TDU-c 's own car encyclopedia

[Mr. Bean]

Well, had a little idea about forming a car encyclopedia...

The idea was, that every member posts pics and info about his 2-3 favourite cars....Let's get started:

 

 

Mercedes S600 W 140

The Mercedes-Benz W140 is a car that was manufactured by the German automotive marque Mercedes-Benz. The car premiered at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1991, with the first examples rolling off the production line on August 6 1991. Short (SE) and long (SEL) wheelbase sedans were offered initially, as well as the coupé (SEC) body style from January 1992. Like all Mercedes-Benz lines, the W140 S-Class was rationalized in 1994 using the new "letter-first" nomenclature, dropping the named distinction between body styles. The SE/SEL/SEC cars were renamed the S-Class, with alphanumerical designations inverted. For example the both 500SE and 500SEL became S500 regardless of wheelbase length. The W140 series S-Class was superseded by the W220 S-Class in 1999 after an eight year production run, and C215 CL-Class for 2000.

Criticised at launch for being overweight, oversized and generally unpleasing on the eye (attributes that were somewhat at odds with the so-called 'caring, sharing 1990s'), the sheer depth of engineering in the W140 has stood the test of time, and there are those that still prefer the car's unwavering capability and strength to that offered by later models. A properly maintained W140 is still a viable proposition today. Over-engineered at launch it may have been, but as a way of showcasing the company's talents, the W140 was unbeatable.In Series 8, Episode 4 of Top Gear, Jeremy Clarkson had bought himself an S280. He didn't like the interior and wanted it to look like the inside of his house. The new interior design featured a wood burning stove, 2 kitchen chairs and an arm chair, a bookcase with a globe, a flagstone floor with wood and cement base weighing about 2 tonnes and plastered doors as well as a gear shift that consisted with an umbrella handle.

The car nicknamed Anne Hathaway's Cottage had no seatbelts and the kitchen chairs weren't held down and when Richard Hammond and James May took the car for a run, it took 35.4 seconds to reach 60 mph and through the test track, loose objects tumbled including Hammond and May.

 

Aka: Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Production: August 6, 1991 – 1999

Class: Full-size car

Body Style: 2-door coupé, 4-door sedan

Transmission: 4-speed 4G-TRONIC automatic, 5-speed 5G-TRONIC automatic

Engine: 6.0 liter V12

Power output: 408bhp

Max. speed: electronically limited to 250 kph

 

 

 

Porsche 928

The Porsche 928 was a front-engined sports car produced by Porsche from 1977 to 1995.Porsche was still a young company when the 928 coupe was released - barely 28 years old. The 928 marked a radical departure for the company, a change in direction from the slowly developing 911 model, with quirky dynamics, to a visually arresting V8 powered front engined coupe, with flawless 50/50 weight distribution and lavish use of exotic materials such as aluminium and polyurethane - both still in their infancy, as far as car manufacturing was concerned. The 928 was to be a technical masterpiece for the young company, and would certainly put the small Stuttgart concern on the supercar map.

The looks, in the launch year of 1978, were like nothing before seen on a car - even in science fiction films. The long, sleek bonnet, and cab-backward stance screamed performance and sophistication, with the smooth front and rear bumper sections showing very few signs of US-obligatory crash protection - the market for which the 928 had undoubtedly been built for. Despite the American influence to the design, the car won the 'European Car of the Year' gong in 1978, and remains to this day the only supercar ever to win the award - testament to the universal appeal of Porsche's new model.When the 928 was released, it was unquestionably the flagship of the Porsche range. It cost more than the 911 (by a considerable sum), and featured so many enticing features that meant it could play no other part in the range. Features that included the captivating, and crowd-splitting, styling, the slightly odd standard-fit Pirelli P7 tyres, the luxurious interior, comprising of super-ergonomic seats, sweeping dashboard and high levels of equipment. The spec sheet featured air conditioning, leather trim and electric windows and mirrors all as standard fitment - which was up there with the most luxurious cars produced by prestige manufacturers.

From the start, Porsche declared that the vehicle was intended to replace the 911. Porsche board members felt that the 911 was just too quirky and outdated to continue attracting buyers, and demanded a replacement model - with a conventional front-engine chassis. This caused argument with the Porsche family, who believed that the 911, given successful tweaking, could continue well into the future. Despite such fracas, the project was greenlighted in the early 1970s, and the development went ahead in earnest.

The heart of the car was to be a 90-degree V8, naturally aspirated and of 4.5 litre capacity. The block was cast from alloy, but the engine was of rather basic design, which caused some media questioning. Fuel economy was not brilliant either - a risk Porsche took by launching the car into a newly aware market educated by the world energy crisis. Porsche engineers spent a large period of time developing the rear transaxle, their efforts culminating in the 'Weissach Axle'. Named after the test track at which it was honed, the new technology unique to Porsche allowed active movement of the toe-in of the rear wheels - the benefits of which included optimised lateral grip through corners.

The project hit its first obstacle mere months into its development - it was caused by its little brother, the Porsche 924. The decision was made to focus all company efforts on this model, to get it on the market as quick as possible in an effort to recoup money which Porsche had spent buying the project. The stillborn 928 was hidden under a dust-sheet until the 924 was finished. Just think how futuristic it would've looked had it been released on time.After its launch to the press in late 1977, the 928 was the subject of many a debate. The styling proved too trendsetting for some - others loved it. Opinion was further divided by engine choice - the relatively basic 90-degree V8, with the capacity of 4.5 litres. Why was such a car saddled with a positively archaic engine? The misconception of being a Mercedes-Benz, built on the other side of Stuttgart, was fostered by the announcement that the three-speed automatic gearbox would be from Mercedes - ironically, this proved to be the weak point of the car, as it was laggy, sluggish and power-sapping. To compound the irony, 85% of 928s going to the USA were specified with the automatic gearbox.

The opinion over the car was united after the driving, though - Road and Track declared that 'to drive the 928 is to love it - the standard by which all GT automobiles will be judged'. The sales were strong throughout the first few years of the car's life, but the competition from Modena and the rest of Germany caught up. The relatively low power output of 240BHP was easily trumped by other manufacturers, and Porsche, forever wanting to be seen the leader, consequently updated the 928 in 1980.The 928 S was released to European markets in 1980 (it was released as the 'Competition Pack' in the US in 1981, before becoming a separate model in 1985), and was essentially a minor tweaking of the car to keep interest and strong sales in the car. Visually, new 'Flat Front' forged alloy wheels were added, along with front and rear black rubber valances. Inside, more gadgets were added, such as power-operation for almost everything and leather options for the seats. Colour charts were 'modernised', and power was boosted slightly. The new body treatments were typical of the period, although some voiced their concerns at the time - they believed that the original 928 shape was being diluted too much.

The car kept on finding fans with the press and customers, and its reputation grew as both a driver's car and a continent-crushing GT. Features, such as the revolutionary Weissach Axle, which had been on the car since the start, continued to amaze. The system actively controlled toe-in of the rear wheels to prevent oversteer, something that had never been attempted before by any manufacturer.

The American 928 S lasted from 1985 to 1987, and benefitted from a brand-new 32-valve iteration of the V8. The block was bored to a five litre capacity, and power soared to greater than 300 bhp. The model renewed flagging interest in what was now looking a rather dated car - but Porsche USA realised that a model revamp was needed, and began to badger Weissach.The S2 is regarded as the first true upgrade to the 928. It arrived in 1983 (to Europe) and the upgrade saw power boosted to 310BHP (90BHP greater than the first model), cementing the 928's reputation as a supercar. The 0-62 mph time dropped to 6.5 seconds. No visual differences over the 928 S were present, apart from the 'Wide Track' option - this allowed buyers to specify wider rear alloy wheels, and improved power delivery and corner handling. The interior equipment levels soared to include air conditioning, cruise control, leather seats with power adjustment, AM/FM/Cassette stereo, metallic paint, electric windows and electric mirrors as standard-fit equipment.

Period press gushed: 'Nearly a five years on, the 928 continues to entrance.'To European markets, the 928 S4 signalled the arrival of the 32-Valve 5.0 litre engine - which the US market had been supplied as the 928 S 32V. The S4 arrived in 1987, and replaced the 928 S2. The new engine featured 316BHP, with 0-62 mph arriving in 6 seconds dead - impressive, considering the basic design of the car was now over a decade old.

As well as the sophisticated new power plant, the 928 S4 had significantly cleaner lines over the previous models, due in large to the modified front and rear bumpers, and an additional rear spoiler hugging the bottom of the hatch. Interior specification included a new seat design (though still with the ergonomic padding), and further revisions to colour schemes - the introduction of the popular 'Linen' leather most notable.

Redesigned transmissions complimented the increase in power - the autobox now featuring four ratios, and the standard-fit (but still unpopular) manual gearbox featuring five.

The 928 S2 was beginning to show its age - the 928 S4 blew away the cobwebs and created a 928 for the 1990s.A massive 16 years after it was unveiled, the 928 was updated for the final time in 1992, (although not introduced in the States until 1993). The company, still reeling from the recession, had suffered a downer on sales, with models across the board selling poorly - the 964 was showing its age, and the 968 had disappointed the company with its sales. The whole model range had its roots in the 1970s. Despite this, the final fling for the 928 produced the most stunning looking derivative yet.

The muscular arches, pumped to accept a wider track, hinted at the power increase. The V8 had been bored out to 5.4 litres, and power was up by 20BHP. The range-wide 'Cup One' alloys were fitted to the car, along with sleeker 'Cup' mirrors. A new range of exterior colours (including the 'colour match to sample') were available, and equipment levels were the best yet - to travel in a 928 GTS was to travel in the lap of luxury. Every gadget was there : from trick Blaupunkt stereo to active air conditioning, via electric heated seats with memory and cruise control.

Porsche soldiered on with the manual gearbox option, but the same 4-speed auto fitted to the S4 was available, and as always, this was the bulk seller.

Sales were not expected to be strong, as the early-1990s were not the best time to sell a £90,000 motorcar. By the end of production in 1996 (sales ended in the US in 1994), production figures showed double figures. The last vehicle ever to be produced was an automatic GTS, finished in sample Lime Green metallic with sample purple leather interior, with matching purple carpets and dash. A fitting end to a model that personified excess.

Summary of models:

Europe

1978-1980 - Porsche 928 Coupe

1980-1982 - Porsche 928 S Coupe

1982-1987 - Porsche 928 S2 Coupe

1987-1993 - Porsche 928 S4 Coupe

1989 - Porsche 928 GT/Clubsport Coupe - lightened bodyshell, 40kg under standard, forged wheels, stiffer suspension, manual gearbox only.

1993-1996 - Porsche 928 GTS Coupe

USA

1978-1983 - Porsche 928 Coupe

1981-1983 - Porsche 928 'Competition Pack' Coupe

1983-1987 - Porsche 928 S Coupe

1987-1993 - Porsche 928 S4 Coupe

1993-1994 - Porsche 928 GTS Coupe

 

Porsche never made a works effort out of the 928 - sources say that they were scared that it would dominate over the 911, which Porsche saw as their flagship racing model. The closest Porsche got was to create a semi-works racing car with Swiss racing team, Max Moritz Racing. For the car, dubbed the 928GTR, Porsche supplied its factory racing drivers Bernd Maylander and Manuel Reuter, and Porsche CoD Harm Lagaay made a guest appearance at certain races. The engine came from the standard 928 GTS production line, but was fettled by Strosek, who supplied a free-flowing exhaust and lightweight body parts. The 1370KG machine raced in the 1994 German GT championship, and was quite competitive, setting lap times faster than some contemporary 911s. However, after a glimmer of promise in the 1994 season, 928 production ended in 1995 and the car was no longer raced. It resided in Max Moritz's personal car collection, before being sold on in 2004.

Despite Porsche's deliberate undermining of the 928's racing efforts, privateer teams have run examples in numerous championships around the world, and many cars are still in competition. Notable appearances include the 1983 Le Mans, where French team Raymond Boutinaud campaigned a 928 S - however, it completed only 234 laps before retiring. The team returned the next year, finishing 22nd.

[calster17]

I'll do a quick one while i'm here...no guess on what car though!:cheeky:

Mine will be in Bullit-points though!

Toyota MR2 (AW11)

 

 

- The the name MR2 Midship Runabout 2-seater

- It's rumored that the MR2 is actaully a what became of the Still bord lotus M90 concept(Lotus and Toyota did help each other a small bit back then)

- The AW11 used the same rev-happy 4A-GE engine as the AE86, and some parts on both cars are the same.

- The AW11 was the first japanese car to use the MR layout

- It can get to 125MPH max and takes 7 Sweconds to reach 60MPH, but rember the car was made in the mid 80's!

 

From personal experance i can also add:

- The car is VERY prone to getting sideaways in the wet!

- It's still a looker, even though it looks like it was designed useing a ruler

- They do tent to rust, as you can probs see from the images(but we are working on it!)

- It's the cheapeast was you can own a MR style car, as we got ours for £700, and you can pick up AW11's for anything above that price.

- The 125MPH speed limit seemes a bit of a lie...(and not for bad reasons!)

 

Produced from: 1984-1989

Engine: 1570CC (Although just say 1600, that Twin-Cam 1600 sticker is there for a reason!)

Power output: 121BPH

Max Speed: 125MPH (about 200Km/h, i think)

0-60 : 7.5 Seconds

*Please note that the stats are for the standered UK edtion(i bleave it'd also be the Euro spec one as well), and the car showen is not exactly in 'factory' state!;)

[Ryzza5]

Which encyclopedia are we using to get this information from? :cheeky:

[Mr. Bean]

Well, partly my knowledge and partly wikicar....:)

[CLR-GTR]

That MR2 is quite boxy, but it looks far better than the Subaru XT. I remember Wheeler Dealers had a red MR2 of that generation in their show.

 

 

 

Some from my side, the C111 and C112 of Mercedes. I got my info of various websites, a Mercedes magazine-issue of 2009 which featured the C112 and self-made photo's of where C111's II and III are now.

 

The Mercedes C111 was a 70's prototype-series consisting of 5 true prototypes and one rather odd looking ''evaluationmodel''. The series was quite different from all other Mercedes seen sofar thanks to the wedge design and the orange paintjob called Weissherbst (White Fall). Also, the bodies of the cars were made of reinforced plastic.

 

The first two main models ('69 I and '70 II) were powered by Wankel-engines. Model II was the fastest with a 4-rotor, 350hp engine bringing it up to 300km/h. It was also the most complete and production-ready looking one of all C111's. The oilcrisis came and Mercedes pulled the plug out of Wankel-engine research. Instead they experimented with conventional enginetypes, kicking off with a dieselpowered modified C111 II. Models III and IV also used more conventional engines. These last two cars looked very different, painted in silver and looking more like planes than cars. Model III had a diesel engine, and model IV had a petrol-V8. With this 500hp twinturbocharged engine, it drove 403km/h on the Nardo-track. I don't know where the evaluationmodel, model I and model IV are, but the C111 II is now parked on a platform in the Mercedes Museum, although it also tends to show up elsewhere at events or other museums. Model III is also in the museum, hung up together with cars including the W125 Rekordwagen and T80 on a black strip that should represent a 90-degrees banked wide hairpin.

 

Models I and II, on the backdrop the evaluationmodel.

 

Model III and model IV

 

My comments: awesome cars, mainly model II for looking as if it could go in production. The orange paintjob also looks good on the cars.

 

 

The Mercedes-Benz C112 was a prototype based on the group-C racecars. It was introduced in 1991 and was built for testingpurposes. The car was powered by a 6.0 V12 of the SL600, delivering around 408hp. 0-100km/h was done in 5 seconds and a top of 310km/h was claimed.

 

Main features tested on this car were the above shown active rearwing, popping up/backwards at higher speeds, and Active Body Control. It took 8 more years of development before ABC was first sold, on the 99 CL-Class. Mercedes received around 700 orders but never produced it. As of 2009, the car still exists and is still perfectly capable of driving. As with other Mercedes prototypes, for a car not meant for production it's very complete. It even has radio, leather all over the place and automatic climate control.

 

 

My comments: ME NEEDZ. I'd love to own one myself despite it not being produced and most likely not becoming for sale ever. I would change some things though, I'd go for other interiorcolors and it would be nice to find out how well this thing sounds and performes with the AMG 6.2l V8, especially since this is a rear-engine car. Other than that, ABC is long time available already so no need to keep the experimental stuff of '91 in it :p

[Mr. Bean]

Ferrari Testarossa

 

Ferrari Testarossa

 

The Ferrari Testarossa was a mid-engined italian Supercar manufactured by Ferrari from 1984 to 1991. The design was done by the famous italian design studio Pininfarina. It was unveiled at the 1984 Paris Auto Show to a stunned audience, recieving great reception from the public. It was rated as a excellent and good piece of italian engineering by many recognised car magazines, and presented a direct competition to the Lamborghini Countach.

The name, Testarossa, meaning ''red head'' comes from the colour of the cam covers on the flat-12 engine.

The car was featured in many 80's tv series, and became most famous for it's role as Sonny Crockett's (Don Johnson)'s signature vehicle in 'Miami Vice.

Today, the Testarossa is known as one of the icons of the 80's.

 

Production: 1984-1991

Engine output: 390hp

Max. Speed: 290kph

Acceleration: 5.8sec

 

[calster17]

Which encyclopedia are we using to get this information from? :cheeky:

 

I'm diddent use an encylopeadia for my info, i just remberd stuff like this(from books, online and GT2 and GT PSP, which both offer some info on the cars)

 

Also the merc C111...i've seen it for real! Is real nice(think it was the II one i've got pic's of, post up when i'm on the PC)

[Mr. Bean]

Entry model!

 

As this thread is going on quite nicely i would like to put up a model for any future entrys

 

Car Name

 

Car info, text

 

Data:

 

Produced from - to: xxxx-xxxx

Engine: xxx ci. or xxxx ccm

Power output: xxxx bhp

Max. speed: xxx kph/mph

0-60: x,x sec.

[Shy Guy]

Here is my take-on for this for almost all of the cars I know and don't know.

 

http://www.wikipedia.org

 

/Thread.

[Mr. Bean]

Well, appreciate it, but the idea was to bring information's about cars DIRECTLY to TDU-c....

[The Queen]

It really is a silly idea imo. There's no real point to it as you can just go on the website and look for yourself? :confused:

[T0M722]

Also, who's going to read all that information in your first post. It's unnecessary and looks as if taken straight off Wikipedia/Internet...

[Mr. Bean]

I respect your opinion's, and you were right, those first two entrys, yes, the info was from wiki, but the other aren't, so, if you don't like, you don't...:)

[GTAMADDOG]

I was actually thinking about posting about a few cars.

 

I don't see the harm in it as long as the amount of information is kept to a minimum and important details are mentioned, not just a list of every change made to the car in it's production time.

 

Hell, you might find out something interesting about a car you wouldn't necessarily go on Wikipedia to find out about. Infact I don't go on Wikipedia (or any website for that matter) to find out about cars at all.

[calster17]

Here is my take-on for this for almost all of the cars I know and don't know.

 

www.wikipedia.org

 

/Thread.

 

Theres a Wiki just for cars? lol i'm behind with the times!:eek: Although i have a huge bank of useless car knolage thanks to books and magazines! And the fact that while at school people who be able to tell you what football boot some randome guy was wereing for one single match, i'd be able to tell you random facts about a car!

 

Off topic i know! but though i'd throw my stone into the ring, and miss it!:p

 

And as GTAMADDOG said, you may lern somthing that you never knew as its not online! I'll add one soon for somthing JDM! But RDR is taking too much of my time!

[t.]

Hmm depends how this thread goes. If it's just a case of people copying and pasting information from elsewhere about cars they like then it's totally pointless imo. However, if people are posting about cars that they literally have an obsession with or have owned and used to a great extent then I think it will be very interesting learning from their extensive knowledge and anorak levels of research.

 

I have an obsession with Lambo's but know more about Aston Martins, which I too have an obsession with.. I might delve into it at some point.

[CLR-GTR]

Theres a Wiki just for cars? lol i'm behind with the times!:eek: Although i have a huge bank of useless car knolage thanks to books and magazines! And the fact that while at school people who be able to tell you what football boot some randome guy was wereing for one single match, i'd be able to tell you random facts about a car!

 

Off topic i know! but though i'd throw my stone into the ring, and miss it!:p

 

And as GTAMADDOG said, you may lern somthing that you never knew as its not online! I'll add one soon for somthing JDM! But RDR is taking too much of my time!

 

I know there is a wikipedia specially for cars but every car I searched on that site had no information whatsoever. Nice format, but no info to put there. :confused:

[calster17]

I know there is a wikipedia specially for cars but every car I searched on that site had no information whatsoever. Nice format, but no info to put there. :confused:

 

I never knew there was though, thats what i was on about!

 

Also, i just descovered what an epic fail i did! lol :eek: The link was for wikipeadia and not for a special car-only wiki!(along the lines of the Fallout Wikipeadia) I should probs not go on the internet in the morning, as i dont read things properly!

 

Anyways, we should move back on-topic now me thinks!

[Immelmann]

*fails to grasp any real point in thread*

[Mr. Bean]

Okay, if you all don't like it, let the moderators delete it, and ciao.

I just wanted to do a good thing for tdu-c by bringing some basic car knowledge to the forum...nothing else...