Cars still being submitted? Are these only able to be stock?
Yes, feel free to submit cars.
Ah ok thanks.
And yes, this magazine is mainly for cars in original condition but I may throw in some content about modified cars once in a while. So my suggestion if you want an article about something custom built is that you ask me first.
3 Likes
REPRINT FROM #5 2011
CLASSIC CAR PAGES: RAUK PM2 AND ITA CUTER
ONE IDEA, TWO SOULS
The RAUK PM2 is by no means a large car. But it dwarfs the tiny ITA Cuter like nothing.
Both the RAUK PM2 and the ITA Cuter has an interesting history behind them. RAUK, the low series sports cars manufacturer that started by draping humble Volvo chassis with exotic fibreglass bodies. ITA, the volume manufacturer that decided to make a sports car based on the engine from their failed family sedan project. None of them were volume sellers, but the 5700 examples sold of the Cuter sure makes it almost common compared to the 393 examples sold of the RAUK PM2. And it is interesting that you can draw some parallells between them. Low weight, an almost perfect weight distribution and an engine from a regular family car. But of course there is some differences. When the Cuter was released in 1962, RAUK had almost reached the end of the PM2 production. And probably they did not know much about each other when engineering and designing the cars. So, when stacked up against each other, how do the two souls compare?
Stepping into the ITA and closing the door, it feels kind of solid. An all steel unibody gave it good torsional rigidity for its era and you can kind of notice it. When the 1.4 litre flat four comes alive, it has a somewhat rough idle with a charming helicopter-like sound, but it is still smooth and gentle enough to send grandma grocery shopping with. The sporty tuning has not gone overboard.
You feel cradled in the tiny cockpit. The seats are hugging you (well, at least compared to most other 60s cars), the dashboard with its full instrumentation gives you a feeling that this is something that is supposed to fly up in the air rather than be rolling on the roads. There is a sense of quality, and if there still was anything to listen to on the AM band, we could have had some music. Oh well. The flat 4 is music enough.
The acceleration aren’t really quick by todays standards, almost any family sedan could beat 11.3 seconds to 100 nowadays, but in a vehicle this light and small, the sense of speed is something different. Going through the four gears with the accelerator more or less glued to the floor, we finally reach the top speed of 150 km/h. And it feels stable, the unusual for its era radials might be one of the explanations. And it takes the corners with grace, skidpad numbers is said to be around 0.93 G. But the understeering is a bit more marcant than we would have liked in a sports car, we would have expected a more neutral handling with this weight distribution. One surprise is that it actually has power steering. If that is a good thing is a matter of taste. In the 60s they seldom gave the feedback of the road that you would have liked, and the car is so light that it shouldn’t have been necessary. But on the other hand it reduced the number of turns lock to lock, and the size of the steering wheel.
For being a 60s sports car, the comfort is actually not bad. The suspension tuning seems to be a good compromise between handling and ride, the seats gives good support as said earlier.
ITA Cuter, understeering but secure.
All in all, it is a very easy car to live with. Even the braking is a pleasant surprise. Discs up front, pulling straight at panic stops and without any signs of fading, 41.2 metres from 100 to 0. Despite being a small and light (747 kg!) sports car, it is by no means primitive. One can well imagine that this probably could have survived into the early 80s, had the factory just wanted to.
And after a lap on the airfield track, the clock stops at 1.41.04.
RAUK PM2, faster at the price of…everything.
Stepping out of the cuter and opening the fibreglass door on the RAUK is a completely different story. There is no feeling of solidity here, a lightweight fibreglass body that was still sitting on top of a ladder frame. The whole car rattles just by closing the door and from the snug and relaxing cockpit in the Cuter, we arrive in something that’s more like a torture chamber. Only a simple rubber carpet on the floor that seems to be cut out with a sheath knife. No sports seats here, in fact they are straight out of a 50s Ford Popular. Yes, the surviving pre-war model that we used to call the 2x4". Switches and dials are scattered all over the plywood dash with its glued on mahogany veneer. There is not even a seat belt, not that we think that it would help much sitting in this fragile fibreglass eggshell, but still.
The sound of a tuned Volvo engine is familiar to most Swedes and evokes proud feelings of nostalgia. And even though having a hot cam and DCOE carbs, the 1.6 litre “B16” inline four is not as coarse as one may think. A blip on the throttle and it reacts quicker than the flat 4 in the ITA ever managed to. And 95 hp is more than 77, but on the other hand the RAUK is heavier at 828 kg. Hardly a heavyweight champion among todays SUVs though.
The acceleration test says that they are almost equal, the RAUK slightly faster at 11 seconds. But higher up in the register the ITA doesn’t stand a chance. The RAUK will keep accelerating until it reaches 182 km/h, but if the road is not smooth and nice, the driver will have a challenge to keep the car in a straight line then. The crossplies are probably taking its toll.
Despite rolling on crossplies, the RAUK corners better at 0.95 G. But it is not the most tame car for an unexperienced driver. It starts to telling you that you are going over the limit by understeering, at a uncomfortably high speed, and if you ignore that it will break loose with its tail instead. Probably they were a bit handicapped by using the more primitive Volvo Amazon suspension with a coil sprung solid rear axle, instead of the semi trailing arm axle used in the ITA. On the other hand, the Volvo Amazon (that borrowed all suspension components to the PM2) had a double wishbone front suspension compared to the struts used in the ITA, but it was never known to be the best engineered one on the market.
Having a steering box from the Volvo Amazon meant no power steering, but we can’t say that we are missing it either. There is many other things that makes the RAUK horribly uncomfortable, like the complete lack of sound insulation, stiff front suspension and total lack of comfort equipment. Radio? Forget it, you have the roaming DCOEs on the B16 to listen to.
Even though using drums all around, the stopping distances are identical to the ITA Cuter, and the fading problems seems to be even more non-existant. But the special semi-metallic brake shoes probably are one major factor there. Replace them with cheap no-name aftermarket parts and you will have more trouble with stopping the car.
And a lap around the airfield speaks for itself. 1.39.94.
I saved a little over a second in this rattling, unsafe, uncomfortable, more expensive,fuel gulping primitive beast.
If your only priority was to go fast, the RAUK was a better choice. On the other hand, if you wanted to be able to actually LIVE with the car, well…there is no question about which one that was the civilized choice.
One idea, the light and simple sports car.
But two completely different results.
(Thanks to @Prium for the Cuter and for the idea to compare it to the PM2!)
6 Likes
When do other cars get published on the page?
Great analysis! I loved the level of detail of the comparisson. It also shows how people from different places can come with the same idea, even if they prioritized different aspects of their vehicles (performance in the case of RAUK, safety in the case of ITA). I wonder if any of those PM2 got imported into Argentina…
2 Likes
You know, this is not my full time job. 
Have patience.
1 Like
REPRINT FROM #12 2006
REVIEW OF HAKUMAI CREST RS V6
WOLF IN SHEEPS CLOTHING
No. We don’t encourage this type of driving. Blah-blah-blah. You know.
“You only test boring cars. Why don’t you test something completely wicked once in a while?”. The letters are flooding us sometimes. Well, now you got what you did wish for.
Aluminium body, double wishbone rear suspension, rear wheel drive, DOHC turbo V6, limited slip differential, 384 hp…we are talking about a sports car, right? Sort of, actually. But japanese Hakumai have managed to squeeze everything inside a small hatchback. Why? Probably because they could, they aren’t really known for wanting to be the brand that disappears into the crowd, and it’s sort of nice that cars like this can exist in a grey and boring world of commuter boxes on wheels that more or less looks and feels the same. But let’s disconnect the heart for a while and give it a honest review from the brain, like we have done with other cars for almost 60 years now.
DRIVING CHARACTERISTICS
This is a powerful RWD vehicle with a relatively light tail and one would easily believe that the rear wheels would spin if not being careful on the gas. But the wheelspin is kept under control thanks to a torsen type differential and traction control. The cornering abilities are amazing at least to a limit, with impressive skidpad numbers of 1.12 G. But at really high speeds the heavy front end is starting to take its toll and there is heavy amounts of understeer.
The steering is not of the variable ratio type which feels a bit sparse in a car with sporty ambitions like this. A somewhat more precise feel on the highway would have been welcome, but that’s something you are able to live with.
The brakes are a bit questionable. The braking force is very much biased to the rear, and if it had not been for the standard mounted ABS, we would probably have experienced premature lockup in the rear. The stopping distances are short, but when driving hard there was amounts of brake fade that was concerning.
VERDICT: ***
PERFORMANCE:
This is fast. Not hot hatch fast. Sports car fast. 12.9 second quartermile times. 5 seconds to 100. A 293 km/h top speed. 80-120 times of 2.48 seconds. This is a bomb on wheels. We could come up with superlatives the whole day probably, but why? Just let the numbers speak for themselves.
VERDICT: *****
COMFORT
Seating comfort is about average, they do lack some side support that you would have liked in a car with this kind of performance. The sound insulation is sparse, to save on weight but the V6 is not overly noisy, tyre and wind noise are more annoying than the engine. Suspension is a bit on the firm side, as expected in a car like this, but we have experienced much worse, it won’t kill your back completely in the bumps. Tradeoffs are always done for the sake of sportiness in a car like this and no, the Crest is absolutely not a comfortable car for long distance traveling. But it still offers some basic levels of comfort.
VERDICT: **
ROOMINESS
It is small and it has a space consuming RWD layout. Cabin is cramped, but if you see this as a sports car rather than a hatch, it becomes a bit more forgiving. After all, the Crest has a back seat that is at least good enough for 2 people (legal for 3, but that is not comfortable). Also, 707 litres of luggage space is not bad for this class.
VERDICT: **
EQUIPMENT
The Crest offers what could be expected from a small hatchback, nothing more, nothing less. You don’t find any ambitions to make the car pseudo-sporty with things like contoured bucket seats, leather wrapped steering wheel or aluminium/carbon fibre panels on the inside that many hot hatch makers have squeezed inside, it looks just like any regular hatchback, maybe because the Crest has absolutely nothing to prove. Comfort wise, things like electric windows, central locking, CD player and a simple manual AC system are not considered luxuries even in this class anymore. This car does not sell on gizmos anyway and weight reduction is the word here. At least it has a much needed traction control system, but no variable ratio steering.
VERDICT: **
ENGINE AND DRIVETRAIN
This is where the Hakumai really shines. As stated earlier, this is more or less a sports car drivetrain. The 3.2 litre all aluminium V6 has all the technology you can think of, like direct injection, turbocharging, VVT and VVL. It puts out 384 hp at 7000 RPM where the rev limiter unfortunately cuts off immediately. The turbo kick feels like something from the 80s but that is easily forgiven in a car like this. The torque is an impressive 459 Nm. Despite all this, they have managed to keep the emissions from the tailpipe relatively clean, it passes all the upcoming regulations on the horizon. The gearbox? A 6 speed dogleg manual of course. Did you expect something else? And we really loved it. It could be shifted fast and abused about as hard as we wanted to, the best manual we have tested in a long time.
VERDICT: *****
QUALITY
The car appears to be quite well put together. You don’t really get the impression that it is carved out from a solid piece of metal but we found nothing that felt cheap or annoying. The driveline can take great amounts of abuse (which is probably needed) and the predicted reliability is actually very good considering the type of car this is. It is just not slopped together, it is well thought out to be able to cope with all the resources it has. Also, galvanized unibody with aluminium outer panels means that the rust will have huge problems with killing this car.
VERDICT: ****
ECONOMY
We can’t complain about the amount of car you get for $36100 AMU, however, calling it cheap is really a stretch. Insurance premiums will be completely bonkers for a car like this, and servicing is not cheap. 9.4 litres per 100 km is a bad figure for a small hatch, a good figure for a sports car with this performance, so it all depends on how you see it. The aluminium body means that collision damage can be expensive to repair. On the good side though, it will probably keep its value well if taken care of. There is always enthusiasts looking for a car like this on the second hand market.
VERDICT: **
SAFETY
Compared to the most modern competitors, it lacks some equipment. There is only a drivers side airbag, no ESC and the centre rear seat has no headrest and only a lap belt, to name a few things. Euro NCAP gives the Crest a 3 star rating, and so do we.
VERDICT: ***
Not as innocent as its looks may suggest, even if the hood scoop, wide arches and 3-piece alloys can make anyone suspicious.
FINAL VERDICT: 28/45
It is hard to justify a car like this from a rational standpoint. It is a pretty average small hatchback, not bad, just average, to a high price with high running costs. On the other hand, it is a very practical car if you compare it to other sports cars with a devilish level of performance like this. Hakumai will fill a very narrow niche with this car. It is certainly not intended to be a volume seller, and why should it? As we stated earlier, it is so uplifting that a car like this still can survive in a world of conformity.
May we predict a future classic?
(Thanks to @interior for the car!)
5 Likes
how can i submit a car?
Just PM me the car file and maybe some info you want me to know about it.
REPRINT FROM #15 2010
TEST DRIVE: AXEL MRS TURBO
DR JEKYLL AND MRS HYDE
There is more that shines than just the bright yellow paint, especially in crowded city traffic. But the horizon is not without some dark clouds here.
Axel is a young car brand, actually not even 30 years old. And because of their narrow model programme, they have continued to be a niche manufacturer, more or less. But they have their fair share of enthusiasts and we have decided to take a little closer look on the new MRS Turbo to see what the rage is all about.
At only 3.85 metres of length, the MRS Turbo is a small car, but by no means spartan. That shows already in the body construction with high strength steel in the structure and outer body panels in aluminium. Under the bonnet there is an unusual configuration of an 1 litre 3-cylinder turbo. Putting out 120 hp it feels kind of zippy but it has to move more weight than you expect. 1236 kg is not really extremely lightweight considering that it is a small car with an aluminium body. The luxurious interior for its class and the very high level of safety might be an explanation. The MRS Turbo is one of the best superminis ever tested by Euro NCAP.
11.7 seconds to 100 and a top speed of 180 km/h means that this is more of a fun little city car than a hot hatch, though, and as a such it does that job well, nimble and small as it is. Except for one thing - the fuel economy, an important part for almost any buyer of a car like this. There is no excuse for drinking 9.9 litres per 100 km for a 3-cylinder car of this size. $29600 AMU is maybe not a bargain either and the service costs are on the higher side.
On the other hand you get a car that feels much larger than it actually is. There is insane amounts of space on the inside, the interior has both materials and equipment that you usually only find in larger cars, but the lack of rear doors somehow hampers that a bit. Also, the comfort of the luxurious and spacious interior is a bit hampered by the firm chassis setting, that on the other hand gives great cornering abilities. The understeer is not as appearant as in some other torsion beam FWD cars either. The brakes are good but somewhat sensitive to fading. There is ABS and traction control, but believe it or not, no ESC despite the high safety ambitions.
No, frankly we believe that Axel stays a niche manufacturer. This car does not feel well thought out. It does not know what it wants to be. Hot hatch, city car, small luxury car? It is expensive to buy and run even compared to larger cars, it has an aluminium body and a 3 cylinder engine but is by no means light, and it drinks fuel like if there was no tomorrow. Still the performance is not anything to brag about. It is one of the roomiest cars in its class but that practicality is hampered by its 2 door body, it has high safety ambitions but is still missing some equipment, and it has strange engineering decisions like putting narrower tyres in the rear than up front, and in very weird dimensions.
This car shines on a few points, but there is way better allrounders out there.
(Thanks to @Frostquake for the car!)
5 Likes
REPRINT FROM #1 1997
REVIEW OF VOITURE INFIME VSR
C’EST FANTASTIQUE!
We agree that the headline is silly, but for buyers looking for a pure driver’s machine, the Infime VSR has much to offer.
The hot hatch is far from dead. Sure, insurance premiums and curb weight has been increasing steadily for the last 10 years, taking away most of the fun from the 80s. But there is still interesting competitors in the class. Take the Infime VSR as an example. The Swedish importer is selling every example they can bring in and if you are looking for an used one to cut the waiting time, well, good luck. But what is the reason behind its success? Read our review and find out.
DRIVING CHARACTERISTICS
Probably this is about as good as front wheel drive handling gets. It is so neutral without any understeering characteristics that it is easy to start to wonder if you aren’t in a RWD car after all. One reason might be the advanced double wishbone rear suspension that helps keeping the rear wheels under full control instead of just dragging them behind. And the skidpad numbers are speaking for themselves at 1.15 G! Yes, you did read it right.
The brakes also could be said to be in a class of their own. In just 32.5 metres it stops from 100. There is absolutely no signs of fading (vented discs all around, by the way!), the brake balance is well proportioned and ABS is standard.
Yet it is of course an easy and nimble car to drive, that could be used as a daily without any hassle at all. A standard torsen type differential and electronic anti-spin system keeps the expensive sticky tyres from going up in smoke. Variable ratio power steering is standard and works well.
This is simply a car that you get in and never wants to step out of. A car made for the driver, giving reward for every input from the pedals, gear lever and steering wheel.
VERDICT: *****
PERFORMANCE
This car is a little bomb. 230 km/h top speed is maybe not the most impressive number nowadays but enough to lose your license by great margins, so. The acceleration of 6.78 seconds to 100 and 4.03 seconds between 80 and 120 would have been considered sports car fast just some years ago, and quartermile times of 14.82 seconds are also great numbers.
VERDICT: ****
COMFORT
Of course there is some tradeoffs because of the excellent handling. A firm suspension and very low profile tyres does not really result in a smooth and soft ride. The drone from the engine can also get nerve-wrecking on long trips, to say the least, but hey, in a car like this the engine should not be muted, right?
There is no full feathered sports seats, but rather standard seats with a little extra side bolstering. In the back actually so much that it renders the car a pure 4-seater. But they are really supportive, and surprisingly comfortable.
But for the long highway cruise or a journey through bumpy country roads, well, we would maybe suggest something else.
VERDICT: *
ROOMINESS
The car is cramped, but on the other hand it is small so it might be excused. Despite being a 4 door, the back seat is nothing for adults other than for very short trips, and absolutely not for more than two of them. And the luggage compartment, well, our suggestion is to pack lightly. Stuffing in more than a couple of bags will be a challenge.
This is no MPV, but honestly, did you expect that?
VERDICT: *
EQUIPMENT
The comfort equipment in the Infime VSR is on a normal level for its class. But there is some other really pleasant surprises. Adaptive damping and semi active sway bars for example, is something you expect to find mostly in more upmarket cars. Traction control and a limited slip differential is also standard, as well as 16 inch alloy wheels on sticky rubber and a tape player that didnt really impress on us, but on the other hand, the boombox crowd will throw it out immediately anyway while the driving enthusiasts probably does not care.
VERDICT: ****
ENGINE AND DRIVETRAIN:
Despite being naturally aspirated, the 1.6 litre inline four has an impressive power output for its size of 173 hp. Variable valve timing and lift means that the torque curve is really nice and flat. The throttle response is simply amazing and the engine runs relatively smooth, even if being a bit loud. The gearbox is a six speed manual, with close-ratio gearing and the operation was really smooth, for being a FWD vehicle it is among the more pleasant manuals we have shifted.
VERDICT: *****
QUALITY
You have heard all the myths about unreliable french cars, but do they have some truth behind them? Fact is, that the Infime can cope with the abuse that is thrown at it, reliability is no worse than the average car, and gives the impression that it is actually really well built. Some of the outer panels are made of aluminium, which both saves weight and reduces the risk for corrosion. But despite some extra rust protection being applied, there is just standard steel in the structure, which means some risk of rust in the years to come, even if we doubt that the problems will be on 70s levels.
VERDICT: ***
ECONOMY
27600 for a small car sounds like a lot, but considering that you get very much for your money, its acceptable. A light weight of only 1014 kilograms means that tax will be cheap but the insurance 'premium might on the other hand be bloody (as it will be for most of the competition too). Service costs are high, a drawback with lots of advanced technology like this. However, being a sought after car means that second hand value is among the best on the market. 8.5 litres per 100 km is not bloody at all, considering that we are talking about a high performance car.
VERDICT: ***
SAFETY
The old truth that small cars are deathtraps is maybe not so much of a truth anymore. The Infime has equipment like a drivers side airbag, headrests and 3-point belts on all seating positions, side impact beams and height adjustable front seatbelts. That’s good for the class even if some competitors have gone even further. ABS is an important addition to the active safety, as well as the impressive brakes and handling, of course.
VERDICT: ***
The Infime VSR is a great package of everything a hot hatch buyer wants.
FINAL VERDICT: 29/45
First, we want to say that pure numbers are far from everything. A car like this clearly has its drawbacks when it comes to comfort, interior space and economy and will never be a “sane” buy. Neither will any of its competitors. Voiture has put the resources where hot hatch buyers want them the most. A great driveline, excellent handling and brakes and frisky performance. What more could you expect?
We can clearly say that this is among the best cars in its class and a pure favourite for us, and we really understand why it is so sought after. It has really struck bulls eye when it comes to what most buyers of a car like this are looking for, and we can’t find anything to complain about.
(Thanks to @replaY for the car!)
6 Likes
REPRINT FROM #19 1995
FIRST LOOK: AUXIO SV500
OH, WHAT A CAR! (FOR A CHOSEN FEW)
Here, on american ground, there will probably be some SV500s rolling around. In Sweden it will be a player in the margins. But dreaming is cheap…
$57500 AMU for a car? It better has to be fantastic then, right?
In this case, it is Tanakas latest try to boost the image of their Auxio brand, the SV500 luxury coupé, where we managed to get a short test drive of a pre-production example. Fact is, that it is an attempt to further distance Auxio and Tanaka. While earlier Auxios have been rebadged versions of the most luxurious version of the JDM Tanakas, this is a completely different car. Or, almost. It’s based on a Tanaka Courser platform (a model we will never see in europe) but the interior and exterior are of their own design.
The first impressions are positive. A 377 hp V8 will send the 1.7 tonne luxury cruiser up to 100 in 5.6 seconds and it has a top speed over 300 that will put most of the cars on the german autobahn to shame. The price to pay is that it is not quite whispering though. It’s burbling on loudly but there is on the other hand lots of sound insulation and one of the best audio systems on the market in cause you get tired of listening to the V8 (which we doubt, it may be loud but it has a pleasant roar to it).
And we think that Auxio may have nailed it here. The key is that it is such a competent package overall. There is faster, better handling, more comfortable, easier to drive cars out there. But few of them are doing everything as good at the same time as the SV500. And it is said to be extremely safe, the aluminium body means that there will not be any rust issues, the brake fade problems that was evident in early examples of the AQ500 is a thing of the past. It is sparse on fuel considering weight and performance and it features lots of interesting technology like active aerodynamics.
But as we said, it comes at a cost. In Sweden, there is not a huge market for luxury coupés like this, few people can afford them, especially in times like this after the huge financial crisis some years ago, not to mention afford the costs of ownership. The few buyers that still will get one can consider themselves lucky because you get a great car for the money, no question about it.
In the US market it will probably become a success. And we think that this is the boost that Auxio really needs. They are showing that they really CAN challenge the more traditional, huge, heavy names in the luxury class.
(Thanks to @Aaron.W for the car!)
6 Likes
REPRINT FROM #21 2019
FIRST LOOK: JEDAMO ZENRIN TURBO JPD
POCKET ROCKET - AT A PREMIUM
The outside may be beautiful in most people’s eyes, but it is the inside that counts, and it does deliver all that the outside promises.
The Turbo JPD edition of the Zenrin will be Jedamo’s weapon of choice for motor sports in 2020. After we got a chance of having a small sneek peek at one of the examples built for homologation, we think that they have got a possibility for success. Under the hood we find a 380 hp 2.3 litre inline 5 cylinder turbo - that we guess that there is still some horses left to squeeze out from. Aluminium body panels will save on weight, and an advanced multilink rear suspension (paired with conventional McPherson struts up front) will keep it planted to the road. AWD and an electric LSD means that there will always be grip for the already sticky 255 wide track ready tyres.
And the car is pure rage indeed. How about a 1.23 G skidpad rating? A 4.1 second 0-100 time, top speed of 261 km/h, 12.43 second quartermile time? The brakes have almost enough bite to give you a blackout, stopping from 100 km/h is done in just a bit over 30 metres.
The driving experience speaks for itself. The car really hugs the track, reacts to all your inputs exactly like you want to, it’s more or less an extension of yourself, to use a worn out cliché.
But at $58100 AMU this is not a car for everyone, and it was never supposed to be. But we predict it to bring success to Jedamo at the racetrack - and joy to the lucky few civilian buyers that will get their hands on an example.
(Thanks to @replaY for the car!)
5 Likes
REPORT FROM #24 2000
USED CAR REVIEW: 1994 AMA KINGBIRD
WHO DARES, WINS.
The AMA Kingbird is sort of a bargain in the luxury class at the moment, but search carefully for the right example!
Let’s get the facts straight to start with, the myth that the AMA Kingbird has a tweed cap for the driver included in its standard equipment is just a myth and nothing else. On the other hand, it is about the only thing that was NOT included. And being sort of an overlooked model, Kingbird values are at an all time low. For people looking for something different, there is a chance to find a bargain at the moment. But isn’t it risky to buy a second hand luxury car?
To be honest, yes it is. For 1994 the Kingbird was packed with absolutely everything that could be found, which also means everything that can break. And breaks, it does. But the good thing is that the “tweed cap” customer base that has been a standing joke when it comes to the Kingbird often have babied their examples. You have a great chance of finding a low mileage example that has been serviced according to the book, if not better. And you should. Of course, you can find even cheaper examples, with many miles on the odometer and with flaws and dings, questionable maintenance etc. - but please, don’t! In this case, buying cheap is the expensive alternative.
To start with, the 4.6 litre V8 seldom causes problems, a moderate output of 280 hp means that there is not much stress on it. There has been some rare cases of piston failure when driven very hard - but they are few and far between. However, a good service history is the key here. Being a DOHC you should stay away from an example with a rattling timing chain, a failure will end up with engine damage, and the complicated construction means that a swap is expensive. Also, the 4 speed automatic and the viscous differential are generally reliable - as long as they have been maintained and driven properly.
A greater cause of trouble is the suspension. A double wishbone front and multilink rear means that there is lots of balljoints and bushings that can wear out - though they are of high quality. But leaking air suspension and troublesome adaptive dampers is a dark - and expensive - chapter when it comes to the Kingbird. If it looks sagging or if it drives strangely - watch out!
Then there is of course all the electronics in a car like this that can always be a source of trouble - but considering that about everything you could get in 1994 is standard, the amount of electrical gremlins aren’t concerning compared to other cars in its class - but check that everything is working and that no warning lights are lit on the dashboard. Some vehicles (not alarmingly many, but still) have had SRS troubles. The airbag light should light up for a short while before it shuts off when the ignition is turned on. If the lamp is dark - watch out. It might be a sign that the bulb has been removed instead of a fix of the actual problem.
Rust should not be a worry though. The Kingbird’s protection against corrosion is among the better on the market.
The Kingbird is maybe not the most exciting drivers car out there, but for relaxed and comfortable driving it fits like a glove.
So, what is your reward then if you manage to find the right example? Well, to start with, it is of course an extremely comfortable car, thanks to the air suspension, fantastic interior and smooth, quiet V8. Also, data from the US from both NHTSA crash testing and insurance statistics shows that it has a safety that is matched by few. But maybe the most important part is that for compact car money, you will buy something really different and impressive.
There is of course drawbacks too. One of the major reasons why the Kingbird is so anonymous on the market is that it is not really the sharpest driving experience out there, and that it is outperformed by some competitors. But the Kingbird is not about being the first to leave at the redlights or about carving corners. It is about relaxed driving, with dignity and comfort. That may be some reasons for the image as an old man’s car. On the other hand, it means that the Kingbird is a bargain at the moment, so if you are in the market for one, it is only good news.
It will never be a cheap car to own and service though, even if it has a relatively good fuel economy for what it is, and even if there is an useable back seat, the coupé body and tiny luggage compartment means that it is far from a practical vehicle.
If you can live with its drawbacks and is aware that it can be a risky buy, go ahead. As long as you find the right example, of course.
(Thanks to @abg7 for the car!)
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Thank you for the review - you are spot-on once again! The Kingbird is certainly a complicated machine for its time, which makes buying a used example a gamble - but one that can pay off massively in the end if you find one that’s been well-kept and can afford (and are willing) to keep it in good working condition over the long term.
I also made a few lesser trims that don’t have the air suspension (or the adaptive dampers, in the case of the base model) as standard (as is the case with the submitted trim), which means those have fewer things that can go wrong, but they obviously aren’t as comfortable as the trim I submitted for this review.
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Since the market is limited for specialty vehicles like this in Sweden, I guess that the importer concentrated on this trim anyway. (IRL it probably would have been this one).
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Judging by your review, it seems that the importer made the right decision - among all the trims I made of this car, it’s the one that’s better suited to a trip across the continent than any of the others. It is, in fact, not the most powerful trim I made; speaking of which, that one has a manual gearbox and steel springs - but that version would certainly need a separate review.
Anyway, your writing style is among the best I’ve seen on this subforum - keep up the great work!
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