New Swiss supercar arrives
Light and slippery Beck LM800 makes 650bhp
    Beck LM800 at the exclusive Venice top car show |
Swiss sports car maker Berne Beck Engineering & Composits has just launched a new lightweight, 650bhp supercar. Be prepared to scour your wallet though -- this machine is not cheap.
The Beck LM 800 offers optimal driving characteristics as a result of its electronically-controlled active chassis and power reserves and light weight, said the company, claiming that the vehicle is easy to maintain, due to its modular construction and telescopic jacking system. Its low drag coefficient results from a low frontal cross-section with, said the company, no superfluous material to impede the lines.
The LM 800's basic construction is similar to a Formula 1 car with a central monocoque made of composite materials that protect the driver and provide rigidity. Fixed to this are the engine and gearbox support, as well as the chassis' front transverse control arms.
Materials
The central monocoque is made from an aluminium frame and composite materials. The same mix of carbon, Kevlar and aluminium used for the monocoque is also used for various bodywork parts, helping towards compliance with crash protection legislation.
All suspension parts are made of a high-strength aluminium alloy. They are milled from solid billets, undergo surface treatment and are then power coated. The top four bodywork layers are made of carbon, while the fabric and leather covered components are made of 100 per cent Kevlar.
The car has an electronically controlled, hydraulic active chassis, the wheels are also made from aluminium, milled from solid billets and coated.
Motive power
The engine is a turbocharged 4.2 litre V8 that's the company said has been specially produced for the Beck LM 800. A semi-sequential, seven-speed gearbox ensures smooth power transmission to the wheels via a limited slip differential, with plenty in reserve at 650bhp.
Inside, the ergonomically shaped seats are produced specially and made of several layers of Kevlar which are then well upholstered, and it uses digital instruments. You can specify either a conventional gearshift or rocker switches on the steering wheel.
The built-in pneumatic jacking system, making tyre changing child’s play, is very innovative in a car approved for street use, as it is normally used on racing cars.
The price for the basic version of the Beck LM GTR is 750,000 Swiss francs (£305,375) -- although the company said it'll calculate a price for a special version, depending on engine size up to 1,000bhp.
About Beck
The company is a small Swiss sports car maker which believes in the principle of light weight. The main features of its products are lightweight construction and the associated use of varied low-density materials, such as aluminium, magnesium, titanium, as well as the latest plastic and composite materials – Kevlar. The company says that: "It goes without saying that, according to Swiss tradition, the highest demands in terms of quality apply here as well."
Beck believes that much in the fields of lightweight construction and highly refined aerodynamics has been borrowed from nature, as nature always demonstrates a high level of efficiency. Also, some solutions have their origins in Formula 1 when it comes to both technical components and the construction methods used in the car.
The name comes from owner René Beck, who's been building vehicles for over 20 years. As a schoolboy, in every free minute he was fiddling around with home-made sports cars. His motto has always been: "We start at the point where others have already given up."
sorry for the caps.
Always good to have another supercar entry.
is it? I think they are starting to get old very fast (pun intended). Sure they have their place in history but the in your face sports car age must surely be getting a bit old? Gone are the days were I think WOW and here are the days where I think I would be actually embarrassed to drive one anywhere (not that I shall have the chance!). No green monster before anyone suggests,I just find them a little too in your face. Subtle power is where it is now at.
I think Aston is as far as it goes for being cool/classy. Beyond that and its merchant bankers...
Record bonuses in the City
Mullets are back (among some quarters)
Power dressing is back
The PM has, after ten years, become incredibly unpopular and will be replaced by an uncharismatic politician presiding over a split Parliament
Bands are using electric drumkits again
People are buying cars in bright red and white again
The brutal new Bond is portrayed straight from Fleming's books
The press are following around the Prince's girlfriend
The Rolling Stones are on another comeback tour
And every other week someone releases a supercar that strangely, is never seen again...
And the key thing they failed to mention in the article (and so presumably the press release)? Yes, the weight.
I have the spoecs that are known here:
www.carfolio.com/specifications/models/car/?car=152526&automobile-Beck
(it includes a *claimed* weight).
Ciao
Zak
Maybe he should consider why other gave up, there is usually a good reason, like running out of money because noone can be bothered actually buying the car in the first place.
I'd be willing to bet the engine is just a tuned Audi BiTurbo V8 from the RS6 as well, not some bespoke creation the article tries to claim.
Maybe he should consider why other gave up, there is usually a good reason, like running out of money because noone can be bothered actually buying the car in the first place.
I'd be willing to bet the engine is just a tuned Audi BiTurbo V8 from the RS6 as well, not some bespoke creation the article tries to claim.
According to the site, it's an Audi V8 sourced via MTM - the guys who gave us the Gumpert Apollo.
Ciao
Zak
sorry for the caps.
Always good to have another supercar entry.
is it? I think they are starting to get old very fast (pun intended). Sure they have their place in history but the in your face sports car age must surely be getting a bit old? Gone are the days were I think WOW and here are the days where I think I would be actually embarrassed to drive one anywhere (not that I shall have the chance!). No green monster before anyone suggests,I just find them a little too in your face. Subtle power is where it is now at.
I think Aston is as far as it goes for being cool/classy. Beyond that and its merchant bankers...
a) this one is ugly and uninspired/ing
b) you're just getting old.
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff