David Brown Automotive, which describes itself as a new luxury British sports car brand, has revealed more about its plans to launch a new sports car later this year.
The company has confirmed it will be using another model as the basis for its car, re-skinning an existing package to create what company founder David Brown calls “a car that is iconic in its styling from the ’60s. It will take inspiration from a lot of cars, not just British. It will be a mix of Ferrari, Maserati, Aston Martin and Jaguar. They will all be brought together into what I think is a beautiful and cohesive style”.
The donor model has yet to be revealed, but the company hired to develop the car, Envisage Group, has strong connections to Jaguar. The group’s previous exploits include the Jaguar E-type-inspired Lyonheart sports car.
Powered by a supercharged 5.0-litre V8 engine producing 567 bhp and 510 lb ft of torque, the Lyonheart can reach 62 mph in 3.9 seconds and has a top speed of 186 mph.
The idea behind the new project, says Brown, is to create a classically styled sports car with modern reliability.
The model will be revealed in late March with sales commencing in early April. The company intends to sell it in limited numbers thereafter, starting with a minimum of 50 units. A maximum of 200 units could be produced annually, depending on interest.
The car has been named ‘Project Judi’, although Brown has confirmed the model will not retain that name when it goes on sale. While official pricing has yet to be revealed, Brown confirmed it will be a six-figure sum, which “will reflect the costs that are going into it, and the materials”.
Among the design team for the new car is ex-Land Rover chief designer Alan Mobberley. Mobberley was previously linked with the Eterniti Motors project based in north west London.
