Based
on the 80 sedan, Audi itself created a 230 hp, quattro 4wd-equipped coupe
called S2. As a new attempt, S2 also appeared in estate version, called
S2 Avant. However, no matter the S2 coupe or the S2 Avant, enthusiasts
found them lack of the performance to fight against the contemporary 286
hp BMW M3.
At the same time, Porsche
was manufacturing a fabulous high-performance sedan, 500E, on behalf of
Mercedes-Benz. The 500E was modified by Porsche and built in its own factory
based on the W124 saloon. Audi was impressed by Porsche's success of transforming
the ordinary Mercedes into a dynamic sports sedan, while Porsche was also
seeking a complement to the factory as the production of 500E was going
to cease, Porsche was offered a contract to develop and manufacture an
even faster S2 Avant, called "RS2".
Based
on the S2 Avant, Porsche installed a bigger KKK turbocharger to the 2.2-litre
20 valves straight 5-cylinder engine. Boost pressure raised from 1.1 bar
to 1.4 bar, together with revised engine management programme (of course)
and modified exhaust, the power output jumped to 315 hp and 302 lbft. Porsche
also fitted 911's massive brakes to all four wheels, ensured terrific stopping
power. As a result, RS2 was not only the fastest Audi, but the fastest
estate in the world. Acceleration was astonished - 0-60 mph took just 4.8
sec !!
Behind the terrific performance,
RS2 did not thrill journalists very much - its big turbo led to violent
turbo lag that was almost disappeared in modern cars. This made normal
driving very unrefined. In terms of handling, the balance was there, the
endless grip was there and there was an absense of understeer, but the
steering was so lack of feel that should not appear in such a performance
car. This ruled out any driving fun. Besides, uncanny lateral roll was
another flaw of this car.
What a pity that even Porsche
could not rescue the inherently flawed second generation Quattro. This
is why this car appeared in here instead of my "Classic Car" archive.
Once
again, a stunning supercar was born. Once again, it was not properly produced
before the company broke down due to poor sales. Apart from Bugatti EB110,
Cizeta Moroder V16T was one of the losers closest to succeed.
We may call it a sub-product
of Lamborghini - engineered by former Lamborghini man, Claudio Zampolli,
the Moroder V16T followed the golden rules set by Lamborghini Countach,
such as mid-engined, tubular space frame chassis with aluminium and composite
body, low and very wide dimensions and a powerful normally aspirated engine.
In particular, it looked nearly identical to Lamborghini Diablo, only with
all the round edges sharpened.
In fact, it was styled by
the same designer as Diablo, Marcello Gandini, and there was a story behind
this embarassing scene: the Cizeta's design was actually closer to the
original design Gandini did for Lamborghini, however, after heavily modified
by Chrysler's studio (Chrysler was Lamborghini's owner in then) to suit
customer's taste, Gandini quit with red face. He realised his original
dream by offering the design, though with a few modifications, to Cizeta,
probably as a revenge.
The most spectacular part
of the Cizeta is the V16 engine, which was made by merging two Ferrari
V8s together (probably the Quattrovalvole 3-litre V8 from the 308GTB).
It was not the first V16 ever made, Cadillac did that in the 30s, but to
a sports car it was the first. It displaced at a full 6 litres, having
4 valves per cylinder thus totally 64 valves, 8 camshafts and 2 radiators.
520 hp eclipsed Diablo's 492 hp. The problem was: how to install this huge
engine in front of the rear axle ?
Cizeta chose to install it
transversely into the engine compartment. This avoided lengthening the
wheelbase but required a very wide body to accommodate it. Therefore the
car was skretched to 2055 mm in width, some 15 mm wider than the Diablo
and 80 mm wider than Ferrari 512TR. Power sent to a 5-speed manual gearbox
which was mounted at right angle to the centre of the engine, forming a
"T", hence the suffix in the car's name.
Based on the specifications,
we are sure that the Moroder V16T was equally fast as the early Diablo,
except its edgy shape may cost a few mph in top speed. Acceleration to
60 mph should equal Diablo's 4.5 sec, considering it weighed nearly identical
to Diablo at 1615 kg.
Cizeta V16T was never a performance-first
machine as Countach or Ferrari F40, it was designed to be a supercar suitable
for millionaires to drive without complaint while offering stunning look
and spectacular specifications and thrilling performance for occasional
hard driving. This could be reflected in its leather-everywhere interior.
It offered satisfying comfort for those over 6 ft, and with a conventional
door it was easier to get in and out than the Lambo. One of the wealthy
customers was the Sultan of Brunei, who bought 3 among the total of 20
cars built.
It
is a pity that the post-war Alfa Romeo did not build any exotic sports
car like the pre-war 8C2300 and 8C2900 series. The closest one, undoubtedly,
was Montreal. It was a front-engined 2-seat sports car powered by a 230
hp small V8. The aggressive styling was penned by Bertone, orginally the
show car was mid-engined, but eventually it turned out to be a front-engined
sports car with all the styling feature of a mid-engined one.
