Announced in January 2014 as Project Judi, the car is the result of an 18-month endeavour between Coventry-based David Brown Automotive and the Envisage Group, which developed the car for production and optimised the vehicle’s Jaguar XKR chassis and powertrain.
In a statement, David Brown, founder and CEO of David Brown Automotive said: ‘As reliability is vital, we chose to adopt a thoroughly proven and acclaimed chassis that not only delivers dynamic performance but also lends itself to our lightweight aluminium design.
‘Renown for its performance and handling, the XKR has been extensively developed and refined by one of the world’s greatest car manufacturers, making it an obvious choice on which to base our car.
‘It has been developed using a combination of both traditional and contemporary technology, including the latest in automotive expertise. It has undergone a thorough analysis and development programme, including highly advanced windtunnel and dynamic simulations.’
On the road, the six-speed Speedback can accelerate from 0-60 mph in 4.6 seconds, thanks to its supercharged 5.0-litre V8 engine.
‘This car will appeal to anybody who desires a truly individual sports car, which can boast a fine British pedigree and which will only be produced in limited numbers, thus ensuring the kind of exclusivity associated with Britain’s once proud heritage of traditional, high-quality, automotive coach-building,’ said Brown.
Speedback will be revealed to the public at the Top Marques Show, in Monaco, on 17th April 2014.
Envisage are using the event to launch a service described CEO Alastair Cattrell as ‘the automotive equivalent of a bespoke suit’.
With a starting price of around £1.5m, Envisage say they will ‘design and build…a complete bespoke automobile to world-class standards of quality, performance, safety and connectivity.’
The company has invested over £3m in a new technical centre where customers will be able to view ‘an infinite range of styles and specifications’ during the design phase of their bespoke vehicle.
Speedback specs
Engine
5.0 V8 510 Supercharged
Capacity (cc) 5,000
Maximum Power EEC-PS (kW) 510 (375)
Maximum torque EEC-Nm (lb. ft.) 625 (461)
Transmission 6-speed automatic
Performance & Economy
Acceleration 0-60 mph (0-100km/h) 4.6 (4.8) seconds
Top speed mph (km/h) 155 (248)
Combined mpg (l/100km) 23.0 (12.3)
Carbon dioxide emissions (g/km) 29
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