Ginetta G40 GRDC: Spotted
Lusting after a proper racing car that you can drive onto the road for £17k? What a coincidence...
Today's Spotted, we'll admit, is not for everyone. Certainly it is not for most people's other half. Or indeed anyone hoping to be transported about the place quietly or comfortably. But for those of us who'd like to see a calendar organised around race weekends, it's potentially the best of both worlds.
The model in question, a Ginetta G40 GRDC, is a road-legal race car. Not a race-inspired road car, or a road-adapted racing car, but a racing car that has been squeezed through all the mandatory road regulation tests, had a pair of number plates on it and then been let loose on the A64 outside HQ.
Buying a G40 means those with a racing licence are granted permission to enter the Ginetta Racing Drivers Club championship, where cars can (in theory) be driven to the circuit, raced to win and then driven home without making a single technical change (tyre tread permitting).
While Ginetta’s history stretches back to 1958, the G40 is a fairly new offering in its ranks. It was launched in 2010 and represented a big stride forward from the G20 open-top racer that came before it. It got more power and grip, but it stayed true to the G20’s simple, lightweight philosophy (it weighs 820kg) to ensure it remained relatively cheap to buy and run.
Power in the GRDC comes from a Ford Zetec 1.8-litre four-cylinder producing around 150hp (it’s sealed to prevent racers from fiddling with its internals), with drive sent rearwards through a Quaife ATB diff and a Mazda MX-5-sourced H-pattern five-speed manual gearbox. Grip is provided by a set of Avon ZZR tyres, which offer outstanding bite when hot, When cold… well, let’s just say you better have your wits about you.
Yet the feature most non-seasoned racers will notice upon their first stint in a G40 is the unassisted brake pedal, which requires muscle just to pull up onto the driveway without ploughing through the front room. Somewhat predictably, there’s also nothing in the way of electronic nannying controls, so you’re on your own. If you do stuff it though, at least the G40 comes with a full roll cage, bucket seats and harnesses…
This particular car comes ready to rock and roll. Fresh from receiving a new MOT it has a Racelogic VBOX data recorder so you can see on a laptop why you’re losing two tenths through turn five (or, perhaps, why your entry into Sainsbury's was off-line). There’s also an air conditioning system to prevent the G40 from turning into a two-door sauna, as many racing cars often do.
Admittedly, the 13,000 miles displayed on the odometer means it'll have had its fair share of use – that’s about 5,343 laps of Brands Hatch, for example. But read the description and you’ll notice that it hasn't raced since it was ‘upgraded’, which suggests that many of those miles could have been acquired away from the circuit. This is backed by the straightness of the car’s exterior, which, as far as we can tell, is battle scar-free.
Even with this in mind, splashing out £17k on a used car that’s completely one-dimensional will undoubtedly seem absurd to many people. We, of course, know better.
SPECIFICATION – GINETTA G40 GRDC
Engine: 1,800cc, four-cylinder
Transmission: five-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 150@ 7000rpm
Torque (lb ft): N/A
MPG: N/A
CO2: 182g/km
First registered: 2015
Recorded mileage: 13,000
Price new: £35,000
Yours for: £16,995
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