Too sane for a superbike? Check the RoadRazer
Over the past few years, it's become apparent that Colin Chapman's philosophy of speed through lightweight is not exclusive to the marque he helped to establish. The Ariel Atom seems to have garnered the most press recently, but a host of other minimalist, four-wheeled track toys are beginning to populate this uber-niche segment.
This latest addition is the RoadRazer, which at first glance seems to have more in common with a gravity racer than a piece of F1 inspired kit. Once you pull away the scorched orange paint, you'll be greeted with the telltale weave of carbon fiber, along with an aluminum honeycomb monocoque. Because of the extensive use of these lightweight materials, the RoadRazer barely tips the scales at 660 pounds.
While other manufacturers have opted to utilize engines from production automobiles, the RoadRazer crew looked towards the superbike world for motivation. A 180 HP, 1.3-liter Suzuki mill, pulled from the Hayabusa, resides behind the driver and his reluctant passenger. Gear selection is handled via steering wheel mounted paddles that link up to a six-speed sequential gearbox. With that much power, that many revs and about half the mass of an Atom, 60 MPH will come up in three seconds dead. Judging by the specs, there's little evidence to dispute that claim.
Follow the jump for a promotional video of the RoadRazer and be sure to check out the gallery.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
7of7 7:05PM (1/20/2007)
What do you suppose is the actual cost of producing such a beast? A Hayabusa engine goes for about $1900 or so. I'm not sure what 660lbs of carbon fiber and a hell of a lot of engineering go for though.
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Jay 7:06PM (1/20/2007)
It doesn't look like a 2 seater(no second racing seat)....even though you state that the passenger site behind the driver?! And 95 grand for a toy like that?? NO WAY, for my money the Atom is just fine, or a Lotus Elise or Exige, as well as many other production cars that cost less!!! You could get 2 Subaru WRX's plus extras for then for that price...not my cup O' tea.....
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dan 7:21PM (1/20/2007)
my mint condition 2000 cbr929 120 wheel horse power & under 400lbs with a full tank of gas... $5200
how could you ever justify $95,000 for the same kind of performance??
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sr20de 7:23PM (1/20/2007)
What kind of half-assed video is that? Where is someone beating the crap out of it on the track. My first thought when John Nielsen got in it was, "Why is he not wearing a helmet?"
I'll take an Exige, please.
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egs 7:42PM (1/20/2007)
its not too fun having your body make up part of the aerodynamics. i like enclosed work spaces. the only time i like working outside is on my yard.
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Michael Cicconi 10:00PM (1/21/2007)
The real replacement for a superbike is VW's GX3 concept. It even has motorbike parts. I can't believe it wasn't even mentioned in this article.
http://www.autoblog.com/2006/01/04/vw-gx3/
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ruggels 8:36PM (1/20/2007)
"The real replacement for a superbike is VW's GX3 concept. It even has motorbike parts. I can't believe it wasn't even mentioned in this article."
Uh.. maybe the fact that it's never going to be built and only exists in one off concept form is the reason why? Most likely.
This roadrazer looks interesting, but is pretty damn weak. I'd rather go for an extra 62kg, pick up AWD, a 'busa based v8, 375hp (10,000rpm), and a smaller package.
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Andrew 8:44PM (1/20/2007)
Looks like something college students make.
http://students.sae.org/competitions/formulaseries/fsae/results/2004pix.htm
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spaceweasel 9:03PM (1/20/2007)
Besides being less attractive and more expensive, the razor doesn't look to be remotely street legal. I'll take an Atom for when the sun shines and spend the difference on a WRX for those days it doesn't, thank you very much.
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Stoneman 9:14PM (1/20/2007)
I would soooo wrap that around a telephone pole.
Stoneman
http://www.stonemanautoreview.com
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bill 10:06PM (1/20/2007)
that was the worst promotional video i've ever seen
so.....does the car actually go over 30mph? the video was not convincing to me
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2009 Mustangs 5:49AM (1/21/2007)
That thing would be wickedly fun to drive, but the body needs alot of TLC.
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David 11:08AM (1/21/2007)
$95,000?! This thing is cool but way, way ... way over-priced. I'll stick with the Superbike, thanks.
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Tiago do Vale 2:02PM (1/21/2007)
Well, reading the comments, I see that this car clearly isn't for everyone.
And I'm glad for that.
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ruggels 2:36PM (1/21/2007)
"Well, reading the comments, I see that this car clearly isn't for everyone."
Don't forget "and underpowered for the price"
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ZoomZoomin' 6:22PM (1/21/2007)
I'm still waiting for a track machine like this that costs in the range of a small car. I'm still wondering can't the motorcycle companies offer something like this. Take those nice 600/650/700cc mills and put four wheels around it rather than two.
Yes, I know the answer is that with the fact that something like this couldn't be street-legal and makes the market too small for them to consider mass production, but damnit, I want something fun to take to the track...safer than getting a motorcycle, but not as expensive as kitting out a car for track use (which still won't be quite as fun). Karting is the nearest thing, but you're generally stuck to karting tracks. A guy can dream...
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GT_Arun 6:54PM (1/21/2007)
The Ariel Atom comparison is well warranted... but I don't know why everyone is comparing this thing to a superbike. Sure a crotch-rocket can go 0-60 in 2 seconds, they also can turn for crap because the wheels under in line with the cg, not outside of it, and the tire contact area is so small. There's a video somewhere of a 911 (I believe a 996 - so 0-60 in 5s) beating a superbike on a road track simply because while it gets raped on the straights, it can completely make up for it in turns.
I think this might cost so much just b/c I expect it outerperforms the Atom at high speed. The Atom doesn't have nearly the same amount of body surface, but probably has a higher drag coefficient... so it would have greater problems with straight line performance as well as maneuvering at high speed.
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ruggels 8:17PM (1/21/2007)
"Yes, I know the answer is that with the fact that something like this couldn't be street-legal and makes the market too small for them to consider mass production"
The GX3 would have been street-legal, requiring a helmet. VW nixed it due to concerns pertaining to liability in accidents, had it made production it would have been very afordable.
"I think this might cost so much just b/c I expect it outperforms the Atom at high speed. "
For now, yes, however when the atom receives a V8, not so much.
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