The 1990 Daimyo Futon “T-Top” is the quirkiest coupe you have never heard of. Daimyo is the title that was given to a feudal lord in Shogun Japan. The brand, not that well known outside of Japan, has produced many types of vehicle, but even with sporty coupes the lordly nature its brand name implies shines trough. These cars are impressively engineered. Over-engineered one would say. Looking like step-in Japanese coupes, the Futons (Ermh… which in a rather non-sports-coupe-related way refers to traditional Japanese bedding, and has been taken over by many a European language for sofa beds) contain among other things an engine with double overhead cams with four valves, high quality stereo high-fidelity sound systems, five well-finished (yet cramped) seats, and ABS and power steering - which are exceptional for this class.
Back in 1990 you had the choice between 3 engine trims of this coupe with its distinctive glass roof panels: a 1.5 liter with 95 horsepower; a 1.6 liter with 110; and a 1.8 with 135, the models being designated γ, β, and α. Gamma, Beta, and Alpha. In terms of exterior you can differentiate between the trim by looking at the fog lights of the Alpha and the plastic middle rear section, and smaller steel rims on the Gamma - it is red reflective glass on the Beta and Alpha. The other difference is obviously price. And this is the reason that the Futon never broke through on foreign markets. The Gamma trim was available at $13.700, which was only slightly below the faster, lighter, and rear-wheel driven Miata at the time. Prices between $18.000 and $18.500 for the other two trims were very steep indeed.
The Futon is front-wheel drive, ambitiously equipped, and excellently styled. Extremely drivable and comfortable for a small coupe - as long as you ignored the back seats - it certainly is a good car. But it lacked the fun of rear-wheel driven competitors. It lacked the potential as an entry race car because it was too expensive, too pliant, and lacked the brake setup for extended heavy use. With is distinctive, modern styling, there was certainly a potential audience for this car in Europe and North America, but its breakthrough was hampered by expensive design choices.
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Driving a road legal 1990 BTCC car
car by @Centurion_23
Pemhall was a post-war restoration company, attempting to benefit from - and support to - the restoration of the economy in post-war Britain, by offering affordable commuter vehicles. Production remained focussed on commuter cars, but the top trims were increasingly used in racing.
The biggest success story was probably the late 70s Ascot, the model that formed the predecessor of the Pemhall Bratton GXR that we are driving today. The Ascot was available as a basic family car, but with the top engine trips being used extensively in road and rally racing.
With that history in mind, the Bratton was designed as a sports coupe from the onset with Group A and the then newly introduced BTCC regulations in mind. The GRX trim was outfitted with the top engine - a 2 liter naturally aspirated and rev-happy inline four putting out 170 horsepower - and an upgraded interior and radio compared to other trims.
The Bratton is now the second car we had the chance of driving around the mythical Nürburgring. An integral view of the lap can be seen here: link.
The Bratton GRX was one of the early adopters of the all-wheel drive system on sports cars mainly targetted and road performance. And despite its novelty, the system works well. The Bratton is stable around the corners, with a slight tendency to understeer. We found that when pushed over the limit, you are more likely to end up in a still controllable four wheel drift than losing controlled entirely. It actually made seeking out the limits too enjoyable to be safe.
When really pushed, especially on hard high speed braking, the Bratton will give up on you, but even at high speeds this is a very enjoyable sports car in sensible hands. 170 horsepower is low to modern standards, but this sleek coupe only weighs 1150 kg, and we can assure you that the sense of speed is enjoyable indeed.
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Grandpa is on Steriods
car by @vouge
Launched in early 2000, the second generation of the Albany Atlas was one of those SUVs that sat between the initial interest of consumers in the bigger off-road vehicles as daily drivers, and the more finished SUV product that truly sought to combine the advantages of off-roaders and road-going sedans.
Lessons learned from the first generation Atlas, a true off-roader, that became popular for daily use thanks to quality interior and ample cargo space, but suffered from bad road handling, high fuel consumption and a clunky 4x4 system; the second generation focussed fully on the interior and the utility. It dropped the 4x4 for simple rear-wheel drive, cancelling out much of the all-weather and all-terrain capabilities, but making the platform more accessible as a daily driver.
Although popular at launch, numbers sold fell back after 2002 due to competitors better balancing the advantages and disadvantages of the SUV. Albany kept the second generation Atlas in production until 2005, when it also launched this particular SST trim. Only 1000 SST Atlasses were produced. The SST was fitted with a V8 5004cc engine straight from a performance car. With 340 horsepower, the outdated 2005 Albany Atlas SST was suddenly one of the fastest SUVs ever made at the time.
Fastest in a straight line, that is. With slightly over 6 seconds to get up to 100 km/h and a top speed of 240 km/h this was one fast two ton truck. In the corners however, the rear-wheel drive and the traction controlled system that was never really programmed for this power output suffered.
Driving the SST ourselves - thank you to the reader you contacted us and allowed us to take it on a spin - on public roads knowing you have extra power is enjoyable, but apart from that you do not really notice. We think there is not so much difference between this and the standard 3.5 V6 or 4.5 V8 engine choices. Our biggest critique would be that the six-speed automatic gearbox is tuned a bit too short and sporty, increasing fuel consumption at highway cruising speeds (to about 14 l/100km - 17 mpg).
You do not really noticed the lack of all-wheel drive on normal road surfaces and normal speeds, and we can comprehend the choice that Albany made in its development. The SST was probably a smart move to gather attention for a frame that was overproduced compared to its demand at that time. It made sure you remember a model that would otherwise have easily been forgotten.