Orders open for Ginetta's 600hp Akula supercar
Five years after its Geneva debut, Ginetta's V8-powered flagship can now be yours - for £275k plus tax
It’s been quite a while since we’ve heard anything about the Ginetta Akula. The British firm’s first stab at a supercar was revealed at the Geneva Motor Show in 2019, before fading into obscurity as the pandemic set in. A brief update in 2022 suggested that development was still ongoing, with a view to getting it ready for production. Two years later, it seems it has finally got the Akula over the line, with orders for the road-ready version now open. You'll need £275,000 (plus taxes) to get one.
Just like the Geneva car, the production-spec Akula is built around a carbon fibre monocoque, with the front and rear subframes, flat floor and bodywork all made from lightweight composite, resulting in a kerb weight of just 1,190kg. The aggressive aero package is derived from the company’s old LMP1 programme and is brimming with eye-catching details, including fins above the front splitter, turning vanes behind the rear wheels with flicks along the skirts, alongside a predictably ginormous rear diffuser. It’s been toned down a touch since the concept - note a less eye-gouging spoiler, though you can still option the old wing for even more downforce - but it’s far from what you’d call restrained.
Backing up those looks is a suitably throaty engine. Right behind the front axle is a 6.4-litre, naturally aspirated V8 based around the company’s own billet aluminium block and titanium valvetrain, delivering 600hp at 7,200rpm and 494lb ft of toque at 5,100rpm. Side exit exhausts mean it should sound just as good to passersby as it likely does from inside. There’s a limited-slip diff at the rear to help manage all that power, and two transmission options to choose from: a six-speed manual or a seven-speed dual-clutch auto, the latter needed to achieve the claimed 2.9-second 0-62mph time. Top speed, meanwhile, is loosely rated at ‘in excess of 180mph.’
As you might expect, there’s a suite of glitzy race-grade chassis hardware beneath the prickly bodywork. Paired with the billet aluminium double wishbone suspension front and rear are two-way adjustable race dampers, which can be tweaked electronically from inside the car - though the anti-roll bars require a set of spanners to set up to your liking. The steering is electrically assisted with a competition-spec rack, while braking is via 360mm steel discs with four-pot callipers. Opting for the Akula’s Race Pack will get you a set of carbon ceramics along with six-point harnesses and even your own Ginetta-branded race gear. Underwear and all.
Obviously, there’s a focus on-track performance (what else would you expect from Ginetta?), but the firm insists the Akula is ‘a proper long-distance tourer.’ For starters, there’s a 100-litre fuel tank for an estimated 450-mile range between fill-ups and a 473-litre boot, which isn’t far off double that of an Aston Martin DB12. And while the cabin is pretty spartan, the carbon-sculpted seats are well padded for your comfort and there's quite literally an iPad for a centre screen.
“Since the Akula concept was unveiled back in 2019, the car has undergone an intensive test and development programme”, said Ginetta technical chief Clive Seddon. “We have spared neither time nor expense to fine-hone the Akula to deliver the sharpest and most immersive driving experience possible”. One, again, that’ll set you back over a quarter of a million quid before tax, and Ginetta's only building 20 of them. A considerable amount of money no matter how you cut it. But if anyone can pull off a track-inspired British supercar with genuine motorsport influence, it's the team from West Yorkshire...
World seems to have moved on in the 5 years since this was first announced given what £300k would get you elsewhere.
Exterior pretty bad. Interior looks even worse. So bad the majority of the photos are in the dark.
Shame but I fear this is going to be a complete flop.
Question is, how on earth can this be profitable? Bespoke engine, bespoke chassis (including carbon subframes, which is pretty rare), etc., for a total revenue of £5.5M. Considering how much a billet V8 block costs to machine, the construction cost is going to be a big chunk of that £5.5M, let alone any development costs!
It might be the best car ever to drive but that is almost irrelevant if it looks like that. I just hope that they haven't spent too much money developing it.
I had the same thoughts about the Ariel electric supercar 'experiment'.
That hasn't reared its head for a while and the company seems to have survived. (Hopefully)
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