The Willow Project began in 1980 to provide competition from new foreign makes. Founded as a company in 1985, Willow’s goal was to inject fresh, desirable, and competitive cars into the American market. Their headquarters and test track reside in the Chicagoland area.
A great start to this upmarket brand of yours. On paper at least, it has the goods to not only compete with the best imports, but also outdo them as well.
When initially presented at the 1989 Chicago Auto Show, the Sunflare marked a new direction and interest for the brand. With the Fiero gone from Pontiac's lineup due to declining sales, hurt by negative media coverage regarding engine fires and poor reliability, the Sunflare picked up where the Fiero left off.
Journalists were understandably skeptical at first, but eventually warmed to the car's sporty character. To keep up with Toyota's supercharged 4A-GZE, drivers were treated to a small-displacement DOHC Mazda V6 in place of a low-revving pushrod I4. Economy car suspension was swapped for double wishbones all around.
These capable underpinnings were combined with a... considerable lack of engine fires and defective conrods, along with a t-top roof (which didn't leak... that often), to produce a sporty, competent, and fun to drive competitor to the MR2.
More info
Special features
T-top design; glass panels can be stored together in the frunk
Additional smaller trunk behind the engine bay
Platform and handling
Galvanized monocoque construction
2,190 lb curb weight
43% / 56% weight distribution
Double wishbone suspension
Vented front and solid rear 1 piston disc brakes
15" alloy wheels with 185mm / 205mm medium compound tires
The Sunflare is your best work yet. With its crisp styling, decent performance and affordable price, it was virtually guaranteed to be one of the most desirable sports coupes of the '90s.
Well, well… what have we here? Anyways, let’s get on with this.
After a 16 year hiatus, Willow finally gave the States its own small off-roader again. The Kiwi's platform is based on the same one used on some of Willow's other small cars, but... loosely. The basic architecture is the same, but the rear of the chassis was modified to fit a solid axle, and the front got some extra bracing and more clearance for the suspension and the 4WD system.
Introduced for MY 2018, its only trim is RT4, which means, uhhh....... "Road and Trail... 4WD?" I think? Probably. It definitely doesn't mean "Road and Track".
The Kiwi only gets one engine option, a small, dual injected turbo 4. Despite the engine’s small size, there’s a noticeable lack of clearance in front - this led some to believe that anything more than an oil change would require Audi levels of bullshittery. The engine’s 145 hp goes through a 6 speed manual or a 7 speed torque converted automatic to a selectable 4WD system. Locking diffs are standard front and rear.
Extra goodies include plaid cloth seats, a split-folding tailgate, matched or contrasting roof, and a 7 speaker John & Williams™️ audio system. Leather seats and a fully digital gauge cluster are optional.
This is what happens when you take a bunch of engineers, lock them in a room, and tell them to make a slightly more affordable Mercedes SL.
A close second only to its inspiration’s successor (the R129 for those keeping track), the Levadia was built on an all-new chassis featuring strengthened A pillars and substantial cross bracing designed for open-top use—No flex tape required.
Styling was a top priority from early on. Aerodynamic retractable headlights and wide taillights made the coupe appear lower and wider, and a contrasting section along the lower body helped it to stand out from its competition (think 1956-62 Corvette or Austin-Healy 3000).
Under the hood was a high-tech 4.2l DOHC V8 mated to a 5 speed manual, or a 4 speed electronically controlled automatic as a no cost option. This helped the Levadia accelerate from 0-60 mph in 6.7 seconds, and cruise on the highway in leather- and wood-swaddled comfort.
Updates included an optional 5.0l V8 in 1992. A minor refresh in 1995 brought a 5 speed automatic, a standard power folding top, and some new paint colors.
I swear I'll get a consistent post style eventually
The only new bodies in the OB are SWB/LWB versions of an 80’s Honda type thing, comes in hatch, coupe, sedan, wagon, pickup(I think), del sol, and CRX.