Panther 6

    Description

    The Panther 6 is a six-wheeled convertible introduced by the company at the 1977 London Motorfair. The convertible was largely designed by Robert Jankel, the owner of the company. They adopted the design concept of the six-wheeled Tyrrell P34, which caused a great stir in the Formula 1 World Championship in 1976. The layout consisted of one pair of large rear wheels with Pirelli 265/50 R16 tires and two pairs of smaller steerable front wheels with Pirelli 205/40 R13 tires.

    The first copy was painted black and had a steering wheel mounted on the right. It was equipped with a bench seat with three seats and a gearshift mechanism on the steering wheel. Panther 6 was presented to the public in 1977 at the London Motor Show and made a splash there. Its purchase price was £39,950. The car was sold after the exhibition and changed hands several times.

    The second copy was left-hand with two separate seats and a central gear change. Panther began building it in 1978, but soon ran into economic difficulties and the finishing of the car was delayed. In 1985 the car was sold for £150,000.

    Both copies are known to still exist. One is in Saudi Arabia and the other was shown at the 2008 NEC Classic Car Show by the Panther Car Club and 2015 at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este by Albert Fellner.

    The convertible was powered by an 8.2-liter eight-cylinder engine mounted above the rear axle, which was purchased from Cadillac and modified by American specialist Ark Miller, who equipped it with two turbochargers. As a result, power increased to 600 hp, and the maximum speed was supposed to be about 320 kph. As a power transmission, an automatic three-speed gearbox from General Motors was used.

    A double wedge-shaped body with a panoramic windshield, designed by Vauxhall designers, was attached to a tubular chassis. They also advised Yankel on chassis design and steering setup. Other design features were a car-colored front bumper with wide recessed lighting elements. The main headlights could be laid out. The car had a large panoramic window and recessed wipers. The package included a removable hard top and a folding soft top.

    In the cabin, two telephones were installed in the doors, and a TV was installed in the dashboard. There were also combination locks in the doors, expensive finishing materials, air conditioning, an automatic fire extinguisher, electric seats and windows.

    Sources

    Bodywork
    Presentation
    Years of production
    1977-1978
    Produced (pcs.)
    2
    Body type
    кабриолет
    Number of doors
    2
    Number of places
    2
    Engine
    Engine type
    бензиновый
    Engine location
    центральное, продольное
    Engine model
    GM Cadillac V8 66E
    Cylinders
    V8
    V-angle
    90°
    Capacity (cc)
    8194
    Power output (hp / kW /)
    600 /
    442 /
    at rpm
    5500
    Torque (N·m)
    815
    at rpm
    2000
    Bore (mm)
    109,2
    Stroke (mm)
    109,3
    Compression
    8,5
    Number of valves
    2/16
    Valvetrain
    OHV
    Block material
    чугун
    Fuel system
    карбюратор
    Fuel system model
    Holley
    Turbocharger
    2
    Compressor model
    AIResearch T04
    Transmission
    Driven wheels
    задний
    Gearbox model
    GM Turbo Hydramatic THM-425
    Gearbox
    автоматическая
    Number of speeds
    3
    Final drive ratio
    1,800
    First gear ratio
    2,480
    Second gear ratio
    1,480
    Third gear ratio
    1,000
    Reverse gear ratio
    2,077
    Suspension
    Front suspension
    независимая
    Rear suspension
    независимая
    Elastic elements in front
    пружины
    Elastic elements in rear
    пружины
    Wheels brand
    BBS
    Wheel size front
    6,0J×13
    Wheel size rear
    9,0J×16
    Tire brand
    Pirelli
    Tyres front
    205/40 R13
    Tyres rear
    265/50 R16
    Steering
    Power steering
    гидравлический
    Brakes specs
    Brakes front
    дисковые
    Brakes rear
    дисковые вентилируемые
    Front brake diameter (mm)
    254
    Rear brake diameter (mm)
    279
    Disc material
    чугун
    Dimensions and weight
    Body
    стальной трубчатый каркас
    Body material
    стекловолокно
    Length (mm)
    4877
    Width (mm)
    2032
    Height (mm)
    1219
    Wheelbase (mm)
    2667
    Front track (mm)
    1560
    Rear track (mm)
    1640
    Ground clearance (mm)
    180
    Drag coefficien
    0,450
    Curb weight (kg)
    1320
    Trunk volume max (litre)
    340
    Performance specs
    Fuel tank capacity (l)
    120
    Fuel type
    бензин
    Dynamic specs
    Acceleration 0-100 kph (s)
    4,9
    Acceleration 0-60 mph (s)
    4,7
    Acceleration 0-100 mph (s)
    8,0
    Top speed (kph)
    322
    Top speed (mph)
    200
    Last modified
    28.08.2023

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