IFR Aspid strikes Spanish gold

By Tom Richards

Motor Industry

08 August 2008 13:32

More than 100 potential IFR Aspid customers have signed up for a two-day test drive following the new two-seater sports car's unveiling at the London motor show last month. Now the Spanish manufacturer is seeking to create an international dealer network.

The Aspid has been in secret development for five years, with IFR working hard on making it relevant to the needs to the 21st century. Although there are no definite CO2 figures, a kerbweight of 700kg means the Aspid should be capable 56.4mpg, they say. The chassis and suspension are aluminium, while the bodywork is carbonfibre and the brakes are made from stainless steel.

Definitely. The Supersport 270bhp version is claimed to hit 62mph in 3.9 seconds, while the 400bhp supercharged model will hit the same speed in just 2.8 seconds. Both cars run a 2.0-litre Honda VTEC engine. Prices for the 270bhp model start at £75,000, rising to £107,000 if you fancy the extra speed. It’s the £107k that most customers have expressed an interest in.

The cars aren’t stripped-out track day specials though. There's an F1-style steering wheel which provides lap telemetry, but there is also a fixed roof, climate control and a touch screen.

IFR expects that most of its clients will use the two-day event to confirm their interest in the car and place deposits. ‘We’ve been absolutely delighted with the level of interest from customers, the media and industry alike,’ said company founder Ignacio Fernandez. ‘We’re thrilled that so many people have signed up for this unique opportunity to evaluate the Aspid on test tracks and public roads.’

IFR is planning to make 50 Aspids a year - and with the attention it’s already received, the order book should be full for quite some time.

By Tom Richards