F1 supplier Mulholland steps into building entire cars with 480-hp two-seater

Mulholland Group, a British company that manufactures composite parts for cars that race in Formula One and the World Rally Championship (WRC), is brazenly taking its first steps as an automaker. It unveiled a coupe called Legend 480 that, in its own words, follows the blueprint of the classic TVR British sports car.

Get your mind out of the gutter, 1980s geeks. The Legend 480 is neither an Acura nor a Volvo. Its name denotes the presence of a 480-horsepower V8 engine under the long hood and behind a grille that would make New York City's subway ventilation system jealous. Mulholland hasn't released additional technical details yet, so we don't know where the engine comes from or how much torque it develops, but the firm clarified the eight-cylinder spins the rear wheels via a six-speed manual transmission. Other details (like the coupe's weight) are under wraps, too.

It should be relatively light, though. Twenty years of making racing components helped Mulholland design a state-of-the-art carbon fiber chassis that keeps the two-seater's mass in check. It was developed in-house, and it will be built using the same methods used to manufacturer Formula One parts. All told, the firm stressed it hopes the Legend 480 will pelt the TVR formula into the 2020s, a feat not even TVR itself has managed to accomplish.

Mulholland has already started taking orders for the Legend 480, though pricing hasn't been announced yet, and it surprisingly plans to launch production in Derby, England, during the summer of 2020. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in August at the latest, so we won't have to wait long to find out if this ambitious newcomer can walk the walk. Looking ahead, British magazine Evo learned the firm plans to add three models to its range.

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