RE: Vandal One track car launched with 1,009hp/ton

RE: Vandal One track car launched with 1,009hp/ton

Wednesday 13th February 2019

Vandal One track car launched with 1,009hp/ton

American-made single seater has been designed to give Lewis Hamilton's F1 car a run for its money



What do you get when you provide a team of ex-McLaren, Lotus, Lola and Mazda engineers with a free reign to create something bonkers? A 1,009hp per ton Formula 1-aping track car, apparently. That’s certainly what’s happened at Vandal Cars, where an all-carbon fibre single seater called the One has been produced using the sort of technical layout that’s normally reserved for thoroughbred racers.

At the heart of the One is a Honda-sourced 2.0-litre turbocharged engine putting out 560hp – yes, seriously – from its four-cylinders. It has been extensively modified, obviously, with forged internals, a bigger turbo and more powerful injectors, among many other things, and is now claimed to rev to 9,100rpm. If that’s too much, there is also an ‘entry’ level version which has to make do with 340hp.


So impressive is the American-made machine that the 280hp per litre engine is far from the most interesting thing about it. The chassis is a proper carbon fibre monocoque that’s bolted directly to the engine and Sadev six-speed sequential gearbox that sit behind, making one long stressed structure. F1 stuff, indeed. It’s got a full survival cell and FIA-spec impact protection, too. 

Then there’s a flat-plane floor, like an LMP1 car, pushrod suspension and all carbon bodywork. It’s so snug and aero-focused that the radiators have had to be laid either side of the driver at a steeply raked angle so they fit. The car’s package is finished with a set of slick tyres, an enormous front wing embedded into the nose and a dominating fixed rear wing. It sits above a diffuser of a similarly impressive scale.


So effective is the combination of wings, scoops and intakes that the One is claimed to generate over 800kg of downforce – more than enough to theoretically allow it to succeed at the old drive on the roof of a tunnel trick, normally a bragging right exclusive to F1 cars and those of a similar ilk. Keep things the right way up and the One is said to be capable of 3G’s worth of lateral force. That’s a whole G more than the McLaren P1, by the way.

Production of this Radical and BAC Mono rival’s core bits takes place in North Carolina before the body is fitted Michigan. Vandal says its cars, the first of which should be completed in a few months, are due to be exported globally, although it’s only provided a US base price of $119,700 before taxes, which equates to about £93k. Slap VAT on that and you’re still only in Porsche 911 GT3 territory, which, given the technical makeup and performance on offer, makes it seem a bit like a bargain. Don’t you agree?


Author
Discussion

gigglebug

Original Poster:

2,611 posts

123 months

Wednesday 13th February 2019
quotequote all
It looks the business if nothing else. Is there anything else at the projected price point that offers the same level of all round performance?

mrclav

1,300 posts

224 months

Wednesday 13th February 2019
quotequote all
Unlike many other cars showcased on here, I get the feeling this one will actually make it out there into the real world...

What a machine!

Galsia

2,170 posts

191 months

Wednesday 13th February 2019
quotequote all
Looks like a great car but what an awful name for a car company.

Sandpit Steve

10,104 posts

75 months

Wednesday 13th February 2019
quotequote all
That looks awesome, a cross between an F1 and LMP1 car, rather like the old Audi Le Mans winner. Hope it drives as well too, the world is a much better place for mad people making cars like this beerclap

unsprung

5,467 posts

125 months

Wednesday 13th February 2019
quotequote all
mrclav said:
Unlike many other cars showcased on here, I get the feeling this one will actually make it out there into the real world...
+1


ben5575

6,293 posts

222 months

Wednesday 13th February 2019
quotequote all
I was reading through it thinking, wait for it, wait for it, ridiculous £300k price tag ahead, then £97k + etc. That almost sounds reasonable.

What's a top spec Radical cost these days?

And 560bhp from 2l clap

crofty1984

15,873 posts

205 months

Wednesday 13th February 2019
quotequote all
I like it! And the name.

Mackofthejungle

1,073 posts

196 months

Wednesday 13th February 2019
quotequote all
Looks achievable, so I don't doubt they'll build a few. The Mono was a cracking little thing too.. I like.

I honestly don't know why there aren't many (any?) cars on sale which are half way between this and a real car.. This is just a chassis with a few panels stuck on. Why not a chassis with a little roof, a heater and a lockable door? It's the essence of supercar is it not?! Anyone?! It's like, all the people that are interested in making something like that are doing it in a shed with a screwdriver, and all the people "properly" designing with CAD are busy making sure their tail light designs are mimicked in their company urinal cakes. Anyway..

Centurion07

10,381 posts

248 months

Wednesday 13th February 2019
quotequote all
rofl That's insane. Just a shame they couldn't have squeezed space for a passenger in there somewhere. Not as much fun when you have no-one alongside you to scare. biggrin

annodomini2

6,867 posts

252 months

Wednesday 13th February 2019
quotequote all
F1 car ~1100bhp (with ERS)

F1 car ~702kg

= 1566 bhp/ton

E65Ross

35,100 posts

213 months

Wednesday 13th February 2019
quotequote all
Looks good....although "can pull 3G of lateral force" and "give Lewis Hamilton's car a run" doesn't compute. 3G is impressive, but it's nowhere near F1 levels.

Lordbenny

8,588 posts

220 months

Wednesday 13th February 2019
quotequote all
Wouldn’t you rather have this and £35,000 in your pocket? I know I would...

It’s a Lola F3000 by the way...and it’s also not road legal...and it has fag advertising on it...no brainer!


GroundEffect

13,844 posts

157 months

Wednesday 13th February 2019
quotequote all
annodomini2 said:
F1 car ~1100bhp (with ERS)

F1 car ~702kg

= 1566 bhp/ton
More like 950BHP and 728kg. Still, stupendous performance...if not quite where they were in 2005 with 605kg and 900BHP.

bobo79

296 posts

150 months

Wednesday 13th February 2019
quotequote all
Looks like an ex McNish or Comas Lola from 1990. Only issue will be getting a track day to run it in. It would be a very noisy bd. And obviously run slicks smile but it would destroy pretty much any more conventional track toy.

roland82

257 posts

216 months

Wednesday 13th February 2019
quotequote all
It makes me think of the Capero T1 -- although I know that was meant to be road legal. Hopefully it works out better than that.

Lordbenny

8,588 posts

220 months

Wednesday 13th February 2019
quotequote all
bobo79 said:
Looks like an ex McNish or Comas Lola from 1990. Only issue will be getting a track day to run it in. It would be a very noisy bd. And obviously run slicks smile but it would destroy pretty much any more conventional track toy.
You’re good!

https://racecarsdirect.com/Advert/Details/99140/f3...

noble12345

362 posts

217 months

Wednesday 13th February 2019
quotequote all
Looks great, hopefully the turbo lag isnt too bad, bound to sound insane! clap Look forward to some driving reviews!


Maldini35

2,913 posts

189 months

Thursday 14th February 2019
quotequote all
Lordbenny said:
Wouldn’t you rather have this and £35,000 in your pocket? I know I would...

It’s a Lola F3000 by the way...and it’s also not road legal...and it has fag advertising on it...no brainer!

I love a track special and this looks superb but I have to agree, once a trailer is required a proper race car makes more sense at this money.



Macboy

742 posts

206 months

Thursday 14th February 2019
quotequote all
Elemental RP1...blah blah....Vuhl blah blah...Revolution...blah blah. So much good intention and engineering know-how, so few customers and commercial understanding.

scottygib553

534 posts

96 months

Thursday 14th February 2019
quotequote all
It looks like something from Ridge Racer. Excellent.