800HP Iconic GTR Roadster: Cobra copy ?

[Don]

http://www.iconicmotors.com/

http://www.motorauthority.com/news/r...-gtr-roadster/

Source: NY Times

March 24, 2008
ICONIC GTR ROADSTER
Tribute to a Reptilian Icon

By EZRA DYER
Introduced on Wednesday: Iconic GTR Roadster.

Is it real? Yes. The firm will begin taking orders in April, and plans to build 100 cars.

What they said: “Everything from the custom-built heated and cooled carbon-fiber seats to the computerized gas cap that slides open like the glass on a moon roof embodies my vision,” said Claudio Ballard, founder of Iconic Motors.

What they didn’t say: While the top speed of this two-seater is promised to be more than 200 miles an hour, the Iconic people didn’t mention anything about the car having a roof of some sort. So top speed runs could potentially mess your hair.

What makes it tick? A 420-cubic-inch V-8 generates a claimed 800 horsepower, which is a lot for any car, but particularly so for one that weighs only 2,200 pounds. With a carbon fiber passenger tub and hybrid steel and carbon fiber chassis, Iconic says the GTR’s torsional rigidity is about 80 percent that of a typical Formula One racecar.

How much, how soon? If you have to ask, then you might not have the $600,000 it will take to get into an Iconic GTR when production starts next fall.

How’s it look? With the name Iconic, it’s not hard to tell which automotive icon the company is referencing — the GTR looks a whole lot like a 1960’s Shelby Cobra that’s been updated with a few modern touches while remaining true to the classic “A.C. Ace stuffed with V-8” motif.