-average power.
It’s performed well in its first year, but next year is when it gets much more serious; Erin is returning to the World Endurance Championship, and this will be the car competing in the GTE category. The rolling-chassis variant is also now on sale to privateer teams, meaning we can expect the Scarlet to be racing in GT3 events from next year as well.
That looks great. I love the subtle canards(?) on the sides of the front bumper and the fog-lights.
That’s a LIKE. Love the design.
@SideswipeBL Yep, they’re canard/aero fin kinda things. Who knew that an aerial fixture could be so useful!
@squidhead Thanks! 
That is a proper race car from every angle!
Now if only the AMWEC were to be reimagined and relaunched for UE4… Surely that would be something to watch!
We’d need to get a stable version for that, since patches are coming in very quickly, and there’s a high chance that people would make cars in a version that wouldn’t be supported in a month or so, and AMWEC is at least 1.5 months worth of a season.
@abg7 We might have to use our imaginations! to watch the race. Depends on how good the commentary is 
One of the defining cars of Erin’s 90s renaissance, and a remarkably capable performance saloon. The Berlose X-AllDrive was an all-wheel drive, V8 powered performance machine made previous attempts a sportier version of the Berlose look meager.
Packing the same 3.8l V8 found in the Mk 3 Scarlet, the Berlose X-AllDrive sent some 383hp to all four wheels, allowing it to rocket from 0-60 in 5.0 seconds and top out at over 170 mph.
A lighter, sportier interior, with specially designed race-derived seats dropped all and any illusions that this was just an executive saloon trying to play at being a fast car. It was purposeful, determined and executed brilliantly. Against rivals such as Sportivo trims of the Zavir Espada, from Revera, Rennen, Bonham and IMP, it offered a fresh twist with its AWD drivetrain, yet also stayed close to the trends at the time with its meaty, broad V8 roar.
Fat wheel arches, quad exhausts and a number of body modifications gave it far more beefed up look than other models of the Berlose, yet it still maintained the class and true 90s feel of the base car.
It could be pushed hard, and was very responsive in the corners. Purposely, it wasn’t made as a sharp as the Scarlet, but made the most of the great weight distribution of the Berlose chassis. And with all wheel drive, the acceleration was fantastic.
The Berlose X-AllDrive and Scarlet X became a performance power couple that spearheaded Erin in the latter half of the nineties. Today, it is one of the most sought after Erin’s, and its value is already increasing as insurers start to give it classic car status, with around 11,000 in total being produced from 1996 to 2000.
It looks just mean. Proper. It emanates power and resembles a gentleman being an MMA fighter, that can have cultural, intelligent and interesting conversations, yet hit precisely, quickly and hard when needed, with deadly effectiveness. It could easily be the car for every film villain of the time. That is, a villain with class.
I WANT
Yet again Erin makes me reconsider my own plans to not be left in the dust. This is a very serious and formidable rival for the Espada Sportivo… maybe that was the cause of creation of the higher performance Z Sportivo line?..
Definitely one of the best sports saloons of its time, and clearly capable of demolishing most sports cars in a straight line… No wonder it was a strong seller back in the day!
Oooooh. SEXY! Touring car roots.
@squidhead Almost a touring car, it’s 5-series sized so I reckon it’d probably be a bit big for touring cars of the day.
I mean if there were Jag XJS, Rover SD1, Volvos and just about any Australian car ever successfully competing…
Oooh shit, I forgot about those. Well then, this could be something to explore…
The 2000s were a period of ups and downs for Erin. The Mk 3 was one of the ups.
The Mk 3 Visto dropped all previous pretentions of a cute and quirky supermini and replaced them with a more grown up, edgier feel. A lot of market research went into making the car, with the aim of really distinguishing the Visto from just being a smaller version of the Merna.
That attitude would take the car far; it would outsell its Mk 6 Merna stablemate considerably by the end of its production life in 2007.
The Visto was also clever with its engines. It was one of the first superminis to properly adopt the use of VVT and VVL in combination on the majority of the range, courtesy of the developments Erin’s R&D team had made in the Millenial Engine Development Program (more on that at some point). The Visto was more efficient than its rivals, whilst still scoring highly in crash tests at the time.
It was a stark contrast to the rest of the Erin range; the Scarlet would end production a year after the Visto’s launch, the Mk 3 Berlose would limp through sales for most of its life and the Mk 6 Merna struggled to carry the success of its previous generation.
Today, the Mk 3 Visto is still popular on the second hand market, especially the 1.2l and 1.5l V-MPi models, with many serving as first cars for young drivers in the UK.
