Judging interest in a concept car

[Val]

The concept:

What is great about a Lotus Elise? Its lightweight, has awsome handling, very connected to the driver, responsive, gives you a feeling of a proper race car, sits very low and drives like one too.

What is great about a Scooby STi? It has amasing usability and potential speed. You can drive it fast on a summer b-roads, or an autobahn in torrental rain, or overtake a supercar in a snow blizzard. All this while feeling planted and comfy.

What if we join all the best features of these two awsome and very different cars with a minimal compromise? Meet the concept... Imagine a lightweight mid-engined 2 seater sportscar with an intelligent AWD system connected to a flat 2.5 liter turbocharged engine. All this with an interior good enough for a cold blizzard or a burning sun.

Put yourself into a a very nice looking and well designed alcantara interior. Lots of aluminium detailing is surrounded by a top quality alcantara stiched together by a thread matching exterior color. A bucket seat hugs you firmly, yet feels very civilised and doesnt cause any discomfort. Your hands grasp a pretty small steering wheel. You turn it... It feels a bit heavy, but very positive and gives a lot of feedback. Legs work with 3 pedals, which are placed almost at the same level as your seat. They feel perfectly weighted and positioned. Heel and toe is seamless. Your right leg pushes down the accelerator pedal... A warming and deep rumble exits the exaust and immediatly a huge acceleration wave engulfs you even from low revs.
There is a turn ahead... Just a touch on the break pedal, quick turn in, and the car eats the corner shatteringly quick with total precision, feedback and control.

So far you would think that you are driving maybe a Porsche GT3, which was put on a diet, lowered and turbocharged, or maybe a slightly heavy turbocharged Lotus Elise with a remade interior, and road conditions are something like nice, warm and dry.
The truth is its -20C/5F outside and you are in the middle of a snow blizzard. A stream of warm air blows over your legs and your back is nicely heated. When you look up you see snow falling right on you - the roof is all glass. Interior, although relatively small, feels warm and very airy. Like your own bubble of hot air in the middle of a snowstorm. Some favourite music accompanies you through an excellent sound system. Hard to belive that this interior feels so similarly low profiled and driver focused as in a Lotus Elise, yet so different.

Another turn ahead... You confidently turn in and squeeze the accelerator, but there is a little more ice underneath the snow then you expected. You make a small correction with the steering wheel and keep the accelerator pressed. You know that differential is set into "safe" mode and that means that torque will be transfered to the front wheels and with a slight hint of understeer the car will confidently make the turn.
Then you see a nice piece of empty road with large run-off areas. You put the diff into "race" mode and get ready for some drifting action.

It might just as well have been a warm summer day around 40C/105F... Except that warm bubble of air around you would turn into a cool one.



Specifications:

Body:
2 seater coupe with a glass roof
Fibreglass external panels
Tubular steel or alluminium spaceframe chassis
Storage behind seats with easy access, enough for two golf bags

Drivetrain:
2.5 liter flat 4 cylinder turbocharged engine
Rear-engined (almost between the wheels) transaxel configuration with very low cog
Intelligent AWD system with computer controlled Prodrive center differential

Peformance:
Dry weight 1050-1100 kg / 2300-2400 lbs
Power 375 bhp
Power to weight in running order without driver 330 bhp/tonne
Acceleration in running order:
0-60 in 3.4 sec
0-100 in 8.8 sec
1/4 mile 11.6 sec

[MickOpalak]

No thanks, I like the Elise/Exige just the way it is. AWD would only add weight and ruin the handling.

[gtveloce]

A Prodrive P2?

http://www.prodrive.com/level4.html?id=43

http://www.worldcarfans.com/tuners.c...nique-supercar

1100kg
350 bhp/ton
AWD

[MattG]

Sounds a lot like the Adrenaline Motorsport Murtaya.

The idea of an all glass roof is interesting, but you better have one heck of an A/C system to cope.

[Val]

Originally Posted by gtveloce

A Prodrive P2?

Hmm, P2 is more like a normal car with a clever diff. This one is more like an every-day every-weather elise derivative with a clever diff

Originally Posted by MattG

Sounds a lot like the Adrenaline Motorsport Murtaya.

Yes, Murtaya is what got me seriously interested in the project. Looks like a great idea, its just that we already have 100000 summer no-frills roadsters...

The idea of an all glass roof is interesting, but you better have one heck of an A/C system to cope.

Yes, definately a very nice A/C system and lots of UV coating as well

Also some thoughts about different electronically controlled non-transparent glass solutions... Depending on the weight.

But definately a big glass roof. Its done in the Zonda and it makes the cabin look 1. amasing 2. much more roomy then it is 3. a much nicer place to be in

[Val]

Forgot to mention... The price should be about the same as a base 911. But it will go like a 911 turbo while feeling 10 times more focused and connected.

[Val]

Well, i suppose if it will be made, then it wont need any bumpers... Since no-one in US is gonna buy it

[slaughtr]

I think it might be hard to compete with a Noble which has everything you've mentioned but with a turbo 6 instead of 4.

[evomind]

the problem is that many guys who are very good racing cars dont feel enough of a challenge driving AWD cars.
ive had a few guys tell me that. they want something a little more challenging to drive.
i wouldnt know. i kinda like easy.

[codymac]

Sounds a lot like the ASL RS01/Tommy Kaira ZZII.

[Abe]

Originally Posted by Val

or overtake a supercar in a snow blizzard.

I doubt you'd find ANY supercar in a snow blizzard

[P90Puma]

Originally Posted by bmw1

I doubt you'd find ANY supercar in a snow blizzard

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCm31-SqIjk

Not exactly Abe.

to the owner, not you.