The motoring enthusiast part of the internet is all abuzz with rumours that one of its rarest and oddest might be making a comeback. Bristol has always been strange - making just a handful of cars, mostly by hand ever since the '50s and being oddly reticent about them. If you wanted to know more, you would have to buy one - if the venerable Tony Crook found you worthy. So there they were, pottering around in obscurity/exclusivity that made Morgan look like the Volkswagen Group.
And so it was until they made the Fighter - a narrow gull-winged coupé powered by a true monster - the 8 litre V10 that sits under the bonnet of that lovely American insano-mobile - the Viper. This car was supposed to revive Bristol's flagging fortunes in the 2000s. Sadly, it failed. But now, it appears that Bristol is back and interested in electric drivetrains. No I see no harm there - electric cars do seem to be the future and everyone wants to do what Elon Musk has. However, there is a narrow window of opportunity before V10s are taxed out of existence. Bristol has what is reportedly a mature and eminently capable chassis in the Fighter - not made of carbon fibre exotica, but good old fashioned steel.The Mopar boffins have been fiddling with that engine too - with the 2013 Viper.
What they need to do is take that Fighter and tart it up a wee bit. Not too much, just enough to make it look like it belongs in this century. Bristol should hire some blokes from Morgan, methinks. The basic design of the Fighter is simple and elegant. The execution just needs polish. For instance just reworking the headlight housing would change the whole front of the car. That elegant castellated arse needs almost no retouching. The interior would benefit from some fancy cowhide and bespoke stitching. It can be done right, with a delicate admixture of modernities like a HUD and still retaining an analogue engine hour-meter. Oh, and ZF's finest contribution for those who cannot be bothered with that (reportedly) heavy clutch. Wrap all this up in a discreetly polished paintjob and you have a giant slayer. These things will still be unicorn's teeth, but the world will be a nicer place for having them around.
What they need to do is take that Fighter and tart it up a wee bit. Not too much, just enough to make it look like it belongs in this century. Bristol should hire some blokes from Morgan, methinks. The basic design of the Fighter is simple and elegant. The execution just needs polish. For instance just reworking the headlight housing would change the whole front of the car. That elegant castellated arse needs almost no retouching. The interior would benefit from some fancy cowhide and bespoke stitching. It can be done right, with a delicate admixture of modernities like a HUD and still retaining an analogue engine hour-meter. Oh, and ZF's finest contribution for those who cannot be bothered with that (reportedly) heavy clutch. Wrap all this up in a discreetly polished paintjob and you have a giant slayer. These things will still be unicorn's teeth, but the world will be a nicer place for having them around.
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