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Hey guys, from TG website, new sports car from UK. "Right. This time I am not going to get emotionally involved. This time I am going to take a level-headed, detached view. It is, I have decided, the only approach to take with a New British Sports Car. It's the same every time. You go along, meet the people and drive the car, which is never quite ready. There's usually a degree of guilt attached. Journalists chasing cars rarely call to say, "No rush. Just tell us when it's 100 per cent sorted". So, if the car is good, or at least feels that it could be, you get excited. But then before your cautiously optimistic story is even published - Bang! - the only person answering the telephone is the official receiver and Coys catalogue is offering 'a unique opportunity to purchase a piece of British motoring history, one of only three ever built.' Strathcarron and Jensen are two names that spring unhappily to mind. Now here's another new name, Invicta. The base of Invicta is a modern Wiltshire industrial unit. Michael Bristow, the chairman, believes in a strict policy of letting actions speak louder than words, a policy that has so far served Invicta well. The S1 coupe was built in complete secrecy and caught both press and public by surprise at the 2002 Motorshow. Behind the wheel the Invicta S1 suddenly feels surprisingly cramped. Part of the problem is the lower dashboard, which will be altered on the production cars. Front three-quarter visibility is not good either, adding to the hemmed-in feel. The engine is fired up by turning the key - no fancy starter buttons here - and the unit itself is an off-the-shelf Ford SVT Mustang Cobra Quad Cam V8 from the States. With 320bhp and 300lb ft, it's a good solid performer. With a quoted dry weight of just 1,110kg, the Invicta has performance to spare. Even on the airfield where we are, with all that space, it really does feel seriously swift. And it feels truly tractable, whatever gear you are in. There are some downsides, though. You'd be hard pushed to argue that the front-mounted Ford V8 sounds like the most romantic engine in the world, and it certainly isn't the highest revving - although any Ford dealer will be able to fettle it. The Borg Warner T45 five-speed manual doesn't like to be rushed either, yet it works well enough in combination with the laid back character of the big V8. The whole experience is more gentlemanly than manic. It's civilised too; even at 130mph wind noise is subdued. Curbing speed is no problem with AP ventilated and cross-drilled racing discs front and rear. I didn't like the pedal position but as it's adjustable, that's no big deal. Neither anti-lock nor traction control are available. And yet even in the rain, provided you are half sensible, the well-sorted steel-frame, double wishbone chassis isn't crying out for electronic aids. There's a very high level of grip with a tendency for the front - in the wet at least - to lose purchase first. A long travel throttle, a hydratrak limited-slip differential and precise, accurate steering, give you every chance of correcting any provoked slides. Even the ride is good and should improve further with a softer set-up. Not everyone is going to be a huge fan of the styling, though. Neither the front nor the rear particularly do it for me, but the side view is smart - sort of classic English GT, yet resting on those Kahn Designs five-blade alloys, quite contemporary too. The trouble is that building the first car is almost the easy bit, it's keeping the company going that's tricky. "If we build a good car we deserve to be around and if we aren't, we aren't. This project was set up to be self-sustained through building a very small number of high quality motor cars." "How many?" I ask. "Have I shown you the oven yet?" comes the reply, "let me show you the oven." After a thorough inspection of the oven, we return to the subject. He's still elusive, but 30 to 40 cars a year at

http://www.supercars.net/PicFetch?pic=2003_invicta_s1-1.jpg http://www.supercars.net/PicFetch?pic=2003_invicta_s1-2.jpg http://www.supercars.net/PicFetch?pic=2003_invicta_s1-3.jpg Long time British manufactuer Invicta has been resurrected after 70 years of ceased production. Invitca was the creation of Captain Albert Noel, who produce a high-quality racing chassisin the 1930s. This chassis recieved the name Low Chassis Tourer from its very low center of gravity. Durability was also a factor in designing the product, especailly with a three year warantee. From early on Invicta had a racecar with a winning formula. They highlight of the car's achievement came at the 1931 Tourist Trophy when Tommy Wisdom drove a Low Chassis Tourer to its class win. Invicta ceased prodcution in October of 1933. With Shrinking demand and wide-spread depression Invicta's day were numbered. Zoom ahead seventy years, and now, after two years of development, an entirely new Invicta is about to enter the market. Best of all, the company says the car is ready for production! The car that was at this year's Birmingham Motor Show is not a concept or pre-production mock-up. Indeed Invicta is ready to sell. Driving the Invcita is Ford's Mustang SVT engine. This powerplant provides for 320 hp and 300 foot pounds of torque from 4.6 litres of displacement. Invicta have designed their own intake and exhaust tracts for this all-alminum engine. Highlighting the new Invicta is a one piece Carbon-Composite body. Having the body in one peice allows for great rigity from a lightweight system. This body is bonded to a traditional steel spaceframe. Its the completely flat floor of the Invicta which is an area of interest. Having floor flat reduces drag and increases downforce. The first S1s will be delivered in early 2003. Production should reach one car per month. Each car is hand made

This is a full-production car and not just a concept. Check out these specs: [ol] [*]One-Piece Carbon Fibre body shell bonded to tubular space frame chassis. (The strongest tested by UK car safety officials). 50/50 weight distribution. [*]4.6 litre Ford SVT all aluminium V8 used in the Mustang Cobra. 320bhp / 300lb ft [*]5-speed Borg Warner manual standard. [*]0-60 mph within 5 sec, > 170 mph, yet returning more than 27mpg overall. [*]19" wheels shod with ultra low (35 section) profile tyres. [/ol] The Seamless Body Shell !!!