Consulier GTP
Encyclopedia
The Consulier GTP was a sports car
produced by the former Consulier Industries in the early 1990s.
Consulier Industries was later renamed Mosler Automotive, which then updated the car as the Mosler Intruder and again as the Raptor before production ended by 2000. The car was replaced by the Mosler MT900
the next year.
2.2 L Turbo II engine producing 190 hp (142 kW). The chassis was a fiberglass
-and-foam monocoque
, the first carbon fiber and Kevlar-bodied vehicle ever to go into production - with no structural metal in the body.
The GTP Sport was the base model, with the LX adding Recaro seats, VDO instrumentation, Fittipaldi wheels, and an Alpine pullout CD system, not to mention sunroof, leather, air, cruise, power locks, mirrors, and windows, tilt wheel, and wool carpets; options including a security system and cellphone. Both had full instrumentation, in a plain flat black panel, with eleven gauges in two sizes.
The GTP was widely criticized for its appearance, with Sports Car International
even running a redesign contest. "We don't think it's as pretty as it could be, not by a long shot," claimed the magazine. But it was highly successful in racing. The Consulier GTP competed successfully in many races for the next six years, before being banned by the sanctioning body IMSA in 1991.
There were two series of Consuliers produced. The first series sold just 10 copies, with the remaining orders cancelled after an article in AutoWeek
blasted the company as a fraud. Top speed on the Series II with the Turbo III engine was reported to be 155 mph (249 km/h).
The Series II cars had a slightly more rounded body, but the most obvious change was the removal of the louvers formerly covering the rear hatch. The Series II cars also weighed significantly less. Overall, 100 Consulier GTPs were produced.
A few of the cars were hybrids between the Consulier, Intruder, and Raptor. Two were built with the higher-output Turbo III engine, and some were modified to accept longitudinal
Chevrolet Small-Block
V8 engines. Experimental Consuliers were converted to use electricity (generated by a fuel cell
) and even compressed air.
was so confident in the performance of the Consulier that he offered a $25,000 bounty to anyone who could pilot a street-legal production car around any US racetrack faster than a Consulier GTP. He later upped the bounty to $100,000 with the Turbo III-powered Consulier GTP C-4.
Car and Driver
took up the challenge, racing a stock C4 Chevrolet Corvette
(not a ZR-1) around the Chrysler
proving grounds test track in Chelsea, Michigan
.2 Arthur St. Antoine and Csaba Csere
took three laps each in the Corvette and a 1988 Consulier GTP Series I Sport. The Corvette soundly defeated the Consulier with a best lap of 1:21.01. The Consulier's best was a 1:22.56. The C&D writers opined that the Consulier was "difficult to handle" with "anemic brakes". Confronted with this test, Mosler claimed that the test car was older and worn out. He also clarified that he would pick the track, the Consulier, and the driver to be eligible to win the money.
Supporting Mosler's position was the competition in Lime Rock Park
, with a Series II Consuler GTP. The 2100 pound, 2.2 liter turbo powered car outraced Hurley Haywood's factory Porsche Turbo, Boris Said's Callaway Twin Turbo Corvette, Jim Minnaker's factory ZR1 Corvette; however, after this race, Consulier was given a 300 pound weight penalty and then banned from the IMSA series.
LT1 V8 engine modified by Lingenfelter
.
This car raced at the 24 hours of Nelson Ledges for two consecutive years, winning both years. Eventually, the Intruder was also banned after its dominating 1993–1994 performances. In 1996, a 450 hp (336 kW) Lingenfelter Intruder won Car and Driver
magazine's One Lap of America
.
Of the four Intruders built, just one was sold. Another was converted into a GT1
racing car, while the remaining pair were converted into Raptors.
The same car that won the 1996 One Lap event went on to win the 1997 challenge as a Raptor. This car was also tested by Car and Driver
in 1998. In their tests, the car weighed 2773 lb (1258 kg) and boasted 446 hp (333 kW) at 5800 rpm and 429 ft·lbf (582 N·m) at 5000 rpm. The 383 in³ (6.3 L) Small-Block
V8 was another Lingenfelter special, and the five-speed transaxle
came from a Porsche 911 Turbo
.
The interior continued to be a mixed bag. The steering wheel came from a Chrysler minivan
, while the rest of the gauges were custom. The split windshield caused visibility problems and blocked some of the air vents.
The tested performance of the car included a 3.9 second run to 60 mph (97 km/h) and a 12.3 second and 115 mph (185 km/h) sprint through the quarter mile. Top speed was 163 mph (262 km/h), limited by drag. However, this was a development prototype and the engine was not yet performing correctly.
List price for the Raptor was $157,980 in 1998.
Sports car
A sports car is a small, usually two seat, two door automobile designed for high speed driving and maneuverability....
produced by the former Consulier Industries in the early 1990s.
Consulier Industries was later renamed Mosler Automotive, which then updated the car as the Mosler Intruder and again as the Raptor before production ended by 2000. The car was replaced by the Mosler MT900
Mosler MT900
The MT900 is a sports car built in the United States and the United Kingdom by Mosler. Three submodels have also been produced. The MT900R was a racing version of the MT900. The basic car was updated as the MT900S for 2005, with the MT900S Photon being its racing variant. The original MT900 was...
the next year.
Consulier GTP
The Consulier GTP, conceived in 1985, was a 2200 lb (998 kg) mid-engined sports car. It was powered by a turbocharged ChryslerChrysler
Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
2.2 L Turbo II engine producing 190 hp (142 kW). The chassis was a fiberglass
Glass-reinforced plastic
Fiberglass , is a fiber reinforced polymer made of a plastic matrix reinforced by fine fibers of glass. It is also known as GFK ....
-and-foam monocoque
Monocoque
Monocoque is a construction technique that supports structural load by using an object's external skin, as opposed to using an internal frame or truss that is then covered with a non-load-bearing skin or coachwork...
, the first carbon fiber and Kevlar-bodied vehicle ever to go into production - with no structural metal in the body.
The GTP Sport was the base model, with the LX adding Recaro seats, VDO instrumentation, Fittipaldi wheels, and an Alpine pullout CD system, not to mention sunroof, leather, air, cruise, power locks, mirrors, and windows, tilt wheel, and wool carpets; options including a security system and cellphone. Both had full instrumentation, in a plain flat black panel, with eleven gauges in two sizes.
The GTP was widely criticized for its appearance, with Sports Car International
Sports Car International
Sports Car International was an automobile magazine in the United States published by Ross Periodicals Inc. that was focused on sports cars. The magazine was published from 1986 to 2008. Its business offices were located in Novato, California....
even running a redesign contest. "We don't think it's as pretty as it could be, not by a long shot," claimed the magazine. But it was highly successful in racing. The Consulier GTP competed successfully in many races for the next six years, before being banned by the sanctioning body IMSA in 1991.
There were two series of Consuliers produced. The first series sold just 10 copies, with the remaining orders cancelled after an article in AutoWeek
AutoWeek
AutoWeek is a fortnightly automotive enthusiast publication based in Detroit, Michigan. One of 32 titles published by Crain Communications Inc, its parent company, AutoWeek is unique as the only consumer title among its sister publications....
blasted the company as a fraud. Top speed on the Series II with the Turbo III engine was reported to be 155 mph (249 km/h).
The Series II cars had a slightly more rounded body, but the most obvious change was the removal of the louvers formerly covering the rear hatch. The Series II cars also weighed significantly less. Overall, 100 Consulier GTPs were produced.
A few of the cars were hybrids between the Consulier, Intruder, and Raptor. Two were built with the higher-output Turbo III engine, and some were modified to accept longitudinal
Longitudinal engine
In automotive engineering, a longitudinal engine is an internal combustion engine in which the crankshaft is oriented along the long axis of the vehicle, front to back....
Chevrolet Small-Block
Chevrolet Small-Block engine
The Chevrolet small-block engine is a series of automobile V8 engines built by the Chevrolet Division of General Motors using the same basic small engine block...
V8 engines. Experimental Consuliers were converted to use electricity (generated by a fuel cell
Fuel cell
A fuel cell is a device that converts the chemical energy from a fuel into electricity through a chemical reaction with oxygen or another oxidizing agent. Hydrogen is the most common fuel, but hydrocarbons such as natural gas and alcohols like methanol are sometimes used...
) and even compressed air.
The $25,000 challenge
Creator Warren MoslerWarren Mosler
Warren Mosler is an American economist, president and founder of Mosler Automotive, and co-founder of the Center for Full Employment And Price Stability at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. He briefly ran for President of the United States as a member of the Democratic Party in the 2012...
was so confident in the performance of the Consulier that he offered a $25,000 bounty to anyone who could pilot a street-legal production car around any US racetrack faster than a Consulier GTP. He later upped the bounty to $100,000 with the Turbo III-powered Consulier GTP C-4.
Car and Driver
Car and Driver
Car and Driver is an American automotive enthusiast magazine. Its total circulation is 1.31 million. It is owned by Hearst Magazines, who purchased prior owner Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. in 2011...
took up the challenge, racing a stock C4 Chevrolet Corvette
Chevrolet Corvette
The Chevrolet Corvette is a sports car by the Chevrolet division of General Motors that has been produced in six generations. The first model, a convertible, was designed by Harley Earl and introduced at the GM Motorama in 1953 as a concept show car. Myron Scott is credited for naming the car after...
(not a ZR-1) around the Chrysler
Chrysler
Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
proving grounds test track in Chelsea, Michigan
Chelsea, Michigan
Chelsea is a city in Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,398 at the 2000 census, at which time it was a village....
.2 Arthur St. Antoine and Csaba Csere
Csaba Csere
Csaba Csere is a former technical director and editor-in-chief of Car and Driver magazine.Csere is an American of Hungarian descent. He earned a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1975. He went on to join Ford Motor Company's Advanced...
took three laps each in the Corvette and a 1988 Consulier GTP Series I Sport. The Corvette soundly defeated the Consulier with a best lap of 1:21.01. The Consulier's best was a 1:22.56. The C&D writers opined that the Consulier was "difficult to handle" with "anemic brakes". Confronted with this test, Mosler claimed that the test car was older and worn out. He also clarified that he would pick the track, the Consulier, and the driver to be eligible to win the money.
Supporting Mosler's position was the competition in Lime Rock Park
Lime Rock Park
Lime Rock Park is a natural-terrain motorsport road racing venue located in Lime Rock, Connecticut, United States, a hamlet in the village of Lakeville, Connecticut, in the state’s northwest corner...
, with a Series II Consuler GTP. The 2100 pound, 2.2 liter turbo powered car outraced Hurley Haywood's factory Porsche Turbo, Boris Said's Callaway Twin Turbo Corvette, Jim Minnaker's factory ZR1 Corvette; however, after this race, Consulier was given a 300 pound weight penalty and then banned from the IMSA series.
Mosler Intruder
In 1993, Consulier Industries created the Mosler Automotive division to focus on high-performance cars. The newly named Mosler Automotive introduced the Intruder, a rebodied Consulier with a new 300 hp (224 kW) CorvetteChevrolet Corvette
The Chevrolet Corvette is a sports car by the Chevrolet division of General Motors that has been produced in six generations. The first model, a convertible, was designed by Harley Earl and introduced at the GM Motorama in 1953 as a concept show car. Myron Scott is credited for naming the car after...
LT1 V8 engine modified by Lingenfelter
John Lingenfelter
John Lingenfelter was an NHRA driver, engineer and legendary tuner....
.
This car raced at the 24 hours of Nelson Ledges for two consecutive years, winning both years. Eventually, the Intruder was also banned after its dominating 1993–1994 performances. In 1996, a 450 hp (336 kW) Lingenfelter Intruder won Car and Driver
Car and Driver
Car and Driver is an American automotive enthusiast magazine. Its total circulation is 1.31 million. It is owned by Hearst Magazines, who purchased prior owner Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. in 2011...
magazine's One Lap of America
One Lap of America
The One Lap of America is a motorsports event in the United States that has been held since 1984. It is the successor to the Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash, an underground auto race of the 1970s...
.
Of the four Intruders built, just one was sold. Another was converted into a GT1
GT1
GT1 may refer to*FIA GT1 World Championship*Gran Turismo *A top line category in GT racing, existing between 1993 to 1998, which was merged into the LMP category*Porsche 911 GT1, designated to compete at the above category...
racing car, while the remaining pair were converted into Raptors.
Mosler Raptor
1997 brought another change to the Intruder — a radical, V-shaped split windshield that reduced drag but cut visibility. The Intruder was renamed Raptor, and emerged victorious in the 1997 and 1999 One Lap of America events.The same car that won the 1996 One Lap event went on to win the 1997 challenge as a Raptor. This car was also tested by Car and Driver
Car and Driver
Car and Driver is an American automotive enthusiast magazine. Its total circulation is 1.31 million. It is owned by Hearst Magazines, who purchased prior owner Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. in 2011...
in 1998. In their tests, the car weighed 2773 lb (1258 kg) and boasted 446 hp (333 kW) at 5800 rpm and 429 ft·lbf (582 N·m) at 5000 rpm. The 383 in³ (6.3 L) Small-Block
Chevrolet Small-Block engine
The Chevrolet small-block engine is a series of automobile V8 engines built by the Chevrolet Division of General Motors using the same basic small engine block...
V8 was another Lingenfelter special, and the five-speed transaxle
Transaxle
In the automotive field, a transaxle is a major mechanical component that combines the functionality of the transmission, the differential, and associated components of the driven axle into one integrated assembly....
came from a Porsche 911 Turbo
Porsche 911
The Porsche 911 is a luxury 2-door sports coupe made by Porsche AG of Stuttgart, Germany. It has a distinctive design, rear-engined and with independent rear suspension, an evolution of the swing axle on the Porsche 356. The engine was also air-cooled until the introduction of the Type 996 in 1998...
.
The interior continued to be a mixed bag. The steering wheel came from a Chrysler minivan
Dodge Caravan
The Dodge Caravan is a family minivan manufactured by Chrysler Group LLC and sold under its Dodge brand. Along with its nameplate variant, the Plymouth Voyager, the Caravan was introduced for the 1984 model year. In 1987, the Dodge Grand Caravan long-wheelbase model was introduced and sold...
, while the rest of the gauges were custom. The split windshield caused visibility problems and blocked some of the air vents.
The tested performance of the car included a 3.9 second run to 60 mph (97 km/h) and a 12.3 second and 115 mph (185 km/h) sprint through the quarter mile. Top speed was 163 mph (262 km/h), limited by drag. However, this was a development prototype and the engine was not yet performing correctly.
List price for the Raptor was $157,980 in 1998.