July 1978
Class Couped Up
Luxury Two-Door Showdown
For decades, the personal luxury coupe has been in fairly exclusive domain. Primarily owned by well-to-do couples, executives whose tastes shy away from pure sports cars, as well as retirees, this class of car has not changed much in more than thirty years. Well-appointed interiors, conservative styling, and little consideration to economy or behavior are the hallmarks of such coupes.
Until now, of course. Adaptation to change can be a necessity in any segment of the market. But what is the right form of evolution in this case, subtle or radical?
Well, the number of cars in this category manufactured throughout the world would not be considered “subtle.” We felt that such an expansive market deserved an even bigger test than our usual format allowed for. So buckle up and see what we’ve found.
Interestingly, despite the sheer number of cars we found in this class, the cream of the crop were almost all from North America. Three American models made the list, alongside one Canadian offering. Only one car from across the pond made it through the initial tests, and it hails from the United Kingdom.
Lightstar Terra 851P
Our British entry comes from Lightstar, and is a relative newcomer in this arena. We couldn’t help but notice some American styling cues up front, tied in to its long, swooping European body. A bit odd for us at first, but the styling grew on us after a while.
What didn’t require an adjustment of perspective was the engine. Under the hood is a lovely 5.1 liter all-iron V8 engine. Its twin-cam, 32-valve configuration may be a bit unusual, but the low rumble it puts out at idle is oh so familiar. Putting out exactly 200 horses (and a fair racket) at its 5400 RPM red line, this swaggering coupe just begs for modification. Lightstar may just have engineered it this way, seeing as how all internals but the crank are forged, and they had the foresight to put not one but two 4-barrel carbs on top.
The rest of the drivetrain is a bit of an odd duck. A 4-speed manual sends power to a viscous limited-slip rear end. Shifts are a bit of a chore, given the heavy clutch and long throw of the selector. Sizable vented disc brakes at all four corners provide stopping power, and include Lightstar’s highly-regarded in-house Antilock system. The Terra 851P also include a test-exclusive hydropneumatic suspension, which is quite technically advanced. All together, the ride is actually quite beautiful, despite the awkward transmission choice.
Inside, the Terra is a marvel of decadence and a slice of heaven. Both deluxe front bucket seats slide and tilt forward to give easy access to the sunken rear bench (split by the transmission hump). There is no pretext of sitting someone in the rear middle; there are a total of four belts, and the rear seats are also contoured to give maximum support and comfort to their passengers. All seating surfaces are double-stitched leather, available in three different colors. The standard equipment list is long, but includes air conditioning, cruise control, driver’s air bag, central power locking, power steering with tilt column, and a quadraphonic AM/FM stereo with equalizer. Both 8-track and cassette options are present as well. Power windows are also standard, including the quarter glass. The Terra also has an optional power sunroof, but our tester model was not equipped as such.
MSRP of the tested 851P trim is $9310, making it the most expensive model in this test.
NMC Jackal LS
O Canada… NMC sent us a surprise in the Jackal LS. At first we thought that they had sent us the wrong model, but the compact, square hatchback was no laughing matter once we started playing around with it. Dozens of other competitors fell to it, landing the Jackal in our Final Five. Perhaps it’s the unique aluminum-paneled body, or some other combination of its packaging.
Yes, there’s a V8 under its miniscule hood. Displacing just 2142cc, it’s one of the smallest current production V8’s. But it puts out a respectable 114 horses thanks to a pair of small yet effective turbochargers feeding its twin four-barrel carbs. Upon startup it has an unmistakable, though muted, V8 burble. Wind up this aluminum twin-cam abomination, and there is considerable turbo whine. It may be the least powerful engine in the test, but it is the most exhilarating to listen to. We would advise against doing so all the time, however, given the internals are all cast.
Though NMC chose a 5-speed manual for the test model, we weren’t disappointed by the feel. The clutch has a very even, reasonable feel, and both the throw length and the shift gate spacing are good. Thanks to an open differential, it is very easy to do a very smoky, smelly one-legged burnout in the Jackal. Donuts are a piece of cake, though one of our interns almost lost control trying them. Vented discs up front and solid discs in the rear help bring the small hatchback to a stop. ABS is not available on this model, which may be an issue for more discerning buyers. The suspension is a fairly run-of-the-mill progressive setup, which didn’t stand out as either good or bad during testing.
Opening the doors you see the crowning jewel of NMC’s achievement with the Jackal. Ingress and egress to all four seating positions is a snap, and fine leather slathers the seats and door handles. Air conditioning, cruise control, driver air bag, power locks and front windows, and a tilt/telescoping wheel are all standard. Rear quarter windows open, but are a manual pop-out style. A quadraphonic stereo with 8-track, digital clock, and equalizer is also standard.
The NMC Jackal LS, as tested, retails for $6970, just a little below average for this test.
