Spectre R42
Encyclopedia
The Spectre R42 is a 2-seater mid-engined
rear-wheel drive sportscar built by British speciality car manufacturer Spectre Supersport Ltd.
The car was first designed by Ray Christopher of GT Development fame, who was notable for building accurate replicas of Ford GT40
. The R42 was the modern reincarnation of the GT40 given the same wheelbase and size of the cars together and was first shown at the London Motor Show in the early-mid nineties. Unfortunately, the company soon collapsed due to high development costs of the car.
A British-offshoot of the American company called Spectre would take over the whole project, with Christopher leading the project before soon leaving the company and was replaced by Anders Hildebrand.
He reorganized production, brought in the investors and involved Derek Bell
as chairman. By 1996, selling for £70,000 each, the company only managed to sell 23 cars, a reasonable amount for a speciality car and then in 1997 the company fell into bankruptcy
. The company would later return to develop a similar car called Spectre R45, which never entered production.
The chassis of the car is a monocoque
and is made of lightweight material as of other parts of the car such as the suspension
and body, which gave it the final weight of around 1250 kilograms (1.23 tons). The car is 4115 mm (13.4') in length, 1854 mm (6.0') in width, and 1092 mm (3.5') in height. The heart of the sportscar is a 4.6 litre (281 cubic inches) Ford V8 with 4 valves per cylinder which develops 360 bhp and 317 lbft of torque allowing the car to reach 60 mph (100 km/h) in 4 and a half seconds and on to a top speed of 175 mph (280 km/h). The weight distribution of 42% at the front and 58% at the rear because of the mid-mounted engine makes it a very predictable car when driving it very fast. The wide tyres give plenty of grip in dry conditions. The race-style independent suspension, which is a shock absorbing unit, is fully adjustable, so as a result, it has a great ride quality and is very comfortable even at high speeds.
The very spacious interior of the R42 contains luxurious leather trims and neat Wilton carpets. Visibility is also very good compared to other mid-engined sportscar of that time, even of today. There is a good amount of luggage and storage space as well.
The R42 had a starring role in the 2000 Ian Sharp film "RPM" where it plays the prototype eco-friendly supercar that David Arquette has to steal.
Mid-engine design
A mid-engine layout describes the placement of an automobile engine between the rear and front axles. Another term for this is mid-ship.-Benefits:The mid-engine layout is typically chosen for its relatively favorable weight distribution...
rear-wheel drive sportscar built by British speciality car manufacturer Spectre Supersport Ltd.
The car was first designed by Ray Christopher of GT Development fame, who was notable for building accurate replicas of Ford GT40
Ford GT40
The Ford GT40 was a high performance sports car and winner of the 24 hours of Le Mans four times in a row, from 1966 to 1969...
. The R42 was the modern reincarnation of the GT40 given the same wheelbase and size of the cars together and was first shown at the London Motor Show in the early-mid nineties. Unfortunately, the company soon collapsed due to high development costs of the car.
A British-offshoot of the American company called Spectre would take over the whole project, with Christopher leading the project before soon leaving the company and was replaced by Anders Hildebrand.
He reorganized production, brought in the investors and involved Derek Bell
Derek Bell (auto racer)
Derek Reginald Bell MBE is a former racing driver from England who was extremely successful in sportscar racing, winning five times at Le Mans. He also raced in Formula One for the Ferrari, McLaren, Surtees and Tecno teams...
as chairman. By 1996, selling for £70,000 each, the company only managed to sell 23 cars, a reasonable amount for a speciality car and then in 1997 the company fell into bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
. The company would later return to develop a similar car called Spectre R45, which never entered production.
The chassis of the car is a monocoque
Monocoque
Monocoque is a construction technique that supports structural load by using an object's external skin, as opposed to using an internal frame or truss that is then covered with a non-load-bearing skin or coachwork...
and is made of lightweight material as of other parts of the car such as the suspension
Suspension (vehicle)
Suspension is the term given to the system of springs, shock absorbers and linkages that connects a vehicle to its wheels. Suspension systems serve a dual purpose — contributing to the car's roadholding/handling and braking for good active safety and driving pleasure, and keeping vehicle occupants...
and body, which gave it the final weight of around 1250 kilograms (1.23 tons). The car is 4115 mm (13.4') in length, 1854 mm (6.0') in width, and 1092 mm (3.5') in height. The heart of the sportscar is a 4.6 litre (281 cubic inches) Ford V8 with 4 valves per cylinder which develops 360 bhp and 317 lbft of torque allowing the car to reach 60 mph (100 km/h) in 4 and a half seconds and on to a top speed of 175 mph (280 km/h). The weight distribution of 42% at the front and 58% at the rear because of the mid-mounted engine makes it a very predictable car when driving it very fast. The wide tyres give plenty of grip in dry conditions. The race-style independent suspension, which is a shock absorbing unit, is fully adjustable, so as a result, it has a great ride quality and is very comfortable even at high speeds.
The very spacious interior of the R42 contains luxurious leather trims and neat Wilton carpets. Visibility is also very good compared to other mid-engined sportscar of that time, even of today. There is a good amount of luggage and storage space as well.
The R42 had a starring role in the 2000 Ian Sharp film "RPM" where it plays the prototype eco-friendly supercar that David Arquette has to steal.