Built by Ponni Motors Corporation from 1997 to 2004 and sold in North America. It was the second generation of the brand’s economy four-door sedan, which consisted mainly of a facelift and saw the introduction of the T4 version, which means Turbo Four, because of the all-wheel drive system and turbocharged 4-cylinder engine this car came equipped with.
This vehicle was made to compete with the budget sport sedans of the time, with a focus on being a more polivalent option than those.
Powertrain wise, this specific unit comes equipped with a turbocharged, forged internals, 2.2 L I4 engine longitudinally located in the front, with double overhead cams and 4 valves per cylinder, delivering 220 hp and 280 Nm of torque. Paired with a 6-speed manual transmission, power is sent to all four wheels.
Chassis wise, the Sphera T4 has progressive-rate springs and mono-tube shocks in all four corners. Combined with double-wishbone suspension in the front and a multi-link suspension setup in the rear, this ensures the user huge levels of grip and sharpness in most situations.
In the interior, passengers will find seating for five, with two semi-bucket seats in the front and a bench in the back, all covered in high-end syntethic clothing and central pieces of alcantara. In the technology department, the car comes equipped with an AM/FM radio and a CD player, that outputs sound through a set of 6 speakers.
Ardent Motors was in early stages of developing their 6th generation Sentinel sedan when the States were hit by the 9/11 terror attacks. With the economy shocked overnight, Ardent Executives quickly went through an evaluation of all future projects, determining what could be delayed what could be axed, and what could have costs reduced.
In a move that shocked the engineering and marketing departments deeply, executives elected to terminate the 6th gen Sentinel immediately, and reduce or refocus resources in those departments. The exception was the powertrain team, which was nearing completion of the Cygnus Type 3B family of motors, shared with the Sentinel, Chancellor, Marathon, and other models.
Ardent inked a contract with Darvin Motors in Australia, with whom they held a 15% stake, to provide knockdown kits, minus drivetrains, of their Barricade compact car, with delivery starting in 2002 for the 2003 model year, the 40th anniversary of the Sentinel model. This also marked the first time since the second-generation model that the Sentinel was available in a liftback. These were sold in lieu of a sedan form, and alongside a 2-door coupe, 5-door wagon (Excluding GT), and even small numbers of 2-door convertibles (Touring only).
There was some additional controversy, as the Darvin Barricade was penned in conjunction with Bogliq Motors, long-time nemesis of Ardent. Executives took a lot of heat both from stockholders and die-hard loyalists, but in the end this did not sway them.
These Barricades-turned-Sentinels were still driven by Ardent gear. The new C3B engines were ready to be raised up and bolted in on the lines, in 2.0 and 2.4 liter naturally aspirated versions, and a 2.4 turbo for the GT model.
After the King of Kala turned down the Bogliq submission, Bogliq by Design wanted to use the design anyway. Fortunately, the political situation in Moldova improved allowing the Kala Concept to become the new Tineret. Their first attempt at a performance sedan was then exported to the USA (along with stock Tineret models) to bolster production from the Moldovan plant while it was transitioning to 1st world market conditions…
When you think sedan you often think boring, the sort of car your grandparents would drive, never something fun, stylish and quick. But when you do, there is always a thought about price and reliability.
With the new for 2003 Turbo package for the GS200, you can now crank it up and not worry about the car breaking or costing shy of your annual income to run. With an average of 27.2 Mpg, the turbo isn’t the most economical car on the market, however it doesn’t feel cheap either. With quality LLA interior parts and a 0-60 time of around 6.6 seconds the GS200 Turbo isn’t slow.
Also included in the turbo package is a full suspension tune, allowing the car to corner like it’s on rails yet ride smooth enough to not break grandma’s hip. As always the GS200 has a corrosion resistant chassis with a partial aluminium body to help reduce weight and maximise efficiency.
The Turbo Package is Now Available From $13,784 AMU’s
Who needs a brawny muscle car, a thoroughbred sports car, or even a six-figure supercar to go fast when you can get our sportiest compact yet, the Shrike GT, for just $13980 (not counting markups)? Standard features on the new-for-'03 Shrike GT include:
A 2.0L turbocharged inline-four delivering 225 horsepower to the front wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox and mechanical LSD, endowing the Shrike GT with a scorching 150-mph top speed and a devilishly quick 0-60 time of just 6.66 seconds.
Fully independent suspension front and rear, tuned to provide sporty handling in all conditions, while retaining enough comfort for daily driving.
4-wheel vented disc brakes with ABS guaranteeing excellent stopping power with minimal fade, even after repeated heavy use.
A fully galvanized chassis and body shell with some alloy panels, providing a stout, rust-proof structure that’s built to last.
Advanced safety systems (including six airbags) for superior crash protection, plus stability and traction control (both fully defeatable) for easier driving in all situations.
A four-speaker stereo with built-in AM/FM radio and 6-disc CD player to keep occupants entertained on the move.
17-inch wheels wrapped in grippy high-performance tires lend the Shrike GT a distinctive style, one which is unmistakably sporty yet restrained.
Best of all, the Shrike GT is available as a conservative 4-door sedan, a stylish 2-door coupe, a trendy 3-door hatchback, a practical 5-door wagon, or (as shown above) a versatile 5-door hatchback, meaning there’s a Shrike GT for every customer. So what are you waiting for? Head to your local dealer and test drive an '03 Shrike GT today - you won’t be disappointed!
While buying all new Gracelet 2.0 Ti Turbo is a bit unreachable, we have another premium option for you.
SBA Gracelet Mk.V Swift 2.0 Ti LPT (Light Pressure Turbo)
Gracelet Mk.V Swift 2.0 Ti LPT (Light Pressure Turbo) is one of the entire Mk.V range, built from 2000 - 2007 after the recovery from major economic crisis in 1997 resulted for late chassis development.
Despite of being compact executive car, the Mk.V Gracelet received the new chassis construction and suspension with Multilink type configuration.
The LPT version is the lighly tuned E-XU-20-Plus engine with light pressure turbo setup and also featured with advance i-VVRS™ (Intelligent Variable Valve Response System) for fuel efficiency while still capable of performance delivery when needed, acceleration from 0-60 within 6.5 seconds with maximum topspeed over 140 mph.
With all of performance, this Gracelet LPT’s fuel consumption is only 30.8 MPG. A truely sensible car for sensible heart.
The design I really wanted to use was a hatchback variant of the body I used, had a flat 4 and all, but just ended up being too heavy and inefficient to make fast in the given budget. Hence why I settled for my sedan. I also debated a wagon because sporty wagons are cool.
I was going to make a coupe, but then I read that doors were counted for score. Sedan added 200 lbs, hatch added more and didn’t look right (it’s a liftback, not a real hatchback) so sedan it’ll be. If I picked the other, rounder body for my CSR86 entry I would’ve used a hatch, but it wouldn’t look the way it does.
