HyperSport spec revealed ahead of first buyer demo
Revolution Race Cars wanted to build a prototype-style track car with GT3 levels of usability - here's how
Back in April we brought you news of the new HyperSport from Revolution Race Cars, a father-and-son-led British firm that has spent the last decade churning out the A-One, a motorsport contender we drove back in 2020. Its latest machine, a track-only, in-house-designed car with a carbon reinforced polymer monocoque, is intended to offer a slightly less senior entry point to customers, courtesy partly of a shift from six cylinders to four.
Now, with the first builds well underway, Revolution is filling in some of the blanks. It has confirmed that the four cylinders in question will belong to an engine based on the popular Mazda MZR unit, albeit one extensively re-engineered by RLM Racing, the same technical partner that produces the existing supercharged 3.5-litre V6. Think forged rotating assembly, competition-grade internals and the sort of turbocharger that coaxes the four pot beyond 300hp.
If that sounds modest in this day and age, don’t forget that the HyperSport is targeting a sub-700kg kerbweight - meaning that it will deliver the kind of performance you get from exceeding a power-to-weight ratio of 430hp per tonne. Its output is delivered via a six-speed sequential gearbox supplied by 3MO, which also acts as a stressed chassis member. As serious as that recipe sounds, Revolution reiterates that drivability and durability were a key focus of the car’s development.
“Every technical decision has been made to support our objective of creating a car that drivers can immediately trust at their personal limit, whether they are experienced racers or track day enthusiasts,” noted James Abbott, the firm’s cofounder and Head of Product Development. “Compared to many prototypes, the HyperSport derives its performance and ‘analogue driver feel’ from greater mechanical grip, making it attractive to drivers used to GT cars.”
Among the other technical partnerships, Revolution highlights Alcon’s involvement as its official brake supplier, and R53 Suspension for furnishing the HyperSport with dampers specifically developed to ‘maintain exceptional body control and aerodynamic consistency while delivering the compliance for demanding circuits and track day environments.’ Moreover, it has partnered with RACE Software to help evaluate different suspension set-ups, and apply parameter changes for specific circuits.
Perhaps most impressively of all, Revolution says the HyperSport has exceeded the FIA standards laid out for crash testing. “We have a no-compromise approach to safety. Performance means nothing without protection,” reported MD, Nigel Redwood. The car features the world’s first double halo safety structure to be combined with a IndyCar-style aeroscreen; for anyone making the step up from more conventional GT3/4 cars, it ought to make for a reassuring presence.
Also among its reassuring aspects is the asking price, which Revolution reiterates is ‘below £120,000’. Still a significant number, of course, but the company obviously feels it has got the compromise between prototype-level performance and end-user operating costs right. The next few weeks and months will doubtless be key as it begins to put customers behind the wheel of a car that was always meant to be about ‘challenging conventional thinking’.
“The response to HyperSport since its launch has been extremely encouraging. Customers immediately understood the philosophy of delivering a car that is exhilarating rather than intimidating, and the calibre of companies who have been working on the programme over the last two years provides further validation of that vision,” said Redwood. “As we move towards completing the first cars that have been ordered, the momentum has exceeded our expectations.”
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff