While Italian supercars may be the best-known supercars, the Brits know a thing or two about their supercars as well. Case in point: the Arash AF8.
Arash is a small British company that unveiled it’s new AF8 supercar rumored to be capable of over 200 mph and 0 to 60 in 3.5 – and that’s only where it starts being cool (I hope you like carbon fiber).
The AF8 is powered by a monsterous 7.0-liter LS7 Chevrolet V8 that originally puts out 505 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque. This power output isn’t bad, but it’s not supercar material. Thankfully, Arash made some tweaks, including a carbon-fiber intake system and high performance exhaust system that help bump output to 550 horses and 472 lb ft.
A six-speed manual transmission delivers power to the rear wheels. But of course, you’re going to need to eventually stop. Accordingly, Arash bolted up 380 mm floating ventilated steel discs with six-point calipers in the front and 362 mm steel discs with four-point calipers in the back. These should stop fast enough to allow you to see through time, albeit temporarily.
The real jewel of the supercar is its incredibly low weight. Rumored to be 1200 kilos, the AF8 is almost 200 kilos lighter than the Ferrari 458 Speciale.
The tube steel chassis paired with carbon fiber and aluminum honeycomb structures for the cabin compartment paneling can be credited for the incredible weight savings. In order for this jet-on-wheels to be safe, steel side impact tubes and a roll cage are included, as well as Kevlar and carbon fiber in specific areas for further protection.
To liquefy the bones of buyers, the suspension features double wishbones and oil-filled dampers and a rack and pinion-type steering system.
If you didn’t already guess, the exterior panels are made from carbon fiber. A range of ten solid finishes will be offered as well as a clear coat to make that British supercar truly villainous. The exterior also features front and rear spoilers, bi-xenon headlights, and LED rear lights.
The interior is equally abundant in carbon-fiber mostly consisting of carbon fiber except for the leather seats and leather carbon-fiber steering wheel. The manual handbrake is a particular nice touch, it’s unfortunate some car brands are doing away with them.
36 special edition “First Edition” models will be built all with a special yellow paint, titanium brake calipers and carbon fiber engine cover and rear wings. Pricing is set at 165,000 British pounds.
