Novitec gets ambitious, builds "own" supercar, the TuLesto
Novitec TuLesto - Click above for a hi-res gallery
Novitec has long been regarded for their ability to produce streetable tuner Ferrari models with massive power and generally well-integrated aesthetic and aerodynamic modifications. And while this car, the Novitec TuLesto that see before you clearly has a lot of Ferrari 430 in it, this is a far more ambitious piece than what has come before it. Built in Bavaria by the German tuner, this mid-engined supercar is something of a celebratory affair, designed to mark the company's 20th anniversary.
Just 11 examples are planned, each brandishing 777 horsepower – enough to push the slippery carbon-fiber and aluminum shape to 60 mph in 3.4 ticks before topping out at more than 350 kmh (217 mph). Power comes from a 4.4-liter four-valve V8 (.10-liter larger than that of Ferrari's 430) with a pair of superchargers strapped on to yield the aforementioned 777 hp (at 8,200 rpm), along with a peak torque figure of 536 pound-feet at 6,300 rpm. The sole transmission choice is a six-speed semi-automatic paddleshift setup.
While probably a trackday monster, there is some streetability to the TuLesto, as well. The Luca Serafini Stile-designed front-end can be lifted four inches to accommodate speed bumps and aprons without incurring expensive scraping noise. Perhaps at full height you'll get a better look at the fully tweakable double-wishbone suspension, which includes adjustable dampers and swaybars.
The available 20- or 21-inch wheels are sinister-looking Novitec pieces that strike us as a bit Lamborghini-inspired, not necessarily a bad thing, and they house a set of ceramic composite brakes hatted by six-piston fixed calipers.
Funnily enough, our 20th celebrations weren't nearly as interesting as this. Happy Birthday, Novitec! Now... can we help you to blow out the candles?
Press release after the jump, high-res gallery below.
Gallery: Novitec TuLesto
[Source: Novitec]
PRESS RELEASE:
The World's Most Exclusive High-End Sports Car:
The NOVITEC TuLesto with 777 hp and a Top Speed of More than 350 km/h
There are many fascinating automobiles money can buy but its spectacular design, its uncompromising high-performance concept and its limited edition of just eleven cars make the new NOVITEC TuLesto the most exclusive high-end sports car in the world.
The mid-engine racer is 204 centimeters wide and weighs in at just 1,260 kilograms. It is built by German automobile manufacturer NOVITEC in Stetten in Bavaria. At the heart of the two-seater is a V8 engine with dual superchargers and a rated power output of 777 hp / 571.8 kW. Thanks to its carbon fiber and aluminum construction the coupe has an excellent power-to-weight ratio of just 1.62 kg/hp. The result is driving performance that only very few super sports cars can match: The sprint from rest to 100 km/h takes less than 3.4 seconds, and the NOVITEC TuLesto reaches 300 km/h after just 22.6 seconds. Top speed is more than 350 km/h.
The new high-end sports car represents NOVITEC's first proprietary car and marks the company's 20th anniversary. "With the NOVITEC TuLesto we transform our collective know-how from two decades of automobile tuning into an uncompromising high-performance sports car for eleven of our long-time customers from around the world," says NOVITEC managing director Wolfgang Hagedorn. "The TuLesto offers an optimal symbiosis of exceptional driving dynamics and exciting yet aerodynamically efficient styling."
Light-weight construction was one of the main goals from the very start of the project. The designers' materials of choice are normally found in racecars. The chassis and the integrated safety cell are made entirely from aluminum, making them extremely light while at the same time giving them extraordinary rigidity.
The striking design of the sports car is the result of a cooperation between NOVITEC and the Italian design studio Luca Serafini Stile in Modena. The unmistakable shape of the TuLesto was created using state-of-the-art CAD and CFD technologies, further augmented by the use of the wind tunnel. The TuLesto is 462 centimeters long, 204 centimeters wide and has a height of 122 centimeters.
The spectacular curves of the fenders, the front apron, the shape of the rear and the smooth underbody with integrated venturi tunnel and diffuser were calibrated in the wind tunnel to create an optimal aerodynamic balance.
For perfect weight distribution the NOVITEC TuLesto was designed with a classic mid-engine layout. The 4.4-liter four-valve V8 engine with dual superchargers is installed directly behind the cockpit. The high-tech engine produces a maximum power output of 777 hp / 571.8 kW at 8,200 rpm and a peak torque of 727 Nm at 6,300 rpm.
Motorsports was also the inspiration for the power transfer: The six gears of the semi-automatic gearbox with integrated anti-slip differential are shifted with carbon-fiber paddles behind the steering wheel. An adjustable traction control system with launch control for perfect starts guarantees maximum driving safety on the road and on the track.
The NOVITEC engineers and technicians also used racing technology on the suspension: As in GT-series racing, the TuLesto features double-wishbone suspension front and rear, height-adjustable struts with various selectable damping rates, and adjustable sway bars. For easy negotiating of underground parking ramps or similar obstacles the TuLesto front can be raised four centimeters at the push of a button. The anti-lock braking system features ceramic composite discs and six-piston fixed calipers front and back for maximum stopping power and endurance.
Another elementary contribution to the superior driving dynamics of the NOVITEC TuLesto comes from its ultra-light light-alloy wheels with diameters of 20 or 21 inches. These wheels were custom-developed for this coupe and are fitted with semi slicks up to 355 millimeters wide on the rear axle.
The interior design has a decidedly sporty nature but also offers creature comforts such as a climate-control system and a high-end sound system. Lightweight carbon fiber plays a dominating role in the interior as well: It is used for dashboard, center console and door trim as well as for the bucket seats which will be custom-fitted in form, shape, size, color and upholstery to each of the eleven future owners.
The creation of the eleven Limited Edition NOVITEC TuLesto super sports cars can be viewed in a web special at www.TuLesto.com.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Aprime 10:30AM (4/17/2009)
Wol Smoth?
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Steve 10:33AM (4/17/2009)
That rear end is enough to make men fall to their knees and beg for mercy.
This car now officially beats Megan Fox for me.
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Big Rocket 1:35PM (4/17/2009)
@Steve: Really? Are you a human or a transformer?
alej469 10:37AM (4/17/2009)
Droolworthy
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BoxerFanatic 10:51AM (4/17/2009)
Are you kidding?
What did an F430 ever do to deserve this ham-fisted re-styling? It already was among the best looking road-going Ferraris... but this looks like amateur hour.
Negatory, good buddy. This thing is not right.
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aj121489 7:18PM (4/17/2009)
Yea when I saw the pic I just assumed it was an F430 with a terrible body kit. Then I read the title. Then I realized I was right the first time around.
homunculus 10:52AM (4/17/2009)
It looks like the snork cousin of the ferrari.
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Boss 10:53AM (4/17/2009)
Not bad I guess, but if I had a choice, I would stick with a F430 Scuderia.
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hamyblam 11:32AM (4/17/2009)
ditto...
I think overall it looks good. But what kills it is what they did with the front grill and bumper...
alfaBAT9 11:15AM (4/17/2009)
Good lord. This car is vicious. In the best possible way.
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JL 11:17AM (4/17/2009)
I think it looks great!!!
rear end is kind of spykerish....
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wilbonnet 11:28AM (4/17/2009)
they didn't try too hard did they?
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Sandok 11:30AM (4/17/2009)
Ferrighini!!!
It's got the great engineering of a Ferrari with the outlandish styling of a Lambo... My heaven... *drool*
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Steve 11:34AM (4/17/2009)
Lamborgotti Fastarossa.
Auari 11:35AM (4/17/2009)
I'm a huge Ferrari fan, but I think this looks meaner than the F430
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The FedEx Man 11:37AM (4/17/2009)
Worth it just for the rear end. Never been a fan of the F430's.
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Rich 12:33PM (4/17/2009)
Ha. Take one dull unattractive supercar, add a Civic bodykit and some tuning tweaks. Paint it orange. Give it a bloody stupid name.
I think the production run is a bit too long...
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PJ 12:49PM (4/17/2009)
I was going to say, I didn't think engine mods, wheels, and a bodykit (regardless of acreage) merited an entirely different model name, but I guess I was wrong. I ought to tell my neighbor that his slammed Civic is actually a CalvinTec SuprezzaZX.
"The sole transmission choice is a six-speed semi-automatic paddleshift setup."
Make it stop!
extinctdoughnut 12:43PM (4/17/2009)
superchargers on a Ferrari makes me want to throw up.
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mir 1:00PM (4/17/2009)
Yeah, but who could say no to 777hp and a 8200 rpm redline? It's simply neurotic in the best possible way.