Raptor returns car production to Scotland

Seven-style roadster will be first fully assembled car built north of the border since 1981

By Matt Bird / Tuesday, 28 August 2018 / Loading comments

Of all the wonderful things associated with Scotland, car manufacturing is not among them. It's a fabulous place to drive cars, sure, but it doesn't exactly rank with Italy, Germany and - apologies for being blunt about it - England as a convenient location for constructing automobiles.

However, a new Scottish sports car venture is now looking to return the assembly of stuff on four wheels to north of the border - for the first time since the Linwood Talbot factory closed in 1981.

Raptor Sportscars is the brainchild of Andy Entwistle, and is based in East Lothian. Having once built motorsport engines, he then branched out to offer kit cars; where those vehicles and the Raptor products differ, though, is that this car will be built in Scotland with a chassis designed there, too. Moreover, while kits are to be offered, a fully assembled Raptor will also be sold.

While clearly inspired by the eponymous Seven, the Raptor range is longer than a Caterham, a deliberate move by Entwistle. Because he's six foot seven. And as anyone approaching two metres tall will tell you, space becomes rather hard to come by in a Seven at that height, whatever chassis is used. A variety of bike and car engines will be offered in the Raptor line up, with one side of the RR range using either a Yamaha R1 or Kawasaki ZZR engine for anything between 180 and 230hp. The car-engined versions feature the Ecoboost four-cylinder as found in the previous Fiesta ST, with power outputs ranging from 200hp to 330hp. A 2.0-litre Duratec with 165hp will also be offered.

All Raptor cars will have adjustable pushrod suspension, with the promise of 'super sensory feedback direct to your fingertips'. A dealer has apparently already been appointed in Florida, with prices in the UK set to start from £22,000. Looks like a Scottish road trip might be in order...

[Sources: Autocar, Raptor]