Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 122: Hatching a Plot

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 122: Hatching a Plot

After taking a break from QFC 11 having hosted QFC 10, I jumped at the chance to enter the very next QFC, which was themed around early 1990s hot hatches. It took me several days to come up with an entry, and after several revisions, I ended up making a small but hard-edged pocket rocket: the AMS Vanga 2.0 RS.

Do not be fooled by its small size - the AMS Vanga 2.0 RS has a big heart to match its appetite for corners.

I had originally planned to use a 1.8-liter straight-four for this build, but after evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of the other entrants, I went with a 2.0-liter unit instead.

Small in displacement but packed with power (for a normally aspirated engine of this size and era) - that's the Vanga's engine in a nutshell. (Since this screenshot was taken, I changed the name of both the engine family and variant along with the color of the valve cover, which is now red instead of yellow.)

The Vanga was meant to be a true driver's car, and it shows. To remain within budget, I had to remove the center rear seat, power steering, and anti-lock brakes (although I stated that all of these items were optional); it did, however, come with a mid-range stereo and cassette tape player. As for the rest of the car, I decided to tune the suspension (struts up front and a torsion beam in the rear) mainly for performance (without sacrificing too much comfort) and install large vented disc brakes on all four corners. To send all that power safely to the front wheels, I fitted a close-ratio 5-speed manual gearbox and a geared limited-slip differential.

All in all, at $21,000 AMU when new, the ultimate version of the Vanga is a very good deal in terms of value for money - not even the compromises made in creature comforts are enough to mark it down, if you are willing to accept them.

While this version of the Vanga didn't make the top 5, it did leave behind a positive impression on the client. It wouldn't be the only trim, though: I also made a Touring spec (with ABS, power steering, a fifth seat, and more safety equipment as standard - all of those were optional on the base model) for those who wanted a more livable choice.

The Touring spec - not as raw as the base model, but a better everyday proposition.

At $23,500 AMU, the Touring spec is not that much more expensive than the base model, and while it is not quite as hard-edged due to its extra weight, it's still a highly capable pocket rocket.