I know I'm not going to figure high on many lists of people to feel sorry for this week, but some things are better at increasing my blood pressure than this kind of work. You are asked to collect a valuable colossally supercar that are unrelated to others in your experience and return several hours later after finding a fully dynamic capabilities and limitations at the same time he finished shooting without flying off the road once.
With Ascari, the things even worse. Make mistakes even in something that is rare as the Ferrari Enzo and the way to the center of your work can at least comfort yourself with the knowledge that you have reduced the world population Enzo by only a fraction of one percent. Did I violate the Ascari KZ1, the figure is certainly higher: one hundred percent, in fact. This car is a private transportation founder Klaas Zwart Ascari which bears the initials and a few dog-eared prototype side, is the only one currently exists.
However, since the time we rumbled out of the gate Ascari's Banbury factory when I returned the KZ1 in the required number of pieces, the one he failed to frighten me to do is a bit too. For those who are not able to have fun without a near-death experiences, this will come as a disappointment. But from where I sit, it was more like a victory.
You'll appreciate why a little more when you learn what we're dealing with here. The KZ1 is £ 235,000 supercar, powered by a 500bhp, 5.0-liter BMW V8. This may seem a modest power output and slightly more than you would find on a particular Mercedes estate today, but the tub and bodywork is carbon carbonfibre weighs just 1275kg, and a VW Polos who weigh more than that.
But if a thin build a stand out among the generation that truly supercars a little fat (it's over 200kg lighter than the Maserati MC12), everything else about KZ1 is likely to be taken directly from the textbook the supercar. Engine mounted lengthwise behind the driver. The same six-speed gearbox Cima unit you'll find in a Pagani or Koenigsegg. Naturally consists of double wishbone suspension at each corner, while the large drilled brake discs supplied by AP Racing and clamped by six-piston front and four in the back.
I knew all this before I got the ship and, at that time, did not find anything to suggest why this car should be different and why it should be worth £ 235,000 a man when so many better-looking supercars bearing your name really hear from the available so much less.
Interior provides some clues, however, why this car has been five years in the making of the concept since it was first performed in 2000. Beautifully designed and finished to the standards most supercar manufacturers will be proud to call their own. You can identify the odd-bin keys - the starter's from Vauxhall VX220 - and other specific controls only been reskinned, but the whole effect is classy and purpose. Driving position does not give off the clutch and over-the-shoulder visibility is terrible, but happily I have a second pair of eyes in the passenger seat, so I thumb V8 into life, high drive and thin alloy gearlever be the first and set off to find out further.
Doing this job is and, with a few cars at least, you can tell they will feel right even before you start speeding. This level of steering feel, the damping fluency and braking response is not just happen: it can only be introduced by using expensive components seeks talented engineers with an innate understanding of what is required and how to achieve it. Also great throttle response and ex-M5 engine is flexible in a high state of tune.
But seriously hit and, while the V8 respond immediately, it gives only a very fast performance when, for this money, you might have expected the wild. Ascari claims performance (0-60mph in 3.8sec, 0-100mph in 8.3sec) match the Ford GT to make for the tenth, but, for whatever reason, that seems to lack the capacity KZ1 GT savagery straight line. It will only get very fast speeds, staying smooth and refined V8 all the way to the 7250rpm limiter.
This may not be quite like that one problem was not so blindingly obvious that Ascari could easily overcome at least another 100bhp. Do not make mistakes, KZ1 is one of the best-handling supercars this or any generation. No Ferrari made today and this guide, could not match the Porsche superlative mix up and repair. A fully customized suspension soft enough to appear in the rear to provide exceptional traction, but the damping means extraordinary body control given class, even punishing enough on the surface taken at speed. At the end of this particularly understeer, but this is just how this car has been fixed: if a customer wants a bit more challenging balance, suspension can be configured to let you go as sideways as you like. As for the brakes, I'm not sure I ever met a more reliable, consistent, or better-feeling set of plugs in any road car.
This, then, is the car real charm and ability. What I like most about design is that no attempt has been made to create a road-going race car. It's comfortable, it seems well built and quite smooth on the highway that will be used for hours, but when the time came to have fun, it really gives. With some luggage space and decent visibility, it would be a superlative GT remotely with the ability to turn into a true supercar street as soon as possible.
What I really struggle with is the cost. It is well known that the customer is less sensitive to price in a clear six-figure price tag, but can not be ignored that cars like the Ferrari F430 and Ford GT offers the same performance, style and beautiful blue-blood pedigree about half of the money. Ascari KZ1's will expect exclusivity (there will never be more than 50 built) will bridge the gap. I joined them in hope, because both Ascari understood, developed and implemented; for that reason alone, it deserves to succeed. If the cost of 50 thousand and less than 100bhp more, even become world-beater.
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