Vintage: NSU RO 80 | leads!
The NSU Ro 80 was produced by the German company NSU between 1967 and 1977 the Ro 80 was a very advanced car, becoming the first feature production car NSU Wankel engine Rotory never created such a luxury car or big before, and design the flagship, designer Claus Luthe was used - the form was created especially aerodynamics, and the sale of equipment for the Ro80 traded heavily on this factor, despite the aerodynamics being developed by Soley guess Luthe to real development of the car was in progress.
The car was sold only with the rotor engine option, which was a lack of mid-range torque and power - to cover this shortfall, a semi-automatic three-speed transmission was applied to Unfortunately the car, the twin-rotor engine was unreliable in previous statements, due to wear of the seals of the rotor fault, attributed to underdevelopment, hampered Ro80 with unshakable reputation for lack of reliability - but NSU was generous with warranty claims, and some cars have up to nine new engines.
Ultimately, freedom of the guarantee given by NSU led to his downfall - the company teetering on the edge of the financial crisis, was acquired by Volkswagen in 1969.
Features Pioneering Ro 80 was a lot of other features that others break the mold twin-rotor engine The engine itself was 995 cc capacity, and produces 115bhp - enough to power the Ro80 at a top speed of about 115 mph.
First, the vehicle included four full-size brake discs, which had rarely been seen on other than supercars on release in 1967, due to the expense required Ro80 The engineers have worked hard on both brakes themselves, which have been identified by the automotive press period to be greater, but also the packaging - the front brakes are mounted inside, which meant less weight is carried by the suspension, which reduces unsprung weight.
Independent suspension was used on all four wheels with straight-forward MacPherson struts at the front, but an upper arm assembly to the rear to guide the front wheels, NSU use one of the first power steering systems of the planet - a motorized rack and pinion set up.
Collaboration NSU Sachs has developed a semi-automatic transmission was also a new feature, prefiguring modern sports car or Tiptronic transmissions such as Lamborghini's e-gear Porsche However, instead of a clutch pedal for quarters manual work, a built-in speed button activation switch of a pneumatically operated clutch lever via an electromagnetic valve unit, which leaves the clutch slowly at an engine speed at idle or when the throttle is closed, for example the change down or rapidly upon rapid acceleration to take drive between the gears when changing to the clutch itself, a device coated with conventional friction sitting between a conventional auto-box Sachs torque converter and manual gearbox with three speeds, so that the engine could conv ertisseur idle torque stuck with a selected speed stationary This gave the usual mode of slow creep making slow speed manouvering Parking aids.
Styles and policy options The Ro 80 was provided in four size sedan doors, but the style has often spoken with a drag coefficient of only 0355, the Ro 80 is miles ahead of its competitors, and even modern cars battle to match this figure Although NSU said the car had been extensively developed in a wind tunnel, the design Luthe had seen inside the tunnel of the Stuttgart technical research Center in the steps of the twilight of its development - Luthe managed to create the aerodynamic shape Soley using his eye and educated guesswork.
The Ro 80 is famous among the world of car design as the form that most designers would like to see in their own portfolio - a feeling especially taken by Bruno Sacco Mercedes-Benz Form dated very well, and it is only the chrome brightwork , light units and narrow tires, large size that indicate the car's age.
Throughout his life of ten years, the Ro80 has rarely changed ancillary minor stylistically, such as mirror door design and shape of wheel resulting in Fuchs forged wheels, similar to that of the Porsche 911 were modified the most important change for model year 1973 was inside the interior, where the front seats with more sustained headrests were introduced to improve the comfort and safety of passengers This movement has also brought the fall the material of 60 leatherette seat style with velor become more fit luxury real leather seat coverings were an option, although rarely chose the last cars were fitted with larger modified taillights, with a deletion section brushed aluminum overlying the back side where the lock start box used to be, trunk lock itself be moved Cover is the trunk, where the Audi 100 was substituted lock in the color options were also fairly stagnant annually model yielding the addition or subtraction of strange color, as opposed to the complete remodeling of color options taking place these days the colors themselves, and interior colors, were very typical of the period.
The price Ro80, sold by NSU alongside Volkswagens and Audis for 5000 retailed in 1967. Prices remained similar throughout his life.
Gas Mileage The Ro 80 was considered reasonable economic, returning about 25 miles per gallon mpg on a run of 70 mph top speed, but it could drop to 15 mpg or less around town Operation Wankel being like a two time requires that oil in which case the actual engine oil is mixed with the fuel entering the fuel pump mounted on the engine to lubricate the seals combustion chambers, so that the owners reported that the double rotor motor used a lot of oil, more than contemporary Audi and Volkswagen sedans afixed sign the front windshield told owners to check the oil every time the car has been filled with fuel.
Reliability ROTORY first Wankel engines used by NSU were woefully unreliable Poor knowledge of mechanical engine of a new type, with a rushed development, meant that a defective motor has been mounted on the first batches of Ro80s - and reports began circulating on the owners noticed a loss of power and torque of their engines, as well as fuel consumption and masses of smoke coming out of the car the problem was due to an acute wear rotor seals the problem sooner 15,000 miles, but NSU was very generous with warranty claims, the granting of a new engine every owner of a worn a Some cars have been many new engines, however, NSU began redevelop the engine and cars later featured more reliable powerplants But that was not enough, and the car was favored with a sales reputation collapsed unreliability, and a desparate NSU hatched plan to scrap the rotor motor completely and start a traditional internal combustion example - it w approved but never developed.
The many warranty claims made by NSU expensive society - and in 1969, it was on its last legs financially He was bailed out by VW in 1969, which continued to fund Ro80 warranty claims for the rest of his life.
Some cars had their engines after the market replaced by the traditional engines of other manufacturers - these should be scrutinized by crtically proposed buyers as quality conversion is essential for future long-term car early solutions to the issue of conversion of the engine used the narrow-angle V4 engine DC 2000 Ford Corsair This conversion should be avoided because of the overall poor quality of some conversions and the lack of good adequacy of cars gear ratios in engine performance V4 subsequent conversions to Mazda RX7 12A and 13B engines were available with coins conversion professionally produced but not for purists, these conversions offer a replacement to the Wankel almost proof bomb NSU power plant, providing reliable every day to a car otherwise very competent the princi blade difference tha car when equipped with the Mazda Wankel is the more severe the tone of the Mazda unit, and they have increased significantly at low speed, due to the effect ive difference input synchronization , provided by the input worn Mazda side stretches, as opposed to periferally NSU focused entry system.
Safety Due to the strong and full chassis design and structure, the Ro 80 was solid in an accident compared to his contemporaries brothers, he excelled, although it can not be compared to modern standards of protection the same accident, it was built with great tripple Supports section box to reinforce the side of the car and move passengers to the center of the vehicle, it was also built with padded interior surfaces to help prevent injuries passengers It was one of the first vehicles to also provide protection crumple zones front and rear passenger front seat belts were fitted as standard to the car, and behind the anchors seat belts were available, although the first cars could be equipped with static rear seat belts.
Main competitors Although competition with a lot of time, the vehicle was similar in terms of size and class, the contemporary Volkswagen deals with the Passat and Audi with 100 another competition was sent by the Ford Cortina.
A kind of impaired, Ro80 driven piston appeared in the form of the Volkswagen K70, which was in style by Luthe This vehicle was unloved and has not sold in large quantities, but it provided her with Volkswagen first car water cooled, a position from which he has never looked back K70 is a rare car today.
Hybrid models No hybrid model NSU Ro 80 was never produced by the factory owners over the years have tried to consider how the car body have been developed Conversions include 2 sports car head open squares, a 2 cutting bed, a door open topped 4 convertible and a sensor 6 wheels.
Unique Attributes The Ro 80 is a unique car in its kind - space-age, heavy glass style, dual-rotor powerplant, and forged wheels and disc brakes, the car launched massive amounts of technology and design Unfortunately, pushing the envelope of technology of the period of a disaster for the car and the company as innovative Ro80 proved caused the loss of NSU All that said, the only major problem with the car the engine and corrosion and even that is limited primarily to support, front fenders and lower doors There are specialists who can sort the parts of the source of the engine and the body is not beyond any competent repairman amateur or seasoned the rest of the vehicle is strong and durable, so if you have the chance, go out and you get a unique experience not to be missed you're only here once remember.
Very good examples resale values of NSU tend to sell for between 10 000 and 20 000, while the runners are available cheaply These cars are generally not particularly desirable, although prices depend somewhat on state and from an original Ro80, with the original painting, wheels, the motor and the inside, for example, will be higher than such engines bodged pistons As with all conventional cars, the values of resale depend on the condition and provenance rather than outright mileage or a derivative of the model.
If you buy a Ro80, make sure the rotory engine has been maintained properly, since bass patches require skilled technicians, and may end up being expensive There are a number of advertising specialists on web remanufactured engines new engines readily available and even factory engines built by specialists on the rotor housings and the main parts are commercially available.
Don t be put off as a potential buyer Do your research on the Internet, and to know that the 2007 German classic car Press voted the Ro 80 as the cheapest German classic car to buy, restore and run much praise.
Reviews The only criticism that can be leveled at the Ro 80 was that he was too ahead of its time NSU pushed on an engine that had been given the shortest development cycles, and paid disastrous Who knows what would have happened if a conventional engine had been fitted maybe the car may become the success it deserved.
The Ro 80 generations has not really defined the generations - each model year rolled into one, with minor modifications to the specification.
The indicators of age are the wheels - first cars had pressed steel business, while the later examples were forged alloys Fuchs - and color - an indication, the cars are later more likely to be painted in a metal container.
Options-wise, apart from the choice of color and material inside, there was the choice of the sunroof or not, although for cars later this became electrically operated Moreover, sunroof has become an Achilles heel Although a fine adjustment to a new car, more than 30 years later, the opening roof water drainage systems of rain directly into cars all material support, which results in corrosion of non-roof opening nine cars were rare, but should be sought Windows remained manually operated for the duration of the production of cars, and the only door mirror also moved by hand.
NSU Ro 80 Vehicle Summary, Ro80, vehicle, each model year.