The "Top Gear", Season 24/25/26 thread

The Alfaholics GTA-R is afaik a restomod recreation of the Alfa GTA 1300 Junior/GTAm - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfa_Romeo_GTA

Jonnycoupe said:
i don't really know what the Twin Spark is in terms of engine hierarchy ? Says it was introduced 1914 :D Guess its something out of a 156 or 166?
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It's a Twin Spark version of the original Twin Cam engine used in the Alfa Romeo 105 (whereas I believe only racing versions not road cars e.g. the GTA got Twinspark originally)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfa_Romeo_105/115_Series_Coupés
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfa_Romeo_Twin_Cam_engine
 
ChrisD. said:
It's a 2.2l isn't it? 240 bhp doesn't seem that highly tuned even running on ITBs.
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Compared to a Honda no, but that's because they are fantastic at producing high specific output Naturally aspirated engines.

The basis the the engine in the GTA-R is likely something that started life as a 2 litre already making 50 less horsepower than the best of the H22s.

I'm sure you're aware but finding 90bhp N/A is not easy anything, let alone something that was designed to make good torque and low RPM rather than peak power at 7k+ rpm
 
Even the Hondas aren't all that torquey at low revs, it was all about the higher cam (vtec) and you had to rev the crap out of it to keep it there. But you can't get away with that with modern emissions laws, at least not in such an aggressive form. Toyota had a quick go at it with the 2zz, but same problem.
 
Just watching the new episode and that Firebird thing might be the funniest thing I’ve ever seen on Top Gear, my sides are hurting ....

so it seems my lad put the wrong episode on, but still oh my God my sides.
 
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100hp per litre is very good power for a NA engine.
Anything above that is exceptional.

Personally I can’t watch it, can’t stand those three.
There’s only one Chris Harris on YouTube and he’s a sweary American BMW motorcycle mechanic.
 
Just catching up on this now. The 2000GT is such an achingly beautiful car. Proof, if it were needed, that you don't need the car slammed on huge alloys to look good. Something very purposeful about those big, chunky tyres.
 
Conscript said:
Just catching up on this now. The 2000GT is such an achingly beautiful car. Proof, if it were needed, that you don't need the car slammed on huge alloys to look good. Something very purposeful about those big, chunky tyres.
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Completely agree. Even in 1:18 scale it's an abomination.

o0irZiTh.jpg
 
Frozennova said:
Compared to a Honda no, but that's because they are fantastic at producing high specific output Naturally aspirated engines.

The basis the the engine in the GTA-R is likely something that started life as a 2 litre already making 50 less horsepower than the best of the H22s.

I'm sure you're aware but finding 90bhp N/A is not easy anything, let alone something that was designed to make good torque and low RPM rather than peak power at 7k+ rpm
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I am sorry but even a basic old 4AGE or even ancient Peugeot TU engined cars are making 240ish HP on a fully built motor and that is only 1.6 litres. Even ye old MK2 escorts are making close to 300HP with their engines fully built. For the price of the car I would have expected something a little better.
 
I'm a bit confused about the electric car. Isn't it similar power to the tesla but stupidly small range, whys it so short, is it just a limit of how many AAs they can fit in:D.

^I thought escorts making that much power were turbo charged.
 
adam cool dude said:
I am sorry but even a basic old 4AGE or even ancient Peugeot TU engined cars are making 240ish HP on a fully built motor and that is only 1.6 litres. Even ye old MK2 escorts are making close to 300HP with their engines fully built. For the price of the car I would have expected something a little better.
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4AGE and Pug TU are 80's engines, MK2 escorts will be a late 70's engine (2.0 pinto). The Alfa's engine was designed in the 50's!!!!
 
adam cool dude said:
I am sorry but even a basic old 4AGE or even ancient Peugeot TU engined cars are making 240ish HP on a fully built motor and that is only 1.6 litres. Even ye old MK2 escorts are making close to 300HP with their engines fully built. For the price of the car I would have expected something a little better.
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While you are somewhat true, anything 300hp in a MK2 Escort will more than likely be a Millington, while it looks like an N/A Cosworth engine it is completely all Millingtons castings and much higher capacity (2.5-2.8).

You also got to remember, you can build something to 240hp, but it has to last! A Pinto at 240hp will not last long, so in a car your selling where someone will want to use it everyday with no issues you dont want to tune it to the edge!
 
adam cool dude said:
I am sorry but even a basic old 4AGE or even ancient Peugeot TU engined cars are making 240ish HP on a fully built motor and that is only 1.6 litres. Even ye old MK2 escorts are making close to 300HP with their engines fully built. For the price of the car I would have expected something a little better.
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I guess you're paying for the "restomod" element mainly. Retrimmed interior, restored chassis, titanium suspension parts, etc. Much like Singer - beautiful reimaginings, but the cost : performance ratio is still way off.
 
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Armageus said:
4AGE and Pug TU are 80's engines, MK2 escorts will be a late 70's engine (2.0 pinto). The Alfa's engine was designed in the 50's!!!!
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Yes but it is a twin spark so a much newer engine. The triumph slant 4 was designed in the early 60's but that was used in Saab's up until 2010. Albeit highly modified. Also 4age and TU5 are only 1.6. That Alfa engine is nearly double the capacity.

Conscript said:
I guess you're paying for the "restomod" element mainly. Retrimmed interior, restored chassis, titanium suspension parts, etc. Much like Singer - beautiful reimaginings, but the cost : performance ratio is still way off.
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Pretty much what I was thinking. I guess there needs to be profit margin in it but the engine isn't what I would expect for the price.
 
adam cool dude said:
Yes but it is a twin spark so a much newer engine. The triumph slant 4 was designed in the early 60's but that was used in Saab's up until 2010. Albeit highly modified. Also 4age and TU5 are only 1.6. That Alfa engine is nearly double the capacity.
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By highly modified you really mean completely and utterly redesigned. Even by '72 when Saab introduced the 2ltr variant in the 99 there were only two components left shared with the original 1.7ltr engine.
 
theone8181 said:
I'm a bit confused about the electric car. Isn't it similar power to the tesla but stupidly small range, whys it so short, is it just a limit of how many AAs they can fit in:D.

^I thought escorts making that much power were turbo charged.
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Its 54kWh on essentially a WRC course to do a heat thats 10 miles. Why would they put a battery in thats any bigger than its purpose?

Does anyone else get confused why a Ford Focus WRC does not get the same MPG during a stage as a Focus Zetec driving around Dagenham?
 
Thinking about it now I'm pretty sure that electric Oddessy truck would do more than 10 miles anyway, simple 54kWh to give a decent sub 8C discharge for 400kW. Recharging between heats will be just to get the battery topped up to hold the voltage and hence sustain the battery voltage rather than let it de-rate and not climb the inclines and gradients of the course. 5kWh/mile would be incredible consumption.

Usual Top Gear stuff we've seen before I guess.
 
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