The Elfin MS8 Streamliner is an Australian sports car revealed at the 2004 Melbourne International Motor Show and put into production by Elfin Sports Cars in 2006. Its name recalled the Repco-Holden V8 racing car with which Elfin won Australian titles in the 1970s, while the new car combined a Holden-derived V8 with a hand-built space frame and a glass-reinforced plastic body. A closed Clubman version was offered alongside the open Streamliner.
Elfin MS8 at a glance
| Maker | Elfin Sports Cars, Melbourne, Australia |
|---|---|
| Revealed | 2004 Melbourne International Motor Show |
| Production | from July 2006, limited to 100 cars |
| Bodies | Streamliner roadster and Clubman coupe |
| Design | styled by the Holden Design team under Mike Simcoe |
| Engine | 5.7-litre alloy V8, 16 valves, from 329 hp (245 kW) |
| Gearbox | six-speed with limited-slip differential |
| 0–100 km/h | 5.3 s |
| Top speed | 275 km/h (171 mph) |
| Kerb weight | 1,100 kg |
| Price at launch | Streamliner $119,990, Clubman $98,990 |
| Dimensions | length 3,500 mm, wheelbase 2,290 mm, width 1,710 mm |
Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the Elfin MS8 Streamliner; the Clubman prices come from the same page.
History of the Elfin MS8
From the MS7 racing car
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The MS8 took its name from the Elfin MS7, a Repco-Holden V8 powered sports racing car. Elfin founder Garrie Cooper won the 1975 Australian Sports Car Championship in it, and Stuart Kostera won the 1976 Australian Tourist Trophy. The new car was revealed at the 2004 Melbourne International Motor Show, where it was discussed in the same articles as far more expensive sports cars.
Into production
On 5 July 2006 Elfin announced that the MS8 Streamliner would go into production. Emissions and noise regulations had caused problems during the development cycle, but the production car kept the same Holden-derived parts as the concept. Sales began in July 2006 with the Streamliner at $119,990, later revised to $99,990, and the Clubman at $98,990, later $84,990. Production was limited to 100 cars. Two specifications of the Streamliner were listed: a Roadster that could be registered for the road and a single-seat Racer for track use only. Sales to Britain were predicted for mid-2007, with two cars in the country for export evaluation and an office set up in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire.
Design and construction
The car was designed by Elfin Sports Cars and styled by the Holden Design team while Mike Simcoe was styling director. It was built on a jig-assembled, hand-crafted multitubular space frame with glass-reinforced plastic body panels, which helped keep the kerb weight down to 1,100 kg. Suspension was fully independent, with unequal-length aerofoil wishbones at the front and rose joints throughout, and the coil-over Koni dampers were adjustable for bump, rebound and ride height.
Special editions
A 50th Anniversary Streamliner was released in a limited run of five cars, finished in a special ‘Garrie Cooper Gold’ paint with a hardtop, bonnet scoop and burgundy trim; the hardtop and scoop were designed by Mike Simcoe. One of the five was supercharged to 350 kW (469 hp) and 660 N·m, the supercharger supplied and fitted by Walkinshaw Performance. The anniversary car was priced at $128,500, with the supercharged version $12,000 more. In 2008 Elfin built a one-off promotional Streamliner for the No Fear lifestyle brand, whose products were sold exclusively at K-Mart stores in Australia; designed by HSV’s Adam Dean Smith, it was displayed at the 2008 Melbourne International Motor Show and at the Australian Grand Prix.
Design and features
- Holden-derived V8: a 5.7-litre alloy pushrod V8 with 16 valves, from 329 hp (245 kW), driving through a six-speed gearbox and a limited-slip differential.
- Space-frame chassis: a hand-built multitubular frame with GRP panels, giving a kerb weight of 1,100 kg.
- Adjustable suspension: fully independent with rose joints, Koni coil-over dampers adjustable for bump, rebound and ride height, and Elfin alloy uprights adjustable for camber, caster and toe.
- Serious brakes: 343 mm ventilated front discs with six-piston Elfin calipers and 315 mm rear discs with four-piston calipers.
- Road equipment: traction control, anti-lock brakes and cruise control, on 18-inch alloy wheels with 235/40 tyres.
Elfin MS8 versions
- Streamliner Roadster: the open, road-registerable car with which the range started in 2006.
- Streamliner Racer: a single-seat, track-only specification.
- Clubman: the closed coupe version, priced at $98,990 at launch and later $84,990.
- 50th Anniversary Streamliner: five cars in Garrie Cooper Gold with a hardtop and bonnet scoop, one of them supercharged.
- No Fear Streamliner: a 2008 one-off show car for the No Fear brand.
The MS8 is one of the cars in the Elfin collection on this site.
Video: Westfield Clubman chasing 300kW Elfin MS8
Video by Doug MacLeod on YouTube.
Sources
- Elfin MS8 Streamliner, English Wikipedia: history, design, specifications, prices, special editions