|
|
Dec 16, 2012 14:42:34 GMT
|
Errrrrr, never ever seen one of these before - For the 1991 model year, the Impulse RS was introduced with a 160 hp (119 kW) turbocharged engine and all-wheel drive drivetrain which featured front and rear viscous differentials and center helical differential. Mk2 Isuzu Piazza to you and me, but 4x4? ? Errrrrr does not compute! J
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dec 16, 2012 15:14:45 GMT
|
cool as
|
|
|
|
buzby
Part of things
Posts: 158
|
|
Dec 16, 2012 18:25:13 GMT
|
Hmm, not really a Group A special this one, as it was never intended for competition (though there were quite popular for clubman rallying in the US and Canada). The Impulse was a restyled version of the Isuzu Gemini Coupe for the USDM: The coupe was also the basis for the Geo Storm in the US This was exported back to Japan in small numbers and sold there as the Piazza PA Nero. The Turbo engine and 4WD drivetrain for the Impulse RS was inherited from the Japanese-market Isuzu Gemini Irmscher Turbo R: There was also a FWD version available with the same engine, which was also used in the M100 Lotus Elan SE (which shared the Gemini's floorpan). There was a homologation special of the Irmscher R (known as the Type C), but only for use in the All-Japan Rally Championship, where it competed in Class C (only 100 examples were required for the Japanese regulations). The FWD version of the car with the same balanced and blueprinted 'Type C' 180+bhp turbo engine (identifiable by a blue rocker cover and inlet plenum) competed in Class B, and dominated that class from 1990 to 1992 (the champion driver in 1992 was Toshiro Arai, later to become a WRC driver with Subaru).
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dec 16, 2012 18:27:48 GMT
|
Now that's a rare beast why do we rarely see the good stuff in blighty
|
|
|
|
MK2VR6
Posted a lot
Mk2 Golf GTi 90 Spec
Posts: 3,329
|
|
Dec 16, 2012 18:31:53 GMT
|
I'm not sure all Impulses were RS models - here's a 'normal' one from what I can see: That RS is a lovely looking car though; I wonder if any ever found their way over here?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dec 16, 2012 19:15:47 GMT
|
There was also a FWD version available with the same engine, which was also used in the M100 Lotus Elan SE (which shared the Gemini's floorpan). What i am taking from this is that it might be possible to buy the cheap fwd lotus that nobody wants, and turn it into a 4x4 turbo?
|
|
Volvo back as my main squeeze, more boost and some interior goodies on the way.
|
|
|
|
Dec 16, 2012 19:56:18 GMT
|
Buzby, you are kicking out some fantastic posts today! Where is the darn'like' button when you need it
|
|
|
|
buzby
Part of things
Posts: 158
|
|
Dec 16, 2012 21:23:00 GMT
|
There was also a FWD version available with the same engine, which was also used in the M100 Lotus Elan SE (which shared the Gemini's floorpan). What I am taking from this is that it might be possible to buy the cheap fwd lotus that nobody wants, and turn it into a 4x4 turbo? Sort of- it's not quite as simple as I've made out. Lotus took the same general layout as the GM platform and built it into it into their traditional steel backbone chassis design and sat a fibreglass cockpit section and floorpans on top. Apparently Lotus were planning a 4WD version of the Elan, which is one of he reasons why they chose the Isuzu powertrain. Look at the space left at the rear of chassis - perfectly sized to fit a diff and driveshafts in: The disappointing sales and the fact they ended up making a loss on each car sold in it's first incarnation put paid to any future development plans though. If you were to get yourself and Elan and an Impulse RS or Irmscher R as a donor (there was also a 4WD diesel Gemini in Japan as well) then it's probably doable (in fact, it sounds like it's been done once before, according to what I've read on the Elan forums). The propshaft would probably fit inside the backbone chassis, the hardest bit would be mating the rear drive components from the Isuzu strut+multilink rear suspension into the Elan's wishbone+upper link system. At worst it might mean having to fabricate new rear uprights, or if you are lucky it might be possible to modify the existing ones: The upper link might need beefing up as well.
|
|
|
|