Venturi 260 LM: which version to buy
The Venturi 260 LM catalogue lists 1 generation (1989–1995) and 1 version: 2.9 MT. There is no second engine, no automatic, no restyle split, and no later generation to trade against.
The Venturi 260 LM catalogue lists 1 generation (1989–1995) and 1 version: 2.9 MT. There is no second engine, no automatic, no restyle split, and no later generation to trade against. The buying question is not “which badge,” but whether 2.9 MT’s measured numbers — 260 hp, 432 Nm, 2849 cm³, 1255 kg, 5.3 s to 100 km/h, 270 km/h — match what you want from a Coupe with Manual 5 gears, RWD, a Central Gasoline Turbo 6-cylinder V-shaped engine, and a 90 L tank. Fuel use, CO2, eco class, and gross weight are not measured in this dataset; do not treat those blanks as zero or as “typical sports-car mpg.”
Specs that decide the only version: 2.9 MT
2.9 MT is the sole modification of generation 1 generation. Years: 1989-01-01 to 1995-12-31. Body: Coupe. If a listing is not named 2.9 MT, it is outside this catalogue row.
Power and torque are the first filter. 260 hp (191 kW) at 5500 rpm with 432 Nm at 2000 rpm is a wide gap between peak twist and peak power: 3500 rpm. That gap is the arithmetic of the given peaks, not a driving impression. Buyers who want torque early relative to the power peak are looking at those two rpm figures; buyers who only care about the headline 260 should still keep 5500 in view, because that is where the horsepower number is defined.
Displacement is 2849 cm³. Specific output of 2.9 MT:
- 260 / 2.849 ≈ 91.3 hp per litre
- 432 / 2.849 ≈ 151.6 Nm per litre
- 260 / 191 ≈ 1.36 hp per kW (unit check on the two power figures given)
Weight-to-power of 2.9 MT:
- 1255 / 260 ≈ 4.83 kg per hp
- 260 / 1255 ≈ 0.207 hp per kg
- 1255 / 432 ≈ 2.90 kg per Nm
There is no heavier or lighter sister version in the table, so these ratios are the whole model’s mass-to-output picture, not a ranking.
Boost is Turbo. Compression is 8.2. Bore and stroke: 91 × 73. Fuel label: 95. Induction: Distributed injection (multi-point). Valves per cylinder: 2. Cylinders: 6, layout V-shaped, position Central. Gearbox: Manual, 5 speeds. Drive: RWD. None of those fields have an alternate value on another 260 LM row, so “extra money for more gears / AWD / a bigger engine” is not a choice inside this model key.
Engine numbers versus the empty economy columns
People search mpg, fuel consumption, and economy. For 2.9 MT the dataset records:
- city: not measured
- highway: not measured
- combined: not measured
- CO2: not measured
- eco class: not measured
The tank is 90 L. Without a measured L/100 km figure, range is not measured. A 90 L tank is a capacity fact only; it does not imply long range or high thirst. If a seller quotes mpg, that number is not from this catalogue.
Performance that is measured for 2.9 MT:
- 0–100 km/h: 5.3 s
- top speed: 270 km/h
There is no slower or faster 260 LM version to compare. The choice is whether 5.3 s and 270 km/h are enough, not whether another factory code in this list is quicker.
Dimensions, weight, and what the wheels tell you
Kerb weight 1255 kg. Gross weight: not measured. Ground clearance 160 mm. Wheels listed: 205/55 R16 and 245/45 R16 — a staggered pair, not two optional packages. Front and rear suspension labels are the same: Independent, spring. Brakes: front Ventilated disc; rear Disc ventilated (catalogue English label as given). Clearance 160 mm is the only ride-height number; there is no “low” vs “raised” 260 LM in the data.
What you cannot buy inside this model:
- a lighter kerb than 1255 kg
- a measured gross mass
- a different tank than 90 L
- a different clearance than 160 mm
- a second tyre size set beyond 205/55 R16 / 245/45 R16
Generations: what changed (and what did not)
1 generation ran 1989-01-01–1995-12-31, body Coupe, 1 modification. There is no generation 2, no restyle as a separate generation, and no second body. Year-to-year shopping inside 1989–1995 does not change hp, Nm, gearbox, or drive in this dataset: every year of production in the file maps to the same 2.9 MT specification block (same start/stop as the generation).
So “which generation” collapses to: you are buying 1 generation or you are not buying a 260 LM as catalogued here. Arithmetic between generations is impossible with one row; the useful comparison is internal to 2.9 MT (power vs torque rpm, kg per hp, litres of tank vs missing consumption).
Which version to choose
Choose 2.9 MT if the following stack is what you want, because it is the only stack:
| Version | hp | Nm | cm³ | Fuel | Cylinders | Layout | Boost | Gearbox | Drive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.9 MT | 260 | 432 | 2849 | Gasoline | 6 | V-shaped | Turbo | Manual | RWD |
- 260 hp at 5500 rpm and 432 Nm at 2000 rpm, Turbo, Central, Gasoline, 6, V-shaped, 2 valves per cylinder, compression 8.2, 91 × 73, fuel 95, Distributed injection (multi-point).
- Manual 5, RWD, Coupe.
- 5.3 s to 100 km/h, 270 km/h.
- 1255 kg kerb (≈ 4.83 kg/hp), 160 mm clearance, 90 L tank, wheels 205/55 R16 and 245/45 R16.
Do not choose a “different 260 LM” for more power, an automatic, or AWD: those versions are not in the data. Do not choose on mpg, CO2, eco class, or payload: city, highway, mixed, CO2, eco class, and gross weight are not measured.
If 5.3 s, 270 km/h, ≈ 91.3 hp/L, and ≈ 4.83 kg/hp are acceptable and you accept Manual 5 + RWD + Turbo, 2.9 MT is the version. If you need a measured consumption figure, a second gearbox, or another generation, this model’s table does not contain it.
Problems / reliability: not in the supplied data; this article does not invent failure rates. The measured facts for the only buyable catalogue version remain 2.9 MT: 260 hp, 432 Nm, 2849 cm³, 1255 kg, 5.3 s, 270 km/h, 90 L, 160 mm, 1989–1995.