REVIEWS Pt. 5
Regarding out clashes with Winsonette Topaz Owners Club
@Tsundere-kun @Mad_Cat
The only apology we have is for not shitting on the Topaz EVEN HARDER!!!
Norðwagen Þór GT 16x4 by @moroza
I believe this is a car that both enjoys the benefits of having a high price headroom, and also suffers from it. It’s dripping with opulence from whatever angle it is being looked at from, and it is packed with near top of the line features for its size and segment. But that just means it has to justify its cost to quirk ratio amongst some already solid other entries.
Solid exterior design, a great showing amongst the retromodern cars we’ve seen and are about to see. The front grille design as a whole is quite imposing and stands out decently well, very aggressive and almost reminds me of shark teeth. I feel the headlight design could be further polished but honestly this is about as good as it gets on this body, so I don’t really find it badly done. The hood has a two layered bulge suggesting a massive engine underneath (which it has) and the 16 hood vents match the cylinder count. Is it a bit much? Yes. Does it look badass? Yes. The line in the middle continues all the way up to the rather subtle looking windshield splitter. Generally not a fan of those but in this case, the subtlety helps and I like it.
The door handle in the middle looks almost a bit out of place until you realize it’s a gullwing, another thing I have a soft spot for. I have things to say about the exposed side pipes though. They usually look cool and dope and whatever when there’s like 4 of them. This car has 16 cylinders and 8 pipes on each side are exiting through two massive exhausts on both sides.
And while I like the exhaust design at the bottom and how it is vented to both shield it while also letting it cool itself, the pipes are kinda… they feel weird. Too many of them crammed together side by side, and it becomes very monotonous.
I like the fender flare and arches at the front end though.
The windshield splitter continues further up into the roof and keeps going down to the rear windshield, where it becomes a brake light. It’s a bold design choice and while I have no strong feelings towards it, I also don’t mind it.
Interior, while being 50 shades of black as always, is very meticulously done.
This is a stupidly high amount of detail that makes me reconsider my efficiency of designing in this game (very low). I would go as far as to say there’s more details on the interior side of things than the exterior, or at least it’s a close matchup. Very well done and I appreciate the effort that was put down here.
The lore is also quite interesting with this being an extremely low volume configuration, and shooting brakes in general are very low volume, much less so in such an extravagantly high performance spec. This is very much SLR McLaren if it was a shooting brake, had the already dialed at 11 performance dial taken to 12 or even 13, and only came in AMG black paint. I enjoy this.
Mechanically, while I’m not disappointed, looking at the price tag slowly takes away the magic of this being cool and quirky. What makes certain cars cool and quirky for having uncommon or questionable features is they have something that’s unexpected from their segment, price point, target demographic and what not. For the sticker price and also just the used car price, this is not too far from what I’d expect. AlSi block/head and Forged internals, extremely aggressive VVL profile gap, insane 10k RPM limit, ITBs and a fully retarded ignition timing configuration, and all of that produces a staggering 666 horsepower with 557nm of torque. First of all seeing an oversquare V16 produce more horsepower than torque is slightly cursed, but also as marvelous as that engine is, I’m not surprised provided the cost.
And same goes for the other internals. Yes 6 speed low ratio gearbox with helical AWD and LSD setup, launching the car to 100 km/h in a mere 2.7 seconds. Hypercar speeds for even today. Massive tyres all around and still has a staggered setup, despite the rear wheel only getting 66% of the power, presumably for the insane high speed grip it gets.
F1 car lookin’ ass, the faster you go the more grip you get.
Of course it gets hand made interior, if anything I’m more surprised it doesn’t get a proper top of the line luxury CD infotainment setup. I do respect the completely analog spring/suspension setup instead of slapping active parts on it and making your job a whole lot easier. The suspension tuning itself is quite well done and while not the tightest, it’s definitely up there.
All in all, I can see this as a highly sought after piece of automotive history in niche circles. It’s not for everyone. I certainly like it, but as I said, every time I look at the price both new and used, the tech fitted inside the car just becomes standard expectation and not at all what I wanted in this case. So while you perfectly nailed down styling, and lore was definitely good, I am not sold on the engineering. Solid entry regardless.
Choice quote from Jazz:
“This is not too different from an old hypercar royalty. Yeah it’s jam packed with all the cool shit, but at that price point and also considering the target demographic, you’d expect so right? Is that really quirky at the end of the day?”
Verdict: 
Archer Vista RS by @vero94773
This van is one of those rare pieces of automotive history that seems almost too absurd to exist—a minivan, but with a sports car’s soul, boasting performance that would embarrass many '90s coupes. It is essentially a crossbreed between a family hauler and the high-performance Esquire RS and Akari 300RS. At first glance, it looks like your typical early '90s minivan, boxy with those unmistakably bland, utilitarian lines common in the era’s GM vans. However, it doesn’t take long to realize there’s something special about this red accents on white family carrier.
Stuffing the twin-turbo 3.0L V6, borrowed from a performance vehicle, into an unassuming vehicle is not too uncommon of a practice. It has been done many times. The TT V6 churns out a whopping 300 horsepower at just 5200 RPMs while pushing 485 nm of torque. And it does so very smoothly, as the turbo kick comes in very early at just 1800 RPM. There is enough power to launch this five-passenger people mover from zero to 100 km/h in just 5.5 seconds. Such performance from a mere minivan would be obviously unheard of back then. It really is quite the sight to behold when a van that basically looks like an airport shuttle covers a quarter of a mile in 14 seconds.
Exterior, as I said, is pretty akin to how GMC and Chevy did their performance trucks in the 90s. Very unassuming, but somehow this feels a step even further above in terms of subtlety. Almost gets in the way of looking cool, I’d say. The factory Frost White paint with Race Red accents and black plastic trim in place of chrome… the Vista RS distinguishes itself in very subtle ways. Its 16-inch alloy wheels, clad in beefy 245-section tires, also provide slight hints at its capabilities. The interior follows suit, blending luxury and sportiness with high end leather and cloth seats, further accentuated by Race Red piping. But despite these details, the aesthetic remains rooted in the early '90s practical design ethos. It’s as if the car is in on the joke… knowing full well it shouldn’t be this fast or this interesting, but still relishing in the fact that it is.
I’m thoroughly impressed by the fact that you could make this thing handle. The Vista RS is about as heavy as Moroza’s car above, but has a way higher CoG and obviously not a V16 powerplant with 2x the power. But with what resources it does have, it gets the job done pretty well. Corners remarkably flat for something of its size and shape. A full-time all-wheel-drive system with helical LSD makes this family van super grippy on tracks. 0.93g on the skidpad might not sound like a lot today, but for back then, it’d embarrass many performance cars. Fuel efficiency combined isn’t horrible either, at 10.5L/100km it’s pretty much the same as an LS400 while being way faster.
Yet, as much fun as it is to marvel at the Vista RS, it does fall short in its ultimate pursuit of quirkiness. For all its bold decisions, such as cramming in a twin-turbo V6 and giving it all-wheel drive, the exterior design is still too conservative. Sure, it has those sporty red accents and a slightly aggressive stance, but it doesn’t visually scream “sports van.” It looks like your average 1990s GM van with some lipstick. A Golf with sporty stance, widebody and a lipstick becomes a GTi, this somehow fails in that same department for reasons I can’t 100% explain. The “1 of 250” badge and sporty trim are cool touches, but in terms of sheer visual quirkiness, it just doesn’t have the flamboyance that one might expect from something as unique as a super-minivan. A design direction that made it look either very honed down or very boyracer, either way would’ve helped a lot more.
Additionally, while it may have been radical in terms of performance, the use of a 4spd AAT feels like a missed opportunity. A manual gearbox, especially given the car’s roots in other sportscars of the company’s lineup, would have been a much bolder move, providing that extra layer of driver engagement that would’ve made no difference to the production given the low volume. The automatic is nice and all, but that takes it to more sleeper territory than an outrageous one. Yes, this is America and realistically this would’ve been a 4spd by all means, but I’d wager anyone looking to buy a piece of history like this wouldn’t have cared much for the auto.
In the end, the Archer Vista RS is a fascinating blend of the practical and the impractical—a car built for a laugh but engineered to be serious. Its performance is undeniably impressive, but it plays it too safe visually, holding it back from true quirkiness greatness. Still, for those who know what lurks under the hood, the Vista RS remains an anomaly worth celebrating.
Choice quote from Jazz:
“I love this car for what it is. It’s bold and impressive, what lurks under the hood makes it worth celebrating. But it plays too safe visually speaking… maybe we could buy it and give it the makeover it deserves?”
Verdict: 
Billancourt Cité Beach Car by @the-chowi
The Billancourt Cité Della Costa is a love letter to the fun and weird cars of the past, offering a whimsical, open-air experience with just enough modern flair to keep it relevant. Based on a more traditional hatchback, it takes a familiar silhouette and transforms it into something fun, quirky, and undeniably charming. Seems perfect for summer coastal getaways.
It’s a beautiful looking car. It has a playful aesthetic that’s as bright and inviting as the beach itself. The interior mirrors this vibe with matching materials with the exterior paint, creating a sense of cohesion that suits its breezy nature. The overall shape is clean and approachable. I have some observations that might seem a bit rude to put out, but every time I look at this, I just see a modern Twingo. It very much is a spitting resemblance of the Twingo De Plage in more ways than one. Still, the small details like quirky vents and the subtle tubular reinforcements give it a character that feels uniquely “Della Costa.” Rest assured, despite making the comparison, I see and appreciate the uniqueness of it.
I was not expecting a rather peppy engine under the hood, honestly. The 1.4-litre 4 cylinder produces a respectable 115 horsepower. This might not sound like much in today’s terms, but for a car as light as this (thanks to its fiberglass body and corrosion-resistant steel chassis), it’s more than enough to make it feel sprightly. The 0-100 km/h sprint takes just 7.7 seconds, which is quite brisk for something so focused on casual, laid-back driving. The 5-speed manual gearbox and front-wheel-drive setup help keep it engaging for those who prefer to feel connected to the car. Steering is also not what I had expected, variable hydraulic instead of electric, giving you way more road feel than you’d expect in something like this.
In terms of practicality, the it is rather minimal. The rear seats are more of a +2 situation than full-sized seats, making it ideal for quick trips with a friend or two, but not a vehicle you’d want to pack with passengers for long hauls. The interior materials are standard fare for the time—cloth, plastic, and vinyl, all well-built but lacking in the sort of sophistication you’d expect in a limited edition like this, perhaps to keep the weight and overall costs down. The four-speaker CD player rounds out the basic entertainment package, serving up just enough functionality to get by on a fun day out.
The car is extremely cheap to service, decently reliable, fuel economy is very good at a nice 5.5L/100km. The construction also ensures it will barely see any kind of rust. Simplicity was one of the key points of this build and I can clearly see it.
Despite its playful nature and decent performance, the Della Costa does stumble a bit when it comes to standing out in the coolness department. While undeniably cute and practical for beach trips, It feels more like a fun novelty based on the still remaining flesh of a traditional car. Note that I said flesh and not skeleton. It also feels like it suffers from identity crisis. It has a very lightweight body and chassis construction, standard minimal interior, and a peppy lightweight engine for the sake of simplicity, but the addition of ESC for beach driving paired with the choice of variable hydraulic steering also feel like a mismatch for its lighthearted, carefree persona. It would’ve been more quirky to see a fully manual setup or something less conventional for a beach car. You could’ve taken a completely simple setup, or a full on sporty setup to go with the 5MT, or a assisted driving setup for the… “softer” crowd this could be intended for. But mixing up all 3 just felt a bit odd, not the right way.
In the end, the Della Costa Beach Car is a delightful ride for those who value simplicity, style, and the open air. It’s a well-executed beach runabout that’s reliable, economical, and fun to drive. However, it falls short of true quirkiness and coolness simply because it feels a bit too derivative and safe. For those who don’t mind that it’s not breaking any molds, though, it’s a solid choice.
Choice quote from Jazz:
“This is not too different from my teenage self. It wants to be quirky and silly in more ways than one, and while it does do a great job of many things, the car doesn’t know itself all that well. I could get this and mod it ourselves after a video to give it a unique persona… Maybe for a different video.”
Verdict:
Mizuiro Seigun MR-Spec by @The_Stig_Is_A_Spy
This is a gem from the automotive history that’d get easily overlooked for looking rather unassuming. Simple lines, subtle aero touches, minimal flash. If you’re like me, someone who values a car that doesn’t shout about its capabilities, the Seigun MR-Spec is a car that grows on you the more you get to know it.
According to the lore, the rebranding to Rinkai rebranding of the company didn’t quite work out, and I can’t see why considering the existence of this car. The Seigun MR is a solid piece of engineering, mid engined, RWD, compact size, and a sleeper from a time when they were all the rage. Yeah it’s just 256 horsepower from a 3L V6, but remember, just 5-10 years ago some V8s that were a liter bigger than this were making just as much power. The engine also comes with VVT and VVL and despite having a pretty aggressive gap between the profiles, the powerband is quite linear and torquey.
Nice compromise of not using ITBs but rather twin throttle bodies, it’s better than one and overall more reliable and serviceable. Interesting choice to give it only a single reverse flow muffler. The designers of this car, while meant to keep it quiet and unassuming from the outside, wanted it to let its presence be known once it started going full tilt. I do appreciate it when cars do this, while also having the specs to back up their presence.
At just over 1000 kgs, the p/w ratio makes a lot of sense. Yes a supercharger or a turbocharger would’ve made this go even faster, but that would’ve ruined the dynamics the Seigun has right now. It’s very noticeable, in fact, how dialed in the weight distribution is. Providing the feeling of driving something analog and yet being able to push it through winding roads in an agile manner makes it a lot better than many other sporty applications we’ve come to see so far.
The gearing on the 6MT coupled with the LSD sort of reminds me of the 6MT shortshifter/LSD setup in my family’s old Carina GT AT212. It’s a setup that rewards precise driving, and the reward is a smile on your face every time you’re driving spiritedly. It’s intuitive and fully focuses on the driver.
The interior of the car isn’t particularly luxurious, similar to other Japanese spec cars of its time. Everything is exactly where you need it, no fluff, driver gets full priority. The seats are more than comfortable enough for daily driving, but just about bolstered for brisk drives and track runs. There’s enough space at the frunk end of the car for baggage, and the cabin doesn’t feel cramped thanks to it only being a 2 seater. And I respect this choice, I know a lot of people would’ve tried to minmax this by saying this could easily fit both a 3L V6 and 2 more passengers at the back.
It’s not a head turner at first glance. It’s clean, purposeful, it knows itself and it decides to not be extra loud about it (visually at least). Unlike the Vista RS van though, this drops hints of it being fast and aggressive in a different way. The wide hip that you can clearly see from the inside through the rear-view mirror, the K-tail, the very meticulously sculpted side vents for cooling the engine… It’s a lot more pronounced while retaining its subtlety.
I do need to say that the styling is very much on the conservative side, it lacks the aggressive flairs from some of the competitors that try their best to catch your attention at first look. It’s not a volume seller or a poster car, and for people who appreciate the engineering under the hood, it’s definitely a treasure.
Fuel economy was surprisingly decent at 7.7L/100km, considering the power delivery of the V6. It’s not a particularly comfortable ride, mind you. It just about doesn’t toss you around, but it’s a relatively easy to tame car and the driving experience it offers for the price is unparalleled. Tight suspensions also mean it can do 1.03g on the skidplate while having a 2.5m wheelbase and very minimal aero parts. It’s a good balance of grippy setup and efficiency. Overall, I adore this car. I think it deserves to be up there with some of the best quirky rides. It is fast, it is well made, it is extremely subtle but in a way that’s actually admirable.
Choice quote from Jazz:
“Now this is something that lets the engineering do the talking. There’s a certain charm about it that I am loving, and I can’t wait to take it out for a spin myself.”
Verdict:
LSAZ 3199 Potok by @thecarlover
LSAZ 3199 Potok is a car that feels like a relic of a different era. It’s a strange intersection of Soviet ingenuity and limited resources, wrapped up in a sleek, understated package. It’s a car that at first glance seems unremarkable, especially considering its paint and unassuming shape. The more you learn about it, the more it reveals its quirks, though.
In the often-brutalist world of Soviet cars, it stands out as smooth, somewhat refined, and even modern for its time. Quite fitting for a car named Potok, standing for “Flow”. Despite being a last hurrah by LSAZ before the USSR fell, the car manages to avoid the rough, angular design language that many other Soviet cars had in the late '80s and early '90s. It’s clear that LSAZ wanted this car to be a bridge between Soviet practicality and something a bit more luxurious, aimed at people who had a bit more influence.
Underneath, according to the lore at least, a curious design choice of repurposing the chassis and boxer engine from a cab-over-engine van and flipping it around was taken. That means this rear-wheel-drive, rear-engine setup was originally meant for a van, not a car, which immediately sets it apart. And it’s very apparent in the engineering. Obviously, all of this was to keep the costs as low as possible. And, remarkably, it works. Inside, the car has a pretty adequately sized interior for what’s a midsize car. Sure, the materials—mostly heavy-duty plastic, fabric, and vinyl—aren’t luxurious, but they are solid and clearly built to last. Has an old tape deck cassette player along with radio, nothing too fancy but just enough to get by, and frankly that’s already better than many other USSR era cars, makes sense since this was meant for a demographic that were slightly better off than the average people.
The construction is as simplistic and bare minimum as it gets, at least for the segment and what would be considered acceptable. All steel/galvanized steel construction, with wishbone suspension geometry on both ends. The suspension springs and dampers themselves consist of relatively advanced parts as well, and the spring/geometry tuning is a bit jank albeit just about what I expected for an RR car. If anything, it’s pretty authentic to what I’ve heard of USSR era car engineering.
Driving the Potok might not seem particularly interesting, since the oversquare 2.4L boxer 4 barely pushes out 99 horsepower and a rather high 170 nm of torque. The engine’s internals are made of the cheapest of frying pan materials with the pistons being of the low friction variant, to ensure maximum fuel efficiency out of the SOHC 4 engine. The lack of VVT doesn’t help, but I also didn’t expect such tech in a car like this at this stage in time. MPEFI was a bit unexpected though, but it’s very barebones and basic at best, rudimentary and gets the job done. The exhaust system is also where they tried to save their money for development while trying to keep it compliant with standards. None of it stands out as badly engineered, everything is by design.
Pretty fucking heavy at 1.35 tons for something like this, presumably for the all steel construction. The weight paired with the barely 100 horsepower figure, it gets to 100 km/h at a leisurely 12.6 seconds. Not that anyone driving this would give two shits about such things. The 4spd MT is tuned for overdrive and fuel economy. Turns like a pig too at 0.64g, if anything I expected worse out of the hard treaded 185mm square tyres. The car does feel smooth and composed when you’re just cruising. It doesn’t have the harsh ride or the rough mechanical feeling that many other Soviet cars of the time had, relatively speaking but it’s still a pretty clunky ride. The oversteery handling is also not unexpected, considering the RR layout, but it’s still a decently easy car to drive and has just enough personality to keep someone interested.
The frunk of the car is tiny, and the rear engine bay has been cleverly designed to house important bits like tyres and toolkits above the engine, which can be swapped for other necessary things for a trip. It’s utilitarian in the way only a Soviet car can be, with every inch of space put to good use.
This might not appeal to everyone, but for those who appreciate quirky, rare cars with a backstory and buried pieces of history, it’s a fascinating piece. The engineering, lore and design all made this car last as long as it did in this challenge. It took out a lot of higher performing and visually appealing cars by a respectable margin. But unfortunately, this is where I have to let it go. Farewell, Potok.
Choice quote from Jazz:
“What an interesting piece of engineering, and the design seems so familiar yet so unique. I want to consider this and it’s not even that expensive, but does it really have what I originally wanted to look out for?”
Verdict:
PS: It has been a while, Steph. Great to see an entry from you. You, Yang and a few others held our hands back in the days of Automation, and I still depend on some of those teachings to this day. Good on ya mate.
Corsica Spica by @CorsicaUnknown
The Sisten Corsica Spica was, in many ways, a product specifically of its time, a 90s muscle car-inspired family vehicle with aspirations of bringing a little excitement to the everyday life. But while it looked the part, this car is a reminder that appearances can be deceiving. The Spica had the stance, the aggressive front-end styling, and the overall attitude of a muscle car, but underneath, it was much more tame. It’s a complete dichotomy to the Vista RS above.
The 3.4L V6 in the Spica, while having a lot of potential, wasn’t about performance. Producing an adequate 200 horsepower to get you around town, the Spica’s 0-100 km/h time of 8.7 seconds was respectable for a family vehicle but far from offering an actual thrilling ride. It had a four-speed automatic transmission, front-wheel drive, and cornering abilities that didn’t match its sporty exterior. With just 0.75g of cornering grip, it’s clear that this car was never intended to offer any kind of dynamic driving experience.
In the context of the early 90s, the Spica stood out primarily for its looks. I love the bold styling with aggressive lines that resembled the muscle cars of the past, and for families who wanted something different from the minivans flooding the market, it was definitely an eye-catcher. It kinda tries to fake it till it makes it and considering looking good does half the job for any product in any kind of hobbies and interests, it is quite admirable.
Personally, I would’ve liked to see a longitudinally mounted engine in this van, considering the engine is mostly square and there’s a decent amount of space at the front since it’s a conventional cab van. It reduces the era correct authenticity but would’ve added a bit more to the weirdness. The engine is very whisper quiet, linear and smooth and understressed by a long margin, which means there’s plenty of room for tuning left in there.
It’s clear why the Spica didn’t catch on. It lacked the performance chops of even some less flashy competitors, and in a market that was moving towards utility, it was caught in an awkward middle ground. Families looking for practicality found better options, and those seeking performance were likely turned off by the Spica’s disappointing specs. The 4spd AAT with an open diff and the FWD drivetrain meant it drove like your average minivan, if a bit faster. It did seat 6 people very comfortably, captain’s seats are always nice to have. But the materials of the interior and infotainment itself was pretty standard at best. For something that has 6 full seats, I’d expect a higher spec interior option than plastic, cloth and a 4-6 speaker CD/tape/radio player.
What’s more interesting is it has a variable hydraulic rack. It’s like the van was genuinely meant to be a performance van and at the last moment some suits came in and decided to ruin the party. This is why we can’t have nice things. Because honestly either a ball or a full electric power steering makes more sense here at its current spec. The spring tuning is also done with full consideration for a comfy ride, easy driving, and moderate body roll. Considering how massive this thing is, too much body roll probably would’ve caused a lot of vomit inducing experiences. So good job on that.
The Corsica Spica didn’t live up to its expectations in several ways, but it’s a great looker and it has the potential to be so much more. It’s the perfect piece of automobile to take to a garage, see what went wrong and how it could’ve been improved. Not a 100% fit for what Jazz is looking for, but it’s in the ballpark.
Choice quote from Jazz:
“I would love to bolt a turbo or two on that V6, put it on some coilovers, give it fat tyres and change up some things to see how it does… It looks so aggressive, we just need to make it match its looks.”
Verdict:
I wanted to post more reviews but I wasn’t happy with the quality of the writing. More coming soon. But I am not going back down on my promise, CSR will finish by this weekend.
