PRIMUS on the 1995 Letaran Auto Convention
“FRAUD!”, we heard a competitor´s representative complaining, and we can´t be mad at him. The Merit was introduced last year, the Imperator even in 1991.
BUT we have profund reason to introduce them as new models, and the man nodded in the end and drank a coffee with us. Let us show the cars in detail:
MERIT
The Merit is the successor of the Astrona, and in general more premium. One of the very first Gasmean models, from which most Letaran Primus are derived since they need sidemarkers as well, was tested last year and besides overall praise, criticized for wallowy suspension and fading brakes.
“Apart from brake fade issues (due to undersized brakes and no brake cooling) and somewhat soft suspension, the Merit has a lot of, erm, merit. It has plenty of standard equipment (including stability control) and looks the part inside and out, with commensurate performance. Staggered tires could complicate servicing, though. (abg7, QFC19)”
Since Letarans tend to drive like maniacs (dont remind us of the mid-70s Globus Premier crashes) and the Merit is advertized as sports sedan, the Letaran model is no longer a twin of the rest.
The 1995 Letara Merit differs in many details, the most prominent are
- slightly sportier suspension tuning
- sportier looking alloy wheels to choose from
- different rear styling.
- minor fine tuning of the engine for a small overall improvement
Please compare the normal Merit (above) to the Letaran Merit (below).
The Elegance models include the famous POIC (Primus Onboard Information Center) in its second generation, known from our flagship Legacy. A feature no other car in it’s class can offer.
Imperator
Why do we sell this as a new model? With the introduction of THE VERY FIRST PRIMUS V12 ENGINE (!) we refined the Chassis a lot, since we rebuilt the whole existing car around it for perfect sophistication. We offer a handmade biturbo that was already “car of the year” elsewhere, but we are afraid the Letarans will kill themselves with that rocket. Instead, the Letarans will get a non-turbo version, but this one also rivals true sports cars, at least on a straight line, and while outperforming them in comfort, the Imperator keeps up surprisingly good on a twisty road.
“Verdict: Passed on to the semifinals. It’s cool, it’s stylish, and it’s comfortable, while being very prestigious as well. It’s excellent in all respects; apart from its price tag. Did I mention speed? In short: A ridiculous, completely unnecessarily powerful and fast saloon, and I fucking love it. It would have been the world’s fastest production car if it weren’t for the McLaren F1, and it’s the fastest 4-door by a wide margin (shibisu, QFC23)”
Ah yes, and not to forget the small changes in the interior, so this one is a real upgrade to the 1991-1994 Imperator despite the overall similarity.
Viator
More and more families demand for a minivan - so did our customers. Our aim was to offer them a car with maximum space for minimum compromises. While the design is close to the Merit, the chassis is derived from the Primus Persua compact car - these cars are rarely used for spirited driving, the handling just has to be safe, which it is. On the other hand, cost plays a role. For a low price, the buyer gets proven Primus quality and reliability - as well as a huge and well-designed interior. The 2.3 engine can be bought with the ultra-modern five speed automatic as found in the Merit, and the “Comfort” trim offers a good balance between price and, well, comfort, even having a CD sound system.
OUR GUEST: RIGEL
The Spanish brand Rigel is rather young and offers a sedan, too, but since the car is half a class below the Merit and aims at a different type of buyer, we invited them to be our neighbours.
The Odiel 16V Confort as shown here is your usual 100 horsepower commuter sedan, however, the exterior is fresher than that of most alternatives for the budget-oriented buyer.
The manufactor says about it:
[…] the mid-range of the Odiel stands out for its aggressive and elegant lines, the comfort version is focused on the community for its passengers and ease of driving. Among its standard equipment we can count on a progressive suspension, power steering, white leather interior and aluminum inserts. The offer of comfort in terms of engines is extended and expanded with the possibility of an automatic gearbox.
The Rigel was posted on behalf of @Skygel14 if he can´t find the time to advertize it.
