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Formula 1 for the street - the Freestream T1
Here's a car that makes the Ferrari FXX look sensible. Developed by U.K. startup Freestream, the T1 (shown above) is intended to be the world's ultimate track-day car.
The design team of Ben Scott-Geddes and Graham Halstead were responsible for the design and development of the legendary McLaren F1, and more recently the Mercedes SLR, so the T1 definitely has the right genes, and their no-compromise approach to ultimate performance has defined an amazing vehicle. More after the jump!
Powered by a custom-built, supercharged 2.4-liter aluminum V8, putting out 500 hp through a 6-speed paddle-shift gearbox, the T1 is essentially a two-seater Formula 1 car for the street. In fact, the 2.4-liter V8 (a Cosworth, perhaps?) is based on the 2006 Formula 1 specification. With projected acceleration from 0-60 mph in less than 2.5 sec (!), and from 0-100 mph in less than 5 sec (!!), the Freestream basically redefines the performance envelope for road-worthy vehicles. The ultra-lightweight, 1,000-lb car achieves a stunning 3g lateral acceleration. Full specs are available at the Freestream website.
Everything from tire selection to aerodynamics are adjustable and tunable, so it's a good thing that Freestream offer a range of "vehicle support solutions" (aka "people who know what they're doing") for T1 owners in search of the ultimate track-day experience.
The T1 is expected to be available later this year, starting at about $265,000. Production will be limited to 25 cars a year, so call now if you're interested!
[Source: Freestream, via GlobalAutoIndex] Thanks to Noah and Neil for the tips!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
VW-Guy 5:26PM (2/07/2006)
That. Is. So. Sexy.
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Noah 5:59PM (2/07/2006)
I don't buy it, all I see is [poorly] rendered designs.
That said, if someone wants a really fast car that will cost a fortune to maintain, I imagine this will become the new low numbers hero. Need something more exotic than an Enzo but don't have the cash?
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kevin 6:01PM (2/07/2006)
what kinda tires do you need for 3G?? slicks?
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Bambino 6:08PM (2/07/2006)
That is... wow... it can only be describes as... wow... I mean... wow. I think this should've been Santa's ride for Christmas...
Oh, honey! I've been a good boy and Valentine's is coming up.......
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TheChaz 6:40PM (2/07/2006)
I'm thinking that the 500 HP number means the engine is not a full-on F1 race motor, but a similar lump detuned for longevity. According to the F1 news sites, the V8s are making only 150-200 HP less than the V10s, and those were in the neighborhood of 900 HP.
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sr20de 7:13PM (2/07/2006)
Street? That's retarded. With that kind of money to throw around I think that car would live on the track and in a paddock.
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Jaymez 7:51PM (2/07/2006)
Why are they using a V8 when the engine has such a small displacement? For people so obsessed with low weight, wouldn't a four cyclinder fit the bill better?
I think it's an ugly design, but, when you're going that fast, who is going to notice? I'd lump the Enzo in the same catagory. Fugly fast.
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ZoomZoomin' 9:43PM (2/07/2006)
Hot. Very Hot.
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Chris 12:31AM (2/08/2006)
"Why are they using a V8 when the engine has such a small displacement?" Ever heard of this little thing called Formula 1?
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snig 12:52AM (2/08/2006)
no, we all know what the ultimate track day car is going to be, as proven by the great folks at Top Gear, the Ariel Atom.
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Brian 1:11AM (2/08/2006)
The reason for using 8 cylinders for such a small displacement engine is that you can then have the rotating parts (pistons, rods, etc) very small. Smaller=lighter=faster rpms before everything blows apart.
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JimBob 3:50AM (2/08/2006)
This is one of the hottest cars I have ever seen. The only bad part about this car is that I will probably never be able to afford one. >:O(
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Austin 4:01AM (2/08/2006)
265k for that level of performance is a bargain...I am wondering if this is road-legal or not. The website would imply so, seing as how they offer different tire trims (slicks/dot approved). If this machine is this fast/this light (website stated around 1300lbs I believe)/and this cheap we are looking at the ultimate supercar, no two ways about it. A complete Veyron-smoking beast for 1/5th the price. Hope you're one of the lucky twenty five, feels like you are getting the Golden Ticket from Charlie himself. Either way, I hope Top Gear gets a hold of this and shows me what it's capable of. Take care.
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ezKiel 6:05AM (2/08/2006)
To hell with practicality. I want one.
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Spijker 6:06AM (2/08/2006)
Are those headlight taken from the Audi R8 LeMans racer?
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elektrotekno.com 9:58AM (2/08/2006)
I want to buy one, it's very nice
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Sarah 12:26PM (2/08/2006)
I love it. It looks great. Outstanding performance as well. The price isn't that bad either, for what it is. I wonder how good it would look in other colours? Especially black. I would love to see some interior pictures. I bet Top Gear will love it as much as I do.
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Steve Clarke 12:52PM (2/08/2006)
These days 500 crank HP from a force fed 2.4 is a no-brainer and you certainly don't need to have 8 cylinders, 8 injectors and 32 valves to maintain.
Drop any hot EVO lump in the back of a Radical, add some more downforce, tyres capable of maintaining 3g and you would have pretty much the same thing with 150 large to spare.
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Dylan 10:25PM (2/10/2006)
That engine sounds like a downgraded version of this one: http://www.gizmag.com/go/5189/
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Toff 5:43AM (2/12/2006)
As good as the Bugatti Veyron? I doubt it...
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