Aspid GT-21 Invictus supercar emerges

SPANISH car-maker Aspid has unveiled a dramatic partially open-wheeled supercar called the GT-21 Invictus, and is promising some startling performance figures for when it goes on sale in Europe within two years.

Aspid is targeting a sub-3.0 second 0-100km/h time and a top speed of 305km/h for the macho-styled four-seater, which is billed as a larger and less compromised road-going follow-up to the company’s SuperSport two-seater from 2008.

Power is said to come from a “latest generation” Euro 5-compliant 4.4-litre BMW naturally-aspirated V8 engine generating 331kW of power at a screaming 8300rpm and 440Nm of torque at 3900rpm.

This power is transferred through the rear wheels and matched to a dual-clutch automatic transmission with paddle shifters on the steering wheel.

The company also claims to have developed “new-generation” hybrid technology for the car, which is says will improve performance while cutting fuel use and emissions. Further details are unclear at this stage, but Aspid says much of this new technology will be applied to other road cars.

Like the Caterham-rivalling SuperSport, lightness is again the order of the day, with the GT-21 Invictus utilising the same 80kg chassis that helps keep the overall dry weight down to just 990kg.

The car makes extensive use of aerospace-grade aluminium and composites and will also be engineered to allow buyers to tailor the car to suit their driving style.

Underneath the composite bodyshell (with integrated rollcage) sits an all-aluminium double wishbone suspension set-up with racing-inspired pushrod dampers that help the car pull a claimed 1.6g in the corners.

Stopping power comes from massive 400mm discs all-round that are claimed to dissipate heat at a faster than usual rate, giving performance that is said to be on par with carbon brakes without needing to be warmed up.

The edgy styling comes from auto engineering firm (and Aspid parent company) IFR automotive, which designed and engineered the SuperSport on which the GT-21 Invictus is based, and is claimed to be the first four-seat GT car with an open-wheeled arrangement at the front-end.

Aspid chief designer and founder Ignacio Fernández Rodriquez said the company had to retain the open-wheeled characteristics of the SuperSport in order to set itself apart from the crowd.

“This presented by far the biggest challenge in terms of packaging the interior volume for the driver and passengers,” he said, “but we’ve successfully achieved this and have therefore maintained our unique visual identity, so the car is perceived as an Aspid the instant it’s seen.” At 4447mm long, 1883mm wide and 1226mm high, the GT-21 Invictus is substantially larger than its SuperSport predecessor, allowing a 2+2 seating layout coupled with 275 litres boot capacity.

Mr Rodriquez said the company will offer buyers the option of individualising their car, including making changes to the geometry and electronic settings for different needs.

“This means that in addition to aesthetic customization of the vehicle, the client can also customize its ride and handling characteristics to their own requirements,” he said.

“We aim to offer a unique and unforgettable experience when a customer buys one of our sports cars. We believe our factory model and our relationship with each customer will be unique and set a new standard in the market. “It will be more like the relationship experienced between a professional race driver and his race engineer and race team.” Aspid claims the GT-21 Invictus will involved a “multi-million Euro” spend that will lead to the creation of up to 200 jobs.

Discussions with investors regarding the most suitable manufacturing location are said to be nearing completion, with just 250 units to be produced per year from 2014 for sales through 20 European dealerships.

Each car will be hand-built in its own production bay rather than a traditional production line. Customers will be able to choose from more than 100 different options, and will be invited to visit the factory during the build of their car.

Mr Rodriquez said technology developed for the GT-21 Invictus would help Aspid and IFR Automotive grow as it sought to widen its scope into other vehicle segments.

“The GT-21 brings together the most advanced technologies yet introduced to this market as presented previously in the Super Sport, which helped us test the water.

“It introduces a compendium of new technologies specifically developed for this new model, which enhances our understanding of cars generally and their continual evolution as machines of even greater efficiency than we’ve ever seen before.

“We aspire to build Aspid Cars as a brand representing design innovation and technological leadership, which through IFR Automotive can be applied to passenger, commercial and off highway vehicles,” he said.