Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 189: Filling Gaps in a Legacy
With the current open alpha still too unstable for my needs, I have chosen to continue using the most recent stable release for my first Discourse challenge entry of 2025. My entry into the first stage of A Legendary Legacy was the 1962 AMS Antares V8 5.0 - a small front-engined sports car with a big heart and a lavishly pointed interior.
Above, from top: The 1962 AMS Antares 5.0 squeezes a big, powerful engine into a small package, but doesn't skimp on creature comforts.
Powered by a 250-horsepower pushrod V8 sending its grunt to the rear wheels via a 4-speed manual gearbox and clutched LSD, the Antares 5.0 is as fast through the corners as it is down the straights (159 mph top speed, 0-60mph in 5.6 seconds) thanks to 4-wheel dual-wishbone independent suspension and 4-wheel disc brakes, on a steel monocoque with a galvanized chassis. To fulfill its role as a pocket grand tourer, a full high-quality luxury interior and AM/FM radio came as standard.
Above: The rare SuperSport option package added a second carburetor to its more highly tuned engine, along with wider tires, quad exhaust tips, and a 5-speed manual gearbox, for a more performance-oriented package.
Between 1969 and 1971, the SuperSport option package was offered - it added an extra forward gear and widened tires (225mm front/rear, compared to 205mm previously) to exploit the power increase (to 300 bhp) from its twin-carburetor setup. After it was dropped, some of its enhancements (specifically, the new gearbox and tires) were inherited by the base model. However, in 1974, it would be replaced by a larger, more angular second generation - right at the start of the oil crisis.
(Note: The challenge I entered didn't have a round themed around the 1970s, so I created this successor to my entry below in my spare time - this one was based on a newer body set, but retained some signature design touches such as a prominent hood bulge flanked by a set of functional vents, and an additional vent somewhere on the front fender. Also, to distinguish it further from the original, I gave it $50 million worth of combined techpool points instead of $45m.)
Above, from top: The second-generation Antares retained its predecessor's engine, but detuned it in keeping with new EPA legislation.
In a first for the line, the second generation of Antares came with a catalytic converter (specifically, a 2-way unit) as standard in North American specification - a change made possible by the use of unleaded fuel. However, these changes, combined with the switch to a milder camshaft, reduced its power output to just 200 horsepower (60 fewer than those sold elsewhere, which kept the dual-carb setup as opposed to the single-carb one shown here), although with over 250 lb-ft of torque, it was still surprisingly quick. But 6.6 seconds was a full second slower than what the 1962 original could manage - mainly due to the extra weight brought on by Federalization (including more advanced safety and interior tech, plus standard-fit power steering for the first time ever). The resulting car, still having the same chassis and suspension as its predecessor, had therefore lost some of its edge - but not all of it, with the brakes now upgraded to vented discs, resulting in a huge reduction in brake fade. And with functional front and rear spoilers, it was also far more stable at higher speeds.
Even so, there SuperSport package would not return for this generation, and it would not be until the debut of the next generation that the Antares recovered more of its mojo. That, however, is a story for another day.
