Wednesday 10th May 2006

Melling to launch £100,000 supercar

Monster 700bhp to deliver stunning performance

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Al Melling -- yes, that Al Melling -- is due to launch a new car in November, according to this week's Autocar.

The car, to be called the Melling Hellcat, is to be a £100,000 supercar with 700bhp delivered by a 6-litre V10 -- and it's at the late prototype stage now. Block and heads are milled from solid billets of aluminium rather than cast -- sound familiar (see story link below)?

It'll be in a familiar format: front-engined, rear-wheel-drive using a carbon fibre monocoque body and chassis, independent wishbone suspension and a six speed trans-axle said to be inspired by the Chevy Corvette. Its weight will be some 1,200Kg and, as a result, performance is likely to be stunning, with 60mph coming up in an F1-rivalling 2.8 seconds, and a Vmax of 200mph-plus.

Only 50 a year will be produced by Melling Consultancy Design's factory in Rochdale, Lanacashire, and they'll be sold through one national dealer. Not luxurious, the cabin will be race-inspired with deep bucket seats, harnesses and carbon trim.

He also plans a GT1 version to challenge Astons, Vipers and Corvettes at Le Mans in 2007.

This week's Autocar magazine has pictures.

Links

• Melling engine gets a home
• Autocar

[anonymous-user]

V10...F1...2000???

[dinkel]

That's a typo surely . . . Al's got big plans.

[Harry Flashman]

He'll have to design the engine rather better than he did TVR's Speed Six - absolute shambles. Grenade of a thing.

[paulie-mafia]

Think the rules allow for V10's but with restrictions on power and torque? Or I may be chatting complete bollox!

[JR]

Harry Flashman said:

He'll have to design the engine rather better than he did TVR's Speed Six - absolute shambles. Grenade of a thing.

As a lawyer I guess that you have a good basis and defence for that statement.

[mindgam3]

JR said:

Harry Flashman said: He'll have to design the engine rather better than he did TVR's Speed Six - absolute shambles. Grenade of a thing. As a lawyer I guess that you have a good basis and defence for that statement.

Yes, you'll find alot of it in the TVR forums of this website :P

[Alex]

There seems to be a new "supercar" launched every week. It's easy to build an exciting car that sells for £100k. What I'd like to see is a TVR-like car that sells for £30k.

[snorky]

I think you may find the design was altered by TVR....

[Beemer 5]

Too right, Alex.

Pie in the sky ltd editions for 6 figures and up don't impress me at all, because i'll never own one, won't get to drive one and probably won't ever see one.

Let's see something special for £50K and i then am all ears and cheque book at the ready.

[JR]

mindgam3 said:

JR said: Harry Flashman said: He'll have to design the engine rather better than he did TVR's Speed Six - absolute shambles. Grenade of a thing. As a lawyer I guess that you have a good basis and defence for that statement. Yes, you'll find a lot of it in the TVR forums of this website :P

You'll find a lot about the TVR Speed Six problems but not about the AJP6; the differences appear to be quite significant. Thus Flashman's first statement in incorrect and it just gets worse.

[ATG]

In the rochdale wotsit it says he's doing a £20k car too.

[dick dastardly]

"Melling Hellcat" - is it just me or does that sound pretty silly?

[fourwheelsteer]

I'd like to know how an engine machined from solid can incorporate all the internal passageways for coolant, oil and the inlet and exhaust ports? It sounds terribly labour intensive and fraught with difficulties.

[ATG]

fourwheelsteer said:

I'd like to know how an engine machined from solid can incorporate all the internal passageways for coolant, oil and the inlet and exhaust ports? It sounds terribly labour intensive and fraught with difficulties.

People of Rochdale invented the Industrial Revolution. Give 'em a Dremmel and a block of metal and they could make you anything!

[FourWheelDrift]

paulie-mafia said:

Think the rules allow for V10's but with restrictions on power and torque? Or I may be chatting complete bollox!

It's on about the McLaren F1 not Formula One

[tt280]

Hmmm another in the long list of 'test the market first' dreams by Mr Melling that never to come to fruition? This same V10 I seem to remember was going to appear in a Lola F1 car about 5 years ago and beat the established names at their own game?!

On a more practical level though. Americans love their 'Billet' components, just because they do, however as CNC milling gets cheaper and with the latest methods it is now feasible and probably the only economic way to produce a such a project in low numbers. The V8 version might just be possible if enough customers come forward with tongues hanging out and a suitcase full of cash in advance.

[ahonen]

This sounds like it's at the 'needs huge investment' stage to me.

I'm not convinced, not even a tiny bit.

[minicity]

I'm still waiting for his 200+mph motorbike.

[dinkel]

ahonen said:

This sounds like it's at the 'needs huge investment' stage to me. I'm not convinced, not even a tiny bit.

First testride . . .

MELLING TO LUNCH £100,000 SUPERCAR

Sorry . . . obvious sick joke . . . must be the sun.

Again: he's ambitious is he?

[methodwares]

The original hellcat