IFR Aspid: Lightweight Lightning

Motoring Channel Staff - 11/August/2008

Barcelona, Spain — The IFR Aspid is not your average motor vehicle.

As well as being one of the quickest sprinters on tarmac, the Spanish performance car is also environmentally friendly, which is an issue that many super car and exotic car makers are grappling with as stricter emission controls come into force.

Designed and developed in Spain, the lightweight Aspid will be built in very limited numbers, and is almost as fast from zero to 100km/h as the Bugatti Veyron.

It has even earned the nickname "Bugatti from Barcelona".

The Aspid was officially launched at the 2008 British International Motor Show last month, and will be hand-built at a rate of one car per week at IFR's Spanish facilities.

Powered by 2.0-litre engines that output 198kW (270hp) and 294kW (400hp) thanks to a supercharger. 

With a kerb weight of around 700kg, the power-to-weight ratio of both models is very impressive.

Built for the racetrack, the new vehicle boasts a number of F1-inspired technologies. 

Take the steering wheel for example. It features a range of buttons and even a large LCD screen that allows the driver to change car settings, view telemetry and compare lap times on the fly.

IFR Automotive is the company responsible for the car, and its founder, Ignacio Fernandez, says he is pleased with the response the Aspid has had.

"We've been absolutely delighted with the level of interest from customers, the media and industry alike," said Fernandez.

"Prospective customers have worked out that you can spend a lot more [money] preparing other makes of cars for the race track. With the Aspid it all comes as standard," says Fernandez.

Priced from £75,000 ($162,000) for the naturally aspirated version, and £107,000 ($231,000), the Aspid is not cheap, but for the performance of a Bugatti Veyron it compares well. IFR Automotive also says that "the majority of potential customers for the car have expressed a preference for the more expensive supercharged model".

The low-to-the-ground sportster is also a fuel efficient vehicle, thanks to its small 2.0-litre engine and light 700kg weight, and Ignacio Fernandez mentioned that during the British International Motor Show debut, many enquiries were made about its weight-saving features.

"We particularly enjoyed the visits from other carmakers interested in the Aspid's technology, which can be applied to a wide range of vehicles," said Fernandez.

"The need to significantly reduce the weight of all vehicles is a highly topical subject and important to the entire industry in terms of delivering personal mobility that is environmentally friendly, socially acceptable and economically sustainable," opined Mr Fernandez.

"Almost everyone we met at the show has recognised that a lightweight and compact design is the way forward. We've aimed for a car with outstanding performance and driveability. And its exceptionally low mass ensures excellent fuel economy and correspondingly low CO2 emissions," added Fernandez.

The 2-seater sports car has its 2.0-litre engine mounted in the front, while the passengers sit close to the rear axle, and the design has some exotic features.

Getting in and out of the vehicle is made easier by vertically hinging scissor doors and the tilting roof panels further enlarge the entry and exit portals.