Crazy idea that actually makes sense

"JR1" (type35bugatti) 08/27/2014 at 14:53 • Filed to: Spitting a lot of fire, spitfire, triumph

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Above is the beloved, cute, sexy. little Triumph Spitfire. Just a little peach of a car and the great uncle of Oppos beloved Miata. Below me is a Supermarine Spitfire arguably one of the greatest machines ever made by mankind. I believe it is time we marry the Rolls Royce Merlin with anywhere from 700 to 1700 hp the the Triumph Spitfire platform. Car deserves it.

CB > JR1 08/27/2014 at 15:02

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I have a hunch that it may throw off some of the weight balancing. There may also be some requirements for a stronger chassis and drivetrain. Probably brakes, too.

Other than that, this plan is flawless. Elevens everywhere.

twochevrons > JR1 08/27/2014 at 15:06

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Not a Spitfire, but this has been done before with another sporty British classic (although, to be pedantic, it has the Meteor engine, the tank-propelling cousin of the Merlin):

http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1089032_2…

GhostZ > JR1 08/27/2014 at 15:30

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Merlin V12 Engine Weight: 1640lbs

Triumph Spitfire Weight: 1568lbs

Jeff-God-of-Biscuits > JR1 08/27/2014 at 15:44

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Well, the wheelbase of a spitfire is 83 inches. The length of the Merlin engine block is 5o inches. Not sure what would be the best transmission to use in that application, but it better be skinny.

Supercharged-V8-Jag > JR1 08/27/2014 at 16:01

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I mean how hard can it be?

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > GhostZ 08/27/2014 at 17:30

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Came here to post this.

Now, a Rover K-Series 1.8 VHPD on the other hand. 192bhp and 98kg (216lbs) fully dressed, compared to 75bhp and 125kg (276lbs) for the stock 1300. Now that's an ideal candidate.

GhostZ > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 08/27/2014 at 17:34

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I went and looked up this engine after seeing your comment, and wow , you're right. That's impressive.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > GhostZ 08/27/2014 at 18:26

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Yep :) prone to head gasket failures (fixed with a clever multi-layer gasket developed by Land Rover), but utterly insane otherwise :)

Relatively common swap into Spitfires :)

JR1 > CB 08/27/2014 at 22:49

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Money is the cure to these problems

JR1 > GhostZ 08/27/2014 at 22:50

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So it is kinda like a Porsche 911. Way too much weight at one end of the car but a hell of a lot of fun

JR1 > twochevrons 08/27/2014 at 22:54

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I have never wanted a Rover more