Chevrolet Beretta Indy 500 Pace Car 1990

  • Thread starter The87Dodge
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....The motor couldn't have made more than 150 horses, if that. Regular 3.1 made what, 140?
It was probably around that, because the car's top speed was about 135mph. However, I think the Z26 had closer to 200 horsepower, right?
 
It was probably around that, because the car's top speed was about 135mph. However, I think the Z26 had closer to 200 horsepower, right?

....Sorry to bust ya bubbles, but it was only around 160....motor in Z26 is different (slightly) from the pace replicas.
 
But no production Beretta produced over 160 horsepower?

....Funny thing was, the most powerful motor in the Beretta line up was I-4 from...err...was it GTZ? Yeah, I think it was that. Made maybe 180, I don't remember too well. I always found 80s to early 90s American car market a proverbial dark ages so didn't really keep up with 'em....
 
....Funny thing was, the most powerful motor in the Beretta line up was I-4 from...err...was it GTZ? Yeah, I think it was that. Made maybe 180, I don't remember too well. I always found 80s to early 90s American car market a proverbial dark ages so didn't really keep up with 'em....
Yeah, cars from that time period still had relatively low horsepower due to emission laws. But it is crazy how you can buy a Camaro new with 427 horsepower, but in the early 80's, some Camaros only produced 120 horsepower.
 
I had a white GT one with the copycat BBS wheels, was OK until had major electrical problems. Something caused a short and fused the wiring harness under the steering wheel into a melted mass. All kinds of weird power issues but at least it ran, sort of like the Porsche in Top Gear Argentina trip. Had to splice and rewire about 20 conduits to get it right, while upside down.

With the horsepower and weight this would be a ~ 345 PP car, I'm sure the actual Pace Cars at Indy had some hot rod parts to bring them up to 150mph for the race.
 
I had a white GT one with the copycat BBS wheels, was OK until had major electrical problems. Something caused a short and fused the wiring harness under the steering wheel into a melted mass. All kinds of weird power issues but at least it ran, sort of like the Porsche in Top Gear Argentina trip. Had to splice and rewire about 20 conduits to get it right, while upside down.

With the horsepower and weight this would be a ~ 345 PP car, I'm sure the actual Pace Cars at Indy had some hot rod parts to bring them up to 150mph for the race.
Sounds like a GTU. But if it ever made it into GT, I think it would have around 370-375 pp.
 
Here's s GT6 simulation of a Beretta, you can tweak a bit as desired.

Alfa Romeo 156 2.5 V6 24V '98
102.2 in. 4430mm, 1415 high, 1743 wide (a bit smaller)
187 hp
1320 kg
387 PP

140 HP 76%
1293 kg 64:36 stage 1 , +102 kg at -50
357 PP
CH tires
1:17.4 laps at Indy 126 mph

6 wins, two second and a third in nine Novice Cup ASpec races. Not a dominating package at all.
 
A Beretta GTZ would be very similar in performance to a contemporary USDM Prelude VTEC, not that it's that relevant here.
 
The GTU was essentially an earlier version of the car this thread is about (the pace car replicas essentially replaced the GTU to boot). The only difference between a GTU and a GT is that the optional Performance Handling Package was standard and it had a body kit. It was a pretty good handling car for 1988, but it was still a V6 Beretta so it wasn't fast per se.


The GTZ was an improved version of that same handling package with larger wheels a different body kit, and the substantially more powerful Quad 4.
 
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