4) Mara Kavaler (since 1975)
4-door sedan, 2-door sedan / coupe, wagon / crossoverFirst generation (1975-1994)
Engines: Perspek 2.5 I4, Blyz 4.0 V8
– Cult of Personality II - Malaise Haze 1974-1979 as Mara Hussar (3rd in Counter Culture - Classics, 6th in Mainstream Culture - Hot Rods and Sports Cars): 1st gen 2-door sedan/coupe, Blyz V8 4.0: Cult of Personality ][ : The Boogaloo [LORE][RD 5 FINAL RESULTS] - #182 by AndiD
– Cult of Personality II overall (23rd in Counter Culture - Classics, 21st in Mainstream Culture - Hot Rods and Sports Cars)
After the positive reception of the up-engineered 2.5 Irena Coupe by the powers that were in Archana in the mid-1970s, Mara received the task of developing another upmarket offering above the Irena, but this time - unlike the 2.5 Irena Coupe - one that would be available for the general public as well.
The 1st gen Kavaler - Mara first steps in the premium markets
The eventual outcome was a 2.8m wheelbase large sedan, the start of the long-running Kavaler (‘knight’) nameplate. The 1st generation Kavaler was available with an enlarged 2.5 Perspek I4 (similar to the one in the 2.5 Irena Coupe but with a milder tune) as well as a 4L Blyz (‘twin’) V8.
250+ kg of (mostly) cast-iron: The Blyz V8, more twice as heavy but also twice as powerful than the I4, even in standard tune
The Blyz V8 had been originally developed in the mid-1960s alongside the Irena and essentially consisted of two Perspek I4s mated together. The 1st gen Kavaler was the first time the Blyz V8 became available for the general public; for the first years of its existence the Blyz had been solely available in the Irena’s V8 interceptor variant. The publicly available Blyz V8 was a detuned version, however, making only about 91 kW, but still with over 265 Nm of torque.
The Kavaler Interceptor: Perhaps a bit less sinister in appearance, but considerably more powerful than its Irena counterpart
Alongside, the Blyz V8 interceptor version was upgraded to 5l displacement, and improvements in tyre and brake technology since the 1960s actually made the additional power (148 over 113 kW and 356 over 283 Nm) at least somewhat useable. From 1976 onwards, the Kavaler 5L V8 interceptor superseded the 4L V8 Irena interceptor in Archanan state service. Cooling was also less of an issue for the Kavaler interceptor since - unlike in the Irena - the cooling system was already built to cope with the cooling needs of a V8.
The ‘knight’ badge became a recurring hallmark for the Kavaler series
Unlike the Irena, the Kavaler received independent rear suspension as well in the form of semi-trailing arms, as passenger comfort was a key requirement in the mandate to develop the Kavaler. Also, all versions were strictly four seaters with a less austere interior than the Irena. Other innovations carried over from the Irena Coupe 2.5 special project were disc brakes at the front, hydraulic power steering as well as a 3-speed automatic as the sole gearbox for all versions.
The Kavaler 2-door: out of reach for many - and thus not too long in production
A coupe version of the 1st gen Kavaler was available for a short time as well (and only with the V8), but was dropped after the first facelift due to lack of market interest in the domestic market. Since the Kavaler coupe was already on its way out at that time, it was mandated for Mara to enter the GT79 rally with a derivative of the Irena GTC 2.5, despite the Kavaler V8 coupe being the better fit on paper.
Things did not go quite as planned after the Kavaler’s initial market launch
For a while, the 1st gen Kavaler was also available in other countries beyond Archana, Dalluha and Fruinia through independent exporters, sometimes under the model name Hussar. The main reason was Mara’s overestimatation of the initial market interest, leading to a number of unsold Kavalers sitting on their factory premises, especially shortly after the market introduction after all pre-orders had been fulfilled.
Apart from comparably minor updates to the engine and the interior, the 1st gen Kavaler stayed in production for a bit less than 20 years. Until the 1990s, sales were steadily declining, but held up well enough in its key markets to keep the 1st gen Kavaler in production, but not well enough to justify major redesigns.
What others say
Second generation (1995-2005)
Engines: Progress 2.3 I4, Blyz Progress 4.0 V8
– CSR 138: A Thousand Words (3rd round): 2nd gen wagon, Blyz Progress 4.0: CSR 138: A Thousand Words (Finished) - #67 by AndiD
– Wangan Slickers Challenge (1st round): 2nd gen sedan, AMM Millennium Extreme, Blyz Progress AMM Extreme 4.6: Wangan Slickers Challenge [FINAL PART] - #19 by AndiD
– Trafikjournalen SCCR3 (ongoing): 2nd gen wagon, Progress I4 2.3: Trafikjournalen: Cars that influenced Swedish car culture (The end!) - #263 by AndiD
After the global market liberalisation in 1990, however, the 1st gen Kavaler fared even worse than the Irena against the international market competition, since it lacked the Irena’s sole saving grace - the possibility to be competitive at least in the respective budget markets. Mara also lacked the engineering capacity for three simultaneous big projects, as they were already hastily reenginering the Irena to be compliant for the newly opened Gasmean and Hetvesian markets and developing the all-new Zvezda from scratch.
The 2nd generation Kavaler sedan with a sizable, but somewhat subdued appearance
Development on the 2nd generation Kavaler thus could only begin in earnest after most engineering tasks on the 1990 Irena facelift was completed. For the Kavaler, the engineers applied a similar formula to what had worked in the mid-1970s: a large wheelbase sedan with state-of-the-art but unspectacular underpinnings (still RWD, but this time with double wishbones at the front as well as the rear) and mating two 2L Progress I4 blocks together to create the 4L Blyz Progress V8 as the top engine. An enlarged 2.3L Progress I4 was the budget engine option, again similar to the 1st gen’s formula.
A favourite of lower-ranking Archanan state officials in the 1990s - a forest green Kavaler V8 ‘Prakty’ wagon (here a 2000 model after the first facelift)
Unlike the 1st generation, this time the Kavaler was also available as a wagon in addition to the sedan. The overall market reception of the wagon was lukewarm at best, but it found sufficient success in three quite different market niches.
First, there were travelling outdoor workers such as forest inspectors and construction engineers who do not want to get stuck on otherwise reasonably accessible unpaved paths and roads in case of inclement weather. Otherwise, they first and foremost need a spacious and practical daily driver for regular roads and conditions, and can appreciate the Kavaler’s affordability.
Second, a growing number of newly well-off Archanans who appreciated the Kavaler’s high certified towing capacity to tow their caravans (as ‘mobile dachas’) for a quick weekend getaway or the yearly summer holiday.
Not an untypical sight in the late 1990s - a base spec Kavaler wagon pulling a caravan
And third, lower and mid-ranking state officials who want something reasonably stately and comfortable, but neither want to be seen driving an import (lest they’d be accused of not being sufficiently patriotic) nor risk getting stuck on the dirt paths to or from their dacha or hunting lodge while being able to carry (or tow) the necessary gear for their leisure activities.
There was also a special and very rare AMM performance variant of the 2nd generation Kavaler capable of reaching speeds beyond 300 km/h.
Third generation (2005-2014)
– CSR 137: Life after V8 Falcodore (1st round): 3rd gen Mara Kavaler Sedan AMM Performance M, Blyz Progress AMM V8 4.6: CSR 137: Life after (V8) Falcodore (Completed - Results posted) - #101 by AndiD
– New Age Cab Challenge (1st round): 3rd gen sedan, Efektyv 2.0e: New Age Cab Challenge - #14 by AndiD
3rd gen Kavaler’s were common taxis in some Archanan cities such as Lenagrad
Of course, AMM had cooked up their own special versions
More TBD
Fourth generation (since 2015)
Engines: Efektyv 2.0 I4, Blyz Efektyv 4.0 V8
– Entry Level Luxury Sedan Challenge (5th place): 4th gen sedan, Blyz Efektyv 4.0: 2020 Entry-level Luxury Sedan Challenge (ELLSC) - #19 by TheTom
– **CSR140 (round 2.1): 4th gen crossover wagon, Blyz Efektyv 4.0: CSR 140 - (You're) Having My Baby [RESULTS OUT] - #69 by AndiD
Two major goals for the most recent generation of the venerable Kavaler nameplate was a push further upmarket and to take into account more of the international car buyers’ preferences.
This is reflected in the choice of car body shapes (e.g. the traditional wagon now appears as a wagon / SUV / coupe crossover), engineering (e.g. a higher priority for safety and fuel economy) and design (e.g. narrower lights with LED) while retaining the traditional ruggedness and simplicity of previous generations…
… as well as the traditional forest green colour for the x-wagon and the Kavaler ‘horseman’ badge that’s come to symbolise Kavalers since the first generation in the 1970s.