There's a new supercar coming out of America, and before you think, "Oh great, somebody's found an interesting place to put another Chevrolet Corvette V8 engine," read on. Because the Rossion Q1 is the real thing. You may recall the Noble M400, a British mid-engined supercar that was hailed by petrolheads as a genuine Ferrari-beater in terms of performance and handling. That car is no longer being made, but Rossion, the company that once distributed the M400 in the US, bought the intellectual rights to it. Since then, it has refined the Noble concept with a modified shape, increased power and torque, and made "over 300" engineering changes to the car.
To the Noble's rather basic specification, Rossion has added electric windows, sat nav and other niceties that buyers of cars such as the Porsche 911 Turbo or Audi R8 might expect - because that's what Rossion reckons the competition is.
And don't go looking for the usual V8 - the Q1 is powered by a development of the Noble's 3-litre V6. The engine has twin turbos and is built by the people who prepare powerplants for Ford Racing. The result is 450bhp and 390 lb ft of torque driving through a six-speed gearbox. Its performance is McLaren F1 epic - Rossion claims a 0-60mph time of 3.1sec. Be aware, though, that the Q1 lacks traction control and antilock braking. You'll need to be brave and experienced to drive it.
The truly encouraging thing about the Q1 is that it's real, not a fanciful concept from a wannabe car maker seeking investment. Dean Rosen, the co-founder of Rossion, says that 50 cars have been delivered in the US, and the good news for the UK is that right-hand-drive versions of the Q1 have already gone to South Africa, New Zealand and Australia.
But before it can be sold here, the Q1 needs to go through the European small-volume ratification process, which Rosen thinks will take another six months. He also thinks the base price will be about £86,500 at the current exchange rate. That would undercut the Porsche 911 Turbo and Audi R8 V10, both of which will find the Q1's performance difficult to live with. This curious Anglo-American machine is a proper contender.
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Rossion Q1
Engine 2984cc, twin-turbo V6
Power 450bhp @ 6500rpm
Torque 390 lb ft @ 5000rpm
Transmission Six-speed manual
Acceleration 0-60mph: 3.1sec
Top Speed 189mph
Fuel/CO2 Not available
Price £86,500 (estimated)
Verdict An American supercar with a British soul
On sale Now, but car won't be approved until mid-2010