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Wealthy enthusiasts won't let the manual V12 die
Large manufacturers appear to be approaching modern engineering with a quantity-over-quality approach. This may be a difficult pill to swallow, as cars become increasingly tech-savvy, heavy, and expensive, but it opens the door for truly unique and creative new car designs to emerge for enthusiasts, by enthusiasts. The latest to join the mystical realm of new hypercar names is Garagisti and Co. with the GP1. A carbon fibre rocket with a point to prove.
The GP1 has a striking design, providing the largest diffuser I have seen on a production car, two roof scoops and four massive tailpipes to banish exhaust fumes. Only its appearance is aggressively elegant, which seems almost ironic. There is barely a straight line on this car, yet its silhouette follows a smooth flow, forcing air to exactly where it needs to be. It produces 850kgs of downforce and mostly uses ground effect. It is a gorgeous piece of metal and is one that looks familiar, but I can't quite put my finger on why or what it is reminding me of. But to ensure this is a car for the drivers, it is spearheaded by a true petrolhead.
Mario Escudero is leading the charge on the GP1, and he is best known for logging 13,000 kilometres on his Lambo Countach in one year. So it's clear that this isn't a showroom piece; it should be driven. So as stunning as this new hypercar is, the real excitement is found underneath its shell. Its 6.6-litre V12 is a product of Italtecnica engineering, which is famous for its work on the Lancia Delta HF and Stratos, Ferrari 458 and 488 Pista, alongside its collaboration with Ferrari on the Maserati MC12’s V12.
In other words, this engine is bound for greatness, and that's before we unpack it in detail. So it boasts a 6.6-litre displacement in its 65-degree V12 that makes use of dual overhead cams, four valves per cylinder, a dry sump and a mind-boggling 9,000r/min redline. This engine speed in a V12 is nothing short of ridiculous, so imagine the noise that it produces.
In practice this finely tuned engine produces 588kW and 700Nm, which is seriously potent, but no Koenigsegg competitor. Well, it might appear so, until we touch on its weight. Thanks to its strong use of carbon fibre and simpler design, it has a dry weight of 1,000kg. It will be a rocket of a car with strong downforce and light weight, so it's bound to handle on rails too.
But the cherry on top is the addition of a 6-speed manual from Xtrac, which completes its driver-focused design and sticks out in its minimalistic interior. Despite its rather obscure-looking gear lever, which protrudes with confidence from the centre console, the interior complements its exterior with simple designs, very few buttons and switches, no centre screen or radio, and gorgeous brown leather trims blended with a heavy use of carbon fibre in the footwells. All of which creates a driver-focused space which looks like a billionaire's race car from the future.
Only this new hypercar is as far from affordable as they come and starts at R58.4m. This is mostly due to the car's exclusivity, with only 25 units in the pipeline. In fact, to ensure owners have the most exclusive ownership experience, the first 12 commissioners will have access to and have a say in the car's development. Before now the realm of V12 manual hypercars was ruled by the Gordon Murray T.50, but now it has some healthy competition that will hopefully spark more of these enthusiast-directed hypercars to see the light of day.
