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The Metro is a supermini car that was produced by the Austin Rover Group division of British Leyland and its successors. It was launched in 1980 as the Austin Mini Metro (or miniMETRO as the car's badge itself reads). It was intended as a replacement for the Mini, and was developed under the codename LC8. The Geo Metro first appeared in Chevrolet-Geo showrooms in 1989. ...
The Austin Motor Company was a British manufacturer of automobiles that rose to be a major motorcar brand, the dominant partner after merger with Morris in 1952 but declining after absorption into the British Leyland Motor Corporation, and its subsequent troubles. ...
Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã 510 pixelsFull resolution (1970 Ã 1256 pixel, file size: 463 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ...
Automakers, also known as carmakers, automobile manufacturers, motor manufacturers, or the automobile industry are companies that design and manufacture automobiles. ...
The Austin Rover Group was a British motor manufacturer, which was formed from the British Leyland Motor Corporation (BL), and existed between 1982 and 1987. ...
MG Rover are the largest independent manufacturer of cars in the British motor industry. ...
The Longbridge Plant from the Air, 2005. ...
For the new MINI, see MINI (BMW). ...
The Rover 200-series / 25 is an automobile produced by the Austin Rover Group, and latterly the Rover Group and MG Rover. ...
The MG ZR was a hot hatch produced by the MG Rover Group from 2001 to 2005. ...
2004 CityRover Style. ...
For the new MINI, see MINI (BMW). ...
Car classification is subjective since many vehicles fall into multiple categories. ...
1996 Volkswagen Polo, a popular modern European supermini A supermini is a European hatchback car category. ...
Cars can come in a large variety of different body styles. ...
Renault Megane hatchback, a proper hatchback which has shown huge success in Europe Peugeot 306 hatchback, with the hatch lifted and the parcel shelf tilted for access Hatchback is a term designating an automobile design, containing a passenger cabin with an integrated cargo space, accessed from behind the vehicle by...
Renault Megane hatchback, a proper hatchback which has shown huge success in Europe Peugeot 306 hatchback, with the hatch lifted and the parcel shelf tilted for access Hatchback is a term designating an automobile design, containing a passenger cabin with an integrated cargo space, accessed from behind the vehicle by...
This article does not cite any references or sources. ...
Saab 900 Convertible 1962 Rambler American 1981 AMC Eagle 4-WD convertible Convertible can also refer to a convertible security A convertible (sometimes called cabriolet in British English) is a car body style with a folding or retracting roof (aka soft top or top in USA, hood in UK). ...
An automobile platform is a shared set of components common to a number of different automobiles. ...
In automobile design, an FF, or Front-engine, Front wheel drive, layout places both the engine and driven wheels at the front of the vehicle. ...
The straight-4 or inline-4 is an internal combustion engine with four cylinders aligned in one row. ...
1996 Volkswagen Polo, a popular modern European supermini A supermini is a European hatchback car category. ...
The Austin Rover Group was a British motor manufacturer, which was formed from the British Leyland Motor Corporation (BL), and existed between 1982 and 1987. ...
The British Leyland Motor Corporation (often abbreviated to simply BL), was a Britain in 1968. ...
For the new MINI, see MINI (BMW). ...
During its 18-year lifespan, the Metro wore many names: Austin Metro, MG Metro and Rover Metro. It was re-badged as the Rover 100 series in 1994. There were also van versions known as the Morris Metro and later, Metrovan. [2] Although the new Rover 200 (introduced in 1995 and smaller than previous 200 models) had originally been designed as a replacement for the Metro, it was not marketed as such after its launch [3]. A direct replacement in the supermini class did not arrive until 2004 with the CityRover. The Rover 100 was finally cancelled in 1998, ironically being out-lived (by two years) by the original Mini it was meant to replace. The Rover 200-series / 25 is an automobile produced by the Austin Rover Group, and latterly the Rover Group and MG Rover. ...
1996 Volkswagen Polo, a popular modern European supermini A supermini is a European hatchback car category. ...
2004 CityRover Style. ...
Austin/MG Metro
In the autumn of 1980, BL introduced the Austin miniMetro. It was intended as a replacement for the Mini, but used a larger design which was more modern and practical. Yet some of the Mini's underpinnings were carried over into the Metro, namely the 998 cc and 1275 cc A-Series engines, much of the front-wheel drivetrain and four-speed manual gearbox, and suspension subframes. The Metro used the Hydragas suspension system found on the Allegro but without front to rear interconnection. The hatchback body shell was one of the most spacious of its time and this was a significant factor in its popularity. Initially, the Metro was sold as a three-door hatchback. The Austin Motor Company was a British manufacturer of automobiles that rose to be a major motorcar brand, the dominant partner after merger with Morris in 1952 but declining after absorption into the British Leyland Motor Corporation, and its subsequent troubles. ...
The cubic meter (symbol m³) is the SI derived unit of volume. ...
An 848 cc A-Series Engine in a 1963 Austin Mini Austin Motor Companys small straight-4 automobile engine, the A-Series, is one of the most common in the world. ...
To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...
âGearboxâ redirects here. ...
Hydragas is a type of automotive suspension system used in many cars produced by British Leyland and its successor companies. ...
The Austin Allegro is a small family car that was manufactured by British Leyland under the Austin name from 1973 until 1983. ...
Renault Megane hatchback, a proper hatchback which has shown huge success in Europe Peugeot 306 hatchback, with the hatch lifted and the parcel shelf tilted for access Hatchback is a term designating an automobile design, containing a passenger cabin with an integrated cargo space, accessed from behind the vehicle by...
At the time of its launch, the Metro was hailed as British Leyland's saviour, as the company was facing a serious financial crisis and there were fears that it could go out of business. British Leyland's troubles were largely attributed to out-of-date technology and design of most of its model range. The Mini, for example, had been in production for 21 years by the time of the Metro's launch.
A British Leyland press photograph of the Austin Mini Metro range at the time of launch in 1980 The Metro quickly proved popular with buyers, and during the early part of its production life it was the best selling mini-car in the UK, before being eclipsed by the updated Ford Fiesta. Its clever interior design made it spacious considering its dimensions, and Hydragas compensation gave surprisingly good ride and handling. Its updated A+ series 1.0 and 1.3L OHV engines hardly represented the cutting edge in performance, but they were strong on economy. Austin Mini Metro range, 1980. ...
Austin Mini Metro range, 1980. ...
The Ford Fiesta is a mid-class supermini car designed and built by the Ford Motor Company in Europe, and also manufactured in Brazil, Mexico, Venezuela, China, India and South Africa. ...
A five door Metro eventually became available in 1985 The Metro range was expanded in 1982 to include the Vanden Plas and MG versions. The Vanden Plas featured higher levels of luxury and equipment, while the slightly more powerful MG Metro 1.3 sold as a sports model (0-60 mph in 10.9 seconds, top speed 103 mph). The Vanden Plas variant received the same MG engine from 1984 onwards (with the exception of the VP Automatic, which retained the 63 bhp (47 kW) 1275 cc unit). The luxury fittings marking out the Metro Vanden Plas took the form of a radio-cassette player, electric front windows, an improved instrument panel with tachometer, and a variety of optional extras such as trip computer, leather trim, remote boot release, and front fog lamps. ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (2086x1490, 307 KB) 1989 MG Metro Turbo at Bristol Car Show, The Downs, Bristol, England. ...
ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (2086x1490, 307 KB) 1989 MG Metro Turbo at Bristol Car Show, The Downs, Bristol, England. ...
Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã 481 pixelsFull resolution (1852 Ã 1114 pixel, file size: 575 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ...
Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã 481 pixelsFull resolution (1852 Ã 1114 pixel, file size: 575 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ...
Vanden Plas is the name of a company of coachbuilders for specialist and up-market automobile manufacturers. ...
This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...
Miles per hour is a unit of speed, expressing the number of international miles covered per hour. ...
Tachometer showing engine RPM (revolutions per minute), and a redline from 6000 and 7000 RPM. A tachometer is an instrument that measures the speed of rotation of a shaft or disk, as in a motor or other machine. ...
A trip computer is an onboard computer device fitted to cars which can generally record distance travelled, average speed, average fuel consumption, and display real time fuel consumption information. ...
This 1931 Ford Model A features a separate trunk on its rear trunk rack. ...
The changes between the MG engine and the standard 1.3 were relatively minor, with modified cylinder head and altered cam profile being the major contributors to a modest increase in BHP. Soon afterwards, the MG Metro Turbo variant was released with a quoted BHP of 93, 0-60 mph in 9.9 seconds, and top speed of 112 mph (180 km/h). This model had a great many modifications over the normally aspirated MG model. Aside from the turbocharger and exhaust system itself, and what was (at the time) a relatively sophisticated boost delivery and control system, the MG Turbo variant incorporated stiffer suspension (purportedly with engineering input from Lotus), including a rear anti-rollbar plus uprated crankshaft and uprated gearbox. The cylinder head from a GMC van. ...
For the fictional characters of the same name, see Camshaft (Transformers). ...
This article is about a unit of measurement. ...
âTurboâ redirects here. ...
A naturally-aspirated engine or normally-aspirated engine (NA - aspiration meaning breathing) refers to an internal combustion engine (normally petrol or diesel powered) that is neither turbocharged nor supercharged. ...
The front suspension components of a Ford Model T. Suspension is the term given to the system of springs, shock absorbers and linkages that connects a vehicle to its wheels. ...
Lotus Logo with monogram of its founder, Anthony Colin Bruce Chapman Lotus Cars is a British manufacturer of sports and racing cars based at Hethel, Norfolk, England. ...
Both MG variants were given a "sporty" interior with red seat belts, red carpets and a sports-style steering wheel. The later MG variants were emblazoned with the MG logo both inside and out, which only served to fuel claims of badge engineering from some of the more steadfast MG enthusiasts. Others believed that this sentiment was unfounded, particularly in the case of the turbo variant, due to the undeniably increased performance and handling when compared to the non-MG models. Indeed, at the time of its release, the MG Metro was the first in a succession of modern cars which heralded a spirited return of the MG marque after several years' absence of new MGs. Badge engineering is a term that describes the rebadging of one model of car as another. ...
A mild facelift during 1985 saw some minor styling modifications to the Metro's front end, wider suspension subframes, along with a new dashboard design and the long-awaited 5-door version. A rear spoiler reduced drag coefficient to increase the Metro's already economical fuel economy, and the hydraulic clutch (often berated as the cause of the Metro's particularly harsh gearchange) was replaced by a cable-operated mechanism. The lack of a 5-speed transmission would become a major handicap as time went on; the BMC sump-mounted gearbox was never developed to accommodate an extra gear ratio, which was a severe handicap against the opposition. The Hydragas suspension also gave the car a harsh, bouncy ride despite pleas from the system's inventor, Dr. Alex Moulton, that it should be interconnected front-to-rear as opposed to side-to-side as was found on the production version. This Ford F-150 pickup truck has two spoilers one on the roof and another on the tailgate. ...
The drag coefficient (Cd, Cx or Cw, depending on the country) is a dimensionless quantity that describes a characteristic amount of aerodynamic drag caused by fluid flow, used in the drag equation. ...
Gears on a piece of farm equipment, gear ratio 1:1. ...
Alex Moulton created the company Moulton, an English Bicycle company. ...
While the Metro was a huge seller in the UK, it gained a reputation for unreliability and lacklustre build quality early in its career which dented its appeal in foreign markets, where the likes of the Volkswagen Polo, Fiat Uno and Peugeot 205 were firmly established favourites. Volkswagen Derby The Volkswagen Polo is a supermini manufactured by Volkswagen of Germany. ...
The Fiat Uno is a supermini produced by the Italian manufacturer Fiat. ...
The Peugeot 205 is a supermini produced by the French car manufacturer Peugeot between 1983 and 1996. ...
Engines: - 1980–1990 - 998 cc A-Series I4, 41 hp (31 kW) at 5400 rpm and 51 ft·lbf (69 Nm) at 2700 rpm
- 1980–1990 - 1275 cc A-Series I4, 63 hp (47 kW) at 5650 rpm and 72 ft·lbf (98 Nm) at 3100 rpm
- 1982–1989 - 1275 cc A-Series I4, 72 hp (54 kW) at 6000 rpm and 73 ft·lbf (99 Nm) at 4000 rpm (MG Metro)
- 1983–1989 - 1275 cc A-Series turbo I4, 93 hp (69 kW) at 6130 rpm and 85 ft·lbf (115 Nm) at 2650 rpm (MG Metro Turbo)
- 1989–1990 - 1275 cc A-Series I4, 73 hp (54 kW) at 6000 rpm and 73 ft·lbf (99 Nm) at 4000 rpm (Metro GTa)
An 848 cc A-Series Engine in a 1963 Austin Mini Austin Motor Companys small straight-4 automobile engine, the A-Series, is one of the most common in the world. ...
The straight-4 or inline-4 is an internal combustion engine with four cylinders aligned in one row. ...
An 848 cc A-Series Engine in a 1963 Austin Mini Austin Motor Companys small straight-4 automobile engine, the A-Series, is one of the most common in the world. ...
The straight-4 or inline-4 is an internal combustion engine with four cylinders aligned in one row. ...
An 848 cc A-Series Engine in a 1963 Austin Mini Austin Motor Companys small straight-4 automobile engine, the A-Series, is one of the most common in the world. ...
The straight-4 or inline-4 is an internal combustion engine with four cylinders aligned in one row. ...
An 848 cc A-Series Engine in a 1963 Austin Mini Austin Motor Companys small straight-4 automobile engine, the A-Series, is one of the most common in the world. ...
Air foil bearing-supported turbocharger cutaway made by Mohawk Innovative Technology Inc. ...
The straight-4 or inline-4 is an internal combustion engine with four cylinders aligned in one row. ...
An 848 cc A-Series Engine in a 1963 Austin Mini Austin Motor Companys small straight-4 automobile engine, the A-Series, is one of the most common in the world. ...
The straight-4 or inline-4 is an internal combustion engine with four cylinders aligned in one row. ...
Rover Metro At the end of 1989, the Austin marque was shelved and the models were officially re-badged as Rovers, though in fact a badge of the same shape as Rover's had been used on Metros since 1988. The Rover Metro came into being in 1990, heavily revised and fitted with a new range of engines. The ageing 998cc and 1275cc A-Series engines - which had been in use since the late 1950s - gave way to the K-Series 8 valve engines and a 16 valve engine in the GTi (early variants were 95 bhp (71 kW) Spi & later Mpi version 103 bhp) and the early GTa. All models used bought in end-on Peugeot gearboxes. In 1993, a 1.4 PSA diesel from the Citroen AX / Peugeot 106 was launched. The Hydragas suspension was finally modified to accept front to rear interconnection in the way that Alex Moulton so desperately wanted to bring the car back up to standard in terms of handling and ride quality. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã 491 pixelsFull resolution (1896 Ã 1164 pixel, file size: 953 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Rover Metro Modified File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ...
Automakers, also known as carmakers, automobile manufacturers, motor manufacturers, or the automobile industry are companies that design and manufacture automobiles. ...
Rover Group plc was the name that was given by the British government, in 1986, to the state-owned vehicle manufacturer British Leyland or BL. After divesting of its commercial vehicle and bus manufacturing divisions the company by then consisting of the car manufacturing arm Austin Rover Group and the...
Cars can come in a large variety of different body styles. ...
Renault Megane hatchback, a proper hatchback which has shown huge success in Europe Peugeot 306 hatchback, with the hatch lifted and the parcel shelf tilted for access Hatchback is a term designating an automobile design, containing a passenger cabin with an integrated cargo space, accessed from behind the vehicle by...
// Rover was a British automobile manufacturer and later a marque based at the former Austin Longbridge plant in Birmingham. ...
PSA is a three letter acronym which may stand for: Pacific Sociological Association Pacific Southwest Airlines, a former U.S. airline that used to fly passenger services inside California and to other nearby Western areas during the 1970s and early 1980s; its trademark was a smile drawn under their planes...
The Citroën AX is a small car, built by Citroën from 1986 to 1998. ...
1995 Peugeot 106 XSi 1. ...
A new bodyshell was designed, but cancelled by Graham Day, because British Aerospace (the then new owners) refused to fund it. A mockup could be seen at the Canley, Coventry design centre in the 1990s during open days. It was a seriously myopic move that shortened the lifespan and also handicapped what could have been a very competitive car. So the basic bodyshell was retained, but was improved with the addition of new plastic front and rear bumpers, new front wings, new rear lights and bootlid, new front headlamps and bonnet. The interior was altered with a new rounded instrument binaccle and instruments, new steering wheel, new seats (from the successful Rover 200 series), new door casings and other detail improvements. General build quality, fit and finish was improved enormously from the old Metro. Now badged as a Rover, the Metro's build quality, driving manners and reliability were so much improved that it was brought to the top of the supermini class, winning What Car "Car of The Year" in 1991. Throughout the early 1990s it competed quite effectively with more recent designs such as the Renault Clio, Peugeot 106 and Ford Fiesta. Sales were concievably helped by the perception of Rover as a premium marque, and the fact that other premium manfacturers had not yet entered the supermini segment, meaning that (by some measures at least) the "Rover" Metro had no direct competition. What Car? is a long-running UK monthly automobile magazine and website, currently edited by David Motton and published by Haymarket Motoring. ...
The Renault Clio is a supermini/subcompact produced by the French automaker Renault. ...
1995 Peugeot 106 XSi 1. ...
The Ford Fiesta is a mid-class supermini car designed and built by the Ford Motor Company in Europe, and also manufactured in Brazil, Mexico, Venezuela, China, India and South Africa. ...
In many export markets, the Rover Metro was badged as the Rover 100 series. Latterly this car has attracted an enthusiastic following including use as a low-cost entry to motor racing. The basic just over 100 bhp (70 kW) engine for the GTI can be boosted to over 130 hp (97 kW) at the flywheel. For ultimate performance the 1.8 K-series engine, with standard cams or VVC (Variable Valve Control) system can be fitted (these engines are found in the MGF and Lotus Elise sports cars). The Metro currently holds the unusual title of eastern Europe's quickest front wheel drive drag car (Zastec tuning in Poland).
Rover 100 In the autumn of 1994, Rover scrapped the Metro nameplate, replacing it with a new name, Rover 100, which had already been adopted outside the UK. The mechanics of the car remained much the same with 1.1 and 1.4 petrol engines and Hydragas suspension, but there was now the option of a 1.5 diesel. The exterior was altered to disguise the car's age with the fitment of new front and rear bumpers, sill covers, rear boot handle, headlamps, bonnet and grille. A variety of bolder paint colours and the use of chrome trim gave an upmarket appearance. The interior trim was revised to give a greater impression of quality and luxury, but as there were no changes to the basic architecture it was considered by many as being short on space and old fashioned in comparison to its most modern rivals (most of which had been replaced with all-new models since the launch of the Rover Metro). Overall, the 100 series was considered a rather limited facelift of a car which had been a class leader on launch but was now well behind the times. Image File history File links This work is copyrighted. ...
Automakers, also known as carmakers, automobile manufacturers, motor manufacturers, or the automobile industry are companies that design and manufacture automobiles. ...
Rover Group plc was the name that was given by the British government, in 1986, to the state-owned vehicle manufacturer British Leyland or BL. After divesting of its commercial vehicle and bus manufacturing divisions the company by then consisting of the car manufacturing arm Austin Rover Group and the...
Cars can come in a large variety of different body styles. ...
Renault Megane hatchback, a proper hatchback which has shown huge success in Europe Peugeot 306 hatchback, with the hatch lifted and the parcel shelf tilted for access Hatchback is a term designating an automobile design, containing a passenger cabin with an integrated cargo space, accessed from behind the vehicle by...
In February 1998, the Rover 100 suffered poor performances in EuroNCAP crash tests (despite the improved safety features, including side impact bars in the doors and an optional driver's airbag, the 1970s design was showing its age) - it was at the time the only car tested to receive a one-star Adult Occupant Rating - a title more recently claimed by the Chery and Brilliance China Auto Chinese cars. The passenger compartment was subjected to severe structural damage in off-centre crashes and the airbag mounted on the skewed steering wheel pushed the driver's head into the door frame pillar. Facing a complete collapse of sales, Rover withdrew the 100 from production. It marked the end of nearly 18 years of production, during which time the Metro had proved itself to be one of the most important British cars of all time. EuroNCAP, the European New Car Assessment Programme, is a safety assessment programme for automobiles supported by several European governments, many major manufacturers and motoring organisations across the world. ...
The Chery Automotive Group is one of the fastest growing car companies in China. ...
Brilliance China Auto, also known as Huachen (忍), is an automobile manufacturer based in Shenyang, Liaoning in the Peoples Republic of China. ...
The Rover 100's dismal safety showing was not its only problem by 1998. It was fast falling behind the best cars in its sector when it came to design, build quality, refinement and specification, although it remained strong in terms of fuel economy and affordability. Unlike the Ford Fiesta, Volkswagen Polo and Vauxhall Corsa, the Rover 100 could still provide sub-£7,000 motoring. Volkswagen Derby The Volkswagen Polo is a supermini manufactured by Volkswagen of Germany. ...
2003 Vauxhall Corsa 2004 Opel Corsa The Corsa is a small car or supermini produced by General Motors in Europe. ...
There was no direct replacement for the Metro/100, although the 1995 Rover 200 been developed inside Rover Cars to serve as a replacement for the 100 as well as the previous 200 model, which was slightly larger. The 100 and 200 were sold concurrently until 1998, when the former was cancelled. When the Rover 200 was facelifted in the autumn of 1999 and rebadged as the Rover 25, Rover marketed this as a supermini. The gap left by the Metro as a true Rover supermini was not filled under the autumn of 2003, when the CityRover was launched - a 1.4 engined supermini built in India alongside the Tata Indica. This model was nowhere near as popular as the Metro or even the Rover 100, and was not included in the revived product range by Nanjing Automobile following MG Rover's bankruptcy in 2005. The Rover 200-series / 25 is an automobile produced by the Austin Rover Group, and latterly the Rover Group and MG Rover. ...
The Rover 25 was launched in autumn 1999 as a facelifted version of the 200 Series which had been in production since the summer of 1995. ...
2004 CityRover Style. ...
The Tata Indica is a small hatchback automobile manufactured by Tata Motors of India. ...
Nanjing Automobile Group Co. ...
MG Rover are the largest independent manufacturer of cars in the British motor industry. ...
Metro 6R4 Rally Car Created for the short lived Group B race category, the 4WD mid engined MG 6R4 (6-cylinder, rally car, four-wheel-drive) Metro of 1984 was a world away from the best selling supermini on which it was based. The competition car bore only a superficial resemblance to the production Metro as it featured a four wheel drive transmission, and only two seats. The development of this vehicle had been entrusted to Williams Grand Prix Engineering. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (3072x2048, 2727 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): WilliamsF1 Rover Metro Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used...
Automakers, also known as carmakers, automobile manufacturers, motor manufacturers, or the automobile industry are companies that design and manufacture automobiles. ...
The Austin Rover Group was a British motor manufacturer, which was formed from the British Leyland Motor Corporation (BL), and existed between 1982 and 1987. ...
Cars can come in a large variety of different body styles. ...
Renault Megane hatchback, a proper hatchback which has shown huge success in Europe Peugeot 306 hatchback, with the hatch lifted and the parcel shelf tilted for access Hatchback is a term designating an automobile design, containing a passenger cabin with an integrated cargo space, accessed from behind the vehicle by...
An automobile platform is a shared set of components common to a number of different automobiles. ...
It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Mid-engine design . ...
âGearboxâ redirects here. ...
Group B Ford RS200 The Group B referred to a set of regulations for competition vehicles in sportscar racing and rally racing regulated by the FIA. Group B was introduced by the FIA in 1982 as replacement for both Group 4 (modified grand touring) and Group 5 (touring prototypes) cars. ...
This article is about the class of vehicles. ...
Ralf Schumacher driving for the WilliamsF1 team at the 2003 United States Grand Prix WilliamsF1, formerly Williams Grand Prix Engineering, is a Formula One racing team formed and run by Sir Frank Williams and Patrick Head. ...
The resulting car was shown to the world in May 1985. It was powered by a David Wood designed 3-litre V6 powerplant (derived from the Rover V8), featuring twin overhead camshafts and four valves per cylinder. The engine was a break from the norm, as it wasn't turbocharged as the majority of its competitors were. The engine was mounted back to front in the car, with the forward end of the engine facing the hatchback and the gearbox attached conventionally behind it and, therefore, in the middle of the vehicle. The four-wheel-drive was permanently engaged, and drove separate propshafts to the front and rear wheels. Much of the outer bodywork was made of GRP, with the only exception being the roof panels (which were aluminium) and the steel doors. These were, however, concealed by plastic airboxes. Indeed, models now on show generally have stickers demonstrating where it is safe to push from when moving the vehicle, so as not to damage the bodywork. The Ford Essex V6 engine V6 and V-6 redirect here. ...
Twin cam of a 1977 Suzuki GS550 motorcycle. ...
It has been suggested that Fiber-reinforced plastic be merged into this article or section. ...
The 6R4 appeared in two guises. There was a so-called Clubman model which developed in the region of 250 bhp (186 kW), of which around 200 were made. A further 20 were built to International specifications which required a 410 bhp (306 kW) engine. At its launch in 1985, Rover announced that it would complete the necessary number of cars required for homologation by November of that year. This was undertaken at the group's large manufacturing facility at Longbridge. The car was to participate in the Lombard RAC rally in November 1985, and an example, driven by works driver Tony Pond, finished a highly respectable third, behind two Lancia Delta S4's. Image File history File links 2006_Rover_Metro_6r4. ...
Image File history File links 2006_Rover_Metro_6r4. ...
The Goodwood Festival of Speed, commonly abbreviated as FoS and referred within the United Kingdom as the Festival of Speed, is an annual hill climb featuring historic motor racing vehicles that is held in the grounds of Goodwood House, West Sussex, UK. It was started in 1993 by the present...
// Rover was a British automobile manufacturer and later a marque based at the former Austin Longbridge plant in Birmingham. ...
The Longbridge Plant from the Air, 2005. ...
Rally GB, or Rally Great Britain, is the largest and most high profile motor rally in the United Kingdom. ...
Tony Pond (23 November 1945 â 7 February 2002) was a well-known British rally driver. ...
The Lancia Delta S4 is a Group B rally car that competed in the World Rally Championship in 1985 and 1986, until Group B cars were banned from competition by the FIA. The car replaced the Lancia 037 Monte Carlo. ...
This good start was unfortunately not repeated, and although a 6R4 was entered in rallies at Monte Carlo, Sweden, Portugal and Corsica during the 1986 season, none of the Metros managed to complete a course. The majority of these problems were related to the V6 powerplant which suffered teething issues. Indeed, since that time there has been a lot of talk of the engines have being underdeveloped before being entered into competition. Halfway during the 1986 season, Group B was banned (following a series of fatal crashes in which both competitors and spectators lost their lives). From that point on, the 6R4 was always going to be limited in front line competition, although they were ran with limited success for the remainder of the year. A number passed into private hands and have proved formidable rally and rallycross cars. Monte Carlo is a very wealthy section of the city-state of Monaco known for its casino, gambling, beaches, glamour, and sightings of famous people. ...
For other uses, see Corsica (disambiguation). ...
Austin Rover withdrew from the rallying scene at the end of the season, but in 1987 all the parts and engines were sold to Tom Walkinshaw Racing, whereupon the V6 engine reappeared under the bonnet of the Jaguar XJ220, this time with turbochargers added.[1] Tom Walkinshaw Racing, also known simply as TWR, was a racing team founded in 1976 by touring car racer Tom Walkinshaw. ...
The Jaguar XJ220 was a supercar produced by Fords Jaguar luxury marque in collaboration with Tom Walkinshaw Racing as Jaguar Sport between 1992 and 1994. ...
Popularity The Metro was one of Britain's most popular cars throughout its production life, even during its final year when it was one of the longest-running cars on sale in the country. During its early years, the Metro was Britain's most popular supermini -often outselling the Ford Fiesta. During its production life, 1,370,000 examples were sold - amounting to an average of just under 100,000 a year. But it failed to match the durability of some of its key rivals, notably the Nissan Micra and Volkswagen Polo. This was reflected by the findings of survey conducted by Auto Express in 2006, which named the Metro as Britain's seventh most scrapped car - with just 21,468 still in working order. This amounted to just over 1.5% of all models registered. The Nissan Micra is a supermini produced by the Japanese automaker Nissan Motors since 1982. ...
Auto Express is Britains best selling weekly motoring magazine, edited by David Johns. ...
Many Metros (particularly the pre-1990 Austin models) have been scrapped as a result of rust and corrosion. But an equally large number of Metros also met their demise at the hands of car thieves, as the Metro (before the installation of Rover's own immobliser) was notoriously easy to steal and few cars sold across Britain in the last 25 years have a worse record for thefts.[citation needed] Lady Diana Spencer (later Princess Diana) owned a red W-registered Metro before her engagement to Prince Charles. [2] This car is in the Museum of British Road Transport, Coventry. Diana Spencer redirects here. ...
âPrince Charlesâ redirects here. ...
References - ^ Lamm, John (2001). Supercars. MotorBooks, p. 91. ISBN 0760307946.
- ^ Retro MiniMetroland article
External links - Austin Rover Metro Owners Club (includes forum)
- Unofficial Austin Rover Web Resource
- Austin miniMetro website (All models)
- MG 'M' Group (Owner's Club)
- Metropower A online community for both standard and modified Metros
- Triple-M Enthusiast Group (Metro, Maestro & Montego)
- RoverMetro.co.uk
- The Rover Metro
- Top Gear (1991) review of the 1980-1989 Austin Metro
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