Thursday 22nd February 2018

Lister Storm II in the works

The recently launched Thunder is just the beginning; Lister wants to get back to building hypercars

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As the response to yesterday's Spotted proved, it's rather easy to love a Lister. On cue, Lawrence Whittaker, the firm's current boss, last night posted what he called "a glimpse into the future of Lister... the Storm II". For now, it's just a rendering - but it's enough to confirm that the long stated ambition to build a hypercar remains on the drawing board.

Any sequel to the Storm would need to be a serious machine, of course. The original mid-nineties version (you'll recall) was powered by a 546hp 7.0-litre V12 and could do 200mph. And while Lister only ever managed to build four, it was sufficiently outrageous to leave a lasting impression on the memory.

Since then, building ultra-expensive, ultra-fast hypercars has become de riguer for any upstart brand with access to carbon fibre and the right OEMs. Having revived Lister in 2014, Whittaker has been famously bullish about the opportunities for the business in this market - and has previously sought investors to turn the plans into reality.

Response to the Thunder - Lister's most recent endeavour - will certainly have emboldened the managing director. According to the manufacturer, 22 examples of the 666hp F-Type spin-off were ordered within 24hrs of going on sale. Unsurprisingly, that made it the fastest-selling car in Lister's history - despite wearing a starting price tag of £139,950.

It would not be unreasonable to expect a future Storm model to vastly better its sibling in terms of performance. Previous suggestions that the car might be powered by a Jaguar-derived 7.8-litre V12 would see it develop around a 1,000hp - and better 250mph. It would likely be a serious upgrade on its predecessor's £220,000 cost, too. Expect seven figures, and a tiny production run. If reality beckons.

[Esceptico]

The development budget for the whole car will likely be a fraction of what the big players spend on just some of the final fettling of their hypercars. The final product is therefore likely to be significantly underdeveloped in comparison. I suppose if your main concern is being different this might be attractive. The other plus factor is that you can probably order one (if they actually make it) whereas with the hypercars from Ferrari and co it is only possible by invitation.