At
a time when most British Sports car companies are going bust or keeping their
heads down, it's thrilling to see a new GT car sprung on us out of the blue. The
Invicta S1 supercar should prove to be the surprise star of British Motor Show.
The carbon-fibre bodied car hosts an American V8 and is good for 170mph (enough
to beat a GATSO :hehe:)
It's been one of the best kept secrets of the motoring year. Created in total
secrecy during the last two years by The Invicta Car Company Limited, the S1
two-seater GT sports coupe will be unveiled to the press at noon on Tuesday (22
October).
Invicta Chairman Michael Bristow said: "We have worked in secrecy for
24 months because we wanted to talk to the public about what we have achieved
– not what we hope to achieve. So, the new S1 revealed at the Motor Show is
not a concept car, it is a full production model, ready to run and customers can
place orders now – confident that the first cars will be delivered early in
2003."
The S1 is designed to be two cars in one; a luxurious Grand Tourer and a
no-compromise sportscar with the potential to become a class-winning GT racing
car. Able to deliver exhilarating performance (0-to-60 mph in 5.0 seconds), the
S1 is also tractable for every-day driving, with a spacious, leather-trimmed
cabin, a large boot and a 100-litre fuel tank giving owners the ability to cover
long distances, comfortably at speed.
The Invicta S1 is the world’s first car to feature a one-piece carbon-fibre
bodyshell bonded to the steel tube spaceframe chassis to create an immensely
strong, but lightweight, structure. It's hand-built by men in brown coats in
Wiltshire. Orders will be taken at the Motor Show with deliveries scheduled to
begin during the first quarter of 2003.
The S1 is powered by a 4.6-litre V8 engine producing 320 bhp and 300 lb ft of
torque. The engine drives the rear wheels through a five-speed manual gearbox
and a limited-slip differential.
Priced at £69,950 on the road, the Invicta S1 comes with sat-nav,
climate-control air conditioning, central locking, heated front and rear
windscreens and electric windows. A full range of mechanical options, including
a four-speed automatic transmission, and bespoke trim options to personalise the
interior, will be available.
"While the S1 is a thoroughly modern car, it fully embodies the
standards, quality and spirit behind the race-winning 1930s Invicta cars,"
said Michael Bristow. "We are confident that it will provide today’s
motoring enthusiasts with an exceptionally rewarding driving and ownership
experience, matching the marque’s original promise to deliver ‘the most
wonderful performance in the world’."
Links: History
of Invicta, www.invictacar.com