0-60 in two and a half seconds

The Freestream T1 is being hailed as the first car that can create 1,000bhp per tonne. Only 25 of the exclusive two-seater ultra-lightweight sportscars will be built and it will be developed as both a road-approved version and a higher specification track version. The car is claimed to weigh no more that 464kg.

According to its developers, Graham Halstead and Ben Scott-Geddes, an engine output of more than 1,000bhp would have added unnecessary extra weight, which in turn adds cost to the car. At the same time, if they made the car with 300bhp per 300kg this would compromise its crashworthiness because of insufficient structural mass.

'An extremely lightweight approach can cause costs to spiral through the use of exotic materials. And less horsepower means a restricted top speed and aerodynamic performance,' said Halstead.

'Having arrived at the optimum power-to-weight ratio a major engineering challenge was to design a powertrain of around 100kg; without which it would have been impossible to meet our overall design requirements,' added Scott-Geddes.

Halstead and Scott-Geddes have worked together in the past and formed part of the small engineering team that developed the McLaren F1 and Mercedes-McLaren SLR. Their vision for the Freestream T1 was an ultra-lightweight car capable of reaching 60mph in two and a half seconds, with a top speed exceeding 200mph depending on the adjustable aerodynamic set-up, and enough downforce to corner at more than 3G — about the same as a typical Le Mans car.

The Freestream T1 powertrain comprises a bespoke 2.4-litre supercharged V8 aluminium engine with a mass of around 85kg. The six-speed sequential transmission with magnesium casing is a bespoke design with a mass of approximately 30kg. The body is made from carbon fibre and is modular in design with tunable aerodynamics. Its carbon/aluminium honeycomb monocoque features a separate composite crash structure at the front, while the rear sub-frame is made from aerospace-grade steel.

The Freestream is expected to cost around £150,000 and Scott-Geddes and Halstead anticipate that it will be bought by either individuals or corporate clients who need track cars for hospitality race events. It is due to be launched later this year.