RE: Driven (Just A Little Bit): Ginetta F400

[robsco]

I like LT's down to earth nature and no-nonsense approach. He reminds me of a modern-day Peter Wheeler; I wish Ginetta the very best of luck. The F400 is one hell of a looker by the way.

[peter450]

kambites said:

British Beef said:

Ginetta is becoming the new Lotus - making proper lightweight cars.

That's what I was thinking. Genetta's current line-up looks very much like what you'd expect of Lotus.

They still have some way to go yet, for a start i have not seen a single comment about how overpriced this is, and having only 300hp, A la Evora

So nope, no were near lotus yet

[cjdoyle]

I've been watching Ginetta blossom or the past few years with great interest. The company and the products have a lot of appeal to me about what a specialist vehicle and company should be although my chances of ever seeing one in the states is between slim and none.

It was not too long ago when TVR looked to be on a resurgence with the Sagaris and then there was Marcos that looked to be turning things right with the TSO and then they fell apart and then Noble stopped production to start it and then stop it and now potentially start it again while Ultima hangs on with a dedicated following for a brutally fast and brutally outdated car.

LNT certainly seems to have the business mind to keep Ginetta pointed properly, growing quickly without outgrowing itself, while staying grounded in reality (as it looks from the outside). Let's hope the enthusiasm continues as the world is a much better place when the small, wonderful marques do their part to shake off the cookie cutter, performance car stagnation that has befallen Porsche/Ferrari/Lamborghini etc...

[stevevx220]

dandarez said:

Magazine Test of G40R (4 pages) by Steve Sutcliffe in current Autocar.

Also tested HERE!! on Pistonheads - link:

http://www.pistonheads.com/roadtests/doc.asp?c=47&...

Thanks Dan. I bought the mag!

[lnt]

Thanks for your comments.

The Evora s seems a very nice car, but I don't think the Evora S is a carbon fibre car and happens to weigh around 300 Kgs more than the Ginetta (possibly more). As for price, a similar specification on either car is about the same price.

We're only going to manufacture 50 cars per year maximum, this is the total world wide so we really hope that residuals will be extremely strong,we already have quite a waiting list.

On the power steering and power brakes, I believe the car benefits from their removal - I was really concerned about how the non assisted car would be (possibly requiring too much physical effort) changing the geometry, rack,discs, pads, steering arm length has resulted in a car that is easy to use but gives fabulous feedback...... I would say that!!

We're launching the car in October - the blue car is a hack for our drive train and chassis changes... But we do love her very much.

Roll on October

Kind regards

Lawrence

[stevevx220]

dandarez said:

Magazine Test of G40R (4 pages) by Steve Sutcliffe in current Autocar.

Also tested HERE!! on Pistonheads - link:

http://www.pistonheads.com/roadtests/doc.asp?c=47&...

Thanks Dan. I bought the mag!

[bobd]

Its nice when the main man comes on and tells it how it is.
I personally would be interested in a visit to the factory Lawrence, to see some of this in the flesh.
So pm me if you would
I would also like to thank you for your letter regarding your Sebring race suit which I now own. ( It doesnt fit my portly 6ft 2" frame though)
Keep up the good work as its great to see a British success story heading at the right pace with finance and development integrity.

lnt said:

Thanks for your comments.

The Evora s seems a very nice car, but I don't think the Evora S is a carbon fibre car and happens to weigh around 300 Kgs more than the Ginetta (possibly more). As for price, a similar specification on either car is about the same price.

We're only going to manufacture 50 cars per year maximum, this is the total world wide so we really hope that residuals will be extremely strong,we already have quite a waiting list.

On the power steering and power brakes, I believe the car benefits from their removal - I was really concerned about how the non assisted car would be (possibly requiring too much physical effort) changing the geometry, rack,discs, pads, steering arm length has resulted in a car that is easy to use but gives fabulous feedback...... I would say that!!

We're launching the car in October - the blue car is a hack for our drive train and chassis changes... But we do love her very much.

Roll on October

Kind regards

Lawrence

[GTRene]

story said:

"In 10 years I'll be happy if we're selling 150 road cars and another 150 race cars, if we're successful and financially stable, and if every-one's proud of what we're doing. We're not into world domination," he says. Except on the race track, perhaps, where a Ginetta G55 with the F400's (470bhp) engine will soon be available with a full GT3 aero pack - for roughly 1/3rd of the price of a Ferrari 458 racer. At this rate, Lawrence might even surprise himself.

I like the way they work and think, thats the way to go Ginetta, good luck.

[Otter Smacker]

The F400 looks fantastic, and great write up! Definitely one for the Garage list.




Best of luck!

[delta037]

This car's shape has been around since 2002 (Farboud), then revived in 2007 under Gem Marsh(Farbio), and now relabelled Ginetta. As the F400 is being comprehensively re-engineered under the skin wouldn't it also help to give it a new professionally designed shape to help shake off two false starts and a nine year gestation?

[Pesty]

Whats happened to the G50 I was lusting after when it was on here a while back?

Is this F400 instead of the G50?

[LuS1fer]

I hope that big black bit is going.

[grahamw48]

delta037 said:

This car's shape has been around since 2002 (Farboud), then revived in 2007 under Gem Marsh(Farbio), and now relabelled Ginetta. As the F400 is being comprehensively re-engineered under the skin wouldn't it also help to give it a new professionally designed shape to help shake off two false starts and a nine year gestation?

Sure, why not just send it off to an Italian design studio, add 300KGs and call it a Fezzari ?

[V8 GRF]

Pesty said:

Whats happened to the G50 I was lusting after when it was on here a while back?

Is this F400 instead of the G50?

In one way yes. Lawrence told me the G50 proved very difficult to convert into a road car as it was initially designed as a pure race car, that's why the G40 was designed with both uses in mind.

I think its unlikely you'll ever see the G50 as a road car.

[Pesty]

Thats a real shame I remember thinking it looked fantastic.

Don't like the F400 much

[PhilJames]

This car needs the sequential gearbox and a lot less Alcantara to make it better than a Lotus.
Looks lovely and is nice to be in, but I'm not sure about the price though. I'm told the race box fits the engine but not included which is a shame.

Liking the recent few weeks News articles PH!

[T.K]

Why are they bothering to call it a Farbio? Wtf is that anyway.

Call it a Ginetta.

[robsco]

T.K said:

Why are they bothering to call it a Farbio? Wtf is that anyway.

Call it a Ginetta.

They aren't calling it a Farbio, the project has nothing to do with Arash Farboud anymore. It will be called a Ginetta.

[J-P]

jazzyjeff said:

Good to hear that this project's still moving forward nicely

However, I was a bit concerned about this bit of Chris' article -

"Other input from LT has seen the F400 return to a more purist 'driver's' spec, with items like PAS and PAB relegated to the options list. "You can have power steering, but we'd prefer you didn't. You can have power brakes, but we'd prefer you not to..." "

If I read it right, LNT is looking to price the G400 at around £68k, right in Evora S territory. Potential buyers who might already be considering an Evora S as a left-field choice will be expecting these kinds of features as standard (unless of course they are entirely unnecessary, in which case they shouldn't be offered as options). Ginetta already have G40 covering the 'road ready track car' market, this is pegged as a luxury supercar and will be priced accordingly. Anyone looking at a Porsche or Lotus (or, to a lesser extent, Nissan GTR) at this price point surely won't be wanting a stripped out racer that they can only manhandle down a 'B' road after a concentrated programme of weight training? Also, performance needs to be sharp. Ok so 0-60mph isn't everything but sub 5 seconds (not 6) should be the minimum target for the base model (as was quoted for the base model GTS when Farbio had it 'on sale').

It will also be interesting to see if the GTS's touch screen infotainment system has been junked or is being carried through to the new car (my recollection is the press seemed quite impressed with it...).

Hmmm... they are't looking for the volumes that Lotus and Nissan are though, so if they built this car, would there be a market for just a few cars each year? Don't know, possibly? Sounds like a tempting prospect to me and as a 3rd car very desirable! That new G40 sounds like a total bargain too!

Looks like interesting times in the world of Ginetta!

[kambites]

peter450 said:

kambites said:

British Beef said:

Ginetta is becoming the new Lotus - making proper lightweight cars.

That's what I was thinking. Genetta's current line-up looks very much like what you'd expect of Lotus.

They still have some way to go yet, for a start i have not seen a single comment about how overpriced this is, and having only 300hp, A la Evora

So nope, no were near lotus yet

I said what you'd expect of Lotus, not what Lotus are giving us.