BM Raven
1660cc’s of fury producing a whopping 85hp, in a reliable and cheap, yet surprisingly sporty package, whilst returning 41MPG (UK). All for just £6,900
7 Likes
1985 Adenine Cadence
Premium doesn’t have to come at a price.
Introducing the all-new 1985 Adenine Cadence. With the successful Valence growing in size to satisfy the American market, Adenine has launched a new nameplate to fill the gap in the lineup. The new Cadence follows the Adenine tradition: efficiency and comfort at an unbeatable price. It starts with a 1.1L inline-4 producing 52hp and doing 0-100kph in under 16 seconds, while getting an astounding 49 MPG-UK. Inside you’ll find an interior and 8 track tape player expected of midsize sedans, and unheard of at this price point. With 5 doors and a sizeable boot, this hatchback/estate model should have all the room you will need for your personal belongings. All this for an incredible value of £6,900!
We hope you’ll take the time to come visit your local Adenine dealership for a test drive. As you might know, Adenine may be an American company, but it’s got uniquely British origins at heart.
8 Likes
The 1985 Sofa 1100-E (E for export only), comes with an 1100cc 4-stroke 4 cylinder making 38 hp, and is capable of running on both unleaded and leaded fuel, for it’s lack of a catalytic converter. The export model requires however fuel of at least 91 RON, unlike the standard Soviet model which can use 80 RON. This export model has also been modified to meet stringent safety regulations, and will pass a safety test, though only barely. It’s also a Mk2 (introduced for the 1984 model year replacing the Mk1), meaning it has square lights and a square grill and much more visible plastic, but not many other changes. It takes it’s time to get to 60 mph on the highway and hits a top speed of 79 mph, with a 4-speed manual. So then, how much does this great piece of Soviet engineering cost you? The answer is $5700.
8 Likes
I have 26 entries right now with only 5 hours left. And 21 reviews have already been finish with about 550-600 words for each cars. Expect the result to come out pretty quickly. That number has also been cut down from the first speculated 900 words. I really wish I could do that much details, but I have to cut it short because I have other responsibilities that I must do. I hope it’s satisfactory for a quick, fun little round.
10 Likes
i can’t even get 35mpg… bye world
1 Like
economy isn’t the be all and end all.
a V8 probably is, though…
stares intensely at Mr. Vijayakumar
8 Likes
Alright folks. That’s it. Entries closed.
The result will arrive within the next 24 hours. And by that I mean, the reviews, the tests, and the winner. Stay tuned.
17 Likes
And the result is finally here!
The Most Affordable Cars in Britain Today.
From Driver’s Edge, Janurary 1985
There’s a certain joy in the most basic motoring. Cars that are so cheap yet will do the job perfectly well. If you don’t mind the mockery and jokes that come along with ownership of such machinery, we cannot see any reason why these cannot be a practical way to get around. In this edition we’ve assembled a group of basic motoring from various manufacturer across the globe.
AAU Model 2083 GL @Rk38
AAU Model 2083 GL is a tiny little front wheel driven sub-compact hailed from the East. On the outside this car has a contemporary Asian design. Boxy and inconspicuous. What may surprise you is that it isn’t a hatchback. It’s a 2 door saloon with tiny little boot that seems a bit old fashioned. One thing that is obvious however. It’s tiny. Very, very tiny.
Step inside and you’ll find that it has only 2 rudimentary seats. It’s comfortable enough for you not to feel the need to saw your legs off. The headroom is okay. And there’s some nice storage space behind the seats. The boot is not very spacious, but that’s par for the course. This GL model came with a simple FM/AM radio, a surprisingly nice, high quality unit.
The engine is a 0.8-litre 40hp 3 cylinder shaky shaking machine. A very advanced 4 valves design head yet an archaic SU-design carburettor (albeit of a decent quality one). It’s also has catalytic converter which is good for the environment, and that means it must runs on unleaded fuel. What the catalytic converter isn’t good for, however, is acceleration. It takes about 18 seconds to get to 60 and will only do 84mph. There’s a fourth gear, which is a nice long overdrive, enabling the car to turn only 3400rpm at 70mph. But any overtaking effort is going to be moot. We’d like to think of it as leisurely. Driven so and it’ll return an excellent 46mpg. But as it’s so slow, requiring revving more than 4000rpm to get anywhere, the fuel economy in the real world isn’t so good.
On road manners for the AAU M2083 is fine. As it’s so softly sprung and damping, it has a nice enough ride quality. Yet it’s not as roly poly as the body style suggested, courtesy of front and rear anti-roll bar. The steering is light, courtesy of 135 bicycle tyres. This car is indeed quite pleasant to operate. What it’ll do to you is shaking your teeth out with it’s fairly very well unbalance engine, especially as you’re flooring it to not get mauled by the lorry on the motorway.
The fit and finish is decent enough. But we can’t help feeling that it’s a bit like tin box. It’s very sensible if you never need to carry more than one passenger. If you’re looking for anything resembling fun, however. This very much is not a car for you.
Rating
Performance 3
Fuel efficiency 7
Handling/stability 8
Comfort 7
Finish 7
Durability 8
Dynamite LC-4 TBI @Madrias
The Dynamite LC-4 TBI is a surprisingly sporty looking 4 door saloon. About the same size as the Cavalier. It cost a bit to buy for the bargain class but for that you do get a few nice extra, and it’s still a lot cheaper than the Cavalier. On the outside you cannot look over the fact that this car looks a lot faster than it actually is, what with all those ground effects and vents. And the turquoise green paint certainly doesn’t make it any more discreet.
While it’s a 4 door saloon. This car can carry only 3 passengers due to some weird hump in the back seat. The seats actually are quite comparable to the Cavalier in that it’s has enough supporting to not be call a park bench. The boot is large enough, comparable to typical compact car. It also comes with tape player. The main positive about the interior of the LC-4 is that it seems to be built with perceive quality in mind, it even has proper carpeting totally not expected for this price.
The handling is quite good for a car in this class. But you would expect it to be with such a low profile tyres and all around anti-roll bars. The ride is okay, but wouldn’t it be massively better if it has normal SR13 tyres? 70mph cruise rpm of 4000rpm coupled with drony exhaust sound make this car a tiring prospect for a long drive. It does have power steering which makes manuovering it in city centre a breeze. This would make an interesting commuter for those who like a bit of sporty feeling. But for whatever reason the brakes are still all drums like on your grammars’ Morris Minor. Which isn’t to say that it’ll make you careen off into the ditch. What will make you do exactly that however is the weird brake propotioning. Stomping on the pedal hard down the car’s backside will try to overtake the front. You’ll stop of course, but not without letting some brown substance come out of you.
The performance of this car indeed does not reflect the outside appearance. The engine is a 2 valves 4 cylinder 1.4-litre unit with electronic fuel injection. Catalytic requiring unleaded fuel. This 60hp car is a lot brisker than you’d expected. 0-60mph in 15 seconds and top speed of 98. We find it perfectly adequate for the job, being able to do the 50-75 overtaking time of a sensible one, unlike the AAU. But still not befitting of the sporty looks. The cruise rpm of 4000 really makes the economy suffer for the long motorway drive, but still achieving a decent 34mpg.
At least the fit and finish appears to be perfectly fine. Actually, it’s quite comparable to the typical Cavalier. An achievement for a car in this price range. At this price point, a car with full carpeting and decent built quality cannot really be faulted.
We found that the Dynamite LC-4 TBI is a very competent car. But isn’t it a bit ambitious for what it actually is? A perfectly ordinary and slow 4 door family saloon. And for that it isn’t a good one as it’s only able to carry 3 passengers, uncomfortable quirks, and the not at all appropriate low-profile tyres. It all seems a bit undercooked to us.
Rating
Performance 5
Fuel efficiency 4
Handling/stability 8
Comfort 7
Finish 10
Durability 7
Boqliq Vrabie @HighOctaneLove
Boqliq Vrabie is a proper sports car, and it is the cheapest one on the UK market by far. This 2 seats convertible will set you back about the same price as the LC-4. And it has all the same sporty pretention. But the execution couldn’t be further apart than it is. The Sparrow harks back to the day of the dearly departed MGB and Triumph TR7 (god rest their souls).
The engine is a 3-cylinder unit, and what’s up with all these rough running 3 cylinder engines? Anyway. It’s a 1.2-litre Double overhead camshaft design with 2 valves that will be familiar with all Jaguar owners, it could be seen as half of what their engine is. A proper roaty unit that actually sounds a bit like Porsche flat-6. Fuel injected. Every bit as spritely as you’d expected. Combined with a 4-speed gearbox, this little car will go 0-60 in 12.7 seconds and will go on to do 112mph. Driven nicely it’ll acheive 33mpg. But trust us, you will not drive it nicely.
In the sub-1-ton car, of course it’s going to be fun. Top down, wind in the hair. Cliché. The handling is superbly fun in a classically rear wheel driven fashion. It’s come standard with decent quality low-profile tyres and extremely sporty tuned suspension.
Getting misty eyed for the days of proper British Sports car? Well the experience is very much proper with bare bone interior, average weather protection, no sound deadening, cart wheels ride quality and cramp dimension. This is anything but comfortable to drive. The engine sounds meaty and at 70mph it’s turning at 4100rpm, buzzing in your ears like a wasp. You can take it on a long drive maybe if you’re 20 and you’re used to sleeping on the floor with massive hang over. And the wide 185 section tyres with no power steering means you will have to man handle it a bit in the parking lot.
The built quality seems to be present, nothing too major to note. It does feel like it’ll shake itself to bits everytime you turn it on however.
A proper sports car indeed.
Rating
Performance 9
Fuel efficiency 1
Handling/stability 10
Comfort 0
Finish 7
Durability 8
LLA Bandit 1200 Si @LinkLuke
LLA Bandit is a nice small 3 doors liftback “coupe”. The design is very contemporary and tasteful enough not to raise eyebrows anywhere. Which a touch of sportiness with it’s foglights and front lower grille. But make no mistake. This is indeed a proper poverty base automobile. Like all poverty cars they seems to be aiming for aspiration crowd.
Starting the engine revealed a bit of a shock to us. The camera guy standing behind it suddenly asked us if the choke is stuck on, not realizing that it’s a fuel injected design. The car was indeed warm and idling at a dazzling 1100rpm, which combined with an exhaust belting yet another 3 cylinder rumble louder than normal, make us wondering if this car is broken. It apparently isn’t. But the exhaust is still way louder than other cars of today. A look underneath revealed only a single muffler which reeks of cost cutting, the way we like it with poverty car. We cannot explain the reason for white fumes coming out of it.
The engine is a 3-cylinder 1.2-litre displacement with single overhead camshaft with 2 valves per cylinder. Producing a meager 51hp. But for a car in this class it seems to be just average. But the feeling of it is different. It’s rough and unrefined, if we dare say, sporty. But with 51hp it’s hardly a grand prix car. Rowing the 4 speed gearbox the 0-60 is dealt with in 16 seconds, the top speed is 92. The car also clearly struggle with overtaking, taking about as long as AAU and make us questioning our mortality. And when it comes to the efficiency, it’s surprisingly unefficient at 30mpg. With every flooring making the number drops massively. It does says it has catalytic converter, but it’s an old 2-way design obsolete since a few years ago.
Stepping into the inside and you’ll find 5 seats. With the rear 3 hitting the tailgate everytime it goes over the bump. We also reckon that it would make a great greenhouse for the summer time. The interior is as basic as it gets. With seats that doesn’t looks all that comfortable (although it’s totally fine in reality). And fit and finish that’s not to the level of established “normal” cars. The built quality also appears to be pretty much on par with other poverty spec cars.
The handling itself has no vices. It’s a front engine, front wheel driven car that will typically understeer. It doesn’t roll all that much due to 4 wheels anti-roll bar while still very softly sprung. And it’s very easy to drive as it’s equipped with very decadent power steering. But the ride is spoiled by the booming exhaust noise from the back and the rumbly, shaky engine from the front. It doesn’t help that at motorway speed the engine’s turning nearly 4500rpm. If you like that sort of thing, maybe it’s okay for you to proceed. Some will probably like these “sporty” features. Although we’ll say it’s unrefined.
LLA Bandit 1200 Si has some features that will appeal to some people. Some might like it’s pleasant looks. The price isn’t too bad either. But you’ll have to learn to live with a few quirks.
Rating
Performance 4
Fuel efficiency 2
Handling/stability 8
Comfort 5
Finish 6
Durability 8
EE Ocelot L @TR8R
At first glance, the EE Ocelot appears to be a 3 door SUV. But it doesn’t take long to realized that it’s simply a typical car designed to look like an SUV. A very tiny car pretending to be an SUV. We don’t know if this will ever catch on. But we hope not as we do not see the point in doing so. It doesn’t have all wheel drive, ground clearance or any other things that will suggest this as your next Range Rover. It’s also only 3 and a bit meters long. Positively tiny. If you overlook the whole idea of a car pretending to be an SUV being a bit silly. You’ll find that this car is a dinky little automobile that could do a lot of things competently. And it looks cute to boot.
The car is powered by yet another 3 cylinder engine. Seemingly a popular idea that is fun at first, but gets on your nerve everytime. It’s just as rough as any other 3 cylinder we’ve tested. This one is a 1.0-litre with multi valve design. 3 valves per cylinder and 45hp. 0-60 is done in 16 seconds and it’ll do 90 miles per hour, just. Due to it’s lightweight (sub 700 kilos) the initial acceleration is surprisingly brisk. But as you get to higher and higher speed, it felt slower and slower. The gearbox is a 4 speed unit with very tall final gear. This means it’ll cruise nicely at 70mph with only 2600rpm on it’s tachometer, allowing the car to achieve 51mpg with careful driving. With the consequence of lethargic overtaking time. These overdrive gearing is useful, but if it’s on the engine that barely has the power to mince pork, it’s simply is just dreadful (this goes with all other cars). But perhaps that’s the point of these slow cars right? You can drive anywhere flat out without the worry of getting speeding ticket. But then the fuel economy dropped.
Yet another roly-poly looking car, and yet another more competent than it looks handling. This one is especially impressive as the avoidance manuover does not leave the car feeling tippy to the point of danger. The car is softly sprung and damped so to make sure this top heavy machine stay upright, it required big anti-roll bar. With predictable result on uneven surface.
When you step inside, which we’ll concede that it’s very easy when the seats are this high, a lot like grandma’s chair. You’ll be greeted with 2 rather nice looking seats with headrest, 2 seats that appears to have been made for amputee, and full carpeting. This make the car feel a lot more opulent than it actually is. Quite amazing seeing the outside dimension and dinky looks. And with the tall tyres (which we suspect is more for looks than for comfort). It’s a lot more comfortable than you’d expect. There’s also a lot of headroom, which we like, if your legs are short enough to fit in the car itself.
An intriguing prospect for people who are very small and get in the car with diffuculties. Clearly, this car’ve been created for gramps and grammars all over the world. It’s a competent car for exactly that purpose. What this car is. The new idea for old people.
Rating
Performance 4
Fuel efficiency 8
Handling/stability 8
Comfort 7
Finish 10
Durability 8
Rapido Motors Cube S @findRED19
RM Cube S is a coupe with weirdly short tail. Making it looks surprisingly comical. Apparently the S stands for Sporty, but we’ve failed to see anything resembling sportiness on it. When the brochure proclaim the foglamp as the sporty feature, you know what you’re into.
1.9-litre 3 cylinder engine. You always knew the idling is going to be rough. Especially with it’s long 96.6mm stroke. No matter how good the engine mount design is, it can be felt. And then you’ll find that the engine is far louder than most of it’s rival due to similar exhaust arrangement with the LLA Bandit. All of this means that the Cube is anything but refined. The 63hp number seems low for it’s displacement, but it has enough low end torque to not feel completely lethargic. Still, 0-60 in 14.1 seconds and top speed of 93mph resulted in this being merely average in this class. The gear ratio is also very long but torquey motor allows it to work better than some of it’s similar design rival. And yet the fuel economy is sub-par at 36.8mpg and getting worse with every overtaking manuover.
The surprise of the day is that this is a rear wheel drive car. Which we think is not suitable for this type of poverty commuter at all. On a car that is only 3.87 meters long it obviously resulted in cramp interior. The quality of the interior itself is nicer than you’d expect, but if you’re taller than 5’ 9" you may have to considered something else. It comes with 4 seats, but the rearward passenger need to be an amputee to fit in.
The party piece of this car is it’s ride comfort, a surprisingly smooth riding car indeed. And if you think it’s going to be useless in the bends, you’ll be positively surprise that it corners flat and level. It actually handles rather nicely. The problem again is the low profile tyres. Which is to be frank, does not belong on a poverty spec machine.
At least the built quality and interior fit and finish appears to be superb for it’s price point. Which actually is on the expensive side. If we’ll be honest, you could get a better overall package. But if you want some nice handling that is still rather comfortable (unlike the Boqliq) it’s not at all a terrible choice.
Rating
Performance 6
Fuel efficiency 4
Handling/stability 8
Comfort 3
Finish 9
Durability 9
Znopresk Zap 900 Prima i.e. @NormanVauxhall
The ever green Znopresk Zap. The Prima trim with 900cc engine is the classic choice in bargain base motoring. We’ve got a 5-door hatchback with this one. It looks perfectly fine, ordinary. What it won’t do is turning heads of any people anywhere. And in this basic Prima trim it certainly has nothing to show off.
Stepping inside and you’ll find indeed a ridiculously sparse interior. Although the fit and finish is a little bit superior to pretty much all of it’s rival. No radio is equipped with the Prima. Seating is available for 5, of which are incredibly basic ones. But then again, isn’t that the point of having a poverty spec car? I can tell you that nothing is ever going to break in there because there’s nothing to break. (Unless of course you manage to break the air-conditioning, we meant window winder).
Under the bonnet we cannot find anything at first until we picked up the microscope. The engine is a 904cc of displacement in a vast engine bay made for much bigger engine. A clever aluminium design with overhead cam and multi valve. Znopresk says this whole package only weigh 69kg and produce 39hp. Which in the relatively big Zap resulted in what you all would entirely expected. Snail-pace performance. 0-60 in more than 18 seconds and top speed of 84. It might get 49.8mpg but then again, you need more than 3000rpm to get anywhere. At least it does come with 5 speed gearbox with overdrive, although we don’t find it helping particularly much. You definitely don’t want to try overtaking anything with this. It’s also shaky like all I3. At least it’s not louder than expected unlike the Cube.
With this Prima poverty spec it comes with 13 inch wheels and tiny 135 section tyres nobody ever seen since the day of Citroen 2CV. Bicycle tyres means it’s easier to manuover without power steering. And the ride is better as well. The handling of the Zap is nothing to write home about. Safe understeer for student drivers that’s been snapping these up since it was launch. The ride comfort is decent as well, excellent, in fact.
If you really want a Znopresk Zap, a new one is coming soon. So you might be able to find bargains at various Znopresk dealers. Not that they’d ever been bad value. It’s a nice choice for those who enjoy proper flat out motoring. Who knew a Znopresk Zap Prima comes with a cruise control? Put your foot to the floor to drive 55 everywhere.
Rating
Performance 3
Fuel efficiency 7
Handling/stability 8
Comfort 7
Finish 9
Durability 9
Sheddok @ramthecowy
“What the heck is this?” that was what we were saying when we saw the Sheddok arrived at our office. Now we’ve known about the Sheddok since it’s state-owned company released statement about it. It would have an estate body, seating for all, rear wheel drive chassis and, we are not joking, V8 engine all in the price of very bargain basement range. We thought it was a joke, apparently it wasn’t. This is the car of the people in some Communist country.
Stepping inside you’ll find a rather spacious seating position for 5 people. Seems sensible enough. The interior is on par with usual Communist design. Rather austere. It also squeak and rattle quite a bit as you go over the bumps. I do not know how that’s possible since there’s very little to move. The seats are literally just a lawn chair bolted to the floor, the steering wheel is one big urethane molding and the dash is a plastic plank attached to the chassis. There’s of course no radio. It’s really is more like riding a tractor.
Firing up the V8 at the front is interesting. Aren’t multiple cylinder should help aiding the smoothness? Why does it feel like all the inherently unbalanced Inline 3 we had to test before? In fact, it does feel like every American OHV V8 we’ve ever tested. Lazy, rumbly, a little wild. Except it’s perhaps a bit too wild as it shakes the whole car like there’s no rubber mounting on it at all. The performance’s excellent of course. 135hp in a chassis weighing in at only a ton. 0-60 can be done in 8.5 seconds and the top speed in 119mph. At this price point there’s nothing that’s gonna catch it. But we always felt that if you push it a bit too hard the piston would blow a hole in the block. And of course the fuel economy is miserable 22.5mpg, but we guess it’s not bad for a 4-litre V8. The 4 speed manual also feel like it came out of a tractor (possibly true). Another gripe we had about it is that the exhaust drone at 70mph is like nothing else on the road today.
We find that the handling is perfectly fine. A little bit squirrely in the back due to archaic leaf spring axle. But on a whole it doesn’t handle too badly. It’s rather fun to wring around the rear wheel driven V8 powered car. Not too much roll or understeer. It’s lightweight also means the brakes are okay, but the rear will swing around to the front due to poor distribution which fits it’s wild ride characteristic. The ride smoothness is not too bad either. It’s just that the whole powertrain felt agricultural. Perhaps they really rebodied an old tractor.
This car is not like any car we’ve driven. The car itself isn’t all that unusual, just another poorly made poverty car. But it has a V8! And it’s very very fast for it’s price. It’s the answer to the question nobody ever asked. “How can we make communism a little bit more bourgeois?”.
In the end we woke up from our dream. This car doesn’t really exist, does it? (Writer- I don’t really have any memory of it, does it really exist? I thought it’s a myth?).
Rating
Performance 15
Fuel efficiency -5
Handling/stability 7
Comfort 0
Finish 6
Durability 5
14 Likes
Sosumi Tanto @BobLobLaw
This weeny little car is the Sosumi Tanto. A basic 3-door hatchback with completely forgettable styling. We keep asking outselves as to what the Tanto looks like in our head as it’s so much a featureless blob of automobile. Seems like something somebody designed on their lunchbreak.
The car’s equipped with a 4-cylinder engine of 1.4-litre. In what appears to be quite a decent package engine. A bit underpowered at 55hp but not to shabby. After a host of unbalanced and unrefined motors seeing this having 4 cylinder makes us suddenly adores the naturally unbalanced design. While we’ll forgive it’s ancient overhead valves design. The car’s acceleration is slow after the Shaddok, but adequate for normal circumstances. 14.3 seconds to 60 and top speed of 91. It has slight overdrive which allows the engine to turn only 3200rpm at 70mph. While retaining a borderline acceptable overtaking test.
Inside you’ll find a rather plush interior for the price. Appearance of the rare full carpeting and proper headrest makes us happy. The space however is very limited. It has seatings for 5 but you better make sure they’re very tiny people. We reckon that it works better if you fold the seats flat. Which you’ll have to do anyway if you’re an average guy since nobody would fit even then.
Seeing the tall, short and narrow body with the 155 rather cheap tyres. We predicted the handling to be on the rather hopeless side. We didn’t expect it to be this bad, but it was. The understeer will make you want to bang your head on the steering wheel everytime you approach corners at any speed faster than walking. And for whatever reasons we find that the steering wheel is rather heavy even for non-power steering standard. It’s rather comical seeing this screeching around our test track. But if you’re a normal slow driver we don’t see it as a particularly dangerous, so there’s that going for it. The last issue with it’s chassis is that the ride quality in the back is atrocious, in the front it’s okay. But sitting in the back gave a lot of tester that fit car-sick (which is more than you’d think, providing we move the front seat very far forward and the tester was small enough).
Another thing it has going for it is a rather nice built quality inside and out. The factory promised good rust proofing warranty which is a result of using new, sophisticated metal working technique for the body panels. We have no idea if that means 10 years from now on the floor will rust out leaving the pristine bodyworks behind or not. I’ve already forgotten what it looks like.
A solidly built car that will do the job merely adequately for a very long time. What’s it call again?
Rating
Performance 5
Fuel efficiency 5
Handling/stability 7
Comfort 6
Finish 9
Durability 9
Ligrani Allicante 1.1 TNE @bastormonger
The Ligrani Allicante. (Saying that makes us crave for some cannoli and bolognese pasta). Has always been a rather nice looking 3-door hatchback. It actually stands out in the typical sea of bland and soul-less poverty spec cars. And if it allows you to engage in some Italian Driving, it’s good enough. As many years have passed, we consumers realise that this car is the epitome of Italian design.
Let’s start with the outside. We see signs of poor quality everywhere. Metals in some hard to see places are already rusting, suggesting a typical Italian rust proofing. And as it looks this interesting we think it’d be a shame seeing this car dilapidated in only a few years.
The engine is also of a proper driver’s experience design. 1100cc 4-cylinder engine that produce 52hp. It’s an incredibly revvy unit with presumably very short stroke (a look at specification confirms this). Also characterful sounding exhaust note making it a joy to wring around. But don’t rev it out too much, this engine is known for eating bearings. What really baffled us, and really spoiled that superb (perhaps not for it’s reliability?) motor is the shift feeling of the 5 speed gearbox, which is even worse than the Shaddok tractor design. You never know what gear you’ll get with that move of the lever. It’s also incredibly cruchy at few places. 0-60 is in average 15.4 seconds and the top speed is only 89mph. Fuel economy of 42.3mpg is also rather pedestrian.
You’d think that Italian design should shine with it’s handling. And it does. It corners with absolute grace. If not for the fact that they use some really awful quality tyres. I do not know where these tyres are from but they do not belong in a chassis this fun to drive. It also doesn’t ride too badly. But too much force on the suspension will result in it snapping back a bit. Not too terrible though.
And then you get in the inside. 4 seats of a driving position designed with gorillas in mind. The steering is too far, and the pedals are to the right. The dashboard design is very pleasant, and you get a nice full carpet. But the quality of it is so awful. The materials are obviously not up to the standard to Japanese automobile. And as it go along the road the squeak and rattles are so bad that we wish it would come off so it would stop. Also, the radio already stopped working when we received the test example.
The stereotype of Italian design being lovely yet made with utterly awful craftsmanship has been decrease with the likes of Znopresk. But with the Ligrani the stereotype lives on. Avanti!
Rating
Performance 5
Fuel efficiency 6
Handling/stability 7
Comfort 3
Finish 6
Durability 3
JHW Sparrow 1300S @JohnWaldock
After the lovely but flawed Allicante, the JHW Sparrow seems a bit boring, but that’s not the point of owning poverty spec cars (although we stray from that quite a bit…). It’s a basic 4-door saloon with discreet, modern, bland design. The manufacturer promised sophisticated rust-proofing technique used so expect this to not be of any notice for a long time.
The engine is a 1.3-litre 4 cylinder unit. Producing 58hp. Still carburetted and use overhead camshaft design. It’s a nice enough unit. Smooth and quiet running with nice torque. But it does get a bit lazy at the top end. Combined with 4-speed gearbox with no overdrive. The acceleration of this 750kg car is actually rather good. 0-60 in 13.3 seconds. But the top speed is gearing limited at 88mph. The gearing for it is far too short and as a result, driving it at 70mph will return you a nice 4800rpm. No matter how smooth it is at idle, at motorway speed you’re going to bleed from the burst eardrum. It’s also rather uneconomical for the size because of exactly that.
Stepping inside and you’ll find 4 basic seating position. Not too large, but comfortable enough. No headrest or anything so excessive. No radio of course, expect to visit a branch of Halfords if you think this is for you. It’s as basic as it’s get. The driving position is sort of alright, not too terrible, but not too comfortable. It’s just that at motorway speed with no sound deadening this car really is loud. The actual fit is okay for the class, not too shabby, as expected with the price range.
It’s a shame as it’s manner on the road isn’t half bad either. It’s not a race car as expected with low grip 155 tyres. It handles with enough grace not to be particularly woeful. It also rides better than expected, although the passenger might find the ride a bit bouncy, car sick inducing in fact. And the steering is a bit squirrely when the roads gets rough.
This seems like a good choice at first. But you’ll have to forgive a lot of it’s shortcoming (mostly short gear ratio) to be able to enjoy it. But then what would you enjoy it with exactly? But it’ll at least give you a trouble free motoring for a really long time.
Rating
Performance 7
Fuel efficiency 3
Handling/stability 7
Comfort 6
Finish 8
Durability 7
Komodo Roviro New Clarion-S @koolkei
Komodo Roviro is yet another rather basic 4-door saloon. The New Clarion-S trim is the most basic Roviro you could get. This is an old rear wheel driven designed for developing market that’s been imported. A rather simple and common background story for a car in this class. It is yet again as though it’s been designed with a ruler. Although we find the taillight arrangement to be rather interesting.
As you try to get inside, you find something rather interesting. It comes with 4 key holes, which not even Bentley offered on their car. You do not need to unlock the front door to unlock the rear from the inside, you can use the key to unlock it from the outside. It’s a useful feature that nobody ever asked for. But we found it rather useful in some cases. Interesting that nobody ever thought of it before. As you get into it, you’ll find absolutely the same thing as the previously reviewed Sparrow. 4 basic seats, average quality for it’s class, and no radio. You’ll find that it’s adequately well put together.
The Roviro comes with a basic 4-cylinder engine. 1.5-litre. Overhead cam with multi valve (3 valves per cylinder). It’s still fueled by SU-style single carburettor. Only 54hp resulted from it. With the 5-speed gearbox that has long overdrive on both fourth and fifth, the acceleration from 0-60 is done in 16 seconds. Overtaking time also looking similarly grim. At least the top speed of 94mph is decent enough. It’s also only able to acheive disappointing 40mpg despite the long overdrive. But one nice thing that came out of it is that at 70mph it’s turning at only 2300rpm, however, don’t expect to be able to accelerate without changing down to third.
On road manners, this car handle rather good. It comes standard with rather nice set of tyres and the suspension setting is actually rather firm. This car will give confidence in direction changing due to it’s stiffer suspension. The New Clarion-S trim sadly do not come with the rear anti-roll bar. So if you went into the corner too fast, you’ll understeer quite a bit. And the stiff suspension has consequence in that it’s rather jiggly when the road gets tough, sending the passengers flying, with taller ones hitting the roofline quite easily.
It’s actually would be a rather good choice for anyone who want a sensible car that’s able to carry plenty of passenger. And it looks more interesting than the Sparrow while you have to deal with it being slower and less comfortable. At least the gearing makes it bearable on the motorway, if not for it’s overtaking time.
Rating
Performance 6
Fuel efficiency 5
Handling/stability 8
Comfort 5
Finish 8
Durability 8
F.I.L Deshevo 1600e @Trollercoaster
The F.I.L Deshevo is a very odd car. We had to double check if the price is correct, and it is. You’ll find out what we mean in a sec. It’s a 5-door family hatchback with futuristic jellymould design which probably will provoke some love/hate reaction to the people. It’s a very interesting car in a sense that it’s incredibly unusual in every single aspect.
When you open the bonnet of the Deshevo you’re greeted with the most baffling sight since the day of Leyland Princess. A transversely mounted front wheel drive car with 6 cylinder engine. 1600cc of displacement for the price. We had to check if this is not an attempt at the Princess revival, and it apparently isn’t. The air filter is also very weird, it’s the type the youths purchase from Halfords to put on their ten year old Escort. Is this car actually came from a reputable big manufacturer or was it assembled in the backyard? We’re not sure. Especially with it’s awful built quality that’s apparent before you even step inside.
71hp in a car weight 940kg. 0-60 is dealt with in 13.3 seconds and the top speed is 96mph. At start up the car indeed is buttery smooth compared to everything else, courtesy of balanced 6 cylinder engine. Overhead cam and fuel injected. It also sings the song of the proper 6 cylinder engine. That is to say we can hear it because it is quite loud. The gearbox is a 4-speed with 4th being a very long over drive, resulted in predictably awful overtaking time for it’s power. It also can only acheive 33mpg. At this point we’re still baffled by the smoothness of the 6 cylinder. A car this cheap shouldn’t be this smooth.
When it comes to the driving. The F.I.L will also baffled everyone with it’s incredibly light steering, courtesy of it’s power steering system. It’s also said to be equipped with Anti-lock brakes, although it’s brakes already does not lock when you stomp on it. What’s it for then? The handling itself is pretty good. With soft riding suspension, nicely balanced, it’s one of the best riding car in the comparison. It understeered safely when you push hard on it while it can corners relatively flat.
The ride quality however is spoiled by the hanging wires and the bare looking seats. It’ll fit 5 people in it relatively well, but it will not be a comfortable ride. And with intermittent lighting issues we’ve had on our test car. We’re not really sure if built quality is indeed on any pages of it’s engineering process. Perhaps that’s the reflection of it’s low price?
An increbibly ambitious design that put features from a much more luxurious cars into a cheap, poverty market package. The corners has to be cut somewhere to make it affordable. It’s a nice concept that’s ultimately not going to last very long. In the end, we’re quite fond of it. Perhaps it’s normal for human to love slightly imperfect things? It’s certain though that we love to find the good sort of surprise. No matter if it’s no surprise that it won’t last.
Rating
Performance 8
Fuel efficiency 4
Handling/stability 9
Comfort 7
Finish 4
Durability 2
RAM FS1200 @pyrlix
Respondek Automobil FS1200 is a conventional looking car from the front, and weird looking tail section, with rather oddly shaped lip on the back. A 4-door compact family saloon, another cheap price tag that also reflects on it’s built quality. So is it any good then?
After stepping out of the F.I.L Deshevo, the RAM FS1200 shaking it’s start up came as a bit of a shock. Another 3-cylinder design with 1.2-litre of displacement. Overhead camshaft with 2 valves. It also comes with a very modern multi point fuel injection system, which promised better drivability and fuel consumption. The engine thus produces 54 modernist horsepower. Powering the nice 5-speed gearbox with 5th as overdrive. 0-60 is done in 15.4 seconds while the top speed is nearly 100mph. It’s also able to acheive a decent 46mpg. It’s quite heavy at 870kg and the horsepower number is low. So leisurly acceleration time come to no surprise of anyone.
The handling of the car is not too shabby. Understeering as with any front wheel driven design. It corners a lot flatter than you’d expect, and the ride quality in the front is not too bad. But if you sit in the back, you’ll find that it’s bouncy. It’s nearly as if the front and the back was designed by different group of people. That extends from the outside styling perhaps? Another feature of note is that all FS1200 comes with Anti-lock braking system as standard. Which is rather nice to have and quite a bit of surprise in this price point. (Perhaps not after the Deshevo).
Stepping inside you’ll find 5 seats that are actually rather comfortable looking. And it does come with full carpeting. Although we cannot say that the quality matches with the car such as similarly well appointed Dynamite LC-4 or Sosumi Tanto. It also comes with a radio with cassette player.
The built quality is poor on the body works. Paints have a lot of imperfections. And that makes us skeptical on it’s rust proofing. Although RAM said the chassis’s been treated with zinc.
In the end, we think that RAM FS1200 can be a really good family saloon, especially for it’s price. If you treat it with Waxoil rust proofing it could indeed be a really nice sorted automobile. But don’t put any children in the back or else you’ll have to clean the seats and the carpet very soon.
Rating
Performance 6
Fuel efficiency 7
Handling/stability 8
Comfort 8
Finish 7
Durability 6
CM Halifax TS-C @thecarlover
A return to another rather sporty looking 3-door coupe/hatchback if not for the fact that our test vehicle came in this diarrhoea brown paintjob. Apart from the ghastly colour, the CM Halifax is a decent looking basic motoring.
1600cc Inline 4 engine is powering the rear wheels. 69hp is available for propelling this machine. It’s a basic 2 valves overhead cam unit with standard fuel injection. It has a nice balance between rev happiness and usable torque at low rpm. The gearbox is a 4 speed with 4th being a really long over drive. This car weigh in at only 830kg due to it’s unique use of lightweight materials on the body panels. Which mean it’s practically a rocket ship with 0-60 time of only 11.9 seconds and the top speed of 99mph. The overtaking manuover isn’t so precarious either. It’s also not too thristy with us able to achieve 42mpg. Excellent stuff for the price point.
Stepping inside and you’ll find 4 basic seats that aren’t too small for normal people. With big emphasis on “normal”. It’s another bare bone interior with no carpets and drab finishing. At least the radio and some of the quality is there.
It’s road characteristic can only be describe as bouncy. On a properly maintained road in Austria it’s probably a joy to make quick direction changes as the body leans very little. But with a very little amount of potholes and the chassis vice will come through very clearly. It’s an incredibly rough riding car that isn’t help by the uncomfortable interior. And when push beyond it’s limit the front will wash wide because the rear anti-roll bar is so thin and soft. A mixed bag that ends up being rather “unoptimum”.
The built quality seems to be very decent. And the car itself is useful in many aspect. It’s also very cheap and quite quick. You’ll just have to learn to accept the sado-masochism lifestyle that will certainly comes with owning one of these. We don’t recommend it to people with children.
Rating
Performance 10
Fuel efficiency 6
Handling/stability 8
Comfort 5
Finish 8
Durability 8
TM Sinapp 1.1 @accent
The TM Sinapp is a funky looking little 3-door hatchback with the most fitting tagline to the class the car is in. “It goes”. But we’re not quite sure that’s entirely the truth. At least on the outside it looks actually okay with it’s nice proportion, twin headlights, popping (not literally, hopefully) paints and a tiny little airvent on it’s bonnet.
Another 4-cylinder engine, acceptably smooth 1100cc unit producing 50hp. It’s also another fuelling by SU-type carburettor engine, but in a twin arrangement. The noise it produce is a lot like some yobbo putting motorbike exhaust on their Austin Metro. Perhaps that’s what this engine is? Anyhow. We find it to be a perfectly acceptable unit if underpowered. Coupled with a 5-speed gearbox, it’s 0-60 time of 15.9 seconds is merely average. And it doesn’t accelerate very well from 50 to 75. Perhaps that’s to be expected now. And to think that it’s a 50hp 780kg car, 40mpg is kind of disappointing with every throttle use bringing that number down very quickly. It goes? Well it kind of does. But not really.
It’s a cheap car, and it’s interior is nothing but. A basic barebone interior with a nice addition of a cheap radio. It seats 4 in relative comfort, as long as the rear passenger is not much larger than small child or the driver is excessively obese. The built quality is not bad although we would not call it special either.
To drive, this car is a lot nicer than you’d expected. The turn in is a lot better than a lot of other cars in this poverty class, and with 175 tyres it’s actually very grippy in the bends. The ride quality is also pretty decent, but not weighing down the rear will make the back of the car very bouncy. Which does not help the fact that brake proportioning is woeful. Stomping on the pedal will make the back swing around very quickly, making the car pointing in the different direction you’re intended to.
A basic hatchback that is basic. Funky looking. It’s relatively comfortable, spacious, and practical. What more could you want from it? Better brakes and another 200cc in it’s engine perhaps. It’s a very cheap package that does everything merely averagely. But as a whole it’s not too shabby either.
Rating
Performance 5
Fuel efficiency 5
Handling/stability 8
Comfort 6
Finish 8
Durability 6
Sofa 1100-E @nerd
I cannot remember the last time we saw a Sofa. The funny looking little communist car is still in production, and somehow is still available to purchase in the UK. It’s age certainly show with it’s inherent design characteristic. And it’s very obviously a 1960’s design that’s barely updated for 1985. It’s not as cheap as you might expect (The AAU is cheaper than it). But it might just as well be the cheapest feeling car you’ll ever find on the road today.
Let’s begin with the outside, shall we? It’s a car with very weird looks. Sloping tails that we cannot think could’ve been good for aerodynamic. The paints already bubling with our brand new test example. And the fit and finish is catastrophically horrible. It’s clear that the tooling’s worn out long ago. At least the chassis, although basic and old fashioned, doesn’t seem to be rusting like it’s bodywork. Trying to get inside is very difficult as the door handle felt like it could just break off immediately, and the key barrel clearly is already worn like it’s 10 years old. When you mange to get in, you’ll find 4 seats that might as well be lawnchairs strapped to the floor. It does come with a radio, although the one we got isn’t working very well.
Starting the engine up, and the 4-cylinder 1100cc engine cough into life with difficulties. It doesn’t help that the choke handle broke off in our hand. 38.7hp (they put emphasis on the .7) is not enough for 860kg the car weighs. Especially with 4-speed gearbox that might as well be a game of Russian Roulette. You never know what gears you’ll get, and you certainly will never know when it’s already there. 0-60 time of 24.3 somehow is even slower than the Fiat 126 with it’s wheezy 2-cylinder engine. And the top speed is only 79. You’ll certainly drive anywhere flat out with this car. Which means you’ll never get the 22mpg fuel economy that we’ve manage at Millbrook proving ground, where there’s no traffic.
Road manners are just as comical as the engine. The front suspension is way too stiff. While the back is rather smooth, the front of the car isn’t. We don’t think the front and the back is even connected at all. The steering is stiff and heavy, making it very hard to operate. And with that we don’t even want to know if the car is oversteery or understeery, as we don’t want to try steer too hard with speed, or we might crash when the steering wheel came off the car. At least it stops perfectly well. Perhaps the best part of this car indeed.
An archaic, badly built, funny looking, tin can on wheels. We don’t think it’s incredibly safe either (not even with the standard airbag, we aren’t even sure if the explosive in that thing isn’t reused from some old Russian warhead). Slow and uneconomical. And it’s not even cheap! But this car tells us something. It told us a very important message. Even though people think magazines such as yours truly have no place in today’s world because no cars are truly bad anymore. The Sofa 1100-E tell us otherwise. This is a car that you never should even come near with a barge pole. If you happens to see one in traffic on a journey, you should immediately make a u-turn and go home.
Rating
Performance 0
Fuel efficiency -5
Handling/stability 3
Comfort 0
Finish -10
Durability 0
17 Likes
Fahrzeug C1 Base Model @Sillyducky
Fahrzeug C1 is a car that’s been with us for a while (although never to the extend of the SOFA). We know it’s a rather nice little machine that’s perfectly acceptable as a commuter car. And rather well built as well. But we couldn’t help and wondered if the absolute basic spec worth buying. For it’s price is not that cheap and yet it comes with absolutely no feature at all. But it was born as a basic, barebone motor car, correct?
As we’ve said, this car has no feature at all. No radio, no carpet, the seats don’t even recline. 4 basic seats that should fit most of the people. The quality of the interior is fine, there’s no imperfection, although we don’t something can have imperfection if it doesn’t exist.
To drive, this car is very weird. It does not feel like any other car we’ve tested. It’s suspension is very odd. The front and the rear is bouncing at a different rate. We think the front shock absorber is not absorbing at all as it’s incredibly bouncy and the rear is also bouncy but never in sync. It corners very flat and yet with no feel for the front wheels. It makes us wondering what’s wrong with the suspension tune up. We don’t like it at all. It’s uncomfortable, bouncy, turgid steering, detached handling. It does come with anti-lock brakes as standard, although we’re not sure at all if we want to test it out.
The engine is 1400cc 4-cylinder unit that produce 59hp. A rather decent quality unit. Multi-point fuel injection is standard and so is the catalytic converter. We found it to be an agreeable power plant that allows this car to propel from 0-60 in merely 13.4 seconds. Although the top speed is only 84. The only drawback is that it’s only able to achieve 42mpg despite advance fueling technique, and the performance does not reflect that either.
Overall, the Fahrzeug is a decent quality car with a massive achilles’ heel. The car doesn’t handle properly. We’ll contact Fahrzeug back if that’s normal. But if it isn’t, we simply could not recommend it.
Rating
Performance 7
Fuel efficiency 5
Handling/stability 2
Comfort 0
Finish 7
Durability 8
Suzume Hane SE @VicVictory
Wait, haven’t we reviewed this car like 4 times? It turns out that little 3-door hatchback with basic styling features is in the vogue and that so many manufacturers are trying to capture this particular market. The Suzume Hane SE is another well built tiny sub compact which makes it very similar to the Fahrzeug on the first glance. But they’re indeed different cars.
Stepping inside and we questioned outselves again. “Haven’t we reviewed this already?”. No radio, no carpet, the seats that don’t recline. 4 basic seats that should fit most of the people. The quality of the interior is indeed alright. There’s nothing that can go wrong if there’s nothing to go wrong. It’s as basic an interior as it’s get. We’ve reckon that the only way to make the Hane SE more basic would be to take out the windscreen.
The engine is also a 4-cylinder Overhead camshaft unit. But this one is totally different because it’s only 1300cc. With no fuel injection. It’s fueling is done by an okay 2 barrel carburettor. Louder than you’d expect, but as smooth as the 4-cylinder will be. It’s 57hp transmitted through 5 speed gearbox with no overdrive. This enabling the Suzume Hane to do 0-60 in a mere 12.7 seconds. The top speed is 93mph. But no overdrive means it’s buzzy at motorway speed, and the fuel economy is only 37mpg.
This car is also similar to the Fahrzeug in that it’s very unjointed, but not to the same extent. At least the Suzume’s handling dynamics can be fix with a bit of weight at the back. (2 passengers you hate would do very nicely). Because the front is rather smooth and gradual, but the rear is very rough and jiggly. Atrocious suspension tuning. We’re also surprised by the amount of grip this car has before squealing it’s cheap, narrow 165 section tyres. A mixed bag then.
We must say, as an overall package, the Suzume and the Fahrzeug has nothing in it. They’re both so similar that they’re interchangable. But the Suzume is superior in one aspect that makes it pretty much the choice we would’ve made if we ends up between them. At least it doesn’t try to throw you out of the car.
Rating
Performance 9
Fuel efficiency 3
Handling/stability 8
Comfort 5
Finish 7
Durability 8
Baltazar Quark 1250 BS @Leonardo9613
The new Baltazar Quark has been with us for a year. And with high spec trims receiving regards from most automotive journalist of having very good bang for your quid. We didn’t get one of those fancy one. The BS stands for “Bog-Standard” and we can assure you that there’s no BS anywhere in the blurb.
The engine in this is entirely new according to Baltazar. This particular car we’ve got is the 1250. Which means 1247cc 4-cylinder unit with 2 valves overhead camshaft. Fueling is still by simple carburettor. 53hp is on tap, the Quark 1250 is no rocket ship for sure. But it’s not half bad either as it comes standard with 5-speed gearbox with final gear being overdrive. 0-60 is in 14.2 seconds and the top speed is 93mph. It’s only able to acheive 42mpg and a lot of throttling reduce that number very much so. That’s what you get for having carburettor.
Stepping inside and you’ll find 5 seating positions that’s not much of a seating position. They’re good enough for exactly the job they’re for, sitting. It does not come with a radio so a trip to Halfords might be warranted. The dash is simple and as we’ve said so many times. There cannot be something wrong if there’s nothing to go wrong.
As for driving dynamics. The Baltazar Quark doesn’t really do dynamics as such. It has soft suspension that resulted in rolling around a lot. The tyres thin, the sidewall’s tall. Exactly what it should be on a car such as this. It understeered safely with a lot of warning before letting go. At least the soft suspension means the ride quality is acceptable. And with the nice overdrive gearbox and quiet exhaust, it’s nice to live with on day to day basis. If it wasn’t so barebone.
As for built quality. It appears to be a solidly built car. Good enough for many miles of motoring.
Another solid choice for people who want nothing more than a basic commuter then. But it does feel a lot like price leader. It’s cheap of course, one of the cheapest car in the test. And it’s very competent for it’s price. But you do get that feeling of them being able to achieve this price only by having a list of your normal Quark equipment and then crossing whatever you wish for off one by one. Life isn’t suppose to be this miserable is it?
Rating
Performance 8
Fuel efficiency 6
Handling/stability 7
Comfort 8
Finish 8
Durability 8
WMD Lepido 1.5 @abg7
A rather bland looking hatchback from the front, strange from the rear. The WMD Lepido promised good performance with advance technology for a cheap, basic commuter. Multi point fuel injection, disc brakes, 5 speed gearbox. It’s a similarly tiny little 3-door like the Suzume and the Fahrzeug. Is it any good?
Well the performance is quite good indeed. 0-60 in 11.3 seconds and the top speed of 100mph make this an incredibly hot little hatch. It’s lightweight construction combined with 70hp 1.5-litre Inline 3 with multipoint fuel injection enable the car to achieve one of the best acceleration we’ve seen in this class. It’s 5 speed gearbox doesn’t have overdrive so it’s a little buzzy at the top, you have to decide if acceleration is worth the bother. The fuel economy is also disappointing at only 39mpg.
Inside the WMD is a basic 4 seats with a radio. Nothing fancy at all. No carpet or electric windows. This also helps keeping the car very light. The space is about par with other similar shape hatchback. We’re suspecting some copyright issue here. In fact when put together we couldn’t seperate it from the Fahrzeug.
The driving dynamics on the other hand is superior to the Suzume and the Fahrzeug, despite similar construstion. The body control is decent. With even front and rear bounce. It also doesn’t roll a lot in the corners, the result of having thick anti-roll bar which also show itself when driving over uneven roads. It is in fact so stiff that it can pull the steering wheel to one side. If you live in Austria we can see this being a good driving experience. As we’re in the UK with our roads? Not so much.
We reckon this car is made for speed freaks. It’s quite fast for it’s price, and it doesn’t handle too badly. And it’s practical enough for anyone to not suspect it of being anything other than a little hatchback.
Rating
Performance 10
Fuel efficiency 3
Handling/stability 8
Comfort 7
Finish 7
Durability 8
Scarab Flare S @gridghost
At a first glance the Scarab Flare S does not appear to be a poverty spec car. It’s a relatively big 5-door sub-compact car with proper European styling and 1600cc engine. While the other cheap cars are tiny little car that looks odd comparing to normal cars. This will blend in with the normal car very well. Considering that it appears to be very decent priced. So what’s the catch?
The interior is not very luxurious. But isn’t that we we got to say about all other cars apart from a few exception? It’s 4 seats aren’t very comfortable, but very much on par with other cars in this test.
The engine is a 1600cc 4-cylinder unit that produce 78.5hp. A nice enough unit with fuel injection that’s making it a very peppy little car. The gearbox is a 4-speed with no over drive. Enable this 825kg car to do 0-60 time of only 11.1 seconds and the top speed is 102mph. The WMD was fast, but this is even faster. It’s fuel economy is disappointing at 34mpg, and the motorway cruise will stab your earhole with loud exhaust note and high cruise RPM. In other car we’d have call it unrefined. And even then we’ll still call this car unrefined. But at least it’s properly quick for it’s price.
The party piece of this car comes in when you go for a drive and you visit a little something call the ‘corners’. You see the cheap 175 tyres and despite the low 60 profile tyres you’d think that it would not be possible for this car to corner very well. But throwing it into a corner and you’ll realise that the S does not stand for Standard. The Scarab S stands for sporty. And not a poor attempt at trying to be one, it’s a proper sporty little, if we dare say it, a near hot hatch. A warm hatch, if you’d like. And since we’ve gotten that out of our mind we can say that it’s an uncomfortable, rough riding tat. A fun one though.
In the end. The Scarab Flare S is a sporty, fun car to drive, with decent quality, yet reasonably priced. It’s the epitome of cheap and cheerful. This is a car we could recommend wholeheartedly.
Rating
Performance 10
Fuel efficiency 2
Handling/stability 10
Comfort 4
Finish 8
Durability 8
Letto Bambino @LordLetto
Imagine having this car in yellow. (A colour we’ve not inquire if it’s available). You’ll be riding around in a car that looks exactly like a wedge of cheese. This, we’ll be kind and say unique, looking car is actually a rather practical 4-door saloon car with many surprises lurking behind it’s frankly ridiculous body style. If you want a car that will turns head (positively or negatively depends on your opinion, not us). This will be the one.
A front wheel driven chassis with small 4-cylinder engine. 1.2-litre twin carburettor and double overhead camshaft but only 2 valves. We’re sure it’s made entirely out of contradiction. It’s specsheet suggest a rev happy little unit that sings everytime you hit the throttle. It does sing, and not of a bad voice either. But it does not rev happily what so ever. It goes to about 5000 revs screaming in pain before the ignition distributor system cut the spark. Only 45hp is sent through a 4 speed gearbox making this car go from 0 to 60 in 17.5 seconds and the top speed is 90mph. 44mpg can be achieve if driven carefully which we wasn’t able to with such paltry amount of horsepower.
Stepping inside reveal a bit of a surprise. An incredibly high quality interior for the price. It’s fully carpet-ed and comes with nice centre console that you can put many things into. The 4 seats all have headrest that actually is adjustable. But the radio is of an awful quality. Contradicted the whole interior quality. It’s roofline meant that the back seat in a lot more spacious than you’d think seeing it’s actual size.
To drive we would say it’s very much in the okay range. If slightly better than par. It corners very flat, and has a lot of grip despite 145 section tyres. It’s also not entirely uncomfortable with nice balance front and rear dampings. The car understeer a lot but that’s to keep normal, unprofessional drivers safe. But we couldn’t look away from the ludicrous amount of front camber which resulted in uneven tyre wear. The surprise of this section is the availability of the power steering and anti-lock brakes. Of which are very poor in quality. The power steering does not give any feel, kind of like an old American car, and it’s leaking already with our test car. The Anti-lock brakes doesn’t work very well either with it not being able to react quickly enough to lock. This might actually be more dangerous in some cases so if you really want this car, go for one not equipped so.
A car full of surprises. It’s also an acquired taste one. If you own one you may like it. But we’re not sure you can get to the point of owning one. You have to get through the looks first. Cheese on wheels!
Rating
Performance 4
Fuel efficiency 7
Handling/stability 7
Comfort 6
Finish 8
Durability 5
BM Raven @TheElt
The BM Raven divided all of us in the office. With some liking it’s rather modern looking body while other dismiss it as a jellymould with headlamps. It’s also rather big while costing a fair bit of money. Some of us think the design will aged not particularly gracefully, while other think it’ll probably become one of those timeless design that still looking modern 10 years from now. Either way, what it’s actually like?
Stepping inside you’ll be greeted with the barebone, featureless interior that’s very appropriate for the class. The car is very spacious and practical due to it’s clever, modern design. Seating positions for 4 people that are not incredibly fancy, but certainly will be enough for a surprisingly long distance journey.
Under the hood is one of the largest engine in the test. 1.7-litre 4 cylinder with single overhead camshaft and 2 valves and advance Multi point fuel injection. Nearly 86hp is on tap promised a good acceleration time. Going through the 5 speed gearbox it’s certainly is quick. At the same price, it’s even quicker than the Scarab Flare S at 10.5 seconds to 60 and the top speed of nearly 115mph. A rocketship in this segment. And because the fifth is an overdrive gear, the fuel economy is decent at 41mpg. This is nearly as good as normal car.
The driving experience is another thing that will impress. Flat, confidence inspiring handling on smooth tarmac, if a bit understeery at the limit. But you’ll have to pay for it with comfort. It’s another exccesively damped rear end that will bounce the rearward passenger into it’s roof. And that also makes cornering on rough road a rather precarious situation. The braking is also merely average, but it should be good enough for most driver.
It’s also not too much of a cost cutting mess in quality department. Another one for those who wish to have some speed. It’s a surprisingly quick and a rather useful hatchback. But don’t expect a good driving experience although it tries to be one. A good driver for not too keen a driver.
Rating
Performance 11
Fuel efficiency 8
Handling/stability 7
Comfort 6
Finish 7
Durability 8
Adenine Cadence @phale
We were left looking at the price tag of Adenine Cadence after seeing it’s interior. A nice full carpet interior with banging stereo for some tunes that makes this a real little luxurious… hatchback? Or is it an estate car? We decided in the end that it’s merely a hatchback that looks incredibly unproportionate. It’s chrome front is also incredibly tacky, especially when at this price range they couldn’t afford to make them real chrome.
We have to state again that the inside of this car is amazing for the price it’s aimed at. Fully carpeted and with some nice 4 speakers FM/AM stereo with an excellent cassette tape player from a reputable company. It’s also equipped with power steering. This should make the Cadence a really nice, comfortable automobile for a bargain basement price.
Powering this relatively ‘posh’ box is a 1.1-litre 4 cylinder engine that’s producing 52hp. It’s multi point fuel injected also means that it’s very efficient. Combining with a 4-speed gearbox with 4th as an overdrive, this car will achieve nearly 50mpg very easily. Although the acceleration is predictably lethargic, 15.7 seconds to 60 is not too bad but overtaking manuover really brings out the flaw in it’s gearing. Top speed is a decent 93mph although at this point we weren’t sure why bother stating that as nobody will ever achieve those speed with these cars.
When it comes to the road manner. The Adenine Cadence is a nice riding automobile. Very smooth suspension that doesn’t produce the total flat cornering. But if you wish to have both of those things in one car we can tell you that it’s not at this price point. The Cadence does not handle very sporty, but that’s not the point either. All in all we say it’s a very nicely set up automobile with great balance between comfort and stability.
The Adenine Cadence appears to be the bargain of the century as long as the commuting is your only use of a car. It’s comfort level is so far above anything else at the price while offering decent (although not very fast) performance and efficiency. It’s quality is also okay. Although we see a bit of engine water temperature shooting up while testing it’s performance, there should be no worries if you’re buying it for only commuting. A good buy if we see one.
Rating
Performance 5
Fuel efficiency 8
Handling/stability 8
Comfort 10
Finish 10
Durability 6
Smooth Linkey 12V @AirJordan
The Smooth Linkey was the last car we tested. After a long day of work, we’re ending with a sleek and sharp looking coupe finished in menacing black (although in sunlight it’s clearly green, it’s getting late when we got the chance to see it). An affordable menace. But a menace none the less. Under the sleek body it’s a lot more conventional than it appears.
Front wheel drive and 4-cylinder with 1.6-litre. It’s a fuel injected overhead camshaft multivalve design (3 valves). 82hp. Lightweight construction means the acceleration is good, with only 11 seconds needed to get to 60 miles per hour and the top speed is 104mph. The gearbox is a 5 speed with final as an overdrive gear. It’s slightly disappointing seeing that this car only able to achieve 40mpg. But with that sort of acceleration perhaps it’s justified?
The blurb promised nimble handling. But after an entire day of work driving various different cars that are clearly more nimble than it is. We thought it’s still acceptable for the price it’s at. Which it is actually relatively expensive. But you should find it riding quite nicely, if a bit juddery at the back. The cornering is also good, not rolling a lot. We also like the superb braking feels it provided. A good handling and good performing car then. It’s also got a power steering, which is a nice token, and really nice when manuovering.
The interior is completely basic in function. It’s got seatbelts for 5 people yet it appears that they need to be tiny passengers. It’s dashboard simple, reflecting the price range. And quite bare after the superb Cadence. But we couldn’t help but think that the material appears to be a little bit nicer than it should. A nicely put together car even though there’s nothing much to put together.
As a car to conclude our tests. The Smooth Linkey is a good indicator of how nice the basic, bargain basement automotive options are today. It’s a good commuter that looks sleek. You might not fit a lot of people in there though.
Rating
Performance 10
Fuel efficiency 6
Handling/stability 8
Comfort 7
Finish 9
Durability 8
All of the 26 cars we’ve tested (barred a few) can be bought blindly with full knowledge that no matter what you’ve chosen, it’ll served you for a really long time. Some have it’s quirks and some have it’s problem. But all of them can be an excellent choice for each particular need you may have. They will certainly not impressed your neighbours. But these cars really make us question the more opulent automotive options.
Try them, and you’ll be asking yourself. Do you really need anything more than these in your life?
17 Likes
The Results.
On his break. Timo picked up the magazine he purchased in the morning at the newstand. The cover showed an array of automobile with text proclaiming “Cheap As Chips - The Most Affordable Cars in Britain”. It might’ve been coincidence that this issue was released pretty much immediately after the old Fiat 126 crapped out with a bang. But Timo prefer to think of it as a long time coming. He like that car, but he wouldn’t hold onto it forever.
The Fiat was sent to the scrapyard immediately after it stopped on the busy London street. At least it was light enough be easy to push out of traffic. Timo took a cab to get to the university just before he had to taught a class. Lucky him.
He leaf through the whole thing in a few minutes. Looking at all the cars in the comparison. What immediately comes to Timo’s mind was that apart from a few stand outs, they’re all really rather similar. I guess the economic of the third world means that cheap, poverty spec cars are a commodity that’s well suited to export. He couldn’t make his mind up by just looking at the reviews. As they aren’t that in-depth either. He has to inspect the cars himself.
Except for a few cars that he isn’t interested in at all. The Dynamite LC-4 for the example, he sees as just a capitalist way of accumulating more wealths by promoting a car as a fashion accessory, something most people don’t even need. Timo believes cars can have a soul, people can be passionate about them. But what trinkets that’s been attached to the LC-4, is there only to sell it.
The LLA Bandit does not interest him because of similiar reason. Not to the same extent, mind. Another problem is the clear quality issue that effects drivability. If he’s going to spend years operating a machine. It better not has quirks that make it less efficient as a whole.
The EE Ocelot is another that’s eliminated immediately. Timo does not care for excess. If the car could be a lot better without having the particular characteristic, why exactly should it come with that? The high riding position with looks to accompanied does not bring more merits to the Ocelot (at least for him). What good it may be. It’s not for him.
Another car to go is the Sheddok. Timo is not even sure it’s actually exist.
The Ligrani Allicante is another car that’s not in the visit list. For clearly being a fashion accessory that’s main merit is on it’s looks and sporty pretension. Not the things Timo’s looking for.
He was going to discount the F.I.L Deshevo, but it’s so intriguing that he’s going to see it even if he’s not going to buy it.
The SOFA is the next to go. If he wish to buy a car that’s still as miserable as a 1960’s design made with worn tooling can be. He’d just go with the still in production Fiat 126p. Especially when it’s more economical and actually faster. After all he does not need space for passenger.
Timo was going to eliminate the Fahrzeug C1 for it’s dangerous characteristic described. But sometimes automotive journalists cannot be trust. He’ll see it with his own eyes.
With the cars that’s left. Timo began seeing them in the flesh. On weekdays after work and weekend. He started visiting dealerships selling these cars. One by one.
The first was the AAU M2083. They weren’t kidding in the magazine, it’s absolulely tiny. But Timo is not a big guy. He fits in the AAU very nicely. Looking around he doesn’t see anything that would turn him off immediately. The GL model is the only one available on display. Timo asked the salesperson if cheaper model is available, as he doesn’t really want the radio (he still has the old aftermarket unit from the Fiat). The salesperson didn’t seem keen on selling cheaper model to him as he say he can have the GL immediately as it’s in stock, but cheaper model has to be ordered specially. Timo nodded. Requesting for a test drive. The AAU performed well comparing to the Fiat. Timo mentioned to the sales person that it’s quite peppy. Lightweight, chuckable. He quite like the ride quality as well. Timo could see himself driving one of these. Timo indeed was tempted to just buy it outright as it is everything he’d already ever need at a very reasonable price. But Timo knew he couldn’t just simply buy the first car he came across simply because it’s better than the Fiat.
The Boqliq Vrabie was another car that nearly got eliminated immediately as it’s not what Timo was looking for. But it was intriguing enough for him to make a short visit. He fits inside just fine and it can reasonably be use as a commuter car. In the end, despite it’s actual merits of being daily usable, Timo didn’t go for a test drive citing the reason as it’s still a sign of conspicuous consumption having a sports car.
Timo visited the Rapido Motors next. He asked the sales person if there’s any other trim than the sporty orientated S available. There was, but it would need to be ordered. In the end as the only available trim being the S. Timo walked away without a test drive seeing that the S use 16 inch wheels with 55 profile tyres. Extra cost for no actual merit. Which is a good thing because he’d have balked also at the unrefined engine if he got to fire it up.
Timo then visit the Znopresk dealership, requesting to see the Zap Prima. Another utterly basic car that would fit all of his use. The lack of radio does not bother him as he already own an after market unit he got for the Fiat that would fit in the dashboard. Timo requested a test drive of the Zap. Already liking the car very much and seeing that only slightly more cash will give him a much bigger space than the AAU that could be useful on occasional uses. He find the ride quality very agreeable and the engine similarly peppy to the AAU, yet with better drivability due to fuel injection, the invention that pleased him when he actually got a chance to try. The salesperson showed the merit of it by not having to use a choke to start from cold. He could also see himself driving this. Especially when the extra cash went into the right places. He’d have to think hard.
Sosumi dealership was the next destination. The salesperson proclaim the excellent rustproofing being the important feature after learning that Timo intended to keep the car for a long time. It doesn’t bother Timo much as he’d have waxoil-ed the car anyway like he did with the Fiat. (That’s how his ex-Fiat hadn’t rusted out after only 3 years). The interior appears to be very plush to him. Make Timo wondered if there’s a cheaper option. Yet again the dealership does not seems keen on selling a proper barebone car. A test drive was warranted anyway. And after throwing the car way too fast into a corner. Timo decided that this car is very much not for him. Not when the Prima and the AAU will do it’s job perfectly well (or better) for much cheaper than this. It might be a good option for people who doesn’t know much about cars who will just put petrol in it and go very slowly. Not Timo.
The next destination was not on the first plan. Timo already discounted the car for being a fashion accessory. But the Ligrani dealership happens to be on the way. He didn’t believe the magazine that the quality is that bad, but it is. Style over substance like a proper Italian machine. Strangely alluring. He walked away with it’s lasting on his mind long after.
JHW Sparrow was the next on his visit list. A basic saloon car that the sales person promised yet more good rust protection. Again, not that much of an issue since he’ll waxoil it anyway. The basic 1300 appears to be perfect for the job so Timo requested a test drive. The magazine was right that it’s very buzzy at proper motorway speed. And also the ride is noticeably worse than the Znopresk and the AAU. The redeeming feature was the acceleration rate that Timo was not expecting. But it’s a 1300cc engine so perhaps not a surprise. In the end Timo decided that for slightly less cash, he’d rather have the Znopresk or the AAU. Mainly because it’s unbearable motorway cruise characteristic. A shame.
Komodo Roviro Clarion-S was the next on agenda. Ticking all the right boxes. It looks nice, appears to be quite nicely put together for a cheap car. But that’s the main problem. It’s not cheap. Extra cost would better have something that the Znopresk and the AAU cannot offer. Which after a rather less comfortable test drive. He couldn’t find that extra merit. It’s rougher ride and louder exhaust means that this does not offer anything of use to him apart from a nicer driving experience. Which is not worth all that extra money.
The F.I.L Deshevo gets a visit because it’s so much intriguing. Timo had to have a test drive just to see what it’s actually like. To say he was not tempted would be wrong. He love it’s smooth 6-cylinder engine and it’s ease of operation. But the magazine was also right that it has some issue with it’s built quality. Not what he’s looking for at far too much money. But damn he loved driving it around the block.
Respondek Automotive FS1200 was the next car he visited. The car cost pretty much on the limit of what’s acceptable. Yet Timo cannot see where the money went. The interior and exterior quality is just poor. So perhaps the money went into engineering? The test drive went on and Timo couldn’t see it yet. A tad bouncy at the back, while the front is merely average. In the end he couldn’t see any reason why he’d have to choose this over the AAU or the Znopresk.
CM Halifax TS-C was the next car Timo visited. He love it’s appearance and utterly basic exterior while not being too much of a penalty box. The sales person proclaims that some of the body panels are in lightweight material. Does not interested Timo a bit. And it cost a lot to buy. What would be it’s saving grace? Requesting a test drive. Timo find the acceleration very addicting. For a price this cheap, the Halifax does accelerate like nothing else he’d ever driven. And on bumps it’s also not very comfortable. In the end Timo just wasn’t interested in it.
Timo then get a look at the TM Sinapp. He rather likes the look of the car itself. While it cost a little bit more than the Znopresk. It’s not too much if the merits match up with the cost. It’s a basic package with no pretention of being anything other than so. Apart from the cliché funky paints and advertising, there’s nothing that would suggest this car being not worthy. A test drive also revealed that it’s plenty fast enough and rather fun to chuck around. Timo was impressed. He put it on the contender list even if he still prefer the AAU and the Znopresk.
Then Timo got to test the Fahrzeug C1. He was not impressed by it’s rather high price tag. And he certainly was not impressed when he realised that the magazine was totally right in that it doesn’t handle properly. It doesn’t help that the tyres would be nigh on impossible to find replacement on the cheap with it’s low 55 profile tyres combined with 155 section. Away it goes.
The Suzume Hane cost the same as the TM Sinapp. Has about the same features. And is similarly tiny. Not a problem for Timo. The salesperson again announce that it comes standard with good rust proofing. Also not a problem. Timo then went on a test drive with the Suzume and realised yet again that the ride quality is indeed correctly described as atrocious. But it’s fast and it’s agile. In the end he couldn’t really live with that rear suspension so away it goes.
The next day Timo visited a Baltazar dealership and immediately took a liking to the Baltazar Quark 1250BS. It’s cheap, appears to be well built, and it’s practical. A test drive also revealed that it accelerates a lot better than the AAU, the Znopresk and the TM Sinapp. And that the ride quality is good, and it’s easy to operate. It’s certainly making a mark on Timo’s mind as it’s really nothing more than a Bog-Standard car. But should he spend the (tiny) extra cash to get the extra speed and space that he doesn’t need? And if he decided to spring some extra money. Would he rather have the Znopresk with it’s superior fuel delivery system that promised better reliability and drivability?
The WMD Lepido was the next car. Nice, light construction. It’s on an expensive side which appears to not offer any advantages to the other car. But of course Timo has to go for a drive. And then Timo realised that the extra cost would buy an incredibly superior acceleration. It also doesn’t handle too badly and is comfortable. But then again it’s acceleration is far too excessive and the rest of the car doesn’t offer any more merits that’s of use to Timo. A shame he thought. Maybe if all the other cars dealership got nuclear bombed the night before he do the deal?
Timo really liked the look of the Scarab Flare. But he was not keen on the S. It’s tyre are too low profile and he doesn’t really need all the acceleration. He could see himself in a cheaper, slower and less sporty version of one. But since the S seems to be the only variant available at the dealership. He pass on it rather disappointingly.
The Letto Bambino on the other hand didn’t impress Timo at all on looks department. He was ready to turn away at that moment but in the end even if he warm up to the looks. The price increase that did not end up in the right places ended the chance of him buying this.
Timo was also impressed with the modern looks for the BM Raven. But he wasn’t really keen with it’s unjoint feeling when he test drive it. A good car, but not a great car. It’s acceleration is excellent for somebody who likes to go quickly, somebody who is not Timo. In the end he dropped it from the running because the extra cost also didn’t offer him anything that would entice him, yet again.
Then it comes to the Adenine Cadence. And Timo was not at all impress with all the trinket it comes with as standard. It cost a lot of money while offering a lot of kits as a reward. Kits that Timo certainly didn’t want. Timo went on a test drive anyway to see if it’s as amazing as the magazine suggested. It was. But in his mind the only thing he sees is that the Sinapp and the Baltazar rides just as well, goes just as fast, and should be just as reliable and durable, if not more so. He couldn’t care less for the relatively posh stereo since he doesn’t even own Chrome cassette. Of course even with his casual ears the stereo sound amazing, but he doesn’t care enough to spend the extra cash. And he certainly was not keen on it’s trying to be something else it isn’t, that is, the chrome tacky grille.
The last car Timo looked at was the Smooth Linkey 12V. He was actually going to look at it earlier but happens to visit other dealers first. It’s a nice looking car, but again, he does not need the acceleration. If the extra cash would buy extra quality that make the car last longer, perhaps he’d have consider it. As it is, it’s a no.
Now. There’s only 4 cars left that Timo would considered buying for real. They’re all available today, ready to be driven off the lot tomorrow. The TM Sinapp was not really the option he’d choose. The little extra money required, but nothing offered in returned means that there’s only 3 that left Timo in a huge dilemma.
The AAU Model 2083 GL is all the car Timo ever need and more. It really is. He would’ve immediately chosen it if it’s a lesser, no radio model. It’s plenty fast enough for his use, it’s a smooth enough ride. A perfect replacement for the old Fiat 126. 2 seats will be enough, there’s enough space for his reams of paper he had to always carry around as a professor. So why exactly shouldn’t he just buy it? The radio is a nice extra?
The reason number one is because he couldn’t get his mind off the Znopresk. The Prima rides and drive a lot better than the AAU. It cost a little bit more to buy, but it’s clear that he’s getting a lot more in return in the reliability department as well. As it’s fuel injected. And it’s a lot more practical for very little amount of money. If there’s something that can be a money well spent, it’s the Znopresk Zap Prima.
And the second reason is the Baltazar Quark. it cost a little more than the Znopresk, still. And it appears to only have slightly more smoothness in the suspension and the engine as a return for that extra money spent. Compared to the Znopresk there’s nothing in it. But compared to the AAU it’s a little bit more excessive than Timo would’ve liked. Although, he’s contemplating if the nicer experience due to the superior performance will be worth the extra money. Timo doesn’t need sub 12 seconds 0-60. But when it’s 14 with only a little bit more money? It’s easy to say he’s tempted. But in the end he couldn’t justified spending all the extra money when the Znopresk will do the job.
So. The AAU or the Znopresk?
The AAU is exactly what Timo needed. A small, high quality automobile that will get him from A to B without issue for a long time. It’s designs are excellent and the value is absolutely none to surpasses.
But the Znopresk is exactly what Timo WANTED. It has all of the above qualities, but with something Timo couldn’t describe. Perhaps it’s the superior technology that he knows will be worth the extra money he needed. The extra money that he has, and willing to spend on a car he know is good. But that’s not the entirity of it all, of course. Perhaps it’s the fact that the AAU is just an appliance. And it’s manufacturer knows it.
Sitting alone in his little workroom. Timo contemplate all the things he’s learnt. And not so long after, he called for a cab.
The destination, a Znopresk dealership in Chiswick.
Timo already had the car he wanted in mind. He decided to just go for a car in the forecourt. An off-white Znopresk Zap Prima 900 i.e with absolutely no extra option. As basic as it goes. And as it’s a run out model in a rather unpopular spec, he got it at a substaintial discount. He also commissioned it to have all the chassis cavity waxoil-ed just for that extra bodyworks protection. He really wish to keep this car for a long time.
And for a long time he did. By the time Timo retired from his work as a professor in 2010. He still drove the Znopresk to work every single day. He never had any other cars although he did venture a bit into motorcycling when he was reaching 50. Just to capture the experience he had when he was younger. That didn’t last particularly long. But the Znopresk did. As of today, Timo still owns the car. And although he doesn’t drive it as commonly as he did as he’s approaching 70. He’s still love the car and promised to keep it as long as he’s able to.
Parked on the streets. Yet the body works appears to always be slightly better than a car of it’s age. It’s not perfect at all with dings and a little scratches that accumulates in 32 years of driving. The inside of course is always immaculate. The car’s still having it’s original engine despite having nearly 400,000 miles on it’s 6 digit clock.
As of late, surprising amount of people have lefting notes on the windscreen, showing interest in buying it. Timo never called back to those number. Although he wonders if one day he should sell it. He would get a paltry amount of money in return, and he wasn’t going to let it go unless he’s very sure that it’s going to a good home.
Now. 32 years since he bought it. He sometimes think about if he’d bought the AAU, would he still have it today? Timo think that he indeed would be. And he’d have been perfectly happy with that car as well. But everytime he look at the Znopresk Zap he got, he’s realised, it’s his Znopresk, he wouldn’t rather have anything else.
And that’s all of it folks! I hope you enjoy this round as much as I did making it!
As for the actual result.
1st NormanVauxhall
2nd Rk38
3rd Leonardo9613
Thank you for all the participants though, you’re all winners to me!
Approximately 89,000 characters were dispense. Forming 15,500 words long essay.
There are some imperfections in scoring. I wish it could’ve been better, but I did not have the time to do it. I’m sorry for any discrepancies or errors but I could not go back and fix them.
It was hugely fun though. And I hope I get to host again in the future. And I certainly hope you aren’t cringing at the thought at this point. XD
And with that, it’s time to end.
Goodbye.
22 Likes
NormanVauxhall has done it again! Full marks to him for giving exactly what the customer wanted - a cheap yet cheerful entry-level car with good value for money. I am hoping that he is actually able to host the next round, though, unlike last time where he had to pass up the opportunity. And at least I can take pride that I built something sportier than average and didn’t get cut immediately for it - the Lepido would have made a great budget hot hatch!
One more thing: the 1.2 in the designation for the Lepido is a typo; it should be 1.5 because that’s the displacement of its engine rounded to the nearest .1 litre. And it’s a 1.5-litre inline-3, not a 1.4-litre inline four as stated in the reviews.
Apart from that and other errors, though, you have done well as a first-time host, and I can applaud you for that.
1 Like
Thank you. And I’ve remedied that. 
4 Likes
Yay, not dead last! I don’t think.
It was a challenging build all around, thanks to conan for hosting this round!
(and someone needs to teach me how to tune suspensions, methinks)
2 Likes
Absolutely great review and epilogue. Really. I loved the format.
After the magazine review I thought my car was to slow but when I’ve started reading the Timo comments I start to regain hope.
Unfortunately I don’t have the time to host the next CSR, so… RK38 up to you.
Zap Ztronk
The front fascia is uncorrect cause a missing grill, probably he fitted an older bonnet 
9 Likes
again, let down by my lack of forethought. still, better than i thought with my typical British B-seg
I didn’t get insta 
On my more wildcard “what’s the biggest i3 I can fit within budget” build. Sweet. 
But I will be more sensible with the actual Rapido Motors lore. = i4 crap boxes for the masses. Maybe I’ll have an i3 as an ex-tractor motor they used at some point, or a diesel?
1 Like
Congrats @NormanVauxhall on taking the silverware!!! 
Also congrats to @conan for hosting an interesting round; the tight budget was really challenging! 
On a more personal note, was Timo autobiographical? Or was he based on someone IRL? The way you wrote the epilogue feels like the character actually exists rather than just a made up figment of your imagination… 
I’m now really bummed that my car lost as I’d have loved to see Timo proudly driving my Vrabie into his 70’s but totally agree that the best car won!
Conan was thinking out loud on the discord, I’m pretty sure the character wasn’t autobiographical but Conan put a lot of thought and effort into being in character. I thought he was going to blow a gasket trying to decide among the finalists.
On that note one of the reasons this was both so extensively written and released in a timely fashion was that everything was reviewed when it came in. This may not be possible for everybody (and I’m certainly not an example of it, look at my last challenge, 2 months later and I’m finally releasing reviews…) but it sure is the gold standard when it comes to running CSR smoothly and to a high level.
10 Likes