As (I Can get no)Satisfaction by Rolling Stones plays
WMC Statesman GT. The one and only choice that will satisfy your desire for comfort and performance. Starting at $ 8 779.
As WMC’s entry and mid level vehicles were selling well, it was decided upon that it was time to enter the high end market. The goal was to develop one of the most advanced vehicles on the market in the late 70s. That resulted in the 1979 Statesman, a large luxury coupe / GT car with all the latest bells and whistles. The car is RWD and powered by a 9L V12 producing 400 hp and paired to a 4 speed automatic gearbox. Besides a fuel injected engine, the car had a few odd options (for the time) that consisted of electronic gadgets as microchips and microcomputers were becoming increasingly widespread, cheaper and more powerful. Below is a list of notable features. The car underwent a tech upgrade in 1982 and production ended in 1987. It was offered in two trims, the Statesman GT and a special made edition, the Statesman GTU (GT Ultra), with a hand crafted interior.
Notable Electronic gadgets
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Parking sensors, called PCPS (Parking Collision Prevention System), based on motion sensors from which the distance to an object is calculated by a microcomputer.
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The stereo adapts the volume based on the vehicle speed, so you don’t need to manually adjust it as you drive faster.
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Electronic button for trunk release below the license plate (with a regular keyhole as the electronics of this car were dodgy in early models). Electronic trunk release inside the cabin.
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“Safety mode” button that locks all car doors and the trunk as soon as the car is put in gear and starts moving. Doors automatically unlock (if the key is in the ignition and turned to one step away from the “Locked” position, into the “Unlocked” position) if they’re opened from the inside.
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All passengers have electronic seat adjustments as well as massage. Driver has a “memory function”.
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Electronic anti theft system based on a keypad. The owner can set up a 4 digit password that they have to enter in the keypad if they wish to turn on the car, making hot wiring this car very hard.
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Car alarm.
The Statesman GT is the luxury trim. Featuring luxury 8 track and four seat luxury interior, the main purpose of the car is to be a super comfortable prestigious grand tourer / luxury car. Featuring a modern, large 9L V12 with 401 horsepower and a super fancy four speed automatic gearbox, this car was no slouch. Topping out at 240 KM/H and doing 0-100KM/H in just 7.4 seconds, this 2 ton monster could still get going. There was however lots of wheelspin when you put your foot down as the car didn’t come standard with a LSD. Pre-1982 models were offered with a very crude “LSD” that looks more like an automatic locking differential but that was only an option and it was often unpredictable in cornering.
Basic stats
Driveability: 36.8
Sportiness: 8.5
Comfort: 40.8
Prestige: 55.1
Safety: 47.2
Practicality: 32.5
Utility: 31.2
Offroad: 16.5
Reliability: 59.5
Env. resistance: 51.6
Price (today, $): 30 528
Engine & Performance
Engine type: L-STV12-GJ-C3 9L V12 (variant code: 9063-Lx-TbI)
Basic engine details: SOHC 3 valve, electronic fuel injection, three-way catalytic converter
Horsepower & Torque: 401hp @5200RPM & 638Nm at 2400RPM (over 580Nm 1500 - 4600 RPM)
Fuel (Fuel type || L / 100KM): Regular unleaded || 30
0-100 KM/H: 7.4s
Top speed (KM/H): 240
Quarter mile: 15.43s
Cornering G’s (20 / 200m): 0.917 / 0.887
Roll angle (degrees): 5.1
Driveline, interior & Chassis
Drive type: Longitudinal RWD
Differential: Open (w/ optional “LSD”)
Gearbox: 4 speed automatic
Brakes: front vented disc 3 piston, rear solid disc 2 piston
Interior: Luxury 4 seat, luxury 8 track
Driver aids: Power steering.
Chassis & Panels: Galvanized steel ladder & corrosion resistent steel panels
Front / Rear Suspension: Full double wishbones
Post-1982 models were upgraded with a torque sensing LSD, a computerized 4 speed auto gearbox cleverly named CompuShift4 and variable power steering to bring them up to date with competition. An added exterior feature was however turning lights as seen on many modern day cars, where turning the wheel toggles the appropriate turning light. The new gearbox added a plethora of fancy features such as sport mode which prevents the gearbox from shifting up until redline. The car now also used remote entry so you can push a button on the key to unlock the car. With this, an engine immobilizer was also implemented to make the car harder to steal. All these upgrades made the Statesman GT incredibly popular again in GT, GT premium, muscle premium and utility sports luxury.
Basic stats
Driveability: 49.3
Sportiness: 13.6
Comfort: 41.8
Prestige: 57.2
Safety: 47.5
Practicality: 32.5
Utility: 31.8
Offroad: 20.7
Reliability: 58
Env. resistance: 51.6
Price (today, $): 31 066
Engine & Performance
Engine type: L-STV12-GJ-C3 9L V12 (variant code: 9063-Lx-TbI)
Basic engine details: SOHC 3 valve, electronic fuel injection, three-way catalytic converter
Horsepower & Torque: 401hp @5200RPM & 638Nm at 2400RPM (over 580Nm 1500 - 4600 RPM)
Fuel (Fuel type || L / 100KM): Regular unleaded || 30.1
0-100 KM/H: 6.8s
Top speed (KM/H): 240
Quarter mile: 14.94s
Cornering G’s (20 / 200m): 0.917 / 0.887
Roll angle (degrees): 5.1
Driveline, interior & Chassis
Drive type: Longitudinal RWD
Differential: Torque sensing LSD.
Gearbox: CompuShift 4 (advanced 4 speed auto)
Brakes: front vented disc 3 piston, rear solid disc 2 piston
Interior: Luxury 4 seat, luxury 8 track
Driver aids: Variable power steering.
Chassis & Panels: Galvanized steel ladder & corrosion resistant steel panels
Front / Rear Suspension: Full double wishbones
Pre-82 Statesman CGT
Post-82 Statesman CGT
A convertible model, the Statesman CGT, was also released with no other notable features besides it being a convertible. It followed the same timeline as the Statesman GT with a 1982 tech upgrade and turning lights. The convertible model was ever so slightly less popular then the Statesman GT but they both sold incredibly well. The roof lowering action is all electronic right from the start.
Stats for pre-82 Statesman CGT
Basic stats
Driveability: 38.3
Sportiness: 6.2
Comfort: 38.3
Prestige: 54.7
Safety: 42.6
Practicality: 32.5
Utility: 31.4
Offroad: 18.5
Reliability: 59.2
Env. resistance: 47.6
Price (today, $): 31 483
Engine & Performance
Engine type: L-STV12-GJ-C3 9L V12 (variant code: 9063-Lx-TbI)
Basic engine details: SOHC 3 valve, electronic fuel injection, three-way catalytic converter
Horsepower & Torque: 401hp @5200RPM & 638Nm at 2400RPM (over 580Nm 1500 - 4600 RPM)
Fuel (Fuel type || L / 100KM): Regular unleaded || 32.3
0-100 KM/H: 7.6s
Top speed (KM/H): 231
Quarter mile: 15.66s
Cornering G’s (20 / 200m): 0.897 / 0.872
Roll angle (degrees): 5.2
Driveline, interior & Chassis
Drive type: Longitudinal RWD
Differential: Open (w/ optional “LSD”)
Gearbox: 4 speed automatic
Brakes: front vented disc 3 piston, rear solid disc 2 piston
Interior: Luxury 4 seat, luxury 8 track
Driver aids: Power steering.
Chassis & Panels: Galvanized steel ladder & corrosion resistant steel panels
Front / Rear Suspension: Full double wishbones
Stats for post-82 Statesman CGT
Basic stats
Driveability: 55.2
Sportiness: 11.1
Comfort: 39.2
Prestige: 57
Safety: 42.9
Practicality: 32.5
Utility: 32.1
Offroad: 22.6
Reliability: 57.7
Env. resistance: 47.6
Price (today, $): 32 021
Engine & Performance
Engine type: L-STV12-GJ-C3 9L V12 (variant code: 9063-Lx-TbI)
Basic engine details: SOHC 3 valve, electronic fuel injection, three-way catalytic converter
Horsepower & Torque: 401hp @5200RPM & 638Nm at 2400RPM (over 580Nm 1500 - 4600 RPM)
Fuel (Fuel type || L / 100KM): Regular unleaded || 32.6
0-100 KM/H: 6.14s
Top speed (KM/H): 233
Quarter mile: 15.31
Cornering G’s (20 / 200m): 0.902 / 0.872
Roll angle (degrees): 5.2
Driveline, interior & Chassis
Drive type: Longitudinal RWD
Differential: Torque sensing LSD.
Gearbox: CompuShift 4 (advanced 4 speed auto)
Brakes: front vented disc 3 piston, rear solid disc 2 piston
Interior: Luxury 4 seat, luxury 8 track
Driver aids: Variable power steering.
Chassis & Panels: Galvanized steel ladder & corrosion resistant steel panels
Front / Rear Suspension: Full double wishbones