Approximately two years ago, Elemental Motor Company presented the Rp1 to the motoring media. The British outfit has finished assembly of the first production-ready Rp1 only recently, though. To demonstrate how hell-bent for leather the Rp1 is, Elemental will put the lightweight sports car through its paces at the 2016 Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Considering that the Elemental Motor Company was founded in 2012 with the sole purpose of developing “a cutting edge” sports car, it is far from wrong to say that the Rp1 was developed over the course of four years. Based in Hambledon, Hampshire, the British automaker prides itself on the power-to-weight ratio of the model: 500 horsepower per tonne.
By comparison, the 2005 Bugatti Veyron EB 16.4 boasts 523 ponies per tonne. The business end of the Elemental Rp1 is a 2.0-liter EcoBoost with 320 horsepower. An 180 horsepower 1.0 three-cylinder EcoBoost is also available. Depending on the engine, the Rp1 can sprint to 60 mph (96 km/h) in 2.8 and 3.2 seconds, respectively. The coolest detail about the Rp1, however, is the F1-inspired feet-up driving position.
Ian Hall, the production manager at Elemental Motor Company, is genuinely chuffed to bits: “Elemental is truly a 21st-century car company as it has exploited the latest efficient production techniques available to produce a car that we believe is without compromise. By streamlining our production processes we’ll be able to gradually increase production and still maintain first-class levels of material quality as well as fit and finish.”
Some people might have something to say about the lack of a roof. However, a roof defeats the purpose of owning such a machine. The Elemental Rp1 can also hold its own in the twisties thanks to easily adjustable suspension and a switchable traction control system. If you are brave enough to hit 150 mph (241 km/h) in this thing, you’ll be able to find out how 881 pounds (400 kilograms) of downforce feels like.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News