While the 4001cc V6 took a break (having been used from 1990-98 and then since 2008), Duke originally made a 3400cc unit- this was launched in 1998 and fitted to the Penta and Sextant from that point forward. It also saw use, albeit briefly, in the company’s European arm. The Triad (right in both shots) got a facelift in 1998 which included a new top-of-the-range V6 SLX model, while Duke also planned a luxury saloon to compete at the very top of the market. This project, outwardly known as the Septimus (left in both shots), was shown off at Geneva in 1999 and was going to use the 3.4-litre engine, but the market for these small-brand big cars was dwindling and the Septimus never saw the light of production, despite positive feedback from both the press and the public.
The Triad was the only production car to use the 3.4 V6, as a planned V6 version of the Quadrant was shelved due to lack of interest. When a second-generation Triad was launched in 2002, the engine was also available in a 3.4 SL model, which had a more basic interior and manual transmission and was (as intended) a favourite of European traffic police, with large fleets being ordered for the UK, France, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Poland, Belarus, Norway, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia and Slovenia. In fact, most countries that turned them down only did so due to home-grown rivals (such as Germany’s ETK 800) being offered without the hassle of importing.
A 2004 Triad 3.4 SL in service with the FSB. These were the only foreign cars employed by the Russian government at the time, and rumour had it they were specially modified- apart from being debadged, this was not true.