Hampton Motor Group (HMG) [Generations II]

[abg7]

2002 Hampton Performance Series: Sports Cars, Hot Hatches, Grand Tourers and Super Saloons

Above: Vulture II in Nasturtium (left) and Harrier GT 5.4 in Flame Red (right)

On paper, replacing the much-loved duo of sports cars - the muscular, front-engined V8-powered Hawk and lighter, four-cylinder-powered, mid-engined Vulture - of the 1990s would have been a thankless task even for Hampton Performance & Racing, but thanks to the heroic efforts of Tony and his colleagues, they managed to pull it off with aplomb. Both the second-gen Vulture and all-new Harrier retained all the hallmarks of their predecessors: head-turning styling, world-class performance, and razor-sharp dynamics.

Although both of these cars were built on an all-aluminum chassis with alloy bodywork designed in-house, and available exclusively with six-speed manual transmissions, the similarities ended there. The new Vulture was a track-focused mid-engined sports coupe, while the Harrier inherited the Hawk’s front-engined configuration. Also, whereas the Vulture was still powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine (albeit with 205 horsepower), the Harrier had an all-new 5.4-liter V8 delivering a pulse-pounding 410 bhp - 35 more than the Hawk GTS, and in a stiffer platform to boot. So equipped, the Harrier was the closest thing they had to a true supercar since the Hydra - but with the grunt of a muscle car and, in true Hampton tradition, the everyday usability of a grand tourer.

Above: Valiant MkVI 5.4 HPS in Plasma Blue (left) and Fennec MkIV 2.0 HPS in Bright Turquoise (right)

Also part of the 2002 HPR lineup were the HPS trims of two of Hampton’s mainstream models - the compact Fennec IV and full-sized Valiant MkVI. The former borrowed the Vulture’s screaming 2.0-liter mill and put it in a lightweight, agile hatchback platform to create one of the most memorable hot hatches of the 2000s. The latter, meanwhile, was the flagship of the Valiant line, combining the Harrier’s muscular V8 engine with the Valiant’s comfortable interior, practical dimensions and spacious platform, resulting in an even more potent super saloon than its acclaimed predecessor.

And just to rub it in to the opposition, HPR also stuffed the Harrier’s engine in the all-new 2002 Venator and Vanguard, and worked their magic on the MkV Ferret S2 for good measure to create the first-ever Ferret HPS. This flagship of the Ferret line was powered by a 3.2-liter straight six developing 340 horsepower with a redline of 8700 RPM - the highest yet for any road car produced by the Hampton Motor Group. It served as a bridge between the lighter four-cylinder cars and the bigger V8-powered models, but Tony was quick to point out that each car in the HPR range was aimed at a different type of customer, to avoid any of their models from cannibalizing each other. And while the Venator could be ordered with either a manual or automatic transmission, the Ferret was strictly manual-only.

Above: Venator HPS V8 coupe in New Hampton Green (left) and Ferret HPS in AA Yellow (right).

With every car in the 2002 HPR range finally on sale worldwide by the spring of that year, Hampton was once again leading the charge in the premium performance car market - still a lucrative segment, but now even more so than before. As with their predecessors, these new models earned rave reviews from the motoring press, and were commonly featured in many contemporary films, TV shows and video games. Today, in an age where normally aspirated engines and manual gearboxes are a dying breed, all of these cars are now more sought after than ever.

[Marcus_gt500]

Gimme that happy f*er’s file and let me try to do something with it.

pretty please?

[Restomod]

How on earth could the Venator and Harrier not cannibalize each other???

[abg7]

2002 Hampton Premium Range: From Ferret and Valiant to Vanguard and Venator

Above, left to right: Ferret 3.0 Deluxe in White, Ferret 3.2 Supreme coupe in Silver, Valiant 3.0 Deluxe in Dusty Gold, Vanguard 5.0 Supreme in Ultramarine, Valiant 5.0 Supreme in Obsidian, and Venator V12 6.5 Coupe in Crimson.

As part of their push to bolster their already robust presence in the increasingly lucrative premium sector, Hampton revised the Ferret with a new range of engines. While the base model trim, the Prime, was aimed mainly at the mass-market mid-size segment, the Deluxe and Supreme trims were marketed as small executive cars. Standard Ferrets were offered with 2.8, 3.0 or 3.2 liter straight-sixes developing 165, 200 and 225 horsepower, respectively; the latter was offered as part of the Performance Package, which was now merely a “warm” trim below the “hot” HPS version.

The larger Valiant shared its base engine with the Ferret 3.0, with a detuned 300-bhp 5.0-liter V8 being optional in the Supreme trim. As for the flagship Vanguard and its two-door sibling, the Venator, both of them came with V8 power as standard, with the 5.4-liter V8 being optional. However, to avoid any possibility of cannibalizing the Valiant or Harrier, they could be ordered with a new range-topping engine at extra cost - an all-new, 500-horsepower, 6.5-liter V12 that was not offered in any of their other regular production models.

Built by combining two 3.25-liter Hampton straight-sixes (internal code name HA6) on a common crank, it was Hampton’s largest engine ever, and one of its smoothest, but such power and refinement did not come cheap - a 2002 Venator coupe with this engine mated to a six-speed manual gearbox cost $87,000 AMU when new. Speaking of which, the new Vanguard was only offered with an automatic gearbox, whereas the Venator could be ordered with a manual transmission at no extra cost - a rare factory option when new, and highly desirable today.

The main difference under the skin was that the Vanguard and Venator rode on an all-new platform with all-aluminum construction, which significantly reduced weight and therefore fuel consumption. However, such a radical reinvention was ruled out for the Valiant, which retained a mainly steel platform with some aluminum body panels. Even so, the Valiant retained much of the Ferret’s dynamic flair, albeit in a larger and more mature package. Regardless of trim level, however, all of Hampton’s new premium models not only retained all of the positive aspects of their predecessors, but also improved on them while at the same time minimizing their drawbacks. As such, they easily justified their increased price, and were now more popular than ever in the premium sector.

[Marcus_gt500]

Prototype facelifted Braemar caught during a road test.

[Restomod]

Is the nevis going to share styling with braemer?

[abg7]

If recent company lore is any indication, the new Nevis will essentially be a Braemar pickup.

And regarding any potential overlap between the Venator and Harrier:

@Restomod

How on earth could the Venator and Harrier not cannibalize each other???

As I have stated previously, the 2002 Venator (and its four-door sibling, the Vanguard) could be ordered with a 6.5-liter V12 as the top engine option; the contemporary Harrier could not. Another difference is that the Harrier is a smaller two-seat sports car, while the Venator is a two-door, four-seat grand tourer based on the Vanguard luxury sedan.

And here is an overview of the new V12 that will be offered in the range-topping trims of the new Venator and Vanguard:

For comparison, here is an overview of the 5.4-liter V8, as used in the Harrier:

Compared to the V8, the V12 weighs almost 50 kg more but develops 90 more horsepower and 75 more lb-ft of torque and is around 50% smoother, with a redline 200 rpm higher.

I know the new Hampton V12 has even more potential, but whether or not HPR decides to exploit it remains to be seen.

[Restomod]

That still doesn’t seem like enough; it’s like saying a SL65 is different from a GT convertible because of the V12 and 4 seats. It isn’t. That’s what led to the death of the Mercedes SL (which should have just been the GT).

[Knugcab]

I think it’s more like saying that a SL and a CL is different, which they are, if I have understood the difference between the models right?

[abg7]

@Knugcab

I think it’s more like saying that a SL and a CL is different, which they are, if I have understood the difference between the models right?

Back in '02, they were aimed at different customers (the CL was a personal luxury coupe and the SL was more of a straight-up sports car) - and Hampton has applied the same logic here. The Harrier is a smaller and lighter car than a Vanguard, Valiant or Venator equipped with the same engine. Therefore, it is better suited to the role of pure sports car than its larger siblings, especially since it lacks a rear seat.

[abg7]

2007: Hampton Powers Up

Above, from left: Fairlie 3.0 AWD, Fennec Turbo, and Vanguard 6.0 V12 Elite.

Among the changes to the Hampton range for the 2007 model year were:

• Fennec: The flagship HPS trim was powered by Hampton’s first turbocharged engine, developing a heady 250 horsepower to the front wheels, tamed by a limited-slip differential and fully independent suspension at each corner. This engine would also find its way into the Vulture.

• Fairlie: No longer an old-school 4x4, this nameplate has been resurrected for a premium unibody AWD crossover, powered by a smooth 180-horsepower 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine.

• Vanguard: Refreshed for 2007 with a sat-nav system and MP3 player compatibility as standard, this is still the most luxurious Hampton to date, available as a 4-door sedan, with two or three rear seats - in the former, a cooled storage compartment (for drinks) replaces the central rear seat. All other Hampton passenger cars would gain sat-nav and MP3 compatibility by this time.

• Harrier - Facelifted on the outside, this sports car now delivers 430 horsepower from its normally aspirated 5.4-litre V8, and is a more formidable offering than ever before.

• Nevis/Braemar - Facelifted for 2007 with more obviously retro-inspired styling instead of the original cheerful face, but still a highly capable off-roader.

Above: 2007 Harrier in Sapphire Blue Pearl. Below: 2007 Braemar II in AA Yellow, designed in conjunction with @Marcus_gt500.

Despite concerns of a major economic recession, Chairman Tony remained optimistic about his company’s prospects - the revisions he had made to his company’s range weren’t too drastic, given that he was already using sound underpinnings across the lineup.

[interior]

@abg7 Is the Harrier coming to Generations?

[abg7]

Not unless there is a sports car category in a future round.

[interior]

you could have put it in the Sport compact segment

[Restomod]

Shouldn’t the harrier have multiple trims?

[Knugcab]

I must say that the 2002 Braemar is growing on me… Didn’t like it at first but the more I look at the “happy face” front, the more elegant and less clownish it gets.

[abg7]

The Harrier is too expensive for that, and so does not qualify for sport compact status. And yes, I did make two trims of the Harrier - an original 2002 version and a facelifted 2007 model.

[interior]

show 2002 version

[abg7]

You can find it here.

[Restomod]

What is GT S2 if there is no GT S1?