Monolith [Vän]

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It may be a V8 Minivan but it’s a sensible V8 Minivan. With a lazy, low-revving 4.4L unit generating 280 smooth hp on regular gas. With the V8 you also get creature features such as a 5-speed Automatic, All-Wheel-Drive, self-leveling air suspension and a BOSE soundsystem.

If you have a few more children you can also opt for a 220hp 3.3L Inline 6 with RWD, and if you still haven’t put on a condom yet you can also buy a 180hp 2.7L Inline 4. That one can even be had with a 6-speed manual.

Monolith Viaggio. The ultimate people carrying machine.

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I keep making these performance cars…

2.5 I4, 2.8 V6 and 3.8 V8. 275, 385 and 510. 8400, 8800, 9300.

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My cars are clearly terrible because I don’t spend many hours on the design alone. One of those is the 1964 Monolith N-Series.

Launched in 1964 the Second generation N-Series was also the longest running, with a continuous production run of 15 years. It was a drastic departure from the taller previous generation and adopted a low, car-like greenhouse. The frame had to be redesigned and for the first time ever featured independent front suspension for better road holding on all models. The Design itself was almost a carbon copy of the four-wheel drive M110 and M120 that had replaced the N-Series Station Wagon and Panel Van in 1961. Also carbon copies were the engines, except they were the same units. The base model now sported a 2.1L SOHC Inline 4 cylinder engine with 85hp. The 2.3L Inline 6 had been enlargened to 2.7L and 110hp, while the 3.8L Inline 6 featured a new intake and exhaust system for 150hp vs the previous models 135hp. The 2.3L Diesel had also been enlargened to 2.7L, and now produced 76hp. All versions had a four-speed manual transmission.
All except the N380LA added in 1968. Like the N380LS of the late 1950s it was an early attempt at a more comfortable, almost luxurious utility vehicle. It too used a more powerful engine, in this case a fuel injected 3.8L I6 with 180hp, and the Chrysler A904 3-speed automatic also used on the 3.6L L6 and the 4.1L A-series.

N210:
2.1L SOHC 8V Inline 4 [IMP D2100L], 85hp, 168Nm, 1344kg

N270:
2.7L OHV 12V Inline 6 [IMP C2700L], 110hp, 213Nm, 1404kg

N380:
3.8L OHV 12V Inline 6 [IMP BT6-A 3800C], 151hp, 304Nm, 1426kg

N380LA:
3.8L OHV 12V Inline 6 [IMP BT6-A 3800C-SE], 181hp, 334Nm. 1515kg

N270 Diesel:
2.7L OHV 12V Inline 6 Diesel [IMP D623 B27], 76hp, 182Nm, 1443kg

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Hey Saminda guy is back…

Think Berlingo GTi-6.

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Back to the usual with what should have been an IAA reveal, but isn’t therefore its here.


The Saturn is not only the 2nd longest running Monolith SUV after the M-Series, It’s also the only car based SUV aside from the Meteor. The larger Saturn comes with six engine options, three Diesel and three Petrol. A 2.7L Inline 6 Turbodiesel and a 2.25L Inline 6 Petrol mark the entry level trim which is the only one available in RWD and using a 6-speed manual transmission as standard. One step above reside the 3.4L Diesel and the Monolith version of the 3.0L Turbo I6, with 3.3L and 300hp. From this point on Viscous AWD with a 43/57 F/R split is standard equipment. The Saturn S1 and R1 have sports tuned suspension and more powerful versions of the 3.4L Diesel and the 3.3L Petrol. The only visual difference between them and other Saturns are dual exhausts.

Stats:
Saturn 225:
2.25L Inline 6 Turbocharged [IMP KE-25MET], 250hp, 370Nm, 1470-1595kg, 6MT or 8AT, RWD or AWD, $46,750

Saturn 330:
3.3L Inline 6 Turbocharged [IMP JG-33MET], 305hp, 490Nm, 1570-1685kg, 7MT or 8AT, AWD, $54,630

Saturn S1:
3.3L Inline 6 Turbocharged [IMP JG-33T], 370hp, 540Nm, 1665kg, 7MT or 8AT, AWD, $59,620

Saturn 270D:
2.7L Inline 6 Turbodiesel [IMP D623M T-V215], 214hp, 500Nm, 1485-1700kg, 6MT or 8AT, RWD or AWD, $48,000

Saturn 340D:
3.4L Inline 6 Turbodiesel [IMP D634M T-V245], 245hp, 580Nm, 1599-1760kg, 7MT or 8AT, AWD, $53,200

Saturn R1:
3.4L Inline 6 Turbodiesel [IMP D634M T-V320], 320hp, 710Nm, 1685kg, 7MT or 8AT, AWD, $63,999

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How we work: A new irregular series in which we’ll present selected technologies and features commonly used on vehicles of the IMP group, to expand on the company lore and to change up my usual presentation style.

Ep.1, The Monolith “TwinTrac” Axle.

The TwinTrac axle is quickly explained. It is in essence just a live axle but instead of a conventional leaf or coil spring setup it exemplifies the IMP tradition of overengineering most things like few other things by employing not one, but two sets of coil springs and shock absorbers per wheel. The springs used have longer travel and are actually softer than common coil springs. By this method the load on each spring is decreased while the total load capacity is increased. The result is improved suspension travel and ride on all surfaces, all while offering payload comparable to conventional leaf springs.
The TwinTrac first appeared in 1977 on the Monolith M112 Super, and has since been introduced to all of our Body on Frame vehicles, starting with the V-450 Adventurer in 1988, selected trims of the A-Series and N-Series in 1991 and 1995 respectively, the Okavango in 2002, the Alpine in 2005 and the Atacama of 2017.
It helped the 1980s M130 gain fame for its endeavors in the Paris-Dakar rally by allowing the trucks to make optimum use of their behemoth turbocharged V12 engines.

The latest car to use the TwinTrac is the N-Series Pro-G 4x4, a hardcore off-roading trim of our popular Mid-Size truck.
The Pro-G also features robust Steel underbody protection, a roof rack, additional auxiliary lights, high mounted air intakes with provisions for mounting a snorkel, sealed engine and electronics, a six-speed automatic transmission with low range and front, center and rear locking differentials.

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Haven’t seen too many vehicles using the vintage 1970s Truck body since, well, thecarlover’s Super Duty Ram came out, and there don’t appear to be that many people making work vehicles in general, so naturally I had to have a go at the 1970s Truck myself. It also fits quite well into my lore as there needs to be a reason why a european automaker like IMP builds the distinctly american style Artisan Full-Size Pickup and Jupiter SUV, despite such small annoyances like the chicken tax.

IMPs first small pick-up truck, the N-Series had been quite popular in the US back in the 1950s mainly due to the availability of a 3.9L Two-stroke diesel and a mighty 6.6L V12 that offered efficiency or brute force in a durable package.
Come the 1964 second generation the newly imposed 25% import tariff on light trucks resulted in a considerable slump in sales. Anticipating the chicken tax to be a short lived one, IMP decided not to pull the Monolith brand altogether, instead introducing creature comforts unheard of in trucks of the time, such as high-end audio systems, climate control, electric windows and in-car refrigeration to keep the beer cold in all weathers. By 1968 however only three models were left in the US, the M110/M120 four-wheel drive estate cars, the V-200 Passenger van, and the A-series pick up in 420DLS form. This meant a 4.2L Diesel engine (something not yet established in light trucks), a three-speed Chrysler Torqueflite transmission and the amenities described earlier.

By 1975 the V-200 was also gone, and IMP thought to rethink the A-Series, which had previously been an elongated N-Series. The result came in 1979 and was distinctly more american than the predecessor.

Size and construction were conventional and in-line with other american offerings, except with a very utilitarian, european spin, devoid of any chrome ornamentation. The US once again only saw the Diesel engine, now up to 4.8L and 135hp, while the rest of the world also got the famous 3.8L “A” Engine and the 5.0L “HK” I6. 1981 saw the introduction of the LS Permanent, an enhanced version of the luxurious LS with full time All Wheel Drive, an automatic locking center differential and an all new 4-speed Automatic transmission with lock-up torque converter, available in the 500 or 480D. The A480DLS Permanent remained IMP’s sole full-size truck in the US for many years, a lone ranger not willing to be broken by pesky economics. Sales, while low, were consistent and the Truck has become a cult classic due to its unique status among light trucks.

Epilogue: OMG HE USED A BARTH BODY AS WELL!

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More Sport.

6.0L V12, RWD, Manual, regular cab, short box big brother of the S270 GT. Gets 28mpg without VVL.

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Now I want to see it compared with some similarly priced mid engined sports car :smiley:

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We tried hauling 900 kilos of manure in a KHT. It did not work out. Pickup truck wins :frowning:
Or that wasn’t the test you had in mind?

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Overall test, so hauling too :stuck_out_tongue:

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I have no doubt that this one would be a drift monster despite its size…

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So, the good old M-X. Quite a special car. It was the first vehicle ever presented in this company thread, winner of the prestigious Automation SUV of the year award in 2016 and in the running for the 2017 awards as well, only to be beaten by our very own S340D Blitz built in conjunction with KHT. It was also the first carbon fibre body, aluminium chassis transaxle SUV on here, but perhaps better known as the very first forum appearance of IMPs famous 4.25L Straight 6 Diesel. Now it is time to bring it into the next generation of Automation. Not lore-wise, but literally. In some ways it is the same immensely popular vehicle, in others completely new.

The familiar: It is still a carbon fibre bodied super high end full-size SUV and a more on-road proficient alternative to the M160. It is still the No.2 in the Monolith hierarchy, only inferior to the aforementioned M160. The core engines haven’t changed either, they are still all Straight 6, a 3.0L Petrol Turbo with 350hp or a 4.0L Turbo with 500hp, as well as the 4.25L Diesel with 310 and 410hp. You still get 6 individual bucket seats, you still get the same quality interior, and one can still spec the 310hp Diesel with a 7-speed Manual Transmission. All other engines are equipped with the familiar IMP 885AE 8-speed automatic transmission.

The new: It is not as large as it used to be. Whereas the Kee version was almost identical in size to the behemoth Jupiter, the UE4 version is altogether a more maneuverable 5.1m in length, similar to the M160. While the body panels are still made from Carbon fibre and other compound materials, the chassis is no longer adapted from the aluminium transaxle floorpan of the Opera sedan. It is now a bespoke steel monococque with conventional transmission location. As a result it is just as heavy as the much larger Kee version, although still far from the over 2.6 tons of the M160 and the nearly 3.0 tons of the V12 Jupiter. Suspension is all-independent, but with new twin coilover packs per wheel on the entry level models, derived from the Twin-Trac live axles. And although the core engine designs are the same, the 3.0L and 4.0L Petrol engines employ the same emission-reducing technologies as the KK-Series in the 2018 Impakt range. With that the 300T model is capable of a combined fuel economy of just 7.7L/100km (30mpg US, 37mpg UK).
But I assume that the people will care more about the name change. Officially the M-X is now the Monolith X-Series, but of course one still can refer to it as the M(onolith)-X.
One more addition is a more off-road oriented Pro-G version of the 300T and 425D1. The Pro-G comes with a shorter final drive ratio and low-range gearbox, a mechanically locking rear differential, new springs and Fox competition shock absorbers, raised ride height, more aggressive, larger wheels and modified front and rear bumpers. Naturally the design has evolved as well.


Lastly, the new price. Starting at $79,885 for the X300T all the way up to precisely $140.000 for the X400T Ultima.

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Hmm, I used the Ultima name :wink:

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  1. Its a trim level

  2. One of my very first posts in the IMP thread from way back was a 1950s Luxury barge with a 370hp 7.3L V12 called the L12 Emperor Royale Ultima. The car has since been erased from my lore but the engine survived as the IMP Light Truck V12.

  3. What cares.

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Old. Another M. So manly it has a Mustache.

Quoted from a contemporary news article:

The Monolith 140 is the successor to the much respected 130 Series of robust, go anywhere four-wheel-drive wagons in production since 1979. The new Brute is clearly following the principle of evolution over revolution, but with some very thoughtful updates. The new Body is more rounded and aerodynamic than the outgoing model, but remains distinctively identifiable. The suspension has gained anti-roll bars for better on-road dynamics and coil springs have been moved from the options list to standard equipment. For heavy duty use Leaf sprung axles remain a no-cost option, but if the old model was any indication the so called “TwinTrac” suspension should provide a much better compromise in 90% of all driving conditions. Monolith has also carefully reworked the drivetrain, which is largely identical apart from a new 4.0L Turbodiesel that replaces the old naturally aspirated 4.8L Unit. Power is up by 20hp and 90Nm. The familiar 4.3L Petrol engine was reworked for better fuel economy, power stays at 190hp/350Nm. Likewise the new 6.0L V8 is only modestly more powerful than the previous 5.6L at 290hp/505Nm. The popular 7.6L V12 does not return. We expect the 140 series to be priced in the range of the new W463 Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen and Toyota LandCruiser.

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Given that Forza 7 just banned the Honda Odyssey from public lobbies, here are more tales from the IMP Conservatory, this time a remake of a personal favourite:
The lore side of things hasn’t changed much. Still based on the V-450 Platform, shared with the V-450 Commercial Van and Adventurer Off-Road Van, the Viaggio (italian for Journey) is the most carlike of the triplets, with independent Semi-Trailing Arm rear suspension with miniblock coil springs or optional air suspension on higher trims (GT, GT 4WD and Super), a unique interior styled after the IMP Magnum and exclusively offered with six individual seats. As its name suggests the Viaggio was designed as the ultimate long distance cruiser, the aerodynamically optimized styling allowing high cruising speeds and reasonable fuel economy.
All four engines are of the IMP UM92 family, with four, five, or six cylinders. The powerful 3.8L I6 was at the time only shared with the Opera luxury sedan and can propel the 1.8 ton Viaggio to 100kph in just over 7 seconds when equipped with the standard Five-speed Manual transmission and a top speed of up to 247kph (380GT RWD 5MT). The 2.5L I4 and the 3.2L I5 are certainly not underpowered though, being optimized for low- and midrange torque rather than horsepower. Also available was a 3.3L 5 cylinder Turbodiesel with intercooling and 140hp.

The upmarket nature of the Viaggio resulted in a high price tag and thus low overall sales, but still managed to shift 143.468 units until its discontinuation in 1998.

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I have yet to figure out how towing capacity works. I’d imagine one of these should technically be pretty damn good and not worse than a 1.4L econobox. Adding to the weirdness the twin-turbocharged 8.0L V12 Diesel is now even more ecnonomical than before, at 9.7L/100km it is probably the most efficient vehcle per pound we make.

Why am I posting this, because I need to remake my stuff to see how I’ve evolved (I kinda didn’t), and the amount of ludicrously heavy and overengined vehicles is too low.

2012-Present Monolith Jupiter:

760: 7.6L DOHC V12 Petrol, 570hp, 750Nm, 2800kg
760S: 7.6L DOHC V12 Petrol, 620hp, 800Nm, 2980kg
800D: 8.0L DOHC V12 Twin Turbo Diesel, 577hp, 1400Nm*, 3095kg

*exaggerated figure due to limitations of the game mechanics

Another Reason I am bringing this up is the possibility of a facelifted model coming soon.

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I think this quite literally qualifies as a Lorry now. Canyonerooo!

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