Cizeta Moroder V16T

Bugatti and Cizeta-Moroder: two car-maker from Modena with a similar history. First every has been blown away by the car. Then everything looks prosperous until the real world force them to wake up from the daydreams.
According to Winston Goodfellow, one of the experts of the small Italian carmakers, Cizeta is virtually dead now.
It all started back in the mid-80s. Claudio Zampolli and his partner (whose name could escape me) thought about building something extremely unique. They immediately chose Modena as a place to build their car. I think I read in Automobile Quarterly that Modena is the Mecca of the small car builders. Small shops full of experts are surely an ideal place.
So they comissioned Marcello Gandini (designer of many famous Lamborghini like the latest, the Diablo, the Countach etc.), took two Ferrari V8 units and soon the Cizeta "VsediciT" was ready to shock the world.
The prototype appeared at Los Angeles in December 1988. The public reaction was controversial: the styling was similar to the Diablo (which is not a sign of success), but the V16 engine gained lots of attention.
This transversal mounted mid-placed engine was capable of 382 kW (520 bhp) at 7000 rpm and had a max. torque of 540 Nm at 4500 rpm and with this engine the car reached the 100 km/h speed within 4.5 sec and had a maximum speed of 320 km/h.
After the 1988 debut followed two years of trial. Zampolli collected 20 craftsmen to take care of every detail.

The first production car in right hand drive version and the "Jewel in its crown" the 16-cyl. engine were exhibited at the Geneva International Motor Show in March 1991.
In their 1992 press release they stated: "Another six cars are already on the production line with delivery scheduled for this year. From 1993, the Modena firm plans to produce and deliver 1 car a month". I haven't heard much about them between this release and 1995 when Winston told me about their demise.
It's price was $800,000 and for this You ought to have quality. The Sultan of Bahrein ordered three and I even saw one with Hungarian plate!
The car weight 1700 kg and is rear-wheel driven but it sure can You like hell according to a road test. The torque helps the five-speed transmission so the ride is very smooth.
The interior is full of leather. At the instruments LCD and traditional looking are mixed.
"Even someone 6 geet tall will be very comfortable". The door and engine hood joints have uniball hinges, tunnel, dashboard and inside panels have aluminium structures. The ashtray is missing: "it is better not to smoke in the car in order to avoid distracting the driver's attention and impregnating the sumptous leather upholstery with smoke!

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Copyright January, 1996.