Prato Motor Company [New Budget Car 01/04/15}

[np1993]

By 1986 the second batch of Gratsks have been imported and Prato Motor Company was ready. Upgraded interior parts were pre ordered and designed as drop in upgrades, arm rests, cup holders and a pop out ash tray were added in addition to front visors with mirrors. The 2 speaker sound system would remain in the car as they were crudely built into the dashboard and PMC did not have very much time between importing the vehicles and getting them out to the dealerships.

The engines received a tune up to 70hp through a slightly more aggressive cam, a better air filter and a higher flow catalyac converter. Torsion beam rear suspension was added to improve handling over the leaf springs. Fuel mileage improved and the car was able to retail for only dollars more then the first batch.

[np1993]

For the 1994 model year the Gratsk begged Comrade Motors to update the car. Three months passed and Prato Motor Company became anxious, until the 1994 Gratsks arrived. They had fuel injected 1.8l SOHC engines producing 91hp, 4 speed automatic transmissions and a civilized sounds system featuring a cassette player and arm rests straight from the factory. The tough vinly seats were replaced with cloth and fabric, a roof liner was even added with fully functional interior light with two brightness settings. The car now managed 34 miles to the gallon.

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These upgrades came at a cost, the manufacture cost of a clunker increased nearly 20%, coupled with inflation and dealership fees these cars were now more expensive then they used to be, however the refinement and comfort more then made up for the difference. Prato Motor Company retailed the 1994 Gratsk for $10,200.00.

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Midway through the year a 'fully loaded model' was imported, it featured premium carpets and a sunroof. These ammenties drove the price up to nearly 10,500.00$ still well below the national average cost of an entry level car of $12,350.00

[np1993]

For the 1999 model year Comrade Motors and Prato Motor Company touched up the Gratsk yet again, the 1.8l SOHC engine received an eco-oriented turbo and state of the art variable valve timing. However with the lame cam and low boost the car still only produced an underwhelming 108hp. The 4 speed automatic front wheel drive set up allowed for 0-100 in 11.1 seconds, again, underwhelming for the time period.

The car retailed for $15499.95 significantly cheaper then other domestic offerings.

[np1993]

In 2004 the Gratsk body and styling was become dated. Prato Motor Company convinced Comrade Motors to change materials for the body and frame. ASHS steel and a fiberglass body were used. Body styling changed mildly with more aggresive headlights, bumper and tail lights. A sunroof was added to add a luxury-esk flair to the car. The interior received a major overhaul. The sound insulation was improved, as well as carpet and seat materials. Leather adorns the steering wheel and a spash of fake hardwood accents the doors and dashboard. Some of the accessory dials and buttons were even given a touch of chrome. The front seats are of a semi racing style made of cloth. A mild rear wing was applied, replacing the retro 'lip' improving overall down force.

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The engineers at PMC went to town on the engine, applying a powerful Honeywell/Garrett Turbo, a free flowing exhaust and improved internals. The finished product produces 181hp. a 6 speed transverse frpnt wheel drive transmission was swapped in, replacing the long geared 4 speed automatic. The car can clear 0-100kmph in 6.2 seconds.

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The original suspension remained as is, however it was tuned and stiffer rear sway bars and polyurethane bushings were applied all around. Beefier tires were wrapped around 16" rims. Larger 3 and 2 piston brakes were upgraded which were exponentially more responsive.

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The resulting car was more expensive then its predecessors, however it was infinitely more fun to drive and more modern looking. The car retailed for $18,300.00.

[np1993]

In 2007 the economic crash brought Prato Motor Company to a very had decision. PMC would no longer be importing cars from Comrade Motors. Comrade Cars were cannibalizing PMC cars sales and the market was about to get a lot tougher.

[np1993]

Collaboration with Necronia Automotive:

The 2007 Prato Vicenzo

In 2007 Prato Motor Company underwent negotiations for developing a collaborative project with Necronia Automotive a Dutch based company. Prato Motor Company was charged with designing a body. Taking subtle hints from cars like the Audi RS8 and other modern classics the blueprints were sent off to Necronia Automotive. The boys at Necronia Automotive did not disappoint, a 380hp Turbo 2.0 litre v8 the car is fast. The body was constructed of carbon fiber, coupled with massive sports compound tires, giant brakes and modern suspension the car handles absurdly well. With the 6 speed manual transmission the car is capable of 0-100 in 3.4 seconds and a top speed on nearly 190 miles per hour. Fuel efficiency was a humble 24 miles per gallon.

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The interior received lots of carbon fibre, featuring a carbon fiber dash, and door accents. The two seats are Recaro Racing seats and race harnesses are optional. A massive 9" LED display adorns the center console allowing for full control of all of the cars goodies, climate control, the 8 speaker Infinity stereo, the active areo and the turbo boost pressure, the electronic differential and ride height just to name a few. The whole experience of the car is class, nothing is cheap, nothing is a compromise and damn, is it a fun car.

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Mechanically the two cars identical, however the exterior fixtures varied from the Necronia Automotive Zeleno and Prato Motor Company Vincenzo. Under shared parent contracts Prato Motor Company only produced and sold roughly 1500 of these cars between 2007-2009, with Necronia Automotive selling and manufacturing much more. The car retailed for roughly 130,000 $CA, being much higher then the average price point for a Zoope, or GT Coupe.

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[Microwave]

Damn o-o

[np1993]

Necronia Automotive twin of the Prato Vincenzo

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It features more aggresive styling then its PMC counterpart.

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The are rumors circling around from the boys over at Necronia Automotive that a track version is in the works. As the car performs right now and at its current price point it dominates the Porche Cayman.

[Microwave]

What car body is that?

[np1993]

What car body is that?

The smaller of the two mid engine bodies.

[necronassassin]

Nice info, only Necronia Autotive is a dutch car company with an Australian CEO;)

[np1993]

Nice info, only Necronia Autotive is a dutch car company with an Australian CEO;)

Corrected the post!

[np1993]

2010 Prato/CPV GT - Hyperion

In collaboration with Centauri motor works and Centauri Performance Vehicles 750, 2010 Prato GT's shells were sent off to the 'shed'. The cars would receive a new power plant, suspension and chassis upgrades and face lift.

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The following is an excerpt from CPV literature:

So the techs loved the look of this car from the get go, but when they went for some spirited driving they felt it lacked a certain something with a name like GT. As Centauri tends to make Grand Tourers that's what we did, upping the interior to a premium finish and upgrading the the electronics and safety with newer parts of the same quality, the car started to take shape as a comfortable long distance cruiser, but the old turbo engine just was not suited to the task, the torque came too high and it was a tad expensive to maintain. so we used a tried and true design our 9.7 liter V8, specifically a modified version of our Ultimate Van race engine, with 375lbft at idle and 616lbft at 3000rpms this engine could motor the highways all day long, a few changes to the fuel system and swapping out the camshaft led to us being able to pull a average of 30mpg and still lapping the 'Ring in 8 minutes all while reducing the service costs for the car by almost a third. upgrades were made to the brakes, wheels, tires, and suspension settings to deal with the 521 horsepower and huge amount of torque, also a few alterations were needed to fit it under the hood(literately, if you look you can see the piping for the air intakes peeking out in the hood scoops still). you can see the new rear bumper which is part of the undertray we added, helping to keep control at it's much higher top speed of 334kph.

- nialloftara, CEO of CPV

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The car came back faster, meaner, louder and more sophisticated, an unusual combination, however the boys at the 'shed' pulled it off without jacking up the manufacturing expences. The upgraded variants of this car retailed for $49,000.00 CA, being competitive with C6 Corvettes but with a lesser price tag.

The first 15 off the production line received signatures from Prato, Prato Sr. and nialloftara and were auctioned internationally prior to the official release. Jeremy Clarkson from TopGear had the opportunity to take the GT -Hyperion around the TopGear track and had nothing but kind words to share. After taking the first corner "I need a change of trousers" was translated between curse words and panic.

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[np1993]

Prato Coupe Concept -1965 - never produced

In 1965, Prato Motor Company was designing a lightweight sports coupe loosely based on the Zoope frame. As the project advanced a monocoque chassis was developed with the same wheel base as the Zoope, however the similarities stopped there. The body was made of hand shaped aluminum and featured double wish-bone front and rear suspension. 290hp Chevrolet 327 small block v8's were paired with a 3 speed wide ratio manual transmission. The rear wheel driven car weighted less then 1100kg and could accomplish 0-100km in 7.7 seconds on medium compound 'skinny' tires. Large 2 piston brakes were implemented to stop the rocket from taking flight.

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The interior was premium quality with high end entertainment features including a high quality, general electrics radio, a cigarette lighter and a lockable hide away glove box.

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The exterior showed a very streamlined contour and had classic styling. The exotic quad tip exhaust hummed dramatically at an idol and bellowed as it revved to 5200rpm. The car had class, style and sex appeal, however only 6 prototypes were ever produced, 2 of which were destroyed during testing (experimental high octane fuel was purchased and the engines were not designed for such fuel.) Prato himself pulled the plug on the project, preferring to invest the time and resources into the Rally sport line of the flagship Zoope, which were an instant success.

Jay Leno currently owns one of the 3 surviving models on record.

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[np1993]

Prato Pheonix 1969 - Never Produced

In 1969 PMC decided to revive the 'Coupe Concept' under the new name, appropriately titled the Prato Pheonix. As the designs were dug out of the filing cabinets and old schematics familiarized the front of the car got a make over, featuring a stacked headlight set up and two large vents to cool the engine bay. The interior, and most of the exterior remained the same as before. A 327hp in-house-tuned 350ci kit engine was the heart of the project. Coupled with a 3 speed manual transmission the car could accomplish 0-100 in 6.9 seconds, a whole 0.7 seconds quicker then the Coupe Concept.

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As fate would have it the project was abandoned mid production as the Zoope was due for a face lift for the 1970 model year and PMC needed all lead engineers working on it. The Zoope had been Prato Motor Companies bread and butter since its first release in 1960. Coincidentally Chevrolet cancelled the engine contract just hours after Prato gave the orders to shut down the development. Only one prototype was built and it currently rests in a Las Vegas automotive museum.