1992 AMS Antares 5.0 V8 GTS
Adapted from my TMCC38 entry with minor visual and techpool adjustments for compliance with the ALL ruleset.
The previous Antares had been introduced in 1974, and in Federalized trim launched with just 200 bhp - a sizable decrease from its predecessor, but a necessary evil to accommodate the use of unleaded fuel, which made the fitment of catalytic converters possible. Although the introduction of electronic fuel injection in 1982 gave it a new lease of life, it was clear that a complete redesign was necessary to keep the model competitive into the 1990s and beyond. The new car debuted in 1990 and instantly became as much of a hit with the motoring press as it was with buyers - the entire production run for the first two years sold out within a matter of weeks.
Boasting an all-new, quad-cam, all-alloy 32-valve V8 with variable intake and exhaust valve timing, the Antares’ new and larger platform still had a galvanized steel chassis, but in a first for the model line, it now had an aluminum hood, doors, and trunk lid to minimize weight gain. Curvaceous styling with flush-fitting elliptical headlight clusters (in place of retractable units, which had to be discarded on safety grounds) made it stand out from the crowd even more, but the central hood bulge flanked by two functional vents remained, as did the auxiliary vents on the front fenders - and these features helped link it aesthetically to the previous two generations.
With a multilink rear suspension to go with its dual-wishbone front end, along with large vented disc brakes and staggered low-profile, high-performance tires, the new Antares was a far more serious proposition than before. An aerodynamically sculpted floor, combined with subtle front and rear spoilers, provided additional stability at higher speeds. Initially available in one trim level (GT), a GTS package was added in 1992, bringing individual throttle bodies and tubular headers; combined with a more aggressive cam profile, this bumped the output to 400 bhp - a heady amount for the era. Now, more than ever, it was as much of a fast and agile sports car as it was a comfortable and luxurious grand tourer, especially with uprated brakes and suspension, along with wider wheels and tires to harness the increased output.
The interior was far more modern than that of its predecessor, with higher-quality materials and an advanced stereo sound system with a cassette tape deck and CD player, the latter of which had an in-dash 6-disc stack. In addition, dual front airbags came as standard, as did traction control and anti-lock brakes, thus yielding a quantum leap forward in safety. Even so, all this extra tech pushed its price upwards to $50k AMU in GTS guise. Despite this, it still sold well during its lifespan, and if anything, was even more profitable than its predecessor due to AMS targeting the more lucrative higher end of the sports car market, where the per-car profit margins were even higher.
Above: Cover shot from July 1992 issue of Exhaust Notes magazine showing a group test between an AMS Antares 5.0 V8 GTS and an MM Lobo. (Special thanks to @Gr1tty_CoviD for providing a download link for the Lobo.)
As this generation of Antares reached the end of its lifespan in the early 2000s, one question remained: What would come next?