FIVE TRIALs
We enjoy the Reliant Scimitar and put it fully to the test
1 DailY DriViNG
Thanks to a long, low driving position, the Scimitar isn’t the easiest to hop in and out of. Visibility is good, except for the rear quarters where those pinched windows do create a blind spot when parking. The steering is a bit on the heavy side, though oddly this bothered us more when at low speed out on the road than when parking – it’s never very heavy, but the speed at which it becomes light is relatively high. The clutch isn’t excessively heavy and while selecting third gear in the car we tested was difficult, this was a retro-fitted five-speed ‘ box and there wouldn’t be this confusion between third and fifth with the standard gearbox.
2 iN tHE sErViCE BaY
Most Scimitar GTE owners are hands-on – not because they’re always breaking down, but because home mechanics are attracted to a car so easy to work on. It’s conventional mechanically, with the only difficulty being how far back in the bay the V6 is mounted – there’s a knack to removing the rear spark plugs. Parts availability is good and cheap, too. The electrics aren’t the greatest – finding an earth point can be tricky due to the glassfibre bodywork and the fuse boxes are known to melt. An advantage of the GRP body is that home repairs are fairly easy – with practice you’ll only ever need to pay for painting.
3 oN tHE sHoW CirCUit
Scimitar GTEs are a familiar sight at shows, so don’t expect to draw the crowds – though SE5s tend to get more looks than SE6s. The Reliant Scimitar and Sabre Owners’ Club is active and good-natured bunch, with its annual ScimFest at Curborugh considered the definitive show for Scimitar owners. Otherwise, the club also arranges smaller, local events as well as displays at large national events, not to mention occasional track days.
4 tHE loNG WEEKEND
Go along to any Scimitar gathering and you’ll see plenty of GTEs with tow hooks on the back of them – that’s how suitable they are for holidays. With bags of low-down torque and relaxed gearing , the GTE is perfect for long-distance cruising. A 3.0-litre engine is never going to be the most parsimonious, but once at a steady cruise 30mpg is certainly achievable. Those in the front seats are sure to be comfortable, with only the width of the footwells at all restrictive , but the back is best kept only for children for long trips. The party piece of the GTE, though, is its luggage capacity, which is unmatched in its class, while its fairly gargantuan 64-litre (17-gallon) fuel tank is also a boon.
5 tHE B-roaD Blast
Though considered the ‘sporty-one’ when comparing the SE5 to the later SE6, even the SE5 has a definite GT-bias. It’s no slouch, that’s for certain, and it handles well and feels wieldy, but it isn’t quite ‘alive’ in the way a true sports car should be – it’s too refined for that. That said, it’s still good fun to hustle the Reliant down a clear bit of road and the impressive brakes mean you don’t feel stupid doing it either. The steering can get quite heavy, however, so it is best suited to sweeping sections rather than tight, low-speed hairpins. The suspension holds the road far better than such a conventional set-up really has any right to, but as with any live rear axle, mid-corner bumps do unsettle the car.