21 replies to this topic

[Winstar]

Pistonheads review, clicky

I like the look of these, could well be up for getting one of these to replace the VX in the future. Plus always fancied building a kit car but never found one i liked.

Just had a look and how cheap are import scoobies!!

All i've got to do now is find a bigger garage to build one in.

Edited by Winstar, 07 January 2007 - 05:23 PM.

[mainline]

Very stiff, very powerful - with potential to be ridiculous and lightweight with 4wd should make it a real b-road weapon. Looks like it will even beat the VX for 'most difficult car to get in and out of'. I would be very interested to have a drive of one of those for sure. The price is very good for someone with engineering skills like yourself Rob. I'd have to pay the £23k I reckon - or it'd end up half finished on e-bay!

Edited by mainline, 09 January 2007 - 11:21 AM.

[Gnits]

Always made me wonder why small powerful 4 wheel drive sports cars were so rare. Wasn't there one built in UK - the Cirrus????

[Winstar]

I think 4wd isn't used more in sports car as it doesn't give as good steering feel due to the front wheels beenig driven. The price is very good if you bulid it yourself and I'd bet the insurance would be peanuts as well. Not so sure about the running cost what's the service intervals on scooby's. Saying that if you've built it yourself then there should be no issue serviceing it yourself.

[theotherjonnymac]

Wouldn't be dis-similar to VX - with the constant "What is it" from strangers. I like the look of it alot.

[Gnits]

Bizarrely I was disappointed with the looks - some sort of Z4 MX5 lovechild!

[slindborg]

I found this by chance in november (annoyingly just after i had come back from cornwall and staying 5 mins from Adrenalines workshop lol) I enquired about a hard top etc and they make them with the soft top option being a cost etc. they never got back to me fully on the "if i import a side stuffed RA from japan, will the kit car be an import or not" I love the look and concept of the murtaya and its definately at the top of the lsit for "sporty" replacement of the vx. Dax made a 4wd kit car and thats erm entertaining at best lol

[Winstar]

Bizarrely I was disappointed with the looks - some sort of Z4 MX5 lovechild!

I reckon it looks more like a mini Dodge Viper, but I can see where your coming from the back end is a bit Z4.

I found this by chance in november (annoyingly just after i had come back from cornwall and staying 5 mins from Adrenalines workshop lol)

I enquired about a hard top etc and they make them with the soft top option being a cost etc.

they never got back to me fully on the "if i import a side stuffed RA from japan, will the kit car be an import or not"

I love the look and concept of the murtaya and its definately at the top of the lsit for "sporty" replacement of the vx.

Dax made a 4wd kit car and thats erm entertaining at best lol

I emailed them and asked it they'd be at autosport this weekend and there not, it's a bit of a long way from Leeds to Devon.

From my, not brilliant, understanding of SVA the car would be a UK registered car and as the majority of the components came from one doner car then it would be eligable to have a reg from that year, but I could be wrong.

[Winstar]

I reckon it looks more like a mini Dodge Viper, but I can see where your coming from the back end is a bit Z4.

Haveing see the back end of a Z4 tonight i'm going to retract this comment as it's nowhere near as bad as that.

Edited by Winstar, 11 January 2007 - 11:37 PM.

[Gnits]

So Saturday I got up at !!!? o'clock in the morning and went to Newquay to have a test drive. Mother of god this car is bonkers². Chaps down there were great (enthusiastic without being scary!) and the car was really, really impressive, steering feel and accuracy was good, no body roll, LOADS of room inside the cockpit and in the boot. Grip was incredible and acceleration was motorbike style - just no end to it. In the VX everything feels fast and corners can be concerning even with all the grip but this thing made you feel that you could still go much faster around the corner than you just did. What really struck me was that it felt like a mature sensible grown-ups car, no squeeks rattles or noise even with the roof off. Getting back into the VXR felt like getting into a toy, it felt like a rattley tin tray by comparison. If you got Jo public and sat him in one car for a passenger run and then sat in the other car for a run he would choose the Murtaya every time, much more civilised! I do really love the VXR, every journey feels special, it feels like a baby super-car and given the option I would have both cars. But I can't, so I am going to be looking at how much I can sell the VXR for and what the bank will say about ££ for the Murtaya. AMS will be at Brands hatch on the 2 June and you can pay to spend some passenger time in the car on the circuit - I will be there, Warp 4 Mr Sulu!

[robfenn]

Hell, that is one ugly car.

I remember the original concept car for this sort of think by Delfino. I thought it looked cool at the time, i'm not sure what i was smoking!

[Richy]

Bizarrely I was disappointed with the looks - some sort of Z4 MX5 lovechild!

Yeah me too, it looks abit like a viper aswell.. IMO they had a great opportunity to design something that looks very different - but they missed the boat on that one!

Bet it goes and sounds great though

[Winstar]

So Saturday I got up at !!!? o'clock in the morning and went to Newquay to have a test drive.
Mother of god this car is bonkers². Chaps down there were great (enthusiastic without being scary!) and the car was really, really impressive, steering feel and accuracy was good, no body roll, LOADS of room inside the cockpit and in the boot. Grip was incredible and acceleration was motorbike style - just no end to it. In the VX everything feels fast and corners can be concerning even with all the grip but this thing made you feel that you could still go much faster around the corner than you just did.
What really struck me was that it felt like a mature sensible grown-ups car, no squeeks rattles or noise even with the roof off. Getting back into the VXR felt like getting into a toy, it felt like a rattley tin tray by comparison.
If you got Jo public and sat him in one car for a passenger run and then sat in the other car for a run he would choose the Murtaya every time, much more civilised!
I do really love the VXR, every journey feels special, it feels like a baby super-car and given the option I would have both cars. But I can't, so I am going to be looking at how much I can sell the VXR for and what the bank will say about ££ for the Murtaya.
AMS will be at Brands hatch on the 2 June and you can pay to spend some passenger time in the car on the circuit - I will be there, Warp 4 Mr Sulu!

Oh that not what I wanted to hear, as I don't think there's enough space in my garage to build one.

Was the car you went out in the 2.5 version? I'm on the mailing list but they just don't seem to be coming anywhere near up north with the car until the kit car show at Donnington.

Are you planning to buy a factory built one then?

[Gnits]

The car I was in had just had a 2.5l engine put in but was needing bigger injectors and a remap to take advantage but still went like stink. Insurance did seem cheap too - a third of what I pay at the mo! I predict that there will be a great deal of interest in these in the future!

[Gnits]

Yep factory build for me! Plus I'd have to have a slightly quieter exhaust - not too much hopefully cos it sounded great. Had a drive in my friends P1 a few days ago and while his car is very sorted it is not in the same league, there is obviously some similarity. What I liked about the P1 was that when it starts to let go you have about half an hour to catch it! Compared this to yesterday when anything other than granny mph around roundabouts produced HUGE moments in the VXR - amusing when you are ready for it. Underpant threatening when you are not!

[rik]

any updates on this? Been monitoring this car for a while, and it has certainly tickled my fancy.

[Gnits]

There is a really great website run by one of their US customers:
http://www.murtaya.com/
A great video on there where they start the Murtaya in the pit garage - fantastic sound, makes the hairs on your neck stand up in real life.
I am defo getting one of these once I have sold the VXR Will be really sad to see it go but on the other hand roundabouts in winter will not require me to drive like I am 80 and my neighbours door bell won't set off the car alarm!
The guys at Adrenaline have been great - they keep in touch and have a newsletter etc. and can't do enough to help. Even had a passenger ride around Brands with other track equipment (Westfields and the sort) NOTHING passed us but passed loads of other cars and it was in the dry too in a road spec vehicle. Once I get mine will be along to the Seloc / Borough 19 sprints to see what I can do (I am hoping the car will more than make up for the fact that I am sh!te and have no driving talent at all)
I have got used to the looks now - so you can ignore the comment above. Gutted that I won't be at the NEC Autosport show to see it cos I am away and was away for the London show they were at.
I believe their order book for next year is full or very nearly so!
REALLY wanting mine now..... need a moment alone....

[robfenn]

For me, it doesn't matter how good it actually is... look at it!

It is incredibly ugly IMO, it's all front! Kind of like the old Marcoses. Just screams kit car to me...

Shame, because with the Impreza drivetrain it could be amazing. Prodrive did it the right way IMO.

[jazzyjeff]

For me, it doesn't matter how good it actually is... look at it!

It is incredibly ugly IMO, it's all front! Kind of like the old Marcoses. Just screams kit car to me...

Shame, because with the Impreza drivetrain it could be amazing. Prodrive did it the right way IMO.

Actually, Rob, I don't think it looks that bad Purposeful and a bit Lego square, but not pig ugly. Certainly compared to the Comarth (see my other thread) it's Maria Sharapova vs. Navratilova

And only Mantis and LM Marcoses were really bad to look at...the coupe and Mantara were quite pretty IMO.

JJ

Edited by jazzyjeff, 21 December 2007 - 02:17 PM.

[rik]

i want one for the performance, and daily drivability alone, talking about looks is pointless imo. I don't think any of you would argue that if you consider the vx to be a giant killer then this thing is going to be something very special. I just hope I can afford one before it gets on top gear and everyone wants one Would love to have a test drive, going to see if I can arrange some time in jan ort feb to go down there (their location certainly isn't ideal for 99% of the uk). Looking at minimum of £15,000 for a self build. But first I have to spend what I have saved to get a garage built in my back garden

Edited by rik, 24 December 2007 - 06:55 PM.