It's a slow news night here so I decided to take a look at the weblogs on my server to see who's visiting and I found This Thread...

Starts off with a little talk about locostbuilders, which is cool, a little talk about my car, which is cool. But what's neat is that when one of the members trashes my design as an Attack knock-off the other forum members really come to my defense! It's kinda neat. :-)

Well to the dim-witted I suppose your car does look like an Attack... and a Ferrari, and a Lambo... There's only so many ways to do styling with the given layout, yet each has its own character. When the critics build their car from scratch, I wonder what they'd come up with...

Personally I think your car is more understated (a good thing.) The Attack is just a little too pimped-out for my taste. Reminds me a bit of the early Lambo kits built on the VW frame with, yes, a air-cooled flat-four in the rear. All show and little else. 200hp in the Attack will do much better, but it shouts like it has 500hp. I rather have something that "walks quietly and carries a big stick."


[Edited on 24/8/04 by kb58]

Whatever possessed you to rush out and build a halfassed car without thinking it through and then copying some seven foot wide monstrosity (you both used fibreglass?) and scaling it down to fit a home built chassis with good handling and a mainstream drivetrain for probably a fifth of the price. You idiot you,, what'll happen if the idea catches on? Car builders will be springing up everywhere and will have to come up with newer and better ideas and designs. Put the engine back in the Toyota and stop this foolishness immediately and don't try to think for yourself again, and let this be a warning to others who might want to try the same.

P.S. What's an Attack?

what a plonker that guy is! Don't worry Steve, we all lurv labala!!

Ned.

Labala rules

Mark

I like the way he backtracks when he realises what a moron he's been! Your car is awesome, I'd love to make my own from scratch one day but for now I think the Indy is giving me enough headaches...

Pete

<rolls eyes>

Yeh, to me the Attack is a nicely proportioned car, but it is simply to edgy for my taste. I simply cannot fathom the mindset that because it has an engine in the back, has a side intake and is made out of fiberglass that it is a rip-off of someone elses design.

Anyways, no worries, I'm not the slightest bit upset by one losers comments. I suppose everyone is entitled to their opinion even when it is wrong.

The suggestions and advice everyone here has given me over the years has made my car what it is today. This is a great forum!

quote:

---

Originally posted by sgraber
...... I simply cannot fathom the mindset that because it has an engine in the back, has a side intake and is made out of fiberglass that it is a rip-off of someone elses design.......

---

Let's face it Alan and Steve you both did copy the Attack.
4 wheels-lean back windshield-engine in the back-same stuff to make the body you probably even copyied the side where the steering wheel is.
If that's not a copy......
Wonder what that a"#hole thinks of the monovolume cars,are they all copy's of the Bedford?

well, if Toyota can rip off Ferrari, why can't the rest of us? ...or was it just coincidence that the mk2 MR2 looked like a 3/4 model of a certain red car?

ps what is an Attack? can't find it my Encyclopedia of Really Important Cars

It's a kit car:
http://www.k1-styling.sk/menu.php

i just had a look at the Attack site and especially the frame pictures.
I must say that Alan and Steve certainly did a good job on their cars.
If you take a closer look at some of the welds of the Attack frame than i can name a few guys,out of the top of my head,on this forum who can produce much nicer looking welds.
I'm not saying that the quality is bad,they just look a bit...crapy.
For that money i would expect at least good looking welds.

Steve,

Don't let anything said on a forum bother you. We (when Coram was up and running) went through similar criticism on lots of different forums - including this one.

It never stopped us because there were just as many people giving us praise - you quickly realise that everyone has an opinion and the easiest and safest way for them to express it is on a forum such as this. If that guy was face to face with you, there's no way he'd tell you the same thing he wrote on the forum.

Keep up the good work!

Another thing......

There are sooooooooo many Attacks actually completed and on the road that you just can't help but copy them....

quote:

---

Originally posted by tadltd
Steve,

Don't let anything said on a forum bother you. We (when Coram was up and running) went through similar criticism on lots of different forums - including this one.

Keep up the good work!

---

Speaking of crummy welds...

Back when the Attack was first rolled out at the Carlisle(sp?) car show they posted a few pictures of it in thier booth. I caught all sorts of hell by pointing out it was really poor form having a dirty, oily, engine in your "show car" you're presenting to the world for the first time.

I was flamed left, right, and center that since they rushed to finish it they didn't have time to clean it. How hard could it have been, standing there all day long, to take a cloth and make an effort to clean it?! That's the attention to detail (like the welds) that puzzles me. The difference between an obvious rushed job (read: we don't care much) and one done right is very slight but very important. They just didn't seem to get it, that having a dirty engine said volumes about them personally, their company, and their idea of what's acceptable. This goes for all kit car makers.


[Edited on 25/8/04 by kb58]

quote:

---

Originally posted by kb58
.... having a dirty engine said volumes about them personally, their company, and their idea of what's acceptable. This goes for all kit car makers.

---

This applies to all of us car builders. Yes, if the car is going to a show there's a good chance there'll be a frantic last-minute rush to get it ready...

Fine, but once at the show, how hard can it be to go over it with a cloth? So what if you were up until 2am getting it done, once at the show there's tons of standing-around time. Being seen going over the car shows care, consideration, and pride of workmanship. Conversely, being seen showing off an oily engine compartment implies you're comfortable with it, that it's how you run your business. It makes people think all sorts of things about the car, your company, and you. They can only wonder what other ugly things lurk under there.

It's like finally getting a date with the ultimate woman and showing up in dirty pants. She still might go out with you, but why shoot yourself in the foot?

Details matter.

quote:

---

Originally posted by sgraber

That's exactly what I thought when I saw the Mullen M-1 http://www.mullenmotorco.com/

---

I think it's a funny looking thing. What do you think the bonnet scoop is for? The rear looks particularly odd, and the 3/4 view on the site makes the proportions look odd. If you want a 'budget' supercar, you can't really fault this guy:

http://www.noblecars.com/new-noble-site/index.html

I agree with Kurt, except on the looks. Definitely with Ben on that one...

Also the price...wow...definitely in Noble/Ultima territory....can't be an easy sell I'm sure..

U-huh! My thoughts about it too. FYI - The Mullen was chosen by Microsoft to be in one of their TV commercials. I think that made their heads a bit large because of that publicity.

The engine is north-south V6 with renault trasaxle. They don't show the engine bay because frankly (if they haven't changed it) it looks terrible.

The Noble is one amazing car. I would love to see one in person. I think that a friend of mine mentioned that there is one in Phoenix... I'll have to check that out.

quote:

---

Originally posted by BenRelle
I think it's a funny looking thing. What do you think the bonnet scoop is for?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by BenRelle
If you want a 'budget' supercar, you can't really fault this guy:

http://www.noblecars.com/new-noble-site/index.html

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Syd Bridge
Didn't the 'transverse engine behind the driver' thing start with the Fiat X1/? or something

---

There are a couple of Nobles around wher I live, one of them turned down a road a few down from where I live, must go for a wonder to find out where it lives!

Anyone know which way the engine sits in a noble ie north/south or transverse? If inline, any ideas on the gearbox?

cheers,

Ned.

Across the frame. I'm sure Lee Noble won't thank me for saying so, but it's basically the same deal as the V6 ford mondeo in terms of engine and tranny layout (clearly the position in the car is different) so a bit like Kurt is doing with his engine really!

Obviously the twin turbocharges etc. etc. make it a little more potent than the average repmobile.....

for those of us in North America
check out the top gear report on the noble

Top Gear
also while you are there check out under lotus, Lotus into lada, its good for a chuckle

I wish that Top Gear was carried on a North american Network, or at least we got some BBC programming on cable.

[Edited on 27/8/04 by violentblue]

Ah, Top Gear, probably the best car program on the planet, bar none.

Ascerbic Jeremy Clarkson is a must see - who else would demonstrate the flexibility of an Aston DB7GT by accelerating from 0-120mph in 4th gear!

And their test of track-day cars was cool - Caterham R500 faster than Lotus Elise 190, but not as quick as the BEC-powered middie Westfield or Radical....

I was at the Carlisle kit show, and euroworks had a stand. The had some type of horrible 240sx/skyline hybrid, but no attack I have to go thru my files because I snapped a great picture of their "showcase".

I hate to tell you but us NA'ers do get top gear on speed channel mondays at 9 & 11 est, 8 & 10 mountain time, and not sure about pacific, but It should be 9
& 11 also. Pretty good show, better than the rubbish car and driver type of shows that we get where they keep doing the 0-60 times then the 60-0 times then the slalom which is aleways the best they've tested.

We actually get Fifth Gear. I, personally will trade Clarkson for Butler-Henderson any day. Still, great show - a great look at how "somewhere else" looks at cars, good tongue-in-cheek where appropriate, and the odd story of Motorsport that you do, not just watch! Even the wife loves it - especially last night's dilema: Noble or Caterham R300?

Fifth Gear, usually it's on just when the Wiff wants to watch some other 'girlie' style show.l.. Well last night I put my foot down. Honey, were watching FIFTH GEAR!!! ok?

Some hyper-rich guy buying an entire stable of new cars... He wants them all at discount. So he can make a profit when he sells them... So all us poor blokes have to pay full retail to support the economy, but this guy gets em below wholesale. How terrible to be filthy rich... That Asshole...

Graber