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Auto Express Car Reviews
Elfin MS8 Streamliner
The Elfin MS8 Streamliner's costly, but it's one sports car which definitely stands out from the crowd
By Sam Hardy
June 2007
- Rating:
Like a flyweight boxer, the Lotus 2-Eleven mixes a thumping punch with real finesse. But over in Australia, they do things rather differently. Take the Elfin MS8, for example. It's the result of a joint venture between race mogul Tom Walkinshaw's new firm, Walkinshaw Performance, and Australia's oldest sports car maker, Elfin.
On sale in the UK via selected Vauxhall VXR dealers, it will be available in the form of the Clubman - a Caterham Seven-style machine - and this model, the Streamliner, which is inspired by a Fifties GT car.
As with the Clubman, it features a 5.7-litre V8, which makes the Lotus 2-Eleven's supercharged 1.8-litre unit look rather weedy. Sourced from the Corvette, the motor pumps out 328bhp and 465Nm of torque. And as the Elfin weighs only 1,100kg, the 0-62mph sprint takes 4.4 seconds, while the top speed is around 160mph.
Add in a removable hard-top, rear-wheel drive and a meaty six-speed gearbox, and the driving experience is exciting. Acceleration is vivid and the engine sounds amazing, but what's surprising is the comfortable ride and how well built the hand-crafted interior is.
The car grips well and corners quickly, but while the brakes provide good stopping power, they're unassisted and heavy to use, which is at odds with the light steering.
At nearly £50,000, the MS8 Streamliner is expensive. But with only around a dozen expected to be sold in the UK every year, it will certainly be a rare sight.
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| Acceleration is vivid and the engine sounds amazing, but what's surprising is the comfortable ride and how well built the hand-crafted interior is. | |
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On sale in the UK via selected Vauxhall VXR dealers, it will be available in the form of the Clubman - a Caterham Seven-style machine - and this model, the Streamliner, which is inspired by a Fifties GT car.
As with the Clubman, it features a 5.7-litre V8, which makes the Lotus 2-Eleven's supercharged 1.8-litre unit look rather weedy. Sourced from the Corvette, the motor pumps out 328bhp and 465Nm of torque. And as the Elfin weighs only 1,100kg, the 0-62mph sprint takes 4.4 seconds, while the top speed is around 160mph.
Add in a removable hard-top, rear-wheel drive and a meaty six-speed gearbox, and the driving experience is exciting. Acceleration is vivid and the engine sounds amazing, but what's surprising is the comfortable ride and how well built the hand-crafted interior is.
The car grips well and corners quickly, but while the brakes provide good stopping power, they're unassisted and heavy to use, which is at odds with the light steering.
At nearly £50,000, the MS8 Streamliner is expensive. But with only around a dozen expected to be sold in the UK every year, it will certainly be a rare sight.
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FIRST OPINION
- Most UK motorists will never have heard of Elfin - but the MS8 Streamliner is a great introduction to the firm. In many ways, the hand-built roadster is the Australian equivalent of a TVR. It has a fantastic plastic body and a big V8 engine that sounds great and provides huge acceleration. Although the driving experience isn't perfect and the price is high, this is onesports car which definitely stands out from the crowd.
AT A GLANCE
- Price: £48,000
- Engine: 5.7-litre V8
- Power: 328bhp
- Kerbweight: 1,100kg
- 0-62mph: 4.4 seconds
- Top speed: 160mph (est)
- Transmission: Six-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
- Standard equipment: Hand-built chassis with plastic body panels, leather sports seats, 18-inch alloy wheels, traction control, removable hard-top roof
- On sale: July
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