Three Way GT-1… Erin, Airborne, ECV.
FIGHT!
HELL YES.
Give me time to May to fix my PC and we can start this mayhem
Excellent to hear.
##2016 Erin Bino
Introducing the smallest car Erin has ever made, and the first new car from the company for over a decade.
In development for over 6 years, the Bino aims to take on the current crop of city cars, but also to be a brand new mass-export model for Erin. Assembled at brand new facilities in Leicester, UK, the Bino will be sold to markets all over the world, on a scale Erin have never undertaken before. The aim is to market it as both a city car for the rapidly growing world urban population, but also to be an excellent first car for the developing world.
Packed with clever features like a split-folding boot (with miniature tailgate as well!), large cabin space with flat folding seats, a low production cost dashboard that packs plenty of features but still allows for both left and right hand drive configurations and an exclusive range of all-wheel drive trims too, the Bino is certainly one of the most advanced and widely developed city cars of all time.
Yet, it still maintains the expectations of any small car; ease of driving, great economy and brilliant reliability. Though it certainly is by no means that interesting to drive, it’s perfect as an A-to-B car, and is expertly suited to urban driving.
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#A Whole Lotta Tauga!
I’ve decided to expand on the story of the Tauga and redesign the original model I made back in August 2015, mainly because I can’t stand it not being improved. So here it is, the complete story of how one of Erin’s most important cars in recent times came to be.
Overview
The Tauga is Erin’s compact executive saloon, aimed at being a slighty cheaper alternative to the German-dominated luxury part of this market. It’s renowned for its excellent driving characteristics, good practicality and constant focus on innovation. Currently, it is in its 3rd Generation, and has been produced since 1999.
History
The Tauga’s history stretches far further back than the year it was released. When Erin were working on their recovery plan, they did consider launching a compact executive saloon along side the brand new Visto and Berlose, but the costs were deemed too risky, and it was decided that it would be far better to spend the money saved on the new Merna so that all three cars could be released at once.
So, the idea of such a car disappeared for some time, until 1993. Having launched the Calvera, Erin’s first all-aluminium production car, a group of Erin engineers filed a suggestion to CEO Marco Erin for a range of aluminium bodied cars that would be at a fairly affordable price, and would greatly improve fuel efficiency. This came at a particularly important time, as the need for greener cars was beginning to become more and more important. So, after some further consultations, Erin began a secret development project to develop a new, advanced saloon car that would be efficient, affordable and would utilise the use of aluminium.
Come 1995, and Erin filed a number of patents and trademarks for the word ‘Tauga’. It didn’t receive much attention, but various information leaks, sightings of concept cars and finally a reveal in 1997 all began to build hype for an upcoming car from Erin that would take on the likes of the Audi A4, BMW 3 Series and Mercedes C Class.
It was that reveal in 1997 that at last saw the Tauga come to some fruition. A concept was revealed at the Geneva Motor Show that year, showcasing a car not of the future, but a car that “we’d all be driving within 5 or 10 years”. Alongside this, Erin also announced the Millenial engine development program, that would dictate the design of Erin’s engines for the next 14 years. These engines would be made to complement the ethos of the Tauga and introduce the advancements learnt in its development to Erin’s wider range.
Finally, in 1999, the Tauga came to market, available as a saloon, estate and a Coupe, a separately developed version that aimed to create a practical 4 seater coupe that actually had some room for rear passengers. It was sportier than the base model, but didn’t cost much more, and provided a rival to similar cars from the German car makers, but also to the low end coupe market.
The Tauga not only led the way for a new era for Erin, with major advancements in technology, build techniques and efficiency, but it also led the way for Erin’s ‘Millenial’ generation of cars, spearheading the new design style.
1999 Erin Tauga (Mk 1)
It’s 1999. The world is braced for the 21st century. Erin needs a new car to lead the company into the future.
The answer is the Tauga, the company’s first compact-executive saloon. A groundbreaking vehicle not just for Erin, but also for the market it was entering into. Fantastic efficiency, a wealth of technology and brilliant driving characteristics.
This was Erin’s first mass-produced car to be made from aluminium, with a specialised reinforced design that maintained chassis rigidity but also made this car very light compared to its rivals.
Inside, a wealth of driver aids had been fitted, and an all-new digital screen-based infotainment system was fitted onto the dash, a first for the market. As optional extras, the car could also be configured with a Bowers & Wilkins sound system, heads-up display and adjustable sound proofing.
However, the most advanced part of this car was its engine. The flagship model, a 2.8l NA i6, launched Erin’s new Millenial engine range, that saw the use of AlSi, VVL and super lean fuel mixtures for the first time on a mass scale. It ensured the Tauga could compete with its German rivals on performance whilst also outshining them on efficiency, and still made room for very low service costs.
All of these features were aimed at making the Tauga not the car of the future, but rather, the car we’d all be driving in 5 or 10 years time. Erin’s subsequent vehicles have often taken inspiration from this car, and it helped to undermine the German dominance of the executive saloon market in the early 2000s.
1999 Erin Tauga Coupe (Mk 1)
One thing Erin wanted to achieve by developing the Tauga was a proper 4 seater coupe that actually had room for its rear passengers. Rivals like the BMW 3 series coupe often lacked head and leg room, something which Erin wanted to avoid.
Early on in the development stage, it became evident that the best way to do this would be to develop the Coupe version separately to the standard car. They’d be based on the same chassis and share all the same features, but unlike similar cars where the coupe version is essentially the same car but with a sloped roof, the Tauga Coupe would be engineered as an independent vehicle.
In order to create the head and leg room require, the whole cabin was reshaped and put further back. It was also lowered down a fair few centimetres, and a special roof design allowed them to maintain the smooth looks without losing too much passenger space.
The result was fairly good. The car certainly didn’t have the same space as the standard model, but with one less seat and large windows to add plenty of light to the rear of the cabin, the illusion of space was certainly created.
The Tauga Coupe also distinguished itself with its far sportier driving charactersitics, more aggressive suspension setup and a Limited Slip Diff as standard. That made it faster from 0-60 and more fun to drive, but Erin ensured that the pricing did not go out of hand; the Tauga Coupe only ranged from £600 to £1000 more than the base model, and to save time, it was made available with all of the engines found on the base model as well.
Come 2007, and the new Erin Tauga was launched, along side the new Coupe version.
2007 Erin Tauga Coupe (Mk 2)
The success of the first Tauga Coupe prompted Erin to continue it for the Mk 2 version of the base car. However, the focus of the car was shifted quite significantly.
With active suspension and LSD’s now available on most of the Tauga range, Erin wanted to offer a quieter, more relaxed version of the car. While the old Tauga Coupe was more of a sports car, the new one was far more of a GT car, with plenty of luxury and a focus on comfort. Erin’s new range of automatic gearboxes were used a lot on these cars for that purpose.
The car was also greatly improved when it came to passenger space. While the first model had succeeded in creating a 4 seater coupe that people could actually sit in the back of, the new model vastly improved on that, at the cost of some boot space.
The result was a car that drove incredibly smoothly, lacking the sharp-edged characteristics of the standard car, but still creating a rewarding and versatile experience.
Well done if you managed to read through all that, I just kinda let my imagination go wild 
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Very nice. I’m planning on doing a similar write up for one of my cars, maybe after the CSR 
What’s the MSRP on the 1999 sedan? I’d like to compare.
In the region of 18000 to 27000 in 1999/2000 money, 21000 to 33000 in 2007 money.
Is that in-game price? My 1995 car is $13000 in-game (with 10% markup) and comes out to $12500 after a 50% increase to match real-world MSRPs and then a decrease for inflation. It’s a lot slower than yours, by the way 
Hmmm. I was basing my prices against the cost of the BMW E46 3 Series when it came out, but that will have been affected by inflation, exchange rates etc…
Maybe it is too expensive for what it is. I’ll give you a more accurate MSRP when I next play the game 
My car is targeted at the mainstream family sedan market, but it may also be too cheap for what it is - 1995 Honda Accord started at $15000. Your price sounds about right for 1999.
Yeah, mine is definetley more up-market than a Honda Accord. Perhaps I do need to readjust the costings though.
Erin’s Financial Disasater: The 1979 Crash
Erin reported there best earnings to date in 1976, with 5 models on sale, 2 factories and dealerships across Europe. Export to America had also widened their customer base, especially with their luxury models. This success had also greatly increased 3rd party investment, that had now put the company in an ample position to expand.
But, there was disagreement over how this should go about. Then CEO Marco Erin, son of Dominic Erin, was split between supporting his design chief Harold Forgely and his main advisor Arnold Clark, who wanted to revamp current models and maintain Erin’s position as a slightly exotic, slightly unusual brand, and the Board Of Directors, who wanted to expand into more ‘normal’ markets and start directly competing with the British and Germans with saloons and hatchbacks.
This dispute went on for years, and gradually got worse and worse. Marco wanted to hold his company’s status and expand at the same time, but feared a loss of faith from Clark and was concerned that developing so many new cars may end up being a fruitless endeavour. At the same time, the disagreements also meant that Erin’s new cars weren’t being designed in the same way. For instance, the second generation Comprida, launched in 1978, wasn’t approved by the Board of Directors and was essentially self-funded by Clark and Forgely’s design team. At the same time, the new Civera and Nedala were approved by the Board of Directors and looked completely different to the Comprida. Erin was losing its touch.
Then, the downfall began. A number of factors triggered this. The first sign was the failure of the Mk 2 Nedala; the Board of Directors had completely misunderstood the current market trends and failed to realise the lack of demand for such a car. It would stop production just 11 months after its launch. Then, there was the lack of trust from their customers. The new Comprida suffered greatly from this because of how different it was to other Erin’s, and production also had to be halted. The discontinuation of these two cars led to Erin’s many investors pulling out over the year of 1979, gradually reducing the companies potential funding, and the company would be facing huge losses unless it cut production of the majority of its cars - which it did.
All but the Merna and Lira remained in production by the end of 1979. The shock move led to the laying-off of over 7000 staff members, and also saw Arnold Clark and Harold Forgely resigning after 19 years at the company. Marco also fired his entire board of directors for the failings, and the company was left in tatters, barely making a profit.
While ErinSport continued to operate with much success, Marco knew that 1980 was the make or break year for the company. Erin would have to completely reinvent itself, its image and rebuild on a massive scale. Thankfully, there was hope.
A development project, called the ‘Advanced Sports Coupe’, had been in the works since the late 70s. It had resulted in designs for a mid-engine, aluminium bodied low-end sports car, and with some extra funding, it could be brought to production. So, Marco oversaw the hiring of a whole new design team, led by post-graduate design student Chris Famerley. He envisioned a whole new design style for Erin, one that would look futuristic whilst being contemporary. Despite being just 25 years old, Marco was confident that his designs for the new sports car would save the company. That car became known as the Nasaro.
Launched in 1982, it was an immediate success. Marco had also hired a new team of advisors - having axed the board of directors - who helped to market the Nasaro excellently, and allowed it to cover a number of price ranges and customer bases. But, this wasn’t going to be enough; Marco had had to tap into his own family’s savings to fund the car, and needed to get a stronger income base.
This would almost certainly be reliant on a new Merna, the Mk 4. But, the company still had two factories that were currently not being used, and decided to launch alongside the new Merna two other cars - the Visto and the Berlose. To reduce costs, these cars were developed with Toledo engines. And even then, more was needed to cement Erin’s recovery.
The Visto and the Berlose would be successful, but only because of the help of one company: Saminda.
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A little bit on the side note, but the Nasaro is my favourite Erin car so far 
By the way, was it based on this? (the winning grey car)
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Nah, though I do like me some Ridge Racer (and check out the classic graphics! )
It was more based on a combination of this and the DeLorean.
And thanks for the appreciation!
Erin & Saminda - Part 1: Like A Virgin (Allied For The Very First Time)
Erin were almost on the road back to success, but they needed to properly secure their recovery. So, CEO Marco Erin took the incredible decision to accept an offer from Saminda. The Japanese car maker wanted to expand into Europe, giving Erin the perfect opurtunity to widen their range and gain proper worldwide recognition.
This would be the first time Erin had ever partnered with another car maker, certainly on this scale. And with a reliable, well-reputed world car maker like Saminda at their side, Marco was sure the venture would be successful. This gave him the confidence to commit the Visto and Berlose to production, having poured almost all the company’s remaining money into their development, as the cars produced from this alliance would undoubtdely gain attention, if only for the Euro-Asian style.
Documents were signed in 1982, merely months after the Nasaro was released, and the deal was done. Erin and Saminda would design alongside one another and release the resulting vehicles under the Erin brand in (Western) Europe, and the Saminda brand everywhere else in the world. This would be partially changed in 1987, where Erin and Saminda sold the cars alongside each other in South and Latin America, South Africa and Australia. Three cars were planned initially, to be released simultaneously under each company.
The fruits of this international partnership were first bored in 1984. As A-ha’s The Sun Always Shines on TV topped the UK charts, the Erin Devaran was launched. The car that was “Everything You Ever Wanted In A Car” was a brilliant, characterful angular design, made to compete against family cars market in Europe, and was generally seen as a success. Some shakey early sales were soon quashed as Erin’s marketing helped to create the image of a European styled car with Japanese reliability.
This was to be start of the golden period of the Erin-Saminda Alliance. Sales across the board for Erin were boosted by the Devaran’s arrival, as it rebraned Erin in mainland Europe as a car company you could actually take seriously. Meanwhile, increasing success in Group C racing for ErinSport’s Group C Development Project was projecting the company’s image well in the motorsporting world, as this would also be the first of 3 storming years for the Group A Erin Nasaro that would dominate the division across the world and even forced FIA to adjust the the class rulings due to its success.
Erin were no longer recovering; they were back on form.
1984 Erin Devaran
An efficient, compact and user friendly vehicle; Japanese innards with an Erin designed interior, along with a few other bits and bobs. A rebadged version of the Saminda CZ2, the Devaran was an in-between car between the compact Merna and the mid-sized Saminda C5.
Its main selling point was it’s size and shape; plenty of space in a car with a lower than average foot print, excellent amounts of room in the cabin and a large boot. Plus, decent economy was complemented by a well designed Saminda 1.7l engine and spritley 4 speed manual gearbox. It may not have looked sporty, but the Devaran was still enjoyable to drive.
The design on the outside may only just have fit into Erin’s range, but it didn’t slow the sales of this car. The Devaran was quick to gain popularity, and has become a fairly iconic and unusual classic Erin thanks to its angular shape and linear design. Because the car was sold as a Saminda in the UK, “badge conversion” kits have been a popular mod Saminda versions of the car, as the only proper Erin Devarans sold in Europe were all right hand drive examples.
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Erin & Saminda - Part 2: I Am The Resurection (Of Low Cost Motoring)
The succesful few years between 1984 and 1989 saw the Erin-Saminda Alliance prosper. The Devaran/CZ2 did well in the majority of markets it was sold in, and by 1987, it became the first car Erin started exporting to Latin and South America. However, there was a need to expand these new markets, as well as continue the alliance. So, plans were drawn up for car no. 2, and this time Erin would be the chief designers.
Based on the demand for a mid-sized sedan from both Saminda and the new Latin/South America markets, Erin began work on such a vehicle. Trouble arose however when the designers tried to work out what this car should really be - a mid-size executive saloon, that would follow in the footsteps of the Mk 1 Berlose, focusing on a premium feel from the outset? Or, should it be a more basic, cheaper to build, ‘world car’ platform that could have premium features added afterwards?
Head of Project Michael Serbile eventually decided on the world car approach as it would be more appealing to Saminda and would save on costs. His team took the current Berlose Mk 1 chassis, shortened the wheelbase, reshaped the cabin space, and redesigned the suspension, replacing the all-round double wishbones with macphersons at the front and trailing arms at the rear. Redesigning the suspension was expensive, but they saved a lot of money compared to having to design the chassis from the ground up.
A few years and some market research later, the Lomaron was born. The car had been sent to Saminda a year prior to its 1989 launch to ensure they had time to work on their variant, the C5. With Saminda now established in Europe, the Lomaron was not sold on the continent and instead was sold in South Africa, Australia and South and Latin America as both production lines being used to make the cars had surplus capability and could manufacture enough vehicles to send enough vehicles to each market. Thus, in Japan and America, it was sold as a Saminda C5.
The Lomaraon itself was marketed as a budget luxury sedan, cheaper and far more suited to rougher terrain than its German rivals. Good relibability, low cost construction techniques and a reworked engine range (borrowed from the Merna and Berlose) meant this car would do well, though Erin did struggle in the early months to get enough vehicles out to all markets.
However, this was also the first sign of weakness in the Erin-Saminda alliance. Now that Erin were making a lot more money than they had ever made before, and their expansion into these new export markets was challenging Saminda’s own international sales.
1989 Erin Lomaron
A joint-venture between Japanese maker Saminda and Erin, the Lomaron aimed to be a low cost alternative mid-size executive sedan that would sell better in poorer countries.
While some luxuries were provided, especially on more expensive trims, the main focus was on building a solid, reliable and practical car that could be sold for export easily and marketed at a low cost. Erin sold this car alongside the Devaran - the previous Erin-Saminda car - in Latin/South America, South Africa and Australia.
Styling wise, the car went for a more contemporary look than its fellow Erin models, with the design echoing its facelifted Berlose cousin but attempting to be more universal in order to make the rebadged Saminda version better. The headlights were thoroughly inspired by Japanese cars of the time, and a smoothed and less complex version of Erin’s iconic 80s tail light design is found at the rear.
Few things are particularly noteworthy about the car. The performance was average, the engines were borrowed from the Berlose and Merna line and the whole car itself was really just a lot of reworked bits from the Erin and Saminda parts bin. What was significant though was that this was Erin’s first time exporting cars on a larger scale, and the Lomaron would emerge as a figurehead for their ventures.
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##Attempted Rebirth - A Study of the Eco-V8
So after reading through this (scroll down through the posts a little) on the Auxuras Motor Co page (@Starfish94), I got inspired to see whether an Eco-V8 could be a potential thing.
Erin used to use V8s a lot back in the 60s and 70s, but after their economic crash and reinvention, the focus on the engine type started to wain. The only place they’ve been found in the company’s lineup for the past 20 years has been on top level performance vehicles like the Scarlet and some sports trims.
Currently, Erin’s engine portfolio is decisively focused on i4s and i6s, with a sprinkling of V6s and just one V8. Not willing to give up on the potential of the V8, the company commenced a design study into whether a feasible V8 could be created. And by feasible, that means it would need to be economical, reliable and cost-effective. But, to truly be worth it, the engine would need to offer something different in terms of characteristic to the current range of engines.
###The Test
After some prior research, engineers conlcuded that these V8s should be built based on the same specifications as other engines in the Pureon line-up, the current generation of Erin engines. This meant they’d all be turbocharged, with 4 valves per cylinder, direct injection and VVT/L.
For the cars, it was decided that the costs of a V8 engine would make them more preferable to customers buying top end trims. As well as this, the researchers wanted to cover two distinct types of vehicles. So, the Merna and Berlose were chosen, Erin’s two most popular vehicles.
Starting with the Merna, a small block V8 was developed, which would fit into the transverse-orientated engine bay of the car. Surprisingly, the 1.75l V8 Turbo fits in very well, and isn’t much heavier than the 1.4l i4 TDi engine that was used for comparison purposes in the test. The trim used was the top-of-the-range Vox trim.
For the Berlose, a more regular 3.0l V8 was used, and a 3.5l i6 - the largest i6 produced by Erin - was used for comparison. Once again, the trim used was the Vox trim.
###Results - Merna
The only real key difference between the two cars is that the V8 has an increased drivability score and noticeably lower fuel economy. And considering that there is very little difference in the price, it does make the V8 a very marketable option. What’s more, the weight increase is limited - just 13kg, despite how much large the engine is in terms of form and capacity than the 1.4l i4.
Engine-wise, there are greater differences, which was expected. The V8 revs to a much higher limit - 7500 rpm vs 6700 rpm - and thankfully, the reliability drop has been minimalised. What does greatly differ is the economy of the V8, and the peaked torque curve is less preferable than the smoother line of the i4. This, however, is what researchers were hoping to achieve. The V8 would certainly provide a different driving experience, and in the family hatchback market, this would be a serious USP. But, there is one major downfall; the service costs are far, far higher, and perhaps too much to be worth the different characteristic of the engine.
###Results - Berlose
This is where we see the benefits of larger V8s; the V8 trim is cheaper, lighter and slightly more reliable than the i6. While performance statistics were actually fairly well matched, the V8 scores higher in Sportiness likely due to the increased responsiveness of the engine. It achieves this whilst producing less power than the i6 too. And, despite the reduction in fuel economy, the lower price tag would likely make up for that and would not be a deal breaker.
Here we see how well the V8 truly matches up to the i6. Even if it is shorter than the i6’s, the flat torque line on the V8 around the 3000 to 5000 range is very preferable for fuel economy, though there is no doubt that the i6 is definetley the more efficient engine. Once again, the V8 certainly has different characteristics, and the rougher torque curve would certainly be more interesting to drive with, especially when combined with the 7 speed sequential gearbox option. And, with minimal difference in service cost, it only strengthens the V8’s case; this is an engine well suited to this car.
###Conclusions
Is it possible to bring V8’s back into the mainstream? The results of this study do seem to suggest that. While the V8 in the Merna is perhaps too expensive for the target market, it does open up the option of using V8s for performance versions of the car, even if it were to be just a one-off special. What really was surprising was that in most cases, the differences between the V8 and i4 weren’t that great, and having such an engine in a small car would be undoubtedly unique.
The Berlose V8 is a far more promising option, especially as an alternative to the 3.5l i6. While that engine has been the best choice for efficiency and power at the top end of the Berlose range, the 3.0l V8 offers similar performance with a more exciting feel and for less money, which certainly makes it worth considering for production. Potentially too, a smaller V8, perhaps in the 2.2 to 2.6l range, could be made, making it a possible option on the Tauga as well.
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very interesting ! V8 is too expensive and not easier to produce compared to 4 and 6 cylinder , actually Saminda is not a stranger to V8’s , our Super GT series uses V8 engine.
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The engine production units are the big difference. That doesn’t show up much in the estimated costs, but in the campaign the production units are really gonna get you. 100+ production units is a lot for any engine, Pearlite’s luxury V12s are around 120 and Adenine’s eco I4s are around 40.
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