Ascari Ecosse

We came across the incredible looking Ascari at a TVR Car Club track day early in February 1999. Nestled amongst the Griffiths, Chimaeras and exotically coloured Cerberas was a low, dark sleek Italian-looking machine with a small Ascari badge adorning its rear.

Ascari are still refining the model which is why so little has been heard of it since a debut at the Motor Show in 1995. The original design was by Lee Noble (also worked on the McClaren F1, now working on a rival to the Lotus Elise) back in 1993.

Ascari at Le Mans!

The Autosport International show at Birmingham saw the launch of Ascari's Le Mans contender the A410.

The low slung car is constructed from carbon composites throughout. The chosen engine is the 4 litre Judd GV4 V10. Aerodynamic testing in Le Mans form has taken place at MIRA.

The roll hoop is interchangable for single or seat double configuration. High downforce bodywork is available for sprint races on shorter circuits.

Three cars are to be built initially with Team Ascari to running two cars at Le Mans this year. The bid will be backed personally by Ascari owner Klass Zwart.

Ascari are also happy to build you an A410 if you want one!

The company is now owned by Dutchman Klaas Zwart who is more than a little familiar with performance cars, having raced in a TVR Tuscan team with John Kent back in 1990/91. His main business is the oil industry where he founded Petroline in 1980. However, after seeing the Ecosse he was so impressed, that as the old phrase goes - he bought the company.

The prototype (named FGT) used a six litre fuel injected Chevrolet engine. That was to be replaced with a 4.6 litre 32 valve V8. However the development has lead in a different direction - to a BMW V8. Not just a standard V8, but a Hartge tuned 4.4 or 4.7 litre unit. Hartge have been active in the BMW arena for many years and comfortably get 400bhp from the larger engine, and around 300bhp from the 4.4.

The engine is located behind the passenger compartment, in what appears as quite a long body, accentuated by the low height of the car. The body is glass fibre sitting atop a spacframe chassis and all wishbone suspension. Ten inch wide wheels are mounted at the rear corners of the chassis with eight inch wheels at the front. The wheels are almost at the extremities of the car which should set the car up for some inch perfect handling. The driver sits quite far forwards with the pedal box almost sitting between the front wheels.

The ASCARI name is a derivation
of 'Anglo Scottish-Car Industries'

The Ecosse weighs in at around 1250kg and can sprint to 60mph in just over 4 seconds and on to a claimed top speed of 200mph. So how does it compare with the competition? In terms of performance it does well. Price wise, you're paying for entry to an exclusive club.

Model	0-60mph	Top Speed	Price
Ascari Ecosse 4.7	4.1 secs	200mph	�89,000
Ferrari F355	4.6 secs	160mph	�99,000
Lotus Esprit V8	4.1 secs	170mph	�60,100
Porsche 911 Carrera	5.2 secs	160mph	�64,800
TVR Cerbera 4.5	3.8 secs	180mph	�46,500
(Figures quoted are approximate/claimed)

Links: www.ascari.co.uk, www.hartge.de