Hate to be a smart-arse… oh, who am I kidding?
$27,860 (assuming it’s USD) for an X-AllDrive vs £21,000 for an X-Eco isn’t that much of a difference.
@stm316 Ah, yet again my use of the £/$ sign has confused people They essentially mean the same thing, so for me, £21000 = $21000. It’s like an alternative fact
it’s been a long ass moment so far, hurry up Erin
Special… And I see a small car there… Visto X?
#2017 Erin Visto (Mk 5)
Erin’s back in the supermini game. Rivals, watch out
If this car were a song, it’d be Khmlwugh by Homeshake
##Overview
What began 24 years ago as a quirky, smaller companion to Merna has now become one Erin’s most popular vehicles, though its new iteration has been long overdue. At last, the Mk 5 is now here, and it’s better than ever before.
For the first time ever, Erin has brought its aluminum body construction technique to its supermini, whilst maintaining affordability and greatly improving various factors such as efficiency and driving feel. Innovation is also found in its suicide-door(ed) 5 Door variant and sleek 3 door Coupe variant, designed independently of one another to create a bit of uniqueness in this otherwise rather formulaic sector of the market.
The Visto is all about combining great styling, excellent stats and clever innovation into semi-premium package.
Since the late 1990s, Erin has been pioneering the use of aluminium on its cars, more specifically the use of aluminium on its cheaper vehicles. We brought it to the Mk 8 Merna in 2014, and now it’s finally here on the Mk 5 Visto.
Thanks to the weight saving, the new Visto has greatly improved efficiency and handling over previous models, yet is still very safe thanks to clever reinforced chassis construction that also ensures the car is still rigid too.
Visto Vox Coupe in Performance Orange
Why make such a fuss over body styles? It’s not like any other company does the same thing.
Well, it’s because, for the first time with the Visto, we’ve split the design process for the Coupe and 5 Door variants of the car, in much the same way we split the Sedan and Coupe versions up when designing new versions of the Tauga.
It allows for us to essentially create two different vehicles of the same car - the Coupe version, for those looking for a sleek, stylish supermini, and the 5 Door, for those want that extra practicality thanks to the rear suicide doors.
Above: Visto Vox Coupe in Performance Orange // Below: Visto S 5 Door in Muted Olive Green
The latest Pureon engines are found in the Visto range, combining good performance and great usability with excellent efficiency and low running costs.
For 2017 model years, the Visto can be optioned with:[ul]
- A 1.0l TDi i4, the same as the one found in the Bino
- A new* 1.2l TDi i4, exclusively designed for the Visto
- The very successful 1.4l Di i4 from the Erin Merna, the most sold engine made by Erin since 2015.[/ul]
*The 1.2l TDi is a variant of the Pureon Low-End i4 Range, which also encompasses the 1.4l Di
Pureon 1.2l TDi TwinC engine
TapTouch™ is finally here on the Visto, bringing a custom designed, Android powered infotainment system into the car. It works alongside your smartphone and is all controlled via a gorgeous 8" touchscreen display, and even comes with Gecko™ voice control.
It’s not just tech that makes the interior clever either: fold flat seats rear seats create a massive, seamless carrying space; cup holders for all seats come as standard; storage spaces all around the interior that are cleverly suited to your needs, such as a sunglasses holder or a space for a map; dual-zone climate control and heated seats as standard on the Vox trim; and, perhaps the most important feature of all, a rear windscreen that isn’t the size of a letterbox, which actually means you can see out of the back.
Top down view of Visto 5 Door variant showing suicide door
To celebrate the launch of the new Visto, Centro Stile Betta were contracted to produce a special, limited production version of the car. The glitzy, fine detailing synonymous of work from the CSB meets Erin’s distinctive 2nd Gen 2010s design style in brilliant fashion on this car with styling that perfectly suits the mix of angular and curved lines found on the Visto.
Powered by a 158 hp turbocharged i4 from Betta cars, the CSB Edition is not just incredible to behold, but also incredible to drive. It really makes the most of the lightweight body and certainly compliments the sporty looks of the car.
The Visto CSB Edition will be made to order with custom interior and colour options, limited to a production run of 3500 examples.
##Stats, Trims and Prices
Prices are in Pounds/£ but are the same as AMU/$, because British
[quote]S 1.0l/1.2l - Coupe from £11595, 5 Door from £11845
Basic interior, 15" steel wheels, standard sound system, air con, 8" TapTouch™ infotainment, traction control, ABS
[/quote]
[quote]Lex 1.0l/1.2l/1.4l - Coupe from £13195, 5 Door from £13495
Standard interior, choice of front and rear bumper designs, 15"/16" alloy wheels, standard sound system, air con, 8" TapTouch™ infotainment, traction control, ABS
[/quote]
[quote]Vox 1.0l/1.2l/1.4l - Coupe from £15195, 5 Door from £15545
Faux-leather interior, choice of front and rear bumper designs, 15"/16" alloy wheels, premium sound system, dual zone climate control, 8" TapTouch™ infotainment, traction control, cruise control, ABS, collision mitigation system
[/quote]
Engine Stats
Pureon 1.0l TDi Eco - 1004cc SOHC 16v i4 Turbo Direct Injection VVT/L
87hp @ 7100rpm, 85 ft-lb @ 4600rpm, Reliability: 73.3, Smoothness: 66.4
Pureon 1.2l TDi - 1201cc DOHC 16v i4 Turbo Direct Injection VVT/L
95hp @ 6600rpm, 100 ft-lb @ 2400rpm, Reliability: 80.1, Smoothness: 69.7
Pureon 1.4l Di - 1403cc DOHC 16v i4 N/A Direct Injection VVT/L
118hp @ 7700rpm, 105 ft-lb @ 4400rpm, Reliability: 77.9, Smoothness: 67.6
The Visto Mk5 goes on sale at the end of March 2017.
A hot-hatch X Tuned version is expected sometime this year.
So there we have it! Erin’s back in the supermini game. Comments, thoughts, critiques and criticisms are all most welcome and encouraged.
Big thanks to @TheMiltos21 and the team at Centro Stile Betta for desinging the stunning CSB Special edition, I’d thoroughly recommend them to anyone wanting a concept or entire car that just oozes boldness and flair.
Erin can also announce that a special one-make racing series called the Erin[color=turquoise]Sport[/color] Visto Cup is on its way, details of which will be announce closer to the time.
It looked great at NAIAS and it looks even better now! And @TheMiltos21 has somehow made a car that looks great look even better! Looks like ive got to play my cards then
My pleasure to have helped Glad y’all like it
Loving the cars, and especially loving the way it is all presented, tidy work there . Really makes me want to improve the way I present my cars
Thanks It’s fairly simple honestly. Concise text, good balance of pictures and some funky titles, and you’re there!
This is some remarkable stuff! You have built a design portfolio worth being proud of, and for other designers to aspire to. The rich and colorful company history, combined with the wonderful image presentation, is fantastic. I am a particular fan of the Scarlet X and Nasaro, the latter of which reminds me of the original 3000GT.
Your copy-writing is also stellar throughout.
@RedCarDriver Thank you so much! Interesting you see a link between the Nasaro and 3000GT given that there’s almost 10 years separating them.
#1986 Erin Scarlet (Mk 1)
Anyone who’s been here long enough may remember that I made this car before, but I feel like I didn’t do this car justice. I’ve mentioned this car on so many occassions that I came to the conclusion that I really ought to actually make it and show people what the hell I’m on about.
So here it is, the genesis moment of Erin’s 80s comeback and the first in the line of their greatest name badge ever.
Overview
“What is it that controls and pushes our desire to drive?” was the infamous line used in the Erin keynote at the British International Motor Show in 1986 to introduce the Scarlet. Erin didn’t just want to return to the sports car market, they wanted to redefine the expectations of a sports car.
The original Scarlet was first and foremost a drivers car. It had supercar rivalling performance, boundary-pushing innovations for the company and drove like a dream, but was at its core a sports car you could drive every day, thanks to its spacious interior, good sized boot and the ease with which you could drive it.
Design and Styling
While the construction of the Scarlet - steel monocoque with some aluminium panels - was fairly normal, how it was designed was not. Erin made use of computers on a major scale for the first time here, to create a smooth and aerodynamic shape that echoed classic 60s coupes but looked thoroughly modern.
The styling, done by Chris Famerley and his team, took hints from the Nasaro, Erin’s entry level sports car, to create a minimalist exterior that was incredibly contemporary and understated. Even on the more powerful X trim, there were only minor visual changes such as flared wheel arches and some extra vents.
Power and Performance
Under the bonnet, you had a choice of a 203hp 3.0l i6 on the S trim or a sumptuous 3.6l V8, that produced 260 hp, on the more famous X trim. This was delivered through a 5 speed manual or 4 speed auto to a limited slip diff at the rear.
The S trim, being more comfort focused managed 0-60 in 7.4 seconds and topped out at 150 mph. On the X trim, however, 0-60 was dealt with in 5.3 seconds, top speed was 163 mph and with its firmer suspension, it was a masterpiece through the corners.
Whilst not as delicate or as precise as the later Mk 2 and Mk 3 Scarlets, the Mk 1 offered a very compelling alternative to the back-heavy 911, and thanks to the lack of traction control back in those days, getting the rear end out wasn’t a challenge.
Impact
The original Scarlet was a big deal for Erin back in 1986 - it was the first time they’d build a two door sports car since their financial disaster. Not only that, its styling was hugely influential, and has become a de-facto marker for the beginning of the era of minimalist design that would dominate the late 80s/early 90s.
It also triggered the beginning of one of the fiercest rivalaries in motoring history - the Scarlet vs the 911. Many saw it as merely traditional competition at first, but by the mid-90s, it was splitting the automotive press in two, as both cars battled it out on the road, in sales figures, and most prominently out on the track.
That was all to come for the Scarlet name though. 30 years on, this is seen as one of the defining cars of Erin’s history, not just because it marked the point where they reentered the world of sports cars, but because it was the point where their recovery was complete. The dark days of 1979 were long gone, and the future was very bright indeed.
Specs and Stats
Overall
S Trim - The comfortable, GT-esque version. Refinement and luxury with a twist of sports car fun.
$18200
~$46400 in 2016
X Trim - The definitive sports car experience. Fast, responsive and a dream to drive.
$23,660
~$60300 in 2016
Comments, critique and complaints all welcome! And if you have a similar car from this era that would have been a rival to the Scarlet, PLEASE link it!
I’d say this - technically - would’ve been a rival to the Scarlet, but only the X trim
I would say the OAM Phoenix GTi, but thats mainly sold in America, and it only exists in the 24hr ATT atm.
[edit]
1985 OAM Phoenix GTi 2.2L i6 Turbo 180 hp, RWD reaching 139mph, 0-62 in 6.4s and 34.7 mpg (UK)
I think this is would count as competition
Judging by those specs the Scarlet X is a formidable Rival to the Nuntius Mantis 2000Vi-R Tourer, which is a large front-wheel drive sedan with 165hp and sports suspension.
Adenine introduced the Mist in '85, I’ll get around to that on my thread eventually… I’ve posted it before but I have revised it significantly to fit better into my lore.
That Scarlet looks perfect
@Fayeding_Spray Don’t know how I didn’t see that before on the forums, it looks incredible!
@Dorifto_Dorito Definitley a competitor, especially in America.
@Awildgermanappears Now that I like as competition. Feels like we’re touching on the “sports sedan vs supercar” debate.
@phale Ah yes… I believe that’s the one? I’d be interested to see how mid-engined rivals would stack up, I did look at a few of the Ferraris that were around at the time as comparison for the car.
Also shout out to the [2011 Mist that competed in my CSR round]((TGRG Top Gear Role Game (Discontinued)) back in April!
Damn. They are very close indeed. Only real difference is the weight and…hang on a second
…there’s also 10 years separating these two