1997 Cascina Lavandula
Listed by 村上 吉成
日本語
English
Lore
Despite the poor result, Cascina believed that a facelift with drastic improvement can salvage the value of the failed Lavandula project. However, Cascina cannot afford to develop a new engine for production cars as all their resources are placed towards Le Mans prototypes, particularly the 7.2L “Rafflesia Stamen” V12 and a V10 engine, equipped with advanced technology such as a 3 stage valve timing system in concept phase.
The progress of the V10 engine is slow due to highly complicated engineering and Cascina’s unfamiliarity with 10 cylinder layout. Some suggested that a test block 5 cylinder engine, which serves as a development study project of the V10 engine, be mass-produced and equipped to the Lavandula as the new engine unit. After 2 prototypes are produced and tested, the Cascina management officers are satisfied with the result and approved the use of the inline 5 engine.
The 2.7L inline 5 block is a light and competent engine, able to punch above its weight. Revving up to 8000 rpm, the unit can produce up to 250 horsepower. However, the most notable characteristic of the engine is its 3 stage valve timing system, allowing the compact 5 cylinder ICE to have excellent torque and thermal efficiency figures across all rpm range while maintaining an adrenaline-inducing power delivery and soundtrack. The engine earned its nickname “Banshee” internally, referencing the high-pitched engine note during the 3rd valve timing stage after 5500 rpm.
In addition to the new power plant, the facelift also saw different improvements compared to its predecessor: A viscous limited-slip differential is equipped to obtain greater handling characteristics and drivability; Various internal electronically controlled flaps are used to modify drag and improve fuel economy depending on the situation; Interior build quality is massively improved, and the suspension is greatly optimised to guarantee creature comfort. These improvements provided Lavandula with sufficient qualities to compete with its German, British and Japanese rivals in the global market.
But because of the complicated engineering and production procedures, the manufacturing cost is also massively inflated. The price of the new facelifted 1997 Lavandula increased significantly, resulting in a subpar sales figure as a result. The V10 project which is based on the I5 engine is also scrapped eventually because of the promising performance and simpler design of the 7.2L V12 engine. However, the I5 block is later used in other models without the 3 valve timing stage design. Approximately 1100 units of facelifted Lavandula were produced, with a significant portion sold to Japan due to the locals’ pursuit of an affordable Italian exotic sports car and the modability of Lavandula.
