Thursday 6th October 2011

YKYWT... 2006 Bristol Fighter

Engineering tour-de-force, or substance over style?

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Few cars can divide opinion like a Bristol, and the Fighter is no exception. People tend to walk the other way before finding out anything about them, although most probably weren't considering one in the first place.

This is a pity because there's a lot to be said for the Fighter; the mighty V10 motor delivers 350lb ft of torque... at tick over. It's one inch shorter and three inches narrower than a 997 Porsche, and in 1,100hp twin-turbo 'T' guise it has around 10 percent more torque, 20 percent less weight, and 50 percent less aerodynamic drag than a Veyron.

It'll cover more ground than a Veyron as well, in that if you ran the Bugatti at its top speed it would run out of fuel within 20 minutes (so, technically, it can't actually do 254 miles in one hour...), whereas the non-T-spec' Fighter can maintain its 210mph maximum for over sixty minutes. Still, there are those who just can't get past the looks, which were apparently 14th on Bristol's list of desirable attributes when the idea was conceived.

This one (found at the bottom of the page) is for sale by Bristol Cars themselves. It was first displayed at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2006 and was also used as a development car by Bristol to test different dampers and brakes and so on, as well as for high-speed testing.

It's showing just over 16,000 miles and boasts a full Bristol maintenance record. The price is £159,000, which is a lot when you consider that you could get a 2010 Ferrari 599 Fiorano for that.

Some dangerously argumentative types may posit that few cars can get near the engineering integrity of the Bristol, but would that be enough to draw you away from the sex-factor of a car like the Ferrari?

[666 SVT]

Looks like a 70's kit car. It's a no from me !

[goodhand]

The shadow cast by the door gives the impression the girl in the photo has a funny nose.

[lankybob]

LOVE Bristols!
Big want from me.

[vixen1700]

10 Pages at least, like every Bristol thread.

Well I've always liked the Fighter, they do look better in the metal.

[Zippee]

Like all Bristols IMHO - no fluidity to the lines, nothing looks right and looks more like it's been designed by a blind 6 year old!
As people have said in the past, you either 'get' Bristols or you don't, I don't!

[kwak]

"Engineering tour-de-force, or substance over style?"
Both. I love it!

[bmthnick1981]

Love Bristols and the Fighter is no exception. WIN.

[louiebaby]

It's nice to see they've been browsing the forums before making the advert...

Needs a mention

I'd really like a Bristol, but how spacious are they for the larger chap?

[Six Fiend]

Having seen and heard a 411 series 6 and the Fighter side by side (Bristol factory chaps delivering where I worked) I can safely say they are barking.

Fighter sounds fabulous and looks better in darker colours than the bright orange I saw!

I'd take the 411 s6 any day though

Edited by Six Fiend on Thursday 6th October 12:31

[Snowboy]

Lovely pair of Bristol's in the first picture.

Nice blue car too.

(sorry., I'm sure that jokes been done to death before)

[Greg_D]

they keep waffling on about the 1000hp one, has one ever been made and sold to an actual customer, or is it all just marketing hyperbole and what ifs?

[Fer]

lankybob said:

LOVE Bristols!
Big want from me.

I love big Bristols too... Pity it's not convertible. Not sure on the lines on the Beaufighter, though, on the linked page.

[Owlwood]

goodhand said:

The shadow cast by the door gives the impression the girl in the photo has a funny nose.

Haha, good spot.

[V88Dicky]

I've always liked cars with 'substance over style', much better than the modern phenomenon of 'style over substance'. Something like a white Scirroco diesel <shudder> for example.




So count me in for the Fighter

[Fartgalen]

Of all the YKYWT threads, this comes the closest. But it's still a 'no thanks'.

[soad]

Very quirky, I love it!

[GAFF1974]

Gorgeous, both the car and the girl!

[thewheelman]

Love it, & this is worth every penny.

[Podie]

There is something about a Bristol.

Seem to recall there is a PHer with a Fighter.

[spoodler]

Any of those on the linked Bristol site would do me thank you very much. Think I might just have to go for another 411 with a big block tho', like an American muscle car with engineering and quality, and it goes round bends...you can keep your Ferraris - a different experience entirely.