Your chance to own high-speed single seater
Single-seater track cars built in New Zealand and boasting a performance to rival modern era Grand Prix cars have been released for sale by Rodin Cars.
Powered by a Cosworth GPV8, the new Rodin FZED will deliver 675bhp at 9,600rpm. Peak torque is 490Nm at 7,600rpm, while the redline is 10,000rpm. It can go from 0-160kph in 5.0 seconds, with a top speed of 300kph, and weighs just 609kg.
Rodin Cars’ Australian founder and Ferrari Challenge class champion, David Dicker, is behind the move to make the vehicle available to the public. The company has its own test track and R&D facility in New Zealand, where Dicker and his team have fine-tuned the performance handling of the open wheeler.
Dicker plans to sell the Rodin FZED to experienced and keen drivers who relish the opportunity for a near-F1 experience. Unlike Grand Prix racers, the vehicle has been engineered for durability, with the engine designed to run more than 5,000km on 98-octane pump fuel.
The cars will be eligible for entry into the Formula Libre series in New Zealand and have also been accepted into the field of the BOSS series in Europe. It is anticipated the Rodin FZED will be eligible for amateur open-wheel racing worldwide.
“The Rodin FZED is a far more practical and durable proposition compared with buying and running a historic Grand Prix car,” says Dicker. “People do buy them, I had one, but they are more difficult to run and less durable, plus there’s the risk of crashing a car with an important Grand Prix heritage.
“The beauty of the Rodin FZED is that you get the Grand Prix experience: the speed, the power, the downforce and cornering grip, in a package that has been designed for easy access and reliable performance.
“It looks like a Grand Prix car and it goes like a Grand Prix car, but it has none of the complications associated with running an old Grand Prix racer.”
Features of the car include a carbon fibre composite chassis and aero package made in Italy by HP Composites. The 3.8-litre, 32-valve Cosworth engine mates to a six-speed sequential gearbox from Ricardo, while the carbon-carbon brakes are by Alcon, while high-level four-way adjustable TTX-40 racing dampers are from Öhlins and the 13-inch magnesium wheels come from Italy’s OZ Racing.
The first five Rodin FZED vehicles are currently being assembled and will be painted in black and gold to match Rodin Cars’ corporate identity, although customers can specify their own body paint finish on request.
The Rodin FZED will start at US$650,000 (NZ$1 million).
