Arash Farboud, originator of the Farboud GTS, has provided PistonHeads with an exclusive interview to reveal the thinking behind Arash Cars' 550bhp AF10 concept, to be unveiled at the British Motor Show next month.
But before talking about the cars, he wanted to clear up any confusion over the relationship between himself and Farboud Sports Cars, which makes the soon-to-be-released GTS. He decided to manufacture cars under his own name after selling most of Farboud Sports Cars to ex-Marcos boss Chris Marsh. He explained the background to the move:
"I still own 25 per cent of the shares in Farboud Sports Cars (FSC). I am 100 per cent owner of Farboud Ltd, which owns all the intellectual property of 'Farboud' 'GTS' or any derivative, the badge with 'bow insignia', the shape of Farboud GTS and the next models that we have designed. Farboud Ltd grants a sole licence to FSC to be able to manufacture the GTS and all future models. All these facts can be checked at Companies House and the Patent Office.
"FSC was never designed to be an escape route for me out of the market, but a sensible solution to put the car into production. FSC is a company that I wish to remain close to and buy further shares over a period of time. Chris Marsh is doing an excellent job and values the car and brand highly as he continues to receive orders and produce cars. I am sure you will be impressed with the car.
On the GTS, he said: "I produced three pre-production [GTS] cars of which I am delighted with the final finish -- it is exactly what I wanted with that 'racing car feel'. I have kept all three as a precious memory of the amazing three years of developing the Farboud brand."
"I am contractually unable to pass any further comment regarding FSC and GTS and any derivative. It is a little frustrating, but it means messages regarding the GTS remain clear and consistent."
The Farboud GTS is almost finished, is powered by a 275bhp 3-litre Ford V6 and will cost some £53,000 -- production starts in the next few months.
The new AF10
"The new company, Arash Cars, is a separate entity positioned in a different market sector. This company will make cars priced over £170,000, as contractually agreed with between Farboud Ltd and FSC to avoid competitive issues."
"For me, the new AF10 fits alongside other supercar brands. The brief was simply this: if you're at a set of traffic lights and an Enzo, Carrera GT, Pagani Zonda, Koenigsegg and McLaren SLR all pull up, the AF10 should not look out of place.
"The design has been flavoured mainly by the Enzo as it is in my opinion the most dramatic car of the bunch, however our style has been maximised to flow more from front to rear rather than a split section as per Enzo. Unique features such as the side pods and wings should move the evolution away from the Enzo. Essentially I have chosen not to take the cabin forward as per Pagani and I have deliberately used a large cabin and doors as per McLaren F1, SLR and Enzo as it allows for easy ingress and egress. Dihedral doors are also a lot easier to manage wind and water ingress due the loss of frameless glass.
Making the AF10
The carbon-fibre bodied sports car has a steel and carbon-fibre tub at its heart, and uses a 7.0-litre Corvette Z06 engine for motive power, mated to a six-speed Graziano transmission.
"AF10 will go into production as the development cost is a fraction of GTS, due to the learning curve covered and the amount of equipment, facilities and parts that we own.
"With the use of modern computing packages it is possible to model, wind-tunnel test and crash-test a car before a pre-production car is made. As we are making a car in-house and with a small team, costs are massively reduced and we avoid having too many cooks." Farboud told Evo that MB Roadcars' Michael Blaize had assisted with this process.
"Production is also easier for us to manage as the final sales price is much higher, enabling a slower production schedule which in turn is manageable. A higher margin allows for lower volumes and fewer parts are outsourced.
"With regards to the badge. I have chosen deliberately the shape of the badge to be quite traditional rather than leaving the fashion norm. The gold and black colour scheme has always been my colour selection choice as shown by Farboud. There are similarities to Porsche and Lamborghini in the badge, but I see no bad thing in this as familiarity is good for start-up companies.
"There is a general perception that I have spent a great deal of money, but I have learned a huge amount from the concept to production process of GTS and GT. I was amazingly £1.2 million under budget at the end and managed to pay for our lovely Cambridge facilities."
Prototypes of the AF10 should be out by the end of the year, and production of just 25 cars a year starts in 2007.
The man
So, is Farboud a petrolhead? "My current fleet is - Porsche 924, Porsche 968CS, three Farboud GTS pre-production cars, Porsche Carrera GT, Farboud GT, Lamborghini Gallardo SE, Lamborghini Murciélago, BMW X5 4.6. The collection is my true commitment to cars of various brands and sectors.
"I am able to prove my understanding of sports cars and supercars by owning them. I understand the full sales process, the customer care, the servicing and residual value consideration which passes onto the car companies that I am involved in. Plus - it would be a shame not to taste other companies' fantastic cars!"
Finally, Farboud said: "I am so chuffed to hear so many comments here on PH. Some are good and some are very hard hitting which is exactly what I want to hear - the truth!"
