Erin and ErinSport - Historical Thread ['62 Erin Ghaleda]

DeusExMackia · 7 March 2016 18:08

[size=150]Erin Merna (Mk 4)[/size]
A cheap as chips family runabout for the synthpop-soundtracked early 80s. The Mk 4 was one of the most succesfull versions of the Merna in its history, and came just at the right time.

Having begun their recovery from near bankruptcy in the late 70s (thanks to the success of the Nasaro), Erin was now in a position to release the long overdue Merna Mk 4. Considering how much income the model had generated in the company’s past, the success of the business was resting on this.

So, they designed a small sedan style vehicle with plenty of space inside, a range of safety features including a driver’s airbag on almost all trim levels, a big boot and a no-nonesense interior.

Though the performance was laughable, it was undefeatably reliable and economical, and Erin’s new restructured marketing team ensured its success by having a wide range of prices to out compete its hatchback rivals.

This particular model is the bargain basement entry level S 1.4 final production concept, first seen in 1982 at the Frankfurt Motor Show. It used a borrowed engine from Toledo for testing purposes.

This car competed in the Holy Toledo Design Challenge Part 2: viewtopic.php?f=39&t=9628

[size=150]AutomationHub Page: automationhub.net/company-ca … rmodel/733[/size]

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[size=150]Erin Berlose (Mk 1)[/size]

Joining the Merna Mk 4 for Erin’s 1983 line up was an all new vehicle for a market they’d never gone into - the Berlose, Erin’s first exectuive saloon.

Powered by a range of V6’s and Inline 6’s, decked out in leather and packed with features, the Berlose was a proper all rounder, with trims to suit all needs and driving styles.

For the most part, the Berlose was at home on the long distance drive, excellent at cruising and incredibly comfortable.

The top of the range Vox trim, shown here, came with fold down tables, and in-car telephone, curtains and a vague form of mood lighting, turning it into more of a mini-limousine.

This 1982 final production concept was powered by a borrowed Toledo V6 for testing purposes.

This car competed in the Holy Toldeo Design Challenge Part 2: viewtopic.php?f=39&t=9628

[size=150]AutomationHub Page: automationhub.net/company-ca … rmodel/606[/size]

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TurboJ · 7 March 2016 21:25

That’s a cool, artistic ad right there. And the cars are nice too!

DeusExMackia · 8 March 2016 13:42

Thanks!

DeusExMackia · 11 March 2016 22:50

##1996 Erin Berlose X-AllDrive

One of Erin’s greatest cars from their 90’s renaissance. A truly exceptional super saloon that could happily hold a candle to the M5 and still offered a thoroughly unique driving experience.

Combining some excellent performance ingredients; all-wheel drive, Erin’s 3.8l V8, an aluminium body, active sport suspension; and integrating them into the current Berlose chassis, the result was a 372 bhp, 168mph missile that could out compete almost all it’s rivals when it came to 0-60 times and was phenomenal on a track.

Not only that, but at 1726kg, it was noticeably lighter than its rivals, even with its full leather interior and advance safety equipment. A range of driver aids came as standard, while later versions included sat nav, rear seat TVs and 7.1 surround sound.

At £40,000, it was well priced against rival vehicles, and even if the economy left more to desire, it remained an excellent long distance cruiser.

AutomationHub Page

DeusExMackia · 15 March 2016 20:25

##2015 Erin Merna XEco 2.4

Many recent hot hatches have been truly crazy and incredible - just look at the new Honda Civic Type R - but often limit their potential customer base with high prices, big running costs and impracticality.

The Merna XEco aims to work around these problems while still providing a sporty driving experience.

Powering it is a tuned Pureron 2.4 Turbo i4 used also on the Tauga and Berlose. However, the above-average displacement means it can get more power - 213 bhp to be precise - with better efficiency.

With prices from just £20800, it’s a lot cheaper than its rivals and not far away from the prices of the top-of-the-range Merna’s. Yet, with a Limited Slip Diff, mounted to a double clutch sequential gearbox, active suspension and vented disc breaks, it’s by no means a lightweight. 0-60 is dealt with in 6.4 seconds and it tops out at 149 mph. Plus it’ll lap the Green Hell in a spritely 9:03.55 seconds.

So, the performance stats won’t alarm your insurer too much, and the economy stats will certainly please them. 41 mpg and super low emissions place this car just a little below average of a normal family hatchback, and better still, it retains the excellent practicality, safety and ease of driving you’d expect from a Merna.

This is the hot-hatch for someone who wants the best of both worlds - performance and usability - without compromising almost anything.

This car competed in [Round 7](viewtopic.php?f=39&t=9081&start=420#p101854](http://www.automationgame.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=9081&start=420#p101854) of the Car Shopping Round.

[size=150]AutomationHub Page: automationhub.net/company-ca … rmodel/739[/size]

DeusExMackia · 27 March 2016 21:19

[size=150]1976 ErinSport Civera Silhouette BRC76[/size]

Sports car racing had been ErinSport’s domain for some time by 1976, and the Civera Silhouette was the most successful. Having been entered in Group 5 racing since 1968 with a variety of turbocharged prototypes, Erin wanted to expand into Group 4 and also advertise their vehicles a little better. A homologated Civera was the answer.

Debuting in 1971, the Civera Silhouette was a masterpiece of a race car. Well proportioned, well balanced and very versatile, it had seen use with a variety of engines, teams and raced right across the world; certainly a successful career, but 1976 would sadly be the last year for this vehicle. With the Mk 2 Civera on the way, Erin would soon discontinue the chassis…

…but not without a bang. ErinSport decided to make the 1976 BRC season its grand finale, with a tumultuous version of the car that took the new displacement-to-weight ratio limit to a whole new level. Under the bonnet was a 5.7L all-Aluminium V8, made in flat plane configuration in order to shoehorn it into the car. That was, as near as makes no difference, the second biggest engine ErinSport had ever developed, and one of the most powerful too. At 550 bhp, the Civera Silhouette BRC76 was more powerful than some supercars today, meaning back in the mid-70s, it was positively insane.

In return for this huge displacement, the car had to be fitted with a steel body, a change away from the aluminium and Kevlar-composite used on previous versions of the Silhouette. Still, it made it very safe, and the extra weight allowed them to fit a large fuel tank and made the chassis very rigid. Even with all that weight, the vented disc brakes could stop the car in just over 32m.

Style wise, the Civera Silhouette BRC76 had all the bases covered. Big wing, stylised intakes, black plastic, ridiculously flared wheel arches and the twin centre exhausts, a trade mark of ErinSport’s design team.

One special edition of this final edition was made for the 1000km of Hockenheim, the opener of the 1976 season. The engine was configured to run more efficiently and the suspension setup to be kinder on the wheels. Despite this, the car could still maintain the 5.3 second 0-60 time of the final edition and topped out at 180 mph (and 8000 rpm, at which point the engine was so loud, it could start earthquakes halfway across the world).

This car competed in the BRC76 QuER 1000km of Hockenheim: viewtopic.php?f=39&t=10060

[size=150]AutomationHub Page: automationhub.net/company-ca … rmodel/740[/size]

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DeusExMackia · 31 March 2016 19:02

This car has been redesigned. For the original, see here: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=7461#p80409

[size=150]2011 Erin Super Aventa[/size]
To lead its new design style, Erin launched a new super saloon, aimed at being one of the fastest 4 door cars in production. This car was the Aventa; a highly advanced, imposing and extremely quick car.

This particular model is the ‘Super Aventa’. Rather than having a sporty X Tuned trim version and a top-of-the-range Vox trim version, Erin decided to combine the two into one ultimate version, creating an ultimate blend of luxury and performance.

The Super Aventa is capable of 199 mph and 0-60 in 5.3 seconds, making it one of the fastest 4 door cars on the planet. Inside, the lavish interior and wealth of features means comfort is guaranteed. As standard, the Super Aventa comes with features such as adaptive cruise control, voice control, 360 degrees viewing cameras, in-car WiFi, moving rear seats, curtains, two champagne coolers (with storage space for champagne flute’s) and an 11" touchscreen infotainment system.

Alongside this, options include mood lighting, shag pile carpet, advanced high-speed collision safety technology, Bang and Olufsen designed sound system and adjustable sound proofing.

Don’t think for a moment that all the focus is on luxury; under the bonnet lurks a 5.8l V12 that knocks out 548 bhp to the rear wheels via an 8 Speed Automatic transmission with LSD. This gives the Super Aventa mountain’s of torque and means that with XMode engaged, the car behaves more like a muscle car than a limousine.

Even with all this luxury, the Super Aventa still keeps the environment in mind with its huge use of recycled materials, a combined cycle of 23.8 mpg and low emissions.

[size=150]AutomationHub Page: automationhub.net/company-ca … rmodel/599[/size]
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DeusExMackia · 5 April 2016 18:46

Ok, so the forum has switch has slightly ruined all of my previous posts in this thread. I may change some of them, but…well, its effort
In the mean time…

1992 ErinSport Merna BTCC92

The arrival of the Mk 5 Merna in 1992 heralded the end of boxy Mk 4, and finally gave ErinSport a new platform to play around with. With Group B long gone and the new Group A rallying rules settling in well, ErinSport were keen to develop a rallying version of the new Merna.

At the same time, they were also keen to return to BTCC, having left the competition a few years prior due the uncompetitiveness of the old Merna chassis. It seemed like they had the chance to hit two birds with one stone.

So, in spring 1991, with the final concept of the Merna Mk 8 ready to be unveiled, ErinSport got access to it and began to develop a racing platform that would allow the Merna to compete in both competitions and more.

Out went the interior, replaced by a role cage and a big fuel tank; the steel body was replaced by an aluminium one with plastic body kit; space was made to allow the chassis to be easily converted to AWD, while a specially made 6 speed gearbox and LSD transmission were built. 6 months later, out came the ErinSport Merna Touring '92, and it was ready to reassert Erin’s motorsport reputation.

This particular model won the BTCC in 1992, against a field of large compact saloons. Thanks to its tiny size, much lower weight and fantastic handling characteristics, this car became the plucky underdog of the season, and actually led to the rules being changed to ensure its lower weight didn’t become too much of an advantage.

Capable of 0-60 in 5.2 seconds and hitting a top speed of 158 mph, this was a nippy little hatchback, whilst its WRC brother would be even quicker with its turbocharged engine.

AutomationHub Page

DeusExMackia · 8 April 2016 21:55

Reuploading this car because a) its previous post has been ruined by the forum transition b) i’m updating it for the Buyers Guide and c) it’s one of my favorite cars and I wanted some better photos of it

1982 Erin Nasaro X 3.3

With Erin barely making a profit and in dire need of a car to reinvent the company, they launched the Nasaro, aimed to reinvent their image.

Having been in development since the end of the seventies, the mid-engined coupe was aimed at taking on the low to mid ranged sports car market by offering a vehicle that was quick, well built and drove fantastically.

The Nasaro’s key strength was its chassis; a steel-aluminium monocoque, with reinforcements to improve both rigidity and safety. It was exceptionally light, very well balanced and had a very low centre of gravity.

Then, there were the engines. Erin aimed to cater for everyone with an entry level 2.0 Turbo (that would later be used on the Merna X), a smooth 2.6 V6, and then, there was the Nasaro’s trump card; the brand new XTune 3.3l V6, an engine that would become synonymous with Erin’s performance vehicles. Producing 240 bhp, it gave the Nasaro X a phenomenal power to weight ratio, given that it weighed just under 1.1 tons.

Today, the Nasaro is regarded as one of Erin’s greatest cars, not only saving the company - over 70,000 were built between 1981 and 1990 - but defining Erin’s 80’s period. The styling was very influential on their other sports car, the Scarlet, and the tail lights design was used on every vehicle they made up until 1992. Meanwhile, a modified Group A version of this competed across the world between 1984 and 1989, being so successful at one point that the rules were adjusted to limit its superiority over rival cars. Resale values today are also very high and still rising, with an original Nasaro X worth over £50000 today.

A variant of this car competed in Round 5 of the Car Shopping Round.

AutomationHub Page

If this car were a song, it’d be Life’s What You Make It by Talk Talk

Sillyworld · 9 April 2016 04:18

That is quite the car for '82, stylewise and in performance! Is it RWD or AWD?
I know the period doesn’t match, but it looks like a it is a legit competitor for the R32 skyline.

DeusExMackia · 9 April 2016 07:24

RWD. And yeah, looking at it, perhaps it is a little too smooth and not black-plastic-y enough for the period

DeusExMackia · 12 April 2016 20:28

##Erin Tauga (Mk 2)
Two trims of the second generation of the Erin Tauga.

###2007 Erin Tauga Vox 3.0
Building on the success of the Mk 1 Tauga, the Mk 2 adjusted its original vision of “the saloon of the future” to be more of a continuation of the previous. It may have had a similar body, but underneath, this car was totally new. The Mk 2 was the first car of Erin’s mid-noughties wave of new cars, pioneering the new design style, introducing a brand new active suspension system and launching a new version of eDrive, Erin’s infotainment and car setup software.
Subtle hints of chrome, brand new LED headlights and angular body shaping; this was a car that looked truly of its time, and its contemporary nature meanes it still stands up today. There are subtle hints of Erin’s current design style here too.

Inside, the leather interior was improved and introduced a new palet of metallic and soft-touch plastic materials to create a comfortable and classy feel. At its centre was a 6" resitive touch screen; advanced at the time, though dated now.

Driving this thing was the real reason for buying it. While certainly efficient and fairly cheap to run, it was the handling characteristics and smooth power delivery that really distinguish this car from its rivals. Proper mechanical steering, a manual 6 speed gearbox (although a 7 speed auto was also available) and light, responsive suspension that came courtesy of the new active system. This was also one of the first cars to come with Erin’s programmable suspension setup, that allowed for up to 3 user-defined suspension settings.

All in all, this was a tasteful, enjoyable and well designed compact executive saloon.

AutomationHub Page

###2008 Erin Tauga X-AllDrive
The original Tauga X was a relaxed, comfortable and astute alternative to the usual, more aggressive range of sports saloons. Come 2008, the Tauga X-AllDrive threw that out of the window with an all wheel drive system, updated 3.3l V6 engine and a redesigned active suspension system.

The result was 0-60 in 4.6 seconds and a top speed of 180 mph (and this thing didn’t come with any silly preconfigured speed limiters either), making it way faster than its rivals. Its light aluminium body was reinforced to add safety and rigidity, while the rear limited slip differential actually improved weight balanced to create a car that could dance through corners and muscle its way round everywhere else.

Turn the traction control off, and 4 wheel drifting was guaranteed. But, it wasn’t a mad car; it certainly proved to be a bit of challenge to handle when you were really gunning it, but it was still a controlled and easy to drive car. Performance with the right amount of restraint.

Perhaps its only let down was the efficiency, which did leave more to be desired. Still, the remarkably low emissions meant this car filled a sweet spot for performance vehicles in that the tax was actually affordable and that the insurance group wasn’t ridiculous. In that way, this car has done very well on the second-hand car market, maintaining its status as the interesting alternative.

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DeusExMackia · 17 April 2016 20:46

##1995 ErinSport GT95 S1

When the Group C Development Programme ended in 1993, Erin took a hiatus from prototype racing and instead concentrated on developing the GT version of the Scarlet Mk 2, which would become their only Le Mans entrant until 1995.

It wasn’t until that year that a new car for the FIA GT championship would arise, one that followed in the footsteps of the 1994 winner, the Dauer 962 Le Mans. This car famously exploited loopholes in the new regulations for homologated vehicles, leading to Erin to do a similar thing and start a trend that would define the GT1 cars of the 1990s.

Erin designed the ‘road going’ version of the GT95 before the racing version was launched, building just 20 examples, hence allowing them to comply with the rules whilst still being able to build an all new LM racer from the ground up. More than that though, this car had a number of innovations and advanced technology that were ahead of its time.

First was the partially active suspension setup. Fully active systems were not allowed in GT1 racing, so Erin fashioned a limited system that adapted to the forces the car was experiencing. This system would later be used as the basis for the active suspension systems on the Scarlet Mk 3 and Berlose X-AllDrive, two of Erin’s all-time greatest cars. The exterior of the car was based on the Berlose Mk 2 facelift, with very similar lighting fixtures, although the two vehicles shared no parts.

Next was the engine. It was like nothing Erin had built before; a Flat Eight. The reason? It gave the car an excellent low centre of gravity. The twin turbo 3.75l unit sat almost exactly in the middle of the car, and produced some 617 bhp. A 6 speed double clutch sequential transmission attempted to send all that power to the rear wheels with some success, although there’s no denying that this was a hard car to drive. 0-60 was dealt with in just 3 seconds, and it topped out at 210 mph.

The third innovation came as a result of the Flat Eight engine, and it was called the Vacuum Air Intake. Early testing of the car proved that it really did have an excellent low centre of gravity, but that cooling was an issue. The problem was that the engine was so low in the car that no enough air was reaching the block, and its unusual flat design meant only the top half of the engine was being cooled at all.

Enter 27 year old race engineer Georgina Carnin. She suggested cutting a hole out of the flat, downforce-focused undercladding of the car to scoop up air from underneath it. It was in researching this that she had a breakthrough. The hole was surrounded by a large pipe and split into two sub pipes so that one section went directly to the air intakes for the engine, while another went into the engine compartment. At high RPM’s, the huge amount of air being sucked in by the engine would also suck air into the engine compartment, hence improving the cooling effectiveness of the hole. After adjusting the rear air outlets on the back of the car, she and her team designed a system where air in the engine compartment was kept constantly moving - which reduced drag - but also created a suction effect, forming an area of low pressure underneath the car that would pull the car down on to the road.

In short, the Vacuum Air Intake acted like the magnet of a Scarelectrix car, literally forcing it onto the road. This reduced the need for aggressive aero design on the car, as high-speed stability could be achieved with the intake. While this made the car more slippery in the corners, it was noticeably faster than its competitors, who all generated more downforce than was necessary for cornering due to its need at high speeds.

The Vacuum Air Intake was a huge success, as was the powerful and fairly efficient Flat Eight engine, who’s massive 9300 rpm red line earned it the nickname of “The Screamer”. The GT95 S1 went on to finish 1st and 3rd at Le Mans in its debut year, although the Vacuum Air Intake was deemed unfair and banned for the 1996 season. That said, the GT95 continued to compete until 1998, after which it was replaced, and the car is remembered as being one of Erin’s best entrants into Le Mans and endurance racing of all time.

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This car competed in the Late 90s GT Car Challenge.

If this car were a song, it’d be Wake Up by Rage Against The Machine.

Sillyworld · 18 April 2016 02:21

Such an underated body IMO
Nice history too! (too bad we’ll never get flat 8 engines in automation). But I thought that all forms of “sucking effect” were banned after the Brabham BT46…

DeusExMackia · 18 April 2016 05:55

Possibly? I honestly can’t remember. Just thought that such a low positioned engine would need some special cooling system and ding! I had the idea.

Let’s say it wasn’t banned in the Automation Universe…

Oskiinus · 18 April 2016 11:04

Nice car! Seems like fair competitor for Airborne Synth GT1, despite fact that my car actually never raced in GT1 category except one qualifying session.

Fayeding_Spray · 18 April 2016 11:07

Three Way GT-1… Erin, Airborne, ECV.

FIGHT!

DeusExMackia · 18 April 2016 12:00

HELL YES.

Oskiinus · 18 April 2016 19:48

Give me time to May to fix my PC and we can start this mayhem

DeusExMackia · 18 April 2016 20:29

Excellent to hear.