Breckland’s dual-fuel, 300kW V8 Beira roadster will be launched at the Motorexpo at London’s Canary Wharf on June 9, 2008.
Visitors will be the first members of the public to see a brand-new, British-built sports car in the UK. The Beira is being assembled by Norfolk-based Breckland Technology and will be on sale from November 2008.
Breckland started with General Motors’ Kappa platform, the basis of the American Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky models. This allowed the company (which specializes in producing low-volume cars and prototypes for clients) to keep development time and price to a minimum. The car has taken a year to develop and is expected to retail for about £55 000.
For that, buyers will get a car based on proven GM technology but with unique styling and a six-litre V8 engine (also from GM, normally used in Corvettes) tuned to produce almost 300kW.
That, says the company, is enough to fire the car to 100km/h in less than five seconds and on to a governed 250km/h. However, unlike the standard engine, the version in the Beira has been engineered to run on LPG as well as unleaded petrol to reduce running costs and CO2 emissions. It will also give it a potential range of more than 1100km from its two tanks.
Breckland’s designers have remodeled the front and rear of the car but they have retained GM’s doors for their good seal and side-impact protection.
The interior, on the other hand, is custom-built and includes crash bags, air conditioning and satellite navigation but the company says the cabin can tailored to any customer’s needs in terms of material and equipment.
It’s a car unashamedly aimed at driving enthusiasts and Breckland director Mike Rawlings said: “The Beira carries on from where Marcos and TVR left off in terms of providing maximum performance and real individuality for money spent.”
Source – Reuters
Popularity: 20% [?]
