Thursday 13th January 2005

Quaife R40 launches road & track car

New road and track car launched at Autosport

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Quaife Engineering, best known for their performance gearboxes, have unveiled their new car at this year's Autosport show. It's not their first venture into car building, with their pretty GT car from a few years back getting a few hearts racing. That car made it onto track but failed to materialise as a car you could buy for road use.

The new R40 has been built with road and track in mind. Sadly it's not nearly as good looking as the GT, but the quality of the engineering may still lead to success for the company.

The R40 has been created to celebrate Quaife's 40th birthday. Three engine options will be made available, ranging from a 2.0 litre Duratec (195bhp) to a Lotus V8 (450bhp). All engine options are matched up to Quaife's sequential gearbox. Weight is around 750kg, so the power to weight ration should ensure spritely performance.

Apologies for the rubbish pictures - the unveiling was followed by dozens of numpties standing in front of the car preventing any of the photographers from getting any decent shots!

Link: www.quaife.co.uk

[snorky]

I think the gearstick needs to be a tad longer...

[Brendan G]

I think it needs to look a bit uglier. Maybe a bit more "Noddy in Toytown".

[anonymous-user]

Think you guys may be being a bit harsh. It's difficult to get a full perspective with there being so many people about so no pictures showing the full car, just odd angles.

As for the gearstick, as it's a sequential box, it looks pretty much perfectly located to me. Just move your left hand off the wheel, straight to the gearstick for a quick stab and back straight away. Just look at the handbrake/backup gear lever in any WRC car.

[z_chromozone]

It is fugly though.

Z

[snorky]

we're not being harsh, we're taking the P%ss

[Numptie]

Ted said:

... dozens of numpties ...

[gizard]

675BHP / Tonne sounds interesting!!!

[pib]

Is there some strange spatial illusion going on in the passenger side door panel?

Great car though! The vents behind the roll bars are a little strange but hey 675 bhp/ton! ? Thee idea trackers can get cars that out lap super exotics is liberating.

[benfell100]

Also they mentioned the engine range including the Lotus V8. I know Lotus developed it for other markets and it went in an AC Cobra (iirc) but I thought they were stopping production after the Esprit finished. Maybe this is a sign of things to come with the new Esprit...

[gtr-mike]

Oh dear Oh Dear,
What are they doing, do the engineering yourself, and give the styling to a stylist. (car stylist not hair stylist)

this phonomonen of engineering company makes car with body never really works until they get a proper design team to do the body. i mean just look at the Noble, straight out of an 80's whacky racers movie. Maybe this is just a joke for the show, and the real one will be wheeled out later. might seem hard but i would love to buy such a car but could not live with how it looks.

although as a very competent engineering force i anticipate great performance from them.

[adrianr]

Tub looks familiar somehow - have we seen this before under another name? - It's not the Strathcarron reborn is it?


AdrianR

[klassiekerrally]

It's ugly. It's yellow. It's fast.

Wouldn't buy one for the following reasons:
'Did you build it yourself?'
- No, it's a Quaife
'A what?'
- Never mind

You don't buy a car just because it's fast, unless you just want to race. And then you should buy the track-version, not this road-going monster.

[sdd]

And it's 30k without an engine............

[PetrolTed]

Such a shame. Their GT car was a real looker IMO.

www.quaife.co.uk/catalogue/page2.htm

www.gt-eins.de/Bilder/brdc98/Quaife&ScaniaLister.JPG