RE: 200mph, 545hp per tonne Ginetta unveiled

RE: 200mph, 545hp per tonne Ginetta unveiled

Tuesday 5th March 2019

Ginetta Akula: Geneva 2019

It's the Russian word for 'shark' if you were wondering. And it's £340,000 in the UK



Ginetta's new 583hp supercar has been unveiled at the Geneva show. Alongside confirmation that the all-new model will cost £340,000 in Britain, chairman Lawrence Tomlinson also revealed that it will be called Akula - the Russian word for 'shark'. Appropriately for a machine that shares its name with a class of attack submarines, the show car appeared in Typhoon Black. Set to make production in 2020, and 'designed from a blank sheet of paper' it is intended to deliver 'an utterly capable supercar' based on the lessons learnt in the firm's extensive racing experience.

Its maker claims that every aspect of the car has been optimised thanks to the no-compromise approach. The dry-sumped, 90-degree V8 is constructed from a single aluminium billet block, features bespoke throttle bodies and is said to be mounted much further back than in 'conventional supercars'. It is mated to a six-speed sequential gearbox, and delivers 525lb ft of torque to the rear wheels.


A bespoke carbon tub provides the car with its backbone, which comes attached to double wishbone front suspension and pushrod-operated double wishbone rear. There are Alcon ceramic discs and the tyres, which are wrapped around 19-inch front and 20-inch rear wheels, are Michelin Pilot Sport 4s. This rubber was chosen for its effectiveness on road, suggesting that the car's extreme appearance might not be accompanied by a scary demeanour.

That being said, it comes wrapped in a rather exotic carbon body shaped by Ginetta's racing expertise. Indeed it's claimed that the new model makes 376kg of downforce at 100mph, or just five per cent less than the brand's LMP3 car. All in it weighs just 1,150kg, giving it a power-to-weight ratio of over 550hp per tonne, while distribution of mass is said to be 49% front and 51% rear. No need to explain the potential of those numbers on PH.

Additional points of interest include hydraulic steering (operated via a carbon wheel), an adjustable pedal box and scope for "balancing the car on the throttle" that "requires no electronic aids." Although there is traction control, ABS, parking sensors, a reversing camera, wireless phone charging and, somewhat incredibly, a 675-litre boot.


Tomlinson commented: "I have felt for a long time there was a gap in the market at around the £400k price point for a genuinely low production number supercar, with proper craftsmanship and true race derived know-how and technology." The closest alternative that comes to mind at the moment is the Noble M600, also boasting a heck of a lot of power and not much weight, albeit without the motorsport influence. All other suggestions are more than welcome...

Speaking at the show, Tomlinson added: "The concept behind the Akula was to build something truly individual, something that other brands cannot do due to corporate constraints. Designed to cut through the air like a shark through water, the car unquestionably means business, and I'm proud to be manufacturing a car of such significance in the UK." Owners will be fitted to a seat for their car, invited to track tests and taken through "a bespoke specification programme with myriad configuration options available." Ginetta confirmed to PH that 14 examples of the 20-car allocation are already spoken for.







Author
Discussion

RacerMike

Original Poster:

4,192 posts

210 months

Wednesday 27th February 2019
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Well it's certainly different.....

BigChiefmuffinAgain

1,054 posts

97 months

Wednesday 27th February 2019
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While one has to applaud anyone who can do what Ginetta has done in building a successful niche sports car manufacturing operation ( and let's face, they have succeeded where hundreds have failed ), you can't help thinking that this has the look of a "leap too far".

Are there really people out there willing to spend that sort of money on a car like this ?

I hope for their sake's there is, but really struggling to think who this will appeal to, other than the semi-mythical person with loads of money and loads of cars who just buys another one every week as they have nothing better to do.

Looks a bit like a Ferrari GTC4Lusso auditioning for a role in the latest Batman movie....

HeMightBeBanned

617 posts

177 months

Wednesday 27th February 2019
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Ugly car is ugly.

soad

32,825 posts

175 months

Wednesday 27th February 2019
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Careful they don't go bust...which is an awful thing to say.

Miserablegit

4,013 posts

108 months

Wednesday 27th February 2019
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"I have felt for a long time there was a gap in the market at around the £400k price point.."

I was just thinking the same myself...

Good luck to them.

I don't have £400k to spend on a car (if they'd made it £399k then ok) so my opinion counts for nothing but if I did have £400k I'm not sure I'd be spending it here.

It would go on a Lancia Stratos perhaps

Esceptico

7,334 posts

108 months

Wednesday 27th February 2019
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Although the looks don't appeal the spec does. Perhaps for the target market (those with numerous cars and lots of money) then not being good looking won't put them off as they will already have pretty cars in their garage.

housen

2,366 posts

191 months

Wednesday 27th February 2019
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yawn

GT3-RS

1,085 posts

218 months

Wednesday 27th February 2019
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has this actually been designed? surely no one can think this monstrosity is remotely nice to look at? it maybe aero efficient but for £400k it needs to be a whole lot better than this aesthetically, this looks as though all the pieces have been thrown in the air and how they landed was the design.....from the Weildenstein school of beauty come on Ginetta you can do better than this surely


vz-r_dave

3,469 posts

217 months

Wednesday 27th February 2019
quotequote all
PH critics out in typical pedantic ttish fashion... its very odd looking but having not seen it in the flesh, heard it or driven it i'll reserve judgement.

PH certainly living up to the new fake news generation.....

Gameface

16,565 posts

76 months

Wednesday 27th February 2019
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The same experts who were saying it looks exactly like a Corvette Z-06 from the teaser shots...

housen

2,366 posts

191 months

Wednesday 27th February 2019
quotequote all
vz-r_dave said:
PH critics out in typical pedantic ttish fashion... its very odd looking but having not seen it in the flesh, heard it or driven it i'll reserve judgement.

PH certainly living up to the new fake news generation.....
400k ? who in their right mind would buy this ?

Pericoloso

44,044 posts

162 months

Wednesday 27th February 2019
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If they get it on sale .it's something new TVR have failed to do.......so far.

Not a looker though is it.

Toma500

1,219 posts

252 months

Wednesday 27th February 2019
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Looks like its been designed by two people one did the back end one the front the back ends winning .

AB

16,969 posts

194 months

Wednesday 27th February 2019
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I always wonder how these cars meet pedestrian safety regulations, it'd chop your legs off eek

cookie1600

2,094 posts

160 months

Wednesday 27th February 2019
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'designed from a blank sheet of paper'
"That was screwed up in a ball before we rescued it from the bin and tried to flatten it out a bit"

My £400k would be spent on something more mainstream in the supercar stables. Hang on, did I say £400k?

Europa1

10,923 posts

187 months

Wednesday 27th February 2019
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So that's where TVR's styling soul ended up...

easytiger123

2,591 posts

208 months

Wednesday 27th February 2019
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Looks like the bonkers lovechild of a Ferrari Enzo and a Corvette. Good luck to them...they're gonna need it at £400k.

cookie1600

2,094 posts

160 months

Wednesday 27th February 2019
quotequote all
Toma500 said:
Looks like its been designed by two people one did the back end one the front the back ends winning .
Chrysler Crossfire meets Marcos Mantis M70 in an alley and they rip each other to bits. Fibreglass surgeons stitch the remains of both together?

bobbo89

5,151 posts

144 months

Wednesday 27th February 2019
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Lots of serious aero going on there, maybe too much for some which makes it a bit challenging looks wise but the two tone colour scheme isnt helping and would look much better all black/very dark grey.


redroadster

1,729 posts

231 months

Wednesday 27th February 2019
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Thought great read price then laughed ,I'd buy a 1000 bhp ultima plus range rover Vogue plus Porsche targa and mini cooper works and maybe holiday with change over this pity cos like local Yorkshire firm.