Fast-Autos News

Move over Bugatti - the most powerful production car is now the Bristol Fighter T, which has an engine developing 1,012 bhp at 5,600 rpm. Bristol says that the top speed of the car has is around 270 mph, but it has a limiter at 225 mph, which is just 4,.500 rpm in top! Not many will be made, making this a realy exotic car.

Acceleration is not as good as you might expect - or maybe it is just modesty at Bristol Cars - at 'under 3.5 seconds' whgereas the Bugatti Veyron is well under 3 seconds. The difference is largely academic - like the top speeds - but a mid-engined four-wheel drive car will accelerate more quickly than a front-engined rear-drive car. The Bristol Fighter just doesn't have enough weight on the rear wheels to get under 3 seconds.


Twin turbo V-10

How did they get this huge amount of power? Well, like the other Bristol Fighters, the T has a tuned Chrysler V-10 engine of 8 liters. Bristol tunes the engine to 550 bhp, but the for the Fighter T they have added a pair of water-cooled turbochargers to almost double power so they could exceed that magic 1,000 bhp figure, getting 1,102 bhp at 5,600 rpm, with 1,036 lb ft (1,400 Nm) of torque at 4,500 rpm. That is quite a high speed for maximum torque, but the engine still produces a massive 800 lb ft (1,080 Nm) of torque from 3,000 rpm, upward.

Needless to say the car has a special six-speed gearbox to take the torque, while the frame has been stiffened up, as has the springs and anti-roll bars. The suspension geometry has also been revised. Tires are also larger, at 285/19 fronts and 335/19 rears. The side exhausts, coming out just in fromt of the rear wheels make the car look a little different.

The Bristol Fighter S has a top speed of over 200 mph, partly owing to good aerodynamics, but The Fighter T is an absolute stormer with a power-to-weight ratio of about 600 bhp per ton and a top speed of well, you name it!

....And an Ascari with 625 bhp

Also moving up in the power stakes among exotic cars is Ascari with the A10. This is similar to the KZ1, except for the more powerful engine - still naturally aspirated - and uprated suspension, brakes and wheels. It is intended as much for racing as use on the road, and so comes as standard with an FIA roll-over cage.

Ascari claims it will outperform a Ferrari Enzo, and is a real challenger for cars like the Pagani Zonda F. However, to keep it exclusive, Ascari says it will build only ten, compared with 50 KZ1s.

BMW goes metal top

Meanwhile, BMW is now offering a metal-roof convertible on the 3 Series. It is quite neat, but again lacks the style of the coupe. Great for tjhose warm, sunny days, though, like the Aston.