Really? Is it that black shape that goes up on the sides?[/quote]
Yeah, and only that. The rest, I agree, is rather C7!
Back in 1967 Normandy Automotive was much more… wholesome than it is now. There were no drunks, no ex-Soviet or ex-Nazi scientists. There were no child-labor disputes and no illegal genetic tests in the basement. There was The CEO’s father, four men, and a tool shop. The world was in a bad way back then. Wars popped up left and right and humanity was hell bent on tearing itself apart. “There’s gotta be something I can do…” Daddy thought. “…But, what can a lowly little car company to help this world?” He sat as his old wooden desk, put his face in his hands and thought. Six months later, calls were made and contracts written up. He figured if people were mobile and able to work, they would spend their time making things instead of war. This was the birth of the Espera.
Espera is the Portuguese word for hope.
Hope, it seems, isn’t always a brilliant and incandescent light that envelopes a persons being. Nor is it an ethereal force that pulls the world through the heavens. Sometimes. It’s a hastily built, hardy metal box, on four 10 inch wheels. Normandy created the Espera to be easy to build and easy to fix, so easy to fix in fact, that with merely five tools, one could replace anything that wasn’t welded. The tools were a screwdriver, three different ratchets and a hammer. All of which, were included in a little leather satchel in the trunk.
So they designed the car, and got the rights to build it in a number of factories around the world. The total construction cost for the Espera was $2798.85. It was sold for as much as could be offered by the people who needed it most. Normandy suffered massive losses with the Espera, but it made waves in the automotive world and gave a chance at life to millions.
The Espera came equipped with 95 HP Cast Iron 2.0L 2 valve DA-OHC i4, with a 2-barrel carb. It revs all four standard gears up to 5000 RPMS to a top speed of 100 MPH.
What a tale of inspiration… Now I wonder where it all began to change so much!
With our recent, and let’s face it, embarrassing losses in the now world famous Barely Street Legal League, Normandy decided to take it’s sweet time and butter up our fans and clean up the company’s more than likely, soured image. While one-off engineering feats and hyper-cars are amazing, million dollar racing cars, do not, a successful car company make. That said, we looked back at the successes of the automotive world to draw inspiration. In the mid ‘90’s the Import Tuner scene had exploded, with Japan holding the plunger. Companies like Toyota, Honda and Mitsubishi had a firm and unshakable grip on the notion of sports cars. Not only were these vehicles relatively fuel-efficient for the power they provided, they could also out maneuver any American made vehicle with no effort. In that vein, Normandy proudly presents its’ newest entry in the realm of mass produced sports cars.
The first in a series of upcoming sports cars. The N1.
The base “L” sub-series (LE and LS) is powered by a very fuel-efficient AT4. An i4 producing 142 HP to either a 4-speed Auto or 5-speed Manual FWD gearbox. Both retail at roughly $9500.
For only an extra $500, the Turbo charged “L” sub-series (The LSX and LEX) increases the power from 142 to 200HP. Increasing the power also adds a spoiler to the rear and our brand new T-Top, as well as some addition creature comforts.
*Interesting side note: The LEX became something of an underground legend among tuner fans shortly after its release. Online forums and magazines often referred to it as a “LEX” (on word) Saying things like “And there’s Ron Jeremy in his Normandy LEX.”
The “G” performance sub-series (GT, GT-R, and GS), comes with our battle proven XGP i6, giving your right foot access to a face melting 300 HP. This engine comes bolted to a 6-speed manual or 5-speed automatic RWD or AWD, gearbox. Added vents, wider wheel arches, bigger rims and breaks, tighter suspension, lower ride height, fog-lights, front-splitter and a badass sound system are all yours for $14000. Yes, it comes with the T-Top.
The “N” racing sub-series (NTX, NTX-R, NSX, NTV-X, and NTV-XR) is the bleeding edge of street-legal racing machines. With an extremely powerful turbo-charged 450 HP, XGP i6 engine, coupled with the same optional RWD or AWD gearboxes as stated above, along with our brand new Sequential 6-speed system. Yes. It comes with the T-Top. All of the soul-sheering power can piss off your local PD for a mere $16000.
There are rules in the automotive world. Just with every other form of production and enterprise, one cannot be too… specific with their products. Yes, one can sell to either women or men specifically, but one cannot sell to a specific sub-genre of either in too direct a manner. Selling to a specific race, creed, nationality, or color is extremely frowned upon, if not explicitly forbidden. But we, at Normandy, don’t much care. We know there exists a group of people who value style and visual representation above logic. They value the way an object makes them appear to others. In that vein, Normandy proudly presents the Patriach.
With its’ 4.0 L v8 engine producing 303 HP to a 6-speed automatic RWD gearbox and a damn decent 23 MPG. $30,000 is fair-bit below what this vehicle would cost if it were to be made available to other… specific markets.
Other notable features include:
An pristine luxury interior trimmed with leather, wood and imitation gold accents.
A sound system that violates OSHA standards in a three-block-radius.
Electric Multi-Directional seat adjustments for every seat.
Seat heating and air-conditioning
A HUD that can be enabled with the option to dim the lights on the dash.
Looks like some kind of BMW…
Where is it!
I’ll post the car when I get home.
Here at Normandy Automotive, we strive go do the impossible. Utilizing improbable means and war-crime levels of slave labor… Anyway, the boys at the skunk works have been toiling through the near year looking to create something new. Up on an eastern wall, in the darkest level of the dungeon, past The Wrack and behind the Iron Maiden, there sits a large wooden wheel. To this wheel, is bolted the person who failed. Failed at what, you ask? Anything really. Arriving to work late? Wheel. Dropping a box of expensive equipment? Oh boy, wheel. Sneezing in my general direction? God damn right you get the wheel. Pressed firmly against the edge of this wheel is an '18 inch rim bolt to a ZF1 engine. This engine revs to 9500 RPMS. The wheel does as well. As such, when the time comes, the engine is fired-up, set to full burn and the wheel is spun. At the wheel, several crossbow darts are fired. Which ever bolt sticks determines our next model. Unfortunately, this time it was a bolt labeled “Luxury.”
The difficulty is… Normandy really doesn’t do… Luxury. It’s more or less beneath us. Here, we believe that if you don’t cross the line in excess of at least 300 MPH, side ways and on fire, than you have failed at life. Noone should be that comfortable operating something that weighs two tons, goes like hell and is powered by explosions. You should be in constant fear that your death could come at any minute by the loosely fitted bolts on a Normandy vehicle. But, when offered the chance to make something that slaps Mercedes dingy, unwashed frying pan-grey and quite frankly, extremely pompous ass, we totally jumped on that shit.
Here we have the Syla. Syla, translated from Ukrainian, means Force. This is not a luxury car. This is tastefully refined genocide. You sit in seats made of dead cows, hold a steering wheel made of dead trees, and drive with the power of dead dinosaurs. As standard, the Syla comes with a 5.0L Flat Plane V8, producing 617HP. You can choose between a 6-speed Manual, or 7-speed Automatic RWD gearbox. Allt this for 61,000 Pounds.
for 62,000, The N version comes with an AWD gearbox.
Wait till you see the N Black Edition.
jesus that’s awesome LOL!
Back in 1984, one of Normandy’s financial backers got a wild hair up his ass and decided Normandy needed to eek out a share of the 4x4 market. Thus a challenge was created and fired at the boys in black ops. Their challenge, was to forge a beast that would attempt to steal the thrown from Jeep. In rides the Charlie. A very light, very versatile, very easy going AWD puppy.
Upon its’ conscription into the fiery battleground of automotive sales, Charlie came with several options, all of which had 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic gearboxes.
LE: FWD 1.8L 12 Valve two-barrel i4, producing 75 HP
ST / ST4: An R / AWD 2.0L DOHC FI i4, producing 105 HP
SX / SX4: An R / AWD 2.2L DOHC FI i4, producing 124 HP
It came with many notable features. Most obvious of which were…
A sunroof.
Hood mounted pop-up headlights in addition to the primary set.
Hood scoop.
Directly below the hood scoop, is a secondary set of gills designed to cool a separate oil-cooler.
A tertiary set of vents mounted laterally to the primary grille to aid in cooling the front brakes.
Small vents directly above the tail lights to help move air through the vehicle.
Side mounted exhausts (one fake) to add to sportiness. (and because the exhausts don’t work on the model)
Charlie was praised for its’ ability to conquer nearly every obstacles in its’ path. With the exception of the Valiant, the R, The Espera, and some of Normandy’s Higher-End performance models, no car was shown to have as much of a following as Charlie. Unfortunately, wars aren’t won with love. And as such, the car paled in sales with Jeep. Interestingly, the car found massive sales in South America.
I really like the Charlie. If I were to choose one of the variations, I’d probably chose the ST. I would want AWD, but I feel 75 hp wouldn’t be enough for that, but 124 would be too much. I really like how well thought out the variations are. Also, in terms of the design, I like how you kept it rugged. It’s not really meant to convey an emotion other than simply a “workhorse”-like vibe. Good job on all of that!
It looks like the kind of car you’d find in a fascist neo-socialist despotic regime. In south america.
^in a good way 
A now, the rich story of Normandy’s first car. It will be a gripping, heart racing, edge of your seat thriller. There will be laughter, there will be heart break. It might even win an Emmy!
In 1955, Normandy’s first car was, as all cars start, a prototype. It’s was labeled with the moniker “Prototype: Mobility Solution 1.0-3” or simply, as “P:MS” for short. It had a 1.0L twin-carb i4 SOHC engine, producing a whopping 35 HP, bolted to either a 3-speed manual, or 2-speed automatic. For about $100 more, you get could get one with a 4-speed manual. With a top speed of 60 MPH. It was a shitty car, don’t even try, but it was the start of something better. Unfortunately, the name was it’s downfall… Or so Normandy thought.
An intern by the name of Kevin (fucking Kevin), was under the impression that the vehicles name was actually PMS104, and signed off of shipping the car. Bear in mind, that this vehicle was intended for sale in America during the Women’s Lib movement. The outcry from women everywhere washed over Normandy like a molten metal tsunami. Even with the ire of women everywhere, the PMS went on sale. It turned out to be mildly popular with single men, if only just to piss women off. The PMS was a steady and stable sale for nearly a year, given Normandy more than enough to try their hand at building a more… Publicity friendly mode of transportation.
Stay tuned for part 2!
Afterword, Normandy did everything it could to bury the PMS. Over the next decade they released a torrent of newer and better models in an attempt to remove the PMS from the public consciousness. In the spring of 1977, amid the gas crunch and the failing economy, the people were praying for a savior. Realizing that the Kodiak, Normandy’s then answer to American Muscle wasn’t going to survive, the boys in the basement put their heads together once more and, for the first time in Normandy’s history, look back instead of forward. They realized there was still a great following for the original PMS. So, later that year, they re-released and updated version called the MS 104, which increased it’s power from 35 to 45 and sold for $6000.
In redesigning it, the boys saw an opportunity that hadn’t hit them before. Since there was a decent size following for it, why not make a more sporty version to sell on top of the base model? As such, they released the MS 104R, which came with an updated i4 engine that bore the initial trappings of what would eventually become Normandy’s famous AT4 i4 engine. The size was boosted to 1.2L and due to some engineering trickery, the power was boosted from 45 to 62, and the top speed was increased to 90MPH with the addition of a fifth gear. It also came with bigger rims, bigger breaks and wider wheel wells. The “R” version sold for $6500. With customer loyalty secured anew sales increased dramatically. It wasn’t built with much quality or care, but nonetheless, the people loved it.
Eventually, the name got Normandy into trouble yet again, when Microsoft discovered the cars name. A lawsuit was filed, and Normandy was ordered to either cease sales of the car, or change its name. After a protracted court battle, the car was eventually re-branded to simply, the “R”.
Stay tuned for part 3!
After letting the second shit storm die down, Normandy released the successor to the MS 104. As it turns out, the following for the car started referring to it by its make and engine model. Instead of simply calling it the “R”, they called it the “R-AT4” or “RAT4”. Normandy took heed of this, and, in 1984, released the newest version, calling it the RAT4.
Upon release, there were three versions to choose from.
RAT4 LE: 1.2L Dual-Carb DOHC, producing 80 HP, with an available 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic FWD gearbox.
0 - 62: 10.1 / Top Speed: 103 MPH
31 MPG
$7200
RAT4 Sport: Upgraded 2.0L fi DOHC, producing 138 HP, with a slightly higher geared 5-speed manual, or 4-speed automatic gearbox. As well as fog lights, sun roof, secondary grille, secondary and tertiary venting, hood scoop, bigger rims and fatter tires and better breaks, and a small wing on the tail.
0 - 62: 7.3 / Top Speed: 122 MPH.
27 MPG.
$8500
RAT4 Turbo: Upgraded 2.0L fi DOHC turbocharged engine, producing 205 HP to a better gearbox, allowing for quicker acceleration and higher top speed. The body modifications listed previously are their, as well as venting in the rear for better air flow and a front mounted lip.
0 - 62: 6.8 / Top Speed: 130 MPH
27 MPG
$11,000
- Pictured : RAT4 Turbo
