SCD Simon

iTrader: (1)

Can anyone tell me what the power output was for the Rover 200 BRM special edition out about 99 (orange grill under the front bumper job)
I followed one today and it had a tiny exhaust, got me wondering if it was the wrong zorst or they were not that powerful anyway.
Thanks in advance

fatherpierre

I think they are just shy of 160bhp.

fatherpierre

http://www.motorcities.com/contents/03CCG031619450.html

RJMS

iTrader: (2)

For what it's worth I have found that going from a "big" to a "small" twin tailpipe on a 230BHP Alfa V6 actually gave me a lot more torque and probably more power - never went on a rolling road. Exhaust size isn't everything

SCD Simon

iTrader: (1)

Thanks for the quick replies and the link

Are you sure

SD

The link is wrong.

The BRM used the pre-trophy 145PS (143bhp) VVC engine. The later 158bhp engine didn't appear till the MGF trophy came out, and later used in the ZR160.

Simon.

Daz34

The most important aftermarket accessory for these are decent sunglasses to tone down the interior

ScoobyJawa

My ex had one, I loved the interior and exterior looks. Critics said the suspension was good, better than any other rover. It was a pokey beast and a cracking drive.

crofty

Just sold one! great little car, 150bhp with janspeed exhaust, mgf throttle body and filter, handled really well, fast above 5000rpm and 35mpg

Flat 4x4

Just traded my parents one in (Vi, same engine) for them. Totally reliable, very economical and very quick when required.

As Crofty says, when the vvc kicks in, the engine is genuinely impressive. The power keeps building and building up to and beyond the red line - no top end strangulation at all.

When I was delivering the car to my parents, I remember being followed by a T4 Volvo (200bhp) on the A50 from Derby to Stoke. He couldn't keep up in a straight line when the traffic cleared, time after time, and on roundabouts the gap trebled...

If you get a well cared for BRM / 200Vi / 25GTi, you will have bargain fun

mynickers

When ever I looked at these they've been quite expensive, and for the cash, I'd rather of spent it on alternative cars with more poke. If you can get a bargain I think they're an alright hatch, but there are better hot hatchs on the market IMO.

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

I have one, mine has a rolling road print out saying it has 161 bhp with a nice flat torque curve, previous owner spent loads on it so it has

Full Janspeed + De-cat
bigger Throttle body
Taipan carbon air filter with cold air feed.
Superchips Icon race, this messes with the timing (not fueling)

Standard they are between 143 and 147 depending on what you read, mine didnt seem to get a huge increase for all the messing but apparently it makes them a lot nicer to drive rather than outright quicker. It is fairly quick but I came from a chipped Fiat Coupe turbo, much prefer the power delivery, nice and torquey with a decent top end. Pretty much as quick as the Cooper S that had a go the other day, and surprisingly an early Elise didnt pull any distance on me from 30 to about 80, this surprised me so not sure how much he was trying.

Gearing is high, so around town at low speeds it can be a bit of a pain whether to be in second or first which if you arent careful results in jerkiness.

Watch out for head gaskets, mine came having had 1200 quid spent on the head 2 months earlier, now paranoid its going again.

They can rust !, check the arches as I think they were rolled slightly at the factory to allow for the bigger wheels (16 inch), mine were slightly corroding so I had to treat them before it crept up the car, have seen much much older Rovers without any at all, Green hammerite is a decent match as well. My uncle has one without a spot on it, same car, same year. Aslo check the hatch hinges.

They handle really well, little bit vague around the dead centre but will corner very quickly, seats dont exactly hug you though.

The brakes are awesome for a standard set up, ABS and decent sized disks, I dont drive it that hard but I havent seen any fade and have given them a really good shove and it stops quicker than any car I have ever driven.

Traction in the wet is very good due to the limited slip diff, not an issue in the dry with only 160 bhp and big tyres.

Interior is as you say an aquired taste, bit cold on winter mornings, especially the gear ****, the gaiter top rattles against the shaft which is annoying, the ally reflects in the windscreen.

I paid 2900 for mine 6 weeks ago with 65k and all the mods, it had 2 brand new tyres, new brakes (Black Diamond, since replaced for standard as they juddered) all round, taced until June next year, it has a Panasonic head unit and changer (Mp3) and Sony 6 * 9s. Dont pay more than 3 grand unless it has very low mileage, they are quite cheap nowadays and its a buyers market so make a daft offer, I do think prices will stabilise a bit now they are sub 3 grand, they were in free fall considering the original list price of 18 grand !

mj

LOL, I always used to see one of these kicking around stockport, didn't realise it was a special ed.

Bleedin awfull, WTF is with the orange grill - I always thought it was a poxy rover owned by a barry boy with bad taste.

3K is nice golf money.

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Nice Golf money, ha ha ha, 125k knackered GTI's which are slow, the BRM is over ten seconds quicker to 100 and quite a bit quicker than the 16 valver. You would get a really nice MK2 for that though, the MK3 is poo and pretty ugly.

I suppose it isnt to everybody's taste, but then again everybody's taste seems to be a Silver car with black leather.

At least there were only 795 made so you shouldnt have to endure the sight of one too often. My apologies if it it offended you, what do you drive by the way ?

ScoobyJawa

Lol@ differing tastes.

I love the front grill

gso

Rover 200?

Flat 4x4

Yup - as I said above, identical engine in the 200Vi if you don't fancy the BRM trim.

Autocar did a full road test on the 200Vi in 1997 . 0-60 in 7.1 and similar mid-range.
Terrific top-end for a non-turbo.

MGJohn

Anyone who saw the BRM F1 Grand Prix Championship cars racing back in the 1960s can tell you why the orange trim on the front grill of ALL BRMs... When most F1 cars then were British Racing Green manufacturers needed something to differentiate their cars at a distance. The orange trim at the front enabled them to do that and became part of the BRM livery... and part of motor racing history....

Even today, teams use little tell tale markers so that at a distance, the team could see whether it was say RB's or MS's Ferrari.

I drove Golfs back in the 1970s and early 80s when they were still fairly fresh. Never understood their appeal. So what it's German. Just another ordinary car. Go for the vastly over-rated Golf if you must (but, only by some - please remember the MG Maestro 2.0i advert circa 1989? "The Golf GTI will be a long in a second" ... and they weren't kidding .... ) ...

If you do decide on a BRM, look for a well cared for car. Those engines are a little sophisticated and any failure to maintain properly can mean problems. They are reliable but not idiot proof.

mj

jacko, I wasn't remarking on the performance, I know nothing about them but from what I read here I agree they are a tadge quick, and quick for the money.

its just that grill and the interior - to the unwashed ( ie, BRM???) like me it looks really max power.

life would be boring and all that jazz........


BTW, I drive a clapped out VW caddy van

MGJohn

A BIG 'Zorst' is NOT a guarantee of a powerful car.

Don't throw that old baked bean can away - that's a perfect fit ... for some ..

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

MJ, I dont do things so I fit in, if I fancy something I buy it, the unwashed dont matter to me, its just a cheap way of having some fun and the fact it has a couple of in your face details just made me want it more, I could literally spend 30k on a car tomorrow but if I did I would worry about it too much, plus about where the money would come from the day after tommorow.

As for the caddy, fit it with a tuned VW 16 valver, some nice alloys, suspension and brakes and thats one cool motor, I like VW's (have owned 8) but the MK3 which was the opposition for the BRM was crap in comparison.