Motorsport fun, now for more than just one.
Welcome to the most practical sportscar there is. Wherever you go for your next roadtrip, the elegant symphony of Munot’s special 25 valve inline-5 engine will keep you company, with all of its 201 horsepower. It’s optimized aerodynamics, 17 inch sport tires, and special lightweight body alloys will allow you to dance along, without waking up the kids in the back. Tap your fingers to the beat, with the button shifters for the advanced Velotronic transmission, allowing you to operate it as either a regular automatic or like a clutchless manual. Perhaps you’d like to add your favorite musician’s latest CD release to this orchestra, with the standard CD player? Oh, and don’t worry about snacks, the Meteor Sportvariant can carry plenty - half a ton of them, in fact. And, know that safety is for everyone too, with dual airbags and Munot’s patented Omnidirectional Impact System.
MSRP: $36,600.
Automobile Munot AG - Uniquely Swiss.™
Lore
The 55 marks the 5th generation of Munot’s Meteor line of sports compacts, having been introduced in MY1996. It was a deep evolution of the 4th generation model that had sold well among yuppies worldwide, retaining it’s sporty yet universal nature with an up-to-date aerodynamic body and modernized styling, with this marking the last project directed by Dr. Marti. For the first time in the Meteor, aluminum alloys were significantly used in the body to reduce weight and improve corrosion resistance, and an all-new 5-link suspension platform - shared with it’s bigger brother the Helvetia and the Millennium - was introduced to improve handling and comfort. Additionally, the Meteor saw it’s body styles evolve into the final forms seen today, with the fastback sedan becoming a 5-door liftback, and the introduction of a sporty estate body. Termed the “Sportvariant”, this was a gamble in targeting customers with what was basically a slightly more versatile sports sedan, instead of the boring practicality of most wagons currently available.
At the center of the new Meteor was also a new generation of Munot’s Zweicam engines, the Zweicam-NEA (New Engine Architecture/Neue Engine-Architektur), which saw two new key technologies. First was the development of a new block and header alloy, which was easier and cheaper to mass produce than the aluminum blocks of previous generation Zweicam engines, without sacrificing its low mass. Second was the use of a new 5 valve per cylinder architecture - first introduced on some performance engines in 1991 - which was designed to improve airflow as much as possible. On the Meteor, this came in 2.4L NA and 2.3 turbocharged variations, connected to a standard 6-speed manual gearbox and with an open differential - though the 5-speed Velotronic manumatic and LSDs were available as options. The 3-mode adaptive suspension was further refined, with a 4th mode added on cars with the Velotronic transmission, that allowed the car to be shifted manually.
Inside, the driver would be immediately greeted with the aggressive, ergonomic, driver-focused fighter jet inspired cockpit that was a defining feature of Munot cars, modernized and updated for the times. Next to the analog gauge cluster was the digital Auto Information Computer (AIC) updated from the previous generation plus a digital clock, as a high tech yet more reliable alternative to a full digital dash. Cars equipped with the Velotronic received two shifter buttons on the steering wheel. Eight-way powered leather seats - softly bolstered for ergonomic support - with manual lumbar support and 4-position memory were present up front, and the rear bench seats were also made of leather and designed to be highly comfortable. The center console had automatic two-zone climate control - which included a pair of ducts for the rear - on a digital display, a digital message center for alerts from the car’s computer, and a high quality cassette stereo tied to an 8-speaker system. With the interior package, a sunroof, CD player, high quality 10-speaker sound system, heated front seats, and split-foldable rear seats were available. An anti-theft system and cruise control was present on all trim levels.
Safety-wise, all models had dual airbags as standard, and Munot’s Omnidirectional Impact System, which consisted of strategically placed energy absorbing materials, a reinforced B-pillar, and a reinforced center console. All of this was designed to prevent as much energy as possible from an impact, from reaching the passengers.
The 5th generation Munot had 6 trim levels; the basic A; the K with a more powerful engine, and the interior package of sunroof, two-tone upholstery, upgraded sound system, and CD player; the R with 16 inch tires and an even more powerful engine but lacking the interior package as standard; the LS with an even more powerful engine, 5-speed Velotronic manumatic, more aggressive final drive ratio, aerodynamic body package, interior comfort package, 17 inch wheels, and the viscous LSD as standard; and the AWD Turbo and Turbo Super for high performance driving. Compared to the less sportier trims, the 54LS and Turbo/Turbo Super models also featured an oil temperature meter, stopwatch, and a voltmeter.
The 55LS here is shown as stock; this was basically a direct competitor to the AMG C36, as a NA performance model that could go fast, but wasn’t as expensive or as touchy as the turbocharged Meteors. Only a few options existed for it - a 6-speed manual delete option, the Kvadrat AWD drive with a more powerful engine to compensate for the extra weight, and the active sensing suspension from the Helvetia to replace the Meteor’s standard 3-mode adaptive suspension. As a Sportvariant, the suspension was tuned specifically to increase load capacity over the basic model.
