I should ask, would the MBS Fenice be worthy competition for the Scarlet Mk 2?
Oooh, I should think so. And soon enough we’ll be able to find out just how good…
How is that happening?
Well I’m gonna release the Mk 2 of course!
OH YES
#1991 Erin Scarlet (Mk 2)
I think this might be the most requested car I’ve ever made. 3 entire people have asked when I was going to release thing so far. Three!
Overview
1991 saw the original Scarlet end production and a new one replace it, marking the beginning of Erin’s 90s rennaissance. In the 5 years since it debuted, however, a lot had changed - a wave of new Japanese rivals challenged its position in the sports car hierachy and its arch nemesis the 911 was better than ever.
Erin responded with what was essentially an evolution of the original car that improved in multiple ways and turned the Scarlet into a true high-end sports car.
Design and Styling
From the outside, the Mk 2 was very similar to its predessor, but don’t let that fool you. The front was tidied up, more distinguishing features like side vents flared wheel arches were added to the sportier X trim and, underneath, the car had been completley reworked. Various steel alloys developed from the Group C Development Program made there way onto the chassis of this car, while computers were utilised once more to improve on the sleek, aerodynamic shape.
The result a reworked version of the original that was cleaner on the outside and more advanced underneath. That said, there was one distinguishing feature: the strip rear light. It’s the only car in Erin’s history to have such a feature.
Detail shot showing some of the extra fixtures found on the X trim
Power and Performance
The entry-level Lex trim’s 3.0l i6 (formerly the S trim) was replaced by the 2nd Gen 3.3l V6, a new version of the legendary engine that powered the Nasaro X, while on the X trim, another legend was born: Erin’s 3.8l V8. It would see service on the Mk 2 and Mk 3 Scarlets, as well many of the race versions that competed in the 90s, and was recently redesigned for the Mk 4 Scarlet.
Producing 296 hp, it rocketed the car from 0-60 in 4.8 seconds and could push it all the way up to 170 mph - the only 911’s that could keep up with that were the turbo charged models. What’s more, the X trim was 50kg lighter than the Lex trim, and was far sharper than the previous model. The Mk 2 X is often seen as the sharpest of all the Scarlet’s as a result; it was a car that truly rewarded being pushed to the limit.
The original 3.8l V8
Results
The Mk 2 was well received by the automotive press, with its only real criticism stemming from it being harder to drive than the previous generation. Despite this increased difficulty, it sold almost 20% more than the Mk 1 in the same 5 year period.
Its biggest impact, however, didn’t come from the road going version. It came from the race version.
Finally, in 1992, after over 15 years, Erin re-entered GT car racing properly with a homologated 2 door coupe. It would be the start of the career of Erin’s most successful GT racer, beginning over in America in the IMSA Supercar and IMSA GTU series before making its Le Mans debut in 1993 and pushing the 911 rivalry to its max in 1994 with the start of the BPR Global Endurance Series.
There’ll be more on this later, see end of post.
Specs and Stats
Lex Trim - No longer a GT-esque trim, but rather a soft-sports car. Balances comfort with performance in sublime fashion.
$22680
~$41700 in 2016
X Trim - Everything you could ever ask for in a sports car - sharp, powerful and exceptional to drive.
$29760
~$54750 in 2016
There we have it then! The Mk 2 has finally been released. Been waiting to release this car for well over a year and a half, just never got round to it…
As for the ErinSport/GT versions of this car, I’ll be doing a full post on the history of the Scarlet in GT racing, tracking it through the 90s and early 2000s. I’ve got quite a lot of things to incorporate into that post so that won’t be for a little while, at least until Geneva is finished (do come along please if you haven’t already shown interest!)
Comments, critique, complaints, constraints, constitutions, constituents, constabularies and Confucianism theories are all welcome! And as before, please post/link any rivals to this car
Hurrah! The Scarlet Mk 2 has been revealed! Looks absolutely great as a high end sports car. I doubt that the MBS Fenice would ever be able to compete with this…unless you want to take it to a rally course
The post might be a bit long…might (the rally spec of the Fenice is at the bottom)
http://discourse.automationgame.com/t/oam-eadc-mbs-rally-years/18572/95?u=dorifto_dorito
Well, I can name one rival to the Erin Scarlet, at least to some degree. They’re not 100% in the same class, but First meets Last in a duel of engines. Erin’s debut of the 3.8L V8 against Storm’s finale for the old Cast Iron 6L V8.
(Yes, I did open the game to get the modern stats, so compared to the ‘old’ MK2 Envy, there will be some discrepancies based on the fact that some balancing has happened between then and now.)
Sure, the 10.5 US MPG is appalling in comparison, but… the Envy MK2 boasts 532 horsepower from a twin-turbocharged 6 liter V8, all cast iron. It was the car that showed us that we had to innovate or die, because technology was marching forward, and our engine was an anchor to the past.
It appears, other than a few odd stats, that the Envy splits the trim-lines. It’s less drivable overall, but that’s 6L of turbo-V8 talking. Flipside is that it’s sporty, surprisingly comfortable, can do 193 mph despite her all-steel construction (Corrosion Resistant both in chassis and panels), and while it sold for $31,050 @50%, it appeared a year earlier (1990). Also, the Envy only came in SymTrak AWD. Unfortunately, the weight combined with the Envy’s power makes for a thirsty car.
Rival? Maybe, but more likely a slightly different class rival than expected.
@Dorifto_Dorito I’m fairly sure the Fenice would certainly be a competitor to the Lex trim, if not both. That could change if MBS ever made a road-going homolgation special…
@Madrias The Envy Mk2 almost seems to be more of a muscle car than sports car, but that doesn’t mean they couldn’t be rivals, especially with 500+hp under the bonnet! I think it’d be a classic case of American v European (I think Storm are American? Correct me if I’m wrong!)
Sadly we never did…but hey theres the 1985 MBS Vole MkIII homologation special
Last I checked that was blasting around the 1000 Lakes rally make a sort of BbwwwwaaAAAARRmm TIDIdooo BbwwwwaaAAAAaaaarrrRRmm TIDIdooo sound…
Storm’s American, so yeah, the Envy’s more muscle-car than sports-car. But they’re spiritual rivals, I suppose. Envy’s the point-and-squirt turbo-V8 0-60 and quarter mile monster, the Scarlet would probably wipe the track with it if it involved a significant number of turns. After all, the Scarlet’s lighter, better behaved, and is designed for more than squeezing the most out of the engine.
So, seems like they’d be, as you said, American vs. European rivals. One’s built for tight and twisty race tracks, the other built for the drag-strip and to win the impromptu stoplight races. That’s not to say the Envy can’t handle a track, but… Probably not as well as the Scarlet.
More like…and remember, thats what the poor happy drivers would have had to listen to…
You make me create more Zavirs than anyone or anything else Yes, I’m definitely creating my competitor for this. This time only for the lower Lex trim though (this would be Aera II, coincidentally planned to use the same body ), and even that not for sure, as this was the time of the WTF-generation in Zavir. Unless Mk 2 Scarlet stays in production after 1994
And, as usual, a great car, feels very real I love the strip rear light and those side details. And that small V8… just tell me it is crossplane and I’m sold One question though - how much power does the Lex trim have?
Edit: Oh, and that Quattro video… You know how to please a man
@Madrias That’s exactly it. In a straight line, I’ve no doubt the Envy would own the Scarlet
@Dorifto_Dorito Geez, that’s one snorty engine sound! I love it
@szafirowy01 Well you’re in luck! The Mk 2 stays in production until '96 and is then replaced by the Mk 3, I’ll be doing a post on that at some point.
And yeah, you bet it’s a crossplane V8! Lex has 212 hp, does 0-60 in about 7.3s with an automatic transmission, though a manual was also offered which would be slightly faster.
Mmmm hmmm? Seriously though, that video gives me goosebumps every time…
What about the Albury Crusader II? Could that car ever have been a rival to the Mk2 Scarlet X? Here is a 5.7 FHC (fixed-head coupe) in definitive production trim. (There is a targa-roofed version, but it has a shorter rear window, and I won’t show it on this particular thread because I prefer the looks of the regular coupe.)
I must admit that the Crusader II is actually faster and better-looking than its predecessor.
@DeusExMackia you are spot-on… the Crusader II is also heavier, but at the same time, even more powerful. And about that front end… it reminds me of a Ferrari 512 TR for some reason. Meanwhile, the rear fascia has a wraparound taillight strip just like the Scarlet Mk 2, but the Crusader’s is wider and more reminiscent of a Honda NSX, especially with that long wraparound rear window on the FHC.
And one more thing: If you are in doubt as to where the Crusader is built, it’s in the company’s name. Albury Motors has been building Crusaders in Albury, New South Wales, Australia since 1985. The Crusader II, in the spec shown here, retailed for $25350 (including a 30% markup) when it was introduced in 1992. Thus, it would have been more expensive than the Mk 2 Scarlet Lex, but cheaper than the X version.
Definitely would with that kind of power! Slightly larger than the Scarlet but also much more comfortable. I really love that front end too by the way!
Definitely seeing that 512 vibe on the front there
Very interesting! I was wondering if we would get a more evolutionary or revolutionary design but I guess that came with the mark three. Love the single strip taillight very of its time. Can’t wait for the GT stuff nice to see the Scarlet getting into the racing scene. The refreshed and mildly facelifted NRZ-986 finally arrived in the west in 1992 and would have found the Scarlet a steep competition although it’s cheaper price may have somewhat levelled things.
Ooh! So we have European Vs American performance cars with the Envy Mk 2 and European vs Asian prices with the NRZ-986…excllent
By the way, is the NRZ name badge similar to the 911’s in that NRZ is just a general term for the type of car, and the numbers that follow are the particular model year/model name?
Shite. So this is the Scarlet mk2, eh? You’ll have to wait until after-UE to get a competitor from Cavallera, but it looks like that won’t happen either if there are no new bodies as practically all the competing cars shown in this thread use just three or four bodies.
We just need to be [humanism]unique[/humanism], fuck conformism