RE: Invicta S1
Discussion
I think the people who say this is a bespoke gentlemans carriage ala Bristol are correct, if you wanted a Fezza you just wouldn't 'get' this sort of car. For me I think it looks good with alot of interesting engineering in it. Would I buy one - no but then I can't afford £100k toys, but the name Invicta and the original cars have/had tremendous heritage and branding, makes Bentley seem like some little upstart.
I am personally astonished that such sculptural disasters can survive this long. The concept is great but the aesthetic execution is poor inmo. It pains me that so much effort and money has gone into this and yet the brains/money behind the project didn't spend cash on a decent stylist. Good luck though.
I'm decidedly undecided, to be honest. I thought it looked a bit on the awful side, but enlarging the pictures helps it a bit. It's no aesthetic masterpiece however. The interior looks a bit like a tarted up economy car - I think for the money (very expensive from what I see) at least that could be improved. And the wheels are horrible. If they could sell it for 40k I think it would do well, but I guess that wouldn't exactly be keeping in heritage with the marques traditional consumer set.
Ali.
Ali.
In the world of sporting grand tourers, this is actually competetively priced. People are comparing it to the AMV8, but the AMV8 is fighting it out with the likes of Porsche and Lamborghini in the entry-level supercar market. If you put the Invicta up against the Maranello and the Vanquish, it's bloody good value and exclusive too.
But the looks ruin it. It looks like the styling bucks were left in an oven. It's a mis-shapen lump of plastic with some light clusters sticking out of it. And am I the only one who thinks the interior looks a bit Miami Vice? Maybe it's the white leather, I dunno.
Invicta has a history of hi-tech cars with gobsmacking looks. The Low-Chassis S-Type that won the Monte Carlo in the '30s was one of the first sports cars (along with the Jaguar SS100 and BMW 328) that featured a more reclined driving position and a low centre of gravity and as such marked the beginnings of what we now call a 'sports car'. Another classic Invicta was the Black Prince of the early '40s - way too expensive for its time and no-one in war-torn Britain had a hope in hell of affording one, but this thing was good-looking in a dignified, restrained sort of way, and featured an aluminium body, two spark plugs per cylinder (decades before Alfa), and a bizarre 'electro-hydraulic turbo-kinetic' gearbox from Brockhouse, which usually broke down but seems similar in its operation to the Citroen SM's. Unfortunately it sank Invicta.
The S1 needs a redesign - but nothing more.
But the looks ruin it. It looks like the styling bucks were left in an oven. It's a mis-shapen lump of plastic with some light clusters sticking out of it. And am I the only one who thinks the interior looks a bit Miami Vice? Maybe it's the white leather, I dunno.
Invicta has a history of hi-tech cars with gobsmacking looks. The Low-Chassis S-Type that won the Monte Carlo in the '30s was one of the first sports cars (along with the Jaguar SS100 and BMW 328) that featured a more reclined driving position and a low centre of gravity and as such marked the beginnings of what we now call a 'sports car'. Another classic Invicta was the Black Prince of the early '40s - way too expensive for its time and no-one in war-torn Britain had a hope in hell of affording one, but this thing was good-looking in a dignified, restrained sort of way, and featured an aluminium body, two spark plugs per cylinder (decades before Alfa), and a bizarre 'electro-hydraulic turbo-kinetic' gearbox from Brockhouse, which usually broke down but seems similar in its operation to the Citroen SM's. Unfortunately it sank Invicta.
The S1 needs a redesign - but nothing more.
needham said:
The Invicta certainly can't be compared to an Aston or a Ferrari.
It really does look pretty awful,and the cost is outrageous.
Who are you again please remind me? Have you actually seen this car in real life and read Grahams' report as to how it is made? Have you actually driven a supercar or are you another Twincam?? Kitcar??? Bloody hell if I have to use any more question marks I will end up wearing the bloody button out.
The Invicta is a semi monocoque made up of "the strongest chassis ever tested" and then has carbon fibre bonded onto it using a new technology. Hardly something you can do yourself at home in your garage is it? Ferrari or Aston don't do this and are 'fat' and heavy in comparison.
I admit that the look is purely subjective, but like most that have actually seen it in the flesh I was overwhelmed by its presence. A Ferrari looks miniscule when stood next to it, this is a very loud vehicle even if it doesn't look like it from the pictures.
needham said:
This will,I'm sure, be just another factory assembled kit car which
will quietly sink into obscurity.
How many kit-cars are made from composite carbon-fibre? Ever heard of the McLaren F1? Well apart from having its body parts autoclaved, the body shares more in common with the Invicta than Aston Martin does. It also comes in very near the F1 weight and with the 600hp package provides similar power... but it doesn't cost anywhere near the same.
Invicta also has a racing pedigree, again something that most kit car manufacturers don't have, but there again if you actually bothered to read the article you would know all of this.
....and breath... kids eh
Firstly i know next to nothing of much use about supercars. In the most they seem like the unreachable dream for me when you counter in the cost of owning one.
I must admit that it's not the prettiest i have ever seen but even in these overcast pictures it still has enormous presence.
I thought the article was well written and with the right testdrive, fiery superlatives will evoke a pleasingly passionate read.
Even though; you managed to instill confidence in it's performance, quality and ( most of all ) reliability. To me it does seem a little pricey but when you look at the components and construction technology i think you'd be getting a lot for your money in the theatre of supercars..
They say money can't buy style or at least it wears badly when it does but judging purely from your writeup i'm pleased to say that only the very well informed ( and tall ) will be driving these round surrey; and all in the very, very best taste.
I must admit that it's not the prettiest i have ever seen but even in these overcast pictures it still has enormous presence.
I thought the article was well written and with the right testdrive, fiery superlatives will evoke a pleasingly passionate read.
Even though; you managed to instill confidence in it's performance, quality and ( most of all ) reliability. To me it does seem a little pricey but when you look at the components and construction technology i think you'd be getting a lot for your money in the theatre of supercars..
They say money can't buy style or at least it wears badly when it does but judging purely from your writeup i'm pleased to say that only the very well informed ( and tall ) will be driving these round surrey; and all in the very, very best taste.
I've stood next to it, so I do know what it looks like.
I'm not in the market for this sort of car, so my opinion won't matter to those who sell it.
In my opinion (bearing in mind that it doesn't matter) the Invicta looks big and very imposing - The bonnet lookes big enough to land a 'plane on, and how did they do that clever trick of getting the windows so small?
The effect is not unlike an automobile version of Tyson. Undoubtedly strong, probably effective, but no way I'd want one.
Like the noise though, but that's just the V8 music.
I'm not in the market for this sort of car, so my opinion won't matter to those who sell it.
In my opinion (bearing in mind that it doesn't matter) the Invicta looks big and very imposing - The bonnet lookes big enough to land a 'plane on, and how did they do that clever trick of getting the windows so small?
The effect is not unlike an automobile version of Tyson. Undoubtedly strong, probably effective, but no way I'd want one.
Like the noise though, but that's just the V8 music.
Ooooooh,Ultimasimon is a bit upset!Yes I read the article,I have owned three Astons,a Ferrari and an Ultima, and done a fair few track days etc etc. I'm afraid the Invicta is unattractive,and overpriced. Long term there simply are not enough punters who would pay this much for this type of product.As the Dragons Den group would say" I'll not be investing in this product today,thankyou and goodbye".
Oh I wasn't awawe Jon Dokic had returned I do apologise.
Upset not at all, but bar the styling comments which are down to personal preference, what other supercars can you buy that crack 202mph for £150k? Give me an Invicta over any Fezza at that price point. Ferrari's are common by comparison and I prefer the smaller manufacturers' rarity against the badge snobbery that is found by owning such vechicles.
I find it interesting that a new member that has all those supercars has not bothered to fill out their profile. Your first comments are negative and untrue because if you had have read Grahams article you would not have posted such tripe.
What type of Ultima did you have, did you build it yourself and what spec was it?
I suppose your think an Ultima is just another kit car that requires a donor vehicle, and will also be a manufacturer that slips away over time...
Does you daddy know your logged onto his computer yet?
>> Edited by on Monday 6th February 10:17
Upset not at all, but bar the styling comments which are down to personal preference, what other supercars can you buy that crack 202mph for £150k? Give me an Invicta over any Fezza at that price point. Ferrari's are common by comparison and I prefer the smaller manufacturers' rarity against the badge snobbery that is found by owning such vechicles.
I find it interesting that a new member that has all those supercars has not bothered to fill out their profile. Your first comments are negative and untrue because if you had have read Grahams article you would not have posted such tripe.
What type of Ultima did you have, did you build it yourself and what spec was it?
I suppose your think an Ultima is just another kit car that requires a donor vehicle, and will also be a manufacturer that slips away over time...
Does you daddy know your logged onto his computer yet?
>> Edited by on Monday 6th February 10:17
And breath Simon 
Looks are indeed all in the eye of the beholder etc etc. I think it looks fantastic saw it at the motorshow last year or the year before and it looks even better in the flesh.
Also being a small uk manufacturer give it a plus point.
I'm not able to afford such cars and probably never will be. Would I buy one over an Aston/Ferrari personally no. but I would aplaud anyone who stuck their hand in their pockets and bought something different.
Looks are indeed all in the eye of the beholder etc etc. I think it looks fantastic saw it at the motorshow last year or the year before and it looks even better in the flesh.
Also being a small uk manufacturer give it a plus point.
I'm not able to afford such cars and probably never will be. Would I buy one over an Aston/Ferrari personally no. but I would aplaud anyone who stuck their hand in their pockets and bought something different.
Just wanted to throw this out for everyone.... this Invicta S1 or a Panoz Esperante?
Both are low volume cars, both are hand made, from many exotic materials, and both use the same Ford Mustang engine.
Both can be had with tuned engines to produce big power and both would ensure you get attention wherever you go.
However, the Panoz can be yours for US$90,000 in the 320hp guise.
I might not be a big fan of the Panoz (look up my article on it in the road test section), but if I wanted a quirky, off-beat, low volume, unobvious choice car, it'll have to be the Panoz.
Both are low volume cars, both are hand made, from many exotic materials, and both use the same Ford Mustang engine.
Both can be had with tuned engines to produce big power and both would ensure you get attention wherever you go.
However, the Panoz can be yours for US$90,000 in the 320hp guise.
I might not be a big fan of the Panoz (look up my article on it in the road test section), but if I wanted a quirky, off-beat, low volume, unobvious choice car, it'll have to be the Panoz.
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