Monday 17th October 2011

Driven (Just A Little Bit More): Ginetta G60

It's the Farb, er, Ginetta F400 Jim, but not as we know it...

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The Ginetta G60 looking glamorous in its orange finery, but we've still not really driven it...

Having been briefly unleashed (well OK, it was a gentlemanly 'potter') for a few laps around Elvington Airfield in the Ginetta F400 prototype a couple of months back, I was looking forward to a go in the finished car when it was unveiled at Silverstone on Friday.

...although we've had two steers in this!

Except it turned out to be a 'static unveil' for a car henceforward to be referred to as the Ginetta G60 (see specs/price here), and another opportunity to drive instead the blue/grey F400 development hack that I'd already dodged cones with at Elvington. (See previous article.)

I jumped at the chance of a brief 10 mile spin on the roads around Silverstone though, because although the G60 is by no means a mainstream choice, the concept of a genuinely 'nanny-free' sports car appeals greatly to the heroic inner-caveman that lurks beneath this urbane, nay genteel, exterior. And unlike the grin-a-minute G40R it's supposed to be a proper road car, not a track toy with number plates.

Ginetta boss Lawrence Tomlinson did the unveiling honours, assisted by the bevy of 'pit-babes' (I think that's what you call them!) that made the PH homepage on Friday. Chatting to him afterwards, he was typically forthright about his aspirations for the new G60. Customer deliveries start in March but that's only - as far as I can tell - those customers who were already on the waiting list for Farbio versions.

'We're not looking to educate everyone to want a car with no driver aids, but a lot of cars need all that stuff because the chassis is sh*t,' he says. 'You've got an upward spiral on weight, and a downward spiral on handling.'

Weight is not something that afflicts the G60, which at 1080kgs comes in at nearly 350kgs below a 'zero-specced' Porsche 911, and a quick blat up the road was enough to reinforce the notion that the G60 is quick. Not McLaren or Noble quick, but certainly British A- and B-Road quick, which is good enough for me. It sounds great when you push it too, with a lovely rasping bark as the revs spin towards the 6500rpm red line - although driven more gently it's surprisingly cruisey, with very low wind and road noise, apart from a roar on one side of the test car caused by a dodgy pre-production seal.

Sadly, the development car still hasn't had its new steering arm fitted, or its lower-effort brake master cylinder, so arm-twirling can be energy sapping and the brake pedal needs a mighty shove - hence my disappointment not to be driving the finished G60. The pedal box hasn't been aligned properly yet either, but even so, a few miles of twisty country roads was enough to feel the promise of good things to come.

There's some proper feedback and feel through the steering wheel for starters, and the chassis rides the backroads with a poise, agility and refinement over bumps that's certain to encourage further exploration of its capabilities. As long as you remember where the buck stops when nanny's not watching...

Still, while we're still waiting for the definitive G60 drive, we have had a chance to look over the (near as dammit?) final production car in the Silverstone paddock - and things are certainly much improved over the F400.

There's no real sign of design artistry in the interior, but it looks clean, simple and well made - more of a workspace than a club lounge, but that seems to suit the car's nature well. And the exterior tweaks look good too, with new carbon fibre intakes on the haunches that apparently improve air-flow as well as (I think) the visuals.

Overall, the G60 retains a 'specialist' feel - no question. But Ginetta is a racing car company, and for the handful of customers it seeks to attract, I reckon the G60 will be all the better for it. But can we have a go in a finished one please..?

[mazdaman1980]

Why launch a car when its not complete. Surely waiting another month for the steering, brakes etc and launch a moving object will get people more excited!

Shocking in this day and age.