Spartan-V: The 300kg Bike-Engined Track Car

Curvaceous Ducati-powered track toy honours ancient warrior race (honestly)

Question: what connects graphic artist Frank Miller, an ancient civilisation, and a Ducati motorcycle? The answer, most unexpectedly, is this - the Spartan-V track car.

Built by Spartan, a small Australian company, this curvy little track-only speedster uses a 170 horsepower 1199cc Ducati motor to power along a steel spaceframe chassis and carbon fibre body that weighs a scarcely credible 300kg.

As a result the Spartan-V, claim its makers, is capable of 175mph and of sprinting to 62mph in a mere 3.0secs.

More weirdly, the car has been created, according to the company website, "in honour of the brave Spartans that fought so many years ago, so there will only be 300 Spartan-V track cars manufactured worldwide." (There's your Frank Miller connection).

Deposits for the Spartan-V are being taken now, and the total price will be $90,000AUD (£55k).

Spartan-V tech spec:

ENGINE: Ducati 1198S
CAPACITY: 1199cm³
POWER: 170HP
WEIGHT: Less than 300kg
BRAKES: Front & Rear - Wilwood lightweight 300mm ventilated and scalloped rotors, Wilwood 4-piston billet calipers and Wilwood rotor hats
PEDALS: Tilton racing pedal assembly with remote brake bias
WHEELS: 17 x 7 inch lightweight race wheels
TYRES: 205/45 R17
TRANSMISSION: 6-speed sequential
SUSPENSION: Fully adjustable double wishbone front and rear with QA1 adjustable lightweight shock absorbers (OHLINS suspension upgrade available)
STEERING: Woodward Racing quick ratio steering rack and collapsible steering column, Sparco quick release steering hub, Sparco Formula steering wheel
INSRUMENTS: Ducati 1198 Digitek LCD dash
SEATS: Sparco competition FIA-approved racing seats, Sparco Racing FIA-approved 5 or 6 point harnesses
FINAL DRIVE: Drexler Motorsport Formula chain drive LSD
CHASSIS: Trellis design spaceframe - 350Mpa DOM mild steel tubing with roll-over protection. FIA-approved roll bar optional
BODY: Carbon-fibre
PERFORMANCE: 0-100km/h: 3 seconds
TOP SPEED: 280km/h
PRICE: $90,000AUD