Nick Hall drives the upcoming Farboud GTS - the latest supercar which should carry the price tag of a Porsche Boxster
Something special is going on in a small industrial unit in Cambridgeshire - an affordable supercar is taking shape.
The production version of the visually stunning Farboud GTS is six months away, but having been invited to drive one of just three prototypes in existence I can testify that this car should become a superstar of the burgeoning British supercar market.
It's in rude health at the moment, with the new Aston Martin DB9 winning critical acclaim, Noble emerging as a true superpower, Marcos rising like a Phoenix and a rich Russian ploughing funds into TVR. Farboud will have to go some to compete against these but, if Arash Farboud's envisaged rocket matches the prototype, customers will come. Prices in Britain for the production version will be €56,000, which suggests Irish owners should get one up for about €95,000.
Bike racing star Loris Capirossi has already put down a deposit and wants the prototype, but his wife is thought to favour the more civilised production car. It's good to know that even legends need to consult their better half when buying a car.
At 29 Arash is certainly on the young side for a motoring magnate, but the family pharmaceutical firm next door to his Cambridge factory has helped him indulge in the kind of cars most men only dream of. He has owned several Porsches, has a Ferrari 360 and only bought that after he was turned down for the super exclusive Ferrari Enzo. He now has a deposit down for the Porsche Carrera GT and is like a kid in a sweetshop as he waits for his new toy.
When Farboud came up with the concept of his own car in 1998, it was a response to what he felt were increasingly tame cars from the big names. Starting out with a concept of a £150,000 Porsche GT1 Le Mans car replica, he has changed his approach several times as reality and costs crept in to the plans. The concept has now turned into a sub-£50,000 supercar with a smattering of creature comforts.
The fact that there are three working prototypes is down to just three men in the factory. Now, though, Arash has passed the torch to Chris Marsh, son of Marcos founder Jem Marsh and stalwart of the niche sportscar world. Arash retains shares in a new company, but Chris brings production knowledge and capability. Too many companies flounder at this stage because the man behind it hangs on to overall control and ownership.
The stunning 2.8-litre Audi powerplant is based on a bored-out V6 from the RS4. Race and road tuner Dialynx in Swindon worked its magic and the result is a mindblowing 600bhp that is wisely limited to 400bhp for tests on the public road. A "boost button" liberates the extra horses, and in full flow this machine held a Porsche Carrera GT in a head-to-head recently. There is nothing on the road that can leave this 1100kg prototype in a straight line.
The car catapults to 60mph (97km/h) in less than 3.7 seconds and tops out at well over 180mph (290km/h). There are no in-gear acceleration figures, but it's very, very quick.
The prototype has no sound insulation, so the turbo sounds like a dragon snorting as the boost comes on to send the car into hyperdrive at 3500rpm. It's a brutal experience and each burst of acceleration comes in with a bang after the wastegates empty with an almighty whoosh. If held at the point of the boost kicking in, the car huffs and blows all the way down the road.
When the boost kicks in, the Farboud can break traction through its 19" rear wheels all the way through the first four gears - and if it comes on mid-corner the car can slip wide in a hurry. It's easily corrected, but it's not something that would go down well with the mainstream car-buying public.
There is no traction control and no Limited Slip Diff. The only thing that controls traction is the driver's right foot, and Farboud wants to civilise the car just enough without neutering its spirit.
This and cost issues have convinced Farboud to go with a Ford Mondeo-sourced three-litre engine for the production car. These will be available in a 270bhp normally-aspirated or 350bhp+ turbo-charged form, so the powerplant is almost the same as the Noble's. It also uses relatively simple, if exceedingly well done, spaceframe chassis technology, which keeps the price within reason.
It should still manage the 0-60mph (97km/h) in less than four seconds, and will deliver more than enough performance for the public road and the odd track day. It should also be comfortable enough to use every day, something you can't say about the track-honed Noble which has redefined handling levels in the supercar market.
Farboud has spent a year honing the handling on the test track and public roads. They've ended up with a chassis capable of dealing with a 600bhp car, which will then have to deal with "just" 350bhp. There may be some corners to be cut, such as the expensive race-tuned Ohlins suspension and AP Racing brakes that are as effective as they are savage, but the company's engineers insist that the final edition will match this one's roadholding.
Styling is the real selling point. The Farboud shape has a subtle elegance missing from the bewinged Noble M400 and the bulbous and slightly brutish TVRs. It's beautifully proportioned and, apart from the scoop from the side, is near perfect from every angle.
The interior should be reasonably luxurious, with racing seats and full-on electric numbers currently under consideration for the full-on spec. The prototype had no such luxuries, though, just a race-car style Stack read-out and seats that need pushing back to get in and out.
Arash Farboud wanted to build a car that captured the spirit of the Porsche GT1 - and for £40,000. If the finished version matches up to this prototype dream, which is a stunning yet savage creature, then you'll be hearing lots more about Farboud sports cars in the near future.
PROTOTYPE:
Engine: 2.8-litre Audi V6 with Garrett Twin Turbos
Chassis: Reinforced spaceframe
Power: 400bhp
0-60mph: 3.9 seconds (Est)
Top speed: 180mph+
Weight: 1150kg
Dimensions: 4.4mx1.85m
Price: £72,000
PRODUCTION
Engine: 3-litre Ford V6 with Garrett Twin Turbo
Power: 350bhp
0-60mph: 4 seconds (Est)
Top Speed: 180mph (Est)
Weight: 1150kg
Dimensions: 4.4mx1.85m
Price: About £56,000