Time for me to finally contribute something to society.
The year is 1982, and I’ve finally got enough money from my small car business to splurge on a nice luxury car… What better way, I figured, then to check out with the people at Storm Automotive, and their Sentinel, new for 1982, because it’s the eighties, and everything is new!
Now, Let’s talk about the looks… After all, with a car this prestigious, it should draw a crowd with it’s styling. Now, to be honest, and in a year where everything is new, Storm boldly declare to show a car with a classic style. Pre-War, I would have guessed. The type of car Stalin would arrive in. When I first laid eyes on the car, I really wasn’t too fond of it… The dual headlights and the dual grill remind me more of a truck than a luxury car… And particularly when you stare at it head on, it looks a bit dinky, even with the winged badge… But as I followed along the sides more and more, I could start to get a feel for the look this car was going for. Classic, Dainty, Elegant. Quite nice. I think the pillars in particular give the car a good shape. Up Unti- JEEZ THAT REAR END.
Okay, maybe I overreacted, but holy hell, did the manufacturing accidently order eighty billion too many rear lights, and the designers had no choice but to use them up? 3 or 4 lights would have looked just fine, and from a distance, so does this. But when you examine the fine details, it’s just a mess. Overall, classy. Not what I would personally purchase, but very nice. Not too shouty, not too subtle either.
Inside is a similar story. It rather follows the style of the Outside, which Is something I usually look for. Consistency is important, and it didn’t disappoint. Although, that’s where the compliments end. It’s a bit dissapointing for a car of this class. Yes, it is comfortable, but it’s certainly not gonna knock you out with it’s amazing style or luxury… It’s certainly high end, but I don’t feel like there was much attention to detail here. Like they where given 2 Hours to design the most luxurious car possible. Big deal? not even kinda. However, what IS a big deal is the Driving experience. This car should be an easy glide around town… And it’s not. It’s pretty miserable at low speeds actually. The throttle isn’t linear at all. You’ve got a few inches of pedal travel where little happens, but then if you tap it just a teeeny bit more, the car lets out a growl, and the whole body lurches forward, throwing all the occupants with it. Pretty miserable. Why? I wondered. Well, As I read the specs, this car has a 3.6 Liter DOHC Inline 6, with a turbo stuck on it. Turbocharging? on a luxury car? I started out my company with a turbocharged car just a few short years before this, and the technology has evolved since then. But that was a SPORTS car. Not a luxury car. I could only wonder why… Turbos are for boosting performance, and In a car like this, it would be perfectly acceptable for a giant engine with a terrible power to displacement ratio, and just be an easy drive. Look. I get it. I sound like one of those whiners in the 50s who claimed the Prince needed a bigger engine. (And It Did) But the power isn’t the issue here. It’s the delivery of power, and the rwd model is just a mess, and the tires don’t help. 175s. Front and rear, and steel wheels. Sigh that’s acceptable when you’re a little econobox with 110 Horsepower. If you nail it in the RWD model, even with the Fancy diff and 4 speed auto, you’re gonna spin this thing around. The AWD fixes these issues, and offers .1 Less MPG. If you’re gonna get this car, get the AWD one, no buts. My only complaint is that the lurchy diesel feeling hasn’t left.
Overall, What are my thoughts on this car? It shows promise. It’s not what I could call a prestigious car, but it’s snazzy, and pretty sleek. It’s got a pretty nice power curve, and an even nicer torque curve. Very flat. Much to my liking. once you get it rolling, and feels especially nice on the highway for doing pulls. But it feels unfinished. Very unfinished. They could stand to put more attention to detail in the interior, make the turbo softer or slower, or even ditch it altogether.
