A hundred PHer points to the reader who knew of the Spartan sports car before right now. It's a project that first saw the light of day in 2011, devised by brothers Peter and Nick Pap and powered by a Ducati 1198S engine before it was replaced with a supercharged Honda Jazz unit. Now the Spartan is back once more with another Honda engine.
Like an Ariel Nomad, the Spartan uses the supercharged 2.4-litre four-cylinder motor with the output rated at an absurd 400hp. It's lighter than the Ariel, too, with a claimed kerbweight of just 550kg thanks to carbon panels. Apparently it's capable of 0-62mph in 2.4 seconds, and 150mph.
In keeping with the 60s retro theme established by the swoopy styling, the Spartan is mostly devoid of driver assistance, with little beyond traction control to help its driver out - "it's like a big go-kart with driver involvement paramount", says Spartan. The dampers are adjustable, and extensive development on road and track is said to have yielded a "supple predictable and confidence-inspiring" sports car.
Want one? It's only for the truly committed, really, and that's not just because of the speedster-style windscreen. The Spartan isn't road legal, and it costs £80k, so getting one over here and on track days isn't going to be the work of a moment. The Spartan boys clearly have a sense of humour, though, as they plan to make 300. You can see a video of the car in action below, and more details are on the Spartan website. If scarcity appeals in your track toy, surely there's nothing better...
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