The cutie Pura was born far ahead of its time

Weird ONES In the automotive world, the Giovanni Michelloti's name is very famous as one of the world's greatest car designers. Many of his automotive works have graced various automotive brands in the world ranging from sports cars to trucks. In our beloved Trussty sites, on several occasions we have also discussed the automotive works by the Italian' maestro.

1988 Michelotti Pura is a two seater road going sportscar based on the world championship winning Albatech group C2 race car, built by the Albatech for Michelotti Studio under direction of Edgardo Michelotti designed by Tateo Uchida. (Picture from: Classic and Recreation Sportscars)

As we all knew, the maestro passed away in January 23, 1980. Although the unique car would be discussed was designed and built after the maestro passed away. However it is only propered if the car said to be one of the works ever had created under the great name of Giovanni Michelotti in the late 1980s, due to it's made by the Michelotti Studio, his founded studio of the 1959.

1988 Michelotti Pura is made of the fiber and composite materials and has a glass canopy could slide back or even could also be removed of the vehicle. (Picture from: Classic and Recreation Sportscars)

And the unique car in question was named Michelotti Pura (an Italian word means 'Pure') is the only example of a two seater road going sportscar based on the world championship winning Albatech group C2 race car or effectively, a F3 road car. The car built by Michelotti Studio under the direction of Edgardo Michelotti (son of Giovanni Michelotti), designed by a Japanese designer named Tateo Uchida.

1988 Michelotti Pura is powered by a mid-mounted Alfa Romeo 4-cylinder 1.8-liter turbocharged engine coupled with a ZF 5-speed transmission. (Picture from: MichelottiPura)

The two seater Pura sports car weighed only 1,4313 lbs and powered with a mid-mounted Alfa Romeo 4-cylinder 1.8-liter turbocharged engine coupled with a ZF 5-speed transmission. The light weight was made possible by the vehicle’s body made of the fiber and composite materials. The glass canopy could slide back or even could also be removed of the vehicle. The intenor consisted of a standard instrument panel with analog instruments.

1988 Michelotti Pura prototype is tested and developed in the Fiat wind tunnel, the aerodynamics of the Pura were very ahead of its time for a road car. (Picture from: Classic and Recreation Sportscars)

The car project done by the Albatech (the Mario Colucci & Georgio Striano's company), and it is built in carbon fibre and aluminium (carbon-fibre composite chassis) with ground effect body styling offering a power to weight ratio of 4,2-3kgs per hp. With the Colucci and Stirano's input, so the Pura has a real racing pedigree. The prototype is tested and developed in the Fiat wind tunnel, the aerodynamics of the Pura were very ahead of its time for a road car. 

The prototype known as the only one model ever made and also has many advanced aerodynamic engineering details that predate of the Lotus Elise or Renault Spider and the McLaren's use of carbon fibre composite in 1992. No wonder, if In general the Pura sports car prototype could be said to be an automotive creation that was born far ahead of its time. 

The Pura prototype is a very small compact vehicle and is reminiscent of the Etceterini cars of the 1940's to 1960's is displayed for the first time at the 1988 Torino Motor Show. Currently, the sports car owned by Tony Calo since 1997 and registered for the road-used in the UK. *** [EKA [26042021] | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | CARSTYLING.RU | MICHELOTTIPURA | FACEBOOK | EVERYBODYWIKI ]

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Zora Duntov's Corvette SS race car concept of 1957

Mighty ONES The beauty of the design, the powerful engine and the compact dimensions were the reasons of many people fall in love with the Corvette legendary roadster made by Chevrolet. Might be this was what the auto engineers and designers at the one of American automotive giant subsidiaries tried to promote when they first launched the legendary model.

1957 Chevrolet Corvette SS encounters smoke at Indy’s Brickyard Invitational in 2014. (Picture from: Corvetteblogger)

This can be seen in the Chevrolet Corvette SS, a gorgeous and powerfull as well concept car that was deliberately made initially with the aim of competing in the 24-Hours of LeMans, but was later touted as the forerunner of many Corvette sports/racing car models.

1957 Chevrolet Corvette SS sat on display at the 17th Annual Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance in 2012. (Picture from: Conceptcarz)

The concept car's design and construction process was carried out by the GM's  team of engineers and designers led by the talented Zora Arkus-Duntov, to create a lightweight and powerful racing car and took the Mercedes 300SL as their based template.

Before we discuss more about the car, it's good for us to get to know a little about Zora Arkus-Duntov. He is a Belgian-born American engineer whose work at the Chevrolet Corvette earned him the nickname "Father of the Corvette."

The talented engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov sat behind the wheel of his creation 1957 Chevrolet Corvette SS. (Picture from: RCNMag)

As a result, the car was lightweight thanks to using the magnesium made bodywork (with only a weight of 1,850 lbs) enveloping the tubular steel frames, it also features with the front suspension of coil-over-shocks, de Dion rear axle and built-in aluminum drum brakes.

The Duntov's team only made two chassis, the first was a test car dubbed the 'Mule' and the other to be a race one. Then as their drivetrain, it's pinned under the hood a small block V8 engine with fuel injection which can produce power reaching of 307 horsepower at 6,400 rpm.

1957 Chevrolet Corvette SS sat on display at the 17th Annual Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance in 2012. (Picture from: Conceptcarz)

After the cars completed in 1957, the first test would not be carried out at the 24-Hours LeMans, but in an almost similar race but shorter in America, namely the 12-Hours of Sebring. Although the racing results of the Corvette SS for the first time at Sebring were not going well, where suspension problems and another mechanical failure forced it stop after speedy only in 23 laps.

However, the Chevrolet Corvette 'SS' managed to set a new lap record in that race. So General Motors is very enthusiastic about the potential of the SS based on those results of the training and the speed of the laps.

1957 Chevrolet Corvette SS sat on display at the 17th Annual Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance in 2012. (Picture from: Conceptcarz)

Not only that it turned out, Juan Manuel Fangio, the winner at the 12-Hours Sebring of 1957, was quite impressed with the car, and then tested the Corvette SS in training sessions. The results were astonishing, Fangio completed his one full lap of 3: 27.4 seconds, that's faster in a car he had never driven before than any other driver could in a car they had driven before.

Despite GM's enthusiasm, unfortunately the Corvette should be scrapped several months later, as the American auto-making community band together to ban the manufacture of factory-produced racing cars. This was triggered by a great accident that occurred at the 24-Hours Le Mans of 1955 which claimed the lives of 83 people, since then the public attitude towards automotive racing has changed drastically.

1957 Chevrolet Corvette SS sat on display at the 17th Annual Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance in 2012. (Picture from: Conceptcarz)

Protests forced many companies to withdraw from racing, organizers reviewed safety rules, and Mercedes, which was accused to involve directly to the accidents mentioned above then decided to refuse to participate in any auto races until the 1970s.

But it won't stop GM from launching the Corvette as a sports car for the layman who likes to combine the look and feel of a race car with the comfort of a daily-using vehicle. Then Zora Arkus-Duntov, those car's engineer-designer, presented it to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 29, 1967, during the drivers meeting before the 51st Indy 500 mile race started, paced by the Chevrolet Camaro.

And then it's no surprise that to this day, the Corvette is renowned for producing some of the finest cars not only in the United States, but all over the world... *** [EKA [16112021] | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | HEMMINGS | CONCEPTCARZ | WIKIPEDIA | RCNMAG | CORVETTEBLOGGER ]

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Meet the Celica's forerunner

When The Legend Born You certainly already know the Toyota Celica, one of the car models made by the Japanese automotive giant Toyota. As we all know, this 2-door coupe was produced by the Japanese manufacturer from 1970 to 2006. It was also had used as a formidable racing car that fought to represent the Toyota brand in the World Rally Championship (WRC) from 1972 to 1986 by the rear wheels driven variant. And continued with the Celica GT-Four with 4WD at the WRC event from 1988 to 1999.

1969 Toyota EX-1 Prototype is debuted at the 1969 Tokyo Auto Show and known as the Celica forerunner. (Picture from: Club4Ag)

Alright, maybe some of you don't know the ancestors of Celica. As quoted of MotorTrend, the development of the legendary Toyota Celica car was started since 1969 by this Japanese manufacturer when they launched a unique prototype model called the Toyota EX-1 Concept with the highly raked front glass, long snout featured with the glass louvers in the front grill, and also stylized retracting door handles.

1969 Toyota EX-1 Prototype's design is so lithe and well-proportioned that viewers could mistake it for Italian descent. (Picture from: ToyHeadAuto)

When it first shown by Toyota, the prototype was said to pack a lot of high-tech goodies, such as an electrically raised and lowered rear deck spoiler, but never mentioned about its engine at all. It is only mentioned that the car was made by Toyota's research engineers to accommodate the front engine drive train. While the interior of the Toyota's 2-seater sports coupe features a driver-centric wraparound dash and instrument panel design, and there are other advanced electronic features.

1969 Toyota EX-1 Prototype is featured with the highly raked front glass, long snout featured with the glass louvers in the front grill, and also stylized retracting door handles. (Picture from: ToyHeadAuto)

The EX-1's design is so lithe and well-proportioned that viewers could mistake it for Italian descent, and we wouldn't be at all surprised if it wore an Alfa Romeo badge, and it could be that the Toyota's engineers were inspired by the Italian-made sports cars. You certainly remember that two years before Toyota launched its first legendary sports car, the Toyota 2000GT.

1969 Toyota EX-1 Prototype has a unique roof mounted spoiler was raised and lowered electrically to increase stability at high speed. (Picture from: ToyHeadAuto)

This Toyota EX-1 Concept made its debut at the 1969 Tokyo Auto Show and, according to the Jap company's press release that came with this photograph mentioned that it is styled specifically for long-distance driving at high speed. So indeed since the first it was planned as the high-speed rally purposed vehicle and put convenience aside for styling priorities.

The interior of the Toyota's 2-seater sports coupe features a driver-centric wraparound dash and instrument panel design, and there are other advanced electronic features. (Picture from: ToyHeadAuto)

Besides has a unique roof mounted spoiler was raised and lowered electrically to increase stability at high speed, in appearance the car has an almost similar design to the Celica model that was born about 2 years later, so it is not surprising that many people call it the forerunner of the Toyota Celica.

Since the beginning, 1969 Toyota EX-1 Prototype was planned as the high-speed rally purposed vehicle and put convenience aside for styling priorities. (Picture from: ToyHeadAuto)

Well, indeed the Toyota EX-1 prototype needed a lot of refinement to match the Japanese road regulations and dimensions, and the results only appeared on the first pre-production Toyota A20 Celica in 1971. After that the Celica became the choice of many families in Japan as their first sports car, because it has a much cheaper price than other cars that have existed before such as the Nissan Fairlady Z and others.

Because of that, the Celica skyrocketed and gained instant popularity as an affordable stylish coupe. So after that the Toyota Celica model continued to be developed up to 7 generations which were produced until 2006. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SORCES | TOYHEADAUTO | CLUB4AG | MOTORTREND | CARSTYLING.RU ]

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Remembered the Nissan GT-R Godzilla ancestor

~The Godzilla Ancestor~This is one of the first Japanese-made racing prototypes after the World War 2 ended. The racing car which became known as the Prince (Nissan) R380 was initially developed by Prince Motors, Ltd. before being merged with Nissan Motor Company, and it could be said also, that the car is the ancestor of today's Nissan Skyline GT-R aka 'Godzilla'.

The original Prince (Nissan) R380 A-I with racing livery No.11 driven by Yoshikazu Sunakothat won its first race of the 3rd Japan GP at Fuji Speedway in 1966. (Picture from: Wikipedia)

As mentioned before, this race car was purposely made by Prince Motors following the defeat of its new S54 Skyline GTs powered by a G-7 straight-6 engine at the second Japanese Grand Prix held in 1964 from the Porsche 904 race car. After some major improvements were made, so Prince Motors launched the R380 with increasingly fierce performance, as the result at the third Japanese GP in 1966, the car was able to beat the defending champion Porsche 904.

The original Prince (Nissan) R380 A-I is powered by a mid-mounted 4-valve GR8 DOHC engine, which is a newly engine designed based on the G7 OHC at the time. (Picture from: Wikipedia)

All of that thanks to the Shinichiro Sakurai's magical hands touches, so that the car was so fierce while on the racing circuit. He is a brilliant engineer who initially worked for Prince Motors then moved to Nissan in 1966 (after Prince Motors was mergered with Nissan Motor Company) and is famous for the engineering of the Nissan Skyline generations.

The 1967 Nissan R380 A-II (in pictured as a speed test car) which for the aerodynamic factors has a total of 80 mm more length than the standard ones with body cover made of fiber-reinforced polymers (FRP). (Picture from: Pen-Online)

The original R380 racing car bodywork is aluminum-made, and mounted on the steel tubular frame structure similar to the Brabham BT8, and then is powered by a mid-mounted 4-valve GR8 DOHC engine, which is a newly engine designed based on the G7 OHC. Besides being known as the first Japanese racing car to use an aluminum bodywork, the R380 was equipped with double wishbone suspension on all its 4 wheels which was the most advanced technology at that time.

The 1967 Nissan R380 A-II (in pictured as a speed test car) bodywork is aluminum-made, and mounted on the steel tubular frame structure similar to the Brabham BT8. (Picture from: Pen-Online)

Unfortunately, the Japanese Grand Prix in 1965 was postponed, so Prince Motors switched to make a speed record in the Yatabe test track by using those racing car in October. At that time, the prepared Prince R380 A-I was managed to set the best time that surpassed the international record in its fourth attemps. But the car's achievement was remained set to be a domestic record considering that the Yatabe test track had not been officially recognized by the FIA.

The 1967 Nissan R380 A-II (in pictured as a speed test car) has a simple cockpit and functionally laid out of the operating system and instruments. (Picture from: Pen-Online)

This does not necessarily reduce the determination of the Prince Motors's crews to bring their R380 to be a champion. Then, it was like the wish came true, the R380 managed to beat the Porsche 906 and Toyota 2000GT at the third Japan Grand Prix in 1966, not one but two R380s managed to reach the finish line as the 1st and 2nd winner.

The 1967 Nissan R380 A-II (in pictured as a speed test car) featured much needed aerodynamic improvements, utilizing a much lower and sleeker bodystyle copied from rivals Porsche plus the gullwing-style doors which hinged upward. (Picture from: Pen-Online)

The R380 continued to be developed even after Prince Motors merged with Nissan in August 1966, and becoming a Nissan R380 A-II upgraded type in 1967. Although it lost in the race to the Porsche 906 at the Japanese Grand Prix that year, the car tried again to set the speed records. At the time, the Nissan R380 A-II managed to set seven international records at the Yatabe track which have been officially recognized by the FIA.

It doesn't stop there, in addition to the Nissan R380 A-III type with improved engines continue to play an active role in the racing circuit, this Japanese manufacturer continues to develop the R380 racing cars using larger engines, such as the 5.5L on the Nissan R381 variant of the 1968 and then the 6L on the Nissan R382 variant of the 1969 which also brought victory to Nissan. And all of that played out until the Japanese auto company stopped racing under the prototype engines in 1970. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | NISSAN-GLOBAL | PEN-ONLINE | WIKIPEDIA | DRIVETRIBE ]

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Lotus M200 what a unique speedster ever made

Ball of the Year Lotus Cars, a British car manufacturer has a long history and rich in a continuous range of forward-thinking concept cars which also had demonstrated the extensive capabilities of the Hethel-based manufacturer in all aspects of automotive engineering. One of them is the one-off Lotus M200 concept car, this unique car was first presented as a speedster version of the Lotus Elan M100 and debuted at the 1991 Frankfurt Motor Show which was later shown again at other major international auto exhibitions such as the 1992 Geneva Salon de l'Automobile aka Geneve Motor Show.

1991 Lotus M200 speedster concept is presented as a unique and distinctive two-seater Lotus that is sure to attract attention wherever it appears. (Picture from: FWD)

As we all know, that its predecessor, the Lotus Elan M100, also known as the Lotus' first front-wheel drive vehicle, had the structural strength of lightweight fiberglass attached to a steel-reinforced back chassis which was designed by Peter Stevens. The sportscar with its distinctive new body shape proved to be highly aerodynamically effective, and when it was unveiled at the 1989 London Motor Fair, it won important awards from the British Design Council and by 1992 more than 3,800 units had been built and sold.

The Lotus M200 speedster concept built based if such this 1991 Lotus M100 Elan. (Picture from: Klassiekerweb)

Meanwhile, the M200, which was initially offered as a speedster version of the M100, was designed by Julian Thompson, who is also known later as the Lotus Elise designer. At that time, this unique M200 speedster was predicted to be a true best seller with a design that presented the most attractive prospects with a simple airflow deflector instead of a real windshield, with the driver and passenger cockpits that were intentionally separated, then there's a large rear wing and fared-in headlight positions replacing the retractable style of the M100 production model.

1991 Lotus M200 speedster concept has a simple airflow deflector instead of a real windshield, with the driver and passenger cockpits that were intentionally separated, a large rear wing and fared-in headlight positions replacing the retractable style of the M100 production model. (Picture from: Bonhams)

Julian Thompson designed this interesting little concept car as a niche "for true fans" but his original intention was "to show the Lotus' top brass how to move on from the Elan". The unique windshield inspiration comes from the design of the Formula 1 Ferrari 312B, and it's also mentioned that the M200's design also explores the use of larger wheels. It is known that the car project started in 1988-89 and does not appear to be finished after eighteen months of work.

 

In short, the Lotus M200 is built on the basis of a blue-colored Lotus Elan returned by customers. Had a few minor difficulties that were later fixed, when David Brisbourne designed its surprising interior and Russell Carr detailed the exterior treatments. Starting from the interior fabrics chosen from the "a lady's swimsuit" to the very hasty assembly that the results were far from satisfactory, and this was also recognized by Julian Thompson when he first saw the M200.

1991 Lotus M200 speedster concept has a stunning interior fabric chosen from the "a lady's swimsuit". (Picture from: Bonhams)

Upon completion, the car was later loaned by Lotus to the British Automobile Association (AA) as an attention-grabbing promotional and marketing showpiece, during the time, it suffered some indignity and began to deteriorate cosmetically. The Lotus M200 was eventually offered for sale by auction at Silverstone where it was bought by a Lotus dealer named Paul Matty.

1991 Lotus M200 speedster concept is powered by the same engine as the Lotus M100 Elan, which is a 1,588 cc double overhead camshaft (DOHC) 16-valve engine. (Picture from: Bonhams)

Shortly after, the designer met and talked about the show car (reffered to his M200 speedster design) with Olav Glasius, a world-famous Lotus fan and collector who enjoys art very much as well. As a result, he managed to convince Glasius of the ingenuity and intelligence contained in the design of this concept car so that finally Olav Glasius willing to bring it from Paul Matty.

Then he commissioned Ken and Neil Myers in England to restore and repaint the car to its present state. And through the Myers' magic hand touches, they were able to finish it as a running car and registered legal to drive on the British roads. This unique car is powered by the same engine as the Lotus M100 Elan, which is a 1,588 cc double overhead camshaft (DOHC) 16-valve engine.

1991 Lotus M200 speedster concept is equipped with the Lotus Active rear-steer, engine cam-profile technology (Lotus Variable Valve Actuation) and many others. (Picture from: Bonhams)

Now the car is presented as a unique and distinctive two-seater Lotus that is sure to attract attention wherever it appears and is introduced as the the M200 'Concept Vehicle', which is equipped with the Lotus Active rear-steer, engine cam-profile technology (Lotus Variable Valve Actuation) and many others. In its excellent condition the M200 has survived to this day as a beautifully presented and delightful product for its time, which can now be used legally on the streets.

As qouted of Bonhams, it was offered in the Bonhams Auction back in the 2012 with estimated price of £80,000 - £120,000. Wanna buy it Or might be you wanna see the similar kind of vehicle if it came out of the Italian Bull cage? Here's the one and the only, the Lamborghini Concept S. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | LOTUS | BONHAMS | FWD | ]

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The most sophisticated Porsche sportscar of 1980s

The Most ONES Now, We're back to Porsche again. The Porsche 918 Spyder might be the car with the best technological achievements ever built by Porsche to date. Even so, long before the 918 Spyder was invented, this German manufacturer apparently had created a supercar concept that also carried the high technology of its day.

1986 Porshe 959 Komfort said to be the most advanced car of the 1980s. (Picture from: RMSothebys)

The car is a Porsche 959, and it was known as one of the high-tech supercars that were successfully created by Porsche AG in 1986. The car was originally named Gruppe B because it was planned to be used as a racing car at the Group B rally, and began construction in 1981. However, when the prototype was completed in 1987, it turned out that the Group B rally had been disbanded in 1986.

1986 Porshe 959 Komfort is equipped with a 2,847 cc twin-turbocharged V6 engine coupled with a 6-speed manual transmission system. (Picture from: AutoEvolution)

This car was used for research before it was decided to be produced. The Stuttgart-based premium car manufacturer produced this supercar model in a limited number, which was only 337 units (including 37 prototypes and preproduction models) between 1986 and 1989.

This car is produced in two versions, namely Sport and Komfort, where the Sport version is a car made specifically for racing purposes while the Komfort is the legal road version. Because of the high demand for this car, in 1992 and 1993, Porsche made eight more 959 cars, which were built from parts in Zuffenhausen.

1986 Porshe 959 Komfort is capable of accelerating from rest to a speed of 100 kph in 3.7 seconds, while the maximum speed achieved was 336 kph. (Picture from: RMSothebys)

The Porsche 959 is equipped with a 2,847 cc twin-turbocharged V6 engine coupled with a 6-speed manual transmission system. The machine is capable of spewing power output of up to 530 horsepower. Armed with its wild engine power, the Porsche 959 is capable of accelerating from rest to a speed of 100 kph in 3.7 seconds, while the maximum speed achieved was 336 kph. A pretty impressive performance, isn't?   

As for achievements, this car is very well known in the racing world because it is probably the only sports car that has ever won the Dakar Rally and 24 Hours of Le Mans. It was also recorded as the holder of the highest top speed record (197 mph) before being taken over by the Ferrari F40.

This supercar is reportedly never officially imported into the United States or other countries so that it is a fairly rare car. The difficulty of finding the existence of this sophisticated supercar also had contributed to making the selling prices of the used Porsche 959 cars in exorbitant. *** [EKA[15032020] | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | RM SOTHEBYS | MOTOR1 | AUTOEVOLUTION ]

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