The Sport Trims of Otnas Kucing
As mentioned in the previous threads, sport trims of the Otnas Kucing do exist. At that time, Otnas received a lot demand for sport trims thus releasing the 'Kucing Normandy' for testing waters which turns out to succeed in the market. In 1975, Otnas announced the 'Esprit' models that.Esprit Junior
The Otnas Kucing Esprit-Junior is the base model of all sport models of the ‘Esprit’ lineup. The car was offered in 3-door and 5-door hatchback bodystyle. Like other Esprit models of the first generation Kucing, it possess widened arches which allows for wider 195 tires with 14 inch alloy wheels to fit. It also was given uprated suspension which allows it to corner faster and pull 1.06 g’s at both 20m and 200m skidpad.
Under the hood, it has a tuned ‘Purring Cat’ engine which was given a performance intake, higher lift camshaft, 8.5:1 oversized pistons, 1750cc cast iron block, 4-2-1 exhaust header, and more free flowing exhaust. All these upgrades allow the engine to produce 94hp and 160Nm of torque which allows the car to blast from 0 to 100km/h in just 8.6 seconds and reach a 225km/h top speed.
The Kucing Esprit-Junior was priced at $5,155.19 in 1975 which translates to $24,799.61 in today’s currency.
Esprit-I
The Kucing Esprit-I was the one that coined the term ‘Discount Supercar’. It sits lower than the Kucing Esprit Junior to reduce body roll whilst cornering, and has a somewhat stiffer suspension if compared to the Esprit Junior to enhance stability at high speeds. It also wears 215 tires all round - which allows it to pull 1.10 g’s at both 20m and 200m skidpad.
It was introduced with a 16V DOHC 2.0 litre engine that is dubbed as ‘Angry Cat’ since its based off the ‘Purring Cat’ engine. The ‘Angry Cat’ motor was also turbocharged - producing 181hp and 260Nm of torque - mated by a 5-speed manual transmission with a limited-slip differential. Thanks to its powerful engine, the Kucing Esprit-I can reach 100km/h from 0 in just 5.8 seconds, and achieve a 260km/h top speed which was absurdly high at that time.
It was priced at $7,498.45 which translates to $36,072.16 in today’s currency.
Ocelot
Last but not least, the Kucing Ocelot. Unlike other Kucings that sit on a monocoque chassis, this one has a ladder frame beneath it. Why? Because the Ocelot was made for offroading! It has a 4x4 drivetrain with low range gear and manual locking differentials, solid-axle coil rear suspension so you won’t be stuck at the mud in the forests for too long. The reason why it was made? Because in the woods, it’s easier to sneak in tight spaces with a small car than bigger SUVs!
Under the hood, it still is powered by the Purring Cat-I engine so spare parts of it is easier to find and interchangeable with the ordinary Kucing. Although its engine position was mounted longitudinally to fit in the new 4x4 drivetrain.
More updates coming soon! Stay tuned!