Brief 

Test

TRIUMPH GT6 MK 3

The GT6 has been with us for five years and in that time it has undergone considerable change. The most significant improvement appeared with the Mk 2, when the Herald-inspired swing axles were replaced by a semi-trailing arm system. Also on the Mk 2 was an uprated engine, which provided a useful increase in performance for very little sacrifice in economy.

'Re Mk 3 appeared in October 1970, with many detailed refinements including perforated disc wheels, flared arches on the front wings, the elimination of the bonnet louvres as well as a reduction in the size of the "power bulge". a windscreen deepened by 2in, anti-lift wipers, and flush fitting door handles with anti-burst locks. The ventilation was also improved by enlarging the intakes and outlets. The most obvious alteration was to the tail, though, which inherited the now characteristic Triumph recessed panel bordered by stainless steel strips, like that on the Stag.

The net bhp of the 1998 cc engine is now quoted as 98 bhp instead of 104. This is not due to detuning, but to a revision of test conditions in the laboratory. The output is in fact unchanged and gave a top speed of 110.5 mph. Our test car did not have overdrive and therefore sported the higher 3.27:1 axle to the resultant acceleration figures are thus slightly poorer than those we recorded for the Mk 2 that did have overdrive. Even so the performance is still very respectable, 0-60 mph taking 10.0 sec and the quarter mile coming up in 17.6 sec.

Top gear acceleration is also a bit poorer (inevitably) with the higher axle ratio, 20-40 mph taking 8.6 sec instead of 6.6 sec. and 70-90 mph taking 11.8 sec. instead of 9.7 sec. 'Me maximum gear speeds indicate why it is necessary to make full use of the gearbox for rapid cross country journeys. First gear gives 46 mph, second 68 mph and third an incredible 96 mph. But despite the high gearing the engine, which is doing around 5000 rpm at 100 mph in top, gets rather fussed at speeds over 90 mph, and does not therefore encourage high speed cruising.

Fuel consumption is where the GT6 scores over most of its rivals. At 40 mph it is doing almost 40 mpg and despite a lot of high-speed driving we managed a remark- able overall consumption of 30.5 mpg

 

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© Motor, November 1971

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Top: the Mk3 is easily distinguished by its new wrap-round bumpers and the characteristic Triumph recessed panel at the rear. Above: the heated rear window opens to give good seems to the luggage platform. Right: the reclining seats are comfortable and offer good support, but legroom is lacking. Below: the combined ignition and steering lock cannot be reached when wearing a seatbelt if the seat is right back

The gearbox is peculiar in that sometimes it allows very rapid, smooth changes, at other times it baulks, so you have to make two attempts to engage the desired gear. Noise was also rather apparent, our test car whining quite loudly when accelerating hard in first and second. There was also an occasional clonking from the driveshafts.  

The clutch is very soft and although it allows smooth changes it was not really man enough for our standing start accelerations, when it slipped momentarily before the car got underway.

Since it received its modified suspension, the handling of the GT6 has improved a lot. Now the combination of increased traction at the rear and the weight of the six-cylinder engine gives understeer which has to be counteracted by winding on more and more lock in a rather unsporting way. Despite the modifications there is still a certain amount of camber change at the rear which

 

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generally remains unobtrusive until you are forced to lift off on a fast bend; then there can still be a mild change to oversteer.

The ultimate cornering power of the GT6 is still no higher than that of many good saloons. Considering its low centre of gravity and fully independent suspension, it rolls a fair amount and generally feels less  taut and responsive when pressing hard than you'd expect.

The brakes on our test car were progressive for town use, but on the open road at higher speeds they became rather heavy and didn't inspire confidence. There was a tendency for each wheel to lock up independently and thus pull the car out of line - understandably this was even more disconcerting in the wet. The handbrake, although efficient, required considerable effort to operate, partly because it is mounted too high.

The GT6 has a firm ride that's fine for motorway cruising but which becomes rather "crashy" on poor secondary roads. This is accompanied by a fair degree of wind noise and tyre roar and even body rattles on really poor surfaces, so the smoothness and quietness of the engine is generally cancelled out by disturbances from other quarters.

 

The GT6 is a pure two-seater as there's only a luggage space behind the front seats. These are comfortable and offer particularly good lateral support. Tle tight cockpit does not allow for fully reclining seats, but it is not difficult to find a comfortable position for even the longest of journeys, although we felt it would be possible to provide more legroom than exists at present.

Although the gearlever is angled so as to be almost horizontal when in top, which means you have to get your palm right underneath it to change, it is nevertheless nicely positioned in relation to the steering wheel. We didn't like the pedals so much as there is no space to rest the clutch foot and the throttle is angled far too high, making heel and toe changes almost impossible.

The minor controls consist of an odd mixture of knobs and rockers. The circular instruments, although very functional, are partially obscured by the steering wheel. Several controls are particularly difficult to operate on the Mk 3 - the new door catches, the ventilators under the dashboard, and the combined ignition switch and steering lock that is at best awkward to operate and impossible when wearing seatbelts.

We found the heating and ventilating to be quite good and an improvement over that of the previous model. There is still a tendency for the car to mist up, making the standard heated rear window a necessity rather than a luxury. Smaller drivers found the seat belts very difficult to adjust although once done they were comfortable enough to wear. However our more long-legged members found that there was insufficient adjustment to tighten the belts fully when the seats were right back.

 

In its present form the GT6 offers good value for money - at £1224 it is some £190 cheaper than the MGB GT for instance. Its strong points are performance allied to economy and excellent accessibility for d-i-y- service. We feel that it is well worth paying the extra for overdrive, which allows slightly better performance in the gears as well as more relaxed cruising

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© Motor, November 1971