Filed under: Coupes
Turkey makes sports cars? Say hello to the Etox Zafer I
Turkish camaker Etox has developed a new model called the Zafer I that it hopes will enter production next year. Still in the prototyping phase, the creators of the Etox Zafer hope to eventually build up to 500 units a year but plan a more modest run of just 20 cars/year initially. Looking similar to cars built by the UK's TVR, the Zafer was designed over a period of six months and this latest prototype involved the work of over 46 engineers.
The story behind the Zafer is not too dissimilar a tale from Ferruccio Lamborghini starting his own sports car label after being insulted by Enzo Ferrari. In the case of the Etox, its founder Ercan Malkoç set about building his own car company after being denied the chance to examine a Lamborghini up close.
When, and if, it finally enters production, the Zafer will be available with a trio of engine options starting with a 125-hp 1.5L diesel engine, followed by 220-hp diesel 3.0L V6 and a 272-hp petrol 3.0L for a flagship model.
[Source: EtoxZafer.com via Winding Road]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
iQuack 3:41PM (9/08/2007)
Turkish eggplant, tomatoes, and olive oil are excellent.
Cars are another matter--especially the grotesque thing pictured here.
TOFAŞ anyone?
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mehmetcik 4:30PM (11/27/2008)
well i know this car not the same level with any other sport cars you cant compare with anyothers types shapes or engines lol BUT BUT BUT this car just begining for Turkey DO U KNOW WHY? TURKEY made %60 of cars+vans+bus+lorrys in EU + UK (special bigger ones!!ford vouxhall or opel renault fiat mercedes bus and some off cars ) SO tofas one of the best taxi cars in eu !!! so lets not take the mick!!!be honest and help the build better ones!!!i mean mini build by british now own and made by germans eheheh by the way i work in bentley in cheshire so thats most expensive car in planet !!! oh 1 thing this car MADE IN TURKEY not china!!!
iQuack 9:09PM (11/27/2008)
Quite unusual to see a response to a 14 month old post!
Yes, I visited Turkey in 1995--very interesting tour and glad I went there.
Our tour guide was well educated and spoke perfect Engish, but a bit humorless.
One of the people in our group asked him what they called "turkey" in Turkey--easy to remember this on Thanksgiving Day, today.
The tour guide said turkey in Turkey is called "Yankee bird."
Said without any smile at all;-).
James Sonne 3:48PM (9/08/2007)
Panel fitment issues? And how does one open the bonnet?
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Viv 4:37PM (9/08/2007)
When there is nothing under the hood, why worry about opening it?
Hooper 10:08PM (9/08/2007)
In Turkey, bonnet opens YOU.
Ryan 1:32AM (9/10/2007)
hooper has a point... sorry guys
JD 4:16PM (9/08/2007)
I think the gap between the door and the quarter panel gets its own zipcode, and that color is miserable, lol. Oh well, it's a nice first attempt, right?
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F451 4:24PM (9/08/2007)
Looks like a test mule with funky cladding camouflage.
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F451 4:25PM (9/08/2007)
Etox needs a little dEtox.
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Brandon 4:33PM (9/08/2007)
I'd be so pissed if that was my G35 and somebody put Tuscan headlights and Qvale Mangusta crap all over it lol.
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MiniMe 4:35PM (9/08/2007)
A TVR build by a 12-year-old entusiast out of pizza-boxes. Car paint was recovered for free from a near-by garbage bin, where colour boxed made in China were thrown after the latest product recall by Toy-R-Us.
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Robin 4:53PM (9/08/2007)
I think the jury is still out on this one. I like the design myself.
The one pictured here is a pretty awful colour. Six months and 46 engineers with only 20 cars to start off with. 220-hp diesel engine, I don't know.
I'm not too crazy about diesel engines. I'll keep an eye on this one.
http://classic-auto-trader.blogspot.com/
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Evotec 4:57PM (9/08/2007)
its basicly a modified renault and yeah it is ugly...
greets from turkey.
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MoonRover 5:04PM (9/08/2007)
It's a turkery alright........a big Ole honking turkey.
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Tosbaa 5:23PM (9/08/2007)
FYI, it is built on the previous generation Megane Coupe with Renault engines and drivetrain. In more clear words, it is a previous gen Megane Coupe with a hideous glass fibre body.
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Tai 5:29PM (9/08/2007)
Need better paint job. Looks as though the paint is 10 years old and lost any gloss/shine.
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Stoneman 7:59PM (9/08/2007)
The only way to improve this design is to assault the car with hammers until it starts resembling a pile of garbage. And throw in a stick of dynamite for good measure.
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Whoa... 9:45PM (9/08/2007)
It looks like the ugly child between a hyundai tiburon and tvr tuscan
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importjap 1:23AM (9/09/2007)
Full marks for trying.
Rather than be down on these guys like most of you, I'll say keep at it. Good to see a new player, who knows, one day they could make extremely desirable cars. Just look at the meteoric rise of Hyundai.
I've seen worse cars from established carmakers. Perhaps they should have painted it black rather than orange.
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